Monsters and mindless creatures do exist in this world. Heh, saying 'this world' is kind of wrong, though. This world is merged, after all…
Bugs… Demonic bugs… swarming and sizzling in the air… …I hate them.
******
…
Northern Naprean Walls…
The Imperial forces were pinned down. Naprean Cannoneers and gunners are not to be underestimated, they can pummel down the attacking army with little effort. But the army on the borderlines doesn't share the same luck. They're like a bait of a fishing rod.
Within moments, a large swarm of hornet monsters attacked them. Their sharp stings discharged from its body and rained down the unprepared troops, painting the battleground red blood. Naprean commanding officers in the open realigned their gunner columns to counter the monsters' attack.
Countless death tolls rise on the Napreans. Oddly, however, the Imperials were unseen anymore during the monsters' attack. Their last move was splitting their forces into two to three groups. But now they're unseen. They've escaped.
However, on the eastern part of the Naprean walls, the Imperial Army, supported by some stationary siege cannons and one spearhead weapon managed to go undetected and managed to blow up the eastern walls into chunks of stone. Despite being able to get through, the amount of forces aren't that much, consisting only of fifty men, five stationary cannons, and their newest weapon:
'The Frying Pan', despite the odd naming, it is a big thermobaric cannon that can be moved anywhere with ease with the help of tank treads. Or for short: A heavy tank with big cannon on it. It is one of the Imperials' best weapons. This weapon is trusted to no other than the commander of the army battalion, Mastermind for the operation.
"Homph… the emperor had a bad taste for naming his toys. Why 'Frying Pan'?" said Mastermind sighing through his black mask. "…either he's missing out his Sunday cooking or he's just sucks at naming things."
"Sir Mastermind,"
From beneath the tank hatch appeared a heavily armored knight, Field General Rezzo, "What now, Rezzo?" asked Mastermind to the armored knight.
"We've breached the walls and got inside. What is our next objective?" Rezzo asked for further commands.
"Obviously, we're tryin' to scare the shit out of these Napreans. But the situation has changed somehow… Boys! Look at your surroundings,"
His forces turned their sights with full alert. Soon, they realized that they're actually entering the grinder zone where many demonic creatures are swarming around the area. Mastermind hastily goes to the top of the tank and crouched down beside Rezzo.
"It seems that our mission will be shifted a little… heheh," he gaggled. "We were supposed to bring out fear from these inhabitants, but how unfortunate to find ourselves hung up amidst of their own war against these—err... what are they called, again? Uh..."
"Demonic bugs, sir." Rezzo answered. Ah, yes, BUGS! Yeah, right," The black-armored samurai grunted.
"I hate to say that my 'debut' had a delay for 'four chapters' and here I reappear inside a hefty trouble, harrumph!"
"F-Four chapters, sir?" Rezzo asked in a clueless manner. "Hm! Precisely—er... wait, you don't get it, do you?"
"…Apparently, so." said Rezzo.
"OK, forget it."
"Yes, sir."
. . .
Few hours ago…
Mastermind's army was here to threaten the kingdom for doing an inconceivable act of rebellion against the empire. They're not here to destroy the kingdom, however. But upon arrival, they're faced with the Napreans fully-ready to retaliate, causing significant trouble in the main company of the Imperial Army. Not only that, they were also faced with the frontline army consisting of 800 vanguards and 2.000 foot knights. He was obviously overwhelmed.
The battle was inevitable. Not even an hour into the fight, the Imperial Army was overwhelmed. The already large Naprean army was supported by gunner divisions and defensive cannons, outmatching the overall power in the Imperial cannons. Losses on both sides begin to take appearance, the battle was one sided. Seeing this ill-fated fight, Mastermind commanded his entire army to split into three divisions and attack from three different directions.
His remaining soldiers had warned him of greater danger by splitting the army. Mastermind agreed to what his forces said, but his main intention wasn't actually attacking from three directions. He gave a retreat command to the divisions to the north and to the west while the east division remains with him. The soldiers within his side tried to convince Mastermind to retreat as well, telling him that the mission had failed. Mastermind reassured his small forces that the mission will succeed. He brought the Thermobaric Cannon with him. He was confident that the walls shall fall.
How? Simple. Just blow the walls, so thought Mastermind.
But he recently...
He and his forces were greeted by demonic creatures.
…
"Apparently in the other side of the wall... is no better, eh?" said Mastermind, "It's a killzone of insect demons," he added. "Boys, prep your weapons. This will be a bloody fight," he commanded.
*KRRAAAAYYAARRR!!!
