Chapter 144: Trust.

They came fast and hard. There was no real respite, just moments when the tide was slow. The tedium was quickly broken by the inclusion of the occasional oddities, including bronze ranks that would push through the ranks.

Each bronze rank was troublesome. The first charger had been a bronze rank, but the new piercing grenades had made short work of it. The following bronze ranks were far more frustrating. An ape type bronze rank with its followers actively evaded and at times tried to throw back any and all explosives, with questionable results.

If not for my enhanced bayonet that carved through them with shocking ease, even leaving a glittering trail that further exasperated their wounds. The fight could have caused us serious problems. As it was, I very nearly cut the leader in twain when it surged through an opening to take me down, taking me by surprise. Even the corrupted ape had been shocked by how easily my blade had carved through it, giving it pause, pause enough for Claire to deal the finishing blow. After which, the surrounding apes’ cohesion shattered as they came at us in a wave that was easily cleared with an explosive or two.

A group of bronze ranks was next. They were somewhat slow and small, but heavily armored. They were exceedingly cautious, and avoided my piercing grenades, and even piercing rounds struggled to do serious damage, forcing me to use explosive grenades to effectively erase them from existence, all the while Claire kept the area mostly clear with her shadows.

As time passed, more bronze ranks filtered in with the hordes. Each time was perilous. A single mistake would see one of us injured, or rather, in Claire’s case, dead. Luckily, it was all too easy for me to keep their attention. Often taking blows meant for Claire or to help her reposition whenever we pulled back.

The only sign that the plan was progressing were the occasional cries, and pops of fireworks in the distance. A sign that a section of the wall was being recalled, and the appropriate measures were taking place.

The signals came in a regular manner. Almost like clockwork. Which eased our burdens as the tide grew more difficult to hold back by the moment. As more sections of the wall were abandoned, more monsters were being funneled to the opening, literally herded in as they sought the path of least resistance.

Hopefully, they’d start breaking through in other areas and ease our burdens, but… it almost seemed like, with every passing moment, word was spreading amongst themselves that we were here. And in that same vein, it became clear, there would be no respite.

All too quickly I worked through my stock of bullets and explosives. Which wasn’t something I could just replace in the heat of the moment.

Each explosive took at least ten seconds to make. And that was only the first tier. Each additional tier tacked on more time, making a fourth-tier explosive take minutes to make. Minutes I did not have.

The situation was somewhat similar for my fourth-tier bullets. I had blown through most of them in the initial wave, knowing it would be the hardest. Afterwards, I’d been using the third-tier bullets that my uniform naturally produced. I barely had time to replenish, and even in those brief moments, it wasn’t like I had the time nor luxury to mass produce them.

So, swiftly, my reserves dwindled, especially when, as the fighting grew ever more desperate, I was forced to use my rime to create walls or push back the encroaching waves.

Claire grew exhausted. Limiting herself to single maneuvers to save on magic, but whenever the wave came too close, she was forced to make a second move.

For the most part, my explosives were enough to buy us time, but… accidents happen. A group of hound types came bursting in through a ruined inn that sat by the side of the road, somehow bypassing an alley full of mines. Their attack was too sudden, throwing off our rhythm and forced us to retreat early.

Claire was forced to clinch victory, not with a two-step maneuver, but a whole three-step maneuver just to clear out the hounds and the horde pressing in on us from the front. Nearly having her double over and making her nigh useless as her energy restored in the next bout.

There was also a case where a cluster of mines went off, causing a larger building to collapse. Briefly barring out retreat. A few explosives needed to be expended to clear the way, all the while I was forced to take hits and distract the horde while Claire worked her way through the debris.

Which is why, by the time we arrived near the gate, both of us were bloody and exhausted. Both of us were flagging as well, nearing our limits, mentally and physically.

As for the horde? They were tireless and without reason. They merely charged forward, no matter the cost.

And as for the operation as a whole? The steady pop of fireworks had slowed at some point. Which wasn’t a good sign. I’d long lost track of how many fireworks had went off, but I knew instinctively that we were barely even halfway done.

