Amidst the sounds of battle, a group of people that was defending the western wall was still staring in shock at the new, burning gap in it. But the worst part was that this was no regular section of the wall, but the western gates of the camp.
Only when a Beast came crashing through, getting its skull smashed by Johann's mace soon after, did those stunned come back to their senses.
At the same time, Matilda was pumping mana at her maximum capacity in order to somehow close the breach, albeit having limited success. Any wood that grew under her Nature Mana caught on fire and turned to ashes. The best she could do on her own was to prevent the flames from spreading further.
"What are you waiting for?! Someone bring the water here!"
She shouted out, making the rest aware of this fact. Some of the defenders bolted to the camp in response, but whether they were following her order or running away remained to be seen.
As Matilda kept a part of her focus on dealing with the flames, she didn't take her eyes off the incoming Beasts either. Now that the wall was breached, the defenders would have to get into melee against the invaders.
Thankfully, old man Joseph was ready to help, fulfilling his role as a tactician.
"Form into rows, don't let any get through! Conserve your stamina! Switch when you need rest!"
He then turned to Matilda and said.
"Do we need to bring out those? I think it's time."
The woman chuckled.
"Do you think we will be able to use those bullets when we are dead?"
She continued in a lower tone of voice.
"Distribute the guns, but only to the very best. Tell them to shoot in the case that a Beast gets through the defenses. Every bullet shot is a bullet we won't get back."
Joseph grunted something in agreement before walking off, to instruct those who would wield the weapons.
Despite the fact that thirty-six years have passed since the time of the Awakening, shockingly few firearms were preserved in usable condition. Because of the rapid growth of all living things, many military bases in the wilderness were overrun by the Beasts and overgrown by vegetation soon after, and the same fate happened to many places belonging to various military facilities.
Because of this, and some other factors, although the firearms remained very much effective, even better than bows and arrows, they were hard to find. And ammo production was also difficult without the presence of mineral deposits needed to make gunpowder near Cypress Town.
As such, guns would only be used in the worst of emergencies, and they would be used in Cypress Town had the attack not been so sudden. Thankfully the weapons didn't fall into the enemy's hands, as only Matilda, Joseph, and the absent Lucian Badura, the three leaders of the Town knew where they were stashed.
Aside from the research documents, this was the second highest priority target for retrieval for Matilda in the Cypress Town, who during her operation in the crumbling Town, retrieved it successfully.
But the guns alone wouldn't turn the tide of battle. Those fighting with their swords and holding the line would.
Currently, in front of the breach, five people stood. Three of them were familiar with each other. Joseph. Stacy. Anna. The last ones were a Warrior and a healer, both being needed to fully cover the gap.
As yet another Beast leaped over the slowly forming mound of corpses, an arrow flew over and lodged itself into the neck, causing the Beast to tumble to the ground, only for a greatsword to fall down and decapitate it.
"I missed this shit! Pity our lil' Mage isn't here."
Stacy, in her usual uproarious fashion, fought madly, perhaps even more so than in the past, compensating for her grievances that came with the loss of an arm.
Blocking an incoming enemy with his shield, and counterattacking with his mace, Johann glanced at her momentarily before asking between his breaths.
"Worry about yourself. How's that to fight with just one arm?"
Stacy, having lost the left arm down from her elbow, didn't give up on combat, instead training to fight with just the right arm as soon as she recovered. Currently, she was wielding her greatsword having tied it to her arm with ropes and bandages. Being bound together in that way, greatly reduced the chance to lose her weapon mid-battle. The weapon could even be called an extension of her arm at this point.
The woman responded to her leader's question by bisecting the torso of an attacking Beast after sidestepping its charge. The sharpness of the weapon combined with her great strength left no chance of survival.
Time passed very slowly, each second becoming like an hour. Every Beast that came charging through the gap, which was extinguished already, was shot down, cut down, and crushed, no Beast crossed the line.
