[Viera's POV]
Everything is chaotic here...
Previously, I was stationed at a tower wall with a separate archery unit, apart from the other academy students led by Captain Raul. After that giant Minotaur made a hole in the fortress wall, we archers retreated to the rooftops of the buildings in this area. Looking down, the city streets are filled with soldiers and monsters locked in combat.
"Watch out! Several flying insect monsters are heading this way from the two o'clock direction!" shouted one of the archers on this building.
I turned toward the direction he indicated. Six insect monsters were indeed flying toward us. Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, I began to aim at the six monsters, channeling Mana into my hand as I gripped my bow.
"Triple Shot!"
Three Magic Arrows streaked out, striking three of the six monsters. Not long after, the other archers fired and killed the remaining three.
"As expected from the academy students! Your archery skills are far better than those of a regular soldier!" one of the archers here remarked.
"Not only do you have high accuracy, but you can fire three arrows at once, making your fire rate much higher than someone who can only shoot accurately with a single shot!" another soldier praised me.
To be honest, this field study is helping me develop significantly in terms of combat experience, allowing me to better understand the pressure of aiming at an enemy in a real battle like this.
After killing those six insect monsters, we couldn't just relax. There were still many monsters that had entered the city. The infantry forces here were fighting a massive horde of goblins; among them were many Hobgoblins wearing armor they had stolen from knights and soldiers who had fallen in this battle or previous ones. This made it harder for us to take them down with our shots.
However, I continued to try my best to bring these goblins down in a single shot. I aimed at the goblins in the city streets. I saw several soldiers overwhelmed by a Hobgoblin wearing full plate armor and wielding a greatsword. Focusing Mana in my hand again, I used magic to penetrate that armor's defense.
"Piercing Shot!"
A green Magic Arrow streaked toward the monster's chest. The Hobgoblin looked shocked when it saw a hole in its armor; blood began to gush from its chest, and shortly after, its body collapsed to the ground, dead because my arrow had pierced its heart.
I didn't stop there. I also shot ordinary goblins which, in their vast numbers, were managing to push back the defensive lines formed by the soldiers in this area.
"35, 36, 37, and 38!"
I counted the number of monsters I killed after my arrows successfully struck their vital organs. But despite the many monsters I had slain, their numbers didn't seem to decrease at all; in fact, they seemed to be increasing.
"Retreat! Retreat! That goblin is too strong!"
"That's no Hobgoblin! It's a Goblin King!"
On the other side, a platoon of troops was retreating from a massive goblin about four meters tall. This goblin was twice the size of a Hobgoblin. The massive monster was seen kicking a soldier into the air with its immense strength. It wasn't alone; it was surrounded by several Hobgoblins guarding its rear.
I tried to aim at the Goblin King; its hands and feet were covered in the blood of the soldiers it had killed earlier. This monster was extremely dangerous and had to be stopped immediately!
I drew my bow to its maximum, and a Magic Arrow manifested in my hand. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, I released the arrow.
"Piercing Shot!"
The Magic Arrow sped toward the Goblin King's heart. However, it noticed my shot and caught the Magic Arrow with its bare hands.
"Kikiki...!"
The monster laughed as if mocking my attack, which it had neutralized so easily. It then ordered several Hobgoblins to enter the building where we were stationed.
This was bad. It seemed I had to attack the Goblin King with an Arrow Explosion. However, seeing those Hobgoblins coming, it looked like I wouldn't have a chance to gather enough Mana to fire that spell.
"Matano!"
"Kreyaaa!"
Several Hobgoblins reached the roof. Some archers drew their knives to fight them, but since close-quarters combat was not their specialty, they were easily defeated.
"Matano!"
Two Hobgoblins approached me. Looking around, I immediately jumped backward to the building behind me using Axio magic. Not only that, while leaping backward, I fired two arrows that struck the necks of the two Hobgoblins chasing me, killing them instantly.
"Call for reinforcements! We can't stop that giant goblin!"
"Quickly call a Herald and tell the command center to deploy reinforcements here!"
The soldiers fighting in the streets were becoming increasingly overwhelmed by the Goblin King. Even if we called for help, it would surely take time for them to arrive. Looking at the situation, it seemed everyone would be slaughtered within ten minutes if this continued.
What should I do?
But just as I was thinking of a way to turn the tide, my eyes suddenly caught a flash of bright light from the one o'clock direction. Turning that way, I saw a red-haired woman extending her hand toward a group of Hobgoblins in the street.
Wait, isn't that Scarlett?
