From the water and sand, they rose. Humanoid creatures with black, scale-like armor covering their bodies. Black tentacles fell from their mouths, their heads were as pointy as shells and their left arms ended in large pincers.

"Deep Wardens! What are they doing here?!" a young Marrazzo Dee man yelled.

The young man blocked more strikes from the monster club-like pincers. His bone armor creaked. His arms screamed in pain. The warden swung one more time, and the young man failed to block in time. He roared as the strike sent him backward and onto his back.

"D-Damn it," he groaned as the warden lunged.

"Back off!"

The female warrior with the scarred nose, Zeer, with fin blade ready, cut in between the two and stopped the stone club.

"Don't give up just yet, Razna!"

A jet of water flew over the young man, Razna's, head and hit the warden's head, obliterating it. Then, a hand came down in front of him. He followed it up and saw Dehlia's smiling face.

"The day hasn't been lost just yet, has it?"

The young man smiled. "N-no! Not yet! Not ever!"

Zeer smiled as she charged her fin blade up with magic and sent a magic slash out into the melee, cutting through many monsters and saving a few of her allies.

Zeer put on a grin that failed to hide her nerves. "Real bucket of fish we're in. We've never fought so many tribes of monsters working together like this. I didn't even think it was possible."

"And there are Deep Wardens here," Razna said as Dehlia helped him up. "Why? They're some of the smarter monsters. They're ones with some form of society. Why are they here with all the uncivilized ones?"

An ear-splitting roar stole their attention, and they looked further down the beach at one of the sea serpent monsters. It fired its beam magic in front of it. The cries of their allies echoed as they were sent airborne by the spires of ice that formed wherever the beam touched.

Four warriors were airborne, with one of them suddenly moving quickly. He propelled himself through the air with jets of water, caught the other four, and propelled himself toward Razna, Dehlia, and Zeer.

"Dad!" Razna called.

Rudda held up his now frozen arm as he set down the other three. Monsters lunged toward them, and Dehlia and Zeer intercepted, cutting down the ambushers.

"Dad, your arm--"

"I protected it with armor. It'll be fine." Rudda looked out toward the large monsters at the shore. "Listen, my comrades! They have a Kraken Priestess with them."

Dehlia and Zeer both shuddered as they looked back at Rudda. Kraken Priestesses were one of the most troublesome monsters. No community of Marrazzo Dee wanted to deal with them.

"That's who is leading these monsters."

"But those monsters are rare! Don't they stay deeper in the depths?" Dehlia asked.

Rudda chuckled, a pained smile on his face. "That's the thing... Mother's guidance dawned on me, and I looked toward the sky."

He pointed far above the battlefield. Dehlia and Zeer followed his finger and were taken aback.

"There. Those two strangers. I am certain they are the ones responsible for this."

Dehlia released another water laser at oncoming monsters. "We can't shoot them from here..."

"We cannot... We can dwindle these numbers, however. We do not know what nature of sorcery these strangers wield, but we have an enemy before us. The Kraken Priestess and her Kraken Soldiers--we will defeat them, and then we will take a bite out of those two!"

Dehlia smiled. "Very well... So we can't let ourselves just take hits on our way to defeating the Krakens..." Dehlia covered more of her limbs and torso in the bone armor. "We need to fight with a target beyond the ones that are right in front of us."

Zeer laughed. "Why not make this five times harder?" she asked mockingly.

Rudda exchanged looks with Razna. "Pull these wounded warriors back, then come back right here."

"Got it!" Razna said. He threw the three wounded on his back and ran from the frontlines.

All around them, the sounds of battle continued. Rudda held up his frozen arm and produced more armor until it shattered the ice. "We number 39. We can still win!"

The trio raced into the fray again. The goal--reach the black fire-launching Krakens behind all the monsters. The trio cut, bit, and blasted monsters that crossed them out of the way. But for every monster they cut down, two seemed to rise in their place.

"There sure are a lot!" Zeer called.

"Don't give in!" Dehlia yelled back. "Fight with wisdom!"

Dehlia spotted another warrior about to be overwhelmed and broke away from her team. She boosted herself with a jet and sliced the head of the frog-like monster that tried to devour her comrade.

