chapter 30: Phase 1

On that day, June 2, Year 0 of the Guardian calendar,

“RAHH!!!”

The war that would later come to be known as “The war of the wrathful” unofficially began.

On the ogre's side, there were large ogres that towered over the goblins, they were tree sized behemoths but there were also small ogres no bigger than a goblin. The Drow controlling them cared little for their age, going so far as to send children to fight, the total enemy force, 113. This was opposite to Scitus who had only chosen a select few to join the military, choosing the most fit goblins and the most willing.

On his side with there were a total of 30 spartan knights, 32 shield knights, 26 star knights, 25 moon, 20 assassin knights, for a total of 133 soldiers, the rest were either civilians or insufficiently trained to join the battle.

The first step of the plan made by Scitus was to send all of the spartan knights and shield knights together, his estimates told him that a shield knights and spartan knight working together can possibly defeat an adult ogre, two would be nearly impossible for the fresh recruits who have had only a month to train, but this time around they would have to be fighting an average of 3 ogres at once, not necessarily all of them being adults.

“Rah!!” The young goblin yelled as he used his staff to strike the mighty ogre before him, his name was Alexander, he was the goblin who wanted glory for himself, he wanted to be respected. His name came from Alexander the great, a great general in Scitus’s history.

The ogre strikes down only to be easily deflected by the shield bearer, Timothy, protecting Alexander from the attack. He wanted glory but he also wanted to protect his people. He strikes the goblins left leg as someone from his unit strikes the ogres right, both of their shield-bearers then push the mighty ogre to the ground. To the 5 ogres beside them flail their arms as they scream. four were adults and two were no bigger than the goblins, children.

"Gah!!" Alexander screams as he feels and adult Ogres gut tearing punch, he flies several meters back, hitting his allies along the way. The three goblins look at him for longer than they should, another ogre raises his hands to strike.

"Focus on the battle, we don't have time to worry about each other!!" He yells as he quickly takes out three stone daggers from his waist side pocket and throws all three of them towards the ogre, one manages to strike the ogres eyes causing it to stop it mid-strike and scream in pain. Its roars shakes the core of the group of four goblins, unlike the other units alexander's was considered to be the best unit among the new recruits and even so, facing 6 ogres with four goblins was incredibly hard, but because his unit performed the best, he was put on this side, the side with the most adult goblins.

Alexander tried to get up, he could feel his innards bleeding, but his legs couldn’t support him. He coughed blood. “is this…” Before he can finish his sentence, his pain disappeared his legs regained their strength, it wasn’t just that, he even felt slightly stronger.

He didn’t think they would be useful in actual battle but he was wrong.

“RAH!!!” He screamed as he returned to his unit to attack the ogres.

The one who had healed him was none other than Juliet who stood far behind any enemy. For the past month, she had been training every waking moment in healing magic, and medicine. After the discovery that knowledge of the body increases the effectiveness of healing, Sia had all of the Moon knights trained in healing magic. Juliet was incredibly happy in that moment when she discovered that she would be able to help even more in battle. At this time, she didn't know that her core would eventually become one of the most feared cores in all the kingdom.

"Ino, Go the left side needs you!! " She had become strong, leading, and healing the injured all at the same time. "May, go protect the right side!!" She was by far the most effective healer and despite this, she knew that she would only be able to use her powers two more times at most. Scitus had told her to make sure to keep at least one heal on reserve in case of an emergency, this meant that she could only heal one more person before her mana was depleted. Normally she wouldn't be capable of healing even once but because the area around Scitus had such a strong concentration of mana, she didn't have to use just her inner mana, she could use the mana in the air, something that she and her core only just managed to learn on time for the battle.

"GEH…" Valentine held in his screams, he didn't want to show his pain. He didn't want to worry Juliet who was leading the moon knights. Holding his dagger, he stabs the ogre's calf, "RAHH!!!" The ogre attacks but Valentine blocks with his shield. He felt he needed to be better, better for Juliet, so he trained with the shield knights and the Spartans. In all of the kingdom, he had become the most well-rounded soldier capable of using techniques from all the cores but the Star knight core.