She was seen muttering a spell, and then a blaze of fire appeared in front of her palm, forming a massive fireball. On the other hand, I saw a black-haired man leaping from one building to another, approaching the Goblin King.
That was... Captain Raul.
"Fireball Ultima!"
Scarlett fired the massive fireball at the Hobgoblins behind the Goblin King in the street.
— BOOOOMMB!
An explosion erupted as the fireball hit the street. Several Hobgoblins were caught in the blast, and some were sent flying by the shockwave. Captain Raul then jumped and grabbed a rope to swing over the burning Hobgoblins hit by Scarlett's magic, landing right in front of the Goblin King, who was now only guarded by the three remaining Hobgoblins.
Noticing someone approaching, the Goblin King turned, while the three Hobgoblins moved toward Captain Raul to attack him. The first Hobgoblin made a diagonal slash at Captain Raul, but the black-haired man performed a sliding maneuver between the Hobgoblin's legs and slashed its genitals.
The poor monster screamed in pain and collapsed, clutching its groin with both hands. Without slowing his momentum, Captain Raul stood back up; his sword was enveloped in a yellow light.
"Leaping Slash!"
Captain Raul lunged at the two Hobgoblins and decapitated them both, their heads flying into the air before rolling onto the street. Now, there was nothing standing between him and the Goblin King.
"Matanoooo!"
The Goblin King roared and lunged at Captain Raul. The four-meter-tall goblin threw a punch, but Captain Raul dodged by jumping onto its arm, moved closer to the King Goblin's head, and delivered a thrust into one of its eyes.
"Arrrghhhh!"
The Goblin King screamed in pain and tried to grab Captain Raul. However, the black-haired man leaped into the air again. The goblin tried to snatch him, but Captain Raul twisted his body to evade and delivered several slashes to the goblin's hand.
Captain Raul landed on both feet. The Goblin King grew even more furious and attacked again with a horizontal swing of its arm. Responding to the attack, Captain Raul performed a forward somersault and stabbed his sword into the goblin's knee.
"Guuuahhhhh!"
The Goblin King cried out in pain again and dropped to one knee. With the Goblin King's head lowered, Captain Raul didn't waste the opportunity and stabbed the goblin's neck, making it look as though the monster were choking.
"You're dead..."
After saying that, Captain Raul raised his sword and split the Goblin King's head in two. The monster died instantly, its body crashing to the ground as fresh blood flooded the street.
"Look, that bastard monster is dead!"
"Their strongest fighter has fallen! Let's counter-attack these goblins!"
Seeing the monster that had previously slaughtered them killed, the soldiers' morale surged, and they began a counter-offensive.
"Viera! Are you okay?"
Hearing someone call me from behind, I turned around. I saw a short man I knew jumping onto the building along with several other disciplinary committee members.
"I'm fine, Piers," I answered him. "You arrived at the right time."
After killing the Goblin King, Captain Raul jumped onto the building where we were. All the disciplinary committee members had gathered here.
— GROOOAARRR!
I heard loud roars from several places. In the distance, many giant monsters were rampaging, destroying the city with their terrifying strength. Did we have to defeat all those monsters? Killing just one like that had been extremely difficult for the soldiers.
"Everyone, listen to me."
Everyone's attention focused on Captain Raul after he said that.
"Many level ten and higher monsters have entered the city," the Captain stated. "I will go alone to help the troops fight these monsters in other areas."
He was right; if these dangerous monsters weren't defeated quickly, the city's destruction would only worsen.
"Listen, I am only one person," Captain Raul said, looking at us all seriously. "I cannot be everywhere at once. I trained and developed this disciplinary committee so that you can replace me as protectors of the empire's citizens when I cannot come to help because I am elsewhere."
What the Captain said was true. Evil and monster attacks wouldn't just appear in one place, and Captain Raul wouldn't be able to handle them if the threats appeared simultaneously in different locations.
"I will give the leadership to Eric. You must help the troops fight these monsters as much as possible, understood?" Captain Raul gave us the order.
"Don't worry, Captain! We will fight with all our might and won't disappoint you!" Eric said loudly.
"Alright, but there are three things you must remember and prioritize," Captain Raul said, holding up three fingers. "First, your priority is to stay alive; don't push yourselves too hard if things get worse. Second, don't take too many risks when attacking; you aren't the only ones fighting here—work together with the mages and the troops."
Everyone looked nervous. This was the first time we would be fighting without Captain Raul's guidance. However, if we wanted to grow, we shouldn't constantly remain under his wing; we had to be independent.
