On four high mountains called Briggs Stone, there are four towns built on each of them connected by multiple bridges these it's named; certain demons live there, mostly those who have animal traits like goats, elk, and birds. But the most eye-catching thing in Biggs Stone is that thousands of stone statues are placed all over the four mountains and towns. The locals will carve a statue for one of their people who died to honor them. Briggs Stone has been around for seven hundred years, with its population being around 1500 to 3000.
The humans had a hard time capturing Brigs Stone, even with the help of the heroes who came with them. But after three days, the army managed to conquer Brigs Stone, driving the demons out of the stronghold.
After surveying Brigs Stone, which is strategically located and provides an excellent vantage point for spotting enemy attacks, the high officers decided to make it an operational base.
Before the humans could finish setting up Brigs Stone as a new base, the demons returned, reclaiming Brigs Stone. A number of the demons who were forced out of Brigs Stone came back with the country's army, leading them up the mountains on paths that only they knew of, that not many outsiders who just claimed the land would know. The demons caught the humans off guard, wiping out a number of these forces.
The humans who managed to escape returned to their main base and told the leaders what had happened at Briggs Stone. To retake Briggs Stone, the humans dispatched numerous knights and two heroes. When the force arrived at the mountains, the commander split the force into groups to ascend different paths. Anticipating that this would happen, the demons readied themselves for a fierce battle.
"We lost another group of knights to traps," reported a soldier.
"Have those uninjured try different paths," the commander ordered. And yes, tell the recovery team to aid any survivors in that area."
As the operation to reclaim Brigs Stone progressed, the humans fell victim to the demons' traps—falling into pit holes, being shot with arrows, and crushed by falling rocks.
Despite the obstacles, some groups reached Brigs Stone, unknowingly walking into combat with waiting demons.
"We've reached the top; move in and reclaim the city!" urged a knight.
"Fair ball!"
"Ice spear!"
"Rock bullet!"
Humans began using attack magic and firing arrows at distant demons while others engaged in close combat.
"The enemy has reached the top of the mountain. Prepare for battle."
"Ready!"
As time passed, all three towns were engulfed in battle. The demons' traps had removed a third of the enemy forces, making it challenging for the humans to capture Brig Stone with their current numbers.
Despite the odds, humans had a trump card—the heroes Hinata and Kaito. Human forces advanced up the mountain with minimal losses thanks to their exceptional skills. Both heroes moved swiftly and gracefully, akin to ninjas.
"Wind slash!"
"Blade cutter!"
The heroes navigated the town effortlessly, leaping from rooftops, scaling walls, and swiftly dispatching demons. Their coordinated attacks caught the demons off guard.
"Well, how many have you slain so far?"
"19. And you?"
"20," Kaito grinned, one-upping his friend.
"Darn it. Ha!" Hinata swiftly struck three demons in the head, determined to match Kaito's count.
"It's on now."
"Bring it!"
Empowered by their rivalry, the two heroes split up, showcasing their skills on the battlefield.
As the demon numbers dwindled, the knights grew more confident, hunting down any stragglers.
"Many demons are using the bridge to reach another part of the town."
"Let's pursue them. We can't rely solely on the heroes."
"Agreed, let's go after them."
Their decision proved fatal as the demons blew up the bridge, killing those still on it.
The demons had exhausted only some of their traps. Before the humans reached the mountain's peak, the demons strategically set up explosives beneath every bridge linking the hills of Brigs Stone. They planned to prevent the humans from taking control of all four mountains and regrouping to defend each one.
Soon, other bridges began to blow up as well. While the demons' plan was solid, there were oversights on their part. Some demons failed to escape the exploding bridges, while others chose to confront the enemy on the bridges.
"Cursed demons! How could they blow up the bridges with their kind still on them?"
"Well, they are demons, after all."
Hinata and Kaito reunited at the base of one of the mountains in Brigs Stone, and they felt a mix of emotions upon seeing their comrades fall.
"We can't mourn now, Hinata! We must cross to the other side to assist our fellow knights before it's too late."
"Okay, let's go." Holding back his emotions, Hinata followed Kaito and a couple of other men they encountered to aid the other soldiers in battle.
They utilized a bridge that had yet to explode. This four-way bridge provided the safest passage to Brigs Stone's mountain tops among all the bridges in the area.
All of the Florian soldiers had yet to use the four-way bridge. As they approached the middle, they spotted a mysterious figure in a long trench coat that seemed to be woven from the very starry sky itself. Its glowing hands and feet emanated a pale light. The figure wore a mask with only two eye holes, adding to its enigmatic appearance.
"What is that?" one soldier whispered.
"I don't know, but it's blocking our path," Kaito said, drawing his knife and hurling it at the figure. The blade passed through the apparition as if it were just an illusion.
"I missed," Kaito admitted.
"=8-=8./ &&#"
The figure muttered incomprehensible words before unleashing its power. Thin strands of light shot out from its feet, spreading across the bridge and extending to each of the four mountains, captivating the city's onlookers and the mountainside. The lines covered everything and gradually faded away, starting from where the figure stood and moving outward to each corner of each of the towns.
