On the same day, three arrows producing loud whistles shot up into the sky from northside. From previous hearings, it meant Shibata failed to recapture a foothold and something unexpected occurred.
A drop of sweat ran down Lemi’s cheek as she anxiously waited for a messenger while focusing defending the barricade facing eastside. She heard loud squealing of metal rubbing against metal from the base of the Tower. Multiple shockwaves shook the base as angled tubes staring into the skies rained projectiles where Shibata’s arrows marked the enemy.
As for her side, she deployed barriers for soldiers in need and slung light magic in shape of floating swords at the advancing enemy. Her main profession was a healer, but as spirits, they would not suffer permanent injuries. Instead, Lemi prepared products that helped reduce physiological stress and mental exhaustion.
“Did we hear anything from northside yet?” Lemi asked.
“We have not received any news, but headquarters are moving quick to identify the issue.”
Praying would do not change the outcome, but Lemi made a silent prayer wishing the safety of those defending the north.
For now, her barricade stood strong. Adventurers worked in unison with Soldiers taking shifts to ward off the enemy. They may have been overwhelmed at the initial start of the invasion but managed to regain their momentum and ward off enemy assault.
“Twenty Behemoths are leading the next wave!”
“Hannah, give the signal to attack.”
“Hannah will go!” The little girl raised a flag in her hand and when she waved it down, siege engines unloaded their payload onto the enemy. “Load, set and standby!”
“Standing by!”
“Fire!”
After leaders of each war contraption reported in, Hannah waved her flag to signal a second barrage to be unleashed at approaching Behemoths. Soldiers and Adventurers watching her waving the tiny flag were helplessly thinking how adorable she was. With their mascot endangering herself by standing with them, they would feel ashamed if they let anything harm her. The other reason was to avoid incurring Lemi’s wrath as they knew how much she dotted on Hannah.
“They’re rushing with a big wave! Over six hundred!”
“Angel Sis! Hannah doesn’t think our cannons will stop them.”
“We’ll take care of it.” Lemi stroked Hannah’s hair and called upon the aid of Spellcasters. “O’Light Elemental! Bringer of justice, rain judgement upon my foes. Banish the darkness from their hearts and show mercy upon the enemy’s soul. Light, forgive my malice and grant mercy on their souls. Ank, Foram, Maks, Ashent, Dupil, Jeltz!”
Unhindered with her illness from when she was alive, Lemi siphoned great amounts of magic from her catalysts. Where previously she was limited to one arrow of light, thousands now emerged above her allies and rained down at her enemies.
“Chain magic: Ruo, Nalus, Val!”
Harpoons made of magic shot from all sides of those who were struck. The sound of chains filled the street, weaving into a nest and immobilized the approaching army.
She tugged on the chain connected to the restricted monsters and by severing it, her magic chains retracted and tore them to shreds. Spellcasters lined behind the barricade and defeated the remainder of enemies with their spells.
“Oooh! When will Angel Sis teach Hannah magic? Hannah wants to be as strong as Angel Sis!”
“You will need to study hard. The Elder did say you were dozing off when he was teaching you.”
“Geh! But Hannah knows all the basics already! It’s boring! The other kids don’t know, not Hannah!”
“Hannah.”
“Mu…! Hannah will do her best.”
“Good girl.”
Unfortunately, the rest of the defenders didn’t share Hannah’s enthusiasm cheering for their defeated foes. Immediately after decimating the enemy’s reckless charge, they spotted a strange headless beast standing before them in the blaze of fire. It wore a mask of a serpent’s skull. It looked like a silhouette of a four legged creature with talons as its feet. Suddenly it’s body spasmed as its shape deformed, growing a long serpentine neck with jet black wings.
“It matches the description of an Immortal!” An adventurer was the first to draw his bow at the abomination.
An arrow soared and hit its mark, at the base of the neck. The first strike inspired other bowmen to pluck the beast off the air but soon realize their arrows suddenly bounced off its hardened scales growing over its injuries.
“We’ve fought plenty of Immortals! Stick to the plan!” Lemi shouted. “Spellcasters, please keep an eye out when it uses its petrification and get ready to make stone walls to block it! Everyone else, draw out its eye!”
As professional monster exterminators it was obvious adventurers would take the mantle of responsibility to vanquish the beast. At first, it was thought to be immortal as it was the only enemy capable of regenerating any lost limbs immediately. After driving it away many times, they discovered like the Demons before them, its core was located at its eye that it uses to petrify foes.
