The ring of the bell hit my ears the moment I woke up, though I didn't know what for I knew the sound meant that monsters were attacking the city.

As bad as it sounds in hindsight, I really wanted to use that raid as a chance to escape.

I wasn't brought here by choice and I had no relation to the people, but despite my nagging fear and doubt I decided to stay and help as best I could.

Leaving the inn left me to view the remains of most of the city centre, I immediately knew what was rampaging based on its distinctive roar.

Ogres were monsters, not to humans, to other monsters. They were the absolute pinnacle of what rage looked like, brute force alone couldn't pierce their defences and they had the strength of more than a dozen men.

My heart sank as my resolve to fight weakened, I didn't want anyone to die but I didn't want to die myself.

I was torn between the right thing to do and the correct thing to do, I had to make a split decision and my decision was to fight.

With my body shivering, I approached the area with the most sound.

Seeing the same group of adventurers who had brought me down strewn about the cobbled streets left my sunken heart diving deeper and deeper.

I knew that I had came to far to turn and run, but my body didn't feel particularly inclined to die.

The moment I saw it up close however, something strange happened.

My nagging fear turned into an insurmountable terror, the same female mage who had effortlessly lifted me was being savagely pummled as she desperately guarded a group of children.

My own self doubt and feeling of hopelessness grew worse as I realised the children she was giving her life to protect were the ones my selfish nature had me abandon, I knew then that fighting was something that wasn't just an option.

It was my fate to fight and die in the battle against this unstoppable monstrosity.

With a raised blade and a harrowed spirit, I shouted towards the beast.

The creature charged me without hesitation, throwing something at me that struck me hard.

It was a head, not just a head but a small head.

I fell down to my knees as I realised what I had caused, I was directly responsible for them being put in that situation.

The ogre cared little for emotional turmoil, grabbing me and throwing me hard.

My blade fell from my hand and I barely mustered up the will to raise my shield defiantly against the beast.

Ogres were unintelligent, but I swear I heard it say "you killed them, murderer."

Fist after fist collided with my shield, pushing me up against the wall as my physical strength proved ineffective against such a monster.

Soon my shield itself was knocked from my hands and the creature beat me directly, it punched and kicked and threw me around like a ragdoll.

My armour began to shatter and I realised that my fate wasn't just to die, it was to die without accomplishing anything.

Without saving anyone.

With just enough willpower to stand I blocked one of the ogres attacks, I guarded.

Of course the creatures next attack launched me back further than anything had previously, my body landed painfully against a building.

I grabbed a piece of my shattering armour and began to formulate a plan, purging my emotions wouldn't help.

I decided that the one thing I could do to stop the ogre was attack the one spot that often went unprotected.

The ogre charged at me with its monstrous strength, causing severe damage to everything it collided with.

For me to beat it I knew thinking fast was important, I jumped high and straddled the ogre.

Plunging an armour shard deep into its eye was only a successful plan if I could drive it into the brain, after getting it in my body was once more thrown and I felt myself bleed.

The ogre was ready to charge at me and again I was forced to try and think of a countermeasure.

Nothing, my body was launched back and I was knocked out cold.

The building I was launched into was collapsed around me as I woke up, hearing no sounds of raging despite the time being almost the same.

I realised that a party of stronger adventurers had came and killed the ogre, whilst I was thankful I hoped that my blade and shield weren't stolen by them.

But first, my priority was to rescue as many civilians as I could.

I went from building to building, mostly finding corpses and only occasionally the barely alive kind that my elixirs could work on.

After repeating this until my body gave out, I rested for a while.

When I had finally recovered I crawled around and found both my sword and shield hidden within the rubble.

I sought out anyone I could for information and eventually found the mage woman from earlier, she looked at me with a grateful expression.

According to her the party that had killed the ogre claimed that it was only the start, and that there would likely be a full invasion force within a few months.

I knew that I would have to use everything at my disposal, but my mind began to wonder if that was enough.