"And finally, if you see a Vampire with yellow eyes, run immediately without a second thought, understood?"
Wait, a yellow-eyed Vampire? If I recall correctly, that is one of the characteristics of Noble Vampires, isn't it? After giving us instructions, Captain Raul left the area. Everyone stood in silence for a moment, not knowing what to do next.
"So, what's our plan now?" I asked Eric, who had just been appointed to lead the group.
The man just stood in silence as if thinking. Ughhh... was the Captain's decision to appoint him as leader the right one?
***
[Ariel's POV]
The battle inside the city is growing increasingly brutal. The number of casualties and injuries among the soldiers and mages defending the city continues to rise.
I am currently in a plaza not far from the fighting in the eastern district. I can hear the roars of the monsters and the screams of the soldiers fighting on the front lines.
"Are you truly unable to use magic right now?" a Priest asked me.
"I'm sorry. Last night, I used too much Mana while helping the villagers and suffered from Mana Exhaustion," I replied regretfully.
It's true; I cannot perform healing magic right now because I used too much of it while holding back the monsters chasing the villagers.
"Alright, continue to help as much as you can here," the Priest said. "We need extra medical staff to treat the wounded soldiers and prevent the casualty count from rising further."
The Priest then left me to tend to other wounded soldiers. The auxiliary units had just brought in several injured people from the battlefield.
"Aghhhh, help! I can't take this pain anymore!"
I saw a soldier lying in agony, clutching the left side of his stomach with a bandage. The Priests were still busy healing other wounded soldiers, so the man had to wait his turn. I approached him and sat by his side to check his wound.
"Are you a Priest!? Please, heal this wound! I don't want to die now, please!"
Looking at the wound on his stomach, blood was flowing incessantly. If this continued, the man would die from blood loss.
"I cannot perform healing magic right now. However, I will help you survive until someone who can use healing magic comes here to treat your wound," I told him.
"Just do it! The most important thing is I don't want to die now..." the man said, his voice growing weaker.
I took a wooden stick, wrapped it in a cloth, and soaked it in oil. Then, I ran to ask a mage to light it.
"Hey, what is a Priestess like you doing on the front lines!?" the mage said.
"Can you light this stick? I'm out of Mana and am trying to help a soldier stay alive," I pleaded.
"Alright." He nodded and extended his palm toward the stick. "Ignite!"
After he spoke the spell, the stick I was holding suddenly caught fire. I thanked him and hurried back to the wounded soldier. Suddenly, however, I heard a very loud monster roar. Turning back, I saw a giant Minotaur rampaging and overwhelming the soldiers. I ignored it and kept running toward the wounded man.
"Hold onto this pain for a moment, understood?" I gave a cloth to the wounded soldier. "Use this to muffle your screams."
The soldier took the cloth from me and bit down hard. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to relax myself for this procedure.
"Are you ready?" I asked.
The soldier only nodded in response. I then began to press the burning wooden stick against the soldier's wound. His expression showed he was enduring excruciating pain. He clenched his fists tightly and bit the cloth with all his might.
"Hold on, this will stop the bleeding."
After cauterizing the wound for a few moments, I finally pulled the burning stick away. The area I had burned was blackened, and his bleeding was no longer as severe. Once the operation was done, I let the man rest while waiting for a Priest to arrive.
"Arrrghhhh! My hand is gone! I don't want to be a cripple for the rest of my life!"
"I can't see anything, help! Those bastard monsters hurt my eyes!"
The screams of suffering soldiers filled my ears. But what could I do? Without magic, I could only help in simple ways. Why did I have to suffer from Mana Exhaustion then? But if I hadn't used all my magic, the monsters would have caught the villagers and killed them.
What should I do?
"Hey, help us on the front line carry the wounded!"
I heard a soldier's shout from the front; it seemed the auxiliary unit was also overwhelmed. I couldn't just stand there. Running back toward the front line, I saw several soldiers lying in the street screaming in pain.
"Don't worry, I'll take you to the medical area!"
I tried to lift one, but I couldn't. I was too weak to carry a soldier with a body this large. I had no choice but to drag him.
— GROOAARRRR!
But just as I was about to drag the wounded soldier, the Minotaur 200 meters ahead suddenly ran this way. No, why was it running here and ignoring the soldiers fighting it?
"Retreat! Retreat! That monster is unstoppable!" one soldier screamed.
I began to drag the wounded soldier. But with my small strength, I could only drag him about one meter per second.
— ROOOAAARRRR!
