Chapter 35

“What is that noise?” said Haruna, to which I already paid attention and was ready for. The three of us were in a chamber within the fortress, the night was passing quietly and until now, without disturbance. Yet in the middle of the night, we heard the howling of wolves, no, to be exact, werewolves!

I grabbed my sword and readied myself to anything to come. A knock on the door then soon was heard, to which the girls felt apprehensive, while I rose and opened the door, hiding my blade behind my back.

The man that appeared was the captain of the soldiers here in the fortress. A look of worry was showing on his face…this probably means that the situation is dire.

“We need your help travelers, it seems that the werewolves grew impatient and decided to attack at night, we could use your strength to help fend them off. You will of course be rewarded” he said

Strange, this is supposed to start a quest, yet nothing happened…perhaps there is a bug with the system.

“There is no need for such, we will help even without reward, resting here in this fortress is more than enough reward for us.”

“Thank you, said the man while he smiled.

…

I turned toward the girls and asked them to get up, we had things to do.

They both complied, and followed me.

Once we were on the fortress’s veranda we saw hordes of werewolves approaching the gates. These beasts were huge in number and were coming here at an alarming speed.

Some of the soldiers and guards were positioned down outside the fortress while archers were set up above the walls and within the two towers at the corners of the front gate.

The arrows were loosened the moment the werewolves approached the fire line, some arrows missed and some landed, most bounced off the heard skin of the wolves and even if they pierced through they dealt low damage, with the exception of few lucky shots that landed on their eyes or a vital organ of the monsters.

Our intervention should be kept for last, it will be stupid for us to dive in and die just to help them, though they proved to be a good assistance in our journey, they get paid to hold the line here.

Some of the werewolves soon reached the first line of defense, the soldiers held true and fought back with all they had, but the difference in strength was showing. A towering werewolf that is standing two and a half meter tall is imposing, and more so if there is a huge number of them, their bite chews through steel, flesh and bone like butter, and the blades of these soldiers deals low damage, with the exception of the knights here.

I asked the captain why so and he said

“The knight’s weapons are coated with silver, the werewolves have low tolerance to this metal and it ruins their regeneration. While it easily burns through their skin, steel and iron are not that effective, and we lowly soldiers cannot afford such weapons, this is why I found it strange for you to be able to slay these beasts without the use of silver…”

There is no need for the use of silver if I can decapitate them or if Misaka can bleed them out…

The small line of soldiers soon caved in, the beasts were too numerous and lives are now being lost in vain...

“Why is the presence of knights is so low in this region? Shouldn’t this fortress have an increased amount of knights to protect it? It’s located near the demonic kingdom for god sake. What if they invade and the line of defense is this weak?”

“Orders from the king and the pontiff. There is no need to waste knights in this region, they said, it was not worth the effort they said…even more so, they added that due to the stagnation of the status between the two kingdom, allocating more knights here is a waste of military might and supplies…so they gave us the minimum just to hold the line…”

Politics…I held my blade up and readied myself, the line is broken and the werewolves were able to climb easily the walls of the fortress.

“Once they get up the wall everything will go to shambles, get the archers back and anyone capable of holding a blade to stand the line, the knights and soldiers outside the fortress are done for if we cannot push the ones climbing the walls off.”

Thought I am not a strategist this was the discussion to make in this situation, we cannot open the gate to let the soldiers back in, and if we abandon them they will be mowed down. We need to kill off the climbers and jump out to support whoever is still left alive.

The first unlucky wolf pulled its head up the wall, trying to check the surrounding only to receive a perfectly aimed stab to the right jugular that pierced right through to the other side of its head, instantly killing it.

I struck at another one that climbed right after it. This one received a perfect pierce to the right eye right and through the brain. Silver or steel, it doesn’t matter, as long as it is a fatal injury they will die.

The fight became more intense as the waves of werewolves began to overwhelm the defenders, the timing of this attack is disturbing, we were just here to rest and look at us caught in the middle of this fight. There is nothing to gain from this, but still, they showed hospitality and defending the helpless is one of my house’s teachings, no matter who, if I can lend a hand I need to do so.

We fought valiantly, while many died, Misaka and Haruna joined in, Misaka continued bleeding out anyone that got near us, while Haruna buffed not only us but even few more soldiers that were fighting the enemies. Signs of exhaustion soon began to show, sloppy strikes from the defenders’ blades, tendency to lower their shields, the heaviness of the armor is slowing them down, their movements became sluggish and they failed to defend themselves properly, there is no hope.

“Holy radiance!”

Roared someone behind the horde of the wolves, it was the hero party…they came here!

A few hundred cavalry escorted with some infantry, they rode to battle carrying banners of the church and lit torches that illuminated the place they rode at.

Their charge companied by the spell that was cast tore through the hordes of animals like a hot knife through butter, they slaughtered maimed and destroyed them without care, mercy or hesitation.