“It’s out!”
Upon seeing the eye pop out between the Immortal’s jaws, mages erected a wall of stone surrounding it. Archers began peppering it with arrows to keep it pinned.
Hanging in the air above it was a collection of magic spears being materialized. At the slightest twitch, they showered their caster’s target with unrelenting force. The monster trapped in the wall screeched in pain as it attempted to ram down one of the many stone walls which was reinforced. The sound of its struggle then ceased as magic continued to rain down on its corpse.
The walls crumbled at their demand to find an empty crater where the monster once was.
“Hell yeah! They got nothing on us!”
“Things aren’t that bad. I’m wondering why northside is having so much trouble.”
“Don’t jynx it. We still have three more days to hold them off-. Hey, there’s a lot of smoke coming from the southside.”
“No way! Isn’t that where Kaeth is?”
“Did those monsters break through?”
The number of concerning faces turn toward the south where a pillar of smoke engulfed the gate Kaeth was guarding. Did the monsters actually breached through?
Lemi could only wait on a messenger to deliver her news of other gates. She turned her eyes back on the street to find another lone figure marching out of the dust storm attempting to challenge them again. This time, it was insect like as its many arms or legs helped it crawl to the barricade.
“What is that? A lone Shadow?”
“Is it a scout? It looks slow and sluggish.”
“Wait, there’s two, no, at least thirty more of them coming out from the smoke. Let’s get back-.”
As an adventurer went to move, his feet were encased in ice. He looked at the enemy who began channeling electricity between its antennas. Their mandibles clicked, huffing a breath of fire. Ice needles scattered above them with their tips calibrated at the barricade.
“They’re casting spells-! They’re Seekers! Bring up shields and barriers, quick!” Lemi screamed.
Up until this point, there were no signs of the enemy capable of casting magic.
The adventurers trapped out there could not be saved. Lemi could only turn Hannah away and watched in horror as the adventurers were violently showered by frost, charred in a field of flames, pierced by lightning. Their bodies shrivelled up into a tiny orb freshly plucked by three of the four Immortals jumping into the fray, swallowing them whole.
The first day was to test their defence. Today was to see how the defenders would adapt. Lemi realized the full terror of what the next three days would look like.
But as a shadow casted over her, she saw two ginormous floating hands looming above the skies.
“Everyone, abandon this checkpoint! Fall back to the next one!”
----------------------------------------
“It’s not over yet?! Hasn’t it been five days already?!”
“Only three day cycles have passed. Get your things and prepare to move to the next outpost. This barricade’s done for.”
A team of guards carried what remaining supplies they got their hands on and abandoned their post as planned. The enemy familiarized themselves through this section of the alleyway and triggered nearly every trap. If they did not retreat, the outpost would be overrun within seconds when the next assault hits.
One of the guards armed a magical device before leaving, making sure to use everything they were told to slow down the enemy’s advance.
“I can’t believe it took a day for three of the gates to get destroyed. I’m glad I’m not assigned to fight at the main roads.”
“Isn’t that where all the big monsters are at? I doubt any of them could squeeze through here.”
The ground beneath them quaked and smoke billowed from westside. They heard ring of metal clashing from the north, saw flashes of light just behind the Tower and a pillar of darkness sprouted like a volcano shooting up black smog from the south.
“Are we going to even hold?”
“To be honest, I don’t see us able to. Each side was supposed to fall back a checkpoint everyday. I heard we lost half of what we built on the first day.”
As they turned the corner, a rush of dust just missed them from an explosion the enemy triggered. One of the guards immediately popped a catalyst at the intersection and recited the words to invoke a spell. The pile of dirt grew between two buildings and expanded upwards forming a tall sturdy wall to hinder their pursuers.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
The Lizardman Sapper glanced at the top of his earthen wall that was no higher than the buildings. Once it hit the invisible barrier covering the top of the small streets and alley, it stopped growing but perfectly sealed the corridor.
“Hurry it up!”
“One more thing! I’ll catch up.”
He heaved a package and slapped it on the wall. Once the bulb glowed red, he pressed it and raced back to his teammates. They already made themselves plenty comfortable at the next barricade filled with reinforcements and supplies.
