Clack Clack Clack
It was neither the sound of footsteps nor was it the sound of locks unlocking. It was a sound originating in a more horrifying origin. It was the sound of bones hitting each other as the skeletons moved about in the middle of the night.
Not one, not dozens nor hundreds, but tens of thousands of skeletons marched with a single goal. As the flames in their eye sockets were burning, the longing for death and destruction only grew. Their target was none other than the town in front of them.
Like a raging tsunami, the skeletons flooded towards the towns, readying their bony bodies for combat, the sound of their clacking bones only intensifying in exchange for their missing vocal cords. It was a siege, a siege which could erase towns and cities off the map without much effort.
"Fire!"
"Don't let the enemies get close!"
"More arrows in the back!"
Shout of urgency and terror filled the night as knights, soldiers, and adventurers alike ran back and forth across the ramparts, trying their best to strike down as many skeletons as possibke before they could even get the chance to near the walls.
The volley of arrows coming from the ramparts rained down relentlessly, finishing off skeleton after skeleton. It was a merciless torrent which brought towards those who were not even living. Oh, what a contradictory scene.
But such efforts weren't enough. No matter how much they struck the skeletons down, they once again rose up from defeat as if they only awakened from their slumber, their flames lighting ablaze again as they stood up from the ground, picking up their body pieces and reassembling themselves.
"These damned bastards! They just keep coming back up!"
"Oi! Watch your back!"
"Don't falter! Make sure to defend the town at all costs!"
Chaos descended upon the battlefield as the night went deeper. It was especially noticeable amongst the fighters in the front line which faced the skeletons directly, their weapons and shields clashing with the bony enemies time and time again.
Thankfully, the ones up front were just mere skeletons who possessed neither weapons nor armors. Other than being annoying, they literally posed no threats to those fighting in the front lines.
Taking down the weakest variant of skeletons was not too troublesome either. While they could get back up, a single strike to crush the head and the crystal within is all that's needed to halt their endless lives, turning back into mana soon after.
Several minutes have passed and so far, the resistance is doing well. While there were some who received injuries, they were only minor as the enemies were still at H-rank. Treating them was quite easy with healers around.
"Hey, there's more injured here!"
"Enemies on the left! On your guards!"
The battle continued and the clash only became fiercer. As more and more skeletons poured in, the higher variants also started getting in battle. Both the G-rank skeleton warriors and E-rank skeleton knights started to appear.
Everything still continued smoothly, only a little harder. As the ones up front were the stronger knights and adventurers, the weaker backing them from behind with ranged attacks and items, it still proceeded just like before.
"Hey! Bring me a potionー Urkk!!"
But such comfort did not last long. The moment the D-rank skeleton cavaliers started to appear, the defenses' strength started to decline at a rapid rate. Like a tower of bricks which had its bottom support destroyed, the defenses were quickly toppled.
Riding on their skeleton horses and wielding heavy lances, the skeleton cavaliers charged through the defenses' ranks and massacred dozens of people time after time again. They were fearless as one can be, disregarding the harm towards their bodies.
"H-Help me!!"
"Aghh!!"
"Dammit! Get away from me!!"
Loud screams of extreme pain and agony echoed in the air as the skeleton cavaliers continued their rampage. As they spilled blood in the battlefield, despair only grew within the people in the front lines as they dwindled down slowly but surely.
It also didn't help that it was nighttime. Not only was the visibility much lower, the undead skeletons are also at full power. The only silver lining was that there isn't a full moon, otherwise, it would have been a complete massacre.
⟨⟨Raging...
Unfortunately for the enemies. They were the only ones who got strong allies. A single lady stood between the town and the horde of monsters. Her eyes calm and clear like a still lake, undisturbed by the wind as her hair fluttered in silence.
...Thunder Flash!⟩⟩ ［Sylvia］
Her words resounding in the air, she suddenly vanished from her spot, bursts of winds howling like ferocious wolves as blue light streaked across the battlefield, quick as lightning and sharp as guillotine
The enemies' heads cut in half along the crystal within them, a sequence of thuds and clacks soon resounding as their bones fell to the ground. In just a single dash, hundreds of enemies were fell without much effort, the young lady now standing a few hundred meters from where she was previously at.