How the hell did they find this place so fast!

“Kill them all!” said Yuji, whose voice I was able to discern from far away. If we stay we die, if we fight we die…god damn it.

“Girl, you have done us a great deed, but looking at your expression, it seems that you do not want to meet this unexpected help…”

I didn’t want to answer the man but he understood the complications behind these people’s arrival. We needed refuge but they just ruined our chance at it…there is no way we can escape their notice if we stay in the fortress, maybe we can use the blunder to bypass them…no, it’s too risky…

Misaka then came to me shaking with fright saying

“They came for us! They will kill us!” the girl looked petrified and I can’t do anything to ease her fright, god damn it, at a time like this why does it have to be like this…when it rains it pours, and now it’s pouring trouble.

Haruna was unable to utter a word but the tears on her eyes convoyed her feelings, she too was afraid.

“Maybe if we begged them? Probably if we asked for mercy they will spare us, right?” said Misaka, she looked disgusting like this, I would rather die than let them see this sight.

“We are not begging anyone, there has to be a way out of this. Get yourself together”

There has to be, I learned it from that time, there is always a solution, we need just to think of it…

What would you have done now Daiki? You were one with wits, and I hope to have yours…

“No, said Misaka there is no way, it will probably be painful at first but they will forgive us, they are our comrades, right!” she then walked up towards the veranda of the fortress, trying to wave at the incoming troops, only to receive a well-aimed arrow shot through the head.

Her body fell limply on the ground, unmoving. She was speaking with me just now, and just like that she fell dead…

Your link to one from the beyond grants you a new ability

Soothsaying

Ability to see imminent future.

30 days Cooldown

“No, said Misaka “there is no way, it will probably be painful at first but they will forgive us, they are our comrades, right!”

A Deja-vu? Misaka looked fine, now that she said the words she stood up and went to the veranda, the moment she raised her hand I pulled her down, while an arrow pierced through the space where her head was. The arrow then tore through a wall made of stone.

“Kill every one of them! Traitors to the kingdom they are they hosted escapee from justice!” said Yuji.

This clearly means that they still have a way to track us down! God damn it.

Misaka now looked at me with a stupefied look, fully understanding that her life had no value to them anymore. Good now she will get herself together.

“Fucking rascal, thinks he can bring down the fortress with these numbers, though we are few we are not ones to submit! Kill them, wolves humans knights or heroes, Fight back with all you got! We had enough boring days, tonight we dine in hell boys!”

The captain roared with a fearsome spirit that his soldiers, though tattered, and exhausted shouted back, engaging in a furious battle.

War cry

20% increase in stats

X2 mana stamina and health regeneration

15 minute

A strong buff indeed. If we are to die, we should at least die trying to survive this.

I whipped my sword from wolf’s blood and prepared to engage, yet the captain of the fortress grabbed my shoulder telling me

“Young girl, there is no hope for us, here and now, we are branded as traitors and our lives are forfeit, you can use the backdoor to get to the demonic kingdom, the road is dangerous and filled with peril, but at least it is a chance to survive, here only death awaits.”

“We can help!” I said

“Your help is not needed, don’t worry, you need to survive we had enough of lazing around. It’s time we earn our pay. Dantiss!” said the captain “Escort the ladies to the back exit, show them the road and destroy the entrance. I will at least die having done a good deed.”

The man named Dantiss then led the way, I pulled the shocked Misaka to me, telling her that we have a way out of this, to which the news awakened her from her stupor.

She pulled herself together and rose, while Haruna followed us silently.

We got all the way down to the grain storage room, yet even here, the muffled clang of swords and howl of beasts was hearable, we are escaping a fight, that we were the reason behind, these men had done nothing wrong to deserve this, it’s our fault for asking refuge, yet regret is no use, what is done is done, and cannot be changed…

Behind one of the grain sacs was a wall that was opened by pulling on a torch rest on the wall next to it.

The door opened and we walked inside the dimly lit tunnel, the door then close and I heard the snap of wood. It seems that he destroyed the mechanism to open this passage…

My right hand began to slowly glow, illuminating the pathway, another time it had saved not only me, but Misaka from certain death…if only I was able to thank him…perhaps a prayer will do the trick…

‘May your soul be blessed, rest in peace Daiki…’

Your prayer was heard.

Huh? It can work like that…hah, at least I have a way to pay him back now…

“Why are you crying?” asked Haruna

“Huh? Me?” is said

She then nodded

Wiping a tear from my cheek, I said, it’s nothing, I just remembered something. Let’s go we still have a lot of things to do.”

We then walked, and walked, until no voice but our own footsteps was hearable. At the end of the tunnel was a trapdoor. Opening it, we exited finding tha the sun began to slowly rise, the location was a swamp filed with steam and pungent odor. Our destination is unclear, but still we have to keep walking. There is nothing for us back there. Perhaps we may find hope with the demons…