The rest of the day passed without any more attacks, night falling swiftly yet no one sleeping, with an army of ten thousand just outside it is no wonder that no one could sleep.
Their camp is huge and close just at the edge of the no mans land.
Warren arrived in the night with a combined force of two hundred men, adding this all together with Trigo's men, Seramia's Inquisitors and Shion's Soldier Bandits our army is now around a thousand, if we count the strengths of the civilians who have barely just learnt to fight and been given weapons our soldier count jumps to six thousand, but with five thousand of those being greenhorns to the extreme and also the only young men left in the city the situation is dire.
"We can't afford another battle like this." I said inside the war room the atmosphere dire, "Another fight like this and Durlivan is finished for real this time, we won't be capable of coming back even if we win."
The room went silent, we could win if we play guerilla warfare inside the cities alleyways but that will simply cause the civilians to suffer even more, but if we fight on the walls most of the young men will die and we will likely lose simply due to the number difference and experience difference in our armies.
Again with this desperate crap.
If only I hadn't been forced to sleep, we could have set up a proper defense, the capitals reinforcements wouldn't have been wiped out and....
"Wait! Damn it!" I yelled, "What happened to the army that wiped out the capitals reinforcments?! Where is it?!"
Hardvar's pensive face suddenly paled, "Quickly! Send out scouts-"
"Master! There is a large group of enemy troops charging here from the south, they number approximately one and a half thousand, the fairies in the forest are slowing them down using some small tricks but they will be here in no time!" Yu broke in from the window forgetting to even cast her disguise.
"It's a night raid!" Nefamiti said storming out of the room.
"Wait! Have the men lie in wait in the homes on that side of town, when they come in collapse on them!" I yelled grabbing my weapons.
"The main army is moving towards us! It appears we severely overestimated their numbers! It is in truth only around seven thousand! They tricked us by building extra camps as a distraction, they are closing in much faster than we anticipated!" Leyalt burst into the room.
"Shion, Seramia quickly go and assist Nefamiti with the battle to the south!" I shouted the second half of my sentence flying out as I left the room, "You three will be on me!"
Marcus, Netman and Huanto quickly fell into line barking orders to their men who had by now understood the general plan hiding within the streets waiting for the invading army.
I stood at the top of the walls looking over the plains ahead as Kreyan's army advanced ever closer.
The sounds of battle echo'd through the city carried along by the wind and personified by the screams of the dead and dying.
The southern gate was left a crack open and thus was quickly burst through by the enemy detachment as they spread out through the city only to encounter resistence at every turn.
We will win that engagment no doubt, but how long will it take? Will they get here in time?
I need to stall.
"I am Agashi Durlivan! Who among you is the leader?" I shouted over the encroaching army, several shouts rang out a moment later as it stopped just ahead of the gates.
"I am Kreyan Loijon." A young man walked forward, with some scruffy brown hair a light tan he looked like the embodiment of an average boy yet when he spoke he sent chills through those who listened, "Surrender, we will not kill you or those you love, all you have to do is allow us to continue operating here."
"Tell me, Kreyan, why are you rallied here? Surely there are better sources of income than this place?" I glared down at him coldly.
"For small guilds like mine? It's impossible to simply uproot ourselves and go somewhere else for income, it would be breaking the treaty and that goes against the Elites, so it is impossible." Kreyan replied coldly, "Enough stalling, everyone, swarm them."
Glancing back the battle is still raging, I need to buy more time.
"Get the archers up here." I said lightly stepping on top of the ramparts, "Quickly."
"Lord what are you...!" Before Trigo could say anything more I stepped off.
With a heavy thump I hit the ground feet first standing in front of the gate.
"If you wish to come bringing nothing but murder into my home, you will have to kill me first." I said calmly unsheathing my sabers.
"Very well." Kreyan gestured forward and the men charged, spears and swords coming towards me at once.
I just need to hold on for a few minutes.
Just a few minutes.
Dodging the first few strikes I killed several men their blood splashing all over my body and soaking my already white come crimson cape.
For every wound that I took, a new one would take its place just as fast.
