The air was thick with the acrid smell of smoke and sweat. The battlefield outside Rimuru's walls had become a cacophony of chaos—shouts of soldiers, the clash of steel, and the dull thud of battering rams against wood. Padrino stood at the edge of the wall, surveying the destruction below, the forces of Galdros continuing their relentless assault.
"Marko, is everything ready?" Padrino called over the noise.
Marko, his face set in grim determination, approached quickly. "The reserves are in position. If you're sure about this plan, they'll move as soon as you give the signal."
Padrino's mind raced. He knew they were outnumbered and outmatched in sheer firepower, but if they stayed on the defensive, the enemy would eventually break through. A counterattack was the only way to turn the tide. It was a gamble, but one worth taking.
"Let's make them regret setting foot on our land," Padrino said, his voice hard as steel.
Marko nodded, already preparing to relay the signal to the troops stationed within Rimuru. Padrino took a moment to steel himself. The gates would have to open, and their small force would strike the enemy from the side, creating confusion and breaking their formation. But the timing had to be perfect. If they moved too soon, the forces of Galdros would overwhelm them.
Turning to the watchtower, Padrino caught sight of Hinata, still casting bursts of light magic toward the enemy, keeping their rams at bay. Her powers, though formidable, were being stretched to their limit, and the sheer numbers of Galdros soldiers kept pressing forward.
"Hold steady, Hinata!" Padrino shouted. She glanced at him, a flash of concern in her eyes, but nodded resolutely.
Just as Padrino prepared to give the signal for the counterattack, a loud crack echoed through the village. The central gates groaned, splintering under the relentless pounding of the enemy's battering ram. Garrik, the head of the guard, rushed toward Padrino, panic in his eyes.
"They're going to break through soon!" Garrik warned, his voice ragged with urgency. "We need to fall back!"
Padrino's pulse quickened. The gates were on the verge of collapse, and the soldiers of Galdros would pour through at any moment. He had to act fast.
"No," Padrino said firmly. "We don't fall back. We push forward."
Padrino signaled to the watchtower, raising his hand high. It was the moment they had prepared for. The gates would open, but not in retreat. Instead, they would charge into the enemy ranks and take the fight directly to Galdros.
"Open the gates!" Padrino roared, his voice cutting through the noise of battle.
The heavy wooden doors groaned and swung open. For a brief moment, there was a stunned silence from both sides as the soldiers of Rimuru charged out from behind their defenses, weapons raised and battle cries on their lips. The sudden counterattack caught Galdros by surprise, their formation momentarily disrupted by the unexpected move.
Padrino led the charge, his sword gleaming under the dim moonlight. He cut through the first line of enemy soldiers with precision, every swing of his blade purposeful. Behind him, Marko commanded the second wave of Rimuru's forces, coordinating their movements with military precision. They struck hard and fast, using the element of surprise to their advantage.
The battlefield became a chaotic whirl of bodies and steel. Padrino's heart raced as he fought his way through the enemy lines, cutting down anyone who stood in his path. His movements were fluid, almost instinctive, honed by years of training and experience. Despite the odds, he felt a fierce sense of determination surging within him.
But Galdros was quick to recover. Their commanders barked orders, and the disciplined soldiers of the empire regrouped, forming a defensive wall of shields. The momentum of Rimuru's counterattack began to slow as the sheer numbers of Galdros started to overwhelm them.
Marko's voice cut through the chaos. "Fall back to the choke points! Don't let them surround you!"
Padrino glanced around, realizing that their initial success was slipping away. The soldiers of Rimuru were brave, but they were vastly outnumbered, and the enemy was closing in from all sides. The risk of being encircled was growing by the second.
"Hinata!" Padrino called out as he parried a strike from a Galdros soldier. "We need support!"
Hinata's voice rang out from the top of the wall, her magic cutting through the darkness. "I'm with you!"
With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed a torrent of light magic, creating a barrier between Rimuru's forces and the advancing enemy. The bright flash of energy blinded the soldiers of Galdros momentarily, buying precious time for Padrino and his men to regroup.
"Back to the walls!" Padrino commanded, his voice filled with urgency.
The soldiers of Rimuru began a controlled retreat, falling back toward the gates they had charged through moments earlier. Padrino remained at the rear, fending off enemy soldiers to cover their retreat. Every step was hard-fought, and every second felt like a lifetime as Galdros pressed the attack.
Marko, still coordinating the defense, reached Padrino's side. "We need to seal the gates again. We can't hold them off out here."
Padrino knew he was right. They had inflicted damage on Galdros, but not enough to break their morale. If they didn't get back behind the walls soon, they'd be overrun.
"Get everyone inside!" Padrino shouted, his voice hoarse from the strain of battle.
The soldiers of Rimuru rushed back through the gates, Hinata's magic providing cover as they retreated. Padrino and Marko were the last to pass through, slamming the doors shut behind them. The gates groaned under the strain but held, at least for now.
Breathing heavily, Padrino wiped sweat from his brow and looked out at the battlefield. The forces of Galdros had been pushed back for the moment, but they were regrouping quickly. The siege was far from over.
"We bought ourselves some time," Marko said, his voice tense. "But they'll be back. And next time, they won't be as surprised."
Padrino nodded, his mind already racing with the next steps. "We need to fortify the gates and prepare for the next wave. They're not going to stop until we're either dead or enslaved."
Hinata approached, her face pale but determined. "My magic is holding, but I can't keep it up forever. We need a plan, Padrino."
Padrino looked at her, then at Marko, and finally at the exhausted soldiers around him. Rimuru had survived the first assault, but the real battle was still ahead.
"This isn't just about defending the walls anymore," Padrino said quietly. "We need to strike at the heart of Galdros. We need to take the fight to Marcellus himself."
Marko frowned. "You're thinking of going after their commander?"
Padrino's eyes hardened. "It's the only way. We need to cut off the head of the serpent. If we can eliminate Marcellus or force him into a retreat, Galdros's army will lose its cohesion."
Hinata's eyes widened. "That's incredibly dangerous, Padrino."
"It's our only chance," Padrino replied, his voice resolute. "We can't just sit here and wait for them to grind us down. If we're going to win, we need to take a risk."
Marko nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of the decision. "We'll need a small, elite team. It's the only way to infiltrate their ranks without being detected."
Padrino placed a hand on his sword, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. "Then we prepare. Tonight, we defend Rimuru. But tomorrow, we go on the offensive."
The fires of resistance still burned, and Padrino knew that Rimuru's survival depended on more than just defending its walls. The time for passive defense was over. The time for action had come.