"Since we are the ones with the most members, we will be responsible for defending the fort."
Apollo explained the plan to his camp and prepared to depart right away. Their objective was the makeshift fort Negi had constructed between this base and the enemy's base.
The trip was relatively short, at least when compared to the one before, after walking for 4 short hours, the group encountered a 5 meters tall wall and started circling around it to find the gate.
"Hey, you. Are you the ones who came as reinforcements? Hmm... Appearance wise it should be you, but I just wanted to check."
From above one of the walls a strong voice came out. Apollo looked up and saw one of Negi's pretty men in engineer's clothes, so he nodded and answered to him.
"Yes. Did Negi already informed you about us? Well, we will be helping you defend the fort, so let us in."
"Sure. You can come in whenever you want."
"Thanks...Can you please lead us to the gate?"
"Gate? What gate?"
"Your fort's gate."
"But it has no gate."
"Then how do we get it???"
"I don't know. Climb up the wall?"
"..."
(ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?)
Well, as long as they made some stairs, it wouldn't be hard, but the problem was the cart they were bringing...where they supposed to leave them out?
"It seems like we have no choice..."
Apollo quickly organized two teams to make two ladders and after they were done, Apollo used them to climb the fortress walls to get in. As he got in he noticed there were quite a few ladder distributed around platforms behind the walls, to allow people to get up and see what was going on outside or shot their bows.
"Why didn't you lend us a few ladders instead of making us make them from scratch??"
"You didn't ask..."
Apollo had a fair amount of patience but, like we saw before, if you keep testing him for long enough there will be a time when he will just explode, after all he is just human, he is no saint.
"I see...."
With a strained voice he answered and decided to leave things be for now as the last thing he needed was more enemies.
(But if the chance appears, just you wait, I will be sure to return this favor.)
"Then, can you lend me a few now. The faster we bring our supplies in, the better."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because they are important to us. What if you break them? How are we going to get out of here?"
(That's why you should have made a door... This guy is messing with me, there is no way this is real!)
"I don't have time for this!"
Not caring about the idiot's words anymore, Apollo ordered the girls to seize the ladders and use them to transport the goods as fast as possible. The funny guy tried to stop them but he was easily blocked by Mika and May, so, 30 minutes later, everything but the carts had been successfully transported inside.
"How long do we have?"
"Hmm....They should be here in 3-4 hours or even faster if we consider scouts."
"I see. Leilani, can you transform that wall into a gate in two hours?"
"...No."
"I thought so... oh well. Then all we can do is wait. Rangers, stay on top of the walls. If you see the enemy, sound the alarm! As for the rest of you, have some food and rest while we still can!"
--//--
Negi's and Lee's troops had departed even earlier than Apollo's since their objective was further ahead. As a special guest accompanying them was Alyssa, the tentacle obsessed scientist plant girl.
After passing the fortress, they further a hole kilometer and started digging holes as if to make traps.
After digging a hole big enough for everybody to casually stay inside, everybody hid inside the whole and let Alyssa do her work. Using her newly acquired powers from the Upgrade Center, Alyssa controlled the roots and vines to close the hole, leaving only small openings to let the air enter.
"Tentacles! Tentacles! So many tentacles! Burying us inside the earth!"
The creepy song she sang as she worked made the men shudder and want to escape that place, but because they were complete loyal to Negi and Lee they forced themselves to resist the urges and stay anyway.
As the last ray of light was covered in grass and roots, complete darkness took over the place.
People started to get worried, but remained silent until a single one raise a question.
"Will this be all right? Won't they find us as they pass this place?"
"Who knows? Maybe I should call more tentacles? More tentacles are never too much!"
Alyssa answered in a happy voice.
"...No need. Their route shouldn't pass by here. I think you have done enough."
"Booooring!"
Silence continued for another few hours until they all started feeling the soil tremble as the army approached this place.
"Alyssa. This is your chance. Do your thing!'
"I know. You don't have to hurry me!"
Taking control of the plants around her, then spreading her control through their interconnected roots again and again, Alyssa was able to scout the enemy army.
"Hmm. Wow! They are quite big! Let's see... one, two.... sixty in total? Yup, sixty soldiers all right! Five of them have odd clothes, but they should be soldiers as well. There are also twenty rangers. That's bad. Master won't like this at all! What else? What else? Oh! There are farmers transporting the food. Some people with hammers as well. Ten farmers, Ten hammer people. Yeah, that's all..."
"All right! What about our target? Did you see him?"
"One moment! More are coming! Hmm... There are.... Ten soldiers and Ten rangers. They are carrying something.... Oh! It's a chair! And there is a guy sitting on the chair! By the look of it, that's our target! Yeah! No doubt about it! That's him all right!"
"Great! Then he really come! No need for plan B then. Good job Alyssa. You can stop now."
"All right!"
The trembles continued rhythmically for some time before dying down.
"Good! It seems like they are gone. Let's get out of here! Alyssa. Please."
"Yes, Yes. Just a moment."
Alyssa touched one root and all others started moving as well, opening way for the light to come in again. Seeing the light after hours in the darkness was like the miracle rain after a drought. People started smiling without a motive and only Alyssa got annoyed at the sight.
Then, using these same roots, Alyssa build some stairs to lead the way out. Not wishing to stay in this hole for another minute, everybody hurried their paces to get out as soon as possible, leaving only Alyssa as the last one to come out.
"Alyssa, hurry up!"
"Yeeeees~~~~... Bye bye, my cuties. I promise I will invite you to play another time!"
After climbing up, Alyssa said goodbye to the roots and vines, chasing after the troops that had already started moving away.