As the roars erupted from the forest ahead, deep, guttural, and overlapping, it was as if the very earth itself groaned in pain.
Shadows poured forth from the darkness — Calami of every kind: stags, tigers, bulls, and things that could not even be named, countless in number.
"Enemies are attacking!!"
The warning bell clanged instantly, its metallic echo resounding across the village.
Every gate was sealed in readiness for battle. Torches flared brighter, and the footsteps of villagers below began to stir into panic.
"Defend the walls! Do not come down!" Richard shouted.
The young soldiers atop the ramparts froze, but none dared disobey.
In the next moment, Richard leapt from the wall, landing almost silently, before charging straight into the heart of the Calami horde like a bolt of lightning.
The knights and soldiers below cried out in unison and surged forward behind him without hesitation.
Blades flashed, the clang of metal against flesh ringing unceasingly.
Hundreds of Calami fell, swept aside like a crashing wave shattered upon the shore.
But…
Behind them, thousands more lurked. The hordes of Calami surged relentlessly toward the walls,
paying no mind to the fallen of their own kind crushed beneath their feet.
On the ramparts, the young soldiers felt it—something was different tonight.
This was no ordinary watch.
The wooden walls before them might not be high enough for what was coming.
This… was only the beginning.
The boys and girls on the walls braced themselves for the onslaught.
Though many had clashed with these creatures countless times before,
no one could ever grow accustomed—
not when death itself loomed within arm's reach.
And tonight, they came in greater numbers than ever.
Even as the soldiers and Richard charged the front lines,
toppling countless beasts before the walls,
the tide of Calami did not falter.
Some broke through the defenses
and surged directly toward the wooden barricades without hesitation.
"Shoot the Light Arrows!"
The lead mage's command rang sharp.
The young spellcasters drew a deep breath,
and together, conjured hundreds of arrows of pure light.
The radiance erupted into the night sky.
The arrows rained down upon the monstrous horde,
piercing their bodies until they fell like leaves drifting in the winter wind.
Yet still—
hundreds more charged forward, showing no fear of death.
For what drove them was nothing but the frenzied instinct of the male.
The Light Arrows continued to rain down without pause,
but the number of enemies was far too great to stop.
Eventually, several Calami reached the walls.
Claws and fangs sank into the wood as they began to climb frantically.
The boys moved closer, thrusting spears and swinging swords relentlessly.
The roars of the beasts collided with the clash of steel, echoing across the ramparts.
But water yields to fire…
Thousands of Calami could not be held back by mere hundreds of soldiers—
even with a skilled Arch Knight like Richard standing guard.
And then, they reached the top of the wall.
Every young soldier struggled to hold their ground,
using their bodies as shields to protect the female mages behind them with all their might.
Seeing the situation deteriorate, Richard dashed back through the enemy horde toward the walls.
Support units had yet to appear—or perhaps they were under attack at another gate—
no one could know for certain.
On the walls, Tarin and Ryn fought with all their strength.
Tarin strained to move closer to Liola—
the young woman he secretly cherished, determined to protect her from the monstrous horde.
Ryn, meanwhile, remained focused on cutting down every Calami that breached the wall.
His blade struck with precision, his gaze calm…
even as chaos raged all around him.
Suddenly,
the scream of a young woman pierced through the clamor of battle.
Several Calami had broken past the soldiers and reached the ramparts.
They seized a few of the female mages,
dragging them down mercilessly.
The young soldiers tried desperately to intervene.
Some leapt in to block the beasts,
others threw their bodies as shields.
Only the raw desperation drove them to swing their blades once more.
"Ah! Help—!"
The scream made Liola flinch.
She turned to see Mira, her closest friend,
dragged off the wall by a Feral.
Her body vanished into the darkness below.
Before she could react, another Feral leapt toward the two girls, who were pressed together in fear.
Screams erupted in unison.
But then, a young man's body shot forward, putting himself between them and the monsters.
"Ugh—!"
He was bitten sharply in the neck. Blood sprayed everywhere.
"Ouch!"
Tarin cried out in pain,
gritting his teeth as he drove his dagger into the Feral's throat with all his strength.
The creature faltered,
then collapsed alongside him in front of the two girls.
But the danger was far from over.
Two more Ferals lunged almost simultaneously.
"Back!"
Ryn charged forward. His blade swung with precision.
The neck of one Feral was severed instantly.
He thrust at the other—
but the bloodied blade, now dulled, left only a shallow wound.
The Feral roared, its claws tearing into Ryn's abdomen.
Blood gushed forth.
Ryn gritted his teeth,
summoning every ounce of strength left.
He pressed down, slashing with full force.
The Feral's body was cleaved in two.
He collapsed…
and his consciousness faded.
Before the next Feral could reach them,
the sound of metal tearing through flesh rang out.
Richard appeared on the wall,
his movements swift and decisive.
The remaining Calami were dispatched in the blink of an eye.
At the same time,
the horns of the beast riders echoed across the village.
The support units had finally arrived.
The battle at the eastern ramparts…
ended there.