"Huh?!" Rezzo and Mastermind got startled. A big fly demon and some scorpion demons appeared in front of them. "This… is kinda bad, isn't it?" Mastermind offhandedly said. "I believe 100% this is not the time for jokes, sir,"
"I know, I know… let's get this over with. Frying Pan One—damn what a stupid name—target the fly demon, but hold fire until I gave the word!"
"Roger!" said the crewman in the tank. "Everyone else, prepare for battle! Cover the tank's flank, don't let them overrun us. Group one dispatch to the left side, group two and three provide long range melee defense line on the front, everyone else, prepare your shields!"
"Sir, yes sir!"
Within moments, the scorpion monsters reached them first and charged them head on. However, the pike defense line prevented them from getting closer. "Shite, Mastermind, these monsters had tough hide!" Shortly, the fly demon reached their proximity of attack.
"That weird thing is getting closer, Sir Mastermind! Give your command!"
"NO! Not yet! We must kill it with one shot!" Mastermind denied the tank gunners. He knew the timing isn't right. He had one chance to do it.
But, an unexpected thing happened. The tank gunman got too anxious and decided to fire the cannon directly to the fly demon. "Fools! What are you doing?!" Mastermind raged.
*KABOOOM!
The shell missed the fly demon and blew off a portion of a building. That building is where Nina and the old lady inn owner were taking shelter. Rezzo was enraged even more than Mastermind after what the tank crewman did. Mastermind then issues a quick reload as soon as possible.
"Hope there's nobody in that building, or else they'll be toast… reload another round, QUICK!" said Mastermind.
Few seconds later, a soldier came to the black armored samurai, "Mastermind, sir! Numerous monsters inbound!" One of the soldiers reported his sightings. A large swarm of hornet demons are coming in their way.
"Dammit, man… seriously? This is why I choose to hold back until the correct time. Your impatience might've cost lives….
…bah, if this is the case, then it can't be helped. Draw your swords, men! Devise a staggered formation surrounding the tank, use ranged weapons against those bugs." Mastermind commanded.
—Yes, Sir!—
Within seconds, all fifty soldiers moved into a staggered formation line circling with the tank in the middle of their formation.
…and so, the clash begins.
*SSSRRRASH*
"Ooouch." Mastermind silently grunted. He saw some of his men torn by the scorpion monster. "Rezzo." He ordered simply by calling the field general's name. "Yes, sir,"
Rezzo rushes into the tank turret bay and reaches out the tank turret's loader and casted a red-fiery magic circle. He ignites the thermobaric shell, "Sir Mastermind!" He shouted.
"Danger close, danger close! Fire at will!" Mastermind commanded. "Yes-sir-ee! Fireballs coming right up!" Rezzo replied and discharges his magic.
"Fireblaze Cannon!" *KAABOOOM!*
The tank muzzle flame was insanely big, unleashing fire-infused shell into the monsters up front. The thermobaric shell explodes in midair just before touching the scorpion monster, swallowing any living monster within the large flaming explosion.
*ZZWAAASH*
A big success, flames blazed off burning the monsters.
"Well played, Rezzo. Although that fire of yours was a bit... uh... weak," Mastermind complimented.
"S-Sorry, my leader. I was hasty," he replied.
"No worries, the monsters had been vanquished— *SSSRASH-SSSRASH*
"Sir Mastermind—GRAAARGH!"
—aaand I guess not really." He changed his mind. 28 men has been killed, leaving 22 remain. There were more monsters than he thought there'll be. What's worse, they're fiercer. They looked like the hornet monsters but deadlier.
"Sir, shall we retreat?" Rezzo asked in a static horror. "Ho... who do you think you're with right now?" Mastermind smugly said.
"Lay down, Rezzo. Lest you get stomped by it," Mastermind warned. "Everyone else that still had their ears in one piece… Hug the ground… now."
The field captain got startled at his commander's order. Without further questions he lays down on the tank's floor compartment, followed by the rest of the tank's crewman and soon the soldiers on the outside.
"Yosh, either you fools have done what I said or not, I will use this now," said Mastermind. From outside, roughly around five hundred flies are closing to the laying down forces on the ground.
"This might hurt you fools a little, so brace yourself!" Mastermind crosses his arm and closed his eyes. A second later, he opened his eyes and casted: "Graviton Downpour!"
*DUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!*
The atmosphere transforms into dark purple hue in a blink of an eye, ranging to 200 meters in radius. Inside the atmosphere can be felt a serious down force that gets stronger and stronger upon closer contact with the source. Anything that floats close to it will be knocked to the ground in an instant speed. The down force is so powerful that wooden fences break down and gas lamps bend down.
