They are now trapped in a large room at the rooftop of the fortress. As the the tower is narrow, it's risky to stay there. They descend to the most top area of the fortress. It looks like curtain walls but it is very broad and long. One part of it has roofed building with enforced metal door. 

Rowan, Farnese and several knights are forced to hide in here. Lyla, Soraya, Nina and the hypnotized knights are also hiding here.

However, they clearly understand that it will be a matter of time those men turned monsters find them.

"Bang. Bang. Bang!"

Something hard is knocking the door. As the building on top of the rooftop has no window, they can't know who is outside.

"Hiii. What are we going to do?"

Farnese is trembling when Nina is becoming more histerical. 

Lyla stands up and walks to the door.

"What are doing?" Rowan asks.

"It's no use being hiked in here."

Soraya calls her,

"But you are exhausted and injured from the evening battle."

"Either way we are in danger." Lyla answers with determination.

"Now, guys. Unlock the door. I will kick it outward!"

Lyla yells.

Rowan nods to the men.

They hesitantly unlock the door.

The door can't be pushed inward. It could only pushed outward.

"Iyaa!!"

Lyla kicks the door and the metal door hit something.

As the door opened, they see a two Mozgus's henchmen. One is lying on the floor, and another one standing with scythe pointing towards them. The one on the floor gallantly rises.

Rather than standing, they are now floating. There are wings on their backs. 

With the moonlight pouring down from above, the night sky shines brightly, thinly illuminating the place. From a glimpse, those flying men look like angels but if one think properly, one could only understand those men as monsters.

“…Hey, hey, hey… come on now.”

A world of darkness with only a little light to rely on.

Templars' voices are trembling as they see what is going on.

Their eyes are peeled back in disbelief.

They hear screams from the refugees settlement and the tower, in addition to monstrous forms that would make anyone who sees it gawk.

The smell of iron rust blends in there, creating a uniquely sinister spectacle.

“What kind of sick joke is this…?”

As Rowan utters such words unintentionally, he sees the two masked men are flying with wings while Lyla, the woman prepares her fighting stance. 

"Soraya, don't act rashly. Only shoots your magic if they attack my blind spot." The witch nods at the sword wielder's order.

Perhaps because they are only eyeing each other, they do not even once make a pretense of turning their attention to Rowan or Farnese, who have joined the scene.

Only the sound of breathing and the aftermath of their sword blows echoes through the air.

There is neither the energy to howl nor the space to talk lightheartedly. 

They understand this more than anyone else.

Their hostility, squeezed to the limit, permeates the area.

The pressure is relentless to the point that the hairs on one's back begin to stand on end but…

In contrast to Rowan's  blinding stare, Farnese remains eerily quiet.

Normally, this would have been considered uncanny, but Rowan understands this nature of Farnese better than anyone else, and hence, he is convinced.

Farnese is a seeker of the way of the adventure.

She craves the adventure to the point of idiocy… No, you could say she is crazy about the unknown.

She is probably trying to burn the scene in front of her eyes deep into her memory.

There is certainly no way for her to devote her energy to talking.

The way her mouth is stuck in a straight line seems to indicate just that.

And while Rowan is having such thoughts, it echoes once more.

The sound of furious blades striking each other… begin to roar again.

***

(Lyla's point of view)

I stare at my right arm, which is hanging down helplessly.

My face twists in anguish, and I grumbles in my chest in spite.

I was hit hard when the third flying henchman suddenly jumped in. 

I wonder if none is fractured. 

But I manage to land a critical slash. Soraya's magical arrow stopped a man, but another two tried to cut me which I dodged but their foots stomped on my left hand. That strength is inhuman. But I managed a clean swing. One cut the chest of the short man and the same slash cut the arm of another tall one.

His right arm is cut in two. A section of it still peeked out. He grunts in rage and spits out blood.

I had originally intended to make my first blow the finishing one.

But nevertheless, the monster, probably using its natural instincts, turned its head away just before it touched his neck.

Because of that, I swung at him in an exaggerated manner, slashing only his right arm— cutting it in two.

I could still move my right arm and both legs.

Albeit painful, I was able to cut off the monster’s right arm in exchange for a reasonable burden on mine.

