Chapter 96: the crimson tide part 2

The crimson horde surged forward like a waking nightmare. As the frenzied, screaming Red Goblins charged rapidly toward the settlement, their intent was clear: reach Smith and destroy everything in their path. The visual impact was terrifying. A powerful, bone-rattling sound weapon resonated through the air, accompanied by the horrific sight of hundreds of blood-crazed creatures sprinting with total disregard for their own lives. Their bloodshot eyes burned with a mindless desire to tear flesh apart, threatening to shatter the psychological resolve of anyone witnessing the onslaught.

?The girls, already suffering under the brutal auditory attack of the screeching goblins, quickly realized the situation was spiraling out of control. Seeing the imminent danger, Velvet gritted her teeth and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Everybody! Take Smith and Sarafina inside the Watchtower right now!"

?Without wasting a single second, the girls pushed past the agony of the sonic assault. They rushed to Smith, lifting him directly out of his wheelchair and leaving the frame behind. Carrying him like a precious treasure, they sprinted directly toward the Watchtower. Sarafina was hoisted up immediately after and safely deposited inside. The interior of the structure was cramped, barely able to house them, but it offered the immediate cover them neded.

?Velvet swiftly issued her next command. "Protect this Watchtower at all costs! We have the higher ground here. Even if they try to swarm us, the narrow choke points prevent them from attacking all at once. All we need to do is protect the tower behind us and fight with everything we’ve got. If any unexpected changes occur, be ready for anything!"

?With orders declared, the girls summoned their pawns in a flash of light and activated their respective title boosts. Surrounding the Watchtower in a tight circle with their backs to the structure and their weapons facing outward, they braced for the collision.

?The frenzied goblins, moving like a tide of boiling blood, instantly shifted their direction, converging entirely on the Watchtower. Within moments, the two forces collided.

?The defense was carefully divided across three distinct tactical zones. Down on the open ground outside the settlement wall stood Brenda, Magenta, and Fiona. Inside the settlement’s narrow interior pathways, Velvet, Valeria, and Linda held the line. High above on top of the wall itself, guarding the immediate perimeter of the Watchtower, were Vesper and Astra.

?Outside the settlement, the open terrain presented the greatest threat of being overwhelmed. Magenta, Brenda, and Fiona immediately ordered their pawns into a rigid defensive line. Activating their titles, the three girls began swinging their massive weapons in broad, brutal, and calculated arcs. Greatswords cleaved through the air, heavy axes split armor, and war maces smashed downward in a rhythmic, unstoppable cycle. Together, they created a physical, kinetic wall of swinging steel.

?When the tide of red goblins crashed against them, it was like a furious ocean wave breaking against an unyielding mountain. The monsters could not advance a single inch. Goblins were smashed, chopped, and shattered into pieces before they could even pass the frontline. Because the horde was packed so tightly, the mindless creatures simply threw themselves directly into the spinning blades and crushing blows. It turned into a horrific, visible meat grinder. Relentlessly, the goblins hurled themselves into the meat grinder again and again, stepping over the trampled bodies of their fallen kin.

?Yet Brenda, Magenta, Fiona, and their pawns held steadfast, refusing to yield a single step. As the minutes passed, dead goblins piled up beneath their feet. Rather than hindering the defenders, the growing mound of corpses created an elevated platform. This gave the three girls crucial leverage and higher ground, forcing the remaining goblins to painfully scramble up a mountain of their own dead just to reach the deadly arc of their weapons.

?Meanwhile, inside the settlement, a completely different battle was unfolding. Velvet, Valeria, and Linda took advantage of the tight, winding alleyways between the tents. Linda, who was less suited for heavy direct combat, stayed close to Valeria to act as support.

?Velvet and her pawns fought like a moving cyclone of blood. Sprinting through the narrow paths, Velvet hacked, slashed, and cleaved in every direction. Every goblin that crossed her path was split clean in half. Wherever she passed, she left behind a horrific trail of blood and severed limbs. Her two pawns acted as her left and right flanks, flawlessly intercepting and killing any goblin that tried to sneak behind her or blindside her. Because the settlement paths were narrow and complex, the goblins were unable to swarm Velvet from all sides. They tried to maneuver around the tents or climb over the roofs, but Velvet was never stationary. She moved through the enemy ranks like a pair of clippers through hair, constantly shifting positions so the horde could never pin her down or outflank her.