I lost track of time only entrails and bodies filling my vision as people died constantly.
"Go.... for Durlivan..... for the.... Scarlet Demon!" Shion? That's you right?
It's a pincer, I see.
The men are no longer attacking, several arrows have made their way into my body now, it doesn't hurt?
Seramia. Glancing around I found her atop the ramparts this look around costing me two more arrows to the body.
I see.
Let's rampage then, a good way to end out this life, isin't it?
Charging forth I swung my sabers in all directions, a single swing taking multiple lives.
"This war.... will not.... go past today....!"
"You monster! A Scarlet Demon in human skin!" Kreyan's voice filtered into my ears as a sword plunged itself into my chest.
In front of me his face looked extremely distressed, is that Shion screaming? Oh. She's almost here.
I see, so they have been annihilated.
"It's just....you...left now...." I raised a hand gripping Kreyan's head a crisp crack resounding in my ears as he fell, the sword falling out from my stomach.
Voice-Chan, I'm going to see you again.
Hum... it's alot warmer this time isin't it?
Looking around myself I found that the cape had begun to glow, the blood on it evaporating and being absorbed by my body, a strange warmth flowing through my veins.
A few moments later as I looked around my body I found that the wounds had all but fully healed leaving only the scars, my mind feeling sharper than ever, a tattoo of a terrifying wolf like beast making its home on my neck.
"What- What is this?!" I shouted frantically checking myself all over.
The battle around me is over, with Kreyan dead the enemy soldiers no longer have a reason to continue the fight and are routing, Shion is hugging me tightly with tears in her eyes.
"Scarlet Demon Wolf." Shion half shouted in shock and half sniffled, "There is a legend in Dra that dates back to it's founding, only the royal family know of it, it tells of the first founder of Dra and how he skinned a Alpha Scarlet Demon Wolf, larger than even a Dire Wolf, using it's fur he turned it into a cape and that cape signified his rule over the land, but as time passed the color drained from the cape turning white as snow as proof of peace in the land of Dra."
Glancing back I noticed that the cape had turned a deep crimson, "That wolf was said to have killed thousands of people on a whim, it's viciousness only matched by it's strength, with the blood of so many on it's hands it's fur began to display an unnatural, unholy color when touched by blood causing it's defense to increase the more blood it soaked in."
"It is an old legend." Shion said touching my cape, "This cape of the royals that I snuck out with me, it is the very pelt of that Scarlet Demon Wolf, the one who once ruled over the lands dying them with blood, the tale of the Crimson Lands, now known as Dra, it must have saved you using the power of the lives it absorbed accepting you as it's master."
"So I became this things master?" I muttered lightly standing tall, It could be like Yu, it can only awaken after certain conditions are met and it is sentient capable of choosing a master and it chose to save my life, "Scarlet Demon, was it?"
"Yea, I called you that to inspire the troops, a legend as old as the Dra Kingdom itself, many have heard of it but none truly know it's story only taking it as a title of strength." Shion said snifflingly gripping my tightly.
"Then," I raised the only saber left alive after the combat, "I declare this a victory for Durlivan!"
Raising an earth shattering cry the remaining men left alive after the battle, began to cry and cheer and fall over from injuries some directly dying on their feet once the tension left.
------
Once word of this destructive battles end reached the capital many young composers took to singing songs in taverns and street corners of the deeds of that day, a particularly famous recount spreading like wildfire from the mouth of a retired soldier reaching all along the border of the three great empires inspiring fear and curiosity in all who heard it.
"As the moon rose on the bloodiest day in Durlivans history, a single man stood tall in the center of a mountain of enemies pierced through by tens of arrows he held the crushed head of the enemy leader in his hand and his beautiful wife in the other.At this sight be they friend or foe, soldier or civilian, new born or near death all were forced into silence at the sight of this man standing amidst the thousands whom he slayed casting an unwavering yet lonely shadow in the face of his undeniable skill, a commoner who rose to become a noble, mercilessly slaughtering all who stood in his way....."
"The Scarlet Demon of Durlivan, Agashi Durlivan."