"Dehlia!"

"I saved your arm, Mads, so use it to keep fighting!" she yelled as she fired another water laser into a descending monster hawk.

"Yes! Thank you--behind you!"

Dehlia turned around expecting a monster she could cut, but instead saw a lash of black fire.

Her eyes filled with anxiety. The warrior behind her--Mads--was still struggling to stand up again. She clenched her jaw and kicked the young man with all her strength, propelling him from the blast zone.

"Dehlia!" he yelled.

"Just focus on getting off your ass, fool!"

The lash struck her, the crack of the lash otherworldly. Indescribable pain shook her to the core of her soul. So many times, her eyes threatened to roll into the back of her head.

Hold! Hold! she screamed to herself.

Then, as if she was a bundle of grass hit by flames, she ignited with a boom that drowned out her scream. The blaze lasted for four seconds. She fell onto her knees. Her body was intact, but her mind was reeling. She let out a gasp and sucked in air as she fell onto her hands.

"Gah! Ha! I made it--"

"Dehlia!" Rudda called. "On your feet, Dehlia! Now!"

Dehlia looked over her shoulder once more, ready for the worst.

"At least it's not fire..." she said as she saw the angler fish-head humanoid swinging its spiked club down at her. She, with a pained expression, created more armor on her back, unable to do more. "Don't underestimate our Mother's protection," she muttered.

Then, four black darts radiating a foul mana tore through the air and hit the angler's face, with two of the projectiles piercing its eyes. The projectiles exploded as the enemy let out a guttural cry and fell backward.

Dehlia watched, horrified and perplexed, as the darts--what she could now see looked like fingers--rose from the body and flew away.

"What the..." she asked herself, eyes still on the angler. Then, a black hand came into her view. She looked up.

"May I help you up?" asked the gray-skinned, silver-haired girl.

Dehlia wasn't sure what face to wear. She nodded and settled on a smile and took the girl's hand.

"Thank you."

Dehlia stood up. She was almost two feet taller than the much more petite woman that saved her.

"Dehlia!" Rudda called as he and Zeer blasted more approaching monsters and regrouped.

"Everyone! It's okay! She's a friend!" Dehlia looked at her savior. "You are a friend, right?"

The woman nodded. "I am. My name is Elma, and we're here to help you against this raid."

Dehlia cocked her head. "'We?'"

"Guys!"

Rudda turned toward the sound of his son's voice. "What the?" he said, his lips curling into a clumsy smile. He had been on many battlefields, and had seen many miracles, but never something like this.

Dehlia and Zeer turned around while Elma released a cloud of withering mana into a crowd of approaching monsters, effectively protecting the distracted Marrazzo Dee. She smiled, happy to be able to see these brave people get their second wind.

Dehlia's smile turned warm. "What's going on here?" she asked, taking her turn to be amazed.

A large crowd of Marrazzo Dee warriors ran past Dehlia, Rudda, Zeer, and Elma. As they crossed, they playfully patted shoulders or nudged their allies.

"Weren't you all injured?" Dehlia asked, watching her comrades run by.

All were wearing confident smiles. There was no sign of injury on their bodies anymore.

"We're back in it, Boss Rudda!"

"We haven't given up yet, Dehlia!"

"The Marrazzo Dee won't fall today!"

"We can't let Zeer do all the work!"

"Thank you, Grayskin! Your priestess is amazing!"

Dehlia, overwhelmed, looked at Elma, and then, her eyes flew toward the young man that she had kicked away--Mads.

"W-whoa! It's really healing!"

Her eyes settled on the nun who was pouring healing magic into Mads' wounds. "There's the 'we,'" Dehlia said with a pleased chuckle.

Domaz and Razna reached the main group, with Domaz conveying what Elma had advised him to do earlier. "We've got to get the healer in front of the Krakens!"

Rudda understood and let out a roar. "Revived Marrazzo Dee! Use the life she's given you to clear the way for our lady of victory!"

The Marrazzo Dee let out their roars as they barreled into the crowd of monsters.

"Let her shine the way!"

Dorthaunzee regrouped with Elma, and the two faced Rudda's group. "We're ready when you are," Elma said.