But with every Beast they killed, more came. However, those defending had no choice but to hold their lines, as their families and homes stood behind them.
Johann, his shield has quite a few dents and scratches, and his mace could be said to be painted red to the handle, the paint in question being blood. Feeling his declining stamina, despite only five to ten minutes having passed, he yelled out.
"Switch! Team 1, retreat, Team 2, cover us!"
Having heard those words, the five in the front halted their movements momentarily, before beginning to move back slowly. The Beasts didn't miss the chance, pouring through the gap as they did before, advancing further this time.
But just then multiple whistling arrows flew out from behind the retreating team of Explorers, each finding a target in a vital point of Beasts: Eyes, ears, necks. Whenever the arrows hit, the Beasts dropped dead.
Anna glanced back with her healthy eye to see who was this skilled in archery. Her eyes met with a familiar figure waving at her with a grin on his face and a bow in hand. It was Rob, the Ranger of the 'Cloaks' led by Leo.
"Don't worry ladies and gents, Robby here will cover you!"
As the team retreated sufficiently far away, the Beasts being shot down all the while, the team that previously remained at the back advanced forward instead, taking the first team's former position at the front.
Thanks to this, those who just fought gained a brief respite. In fact, Stacy, lacking any sort of modesty, heavily sat down on the ground. She tried to loosen the armor around her collar due to how hot she felt, but she cursed when along with her arm came the sword. And she didn't want to untie and tie it back again, so she gave up on the action.
The other members of the team were recuperating too, washing away the blood that made their weapons greasy and slippery, or replacing their damaged armor. Johann had to replace his shield, which was nigh-unusable, and Anna had to replenish her quiver. Everyone knew that this rest would be brief, and made the best of that short amount of time.
Meanwhile, Matilda stood on a wall not far from the breach. She gave up on fixing it after extinguishing the flames, as all regrown wood was broken through by the charging Beasts, and to continue that endeavor was to waste precious mana.
So the woman returned to the walls to oversee the battle. Despite the Breach, the defense continued all over the camp. A problem arose, however, in the form of most Rangers on the walls running out of arrows due to the constant volleys they shot out. Arrow-filled corpses were strewn about all across the plains before the walls, where the diminished tide of Beasts continued to attack. To go out would be suicide.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
What unnerved Matilda most was the sole culprit of the breach in the wall. The tiger which stood at the back of the tide, quite possibly being the leader. With a single use of his... Magic, the western gates were burned to timbers. And yet he advanced very slowly, as if on a casual walk.
"What is your aim..."
The tiger's every action seemed to radiate disdain for his opponents. As if their bloodshed and struggles were worth nothing, he stepped on the corpses of Beasts and came ever closer to the walls, arrows bouncing off his hide as if it was made of stone.
Even if Matilda wasn't seeing him with her eyes, she would still know that he was coming. The mana radiating off of him was the greatest she felt outside of the depths of the Dungeon. And everyone knew that great mana meant great danger.
Just then, the Tiger turned his head upward, staring right at her. Their eyes met, one a pair of calm and calculating eyes, one a pair of beastly eyes with deep-seated fury. She sensed him and he sensed her. Their thoughts were the same.
'A threat to be eliminated.'
Mana converged in two locations simultaneously, one being slightly faster than the other. Those who observed could see the tiger tense, fire gathering within its throat, and the woman on the walls moved her hands rapidly while spheres of energy appeared around her rapidly.
The defenders on the walls ran with all their might, as far away as they could. For they understood that if they were caught up in a clash between two great powers, they would be doomed for sure.
The Beasts were no better, scattering away from their leader in fear, not daring to be close.
All this happened in a matter of less than ten seconds.
Those attuned to mana would feel that the two convergence points stopped absorbing the ambient mana, instead compressing and shaping the already gathered energy.
The fire in the throat of the tiger grew brighter, it was as if magma was leaking out of his mouth.
