Arc 3 Chapter 32 : Assault on the city

[Raul POV]

The following day, all the forces stationed within the Fortress City were on high alert.

The archers had already taken up positions atop the city's defensive towers, their bows at the ready.

The latest report from the patrol units had come in at four in the afternoon.

According to them, the monster horde was now only five kilometers away from the Fortress City.

The civilians had already been evacuated into the city's underground shelters.

Only soldiers and Priests remained on the surface.

I was currently stationed on the northern wall with several members of my unit, keeping watch over the surrounding area.

"Captain, are we going to fight tonight?" Piers, standing beside me, asked.

"You'll find out soon enough, Piers," I replied calmly.

I gazed toward the horizon.

The sun was beginning to set, gradually darkening the sky and signaling the arrival of night.

The cold night wind swept across me as I stood atop the wall.

I took a sip of tea, allowing its warmth to spread through my body and ease the chill.

—THUD!

Piers and I looked at each other.

We had suddenly heard a rather loud impact.

The tea inside my cup rippled, evidence that the ground—or perhaps the wall itself—had trembled from something in the distance.

—BOOM!

This time, the impact was even louder.

I focused my vision on the horizon once more.

Something was moving through the darkness.

At first, it was only a vague silhouette.

But soon, an entire formation of monsters emerged from the darkness, advancing toward the Fortress City.

"Monsters spotted! Sound the alarm!" one of the soldiers shouted upon seeing the approaching horde.

—DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG!

The ringing bells echoed throughout the city, informing every soldier that the Fortress City was under attack.

Everyone immediately moved into position.

Several members of my unit and I were already prepared to repel any monsters that attempted to climb the walls.

—GROOOAAARRRR!

A tremendous roar suddenly echoed across the battlefield.

A gigantic Minotaur, standing nearly ten meters tall, was slowly approaching the Fortress City's walls, accompanied by countless other monsters.

"Archers, prepare!" the commander of the archers atop the defensive tower shouted. "Take aim... and hold!"

The monsters continued advancing.

Closer.

And closer.

One hundred meters...

Ninety meters...

Eighty meters...

At this distance, I could clearly see the entire horde.

Some of the monsters were carrying weapons such as axes and swords.

Judging by their appearance, they had probably taken those weapons from the soldiers who had fallen during previous battles.

"Fire!"

The order was given.

Hundreds of arrows immediately flew through the air, raining down upon the approaching monsters.

Screams and roars erupted across the battlefield.

Yet despite the relentless barrage of arrows, the wave of monsters did not stop.

They simply continued advancing toward the city's walls.

Some of them began climbing over one another, using their bodies as stepping stones to scale the fortress walls.

As several managed to reach the top, I quickly drew my sword and attacked them before they could establish a foothold.

"Infantry, draw your swords and kill those monsters!"

The order was given.

The soldiers defending the wall immediately engaged the monsters attempting to climb over it.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from NovelPhoenix. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Monster corpses began falling from the walls, piling up below.

But suddenly, I noticed something flying toward me.

—CLANG!

An insect-like monster suddenly lunged at me, thrusting its razor-sharp claws toward my body.

Fortunately, I reacted in time.

I deflected its attack and immediately cleaved the flying monster in half with a single swing of my sword.

"Watch out for aerial attacks!" I shouted. "Mages! Shoot down any flying monsters that enter the city!"

Several Mages positioned atop the city's buildings began firing magical projectiles at the monsters capable of Flight.

"Grrrr!"

I heard a low growl.

Four Lycanthropes had successfully climbed onto the fortress wall and were now attacking the soldiers stationed there.

I activated Accel and shot toward them.

"Woof! Woof!"

The Lycanthropes noticed my approach and prepared to attack.

The first Lycanthrope threw a punch directly at my face.

I shifted my head to the side, allowing the fist to pass harmlessly beside me.

Then I counterattacked.

My hand, reinforced with Temper, slammed directly into its face.

"Woof! Woof!"

Two more Lycanthropes rushed toward me and unleashed a flurry of punches.

I effortlessly evaded their attacks before decapitating both of them with ease.

Seeing three of its companions die in an instant, the final Lycanthrope attempted to leap away and escape.

I caught it by the tail.

Then I drove my sword straight through its back.

"Attack! Don't let those monsters enter the city!"

Everyone was fighting.

Not a single person remained idle.

Casualties had already begun to appear, and several Priests had moved onto the battlefield to provide assistance and establish healing perimeters.

—GROAAARRR!

Suddenly, another tremendous roar shook the battlefield.

I looked toward the source.

The gigantic Minotaur from earlier appeared to be preparing to charge.

Don't tell me...

Is that monster planning to ram the city's walls and create an opening for the others to enter?

"ROOOAARRRR!"

The Minotaur pounded its fists against its chest before charging toward the fortress wall.

The veins across its enormous muscles bulged as it ran.

Each step landed with such force that I could feel the vibrations beneath my feet even from atop the wall.

—BAAAMMM!!!

A thunderous impact erupted as the gigantic Minotaur slammed its entire body into the fortress wall.

The tremendous shockwave caused several archers stationed atop the towers to lose their balance and fall.