"Levin, now!" ［Sylvia］
"No need to say it twice! ⟨⟨Split Break⟩⟩ !" ［Levin］
As soon as Sylvia finished her attack, a husky, booming voice echoed throughout the battlefield. Soon after, a man could be seen in the air as he leaped towards the air, landing in front of the former with his massive hammer striking the ground.
The moment the hammer connected towards the ground, aggressive shockwaves and quakes burst forth towards the enemy ranks, crushing the bones of the skeletons unfortunate enough to be in front. All that remained was fine powder, swept by the passing wind throughout the battlefield.
In a single moment thousands of skeletons were crushed by the immense pressure between the shockwaves and quakes. A whole area was cleared, the man lifting his hammer casually as if nothing too out of the ordinary happened.
"Whoo～ That was quite a lot wasn't it?" ［Levin］
"Levin, don't let your guard down. The battle's still not finished." ［Sylvia］
"Yes, yes, ma'am. I'll keep that in mind." ［Levin］
Like a raging storm, Sylvia and Levin brought demise to the enemies' ranks with just the two of them. Although there were some that managed to slip by, the other elite knights took care of them, making sure the front line could handle the rest.
With the passing of time, the C-rank skeleton commanders also started to enter the fray, riding on their large skeleton wolves and disregarding their allies. All they did was charge recklessly, aiming to eliminate the two who stood in their way.
Unfortunately for them, with both Sylvia and Levin in front, it was hopeless. None of them managed to pass through their attacks. Each and every single one of them were crushed mercilessly without a second thought. So much as to stopping them, they couldn't even land a single hit.
Sylvia and Levin. If Alfrione has their "Golden Triangle" with Ranzel, Vanessa, and Kurt, the Archduchy of Farmalte has the "Silverwings". They are a duo of geniuses who attained B-rank at their early twenties, engraving their names in the history of both the Archduchy and the Empire.
⟨⟨Cleaving Crescent!⟩⟩ ［Sylvia］
⟨⟨Sundering Mountain!⟩⟩ ［Levin］
Once again, hundreds, if not thousands, of enemies were wiped off clean from the battlefield with the two's fantastic combo. There were some that survived, but their bodies were barely able. It didn't take too much effort to finish them up.
The fierce battle continued and more and more skeletons were crushed with Sylvia and Levin's might. Of course, it is without any consequences. The more they are struck with high-level magic, the more mana is wasted on them. Not only that, the fatigue also accumulates.
Time after time, Sylvia and Levin have to drink mana potions to restore their mana pool. It was to the point that their stomachs were going to burst from drinking too much mana potions. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do about it.
"Levin, hand me a mana potion. I've run out." ［Sylvia］
"Alright, hereー Watch out!" ［Levin］
Levin couldn't even finish his words when suddenly a blue blade streaked towards Sylvia's nape. Luckily, Sylvia managed to evade the attack by a hair's breadth, a small wound leaving its mark on her soft and delicate cheeks.
"Ugh!" ［Sylvia］
After barely dodging the attack, Sylvia quickly hopped a couple leaps back to where Levin was, her eyes now sharper as she looked for the one who attacked, only to see darkness and nothing else. The enemy was long gone.
"Sylvia, are you alright?" ［Levin］
"Yes, I'm fine. Please hand me a mana potion." ［Sylvia］
"Haah... Here, and take a potion, too. Heal your wounds first." ［Levin］
"No, I'll save this for later. Thank you." ［Sylvia］
One was dark green while the other dark blue, potions used to heal and and recover mana, respectively. Sylvia drank the blue one, a strong taste flooding her mouth. Her mana then started to recover at a quick pace.
But neither of the two let their guards down even when they drank the potions. They kept a vigilant eye on the surroundings, sharpening their senses as much as they could to pinpoint where the enemies were in the dark and deadly battlefield.
They were especially wary of the one who just tried to strike Sylvia from before. Both of them were surprised as neither of them saw where the blade came from. Well, it wasn't long before the answer landed in their laps.
"Sylvia, above!" ［Levin］
CLANGGG
Not wasting even a single second, Sylvia immediately raised her sword upwards, defending herself from the strike. The very next moment, a clang resounded in the air as two blades struck one another, sparks flying in the air soon after.