"RAH!!" an ogre to his left charges him, "Look out!!" A fellow goblin yells, Valentine takes several steps backwards, dodging the mighty beast. He trained With the assassin knights. "I will become stronger!!" he throws his dagger into the Ogres thighs, it barely even fazes the monster. He knew exactly where it hurt most, He had stayed beside Juliet during her long nights of studying the anatomy of the humanoid body. He wasn't as well versed as Juliet was, not that she was either, but it was enough to pinpoint certain weakness that humanoid bodies held.

He had even trained with the spartan knights, with their help he learned how to handles daggers and lunging. Valentine jumps to dodge a third ogre kick and used the momentum to punch an ogre in the face. He felt stronger then normal, as if a magic spell had been cast on him, even with just his fists he could injure the ogres. The first ogre Screams and attacks Valentine he dodges only for his skull to be met with the second ogres might fist. Valentine's entire body is lifted off the ground and bolts into the third ogre's body with a loud thud.

by some strange miracle, he lands on his feet, though their shaking made it clear that they wouldn't hold him much longer

“I’ll become stronger.” He was disoriented and dizzy, his legs felt wobbly and his lungs were heavy. He tries to strike the ogre only for his legs to give out under him, he hits the ground head first.

“RAHHH!!!” the ogres scream as they feel the sharp pain of several arrows pierce into them. The blind rage shifts from the beaten Valentine to the city walls. “Damn it.” Valentine whimpers his protest.

Back at the city walls in the archer's towers, was Cecilia and a few of her core. Their job is to draw the attention of the enemy when an ally was down for the count. Scitus had told them that their main objective was support fire, not constant attacking. Their arrows would be especially needed when it was time to retreat. Cecilia could see the battle wasn't going well for the goblins and that a retreat was imminent.

“we need to provide cover fire for their retreat.” Her face was like stone, her normal self was nowhere to be found. She communicates to Scitus, he agrees to the sudden change in plans, he orders Cecilia to attack.

The moon knights are quickly running out of mana and Scitus can't provide them any of his during a battle as per the rules of being attacked. Scitus orders a mass retreat, telepathically communicating with the unit leaders.

“Damn that moron!!” Cecilia charged her arrow as she saw one of the newer recruits trying to take one last shot at the ogres, not noticing the encroaching horde of ogres closing in on him. They were now free to Rampage now that the others were retreating.

"Tracking." A green aura envelops the arrow. As she releases her finger, the arrow bolts gracefully, almost skating through the air. The spell is the same that the drow used, Sia has spent long hours teaching magic to nearly all the goblins, though few have learned to use it well. Her payment was paid in full by Scitus who told her about science and some mathematics, which she had some knowledge in already.

The arrow bolts when suddenly a strong gust of wind blows the arrow flies off its destined path. The gust of wind is no turn of luck, it is the doing of the Drow's. Cecilia knew that it was his doing but what she didn't know was why the arrow suddenly glimmered mid-flight, its feathered tail straightened, the arrow pointed itself at the ogre and shot itself faster than before. The ogre, at that moment, was raising his arm for an attack. Before he can swing the arrow flies through his palm and doesn't stop until the arrow's tail traps itself against the ogre's flesh. The young goblin tries to go in for another attack, forgetting that he is mostly alone on the battlefield. He swings but before his attack connects his body is lifted off the ground by one of the Moon knights who was ordered to lift the wounded off the battlefield.

The retreat order has by this point reached all the goblins, the ogres' overwhelming numbers are too much for them, the ogres tore at the ground with each step they took, Cecilia watches in disgust as she sees children and elderly being forced to march forth. The Drow cared little for their ability or their health, he sent every ogre he could. 70 adults, 30 children and 13 elderly.

The front-line ogres had sustained heavy injuries, their legs were red with blood and their arms were laced with cuts and swashes of bruised skin cover their entire body. like an army of the undead, they marched forward, their broken bones crunching underneath the weight of their bodies and their cut flesh bleeding profusely from the constant attack.

From his divine sight, Scitus can see his soldiers scurrying like ants back into the city walls. Walls that had been reinforced with wood and improved by design. This time, however, the walls would have to take a harder beating then last, the situation becomes more familiar with each moment that passes. Scitus had ordered for a new entrance to be made on the opposite sides and one two the side of the city, for a total of three entrances, these were built within the past month and their purpose was for easier entry of troops and for safer emergency retreats.

Scitus smiled to himself.

“time for phase 2”