Just as he thought he could rest up, blotches of shadow casted all around him. He looked at the barrier above and found sludges exuding miasma falling on it. Spider web like fractures ran on the surface when suddenly another falling sludge shattered an opening.
“They broke through?!”
“UWAAAAH!”
He raised his arms to protect his head, sprinting through bodies of monsters falling around him. Arrows flew in his direction but never targeted him as his comrades encouraged him to keep running. Adventurers hiding behind covers jumped out and fought towards him.
There was another sound of glass shattering.
The Lizardmen Sapper dared tilt his head up finding a giant insect with many thin branchy arms weaving through the opening. Its eyes consisted of many faces wailing in anguish. Lightning danced between its antennas as it climbed down the side of the building.
“Get down!”
A giant bolt pierced the side of the monster, nailing the creature in place. Its many faces let out a banshee like screech before it’s mandibles clicked and spat fire burning everything in its view. The houses were doused by water magic before the flames spread far.
The Lizardmen Sapper rushed past the abomination and dove behind cover where he was handed a spear. Together with other guards and adventurers, they thrust wildly to keep the claws at bay.
“You got to be kidding me! There’s two more crawling through! Why are there so many all the sudden?!”
“Are they Insectoids?”
“Don’t compare my kind to them!”
“Quit whining and keep attacking! We haven’t even guarded this place for more than an hour. We must make every outpost count!”
----------------------------------------
By the fourth day, all gates were officially breached. The rate of casualties skyrocketed at which retrieving fallen souls to be resurrected were less than half as successful.
A pillar of darkness suddenly engulfed the second checkpoint from southside. Back where Kaeth first encountered it, he witnessed how the defences were cut up like butter even under his watch. It was felled by one opponent, one shadow, but a familiar foe.
Its onyx caped fluttered behind casting a black void. Its armor cluttered as it made a bold stride. The only thing outlining its shape was a bright white saber pointing at the Elven warrior before it. While it led the attack, the Shadowed Army lurked beyond the gate as if waiting for Shadowed Knight’s permission to enter the city.
Kaeth pried himself from the pile of debris and shook his head. Many of his allies fell with the remaining few carrying as many souls as they could while retreating to the Tower.
He raised his blade and dropped back into his stance, eyeing his corrupted friend. “Why are you fighting on their side?”
The Shadowed Knight replied in silence as it raised its white blade. It suddenly did a running leap and swung down at Kaeth which he blocked but finding himself unable to withstand the blow.
The Shadow raised its palm, invoking a burst of wind throwing Kaeth high into the sky. It created another magic sigil and pushed it into the ground. The ground trembled before a pillar of earthen spikes twisted together and branched upwards.
Kaeth held his greatsword in both hands and controlled his weight so that he somersaulted forward. Using what little momentum he made in such a short time, he hacked his blade against the point of the Shadow Knight’s earth magic. A large crack ran down the spire and its fragments came tumbling down.
He saw a gap of darkness growing in size and kicked off falling debris. The space left behind was consumed by an energy wave.
“That proves you’ve lost all your reason. I really don’t want to fight you, but I need to stop you here!” Kaeth pulled out a strange quill made of metal with a vial of green ink attached to it. After scribbling on the flat part of his sword, wind enveloped the blade in its attribute.
His weapon split into dual swords as he dove at the Knight. Its slim saber repelled Kaeth’s consecutive slashes that moved as the two blades were weightless.
The Elf ended his stream of attacks when he brought both weapons down, blocked by the Knight.
“Since you’re being controlled, you’ve gotten a bit stupider.”
The turbulence greatly shook the air and two tornados formed from the magic spinning around his blades. The strong gust plucked the Shadow Knight off the ground as Kaeth reeled his weapon and aimed his attack.
His arms blurred after taking a swipe and a long thin stroke of light drawn across the Knight. Kaeth seemed to have struck the white blade which mysteriously erased the two tornados meant to keep the Knight suspended in midair.
Upon landing back on the ground, Kaeth wryly smiled at the fact it only received minimal damage from his efforts.
“Dammit. It seems white dispels magic and black cuts up anything without magic protection. You didn’t have that when we travelled together.”
Just as he was about to clash with the enemy again, a voice popped into his mind.
“Is it him?”
“Elin, glad you noticed. It’s him alright. His movements, all his habits. It’s our Hero alright.”
