Chapter 253 – The Battle for Frontier City Akela (1)

Chapter 253

The Battle for Frontier City Akela (1)

Date : Day 18 of Firstthaw 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

Hyoren woke at dawn with a clear head.

Through the window, the twin suns of Kresneger were only a faint glow on the horizon. A thin wash of gold and silver crept across the ceiling. It was still early—far earlier than he usually woke up. But today, he needed to rise early.

He tried to sit up. He couldn't. Both his arms were pinned.

Hyoren glanced down and chuckled quietly.

On his left arm lay Elise. Her long silver hair, now well past her hips, spilled everywhere—across the pillow, across his arm and chest, across the blanket like a sheet of silk. Her head was nestled against his shoulder. Her right arm rested across his chest, as if staking a claim even in her sleep. Every so often, her pointed ears twitched.

On his right arm lay Ina. Her messy brown hair had grown longer again, falling loose around her face. She was curled tightly against his side, just as close as Elise. One of her legs had hooked around his, locking him firmly in place. Her tail lay draped across the blanket, its tip twitching with each slow breath.

Hyoren looked up at the ceiling.

Yesterday, the first phase had ended. Somewhere out on the eastern plain, the second phase was still unfolding. 

Ronald and the night riders had spent the whole night circling the goblin camp, denying fifteen thousand… no, eleven thousand monsters… their sleep…

And today, the third phase will begin…

The main battle…

So last night, after so long, the three of them had chosen to sleep together. None of them had said why. None of them had needed to.

He turned his head toward each of them and whispered.

"Elise. Ina. Time to wake up…"

Elise stirred first. Her eyelids fluttered open, and her emerald eyes slowly came into focus. A soft smile curved her lips when she found his face.

"Morning, Hyoren…"

On his other side, Ina's ears twitched. Her amber eyes cracked open, and she stretched her arms high above her head, her back arching like a cat's.

"Munyaaa…"

She blinked up at him sleepily.

"Morniiing…"

Freed at last, Hyoren sat up and smiled at them both.

"Morning, Elise. Ina."

He drew a slow breath.

"Today is the day."

The smiles faded. Neither of them looked away. Elise nodded quietly. Ina's ears straightened, and she nodded as well.

They dressed quickly and stepped out into the hallway.

At almost the same moment, a door opened further down the corridor. Jackey stepped out of Arianna's room, scratching his head and yawning widely. Arianna followed a step behind him, already composed, her crimson hair neatly combed and her hat in her hand.

For a moment, the two couples simply looked at one another.

Jackey grinned and raised a hand.

"Morning, Big Bro! Big Sis! Elise!"

Arianna gave a graceful bow. A faint pink lingered on her cheeks.

"Good morning, Leader. Mentor. Lady Ina."

Elise covered her mouth and giggled.

"Fufu. Good morning, you two."

Together, they went downstairs.

***

Breakfast was simple, and quiet.

Lena had prepared warm porridge, bread and eggs. Vina poured tea for everyone without needing to be asked. No one talked about the battle. No one needed to. The warmth of the previous night's intimacy still lingered around them like armor against the morning chill.

Lena and Vina moved around the table, refilling cups and setting out more bread. Their faces were tight with worry—Vina's tail had not swayed once since they came down—but neither of them said a word about what was coming. They simply made sure their family ate well.

When the plates were empty, Freedom Party gathered on the porch.

The morning air was cool and still. Each of them stood fully equipped.

Ina stood with them in her Guild clerk uniform. Her face was pale, the shadows of exhaustion still faint beneath her eyes, but her jaw was set.

Lena and Vina stood in the doorway behind them.

Lena stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Master Hyoren. Lady Elise. Everyone. We will be waiting here. With a warm dinner."

Vina's voice wavered, but she lifted her chin.

"So you all have to come back to eat it! All of you!"

Jackey thumped his chest with his fist.

"I'll eat three bowls, Vina! Make lots!"

Vina let out a shaky laugh. Even Lena's tight expression softened.

Ina turned to face them. Her amber eyes moved from one face to the next—Hyoren, Elise, Jackey, Arianna—and lingered on each, as if committing them to memory.