However, this magic was significantly ineffective to humanoid beings that remained lying down.
Nina, whose distance is 150 meters far from Mastermind, got knocked into the ground with insane force, but not too lethal. The inn's structure has been blown-off thanks to that howitzer tank, but miraculously still manages to hold on against the sudden force.
"W-What kind of power is this—gyaah... I couldn't... m-move..." Nina stated as she holds her pain. "T-This is bad..." she stated. Nina realized that if the Imperial Army had such power, there's no chance she'll survive against them.
But on the flip side, Nina also realized that the sudden down force caused a deadly blow to the insects that tried to invade the inn building again. Nina felt glad, although being restrained to the floor.
. . .
After some time, Mastermind stops his magic, "Oh…" he said as he looked around. The brick road couldn't be seen since many hornet corpses filled it. Not to mention the flooding blue blood bath. "…Okay, it seems they're dead." Mastermind stated casually.
"Sir Mastermind... ugh..." Rezzo felt headache while trying to get up. "That's too much." He added.
"Oh, really? I thought it's lower than before," Mastermind said offhandedly.
"Gah, never mind... what's important now we must find the source of this mess. We couldn't pull back because of these swarming bugs."
"I know. It's no doubt an insect-controller. An entomancer, that is." Mastermind explained.
*ZZTASH!*
"What the?!" Mastermind spouted spontaneously. A clattering sound of thunder was heard from afar.
"Hey, Rezzo?" Mastermind called while calmly while looking straight forth. "Yes, my lord?" the field general responded with the same tone. "I just want to make sure… it's not stormy up there, right?
"I can't agree more, sir. There's no sign of rainstorm clouds except the smoke screens coming from gunpowder shots. That thunder might have been casted by… a Lightning Elementalist."
Mastermind blinked quickly. "Okay, then! Our intel said that there are ONLY earth elementalists in here, right?" he tried to reassure himself. "Apparently, that's what our intel gave us."
"Ho…" Mastermind looked around again. "Was there any other party involved in this mess aside the Napreans, hm…?"
"I've decided. Let's get going, boys. Move out, we'll find the source of that thunder sound!"
"Y-Yes, sir," Rezzo commandeered his men. He's still dizzy from Mastermind's odd magic to drive the tank straight front. The tank's machine rumbles, it begins to move forth, causing a slight tremor as it shifts itself forward.
. . .
Nina remained silent in the nearly-collapsed building with the old lady, waiting for the Imperial Army to pass through. Besides, she couldn't move at all due to the effects of that sudden down force broke many parts of her skeleton.
"…they're gone. I guess this is my safe haven…"
Nina healed herself using a level 3 healing magic: "Greater Heal!"
The magic can cure terrible injuries such as fractured bones, torn injuries, and some deadly damages. However, a greater amount of mana energy is required to cast it instantaneously. Even so, Nina also used it on the old lady.
She is very low on mana energy. Magicians whose doesn't have mana energy is just a simple person. "I must take care not to waste anymore mana energy… uh! Right, we must get out of here! Can you walk, granny?"
"I guess…"
Nina and the old lady move slowly out of the withered building. Outside, there's nothing but a scrambled pile of bug corpses, staining the road. Therefore, making it look like an apocalyptic sight.
Nina and the old lady carefully and slowly move from building to building. In some point, Nina went through the wrong way and nearly spotted by the Imperial Army, which is trying to track down the source of the lightning sound. "T-That was too close…"
"…dearie… I can't stand looking at you suffering like this. You can leave me here," the old lady said. "What are you talking about, granny? I'm not leaving you behind!"
"You've tried so hard in protecting me… you nearly sacrificed your life for me… while me, I'm just a simple old lady that kept an old inn alive. What merit do you found in saving my life, dear…?"
"…this world… this merged world… to see everyone happy, smiling, and live peacefully… that's what I'm aiming for!
…But if trying to make someone smile again is impossible…
...it's… just…"
The old lady smiled sincerely. The girl that she's with right now is no different than her granddaughter. She wished for this 'merged' world to be peaceful, where everyone can smile and be happy.
"…dearie…"
"I'm not going to leave you behind, granny!"
"…ah, I understand that. But what I want to say is..." the old lady then tells something to Nina.
...
"...If that's the case, then there IS HOPE! Let's GO!"
…
..
.
Based on the old lady's information, there is a secret passage that leads to the castle fort inside an inn belonged to her fellow innkeeper friend.
Ever since the beginning of her adventure to the outside world, Nina wanted to believe that 'hope' will always exist. Today, her belief gains a massive boost.