It didn't just end there. With both Sylvia and the attacker still on deadlock, Levin quickly charged towards them and with all his strength, he delivered a blow towards the attacker, blasting the fool several meters away, gashes left on the ground as the enemy landed.
"So you're the bastard who attacked Sylvia, huh..." ［Levin］
A dark armor adorning its body, a blue longsword on one of its hands, and its eye sockets burning with blue flames, shining dimly in the darkness of the night. The sound of bones clacking and metals clanging with each and every move.
It was a B-rank Skeleton General, riding atop its skeleton Vangir. If winged tigers weren't enough, now they're made of bones as well. There was no better imagery for a knight of nightmares than the one before them.
The Skeleton General looked at the two with indifferent eyes, clenching its sword with its hand made of bones. To it, Sylvia and Levin were nothing but obstacles which must be eliminated at all cost. It raised its longsword once again as the sound of clacking bones echoed once more.
Clang Clang Clang
The sounds of metal hitting one another echoed in the air as soon as the enemy pounced towards Sylvia and Levin without an ounce of hesitation, brandishing its sword left and right without any mercy, aiming for the joints and limbs strategically as if it possessed true intelligence.
With each clash, Sylvia was pushed back further and further, trying to defend the relentless strikes which came towards it. She tried to find gaps in the Skeleton General's defenses, but every time she counters, the Skeleton Vangir's fangs would then lunge at her.
BOOOMMM
Levin tried to strike the enemy with his hammer, but it was futile. Before he could even land a strike, the enemy would quickly dodge to the side, leaving the hammer to crash towards the ground, leaving large craters behind.
"Tsk! Agile bastardー" ［Levin］
"Levin dodge!" ［Sylvia］
There was no time to rest. The moment the enemy landed on the ground, the Vangir then opened its mouth, a flashy beam blasted towards their direction. It may only look like a simple mount but it could utilize magic as well.
With swift movements, both Sylvia and Levin managed to barely dodge the beam. But they hadn't even regained their footing properly, the enemy started to pounce once again. Now, its target was Levin rather than Sylvia.
The clash started once again, but this time, it was more difficult. With such a heavy hammer, Levin's strikes were much slower than Sylvia who could match the enemy's speed. There was nothing he could do but endure the attacks which managed to slip through his parries.
The only silver lining was his ability "Iron Wall", which boosted his defenses greatly. If it weren't for it, he could only imagine how grave the wound he could have received would be. It was a battle of endurance and power between the two.
⟨⟨Thunder God's Hammer!⟩⟩ ［Levin］
His voice resounding like thunder, blue lightning gathered on his hammer and clad his body like a lightning rod, illuminating the dark surroundings and fending off the Skeleton General at the same time.
But the show didn't end there. As Levin struck the ground once again, large pillars of lightning struck the ground one after another in quick succession, leaving the enemy with no choice other than focus on the lightning strikes and dodge cautiously.
Unfortunately for it, it was too focused towards the lightning that it didn't sense the danger looming near it. Before it could even notice, a certain figure already appeared behind its back, her blue eyes shimmering a dangerous glow as her white hair freely fluttered in the air.
⟨⟨Piercing Frost: White Death⟩⟩ ［Sylvia］
The Skeleton General tried to avoid it at the last moment, but unfortunately for it, it was already too late. The moment it realized, Sylvia's sword was already piercing its skull, boring a hole in the crystal hidden within.
Like a thunderflash, Sylvia's swords easily pierced through both the Skeleton General and the Skeleton Vangir. Following the piercing, frost spread throughout their bodies, turning them into white statues made of ice, a shattering sound following soon after as the statue broke to pieces.
"Sylvia, are you alright?" ［Levin］
"Haah... Haah... I'm fine... Though I don't think I will be for long..." ［Sylvia］
Silence returned to e night as Sylvia ended her statement, her eyes now looking towards the sky along with Levin's. There were only wry smiles on their faces as they looked at the ones which were above them.
There were no stars, instead, what could be seen were hundreds of blue flames burnt afloat in the air. There was no need to guess what they were or where they came from. They were clearly from enemies, several dozens of enemies to be exact.
Sylvia and Levin only barely managed to beat a single Skeleton General, but flying in the air were still a few dozens of them. Not to mention the S-rank Skeleton Kings which were also following behind them. No matter where one looked at it, it was completely hopeless.