"I'll be at the Guild. Guildmas will be out in the field, so I'm in charge of coordinating every party from there."

Her ears flattened. Her voice dropped, low and fierce.

"So listen to me. All of you."

She jabbed a finger toward them.

"Don't you dare die."

For a moment, no one answered.

Then Hyoren stepped forward and placed a hand gently on her head. Her ears twitched beneath his palm.

"We won't. I promise."

Elise leaned in and squeezed Ina's hand.

"We'll be back for dinner, Ina. Fufu."

Arianna bowed gracefully.

"You have our word, Lady Ina."

Jackey grinned and gave his sister a thumbs-up.

"Don't worry, Big Sis! We'll whack them all and come home!"

Ina's lips trembled. Then she smiled—small, and bright, and fragile.

"Then go. Before I change my mind and tie you all to the bed."

They parted ways at the end of Wyvern Street.

Ina turned toward the Adventurer's Guild. She didn't look back. But her tail swayed slowly behind her until she disappeared around the corner.

The four members of Freedom Party turned east.

The streets of Akela were silent. The usual morning bustle had vanished, replaced by a tense, watchful stillness. Shutters remained closed. Doors were barred. The only sounds were their own footsteps on the cobblestones and, far ahead, the faint clank of armor gathering near Gate of Guts.

The few citizens they passed stopped and watched them go. An old man bowed his head. A woman holding a child against her chest gave them a small nod. Their eyes held fear—and beneath it, hope.

Hyoren rested his hand on Dawn Breaker's hilt and kept walking.

Toward the eastern gate. Toward the battle.

***

They arrived at Gate of Guts.

It loomed above the eastern end of the city, a monstrous wall of grey stone more than fifteen meters high. Its surface was pitted and scarred, every gouge and scorch mark a memory of armies that had broken against it. At its heart stood the gate itself—thick Ironwood bound with reinforced iron, rebuilt eight years ago after the last goblin horde had torn the old one down. It was the final, defiant line between Akela and the force that would soon come knocking.

And the streets before it were packed.

Rows upon rows of Copper and Bronze adventurers filled the road leading up to the gate. Swordsmen tightening the straps of their armor. Spearmen testing the weight of their weapons. Mages muttering over their staffs. Everywhere Hyoren looked, parties huddled together, reminding one another of the five phases, of their positions in the second wall, of where to fall back if the line buckled.

Near the front of the crowd, a familiar dwarf with a ringed, braided beard looked up from sharpening his axe. Jigor caught Hyoren's eye and gave him a slow, solid nod. A little further along, a tall swordsman with spiked red hair and a thin greatsword strapped to his back did the same. Fits.

Hyoren returned both nods without breaking stride.

On the other side of the street, the crowd was different.

The Wood and Iron ranks had gathered there. They were younger. Their equipment was simpler—leather jerkins, wooden shields, plain short swords. Some of them were visibly trembling. But their eyes were bright. For the first time, they had been told they could contribute instead of hiding behind the walls.

Among them, Hyoren spotted a familiar face.

Reon stood near the edge of the group, a round shield strapped to her arm. Beside her was Rina, her party's scout, and two other young women he didn't recognize. New members, by the look of them. Reon was talking quickly, gesturing toward the gate, and the other three were nodding along seriously.

Hyoren smiled.

So Reon decided to join as support…

The support role was necessary. Hauling the wounded off the frontline and carrying them back to the priests. Running potions and fresh bundles of arrows to the parties on the wall and in the second wall. The Wood and Iron ranks had been told clearly—under no circumstances were they to engage the army directly.

Ronald must be relieved… And worried sick at the same time…

Further along, the small clearing before the guardhouse had been transformed. A large white tent now stood there, its flaps tied open. Inside, Hyoren could see rows of cots, crates of potions stacked high, and bundles of clean bandages.

The medic tent…

Archbishop Sherine stood at its entrance, her long golden hair tied back for once. She was directing a stream of priests and clerics, pointing to crates, checking lists, making sure every bed had blankets and every station had enough potions and medicine. Her voice was calm and gentle—but nobody hesitated to follow it.

