Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 161: Children of Mana, Part Forty-Four

"We need to go back, now!"

The urgency in Miss Taylor’s voice resonated through the air as she called for everyone to retreat back to Garriden.

Lianna wasted no time and quickly hopped behind Miss Taylor on the back of her majestic sear, with Enverna settling atop the creature behind her.

As they took to the skies, the chilling reality of the situation became starkly evident.

The winds whipped against Lianna’s face, her eyes scanning the landscape below. From their aerial vantage point, the full scope of Jack’s cunning plan unfolded before them.

Fiends, grotesque and menacing, gathered in a formidable mass outside the protective walls of Garriden.

Their numbers were staggering, a testament to Jack’s relentless determination and the dark forces at his command.

Within the city itself, multiple buildings had been set on fire, presumably by the members of the church that Jack had managed to convince to aid him.

Lianna couldn’t help but feel a pang of dread at the sight.

[How much damage has he already done?]

Garriden’s military forces were already marshaling below, rallying to defend against the impending onslaught.

Miss Taylor skillfully guided the sear to a strategic landing spot behind a formation of soldiers, the ground shaking with the combined sounds of armor clanking and weapons being readied.

"We’re going to have to help, get ready!" Miss Taylor declared, her expression resolute yet tense with concern.

Lianna nodded.

"COME ON!" A burly man carrying an axe called out, pointing at the walls. "THEY’RE TRYING TO GET IN. IF YOU’VE GOT A WEAPON ON YOU, HELP FEND THEM OFF!"

[He’s right,] Lianna thought. [Don’t overthink it right now, just try to help!]

Gripping her bow tightly, she joined the ranks of archers positioned along the walls of Garriden.

"Steady!" a veteran archer bellowed, his voice cutting through the clamor of battle. "Pick your targets, don’t waste arrows!"

Lianna’s focus narrowed as she drew her bowstring, her eyes scanning the skies and the field for the menacing silhouettes of the approaching Fiends.

She aimed and released, arrows slicing through the air to find their marks.

Some of them hit, most of them didn’t, but Lianna tried her hardest all the same.

Suddenly, Fiends dove in from the sky with deadly intent.

"FROM ABOVE," the archer called out. "FROM ABOVE!!!"

Enverna stepped up.

As the Fiends reached the walls, she thrust Storm forward, wielding her spear with lethal prowess, intercepting airborne threats before they could descend upon the defenders.

"Good job!" Lianna couldn’t help but praise her, though it didn’t seem like Enverna heard her. She was too focused.

The clash of steel and the roar of Fiends mingled for a while as warfare unfolded.

The Fiends’ cunning tactics soon escalated the danger.

Tentacles lashed out, grasping at the walls and attempting to breach the defenses.

Lianna’s heart raced as she witnessed the grotesque creatures scaling the barriers.

[Crap, they’re going to get in!]

Lianna wasn’t some sort of skilled tactician, but even she knew that if that happened, the battle would turn several times more chaotic than it already was.

[What can I do? What can I do? Okay,] she thought of something. [Maybe I can cause a bit of chaos on their side!]

Lianna pulled out her artifact.

"FIGHT THE FIENDS AROUND YOU!" Lianna cried out, ordering three Fiends below.

With that swift command, Lianna compelled them to turn on each other, sowing confusion and discord among their ranks. The spectacle of Fiends battling each other provided a brief respite.

"W-What did you just do?" One archer asked. Lianna could see multiple people looking her way.

"Does it matter!? It helped!" She stated, before pulling her bow back out and shooting down more Fiends.

"We need reinforcements on the east wall!" a shout echoed across the battlements, punctuated by the clash of arms.

Lianna glanced to the indicated area, noting the growing struggle as defenders fought desperately to hold their ground. The weight of impending defeat hung heavy in the air, a grim reminder of the overwhelming odds they faced.

Lianna was committed to doing everything she could to win, however.

As were the people she’d called to help.

[I hope they can make it back in time.]

Amidst the fury of battle atop Garriden’s walls, the clash of steel and the cries of combatants intertwined in a symphony of chaos and valor. Lianna’s eyes caught the flicker of movement below, a disconcerting shift in the rhythm of the skirmish.

