As noon arrived with the midday heat so did a small force of demigods who approached the outer territory of the settlement.

“The report just came in that the Grand elders had already sent out half of the army several days ago to come to our aid but...” Zundar did not finish his sentence as he, Akira, and prince Gobbers watched the approaching demigods from atop Bent-Gii's northern stone wall that they had been patrolling and checking up on the warriors and ballista.

“They are too far away to help right now,” said Akira.

“We can just hold them off until they arrive,” said Mileena as she arrived on the wall to stand next to Akira.

A small cavalry force detached from the demigod's main group and rode forward. Leading it was the demigod from the earlier letter exchange, Knight Roli Rover.

“I have been sent to demand your surrender of this settlement,” shouted Roli Rover, using a metal bullhorn to be heard.

Ding!

Give up settlement?

Y / N

Kodria will take a large hit to its security if surrendered.

If you successfully defend the settlement you will receive a reward depending on the victory.

“I refuse,” said Akira.

“My fellow comrade in love, that is an unwise choice.”

“Why do you keep calling me comrade in love?” asked Akira, feeling the heated gaze of Mileena piercing into him.

“I have seen that you are also a lolicon,” said Roli Rover. Pointing to Mileena standing next to Akira.

“I'm not a loli! I am older than you and already a mother!” shouted Mileena.

“Comrade in love, I see you are truly a man of culture. But alas, although we are brothers in this never-ending conquest for love, sadly I must fight you for her as well as this settlement!”

“... should I consider this a declaration of war?” asked Akira.

“It is not a war! It is a battle for the love of a young maiden! I am a gentleman and will fight you as such!”

“Alright.... then I will consider this as a declaration of war. Those of you who do not want to die, leave now or face death.”

The demigods hearing this all laughed. Why should they leave? Even if they died in this battle they would only have a few setbacks such as losing a bit of strength, equipment, and items. On the other hand, everyone inside the settlement would stay dead once killed.

Akira slashed his arm down.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Swoosh!

Several wall-mounted ballista fired along with a hail of arrows. The force of the large spear-like bolts shot right through Roli Rover and the two demigods standing next to him knocking them off their horses as they disappeared into hundreds of light fragments before their bodies hit the ground.

The demigods still alive shouted angry curses seeing Roli Rover die in the sudden attack. With several battle cries, they launched waves of colorful skills towards the sharp wooden stakes surrounding the settlement, cutting down several of the sharpened wooden poles that had been put up recently. With their concentrated attack, they created openings in the wooden outer defenses that were wide enough for several people to pass.

The demigods were being pierced by dozens of arrows by the archers on the wall, they had given up escaping and decided to do as much damage as they could to the defense and the people behind it while they were alive for a few more seconds before disappearing into hundreds of light fragments and dropping armor, weapons, and items.

The armored war horses that had survived the quick skirmish were nervously prancing around in front of the wooden fence, a few had run off into the distance when their rider had been killed.

Several long-range skills from the main demigod forces were aimed at Akira but the majority of them either slammed into the wall or flew high over his head hitting nothing. Many of the Orcs and Goblins ducked down behind the thick stone walls protecting the ramparts, only raising their heads to peek out and aim an arrow or ballista bolt at the distant enemy.

The thick stone was weathering the many attacks well and had not cracked or crumbled yet.

This stalemate went on for what felt like several hours but Akira had not paid attention to the actual time.

During a lull in the flying skills above their heads several of the orcs and goblins stood up to check the area... only to be cut down by a well-timed wave of skills that had waited a short time before using skills again to cut down anyone that popped up.

And thus the first deaths of the battle had arrived. It was bound to happen.

“Don't get careless! Stay in cover until you need to shoot!” shouted Akira as he moved along the wall crouched down giving the warriors encouragement.

The demigods tried the same tactic several more times but when it failed to produce any more results another long lull in attacks stretched for a long time.

***

“What are you ranged guys doing?” asked an angry Shaker, as she slashed out with her whip sword and cut several arrows. “You are supposed to be killing the enemy so that we have an easier time taking over the settlement! All I see is you breaking a few twigs and hammering that stone wall or shooting at the stars in the sky!”

“If you would properly protect us from the arrows and ballista we would have better results!” shouted an agitated Boot, as he ran to the left to try and dodge several arrows flying in their general direction.

“What? If all we do is stand in front of you we'll be riddled with holes!” said Sir Bumpalot, ducking down to hide behind his shield.

“We're sitting ducks out here! When are we going to attack?” asked Kira Stera.

“What was the guild leader thinking only sending us here we should have attacked with the full guild’s might,” asked Ivan.

“The guild leader and several of the new recruits are working on capturing another place to use as a base.”

“Then why are we attacking this place right now?”

“Well... last night...”

“Enough talking! It looks like we won't be able to take this city by attacking it from afar. We'll just end up using all our resources and energy... Melee members, Form up! We're going on the attack! Ranged members cover us!” shouted Dover.

The ranged demigods all pulled out a blue potion and chugged it down quickly, recovering the energy they had already spent.

***

On top of the stone wall Akira watched as the demigods switched up their strategy.

“Varbu, Gobbers, I'll leave the right and left wall to you!” shouted Akira as he ran to the gatehouse to help protect it from being overwhelmed by the demigods.

On the ground behind the closed gates of the gatehouse were the Gargs who were ready to fight if the gates were opened or breached.

As he arrived at the gatehouses a new wave of colorful skills rained down on the gatehouse and those near it.

The melee Demigods charged forward while being pelted by arrows, several were hit but they continued forward unhindered as they jumped through the open gaps in the wooden fencing.

They did not wait to form up a sort of formation and only rushed forward toward the gate in front of them.

Bam!