Hyoren didn't interrupt her. She had enough on her hands. He kept walking.

Near the gate itself, dozens of knights stood in formation.

Every one of them was equipped exactly the same. Polished steel plate, the wolf crest of House Akela emblazoned on the breastplate. A heavy square shield on the left arm. A gleaming spear in the right. They stood shoulder to shoulder, perfectly still, a wall of steel waiting to be put in place.

Hyoren nodded at them as he approached.

One of the knights at the front stepped forward and returned the nod.

"Freedom Party. Lady Fiona is expecting you."

Hyoren nodded.

"Understood."

He turned to his party.

"Wait here. I'll be back after the briefing."

Elise nodded. Jackey gave him a thumbs-up. Arianna adjusted the brim of her hat.

Hyoren stepped into the gatehouse and climbed the narrow stone staircase built into the wall's interior. The steps wound upward in a tight spiral, worn smooth by centuries of boots. His footsteps echoed off the cold stone.

Then he emerged onto the top of the wall.

The wind hit him at once.

The walkway was wide, lined with crenellations and stacked with bundles of arrows and crates of supplies. Beyond the battlements, the Eastern Plains stretched out toward the horizon—vast, empty, and silent beneath the pale morning sky. The wind carried the smell of damp earth. And beneath it, faint but unmistakable, something else.

Distant trouble.

Several figures were already waiting at the top of the wall, standing like statues against the sky.

Fiona Akela stood at the center, her greatsword slung across her back. Her wolf-cut red hair whipped in the wind like a banner of defiance.

Beside her stood Baron Guts Akela. Hyoren blinked. The lord of Akela was no longer dressed in his noble finery. He wore a black and red scholar's robe, and in his hand he held a tall staff topped with a gleaming red orb. For the first time, Hyoren saw him not as a baron, but as the former Silver-rank Fire mage who had once held the breach at this very gate.

Captain Yugold stood a step behind his lord, in full armor, his helmet tucked under one arm.

And beside them stood Ronald Powell.

The veteran's dark cloak was streaked with mud. His grey beard was untrimmed, and the lines on his weathered face had deepened overnight. Exhaustion clung to him. But his eyes were still sharp.

Fiona noticed Hyoren first. She turned, her sharp blue eyes meeting his dark ones.

"Good. You're here. Let's begin the briefing."

Hyoren bowed his head.

"Guild Master. Baron Guts."

Fiona turned and gestured toward Ronald.

"Ronald. Report the results of the night raid."

Ronald stepped forward. He rubbed his tired eyes once, then straightened.

"The Chieftain truly is smart, Guild Master. After our first attack, it formed a perimeter around its camp. Goblins on guard at every edge."

He paused.

"And it rotated them. We watched it through the night. One group slept while the other stood guard. Then they switched. Over and over, until dawn."

Captain Yugold's jaw tightened. Baron Guts said nothing, but his grip on his staff shifted slightly.

Ronald let out a long breath.

"So we couldn't truly exhaust the army. Not the way we planned."

Then a faint smile cracked through the weariness on his face.

"But it wasn't wasted. We struck from a different direction every time, just like we said. We took a few hundred of them down through the night. And even with the rotation, none of them slept more than half the night. Those goblins will be marching into battle tired. Just not as tired as we hoped."

Fiona nodded slowly.

"Good."

She looked at Ronald for a moment longer.

"Good work, Ronald. All of you."

Ronald inclined his head.

Then Fiona turned and looked at each of them in turn. Baron Guts. Captain Yugold. Ronald. Hyoren. Her gaze swept over them—the most powerful people on the frontier, gathered atop the wall that had never truly fallen.

Behind them, the Eastern Plains lay empty and waiting.

"This is our city. This is our home."

Her voice was low, but it carried over the wind.

"We won't give them a single centimeter of it."

She crossed her arms.

"Now. Let's finalize our battle plan."

***

Fiona's gaze moved across the small group atop the wall.

"We already know the Goblin Chieftain will try to adapt to our battle plan."