That we were already at the gate, was not a good sign. After all, here was where we had to make our final stand.

The area around the main gate had been prepped long beforehand. The surrounding area was a large open courtyard with little to nothing to obscure the view. The main road, along with a pair of side roads fed into the courtyard, and just before the courtyard was where most of the side lanes and alleys connected.

This, along with some planned deconstruction, created the perfect kill box. No matter where the monsters entered from, they’d all be funneled through the courtyard’s main entrance. Sure, a few might be able to climb over the mountain of rubble, and come in, but they’d be a minority.

At the far end of the courtyard were my waiting troops. The very moment we cleared the halfway point, one of the soldiers manning the gatling gun began to turn the handle. Not a moment later, the first of many bullets came crying out.

There was a notable crack and crunch whenever a bullet was fired, and a slight tink as the spent casing was ejected with the continuing turn of the wheel. A steady, rhythmic crystal song echoed with every passing beat. The pace enough to blunt the oncoming horde’s momentum and push them back.

With the gatling going, proving itself surprisingly effective. In part due to the large number of enchantments woven into its parts, but also due to the silver rank actively bolstering its power. How it did it, was similar to how I bolstered my stone soldiers.

Despite lacking in physical capabilities. The silver rank soldier had the benefit of having a larger boost to my soldiers. Making them effective captains. That, and it gave them more utility besides being a bullet farm. In many ways, the silver captain mimicked my own abilities. Which was rather, interesting.

As the gatling gun cranked away, Claire immediately made for the gate, where we had stashed supplies and crashed. Taking the moment to rest and relax, eat and drink before her next showing.

As for me, even with my energy low, I still had a part to play. With my other ice soldiers wielding guns already in position, all I needed to do was sit back and wait.

After all, even as the gatling gun did incredible work, mincing and pushing back the tide, if only slightly. Even if it was proving itself frighteningly effective, it did have a significant flaw.

It was magazine fed.

When the final bullet was fired, the gatling team moved to remove and replace the magazine. It was made of solid ice and was locked into the upper portion of the gun. The actual operation was a relatively quick affair, but even a moment’s pause was enough for the horde to not only gain ground but push forward.

Standing back, I gave my command. “AT THE READY!” Though, unnecessary, my soldiers tensed and prepared, fingers made of ice on their triggers. There was a tense moment as the monsters flowed out like water, filling the courtyard and came barreling forward like a living tide.

I could feel Claire tensing, readying to intervene with what magic she had left.

Right before the monsters were too close though, I gave the command.

“FIRE!” As one, the first row of soldiers fired. With an accompanying pulse of my own magic, their guns cracked out. The discordant cry of their bullets flew true, and in an instant, the entire tide was obliterated.

Not a moment later, the tide came right back. Filling in the void with new bodies. My magic, the light dusting of rime in the air hovered over their forms. Rapidly repairing the first rows rifles.

Enhanced by my magic and further enhanced by an odd resonance between my rifle and theirs, they had shot with surprising force. Enough, that their rifles were cracked throughout, threatening to shatter with a single significant blow. Even now, the rime flowed into them, along with my own magic, rapidly repairing and fixing their rifles, even as they ejected spent casings and loaded new rounds in.

Then, it came time for the second row to fire. At my command, they pulled the trigger. Another wave of monsters was obliterated. And right before the horde could crash upon us, the gatling gun resumed fire, and a final volley from the first row obliterated the stragglers.

It was steady, rhythmic. A distant whistle and pop of a firework told me the plan was still progressing, but I could tell based on where it was, we were nowhere near done.

And once again, the gatling ran dry. Another set of volley fire commenced to buy time for the gatling to resume firing.

It was going smoothly, which is when the first wrench came flying in. A bronze rank broke through the ranks. Not a big deal, the gatling focused on the others as a wave of lower tier explosive rounds slammed into it.

