Chapter 26: Turning the Tide

The West Gate was typically quiet compared to the other gates of Alphares.

But with the sudden appearance of the fortress, it had become a chaotic maelstrom.

“Move it! We need reinforcements!”

“Multiple adventurers injured! We need the Church’s aid!”

“Get your gear ready! The next wave is about to depart!”

Shouts and screams filled the air.

Serin arrived first.

Followed by Raphilia and Aria, and finally, Aswell.

“Where’s Rui?!” Raphilia cried.

“I can’t see her! There are too many people!” Aria exclaimed.

The four of them frantically searched for their mage companion.

But Rui’s distinctive white robe and large white staff were nowhere to be seen.

“Where is the West Gate Captain?!” Serin demanded.

A middle-aged man approached, breathing heavily.

“Lady Serin,” he acknowledged.

“Sorry to bother you when you’re busy, but this is important. Have you seen our companion?” Serin asked.

“Your companion…? Are you referring to the mage?” the Captain inquired.

“Yes, the small mage we met before,” Serin confirmed.

“We’re looking for her too, but she disappeared right after the commotion started. No one has seen her. I apologize,” the Captain reported.

“Wait, Captain. You’re looking for Rui too?” Aswell asked, surprised.

“Yes, Aswell. The word is that the walls are still standing because of her,” the Captain explained.

Confused, the hero’s party looked at each other.

Serin spoke up, “I saw Rui casting some magic on the walls with her staff… could that have been a reinforcement spell…?”

“That’s why she’s not here! Where did she go…?” Raphilia worried.

“There you all are,” Rui said, appearing behind them.

“Rui!” Aswell exclaimed.

“Where were you?!” Raphilia cried, rushing forward and embracing Rui tightly.

“Oof!” Rui gasped, momentarily suffocated by Raphilia’s embrace.

“Ahaha… I was gathering information on the fortress,” Rui explained.

Everyone’s gaze shifted towards the imposing black fortress silhouetted against the setting sun.

“It’s about half the size of Alphares. Monsters are pouring out from what appears to be the east gate,” Rui reported.

“Where did that thing even come from…?” Aria whispered.

“Demons,” Rui stated simply.

“Demons? Ah…”

Instead of gasps of horror, sighs of resignation filled the air. Monsters weren’t capable of this. Only demons could create such a structure.

“So… what kind of demons are they? We don’t have much information on them…” Aswell said.

Unlike monsters, whose types and strengths were well-documented, information on demons was scarce, even within the Empire’s highest ranks. Demons were notoriously secretive and manipulative.

Even encounters were rare, so knowledge about them remained limited.

‘I know, but… I can’t tell them,’ Rui thought.

Unlike the fortress, revealing her knowledge of the demons would raise too many suspicions. She opted for a vague explanation.

“Firstly,” Rui began.

“Yes?” Aswell prompted.

“The fact that they can build a fortress of this scale suggests they possess superior intelligence compared to typical demons. They’ve likely evolved to facilitate construction, or they’re highly skilled in magic and similar techniques,” Rui deduced.

Although not immediately apparent, the Twilight Fortress was designed for humanoid proportions. If the inhabitants were massive creatures, the fortress would be scaled accordingly.

Therefore, they were likely humanoid in form.

And since it was unlikely the demons built the fortress brick by brick, they probably used magic.

‘Humanoid demons skilled in magic,’ Rui thought. Their fangs were sharp indeed.

“Specialized skills. That’s what we need to focus on for now,” Rui concluded.

“…Right. Let’s formulate a plan,” Aswell agreed.

Monsters continued to pour from the fortress like an endless tide.

Mercenaries, adventurers, and guards fought back, but they were tiring quickly.

The hero’s party needed to join the fight before the lines broke.

This time, however, they wouldn’t be fighting separately.

“With demons and that fortress, it’s only going to get more dangerous. We need to finish this quickly,” Aswell declared.

‘Did he say that in the original story?’ Rui wondered.

It wasn’t a bad idea, regardless.

“The monsters won’t keep coming forever. A horde this size will eventually stop,” Rui added.

“So, we’re not fighting alone, and we’re not fighting separately either?” Serin summarized.

“We’ll be fighting alongside the mercenaries, adventurers, and the guards,” Aswell confirmed.

“Like… a war,” Aria murmured.

Aria was right. This was war.

“Alright, we’ll maintain our usual formation. Serin and I on the front lines, Aria in the middle, and Rui and Raphilia at the back,” Aswell instructed.

“Understood. Captain, the hero’s party will be joining the battle,” Serin informed the Captain.