Her eyes hardened.

"But we stick with the original plan. Just like the brat said."

Then a sharp grin spread across her face, and she turned it on Hyoren.

"And it's your job, as field commander, to improvise, adapt and overcome."

Hyoren felt the weight of those words settle onto his shoulders.

Fiona turned toward the plain and swept her arm across the battlefield.

"The structure stays the same. All mages and archers take the wall and provide ranged support. The frontliners form the second wall out on the plain, a short distance in front of the gate. They draw the goblins' attention and hold them there, so they can't breach the gate or slip around to hit our other gates."

She looked at each of them in turn.

"You are the field commander, Hyoren. The commander of this entire operation. Every call on the battlefield is yours. If something changes, you decide how we answer it. And the rest of us follow."

She tilted her head toward her husband.

"Under you, command of the wall belongs to Baron Guts.”

The Baron gave a single, calm nod. His fingers tightened slightly around his staff, and the red orb at its tip flickered.

"And under you, the frontline’s left flank is mine, and the right flank belongs to Captain Yugold."

Captain Yugold stepped forward. He reached into a pouch at his belt and held out his hand. On his palm lay a small object.

It was a strange little device. Smooth and curved, small enough to sit inside an ear. At the end where it would rest in the ear canal, a tiny orb glowed with a soft blue light.

Hyoren tilted his head.

It looks almost like an earbud…

Captain Yugold held it out to him.

"This is a communication magic tool. We commanders need to stay in contact during the battle. Pour a little Aethell into it, speak, and the rest of us will hear you. If the plan changes, we'll know at once."

Hyoren accepted the device and turned it over in his fingers. Then he fitted it into his ear. It settled there snugly. The faint warmth of the orb pressed lightly against his skin.

"That's incredibly useful."

Fiona snorted and crossed her arms.

"Useful, yes. Cheap, no. Those things are a nightmare to make. Only the military has them, and even then, barely enough. The range is short, so don't wander too far. And they have to be crafted as a set. You can't just buy one and talk to anyone you like."

She tapped her own ear, where an identical orb glowed faintly.

"So don't lose it."

Hyoren nodded, understanding.

"I won't."

Fiona looked around the group one last time. No one had anything more to add. The briefing was over.

She jerked her chin toward the battlements.

"Then go on, field commander. Start it."

Hyoren drew a breath. He raised his left hand, and Aethell flowed into the ring on his finger.

"Spear. Come out."

Ring of Arsenal pulsed. Étendard Sacré du Lys materialized in his grip. The white banner caught the wind and unfurled with a crack, and once again, black Aetovacus soared against the morning sky. Next, he unsheathed his sword.

Hyoren walked to the edge of the wall and looked down.

The streets below were filled with people. Copper and Bronze adventurers packed the road before the gate. The Wood and Iron ranks clustered off to one side. Rows of knights stood in formation near the gatehouse. In the clearing beyond, priests and clerics moved in and out of the medic tent. Hundreds of faces—some young, some scarred, all of them waiting.

He inhaled deeply. Then he shouted.

"ATTENTION!"

His voice rang out over the street and cut through the clamor below. Conversations stopped. Heads turned upward.

One by one, every eye in the crowd found him—the black-haired swordsman standing atop the Gate of Guts, the white banner snapping above his head.

"Now, the Battle for Frontier City Akela is upon us.”

He paused.

“I'm sure you've all read the briefing! So I'll keep this short!”

He swept Dawn Breaker toward the battlements on either side of him.

"Mages and archers! Take your positions on the ramparts! Your job is to thin their numbers before they ever reach us!"

He pointed the blade down toward the packed ranks of adventurers below.

"Frontliners! Form the second wall, exactly as the briefing says! You hold the line when they get close! You keep them away from this gate!"

He turned toward the younger adventurers clustered at the side of the street.

"Wood and Iron ranks! Your role is support! Carry the wounded. Supply the line. Do not engage the main army!"

A ripple went through the crowd. Nods. Hands tightening on weapons. Reon, standing near the front of the support group, raised her round shield in acknowledgment.