The giant Minotaur drew closer, tossing aside soldiers who tried to block it. We wouldn't be able to escape at this rate.
"Miss! Leave me here or we'll both die!" the soldier I was dragging said.
"No, I am a Priestess! I cannot ignore those who are injured!" I replied.
"Arrrghhh! No, don't step on me!"
"Mother, help! I don't want to die!"
The sight was horrific; the Minotaur was stomping on wounded soldiers lying in the street right before my eyes. The giant monster turned its gaze toward me and smiled wickedly.
I tried to drag the wounded soldier even harder. Looking back, the Minotaur was only ten meters away. It raised its massive foot right over my head and brought it down quickly.
"Arrrghhhh!" I screamed.
That was because the wounded soldier suddenly pushed me away. A crack appeared in the street where the monster stepped. It then lifted its foot; the monster's sole was covered in blood and the remains of the soldier I had been dragging.
I... I couldn't do anything to save him...
"Grrrrr..."
The giant Minotaur looked at me again. Its foot began to lift, and I could only stare blankly up at its sole, which was covered in human blood. The foot slowly descended. Closing my eyes, I prepared myself for when death would come to take me from this world.
— Bammm!
The sound of a heavy impact echoed. However, I could still feel my entire body being held by someone. Opening my eyes slowly, I realized someone had just saved me from the giant Minotaur. He was carrying me in his arms, holding me tightly.
"You... the masked man who always saves me..." I murmured, looking at the face of the white-haired man with mysterious green eyes.
He set me down and looked into my eyes seriously.
"Ariel..." he called.
"Who are you exactly? Why does a Heretic like you always save a Priestess like me? Aren't I your enemy? Why?"
I suddenly blurted out those words and looked directly into the man's green eyes. He didn't answer but stroked my cheek with his hand. For some reason, I didn't immediately pull away. If an ordinary man had touched me like this, I would have immediately moved away because I don't like being touched by men.
"I'm sorry, Ariel, but this is not the time to talk about that," the masked man said. "Look, everyone is struggling to fight those monsters."
Looking around, I saw that the monsters had begun to surround the soldiers and mages in the area. It seemed like it was only a matter of time before the monsters slaughtered us all.
"Listen to me, Ariel..." The man called me gently again. For some reason, his voice reminded me of that black-haired man. "You must awaken your power if you want to save the people here."
Awaken my power? How? I knew everyone had a Codex they could awaken to become stronger. Some succeeded, but many could not awaken it until the end of their lives.
"I will hold off these monsters until you can awaken your power," the masked man said. I didn't know what his expression was when he said that. "No matter how long it takes you, I will always protect you from these monsters. Because I am certain that you are the one who will save humanity from the destruction brought by these demons and monsters."
Hearing his words touched my heart deeply. In this world, only two people had clearly spoken of my ability and potential. Those two people were Raul and this man.
I touched his hand that was holding my cheek.
"Why?" I asked. "Why do you believe in me so much? I don't even know you, and you don't know me closely. How can you trust me that much?"
But the man only smiled at my complaints. "Ariel, do not belittle yourself. You are an incredible woman. Without your action of holding back the monsters then, all those villagers would surely have been slaughtered. And even though you cannot use magic now, you are still trying to help others even at the risk of your own life."
Tears began to flow down my cheeks. I clenched my fists tightly. This was the first time someone had recognized my hard work, my effort, and the pressure I had been under. Everyone always said I was talented in healing magic; that's why they praised me—not because of my hard work and determination.
"Thank you for those words," I tried to smile at him. "And thank you for always saving me and being there for me when I needed help."
Finally, I could thank him. At this moment, I didn't care if others considered him a Heretic or even a criminal. I would judge for myself whether he was good or evil. And right now, I felt that what he had been doing for me all this time was sincere, without any malicious intent.
"Alright, I must go help the soldiers against those monsters," the masked man said, returning my smile. "Remember, I will always be there for you, anytime and anywhere."
After saying that, he left me to fight the monsters nearby. I strengthened my resolve...
Thanks to his words, I had the spirit to continue my efforts to help people. However, this didn't change the fact that I still couldn't use magic. But as he had said, I would continue to help people, no matter how difficult the obstacles ahead.
— ROOAARRR!
A monster's roar sounded again. This time, it wasn't just one, but three giant Minotaurs appeared in the area. The soldiers were backed into a corner; bodies were flying through the air because the Minotaurs' attacks couldn't be stopped by ordinary soldiers.
The masked man tried to fight one of the giant Minotaurs. However, the other two were still rampaging, and no one could stop those two horrific monsters.