The many spheres of energy around Matilda gathered together and converged into one, pulsing in agitation, being on the verge of eruption.
Then, suddenly, both of the opponents locked gazes once again. The Tiger opened his mouth wide and Matilda, with her arms stretched out and palms parallel to each other, spoke out.
A torrent of fire, like the breath of a dragon in myths, erupted upwards from the Tiger's mouth, scorching the earth, the very air shimmering under the intense heat.
[Beam of Destruction]
Just as it was about to reach the walls, the Mage's words seemed to resonate with the destructive sphere of energy. The vibration of it stopped. And then...
It erupted.
What was once a sphere now turned into a beam of pure energy, mana itself. Various colors could be seen within: The green mana of Nature, brownish Earth mana, the black mana of Shadow, and pure Neutral mana.
Lan, who was observing the battle closely could only marvel at such a beautiful display of power and finesse. Thanks to his capabilities, he was able to see the whole process in detail, as if it were in slow motion.
'All of that... Held together by her Mental mana.'
He witnessed that when she spoke those final words, her intent surged and gave shape to the chaotic energy, before directing it where she wanted.
And then, the two destructive energies clashed. Fire met with pure energy, triggering an explosion upon collision. Both energies wanted to devour or destroy each other. The tiger continued to breathe fire and the Master Mage kept the output of energy stable, supplying her own mana to the continuous beam of energy. It was now a question of who would give in first.
A spectacle akin to a movie scene unfolded: Two beams of destruction trying to push each other back, the ground and stone at their point of collision melting into hot sludge, a mist of mana dispersing.
But this stalemate did not go on for long, only a couple of seconds. And ultimately...
Matilda furrowed her brows, sweat dripping down her face. The Tiger, however, continued to expel flames. Gradually, the flames overpowered the beam of energy.
The Mage widened her eyes, hurriedly diverting her energy from the beam, and quickly reinforcing the bubble of mana around her. Meanwhile, the Mana Beast intensified the output of mana instead. The victor has been decided, and both of them knew that.
The beam of mana narrowed further and further, quickly disappearing under the pressure of flames in a matter of moments. The flames, with the force restricting them gone, washed over the wooden wall and the woman that stood there.
A thunderous explosion was heard all across the camp that was under the siege.
----------------------------------------------------
Although the western gates had been breached, after the initial assault, the defense was going well. With Joseph Larring in command, only minimal casualties were sustained, with just one team being wiped out due to not switching out until it was too late.
Johann's team was once again at the forefront, the man himself once again crushing skulls and bones with his mace, the one-armed swordswoman Stacy bathing in blood and viscera, and Anna proving that having one eye doesn't mean having reduced accuracy.
But if he was honest, they were slowly getting tired. Despite the 'switching', the amount of rest was not enough for everyone to fully recover. The whole battle against the tide began hours ago, and they didn't know just how long they were battling at the breached gates.
Nevertheless, this was the one and only line of defense for the entire camp. If they failed, the whole settlement was done for.
But Johann didn't let these thoughts overwhelm him, focusing on what was in front of him instead. Yet another Beast, this time a wolf, tried to bite off his arm, biting into his shield instead.
Though the mace wielder switched it out quite often, it quickly got worn down once again under the relentless and savage assault it sustained.
The wolf pulled, and the hastily constructed wooden shield with iron rimming snapped in half. Johann tried to step back, but instead of proper footing, he stumbled on some detached body parts, of which there were many on the ground, losing his balance.
The beast didn't miss this chance, tackling him to the ground, the jaw of it trying to close around his throat.
The man could hear his teammates shout in the background but he instead focused on survival. Putting his arm in front of his throat, the wolf tore into it instead. The Beast tried to tear it by swinging its head around. Ultimately, a Beast has more strength than a man. Johann didn't have the power to resist for long, his arm being violently moved out of the way.