Then Hyoren raised the banner high above his head.

The wind seized it. The white cloth stretched taut, and the black Aetovacus rose with it, its rigid obsidian wings spread wide, the two rings of dark mist trailing behind its tail.

"Defenders of Akela!"

His voice carried over every rooftop near the gate.

"Centuries ago, Aetovacus descended upon Benign Fort and protected it from Ogre King’s Army!"

He lifted the banner even higher.

"Today, I make you a promise! Everyone who stands beneath this banner will protect Akela City from Goblin King’s Army!"

He drew in one last breath and shouted with everything he had, until his throat burned.

"WE WILL DEFEND OUR HOME!"

For a heartbeat, there was only silence.

The wind tugged at the banner. Somewhere, a horse snorted.

Then the street erupted.

A wave of sound rose from below and crashed against the walls. Swords and spears thrust into the air. Shields banged together. Adventurers of every rank—Wood, Iron, Copper, Bronze—roared together with one voice.

A young Iron-rank swordsman near the front thrust his fist upward.

"YEAH!"

Beside him, a Copper-rank archer slammed her bow against her chest.

"We can do this!"

Among the knights, one raised his spear high above the steel wall of shields.

"We will protect Akela!"

Near the gate, a burly Bronze-rank warrior pointed up at the banner.

"Aetovacus is with us!"

At the entrance of the medic tent, a young cleric clasped his hands and shouted toward the sky.

"Don't forget Goddess Luminara!"

Laughter rippled through the crowd—then the cheering grew even louder.

And from every direction, the same words rose again and again, until the stones of Gate of Guts seemed to tremble with them.

"WE WILL DEFEND OUR HOME!"

Atop the wall, Hyoren lowered the banner slowly. He stood there for a moment, his chest rising and falling, listening to the roar of the people below.

Something surged through him. Not the banner's power—something steadier than that.

Confidence.

He wasn't only leading his party anymore. He was leading the defense of an entire city.

Behind him, Fiona's sharp grin had softened into something almost proud. Baron Guts gave a quiet nod. Captain Yugold placed his fist over his chest. Ronald smiled through his exhaustion.

Hyoren turned his eyes east, toward the empty plain.

The plan was set. The defenders were ready.

Now, all they had to do was wait for the horde to arrive.

***

Below the wall, the defenders began to move.

Shouted orders echoed between the buildings. Captain Yugold's knights marched out through the open gate in two long columns, their square shields locked and their spears raised. Behind them came the Copper and Bronze adventurers, flowing out onto the plain in a steady stream. Party by party, they took their places. Slowly, a second wall began to take shape on the grassland before Gate of Guts—a wall made not of stone, but of people.

Hyoren watched them settle into position. Then he turned away from the battlements.

Ronald was still standing a few steps behind him.

The veteran had his arms folded and his weight resting on one leg. His eyes, however, weren't on the plain. They were fixed on the street below, where the Wood and Iron ranks were gathering beside the medic tent.

Hyoren walked over to him.

"Ronald. You were out riding all night. Shouldn't you be resting?"

Ronald glanced at him. Then he chuckled, low and rough, and rubbed his grey beard.

"I'm fine, lad. When you've stood guard over caravans for twenty years, staying awake a night or two is nothing new."

His gaze drifted back down to the street.

Hyoren followed it.

Near the medic tent, a young woman with a round shield on her arm was talking with three other girls, her hands moving quickly as she pointed toward the gate. Reon.

Hyoren understood at once. Ronald wasn't staying because he wasn't tired. He was staying because his daughter was down there.

He didn't say it aloud. Instead, he spoke quietly.

"Just don't push yourself too hard, Ronald."

Ronald was silent for a moment. Then the corner of his mouth lifted.

"You sound like Martha."

He clapped Hyoren on the shoulder with one calloused hand.

"I'll rest when this is over. Slow and steady, lad."

***

Just as he finished talking with the veteran tank, the stairwell behind them filled with footsteps.