Silence enveloped the scene until something began to happen to Briggs Stone's statues. The statues that have been made for the locals who passed away began to move, stepping off their pedestal. Soon, thos stone statues charge right into the fight only attacking the humans. The humans were cut off guard by the animated statues that a lot of them were killed by one stone punch.
"Retreat! Retreat! Aaargh!"
The humans fought back desperately, but their weapons and magic proved futile against the relentless attacks of the animated statues. Even the knights' efforts were swiftly countered by the moving statues.
Meanwhile, the demons found themselves untouched by the statues' aggression. Initially unaware of the situation, they soon realized that the statues only targeted their enemies, not them. As the demons grasped this advantage, they focused on exploiting the chaos.
The locoles that guide the Nessus's solders to Briggs Stone were all bewildered to the situation. The statues that they created as well as their ancestors for the people who live and die here were all moving. It is like the dead are helping them to fight off the enemy. The locoles collapse to the ground shedding tears for this miracle.
Witnessing the chaos, the demons regrouped to flee from Brigs Stone.
"What's going on? Are the demons behind this?" a soldier exclaimed.
At the foot of the mountain, the United commander and his officers battled the animated statues, suffering losses due to the demons' traps strategically placed along the paths.
"Our cover is blown. We need new orders," one officer urged.
"We can't retreat now," the commander replied firmly.
"But our enemies are pushing us back. The demons are occupied in the city, and we're facing these resilient stone statues resistant to our weapons and magic," the officer argued.
"Think! The two heroes and some of our men are still up there. We can't abandon them," the commander emphasized.
Though the soldier hesitated, he ultimately respected his commander's decision.
The heroes symbolize humanity's hope and vulnerability. Losing any of them could jeopardize their mission to reclaim the world.
"Sir Hinata, Sir Kaito, I hope you're safe," the commander whispered.
"Blade Storm!"
"Poison Breath!"
Hinata and Kaito fought the entity, realizing the moving statues resulted from their opponent's magic. In Florian Hinata and Kaito learned many theories of magic, one of them is that magic will lose its effect if the caste is knocked out, so if they can defeat this thing their comrades will be saved. Their attacks pass through it effortlessly .
The entity remained unscathed despite Hinata's strikes and Kaito's Poison Breath. Kaito's momentary triumph faded as the entity raised a hand toward them.
"Move back!" Hinata warned, sensing danger.
They leaped backward just in time to avoid the entity's impending attack. However, instead of landing on the ground, they found themselves suspended in the air, unable to move or speak, with their perspective shifted.
For 20 seconds, they remained paralyzed, realizing they were trapped in a mysterious and immobilizing force.
(Kaaaa! What is this!? I can't move!)
(what the hell did it do to us!?)
The entity used its power to create a time dilation for Hinata and Kaito. While the rest of the world continued, only these two were stuck like this. There was no need to worry about the two jumping around anymore; the entity wanted the two heroes.
(Darn it! Move, move!)
(Come on, come on!)
(It can't end like this. These people need us!)
The entity loomed in front of Hinata and Kaito, inching closer as they struggled in the air.
(Somebody help us!)
The knights that came with Hinata and Kaito were all dead. They were all killed instantly by the entity's snap of its finger.
It raised a hand towards them, preparing to strike, but the bridge behind the entity exploded at that moment, catching it off guard. As it turned to investigate the blast, someone unseen approached from behind and unleashed a burst of energy, sending the entity plummeting off the bridge.
"Sir Hinata, Sir Kaito, are you both alright?" The entity's power holding them suspended dissipated, and they found themselves falling on the ground.
"What happened?"
"Thank goodness! We need to leave. That thing might return."
Hinata and Kaito gazed at their savior, a plain-faced knight.
"Who are you?"
"How did you land a blow on that thing when we couldn't?" Hinata and Kaito inquired, curious about the mysterious knight's abilities.
"I'll explain later. For now, we need to go. Our forces can't hold on any longer and we are retreating," the knight replied urgently.
Concerned about the deteriorating situation, Hinata and Kaito postponed their questions.
As the knight led the way, he suddenly halted, leaving the two bewildered.
"What's wrong? Why did you stop?"
Silence hung heavy before a sudden and gruesome event unfolded before them. The knight split into two pieces from front to back, only to disintegrate into particles upon touching the ground.
Hinata and Kaito recoiled in shock, taking a few steps back.
"What the...!"
Before Hinata could finish, a section of the bridge collapsed, revealing a clean slash where the knight had fallen. The platform beneath them began to descend, plunging them into an 8000-foot free fall with no hope of rescue. Hinata and Kaito plummeted helplessly towards their demise.
"Aaaaaa!"
"Aaaaaa! Hu?"
Just before they hit the bottom, they stop a foot from the ground.. Only part of the bridge smashed at the bottom. The sound was so loud that some nearby animals ran away.
"Haa Haa Haa."
"Oh, thank the gods, we're saved."
Hinata spoke up too soon before he saw who had saved their lives.
Hinata and Kaito looked around them to see who had saved them and if they could be asked to let them down. When they looked up words, they saw the entity was there.