?A short distance away, Valeria and Linda maintained a more methodical, yet equally lethal, defense. Valeria utilized her Elastic Arts to devastating effect. Her spear darted through the air like a striking serpent. With a single thrust, she could skewer three goblins at once. Even when enemies leaped into the air to pounce, her elastic spear bent and twisted mid-flight, tracking their movements in mid-air and impaling them before they could land. She dodged attacks with fluid, impossible body contortions, transforming herself into an unpredictable killing machine.

?While her style lacked the raw, chaotic bloodshed of Velvet’s whirlwind assault, Valeria’s defense contained zero weak points. The slippery, elastic nature of her skills made her virtually untouchable. Together with her pawns—which acted like miniature versions of herself—they moved through the tight spaces like lethal phantoms, striking from impossible angles.

?Linda stayed right beside Valeria, efficiently finishing off any goblins that Valeria deliberately crippled. Valeria strategically spared non-lethal strikes on lower point monsters, leaving them incapacitated so Linda could deliver the final blow to gain aura points, all while ensuring Linda and her pawns were never overwhelmed.

?Up on the wall, Astra and her archer pawns provided heavy ranged cover. Standing at the highest vantage point, Astra did not need flashy maneuvers. She and her pawns continuously rained down a lethal hail of arrows on any goblin trying to push toward the Watchtower. Because the ground forces were drawing the main aggression of the horde, Astra had a clear, uninterrupted view of the battlefield. Whenever a cluster of goblins tried to break away toward the tower, they were instantly riddled with high-velocity arrows before they could even reach the base of the wall. Those few that managed to start climbing were quickly picked off, falling backward into the surging mass below.

?On the rare occasion that an exceptionally lucky goblin managed to slip through the dense net of arrows and haul itself over the top of the wall, it immediately met Vesper.

?The moment a goblin stepped onto the wooden wall, Vesper moved with lightning speed. Before the creature could even register its surroundings, a flash of cold steel would sever its neck, sending its head flying through the air. Had the mindless goblins possessed any capacity for thought, they would have realized they were dying before they even saw the warrior standing in front of them.

?Through this seamless combination of ground control, mobility, ranged suppression, and close-quarters execution, the girls established an impenetrable defense around the small Watchtower.

?Inside the cramped structure, Smith listened to the chaotic sounds of battle raging outside. He was deeply worried for the girls, but he knew his physical limitations prevented him from assisting directly. He could only wait and hope. Beside him, Sarafina looked pale, the overwhelming sensory assault of the siege taking a severe toll on her mind.

?Noticing her distress, Smith spoke softly to comfort her. "You don’t have to worry. As you can see, the girls are handling everything out there. We will get through this predicament together. The situation is fully under control right now, so just have a little faith in them."

?Sarafina looked at him, leaning into his presence. "I know... I just want everyone to be safe. But having you here helps. I know everything will be fine."

?Smith gave her a reassuring nod, though inwardly he knew words were merely a way to keep their spirits up. In reality, they were completely at the mercy of the battle’s outcome.

?Outside, the initial wave had finally begun to settle. Having survived the violent first impact, the girls stabilized their rhythm. They adjusted their breathing, conserved their stamina, and paced their attacks. They knew that mindless, frenzied hordes were the most exhausting enemies to fight, but at their current killing rate, they felt a growing wave of confidence. If the momentum held, they were certain they could systematically wipe out the entire goblin force.

?However, deep down, they all knew that such smooth victory was a pipe dream.

?There was a mastermind orchestrating this entire attack—the commander observing their every move from afar. How could whoever planned this slaughter simply sit back and watch them stabilize their defense?

?As if answering their thoughts, the battlefield suddenly shifted. From the goblin army, a distinct, terrifying energy surged and the elite squad of five hundred elite goblins—who had been standing back motionlessly—suddenly began to march forward.