The mages and archers had begun climbing onto the wall. One after another, they emerged from the narrow stone staircase and spread out along the walkway—bows slung across backs, staffs and wands in hand, quivers packed tight with arrows. Clerks and Iron-rank runners followed behind them, hauling up crates of potions and bundles of spare arrows and stacking them between the crenellations.

Among them, Hyoren spotted two familiar figures.

Elise stepped onto the walkway first, the Moonveil Bow across her back and her silver ponytail swaying in the wind. Behind her came Arianna, Quadraflux Weaver in hand, holding her wide-brimmed hat against the gusts.

Elise's emerald eyes found him at once. She crossed the walkway to his side and tucked a strand of silver hair behind her pointed ear.

"So this is where our field commander is hiding. Fufu."

Hyoren smiled wryly.

"Not hiding. Just briefing."

Arianna stopped beside them and gave a small, graceful bow. Her complexion had fully returned overnight. Her light blue eyes were clear and calm.

"Leader. I have fully recovered. And I have not touched the Lament's replenishment."

Hyoren nodded.

"Good. Keep it that way for as long as you can. We may need it later."

He looked at the two of them.

"Elise. Arianna. You're on the wall today. I'll be on the plain, so I won't be able to watch your backs."

Elise's smile softened. She reached up and briefly touched his arm.

"Then we'll watch yours instead. Don't let anything get behind you, Hyoren."

Arianna lightly adjusted the brim of her hat.

"Ohoho. Not a single goblin will reach you without passing through my magic first, Leader."

Hyoren chuckled.

"I'm counting on both of you."

With that, they split up.

Elise climbed the ladder to the tall watchtower beside the gate, the highest point on the wall. From there, the entire plain would lie open beneath her, every commander within reach of her arrows. She settled herself between the stone battlements and nocked an arrow, her emerald eyes already searching the horizon.

Arianna walked further along the wall to where Baron Guts stood with his red-orbed staff. She stopped beside her father and bowed. The Baron's stern face softened, just slightly. He said something too quiet for Hyoren to hear, and Arianna smiled.

Father and daughter—a veteran Fire mage and a prodigy of four elements—standing side by side above the gate. 

Hyoren let his gaze travel along the rest of the wall.

Further down the walkway, he spotted two members of Unbreakable Will. Cathy Frozz, Jigor’s scout, was bouncing on her heels beside the battlements, testing the string of her compact short bow with quick, practiced tugs. Her short brunette hair stuck out from under a leather cap. 

Beside her, Dennis Folkrite stood tall and lanky in his black robe, his long blonde hair tied back, a slim dark-wood wand in hand. His lips moved silently as he rehearsed a runic array. 

Hyoren raised a hand.

"Cathy. Dennis."

Cathy looked up and grinned.

"Freedom Party's leader himself! Nice speech earlier. Got even Jigor fired up."

Dennis gave him a short nod and returned to his muttering.

A little further along stood an elven mage Hyoren recognized. Her staff glowed with shifting colors, green melting into blue and back again. Wind and Water. He remembered seeing her at the dungeon’s Guild branch, standing behind a red-haired swordsman. Shining Force. Fits’ party. Hyoren gave her a polite nod as he passed. She returned it with a cool, measured one. 

And near the end of the walkway, small and blue-robed, stood Oria.

She had positioned herself beside a crate of potions, the Azure Wand clutched in both hands. Her sapphire eyes were fixed on the plain.

Hyoren stopped beside her.

"Oria."

She didn't look away from the horizon.

"Don't. If you thank me again, I'll push you off this wall."

Hyoren laughed softly.

"I was only going to say good morning."

Oria huffed. Her pointed ears turned faintly pink.

"…Good morning."

He left her there, staring out at the plain with her wand held tight.

Hyoren walked back to the center of the wall and looked out over the battlefield.

Below, the second wall had finished forming. Knights stood at either flank. The Copper and Bronze adventurers filled the center, shields raised, weapons ready. In the space between them and the wall, the Wood and Iron ranks waited near the stretchers and supply crates. Above, the ramparts bristled with bows and staffs.

And beyond it all, the Eastern Plains stretched away toward the horizon.

Empty.

