Meanwhile, at a fortress that the demons recently took back from the humans, they were currently holding off the enemy from taking it back again. The humans threaten to overrun the fortress and wipe out the demons held up there. The defenders fought bravely, knowing the importance of holding the line for their allies attacking the human's main base. Time was of the essence, with the fate of the fortress hanging in the balance, the human's will soon breach the gates.
"Lieutenant Salen, how soon can we retake the fortress?"
"Not long, General Lyell. We should have it secured in less than 20 minutes," Salen assured, determined to reclaim the fortress and cut down the enemy who killed their soldiers that were stationed there.
"How are Aika and Fumihiro faring?" the General inquired.
"Excellent, Sir. They are preventing the demons from escaping from the hidden passages," the subordinate reported.
The General nodded solemnly. "Charging the fortress directly would have caused a large number of casualties and would have allowed the demon leader to escape. We must assess our soldiers' strength and capture the enemy leader. Restricting escape routes ensures the demon leader cannot slip away unnoticed."
"We could use those passages for our advantage to assault the fortress. Our enemies are formidable; facing them individually would mean certain death. They possess superior numbers and formidable magical abilities. Thanks to our researchers' enhancements, our soldiers have held their ground. The soldiers are progressing in retaking the fort," the subordinate explained.
"Excellent suggestion: get some men to meet up with the heroes. I want them to use those passages to open the gate from inside."
"I understand. I will convey your orders to others," the subordinate acknowledged, understanding the mission's importance.
"Thank you, Salen. Also, inform the rear men…" The General's voice drifted in from a loud treble coming outside the tent, followed by soldiers' screams.
"What's happening?" the general inquired as a knight rushed in. "We're under attack from unknown enemies approaching from our rear!"
"How did they flank us? What's their strength?" the general demanded.
"We're unsure, but we estimate around two hundred or fewer," the knight replied.
"Impossible! How did a sizable force sneak up on us like this?" the general pondered aloud.
"Why are you so certain about their numbers being around two hundred?"
"Apologies, Captain. The enemy's attack led us to believe in those numbers," the soldier explained.
"What was their attack like?" the general inquired.
"They unleashed 400 magic arrows, causing significant casualties among our ranks," the soldier reported.
Magic arrows were known for their devastating power. Most soldiers could create one at a time, while elites could do two simultaneously. It was believed to be the limit until the arrival of the heroes, who could manifest six at once.
As the war began, it became apparent that demons could also use magic arrows. They also seem to be able to manifest only two or three arrows by one person; the presence of two hundred enemies seemed accurate.
Yet, the mystery remained: how did so many foes flank them unnoticed?
"Another attack! Take cover!" a soldier's warning rang out, prompting everyone to seek shelter.
"General, get down!" The lieutenant companion pushed the general to safety just before the arrows struck.
The assault unfolded swiftly and mercilessly. Arrows rained down on the rear unit, hitting everything in its path. The devastation was swift and complete.
At the front lines, the soldiers halted their advance on the fort as they witnessed their comrades decimated by unseen foes.
If the demons knew better, they would believe their reinforcements had arrived and managed to deal damage to the enemy's main base.
Another wave of magic arrows descended, leaving the human soldiers little cover at the fort walls, resulting in heavy casualties. Those who survived lost their will to fight and fled.
From above, the entity surveyed the battlefield. Initially drawn for a different purpose, it now perceived humans as adversaries. Harnessing its power, the entity unleashed a barrage of magic arrows upon the human forces.
The entity focused on its targets precisely and determined two objects that held what it sought. It zeroed in on them, flying swiftly towards its objectives.
"Sir Fumihiro, did you catch that noise?"A knight inquired.
"No, I didn't. It seemed to originate from the front of the fort. It's suspicious," Fumihiro replied, his keen senses picking up faint voices.
Earlier, while tasked with preventing any foes from fleeing, the group detected unusual sounds from the rear unit. Curious, Fumihiro, one of their heroes, utilized his abilities to investigate. He ascended the tallest tree in the vicinity to gain a vantage point. What he saw was smoke coming from the front of the fortress. Thinking that their comrades had breached the gate, Fumihiro returned to the ground.
"No need to worry. Our forces breached the fortress gate. They must be inside now, reclaiming it from the demons." Fumihiro addressed the soldiers alongside Aika
The Stearns group celebrated their assumed victory, except for Fumihiro and Aika, who remained cautious.
"If our allies broke through, more demons might attempt to escape through the secret tunnel," Fumihiro warned, prompting the soldiers to return to their posts in anticipation.
Suddenly, a massive object crashed down, causing a blinding impact.
"What was that?" A knight exclaimed, caught off guard by the unexpected event.
Confusion reigned as a voice spoke incomprehensible words, unlike any demon dialect.
"Aika, Fumihiro, can you deal with this newcomer?" one of the soldiers inquired, seeking a solution to the mysterious arrival.
"I'll handle it," a female voice declared.
"Aika, wait! We don't know what it is. It could be dangerous," Fumihiro attempted to stop Aika, but she had already rushed ahead.
Soon, the group heard Aika's piercing scream.
"Aika! Are you alright!?" Fumihiro called out, concerned for her safety.
Receiving no response, Fumihiro prepared to follow, but some soldiers quickly cast a wind spell, dispersing the dust cloud.
As the humans regained sight, they beheld a mysterious entity before them. With Aika unconscious on the ground, their focus shifted away from identifying the entity.
Having already dealt with Aika as with Haru, the entity turned its attention to Fumihiro.
"You bastard! You'll pay for what you've done to Aika!" Fumihiro exclaimed, drawing his two tiny daggers and charging at the entity.
With a battle cry, Fumihiro unleashed a flurry of strikes, aiming to conquer the entity. His attacks were swift and relentless, slicing through the entity's defenses with precision and determination.
The battle raged for five minutes, with Fumihiro relentlessly attacking the mysterious entity. However, despite his efforts, his strikes seemed to pass through it as if it were insubstantial. Confusion gripped Fumihiro as he grappled with this strange foe.
Pouring all his strength into a final strike, Fumihiro found himself staggering forward as his blow went through the entity's form. In a swift counterattack, the entity unleashed a powerful force that sent Fumihiro hurtling backward, crashing against the cliff where the secret tunnel lay hidden.
"Sir Fumihiro!" cried out the human soldiers in despair, witnessing the loss of two of their heroes. The entity's nature remained beyond their comprehension, marking it as a formidable and enigmatic adversary.
Ignoring the soldiers, the entity focused solely on Fumihiro, intent on extracting something from him. As the soldiers rushed to intervene, the entity swiftly dismembered them, leaving no obstacles in its path as it extracted a ball of light from Fumihiro.
With its task complete, the entity ascended into the sky and departed for another location.