Of course… that wasn’t enough to kill it, but the resulting explosions poushed it back and allowed the gatling a momentary reprieve as the surrounding monsters were blown away as well. And with the following second volley finishing it off. Netting me another coin.

Naturally, that was just the start.

The longer it took, the more bronze ranks showed up, and with it, the more magic I was forced to expend. Luckily, the coins I received offset the loss by quite a bit. What wasn’t lucky, was that the time between signals had grown as well.

Wave after wave. Countless bullets spent with no end in sight. My silver rank sent me a mental ping, warning me that we were running out of lower tier bullets. That, we wouldn’t be able to keep up this pace for much longer. The other soldiers returned much the same on their end.

Resources were running low, and it felt like the evacuation was taking far too long. Even considering the absolute worst-case scenario, there was no way it should be taking this long.

And to make matters worse, something happened.

Ever since the assault had began, we’d primarily faced basic types of enemies. Nothing fancy. That was changing. The shift, was a literal thrum in the air. As if the firmament itself was shuddering. The very land underneath us buckled and bucked. The cracks in the sky widened, granting us a vision of a starless void.

For a moment, the tide stalled. A momentary reprieve. And yet… just as quickly came a new despair. The sky darkened. In the distance I saw them.

“Fliers!” I called out. Countless winged monstrosities of all sizes and types. Clustered together like a living blanket that blotted out the sky and sun. I felt Claire stir, only to stand by my side.

“Can you handle them?” She asked, a frown on her face.

“I believe so… Can you take the ground?” I asked back.

“For a few minutes, yes.”

“I’ll be sure to clear the skies then.”

She nods, taking my words for fact. She tensed, waited for the right moment. Right when the fliers came into view, my soldiers aimed up. With a shout, a command, they pulled their triggers. With a pulse of my magic, the first row fired, launching discordant shots into the sky.

It was bloody. The bullets exploded into shards of ice and perforated the shroud covering the sky. Blood and bodies rained down from above. The very action akin to smacking a beehive. Or perhaps a wasp nest.

The entire swarm shuddered and began to converge. A second volley shot high, doing significant damage. Yet, even then, it was only a small portion of the whole. As their rifles repaired, as the mechanisms within slowly reformed, I watched in awe as the fliers came together.

They’d formed into a large sphere. From afar, from where I was standing, it seemed almost like a floating sphere of liquid oil. Not like a swarm of monsters whose numbers could even be counted.

With grit teeth, I waited for them to move. Knowing that any strikes now would lack any real power. As for the gatling gun, it swiftly ran dry. Filling in the space, Claire’s shadows burst out and pushed back the horde, wave by wave.

That was when the swarm decided to strike. Starting from the top, they swirled and swerved around the mass and dived towards us.

“Fire!” I commanded, the first volley shot out, their aim true. A series of high and low crystal song filled the air, followed by the sound of air being displaced, of freezing and shattering, followed by the steady thumps and cracks of partially frozen bodies impacting hard stone.

Not a moment later, another volley was forced out. The result much the same, but… the actual damage was minimal. Hundreds had likely died, but… there were perhaps thousands, tens of thousands even.

It was clear, that nestled inside the swarm were numerous, many bronze ranks. Using their lesser kin to shield them and buy time.

They came fast, far too fast for the first row to fire again, but I had an answer. Grenades, concussive grenades were thrown in bulk. The damage was… catastrophic. Shockingly so.

The force of the concussive grenade wasn’t lethal, but the impact was enough to stun the fliers. Even bypassing their numbers and making entire sections of the swarm go still and fall. Perhaps like real birds, they were sensitive to certain types of attacks.

And like birds, they fell to the earth. Bodies cracking against stone, or wood. Raining down above. The stronger of their kin, the bronze ranks hit especially hard. Few of those died on impact, but by then, the gatling had reloaded, and they were in range.

They died. Mowed down by coordinated fire, and Claire’s help. The new coins were swallowed down like candy. Replenishing or reserves and yet…

How much longer could we keep this up?

As if to answer that question, rather, it felt like a mocking answer. Another whistle, another pop. Closer, but not quite close enough.