The wind stirred the grass in slow green waves. There were no birds. No animals. Not a single sound came from the plain, as though the land itself were holding its breath.

It was silent—eerily, unnaturally silent.

Hyoren rested one hand on Dawn Breaker's hilt. The other tightened around the shaft of Étendard Sacré du Lys. Above him, the white banner stirred in the wind, and Aetovacus spread its black wings against the sky.

Somewhere beyond that horizon, eleven thousand goblins were marching.

And all of Akela was waiting.

***

A while later, the wait was over.

It began as a low, guttural rumble on the horizon.

At first, Hyoren thought it was thunder. But the sky was clear. The sound kept building, rolling and deepening, until it was like a thousand landslides crashing down at once. It wasn't the sound of an army marching. It was the sound of the earth itself groaning beneath the weight of their malice.

Along the wall, conversations died. Archers stopped testing their strings. Mages lowered their staffs.

Then they crested the hill.

It wasn't a line. It was a sea.

A churning, endless sea of green flesh, rusted metal and hateful red eyes poured over the ridge and spilled down its slope. It spread to the left. To the right. It swallowed the grassland before it, and still more of them kept coming over the crest behind.

The eleven-thousand-strong goblin army had finally arrived.

A cold knot of dread tightened in the stomach of every defender on the ramparts. Somewhere along the wall, someone swore under their breath. Someone else began to pray. Hyoren heard a young archer's teeth chattering.

He knew the numbers. He had counted them from the boat. But seeing them all at once, filling the horizon, was something else entirely.

Then the sea stopped.

On the low hill roughly one to two kilometers from the wall, the horde came to a halt. The rumble faded into an uneasy, rustling silence.

Hyoren's brows furrowed.

They're not advancing…

He narrowed his eyes and focused.

The horde was moving—but not forward. It was shifting. Sorting itself. Ranks were forming out of the chaos. Lines straightened. Gaps opened and closed with purpose.

They're forming up… This really is an army… Not a ragtag mob of goblins… Commanded by the archer-born Goblin Chieftain…

Row upon row, the goblins arranged themselves into squads. Dozens of ordinary Goblins, Fighters and Warriors clustered together, and at the head of each squad stood a single Goblin Lord in mismatched plate, barking orders. Behind the front squads, robed figures with crooked staffs gathered in tight groups—casters, ready to support. Behind them, rows of Goblin Archers.

The formation was balanced. Deliberate. It was the kind of formation Hyoren had only seen in history books and strategy games.

Then his eyes drifted south, toward the river.

His stomach dropped.

Along the riverbank, separate from the main force, a dense block of Goblin Archers had taken position. Hundreds of them, packed shoulder to shoulder, their bows already in hand, facing the water.

The Goblin Chieftain learned…

His grip tightened around the shaft of Étendard Sacré du Lys.

They're guarding the river... If The Sailer or any other ship comes anywhere near, they'll turn it into a pincushion... We can't use the river to attack anymore.

He looked back at the vast army on the hill.

So the only way left is to fight them head-on... On the open plain…

He turned toward Baron Guts.

The Baron stood a few paces away, his red-orbed staff planted firmly against the stone. His eyes were fixed on the hill. If the sight of eleven thousand goblins frightened him, nothing on his face showed it.

"Baron Guts. I'm going down to lead the frontline. We'll coordinate through the communication tools."

The Baron turned his head and met his eyes. Then he gave a single, firm nod.

"Go, field commander. The wall is in my hands."

Hyoren turned toward the stairs.

On the watchtower, Elise had already drawn her bow. Her emerald eyes found his for a moment, and she gave him a small nod. Further along, beside her father, Arianna touched the brim of her hat and inclined her head.

Hyoren nodded back to both of them.

Then he descended.

***

The narrow stairwell was empty now, his footsteps echoing alone off the cold stone. At the bottom, the gatehouse was nearly deserted. Only a handful of guards remained at the winches, and a few Iron-rank runners hurried past with crates of arrows bound for the wall.

Gate of Guts stood wide open.

Hyoren stepped through it and out onto the Eastern Plains.