They slammed into the gates with both their bodies, heavy weapons, and skills. Several of the melee demigods that soon arrived after the first few raised their shields above their heads and those that were focused on attacking the gates, giving them what little protection they could offer as they tried to hug the wall to stay out of the view of those above them.

Akira and defenders had to lean out a bit to aim their attacks at the hiding demigods.

With how serious the situation was Akira used the skill [Sword Slash] several times to slam into the demigods and weaken their defenses.

At this time a few of the demigods gave up hugging the wall and started to try and climb up the wall using their full strength to pull themselves up the wall using the smallest of cracks to climb.

They became immediate targets for almost everyone drawing attention away from those attacking the gate. Even with all the arrows and spears thrown at a large fat Demigod with several of them still sticking out of his body he still managed to reach the top of the wall while drinking a red potion.

[Tomato lvl 130]

Akira met the large Tomato head-on.

“Wait, aren't you that fruit guy who thinks he is a vegetable?” asked Akira using the [Potty mouth skill] while simultaneously swinging his sword at the demigod, cutting off his path and successfully stopping him before he could start a massacre by attacking the weaker warriors around him.

“I'm not a fruit! I AM a vegetable!” shouted the fat Tomato as he swung his weapon at Akira thoroughly angered with his full attention now on Akira.

“It has not been that long since I last saw you but you have already grown so... big...” said Akira while attacking the round man.

“Thanks! Even if you flatter me it won't change anything. I'm still going to kill you!” said Tomato happily as he tried to chop Akira in half.

Akira activated the skill [Shadow Chains] to immobilize him.

“That was not a compliment!” said Mileena as she used her skill [Blink] to appear behind him and sink her two daggers through his leather armor deep into his well-padded back doing little critical damage.

Nox one and two jumped out of Akira's shadow and bit into the large Tomato and started to tear him apart.

The already heavily injured demigod was torn to shreds and cut to pieces before he could free himself from the shadow chains and drink another red potion.

“Help Varbu and Gobbers with any demigods that show up on their walls!” ordered Akira sending Nox 1 and 2 off to different walls to provide support.

Crack!

The gates below received a heavy blow that managed to cause some serious damage.

“They're going to breach the gate!”

“Mileena keep everything under control up here!” shouted Akira as he jumped down from the gatehouse and joined the cavalrymen and Gargs that were next to the gate that was already showing large cracks.

As he was falling to the ground a black misty light covered his body and a deep killing aura rushed out of his body as he landed fully transformed with a light dark mist armor covering his body. Akira activated [Darkness Domain] which quickly spread out enveloping all his nearby allies.

“Open the gates!” roared Akira.

With the sudden opening of the gates just before they were fully breached, the remaining ragged melee demigods were a bit taken back. But they had no time to think about it deeply and were forced to quickly re-adjust their stances and gather together as a black mist rolled out from the open gates and hindered their vision.

“The molten onyx plague!?” several of the demigods shouted out in alarm.

While the demigods were in disarray and confusion, Akira led a cavalry charge out of the gates and slammed into the ragged demigods, cutting all but one of them down with both claw, sword, and maces.

The only demigod that managed to survive the charge was encased in a gray suit of stone armor that had many cracks from the battle while holding a large metal club that was four feet long.

Akira was forced to pull out a secondary sword and his shield, before activating the skill [Sword Slash] at the towering demigod.

The blue slash crashed into the large metal club that was being used like a shield, but the attack was not Akira's main goal, distract him long enough to allow him to activate another skill and keep the attention away from the other nearby cavalry who were using ranged attacks to harass the demigod.

With his shield held in front of him, Akira activated his skill [Shield Slam] his tensed muscles launched him forward in a head-on collision with the large stone-armored Demigod.

BAM!

From the force of Akira's full weight slamming into him, the demigod was pushed a dozen feet back away from everyone else.

While the stone armored demigod was still unsteady on his feet Akira activated the skill [Tremor] as he slammed his sword into the ground causing a large shock wave to rush out from around him and finally knock the demigod down.

As Akira was ready to activate another skill to try and lock down the demigod...

“ROAAAR!”

The demigod, enraged at being unable to do anything, rolled to his feet under heavy attacks while a red aura surrounded his body and metal club, using the forward momentum of his roll he attacked Akira with the glowing red metal club in a second.

Akira blocked the attack with his shield and counterattacked with his sword but after a few exchanges, the sword was staring to show cracks.

When it clashed with the red metal club it shattered into shrapnel flying into the demigod's face and piercing through the stone armor severely wounding him.

With a quick motion, Akira took the chance to slash down on the demigod's neck and severed his head turning his entire body into light fragments.

Ding!

New skill has been learned!

[Shatter Sword: When your sword is damaged you can let it explode right sending shrapnel into your target].

“What a uselessly expensive skill,” muttered Akira, as he looked around the main cavalry charge that had been taken up by Fluffball and others had wiped just wiped out the last of the ranged demigods who had no idea what was happening near the gates due to the dark black mist covering their vision. Thanks to Fluffball's help there were only a few minor casualties on their side.

Ding!

Successfully defended Bent-Gii!

Reward: +10 points to Kodria's dukedom, 10k gold, +50% Security in the surrounding area for two months along with a guaranteed bountiful harvest for any crops grown in the area.

+10 Fame, +10 Honor

Ding!

Kodria's dukedom has been upgraded to Rank 2 dukedom!

New building blueprints are available! See details for requirements to reach the next rank.

Ding!

Leveled up! You are now at level 187!

Before anyone could celebrate their victory, assess that damage, or even gather the loot dropped from the demigods a warhorn from atop the settlement's wall rang out.

“Burruuuuu! Buru Buru!”

Akira looked towards the direction it was warning about and saw a large group in the distance coming towards them.

“Awooooo!”

Akira let out a howl and ordered everyone back inside.