The giant Minotaur retreated, preparing for another charge.

A large crack had appeared in the section of the wall it had struck.

"Mages, get over here! Stop that giant Minotaur with your magic!" one of the soldiers shouted from atop the wall.

I couldn't help them deal with the Minotaur.

I was already occupied with the monsters that were continuously climbing onto the fortress wall.

"ROOOAAARRRR!!!!"

The Minotaur roared like an enraged bull.

Then it charged toward the same section of the wall it had struck earlier.

This time, it was moving even faster.

"Earth-element Mages! Create an Earth Wall to stop that monster!" a soldier shouted, giving them their next command.

Five Mages immediately formed a line facing the gigantic Minotaur and began chanting their spells simultaneously.

Moments later, five Earth Walls rose from the ground between the Minotaur and the fortress wall.

—BAM! BAM! BAM!

But the Minotaur smashed through every single Earth Wall the Mages had created.

"Fire-element Mages, attack that monster!"

Five Mages wearing red robes replaced the Earth-element Mages.

They all extended their hands toward the rapidly approaching Minotaur.

"Maximize Magic: Fire Bullet Ultima!"

A massive ball of fire materialized before the Mages before shooting toward the gigantic Minotaur charging at the wall.

—BOOM!

A massive explosion erupted as the fireball struck the monster.

However, something emerged from the smoke.

The gigantic Minotaur was still running.

Its entire body was engulfed in blazing flames, yet it continued charging forward without slowing down.

"ROAAARRRRR!"

The Minotaur slammed into the already damaged fortress wall with tremendous force.

A violent tremor shook the entire area.

Soldiers standing atop the wall were thrown through the air, some crashing into nearby buildings while others were sent tumbling toward the ground.

Piers and I were thrown toward a building not far from the wall.

When I looked back, I saw a massive hole where the Minotaur had destroyed the cracked section of the fortress wall.

"They're coming! The monsters are entering the city!" one of the soldiers shouted.

Hundreds of monsters began pouring into the city through the opening created by the gigantic Minotaur.

Because of their sheer numbers, the soldiers were forced to retreat and form defensive formations to contain the overwhelming wave of monsters flooding into the city.

"Captain, what should we do?" Piers asked, visibly worried as he watched the soldiers struggle against the monsters.

Before I could answer him, a voice suddenly rang out from above.

"Destroy all those humans! We're going to feast on the fresh blood of everyone in this city!"

Damn it.

Vampires.

This battle had just become considerably harder to win.

"Piers, gather everyone! We're going after the most dangerous monsters that have entered the city!" I ordered.

This was going to be a very long night.

[Marquis Fran POV]

The battle had begun.

The monsters were truly attacking tonight.

Explosions could be seen everywhere in the distance, and my soldiers appeared to be facing fierce resistance along the Fortress City's walls.

I was currently standing atop the highest building in the city, allowing me to observe the battlefield more clearly.

"Report, General!"

Suddenly, a Herald approached me.

"Speak!" I ordered.

"General, the northern wall has been breached by the monsters!" the Herald reported. "The Vampires have also begun arriving, causing the two battalions defending the northern sector to become overwhelmed!"

"I understand. Return to your post and continue your duties!"

After delivering his report, the Herald immediately returned to the battlefield to gather more information regarding the progress of the battle.

The northern wall had been breached already?

At present, the monsters were attacking the northern and eastern sides of the city with overwhelming force.

On the other hand, the western side wasn't facing any significant resistance from the monsters.

As for the southern side of the city, our soldiers hadn't encountered a single monster.

Should I pull some of the troops from the southern sector before deploying the reserve forces?

"Nirva!"

I called for one of my subordinates.

"Yes, General!"

The heavily bearded man turned toward me.

"Take part of the forces stationed in the south and move them to the northern sector. Assist the troops there in fighting the monsters that have entered the city."

"Yes, General! I will carry out this task to the best of my ability!"

After watching my subordinate depart, I suddenly noticed something flying through the sky toward me.

Not long afterward, a pale-skinned woman with wings landed directly on the rooftop where I was standing.

"Are you the noble who rules this territory?" the woman asked.

"Indeed. Have you come to kill me, Vampire?" I asked her.

"Hehe~ Of course! My Lord will surely be pleased if I bring your head before him!"

The moment she finished speaking, my four guards immediately drew their swords and prepared to attack the Demon.

"You four, go and assist the soldiers on the battlefield!" I ordered.

"But, My Lord! We are your guards! It is our duty to eliminate any threat targeting you, Marquis!" one of them protested.

"She is a True Vampire. You will only throw your lives away by fighting her," I told them. "Go. I can handle her myself."

Seeing how adamant I was, my four guards reluctantly left the rooftop.

That left only me and the True Vampire standing atop the building.

"Hehe~ You're quite confident!" the Vampire said with a carefree laugh.

I drew my sword and pointed its blade toward her.

"I'll teach you a lesson for destroying my city, Vampire!"

"Fufufu~ Then teach me a lesson... if you can, Human!"

With those words, the Vampire suddenly shot toward me.

The battle between the two of us had just begun.