The grass was damp beneath his boots, and the wind came stronger here, unbroken by stone. Ahead of him, a short distance from the wall, the second wall stood in formation. Knights in polished steel held both flanks, square shields locked edge to edge, spears angled forward. Between them, the Copper and Bronze adventurers filled the center in tight ranks, weapons drawn.

As Hyoren approached, heads turned. A path opened through the ranks. He walked down it toward the very center of the line—the place where the white banner was meant to stand.

Waiting there were the faces he had expected.

Jackey stood at the front, both axes already in hand, his tabby cat tail swaying restlessly behind him. The moment he saw Hyoren, his golden eyes lit up.

"Big Bro! Did you see them? There's SO MANY of them!"

Hyoren stopped beside him.

"I saw. Stay close to me, Jackey."

Jackey grinned and twirled the Bloody Axe once.

"Always!"

To their left stood Unbreakable Will's frontline. Stonebreaker's Jigor leaned on his scratched round shield, his hammer resting against his shoulder, absently combing his ringed beard with his thick fingers. Dennis and Cathy were up on the wall, and Vani had gone to the medic tent to help the priests.

Beside him stood his newest member.

Killa looked almost comically small next to the enormous pitch-black scythe resting on her shoulder, its blade taller than she was. Her small, inward-curving horns peeked through her milky white hair. Her drooping, teardrop-shaped ears twitched, and her black eyes kept sliding sideways.

Toward Jackey.

She took a small step closer to him.

"Jackey… Be careful today, okay? Don't do anything stupid like…"

Jackey didn't turn his head. His golden eyes stayed fixed on the hill. His ears didn't so much as twitch in her direction. It was as though she weren't standing there at all.

Killa's mouth closed. Her tufted tail drooped, and she stepped back beside Jigor. The dwarf gave her a quiet, sidelong glance, but said nothing.

Hyoren noticed. But this was not the time.

To the right stood Shining Force. Fits Walder had his thin greatsword resting point-down in the grass, its blade glowing faintly even in daylight. Beside him were two of his party members—the stocky dwarf woman with her hammer and shield, and the lightly armored Lion-clan scout with twin daggers at her hips. Their healer, Hyoren guessed, had joined Vani at the medic tent.

Jigor looked up and grinned through his beard.

"Gyahaha! There's our field commander! Nice speech up there, lad. Almost made me cry."

Hyoren smiled wryly.

"You saw them form up, Jigor?"

The dwarf's grin thinned. He nodded once.

"Aye. Never seen goblins line up like that. Like a damn legion."

Fits stepped closer. For once, his bright blue eyes were serious.

"And a whole block of archers on the riverbank. That Chieftain isn't stupid."

Hyoren nodded.

"No, it isn't. So we fight it the hard way. Hold the line. Let the wall thin them out. And wait for my signal."

Fits lifted his thin greatsword from the grass. The blade shone with a pale, steady light.

"Then let's earn some respect."

Jigor slammed his hammer against his shield with a ringing clang.

"Gyahaha! Let's show these goblins what Akela's made of!"

Hyoren took his place at the very center of the second wall.

Behind him rose the scarred grey stone of Gate of Guts, its battlements bristling with bows and staffs. Somewhere up on the watchtower, Elise had an arrow drawn. Somewhere along the wall, Arianna stood beside her father, and Oria clutched her wand.

Before him, on the distant hill, the sea of green waited.

Hyoren raised Étendard Sacré du Lys high. The white banner snapped open in the wind, and Aetovacus spread its black wings over the second wall. Up and down the line, adventurers and knights alike lifted their eyes to it.

He poured a thread of Aethell into the magic tools on his ear.

"Field commander to all commanders. Frontline in position."

A moment later, Baron Guts' calm voice answered in his ear.

"The wall is ready."

Then Fiona’s evoice, sharp and fierce.

“Left flank frontline’s ready. Let’s do this.”

Lastly, Captain Yugold’s steady voice answered.

“The right flank frontline is ready, commander.”

Hyoren looked across the plain and unsheathed his Dawn Breaker.

The battle for Frontier City Akela had begun.