The concussive grenades had seriously stymied the fliers. The gatling mowed down the monsters on the ground, everything seemed to be going well enough. Only… we were like a violin string. Slowly being pulled and stretched. The string, now giving off a keen wail. A begging, desperate cry for release, just before it snaps violently.

How much longer could we hold? How many more sections of the wall needed to be evacuated?

There was a quick tally of resources, of our options. The prospects were poor, but… maybe… just maybe…

And of course… that was when it happened. A roar, a cry from afar. By now, most of the lingering dust had settled. And from here, I could see it. A monster, a creature slowly moving forward. A giant snake, anaconda looking thing wiggling and moving. Head swaying to and fro as it approached.

One look was all I needed to know what it was. A silver rank. It shimmered, and unlike those around it, it had purple lines along its body that pulsed. With every pulse, those surrounding it would glow that very same color. Growing stronger, faster, and with every pulse, the glow would only grow that much brighter.

It was strengthening the monsters near it. Pressing forward. Those empowered monsters easily swept aside those before them. A swarm of them even casually ripping apart a larger, almost elephant looking monstrosity with terrifying ease before simply pressing on.

It had to die. I knew that much. And yet… could we even kill it? The moment I commit, I’d be stuck. We’d be stuck. Claire was near her limit, as was I. Consuming so many bronze coins had reduced our natural regeneration to nil. It was only a matter of time till we failed.

The logical answer… would be to retreat. Something had happened to the evacuation. There had to be a reason it was so far behind schedule. Nobody would blame me for backing off. I was simply looking out for myself, and for Claire.

Glancing at her, I could see she was concerned. She was biting her lip, likely thinking what I was. Coincidentally, our eyes met. Her eyes asked only a single question.

Do we? Do we not?

And… I wasn’t sure. After all, it wasn’t as simple as stay or go. There were consequences. The moment we left, I’d have to abandon my soldiers, a necessity, and not something I cared much for. The bigger issue would be that this section of the wall was largely unmanned.

The moment we left, the monsters would start working their way up and over. The fliers would be able to bypass it with ease.

Ultimately… that wasn’t really my problem. The plan failed, something had gone wrong. The death of who knows how many soldiers and possibly more civilians was not my concern.

To preserve my own life, throwing everything away, and even failing the event wouldn’t be a big concern.

Then there was Diana. I know she wouldn’t blame me for ditching. I could easily imagine her wondering the exact opposite. That being, why hadn’t I abandoned the job yet?

We were severely behind schedule. We weren’t supposed to be here this long. If anything, she’d probably be hoping I did flee at this moment. After all, the whole reason we were all here, was partly because of her and her considerations towards these people.

Whether I stayed, or not… that was the question and yet… As much as I hated it, I already suspected I knew the answer to that question. But… I was too afraid of stepping forward. Of making that choice.

That is… until I heard that not-so distant whistle and pop.

Swearing. Cursing. I shot forward to the line.

“BAYONETS!” I shouted. Though, again, it was unnecessary. The moment I was at the line, they had already readied themselves. Their bayonets already affixed on their rifles. Each stood at the ready, waiting for my signal.

“Change munitions!” I announced to the gatling, and swiftly, the magazine was pulled out, and a new one was slowly worked in. I checked my rifle as the enemy approached. As they came to the courtyard, as they closed evermore.

“HOLD!” I shouted, more to steel my nerves. My heart hammering in my chest, in spite of the ice. How my blood hammered in my frozen veins. Even with the ice, I felt giddy, unsure. No matter how deep I went, I could hear the roar of blood in my ears. The tang of blood on my tongue.

“HOLD!” I shouted one last time as they crossed an invisible threshold. Their very presence bearing down on us. Threatening to bring us low. At this point, the snake had entered the mouth of the courtyard. The monsters were about in our faces. A mere stone’s throw away.

And the very moment it slithered into the courtyard, it was time.

“CHARGE!” And as one, we stomped, bayonets held forward, bodies braced… And we met the tide head on.