The Siege Tightens

The Elder Necromancer Alibaba who saw his vanguard being decimated wasn’t angry, but instead, he was amused. To him, this was nothing more than a game.

From the rear of the undead army, Alibaba stood motionless with both hands resting atop his black staff. The emerald flames dancing within his hollow eye sockets flickered quietly as he watched the battlefield unfold. Broken skeletons littered the plain before Fantom City, yet not a trace of frustration appeared on his face.

To him, every fallen skeleton was merely another disposable pawn.

A dry, eerie laugh escaped his mouth.

"These humans are doing better than expected..." he mused inwardly. "How about we make it a bit more difficult?"

With a slight wave of his staff, the battlefield changed.

The skeletal warriors tightened their formation and surged forward once more. Behind them, rows of undead mages stepped out from the rear ranks. Their tattered robes fluttered in the cold wind as dark mana gathered around their staffs.

The sky itself seemed to dim.

Corrupt mana swirled overhead while eerie chants echoed across the battlefield, sending a chill through every defender standing atop Fantom City’s walls.

Now not only did the skeletal warriors charge forward, but the undead mages also started backing them up by bombarding the walls of Fantom City with low-level spells.

Fireballs streaked across the sky.

Jagged spears of ice whistled through the air.

Dark bolts exploded against the stone battlements, scattering debris in every direction.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Chunks of stone rained down as soldiers threw themselves behind the parapets. Dust filled the air while frightened civilians hurried to carry away the wounded.

An elderly archer barely ducked before a fireball exploded where he had been standing.

A young mage lost concentration as a blast shook the wall beneath his feet.

Still...

No one abandoned their post.

If that wasn’t enough, in the distance Clara and Sir Max saw numerous Ogre Kings pulling what looked to be fortified scaling ladders.

Each Ogre King stood over four meters tall, their massive muscles bulging beneath heavy enchanted armor. Thick iron chains wrapped around their bodies as they dragged enormous siege ladders across the blood-soaked battlefield.

The ladders themselves looked unnatural.

Dark runes glowed faintly across the wooden beams, while bands of black steel reinforced every joint.

Even before reaching the walls, everyone could sense the magic surrounding them.

Clara’s expression immediately darkened.

"Mages, focus fire on the Ogre Kings! Destroy those scaling ladders!"

The city’s mages quickly stepped forward.

Some raised crystal staffs.

Others stretched both hands toward the battlefield.

Their voices merged into one continuous chant as circles of light appeared beneath their feet.

Flames.

Lightning.

Wind.

Stone.

Magic gathered from every direction.

"Archers, get ready to make it rain on those charging undead!"

The archers immediately nocked specialized arrows.

Instead of sharp metal tips, each arrow carried a heavy rounded iron head.

They sacrificed penetration for impact.

Against flesh such arrows would have been nearly useless.

Against skeletons, however, they could shatter bones with enough force.

Every archer drew their bowstring until it trembled.

Silence briefly settled across the battlements.

"Fire!"

Thousands of arrows shot into the sky.

The dark clouds seemed to disappear beneath the endless volley.

Moments later...

The arrows crashed into the charging skeletal warriors.

Bones cracked.

Skulls shattered.

Entire front ranks stumbled beneath the barrage.

Skeletons collapsed one after another.

Yet before the defenders could celebrate...

More undead marched forward.

Every destroyed skeleton was immediately replaced by another climbing over the broken remains.

The endless tide never slowed.

At the same time, the mages unleashed their spells.

Towering pillars of fire engulfed several Ogre Kings.

Lightning crashed repeatedly from above.

Massive stone lances erupted beneath their feet.

Blades of compressed wind sliced across their armored bodies.

The battlefield shook under the bombardment.

Smoke and dust swallowed the advancing giants.

For a brief moment...

Hope returned.

Then the smoke dispersed.

The surviving Ogre Kings continued walking.

Their enchanted armor glowed faintly, absorbing much of the magical impact.

Several bore burn marks.

Others staggered.

But they did not stop.

The defenders watched in disbelief.

Only two...

Then three...

Finally four Ogre Kings collapsed beneath the relentless barrage.

The rest continued dragging the fortified scaling ladders toward the walls.

Seeing that killing the Ogre Kings was ineffective, the mages tried attacking the scaling ladders instead.

Spell after spell struck the siege equipment.

Fire scorched the wood.

Lightning exploded across the metal reinforcements.

Stone projectiles smashed directly into them.

Nothing worked.

The mysterious runes covering the ladders flared brightly, dispersing the attacks before serious damage could be done.

The reinforced ladders remained intact.

Clara clicked her tongue in frustration.

"My ladies... I hate to ask this of you, but can you aid us?"

Natalia stepped forward beside Ruby.

"How can we help?"

"If you can, please destroy those fortified scaling ladders."

Both holy maidens exchanged a brief glance before nodding.

"We’ll handle it," Ruby said confidently as golden mana gathered around her halberd.

Natalia quietly spun the chain wrapped around her arm.

Neither hesitated.

Both leaped from the city wall.

They landed outside Fantom City with enough force to crack the earth before sprinting directly toward the advancing Ogre Kings.

Ruby rushed ahead like a blazing comet.

The first skeletal warrior reaching her was split apart by a sweeping strike of her halberd.

Without slowing down, she thrust the blade through another skeleton before releasing a burst of holy light.

Golden radiance erupted around her.

The nearest undead were reduced to scattered bones.

Another wave surrounded her.

She smiled.

"Come!"

Her halberd spun in a wide arc, smashing shields aside before the blade carved through multiple skeletons at once.

Each movement flowed naturally into the next.

Every strike was swift.

Every step precise.

Behind her, Natalia supported the assault.

Silver chains shot across the battlefield like living serpents.

One wrapped around an Ogre King’s leg.

With a powerful pull, the giant lost its balance and crashed to the ground.

Ruby immediately seized the opportunity.

She leaped high into the air before driving her halberd downward.

Boom!

Holy mana erupted as the weapon pierced the giant’s helmet.

The Ogre King collapsed without another movement.

Far above, Clara watched the two women carve a path toward the siege ladders.

A faint smile appeared beneath her helmet.

Now then, every one it’s time to earn your pay! We’ll head out and destroy those undead mages! If you do this well, you will not only gain riches that could last you your lifetime, but you will also gain fame and glory! The bards will sing of your exploits in all of the human kingdoms! Open the gates!

The massive gates slowly rumbled open.

The sound echoed through the fortress like the roar of a great beast.

The adventurers standing behind them tightened their grips on their weapons.

Some swallowed nervously.

Others grinned despite the danger ahead.

Fear lingered in every heart.

So did determination.

"Videl, Lane... if those things move, I’ll leave them to you."

The two women nodded without hesitation.

Clara’s gaze lingered on them for a brief moment before turning toward the battlefield beyond the gates.

"Be careful out there, Clara," Videl said, unable to hide the worry in her voice. Her fists tightened at her sides. "Don’t push yourself too hard. Come back safely."

Lane glanced at Clara. Though her expression remained as calm and unreadable as ever, there was a faint warmth in her eyes.

"Be careful out there, Clara," Lane spoke quietly, genuine concern slipping into her usually emotionless voice. "We’ll take care of things here."

For a moment, Clara was caught off guard.

A small smile appeared beneath her helmet.

She gave both women a firm nod.

"I will. You two stay alive as well. The city is in your hands."

Without another word, Clara lowered her visor.

The massive gates were now fully opened.

Drawing a deep breath, she tightened her grip on her weapon before charging out of the gates with her group of adventurers, leading them straight toward the undead mages.