"Soldiers! Do not be afraid! Do not cower in fear! If we fall down, our loved ones will also fall! For our beloved, raise your weapons!!!"
"RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"
The seven hundred soldiers let out a war cry, a signal that they are ready to risk their lives to protect what is rightfully theirs.
"Look!"
Bam!
Boulders fired from catapults hit the barrier.
Seeing the stronger barrier in place, the soldiers of the city were glad to have the support of a powerful magician.
"Sir! It looks like the city's barrier has become stronger than before"
"That is impossible!"
The commander of the enemy force, the city closest to the Vermillion mountain city, took a good look at the barrier while it was being hit by boulders with a telescope.
"Keep firing. Base on our intel, it is impossible for that barrier to become stronger. This is probably the work of the priestess, exhausting her power to reinforce it"
"Yes, Sir!"
The soldier passed the message to the others. They continued to fire boulders with the commander's command.
But,
"What is happening?"
From a hill where a tent was set up, the commander of the enemy force saw that the catapult points were being taken out one by one.
"Send more support to the artillery squads! We can't let all of them get ambushed!"
By his command, soldiers went out to protect the remaining catapults while some were ordered to investigate what had happened in order to fix the gap in their formation.
"If it wasn't for this forest, we could have seen what had happened"
"Sir, what about we burn the forest?"
"No. Once we do that, we will suffer a great loss even after we occupy this city.... What !?"
The artillery squads completely stopped even after additional soldiers were sent to reinforce the security.
The barrier vanished instantly as soon as all the catapults were taken over.
"We don't know what sort of schemes they have come up with but now that the damn barrier is gone, we will crush them with numbers!
My men, follow me and let's grab hold of the treasure chest in front of us!!!"
"Yes, Sir!"
The commander led the two thousand soldiers forward.
"What in the world is that?!"
Midway, they all stopped as they saw an enormous golem made of dirt formed.
The golem charged at them at full speed.
"Scatter! Mages, destroy that golem!"
While the infantry run away to not get on the golem's way while the mages fired their spells, the two who created the golem were at the shrine, continously absorbing mana the altar gathered.
"Priestess, I can only do this for five more minutes"
Aldo said as he make sure the magic circle that conjured the golem will not disappear.
"The same thing goes for me"
The priestess said as she make sure the surge of mana inside Aldo's body, gathered by the altar, do not go haywire and make his body explode from the inside.
"This is our chance! Go forth and kill as many as you can!"
The soldiers waiting for their time charge forth and took on the soldiers of the enemy forces that were panicking upon seeing the giant golem.
With their formation broken and their soldiers scattered everywhere with no sense as to where they were got killed one by one, while the soldiers of the Vermillion mountain city had the advantage as they knew the forest too well.
Shing!
Aldo junior caught an arrow that was going to hit Jarianne.
"About three hundred meters. On top of that house"
Aldo junior pointed and some of the dozens of guards immediately went there to apprehend the assassin.
"You sure have one amazing child"
"That is a given, priestess!"
After a few minutes, it was enough to dwindle the number of the Demi humans, half trolls, and turned the favor into the Vermillion mountain city.
The golem broke down as the priestess and Aldo fainted from mental exhaustion.
Aldo junior stayed with them to ensure their safety as the mayor and the rest took care of the clean up.
While some were able to run away, some were captured and became prisoners of war.
"Drag the corpses to the ravine! Their bodies will be good for our cattles!"
"Yes, Sir!"
Those who run away meet up at their emergency rendezvous point.
"Shit! Just what sort of person did they hire to be able to cast such a frigthening golem like that"
They were tired and mentally frustrated due to the defeat they did not expect and the golem they saw earlier.
"The intel we got from a week ago are all wrong! I'll make sure the bastard who wrote that report dies by my hand! For now, we will have to go back and make sure that others will not attack our city"
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"Wow, you sure are amazing to be able to keep your rationality and formulate a plan after seeing Aldo's golem"
Marco entered the cave where they hid with a carefree smile as he walked forward.
"Who are you? State your purpose!"
They raised their weapons but knew all too well that they do not stand a chance agains the person in front of them. After all, why would an ordinary person be in a battlefield.
Someone who even knows where they fled to.
"Rock-A-Bye~ Baby In The Treetop~ When The Wind Blows~ The Cradle Will Rock~"
"What... are... you..."
Thud.
As he sang they all felt dizzy, their eyes slowly closing, and soon fell down to the ground.
"This just made things so much easier. I wonder how Aldo was able to create such a big golem though"
Marco proceeded to slightly alter their memories as he continue to sing the song.