"Miss Taylor!" Lianna’s urgent call cut through the hectic air of battle, drawing the seasoned warrior’s attention. "We need to aid them down there!"

Miss Taylor’s steely gaze met Lianna’s, a silent understanding passing between them.

Without hesitation, Lianna made a split-second decision. With a swift leap from the battlements, she descended into the heart of the conflict below, her bow held ready as she landed among the embattled defenders and civilians.

The scene unfolding before her was a nightmare given life.

Members of the church that followed Jack, their fanatic fervor unchecked, carved a path of violence through the defenders and innocents alike.

Lianna’s heart clenched with determination and dread as she notched an arrow, her eyes scanning for targets while evading bursts of destructive magic.

Arrows loosed from her bow found their marks with deadly accuracy, finding purchase in the robes of robed adversaries threatening to overwhelm the defenders.

Each precise shot was a testament to the time Lianna had put in, even with as pitiful a potential as she had.

[That proximity buff is doing wonders,] Lianna thought. [I need to keep track of Envy’s position.]

A surge of movement caught her peripheral vision.

A church member, armed with a gleaming sword, lunging toward her with lethal intent.

Lianna’s muscles tensed and her eyes widened.

Before the blade could find its mark, a flash of steel intercepted the attack.

Miss Taylor, a beacon of unwavering strength amidst turmoil, stood between Lianna and her assailant.

With practiced ease, her dual swords became a blur of motion, parrying the enemy’s strikes with deadly precision.

The clash was brief but intense.

In a decisive move, Miss Taylor’s blades found their mark, severing the threat at its source. The church member’s lifeless form crumpled to the ground, a testament to the veteran warrior’s prowess.

Breathless, Lianna met Miss Taylor’s steady gaze. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Thank you," she managed, her voice tinged with relief amidst the chaos.

Miss Taylor’s response was measured, her tone resolute even amid the tumult of battle.

"Don’t freeze up. There’s no need," she said. "We will weather this storm, Lianna. I’ve got your back."

Words Lianna hadn’t heard growing up, but words Miss Taylor was finally there to say now.

Just hearing that almost brought tears to her eyes.

As the fight continued, however, with members of the church trying to cause conflict within the walls and Fiends trying to get into the city in whichever way they could, Lianna wondered something.

What was their win condition?

[I mean, what exactly are we meant to do?] Lianna wondered. [He can’t possibly have an unlimited number of Fiends. There’s no mana storm around to make more of them either. So at some point he’s going to run out of monsters to throw at us. First, Jack wanted us out of Garriden. What else could he want?]

In that moment, Lianna closed her eyes to think about something.

She wondered what happened in the original timeline the Lover had shown her. If she and her friends hadn’t come, if she hadn’t invited the people she knew from outside of Garriden to defend it, how would Jack claim his victory today? What would he even consider victory?

And, only one answer came to mind.

"Miss Taylor," Lianna said, urgency lacing each syllable, "take us back to the skies!"

"What? Why?" Miss Taylor asked. "Lianna, the fight’s already started! We need to-"

"Taking the city down is going to be impossible for Jack," Lianna said. "There are too many powerful people gathered to defend it. He needs another edge to win. He can’t unless he boosts his power."

"What are you trying to say?" Miss Taylor asked.

"It’s not the city he’s after," she stated. "At least, not right now. He needs to absorb more people first. Then... He might be able to take the whole city on his own."

It didn’t take much longer for Miss Taylor to comprehend the implications.

"The others," Miss Taylor said.

"Yeah," Lianna nodded. "Take us to them, Miss Taylor!"

The more Lianna thought about it, the clearer it became. It was as if every piece of the puzzle finally slotted into place. She could now see how one thing led to another, having lived through these specific events in this timeline.

[Attacking Envy’s family drove her out. Why’d he just let her come back in, though? Wouldn’t that render the bait meaningless? Unless...]

This was it.

This was probably how Jack won this fight.

In that alternate universe, it probably wasn’t Enverna’s family that he targeted. It was...

"Caroline!" Lianna called out, desperately. "We need to find her. She’s the strongest. She’ll be his first target."