The battle was raging. Despite our superiority in physical strength, we were being pushed back by sheer numbers. A hundred or two of these creatures appearing out of nowhere wouldn't normally cause us much trouble, but after being weakened by continuous waves for more than a week, it was different.
My axe felled one abomination, then I redirected it to decapitate another. Screams of agony mingled with the low, terrible roars of these monsters. These abominable creatures were driven by such a thirst for blood that they lost all sense of survival instinct.
It was as if they were promising each other that a single bite would suffice, completely devoid of intelligence. These beasts only sought to feast on anything unfortunate enough to cross their path. Half-humans, in particular, would make for a grand feast.
"Close ranks! Don't let them take a single step! We have to protect the elves who are supporting us with their healing magic!" I shouted.
My voice, hoarse with fatigue, struggled to carry over the noise. I'd lost count of how many times my mind had wavered on the battlefield. Each time, I bit my lip to pull myself together and fought my way through the sea of creatures, swinging my weapon and slicing through several as I advanced.
These cursed rats. Even though they were human-sized and had an almost humanoid shape, they weren't easy to kill. They were so agile they could rival horned rabbits. Still, many of them fell before our blades.
"We just need to hold out for one more day."
But a single day felt like an eternity. We had no idea if reinforcements would arrive in time. I made my way toward the patriarch. His clothes were torn, and it was clear he no longer had enough mana to use his aura. He was simply swinging his Odashi around, but with every swing of his sword, another life was taken from these vile creatures.
His hair, streaked with gray and black, framed his long wolf ears, which stood proudly atop his head. His severe expression and burning ruby eyes commanded the battlefield, not letting a single creature cross the wooden barricade.
"Renald, you're just in time. I was looking for you," he shouted as I approached.
"Lord Akumu, many of our soldiers have fallen. At this rate, we'll be exterminated. Do you really believe the Orleth clan will help us?" I asked anxiously.
The lord frowned, clearly on the verge of anger, but then he sighed and fixed me with a tired, almost blank look.
"Rakahn is my best friend. He'll do everything possible to come help us. We just have to hold on a little longer," he replied, his tone softening slightly.
"But it's been three days since we sent soldiers with our emissaries. Shouldn't they be here by now? What are we going to do?" I cried, horrified by the sight of countless dead surrounding us.
"And what do you want me to do, huh? We've already used up all our mana! The elves have cast spell after spell. I've ordered them to conserve their mana for healing, damn it! What more do you expect me to do?" He yelled, his cold, accustomed eyes now burning with rage.
I felt ashamed. I'd let my fear get the better of me. It wasn't by his will that he became the head of the Ibara clan. He hadn't chosen to be born with the strongest amount of mana among us, and because of that, he'd been raised in isolation to learn to control his energy. His whole life had been devoted to training, and in the end, he became the strongest in the clan. So, he had no choice but to accept the role of patriarch—a duty he had never wanted.
A loud roar shook the battlefield, everyone turning toward the sound.
And that's when I saw it—a demonic rat, one of the fiercest creatures from the cursed forest. Its ash-gray body was drenched in the blood of its own "allies," and its eyes glowed with a sinister purple light. Its long, sharp claws tore through everything in its path. The creature was over three meters tall and towered above the battlefield.
My eyes widened in horror. My muscles refused to move. My body was paralyzed. I wanted to scream, but no sound came out.
"Move, move, move, damn it!"
I fought with my body, trying to make it move, but it flatly refused to respond.
I stood there, gripping my weapon tightly as the beast made its way toward us—or perhaps just me? I didn't know, and I didn't want to.
All I could do was wait for my end, no matter how pitiful it would be...