The second lindwyrm broke through our walls, and while the Worker Swarms behind it hurriedly built a second layer, it didn’t change the fact our first layer had crumbled. This was shaping up to be a fierce battle.
Until we got to the next layer of wall, I had the Genocide and Toxic Swarms attack the lindwyrm. They bit into it, swarming it with sheer numbers and tearing away its flesh. It resisted desperately, breathing fire and shaking off the Swarms to crush them underfoot.
They were dealing damage to it, but we were taking heavy casualties. We didn’t have an endless supply of Genocide Swarms, and losing too many here could impact future battles. Still, I ordered them to attack and buy us all the time they could, even at the cost of their own lives. They answered my orders faithfully, and as each one died, it chipped away at my heart.
You went too far, Nyrnal. Prepare for dire consequences.
My heart burned with hatred for the Nyrnal Empire as I sat on a Ripper Swarm’s back and ordered it to follow Sérignan. Lysa, Konrad’s cavalry, and the rest of the Ripper Swarms followed. We were making way for the toppled walls.
We soon found the second lindwyrm. The Genocide Swarms had been mostly wiped out, but they’d definitely dealt significant damage. Its scales were torn off, its flesh was bruised, and it was charging forward with a pained howl.
“Sérignan and Lysa, start attacking it! The Genocide Swarms can’t hold!” I shouted.
“By your will, Your Majesty!” Sérignan replied.
“The Genocide Swarms have gravely wounded the lindwyrm, so you should be able to finish it off. But don’t be careless. It’s still dangerous, and who knows what the cornered beast might do when it’s fighting for its life!”
As I gave that warning, I had the Ripper Swarm carry me to a spot with good visibility. The lindwyrm was terribly injured, so hopefully killing it would be easier. However, I had to account for the possibility that it wouldn’t be that simple. I needed Sérignan to kill the reptile before it pulled any tricks.
“Ready to attack?” I asked her.
“I am ready,” Sérignan said. “I can sever that serpent’s head whenever you wish.”
“Lysa, can you cover for her?”
“I found a good spot, Your Majesty. I’m ready whenever you are.”
Lysa was situated on a small plateau, her face facing leeward. A perfect sniping position.
“Konrad, what about your mercenaries?!”
“What else are we supposed to do? Point us in a direction and we’ll bash skulls!”
He had nerves of steel, which was always heartening.
“All right, begin! Everyone, attack!”
At my order, Sérignan swooped down on the lindwyrm, readying a slash.
“Haaaah!”
Her blow shook the lindwyrm but didn’t quite slay it. The creature set its sights on Sérignan and attacked. It swung its thick tail and gnashed its fangs at her, attempting to bite.
“Guess it really won’t be so easy!” I muttered.
As she avoided its attacks, Sérignan couldn’t get an opening to attack. Lysa riddled its hide with poisoned bolts, but its assault only eased a little.
“Genocide Swarms, aim at its legs!”
The few Genocide Swarms that remained chomped on the lindwyrm’s legs, slowing it down. It tried to stomp them out, but even so, the only thing it could freely move now was its tail.
“Lysa, blind it!”
“Got it!”
Lysa nocked an arrow and carefully aimed it at the lindwyrm’s eye. She then fired at the creature’s shaking head, piercing one of its eyes. Partially blinded, the reptile rampaged even harder, thrashing so violently that Sérignan had to momentarily retreat.
“Lure the enemy this way, men!” Konrad yelled.
He and his mercenaries fired their crossbows at the lindwyrm, drawing its attention toward them. The creature fell for their taunt and began charging toward the mercenaries.
“Now, missy! Do it!”
Konrad and his men fell back, and at that moment, Sérignan fired a thread that coiled around the creature’s neck. Following the firm thread, she closed in on the enemy and thrust her longsword into its neck.
It couldn’t even let out a death rattle before her blade sank into its throat and severed a major artery. The lindwyrm feebly tried to resist, but Sérignan held on tightly and severed its head altogether.
“That’s the second one!” I pumped my fist victoriously.
There were still ninety-eight lindwyrms on the battlefield. This battle was far too reckless, and Sérignan was getting exhausted. We were losing Genocide Swarms, and the only one who could still really fight was Lysa. Even if none of Konrad’s men died, they would inevitably get fatigued from all this fighting.
Could we really do this?
♱
The third lindwyrm had already broken through the Genocide Swarms’ attacks and was charging the second layer of walls. It was clear they were moving faster than we could handle them.
“Sérignan, hurry up!” I urged her in a panic. “The lindwyrm could break through the second layer at any second! If it succeeds, it’ll be free to attack us!”
“Understood, Your Majesty!”
The enemy was moving even faster than I expected. By the time we finally defeated a lindwyrm, the one after that was beginning to bust through our defenses. At this rate, we wouldn’t be able to hold them at bay. Without at least one more force on our side, it’d be impossible to stop them.
“Make it here, please...!”
Sérignan eventually defeated the third lindwyrm with some effort. Lysa and Konrad’s mercenaries cooperated to help her too. Their coordination was getting progressively better, but I was afraid it wasn’t fast enough. At this rate, we wouldn’t be able to stop the lindwyrms.
“Hey, queenie! I get the feeling we won’t make it!” Konrad shouted at me.
“No, we won’t.” I shook my head bitterly. “The lindwyrms are going to break through. And then we won’t be able to stop Nyrnal’s soldiers coming in from behind them. But that doesn’t mean we’re all out of options.”
I still had an ace up my sleeve.
“Fire Swarms, self-destruct,” I ordered.
The moment the lindwyrms thrust their heads through the wall, I had the Fire Swarms hiding behind it self-destruct at once. The shockwaves of the explosion rattled the lindwyrms, nearly tearing their heads off.
“Now the second layer is basically gone. I just hope the damage they dealt is enough to buy us more time than the walls did. Because if it doesn’t...we lost this battle.”
I turned to Sérignan, who was fighting off the lindwyrms. The explosion damaged many lindwyrms’ heads, rendering them dizzy and disoriented. This allowed Sérignan to effortlessly slay them. She bound them with her threads, and Lysa shot at their eyeballs, allowing Sérignan to sever their heads.
When that wasn’t enough, the mercenaries used their impromptu battering rams to tear large holes into their flanks. The battle was becoming progressively more organized, and a fourth, fifth, and sixth lindwyrm died.
“This is still too slow...”
But even as they made steady progress, I felt panic settle in. The lindwyrms that got bombed were starting to go around and circumvent my forces, and the ones flooding the remains of the wall were exceeding what Sérignan and the others could handle.
“We’ve got no choice... Launch a second attack.”
The units responded to my orders at once. Fire Swarms charged forward, riding on the backs of Ripper Swarms. The Fire Swarms couldn’t move well on their own, whereas the Ripper Swarms were agile and able to carry them. This allowed me to compensate for the Fire Swarms’ slowness.
This wasn’t a tactic I could do in-game, but now things were different. I wasn’t clicking my units and commanding them directly. My heart surged with emotion. The Fire Swarms rode over to the lindwyrms, whereupon they jumped onto the lizards’ backs and self-destructed. The lindwyrms were greatly staggered, and I could tell they’d taken major damage.
But that wasn’t all.