“Understood. I’ll relay the information to the others,” the Captain replied.

“Please inform the mercenaries and adventurers as well,” Serin added.

“I contacted the Church on the way, so reinforcements should arrive soon,” Aria said.

Despite the sudden crisis, the hero’s party calmly planned and executed.

Rui felt a quiet sense of pride in being their companion.

“Alright, everyone. Let’s stay safe. Let’s go!!” Aswell shouted.

The first battle against the Twilight Fortress began.

The monsters emerging from the fortress were significantly stronger than those typically encountered.

The powerful magic emitted by the fortress and its demonic inhabitants enhanced their physical abilities and powers.

This explained why the forces defending the West Gate were struggling.

“Damn it, hold the line! They’re stronger than usual!”

“Medic over here!”

Chaos reigned.

But the arrival of the hero’s party changed everything.

“It’s the hero’s party!” someone shouted.

All eyes turned towards them.

Swish!

Aswell, with his snow-white sword, cut down the approaching monsters with ease.

Whether a hundred or two hundred monsters came at him, he pressed forward relentlessly.

“Lady Serin is supporting us!”

Beside him, Serin, the blue-haired knight, danced through the battlefield.

Her swordsmanship, honed with the Empire’s basic techniques, was amplified to devastating effect.

She was like a blue tempest.

“Injured to me!!” Aria called out.

“Hear my prayer. Descend and grant us peace…”

With her hands clasped together, Aria released a golden light that spread across the battlefield.

“Whoa…! My wounds are healed!”

A single prayer from Aria held the power of dozens of ordinary priests.

This was the power of the Saintess, the agent of God.

“Hey, watch out behind you!!”

“Huh?”

A distracted adventurer, awestruck by Aria’s power, let his guard down.

Thump!

“Focus! This is a battlefield!”

An arrow whizzed past, felling the monster behind the adventurer.

He turned to see Raphilia scolding him.

She surveyed the battlefield, then aimed her bow at a struggling group of soldiers.

Wind swirled around her, and a green arrow materialized, different from her usual arrows.

Boom!!

The arrow flew with an explosive force that shouldn’t have been possible from a bow.

It soared across the battlefield, striking the targeted monster group.

Kaboom!

A small explosion erupted, obliterating the monsters.

The relieved soldiers expressed their gratitude from afar.

Their morale boosted, they picked up their weapons and renewed their assault, fighting alongside and for each other.

Two hours passed.

They fought hard, and the hero’s party fought even harder.

“Gah!”

But the monsters kept coming. Casualties began to mount in areas beyond Aria’s immediate reach. Even with her swift healing, the sheer difference in strength was taking its toll.

But if Aswell and the others focused solely on healing, gaps would appear elsewhere in the lines.

“Ha…ha…”

Raphilia gasped for breath, nocking another arrow.

Just as she was about to fire, Rui stopped her.

“Raphilia, stop,” Rui said.

“What? What do you mean…?” Raphilia asked, confused.

“This isn’t sustainable,” Rui explained.

She had been constantly generating golden characters with her pen to support the hero’s party.

“The gap between the monsters and our forces is too wide. I underestimated it,” Rui admitted.

Raphilia lowered her bow, watching as Rui put away her pen and drew her white staff.

“I should have prepared a spell for this situation. My mistake,” Rui said.

A spell? What kind of spell could be prepared in just two hours, and why would it be necessary?

“Master key, process review. …Done. Just a moment,” Rui muttered.

She stepped forward, her gaze sweeping across the battlefield.

She twirled her staff in her small hand. The two white rings at the tip began to spin rapidly.

“Range set. All combat personnel at the West Gate of Alphares,” Rui declared.

All combat personnel?

What kind of spell could affect such a wide area, one that even Aria couldn’t fully cover…?

“Multiscale-Enchanting,” Rui announced.

A golden light erupted from the rings on her staff.

No, it wasn’t light. It was a torrent of countless golden characters.

They soared into the air before descending onto the weapons and armor of everyone present.

“Fatigue reduction, weight reduction, recoil reduction, speed boost, sharpness enhancement…”

It was like a shower of golden rain. The fighters paused in awe.

“Ha…” Rui let out a small breath and uttered a final command.

“Activate. Now.”

A golden wave pulsed from everyone’s equipment.

Gasps of astonishment echoed across the battlefield.

“What… what is this…?”

“My weapon… it feels different…?”

While everyone was still bewildered, an adventurer swung his sword at a nearby monster.

Swish!

“Huh?”

The monster was cleaved in two, dead instantly.

Seeing this, the others hesitantly resumed their attacks.

And they quickly realized the impossible had become reality.