“I see.” There was a hint of sadness in her voice. “How are you holding out against him?”
“Not too good. After I died, he got way stronger but that’s to be expected. I would like some help.”
“Understood. I’ll make adjustments so please hold out for a bit longer.”
“It’s that bad?”
“I’ve already deployed everyone. Even children are helping by passing along the souls the others retrieved. The enemy breached my barriers I placed over smaller districts too. We have choice but to use it to get some morale back. Get ready.”
There was sound beneath the city as if a machine that had laid dormant finally started up. Clockwork ticked, the clocktower’s handle spun as if it was about to be blown off. Blue lines traced like circuits spurred from the base of the Tower and branched through every street. A wave of silver flames raged down these lines, burning every Demon and Shadowed monsters within the city.
Those who survived sustained heavy damage and were ignited. Even the Shadow Knight was engulfed in its flames trying to burn off its miasma covered body.
Kaeth then felt as if his consciousness was briefly connected to thousands of minds.
“Everyone, the tower’s active!”
Kaeth felt invigorated. The mystical flames suddenly granted him strength. Adrenaline like feeling rushed through his body as he exchanged powerful blows with the weakened Shadow Knight. He gradually exceeded the flurry of strikes his foe unleashed and inflicted many cuts upon it.
There was loud clang, and the result was the Shadow Knight tumbling for a few meters before landing back on its feet. It glared down the main road protected by Kaeth and tightly gripped its saber as it raised it overhead.
“Holy Creator, as the Hero, your chosen, bless this blade with the fullest wraths of your power. Give me strength to bring down this evil, leave no evil. I wish to lay judgement on the thief who tainted your sacred treasure.”
Upon reciting a prayer, the silver flames on its body were extinguished. The wind stilled, cancelling Kaeth’s enchantment on his swords. A golden veil like sacred fire surrounded the Shadow Knight.
“Elin, there’s a bit of a problem. He’s about to activate his sacred blade.”
“What?! Get out of there! Even if what you received was a the Oracle’s blessing, you won’t be able to defeat him at his state!”
“No can do! If I leave, he’s going to mow down everything behind me.” The Elf smirked. “I’m sure Folre and Auria would agree with me. As their father who once was the Acolyte of Defiance, I won’t back down from this.”
He heard a sigh from the other side. He assumed Elenora took a deep breath to collect herself.
“I understand. I will prepare a team to retrieve your soul.”
“I thought you deployed everyone.”
“Everyone else but me and the Oracle.”
“You do know both of you absolutely can’t die, right?”
“And we still need your strength.”
Hearing that, a grin formed over the Elf’s mouth. He faced the Shadow Knight who was preparing an attack aimed at the city’s defences.
“I’ll be counting on you. Don’t mess up.”
----------------------------------------
North:
“Don’t fall behind! We’re retreating!”
Because their spellcasters expended their magic reserves, the north army was forced to fall back to the previous checkpoint. They steadily made distance from the “Great Marching Garrison” Shibata described to have killed many of his past retainers.
As the name implied, heavy infantry holding large shields fell in formation to create a wall composed of three lines. They were the bulk of defense acting as the Garrison’s wall and gate housing light calvary behind them. They would advance with the aid of mounted spellcasters and archers to thin out challengers. The army would move as one like a mobile garrison.
Shibata had requested artillery support to demolish the “Great Marching Garrison”, but it didn’t do as much damage to the enemy as he hoped. Behemoths body blocked the barrage, and the formation underneath was left unharmed. By defeating the Behemoths, flocks of smaller Screechers manifested from their bodies.
Towershields at the center parted ways, unleashing a flock of Calvary rushing at the North army. The enemy harassed them in droves to slow down their retreat. Soldiers who failed to flee were pinned in place, finding themselves isolated and viciously mauled when the enemy’s main force caught up. Those who made distance were indiscriminately bombarded.
The Tower’s blessing managed to unleash its trump card in time and aided the North Army to retreat on behalf of many casualties.
“Dammit! They blocked that?!”
Behind the safety of tall walls shielding them against the impact of enemy projectiles, leaders of the North Gate gathered for a quick strategic meeting. Many were furious they fell for the enemy’s trap and as a result, they were at a numbers disadvantage. Soon, an evacuation order would be issued leaving the North with one checkpoint left to hold against the Shadowed Army for two whole days.