"Hey, Sylvia... After this battle, will you marry me...?" ［Levin］
There was only shock in Sylvia's face as she heard Levin's words. Not only was it weird that he said such things in the middle of a battle, they weren't even a couple nor had he ever confessed to begin with. The man literally skipped a couple steps, jumping straight to proposing.
Of course, Levin knew full well that saying such things is nothing but a death flag. But since they are already heading to their deaths anyways, he might as well go all out at the same time. If he's going to die, he wants to die without any regrets.
"We aren't even dating... How about courting me first?" ［Sylvia］
Surprisingly, the usually cold-hearted Sylvia just went along with Levin's whims. A gentle smile blooming on her face as a rosy tint spread across her glossy cheeks. Thankfully, it was dark in the fields, otherwise, Levin would have seen her blushing.
"Hahaha! Then I guess I need to survive then." ［Levin］
He was surprised, but even more so, he was happy. It may be his last day in the world, but he has no regrets left. Now that he had told the girl she loved about what he felt about her. Now, he felt like he could go all out.
Meanwhile, as she readied her sword for battle, certain figures started appearing on Sylvia's mind one after another. There were her two older brothers, her mother, and of course, her father.
The one who lingered the most in her mind was the image of her father, Reisner. He is the man she admires the most and the person whom she aspires to be an equal with. Her very own hero and idol.
Her last conversation with him ran throughout her mind, reminiscing about the past which could never be redone again. If she knew it would be her last conversation with him, she wouldn't have acted so coldly. Regret bloomed in her heart as she thought of such things.
Well, there was nothing more she could do about the past. The only thing she could do is grip her sword tightly and brace herself for the worst. She steeled her heart as flames of determination burnt brighter than before.
"Levin, on my lead... Threeー" ［Sylvia］
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM
So much for counting down. Sylvia had yet to finish the first number when suddenly, loud explosions echoed throughout the battlefields one after another, dying the night with colors of red and orange as such explosions decimated the enemies.
Like meteorites crashing towards the ground, sharp bolts of light came from the sky and rained down towards the enemies, exploding in spheres of flame as soon as they made contact with anything.
Light soon shone towards the battlefields as the clouds parted from the piercing bolts of light raining from above. The gentle moonlight once again touched the cold, solid ground, revealing all that there is to be seen and the destruction of the enemies.
But it wasn't all light. There was also a large shadow cast upon the ground. It wasn't from a cloud, but rather, from a magnificent creature which spread its wings freely in the sky, its scales shining brightly rivaling that of starlight.
As its platinum colored scales shone in the night sky, hundreds upon hundreds of bolts continued raining down upon the field. With each flap of its wings, bolts of light continued to form one after another, continuing the relentless barrage.
⟨⟨ ⟨⟨Holy Field⟩⟩ ⟩⟩ ［Grey and Yuna］
Soon, two distinct voices echoed in the air, a large magic circle appearing in the sky soon after. It showered gentle, golden light throughout the vast battlefield, making everyone stop to look at such a beautiful display.
Not only did it heal those who were injured and wounded, it also incinerated the skeletons in the field. In just a quick instant, the enemies which numbered tens of thousands were reduced into only a couple dozen, the only ones who remained were the Skeleton General and those who ranked higher.
It was nothing short of a miracle. Just as they resolved themselves about dying on the battlefield, the unthinkable happened. Neither of them could explain what just was going on, only standing there speechless, unable to move a muscle.
Bursts of winds filled the battleground as the platinum dragon descended towards the ground, landing just a little further away from where Sylvia and Levin were standing.
As soon as the dragon landed, three unfamiliar figures came down from its back. One was a red-haired saureid with a muscular body, the other was a silver-haired elf who was as pretty as a doll, and the last was a black-haired young man.
"Sorry we're late. You can rest now. We'll be taking over the rest." ［Grey］
There was no shakiness in the young man's voice as he said such a statement, only confidence and seriousness as his eyes gleamed sharper. It wasn't only him. Both Yuna and Fizzel also had the same look in their eyes as they looked at the enemies before them.
Silence swallowed the battlefield yet again, only the sound of the howling winds and clacking bones to be heard. The battlefield was littered with snow, but there was only an intense heat to be felt. A fierce clash is drawing near.
CHAPTER 185 END