Anyone other than me would have hailed it as a huge milestone… but a killing blow, executed with no regard for the physical burden, was ultimately evaded.

All the more reason why I can't help but frown.

If I went on the defensive, I was pretty sure I would drag the fight and more of these monsters would jump in.

The difference in raw power is obvious.

The moment that I received a blow from their huge frame… would be the moment my defeat was decided.

Therefore, I have no choice but to keep on the offensive.

I have to find a way of winning by relentlessly attacking without any pause.

And so, I kick at the earth, scattering dirt behind me as I throw myself toward the monsters.

Swinging with the power of my wrist alone wouldn’t even inflict a scratch against monsters. That's proven to be fruitful as the monster with one limb is now moving sluggishly and I am practically fighting against two and a quarter men as I judge the one limb man is now reduced to only a quarter of his original ability.

I have to use my body, my whole body, to the fullest in order to strike a decisive blow, so I twist my body as if I am bending a spring that has been stretched to the limit.

“RRAAAAAAAAAGH!!!”

I swing the broadsword as if I am making a backhanded fist.

I then pick up a rusted sword on the floor and attack them using it. 

Then sparks scattering with the sound of a metallic clang follows suit. The rusty sword cut the short man but is not strong enough to cut deep so I I make a full swing with broadsword.

The broadsword’s cut overlaps with the rusted iron sword that the rusty blade hurls down, and unable to bear the load of the force applied to it, it crumples up. 

However, a trace of the rusty blade still remains.

It could still be used.

I stab the rusty blade into his face and make one more swing. The short man is sliced into two. 

But the swing looses its momentum when it reaches another monster.

As soon as I realize that my attempted blow is blocked, I immediately reverses my grip and attempts to stab him in the head with the remain of the rusty blade , but…

“Ah— Ggh…?!”

The monster throws a kick, and I took it all with my sword. 

A sharp leg blow to the sword but the impact is shifted to my abdomen. 

If not protected by the sword and chest armour, my ribs would be broken.

But I am not so naive as to allow that for free.

I hold the rusty blade and quickly draw back my left hand and throw it as hard as I could.

“Gghaa…h!”

I swing the sword as as I could to the one arm man who is flying at me.

Spewing blood and vomit, he is launched vigorously and slammed into the fortress wall. 

The remaining man has the rusty sword stabbed into his shoulder.

(“I’m still conscious, but…”)

There is no time to even speak.

If I relax even for a moment, I would have lost consciousness by immediately.

But if I let go of my consciousness, everything would be over…

Then, maybe—!

I kneel down and and fall flat on the ground.

"Lyla!" Soraya shoots several arrows to chase the wounded monster away from me. She stands before me facing him.

I clench my teeth and try to stand up somehow by thrusting my fingertips into the earth.

I try to force myself to hold on to my consciousness even though it causes me pain, and perhaps as a result, I slowly feel a sensation in my mouth.

The sensation of blood dripping from the edge of my mouth.

It is as if it isn't my own body.

But still, I lift my gaze from the ground.

The rusty blade is still stuck in him, and yet, a shadow looms as the magical arrows become scarce. It seems Soraya is running out of magical power. 

"Men!"

As Soraya shouts, five of the hypnotized templars jump towards the advancing monster.

They manage to cut him but not too deep.

"Ahhhh!!"

In three wings, the monster kill five of them.

What I first see then is the monster closing in to finish us off.

There is no time to spare.

The more I stay on my feet, the more the Reaper's scythe scathe my neck. 

My skin is already in contact with the scythe, and I am in such a predicament.

“…This is… bad!”

Leave the pain.

There is no time to worry about it.

If I let the pain stop me, the only thing that awaited us is death.

Out of think air, a silhouette pushes us using her body to the side.

A pain has seeped into my body.

In addition to the leg blow earlier, there is the impact of the collision.

The pain has paralyzed my body.

But a familiar voice soothes my pain.

"Lyla.. oh, no. She is losing consciousness. Soraya, you too seem tired." Kurotsuchi. So, she saved us on time.

But, that monster is too much for her to handle alone.

The monster is pushed back by two persons.

Amber and Myla. 

Three of them may be able to make it.

"Lyla!!"

My consciousness fades.