“Quick, get them inside now!” one of the soldiers shouted, issuing the order to bring Seigrat and Ieskha inside while they could, now that Serena’s barrier was up.
No one had been singled out specifically, but some of the more agile soldiers immediately jumped off the wall. Fortunately, the monsters seemed to be prioritizing getting to Galdorssia. The soldiers were able to reach Seigrat and Ieskha without much difficulty.
For a moment there, Homura had been worried, but thanks to Serena’s magical barrier, the situation seemed to be under control once again. Homura breathed a sigh of relief.
The approaching airman ants were already at Galdorssia’s wall, but the barrier of light prevented them from proceeding any farther. They continued to mechanically throw themselves at the barrier nonetheless, attempting to rupture Serena’s spell.
As far as Homura could see, the only large ant monster that remained was Hammer Hands, trapped inside Ieskha’s wall of ice. As for the other ants, while there might be a lot of them, the archers and magic users would likely be able to take care of them eventually.
“That was impressive, though, Serena…”
Despite maintaining such a sprawling barrier, Serena hadn’t even broken a sweat. There didn’t seem to be any doubt in her mind that she would be able to keep the barrier up until the soldiers finished exterminating the monsters.
Serena’s calm face suddenly twitched.
“Wha… What did I just do…?”
The soldier standing next to Serena had suddenly buried his sword in Serena’s side. He seemed confused, as if he couldn’t understand why he would do such a thing. He stared at the bloody sword as he drew it free, almost like he was watching a waking dream.
A moment later, the soldier was knocked to the ground.
“What’s going on? Is this guy a spy, too?” Proto had restrained the soldier before he could stab Serena again.
“I’m not, I swear! My body moved on its own!”
“Maybe, but I’m gonna have to knock you out just in case.” Proto gave the man a hard conk on his chin and then ground his sword to bits beneath her heel.
“Serena, are you all right?!”
The sword had stabbed a hole through Serena’s chest, but she continued to stand, still maintaining the barrier around Galdorssia. But it wouldn’t be long now before the barrier fell. The bloodstains on Serena’s chest and back were spreading.
“I’ll heal Joan of Arc over here; everyone else stay back!” Psycho barked as she began to heal Serena.
Serena, meanwhile, concentrated on keeping the barrier up.
“The next person who tries anything funny is just getting killed instead!”
The girls had no idea who else might be an enemy. Or who might become one next. Under the circumstances, the only people they could trust now were themselves.
“It appears something else happened while I was gone.”
“That’s putting it lightly.”
Jin returned from eliminating the source of the curse just as Serena lost consciousness. The magical barrier protecting Galdorssia began to fade.
While those atop the wall still didn’t know whom to trust, the winged ants began to make their way in by air. The ants on the ground, meanwhile, began to rush toward the gate.
“Hurry, close the gate!” they heard someone shout from below.
The soldiers barely made it inside with Seigrat and Ieskha before the gate closed. The magical barrier protecting Galdorssia was no more. Monsters dodged through the hail of arrows and magic missiles in order to reach the gate, beating at the steel portcullis with enough fury to tear themselves to pieces. Some even began to attempt to crawl up the walls.
“It’s going to hold, isn’t it…?”
They just needed enough time for Serena to get back on her feet.
“Is she going to be all right?”
“I’m healing her, ain’t I? Who do you think you’re talking to here?!”
“Y-yeah, okay…”
Psycho’s words, for what they were worth, helped to put Homura’s mind at ease. Of course Serena would be okay. At times like this, they could always count on Psycho. Not at most times. But at least at times like this.
A thunderous crash suddenly filled the air. Homura’s newfound confidence had been short-lived.
“Now what?!” She peered over the wall. “How?!”
The gate, which had been standing firmly a moment ago, was in tatters. It looked as if it had been wrenched directly from its frame with brute strength. Homura took another look around. She saw plenty of the smaller ant creatures, but there were no large ones in sight.
“What in the…”
The giant ant trapped in the ice? It couldn’t be! Homura glanced toward the distant ice wall. Hammer Hands wasn’t there. There was just a gaping hole, as if the ice had been blasted open from within.
“I knew it! But…wait…”
Homura was sure she had just identified the culprit, but her attention was attracted by a rumbling noise. Hammer Hands was still on its way. It hadn’t reached the wall yet.
“What? Then who destroyed the gate…?”
She had been sure it was Hammer Hands.
“Dammit! They’re one step ahead of us again!” Psycho said, gritting her teeth as she continued to heal Serena.
Serena’s bleeding had stopped, but her eyes remained firmly closed. The wound might have been closed by healing magic, but that didn’t bring back all the blood that had been lost. Healing an injury also relied on the patient’s own stamina and energy.
The rest was up to Serena now.
“Look at how many of them are making their way in…”
The horde of infantry ants was thronging around the broken gate. The situation kept going from bad to worse.
“Proto, it’s time for us to fight.”
“Lead the way.”
Jin and Proto leaped off the wall.
“I never thought things would get this far,” Geldorf muttered. He was standing at the head of a formation of soldiers positioned along the broad main road that led toward the castle at the center of Galdorssia.
The gold-badge soldiers had been stationed there as a contingency plan. They readied their weapons. The squad was a mixture of Aegis Guard and Phalanx of Blades soldiers. It was all hands on deck now.
“Don’t let those monsters near the castle!”
The majority of the citizens had evacuated to the castle. Galdorssia was not a monarchy. The castle served as Galdorssia’s administrative and political center, in place of an assembly hall.
Galdorssia was protected by two walls, one surrounding the city as a whole and one surrounding the castle. As the last line of defense, the castle walls also served as an evacuation site for the citizenry.
The most capable of the gold badges were now facing off against Hammer Hands, which had already made its way inside the city.
“It’s strong, but its movements are slow! Keep your wits about you and take your time!”
“This thing is tough as nails, though!”
While Hammer Hands was faltering before the soldiers’ repeated attacks, they had yet to leave a scratch on it. The sturdy carapace around its body was stronger than plate mail.
Its attacks were simple and straightforward, but nearby houses were toppled with each swing of its heavy arms, and the ground beneath it was pulverized each time it stamped its feet. Even with several soldiers working together, the most they were able to do was to keep it from proceeding farther into the city. Meanwhile, an avalanche of smaller ants continued to pour inside the city walls.