Ignoring the arrows that found their way into its side, the Beast went in for the kill.
In what Johann thought was his moment of doom though, he heard a loud and unfamiliar sound. But from the many stories of the old days told by the previous generation, he nevertheless recognized it.
A gunshot.
Blood sprayed on his face as the Beast on top of him now had a hole going through its skull. It fell on top of him heavily, dead.
After a brief struggle to remove the deadweight on him, Johann stood up, panting, adrenaline rushing through his blood, not yet recovered from his brush with death. He turned back to look behind him.
He witnessed Rob, whose bow was hanging on his back, and who for once had a somewhat serious expression on his face. In his hands was a weapon Johann had never seen before, consisting of a long metal barrel, which had a wooden... Handle on the other end.
The proficient Ranger's expression softened quite quickly though, and he shouted out in his usual fashion.
"Hey, bossman! How do you like my new toy?! It is quite-"
His words were interrupted by a loud explosion coming from the southwest. From their position everyone witnessed a torrent of flames flying into the sky, engulfing that portion of the wall.
Joseph Larring's face turned grim, he began to quickly give out orders.
"'Cloak' team, I order you to go and support that location! There is no time to waste, go!"
Leopold, who stood back with his team, providing support when necessary, nodded in acknowledgment. His four other team members, including Rob and a newly accepted Warrior, quickly followed after him.
The old man murmured under his nose as he watched the team depart.
"Matilda... I hope you're okay."
He soon returned to commanding the defense, because though the tide was visibly diminishing, there was still ways to go until their victory.
----------------------------------------------------
The fire was roaring all around, engulfing the portion of the camp behind the wall that had just been breached once again. Smoke ascended into the sky, making the clouds above even darker.
Amidst the charred wooden rubble that the walls turned into, a hand emerged. Followed by that, a figure, a woman, emerged as well. Her robes and skin were singed and burnt, smeared with ashes.
It was Matilda, who survived the attack. But for that feat, she had to pay the price. She stood up unsteadily, her mana greatly depleted.
Just then, from the wall of flames that was once a wall of wood, a giant silhouette, which then turned into a scarred tiger, emerged. He walked slowly, just as he did before.
He stared at the woman, surprised that she was still alive and breathing. Those who had previously attempted to withstand his flames turned into ashes along with that which they tried to protect. And yet here she was. Despite her feeble state, her gaze was defiant still.
Matilda stared at the monstrous figure in turn, gathering what little mana remained and slowly, covertly healed her wounds using Nature Mana. She needed time to recover. Time which she didn't have. But there was one possible way to gain it.
"...Heh." She chuckled.
"I never encountered a Beast this strong. Never thought I would be the one getting overpowered..."
The tiger's steps halted as he stared at the woman briefly. To Matilda's great surprise, a harsh and deep voice resounded in her ears.
"Neither have I seen a human of such strength."
Not minding her reaction, he continued.
"But ultimately a human is just a human. A pest, an insect."
His claws reddened, heat gathering on them, as he moved closer.
"And insects are to be squashed."
With that, he lunged, his claws becoming bigger in Matilda's vision.
She cursed inwardly, as she hoped to buy more time. With no other choice, she jumped backward as much as she could with strength she recovered.
Thanks to that, she partially avoided the attack. The claws that would bisect her tore four gashes on her torso, instantly cauterizing them at the same time. She grunted in pain, stumbling heavily, but keeping her balance.
Grasping the wound, she gasped, but the heavy breathing of hers then turned into a light laugh.
'Losing her mind already? Whatever.'
He sensed that the entirety of her mana coalesced, as if for a final attack.
As her laugh subsided, Matilda said quietly.
"...Guess this is the end of the road for me huh."
As she gathered mana for what would be her final experiment, she sighed.
"See you soon, Lanny."
However, as she said these words, the very world seemed to rage around her, and a consciousness that was observing the battle turned the entire world against its enemy.