"Medic! Quickly, come here and save my brother!"
I heard a shout calling for the unit I was in. I saw a soldier holding his comrade, who was lying in a pool of blood. Running toward them, I sat beside them to check the wounded soldier's condition.
"Are you a Priestess? Please, save my little brother!" the older one said. It seemed the two were brothers.
Checking the younger one's condition, I saw a hole in the middle of his stomach. I could even see internal organs like the intestines and kidneys. No... he couldn't be saved. Only a high-level Priest could heal an injury this severe with Lamentation magic.
"Brother... did I... fight bravely?" asked the younger one, whose skin was starting to feel cold.
"Of course! You fought without fear against those monsters! I'm proud to have a brother like you!" the older one replied, his eyes filling with tears. "Hey, please save my brother! You're a Priestess, aren't you!?"
No, even if I could use my magic, there was no way I could regenerate all the damaged internal organs and a wound this large. My skills weren't enough to use such miraculous healing spells. I could only bite my lip at the situation.
"Brother... tell Father and Mother... that I fought bravely tonight..." the younger one said weakly. "Ever since... I wanted to be a brave knight like you, Brother..."
After saying those words, the younger brother breathed his last. His hand fell limp, and his gaze went blank, signaling that life no longer occupied his body.
"No, no, no! Alan!" the older brother screamed hysterically, hugging his brother's corpse.
Clenching my fists tightly, I had never felt this much regret for being unable to do anything.
— ROAAARRR!
A roar sounded; one of the giant Minotaurs was heading this way. The older brother gently laid his brother down, then stood up and walked toward the giant Minotaur.
"I'll mince you into pieces and avenge my brother's death!" The man jumped to attack the giant Minotaur directly.
However, the monster caught him easily with its right hand. The soldier stabbed his sword into the Minotaur's hand, trying to escape its grip. But the monster suddenly tightened its grasp and crushed the older brother's body instantly.
Is there nothing I can do to help them fight the monsters?
"Arrrghhh! Help, no, don't kill me!"
"Damn! These monsters have broken through our perimeter!"
Everyone began to lose hope. As far as the eye could see, I could only see lines of monsters surrounding us from all directions. The masked man was still fighting one of the giant Minotaurs alone.
— Slash! Slash! Slash!
The sounds of slashes and the death screams of soldiers echoed in my ears. If only I had strength, I would help everyone and prevent them from being slaughtered by these monsters.
"It's over; they've surrounded us!" cried one of the terrified soldiers.
Please, give me the strength to do something! I don't want to hear the death screams of these good people...
"Arrrghhh! Damn, we can't escape anywhere!"
Piles of human corpses began to cover the city streets around me. It wouldn't be long before these monsters made me their next target. Oh Great Goddess, do you truly want to let the humans who worship you be slaughtered by these cruel, bloodthirsty monsters?
"Don't give up! Keep fighting and struggle for your families who are here! If you lose, then the next targets for these monsters are your families!" cried the masked man, trying to rekindle the soldiers' fighting spirit.
But that alone wasn't enough. Many soldiers were already wounded; they wouldn't be able to fight these monsters.
"Great Goddess, please give me the strength to help these people! Give us the strength to fight, just as you gave us strength to drive the Demons from this world long ago!"
Praying was all I could do right now. It was shameful and frustrating. I wanted to help them, to help all of humanity face the cruelty of the Demons and the monsters hunting us. I promised to always fight this cruelty to its roots so that humanity could live in peace and tranquility during their short lives.
"...."
Suddenly, something strange happened while I was lamenting my weakness. Everyone and all the monsters in the area seemed to stop moving. It was as if someone had stopped time in this world. A flash of light from the sky entered my field of vision.
A hole of light appeared in the dark clouds covering the night sky. Not long after, a religious melody sounded, the same one I often heard at the Great Temple of Goddess Diana. Several winged human figures emerged from the hole of light in the dark sky. These winged figures lined up as if preparing a path for someone who was about to emerge.
There was no mistake...
"Those are the Angels, just like the illustrations on the walls of the Great Temple in the Holy City of Notre Dame!".
A few moments later, the entire sky, which had been pitch black, became brightly lit as a winged woman emerged from the hole of light. She then flew down toward this place.
Her blonde hair was like beautiful gold, her pink eyes were like the most precious jewels in the world, and the gentle flapping of her wings made her figure descend from the sky incredibly graceful and enchanting.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Ariel..." the woman said, smiling gently at me. "I am Diana... the Goddess who created this world and all that it contains..."