“We can’t afford to lose this place. If the same thing happens again, the enemy will reach the Tower!”
“The enemy will reach this outpost within the next hour. We don’t even have enough people to make a proper stand.”
“Could we request reinforcement from the other gates?”
“Other gates are as occupied as we are. We are left with no choice but to make do with whoever remaining.” Shibata interrupted the meeting. “He got us. We fell for his trap.”
His golden armor bore heavy scars from his narrow escape of the enemy’s assault. Though his expression remained dignified, his ragged appearance reminded those in the room the situation was more dire than they imagined.
“Excuse me. Who is “He” you speak of?”
“My father.”
Many in the room knew his reputation as an exceptional swordsman, a reliable commander. Outside of the realm, he was a Prince who set his country on the path of prosperity by overthrowing his father, the Tyrant Emperor.
Ogres were mainly victims of the Tyrant, but there were Devil Folks who also suffered under his iron rule. Under Shibata’s leadership, he enabled citizens of Xu to fight for a better future for their younger generations.
“My eyes do not deceive me. He is colluding with enemy and is the mind behind the tactics used against us.”
“But surely you have defeated your father once. You can do it again, right?”
Shibata would have liked to agree with the officer. He was the one who most understood his father’s preferred methods of attack. However, the difference in numbers between the armies were simply far too wide. Their only saving grace was the width of the main road restricted the amount of enemy charging at them. If not for sealed buildings funneling the monsters, the city would’ve been overrun by day one.
“Not with these disadvantageous conditions.” He regretfully answered. “We are not to obtain victory, but to buy time. If you’ll excuse me, I must send a message to the other gates and warn them of our findings before it’s too late.”
Shibata made haste and escaped from a barrage of questions aimed at him.
Thinking back, he only managed to defeat his father because of a stroke of luck. He received information when the terrorists would attack and took advantage of the aftermath. It wasn’t as if all the glory was his but the combined efforts of his retainers who many sacrificed themselves for his cause. Without them standing next to him, he couldn’t muster the same confidence he once held to face the Tyrant Emperor once again.
As he closed his eyes, a hard sound of a piece being set on a board hit the back of his mind.
“Jiang.”
Young Shibata looked at the board bewildered, finding his plan had failed. Though he didn’t suffer utter defeat because he was close to victory, it wasn’t enough. A taunting grin formed on his opponent’s face while stroking a long beard.
Still fresh in his memory, he remembered sitting on a porch facing against the once respected Emperor. He was once a great and wise man before his mother was murdered and the Emperor became a Tyrant. In this flashback, Shibata and the Emperor were playing a board game, but he was always frustrated at the result.
“B-but, how?! This time I managed to take out all your strongest pieces-!”
“That’s precisely why. I know you too well and used it against you. You were too rash and moved too hastily to capture my strong pieces you ignored all other ones. Your relentless attacks are strong, but you lacked awareness. You always failed to see the bigger picture. Brush up on your skills, Shibata. You’re a hundred years too young to beat me.”
And it was what costed him his life. Shibata reflected the time he did not heed Kihet’s warning of Eizan possibly betraying him. He was blinded by all the signs the enemy lured the North army out to dismantle them. He scolded himself for haven’t learned this lesson at all.
“It must be destiny of why I was denied the throne.”
“Shibata, didn’t you say you gave up on it? Are you regretting it now?” A deep voice asked.
Before he knew it, Shibata found himself passing through Kridas’ group. They were out of their [Wars Blood] form either sharpening their weapons or aiding the army to move supplies.
“I’m worried about my son who will be crowned in the passing years. Kihet told me he’s twelve. I only regret not being there to see his ascension personally.”
“You’re not the only one worried about their family you know. At least you know your son’s safe.”
“I wish for your granddaughter’s wellbeing until Kihet finds her, Kridas.”
“She’ll be fine. She takes after her father who takes after me, stubborn, brash and all brawn. We won’t stop fighting then die, we fight because we must. You could put on a smile knowing your son’s going to pull through.”
“Naturally! He’s my son, thus he should be able to take on the role with trusted advisors I left him. My beloved wife will set him on the right path as a wonderful ruler.”
“Well, there’s that and something else seems to be troubling you.”
“A ghost of my past has come to haunt me. I may have conquered my fears back then, but with our situation I can’t help but worry.”
“You know what the Pamalyrians say. ‘We’re on the same boat’.”