The attack always starts by attacking the teleportation gate. But this time they were prepared. They had shut down the portal before hand so that it could automatically repair from the attack on its own. Next was the hoard of monsters.

Poppy was the first in the basement. Steven was stationed in another region so she was tasked with caring for the staff while they were hidden in the basement. She also has the key. None of the maids were surprised to see a sleepy Poppy wrapped in a blanket in the empty basement. They knew their master would save her first since he had clearly grown fawn of her. Poppy greeted them all by name and handed out the blankets that were in the basement. "I even bought us some snacks and water bottles if you are hungry or thirsty. This is going to be a long battle so make yourself comfortable."

Loki ran in the last person and went over to Poppy. "I want to say this before I go. Just in case something happens." Poppy pulled him down to her height and kissed him. All the maids gasped. Loki's eyes went wide. He eventually regained composure and grabbed her face, deepening the kiss.

Poppy pulled back for air. "Tell me when you get back," she whispered through staggered breaths. Loki nodded. "I'll be back. I'm not dying before I marry you," he shouted while he ran out the room. Sandy watched this from the corner of the room. She knew Steven would be happy to see the new update his journal there he left to her before leaving. She eagerly began writing.

•••

"What's got you all smiley," Greg pocked Loki's arm. Loki just ignored him and kept walking. Gregory chuckled, "it's the princess, isn't it! Aw! The cold duke has fallen in love! I never thought I'd see the day. I guess miracles do exist." Loki punched Gregory's arm. Greg rubbed his throbbing arm with a frown but took the sudden act of violence as confirmation. "Shouldn't you be preparing for battle instead of worrying about my love life?" Loki frowned. Greg gasped and turned to the nearest knights. "Did you hear that? He said love life! It's cuz he has one now!"

Loki was about to retort when small black dots started to appear in the sky. "They aren't flying in from any direction. They really were waiting high in the sky. Too high for us to see." Loki observed.

"This was a well planned out attack." Gregory turned to the soldiers that had lined up next to him. The city had been evacuated or put into weather shelters so now they were free to fight as they pleased. "Fight till your last breath! We shall protect this land with our lives, do you hear me!" The soldiers let out a booming war cry. Shivers went down Loki's spine. It had been years sense he had experienced this sensation. The feeling of fighting in the battlefield. Of knowing that the next time he swung his sword it might be his last.

But now he was fighting not just for his pride. Or as spite to the people wishing him dead. He was fighting for a person. And for the right to tell her how he truly felt. As well as the future he was so eagerly anticipating.

He ripped off the sword on his necklace and poured his aura into it. "Oh it's been a while since I've seen your demon sword! How fun!" Gregory watched in awe as the sword swelled to its true form.

Everyone put on a talisman and slowly the soldiers rose from the ground. "Let's go," Loki ordered. Dust was all that was left in place of the knights. War has commenced.

•••

Loki shot off ice blades with one had while slashing through more monsters. Gregory whistled, "I forgot you are a duel user." Loki huffed, "I forgot about your annoying habit of talking during battle."

Gregory snickered. "Well then just answer me this. If they were planning on attacking in waves. Then that means if we fly up to get to them then the monsters are going to keep getting stronger, right?" Gregory touched his sword and swung a white blade of aura. Like fireworks a whole section of monsters erupted into a flash of light when they touched the aura. "Yeah I guess," Loki answered.

"I wonder how strong the top monster is. What do you think it is?" Loki made two giant blades of ice and flung it at the monsters, replicating Gregory's earlier spell but with the double power. Gregory clicked his tongue. 'Show off.' "I think it's a human."

Gregory stumbled backwards. A flying minotaur swung at him and he calmly shifted to the side to avoid the attack. "What makes you think it's a human?" Swing after swing, Gregory dogged each and every attack from the minotaur. Gregory grabbed it's face and with his bare hands crushed its head. He cringed at the blood that splattered on his clothes. 'Ah gross.'

"I think that it's Angelica's brother at the top. He is the one controlling the monsters after all. Aries is the ultimate boss. That man can control other men with just his voice. He is scarier than any monster out there." Loki answered with a somewhat annoyed tone. He was shooting off ice bullets so he could talk to Gregory.

Gregory looked up into the sky. 'A human, huh? Well this is getting interesting.'

I might have edited the photo up above. Don't look to closely, okay? 🥲