Chapter 157 Losing Tail

The battle commenced with a barrage of rocks hurled at us from the five catapults. Initially, we laughed as the stones failed to even reach the fort, but it soon became apparent that their target was our gate. Alistar skillfully utilized our cannons to obliterate them. In retaliation, the Vargmuth charged forward in unison with their rams.

The rams were covered in pink flesh, with numerous unidentified bones protruding from their bodies. They resembled living creatures, reminiscent of the abominations we encountered while fighting the curse seed bearer. The catapults themselves were constructed using skeletons, and instead of ropes, sinewy tendons served as their binding material.

"These catapults are repulsive and unwieldy," I murmured, to which Lily responded with a wry smile as she rallied her soldiers on the front line, preparing for the impending Vargmuth attacks.

"Lily, release your dragon now!" Alistar shouted. Lily nodded and urged me to unleash my most powerful spell right from the start. The sight of the fiery dragon soaring into the sky elicited cheers from our soldiers.

Hundreds of Vargmuth attempted to scale the walls, only to be incinerated by my dragon's flames. However, the undead were not entirely defenseless. Additional skeleton archers emerged, distinct from their slower counterparts, as they displayed remarkable agility and precision. I had assumed that arrows would not affect dragons engulfed in flames. Yet, when an arrow struck my dragon, black spots marred its outer skin, indicating corruption taking hold.

"Shiro, bring back the dragon! We cannot afford to lose it this early in the battle," Lily commanded me telepathically. I swiftly instructed the dragon to ascend higher than the arrows' reach, ensuring its safety. However, it also meant that the dragon couldn't assist us effectively under these circumstances.

"The Vargmuth are scaling the walls!" Alistar shouted. "Prepare yourselves!"

Tailfolk and elven soldiers alike readied their spears and shields. As soon as the Vargmuth exposed their heads on the wall, our soldiers turned them into pincushions. Lily and Alistar engaged the Vargmuth that our soldiers failed to impale. Lily gracefully maneuvered around the creature, beheading it with a single elegant swing, while Alistar swung his heavy axe with such force that it cleaved through both of its arms, bisecting its body until his axe lodged into the floor. He then swiftly moved on to another Vargmuth, gripping its hand tightly. With his extraordinary strength, he hurled the Vargmuth off the wall and into the sea of skeletons below.

I, too, remained active. Despite my limited mana after summoning the dragon, I managed to kill another Vargmuth by causing its head to explode.

"Watch out! Arrows! Keep away from the walls!" soldiers screamed as one of those dark arrows struck one of their comrades in the eye.

The undead archers displayed remarkable accuracy in their shots. With their sheer numbers on the ground, we were unable to mount a proper counterattack. Although our cannons inflicted some damage, each shot only managed to decimate a dozen of them at most, considering the thousands present.

"Should I take the risk?" I whispered to Lily, contemplating whether to send my dragon on a suicidal charge against the archers in an attempt to inflict maximum damage. However, losing the dragon would mean I would be out of the battle for the remainder of the day.

"Lily, send your dragon towards those archers!" Alistar made the decision for me. I followed his order and commanded my dragon to dive from the sky towards the cluster of archers. As it approached, the dragon unleashed a stream of flames upon them. However, due to their scattered formation, the flames did little to thin their numbers.

The archers swiftly redirected their aim toward the dragon. Black arrows stained my dragon with dark spots, and its flames grew weaker and weaker.

"Focus on the archers! Hurry!" Alistar shouted. The soldiers attempted to comply with Alistar's command, but the Vargmuth disrupted their efforts, causing their counterattack to be sporadic and ineffective.

"Target the archers! I'll handle the Vargmuth!" Lily called out to nearby archers as she engaged several Vargmuth simultaneously. Her swordsmanship was exceptional, enabling her to maneuver around the creatures unscathed, even when surrounded by four of them.

"The dragon has perished..." I muttered. I had done my best in guiding them, and the dragon had valiantly fought against its numerous foes. However, the relentless shots from the archers proved too overwhelming, and as the black spots expanded against the dragon's flames, our dragon fell and dissipated.

"Everyone, abandon the wall!" Alistar issued an unthinkable order.

"Will we lose the fort?"

"No! We will simply fight within the fortress. We can't battle on top of the wall with those archers sniping at us!"

His plan sounded insane to our ears. While it was true that the interior of the fortress housed various buildings, such as an infirmary and barracks, engaging in combat within them seemed unimaginable. If we fought in the open field inside the fort, the archers could easily scale the wall and gain a height advantage to shoot at us.

Lily didn't question Alistar. We had no other choice. We were losing ground and on the verge of defeat. Our dragon had been lost as well. Perhaps if we fought on the ground, we could at least employ some phalanx-like tactics that the elves excelled in.

"Retreat! We will fight in the housing district!" Lily shouted.

"What are you doing, Alistar? If you move the battle inside the fort, the wounded in the infirmary will be at risk!" Edelweiss exclaimed.

"Edelweiss, you are in command as the general! I order you and the mage corps to take shelter in the barracks. Stay there and prepare your spells. Every able-bodied person will fight, even if they are wounded!" Ghander issued the order. Edelweiss glared at Alistar and Ghander before withdrawing with the mage corps.

"This will earn her anger," Ghander sighed.

"She is simply too kind for this type of total war," Alistar nodded.

"All forces, regroup!" Alistar shouted, urging his troops inside the fort.

The battle transitioned into its second phase. Throughout elven history, this was the first time an undead force had managed to breach Fort Soleil.