Kotohood

Boom! Surprise Chapter!

Chapter 12: Sieging towers of Desperation

A large blue streak of light landed on a red translucent bubble. The attack disintegrated as it landed, causing ripples to form on the bubble. The ripples spread all the way to the ground where it dispersed as shockwaves to the ground below.

“I must say, this is quite the crazy plan,” Medica said to Klauna. She was next to the roof of the special siege tower that Klauna was in, flying low alongside the other succours.

“The whole idea to take Fort Kron with these numbers is already crazy. A loss would be certain if we go with a standard plan. A crazy plan that has a chance of succeeding is the only way we can win this,” Klauna responded. She was standing next to Harbin and the Analyst rogues.

*Boom!

Another streak of blue light hits the translucent bubble that Klauna and the others were being protected by. The siege tower glowed eerily red as it slowly made its way to the enemy walls. Long-range magic shells tried to hit the tower, but it was repelled easily by the force field. It’s the number one skill that all Analysts will know how to erect— their signature Force Field skill.

The other siege towers were also equipped with these kinds of barriers. Although, unlike the others, the barrier that Klauna was in has its magic power constantly being refilled by the Analysts within the tower. This allows it to be more durable and provide better protection.

The other demons that were not Analysts pushed the tower. This Includes the Saboteurs and part of Cera’s and Kazakiel’s men. The special magic circles that Harbin carved were glowing outwards and moving in a circle around the tower. 

The aim of the plan was to make this specific tower stand out among the other siege towers, tricking the enemies into focusing Klauna’s battalion which was nigh impenetrable thanks to the barrier. This would allow the other siege towers to reach the walls without much problem.

Or at least that was the plan.

Around her, Klauna could see the other siege towers falling as the humans started to concentrate their fire on them. It seemed that the plan didn’t work out quite as Klauna had hoped. Nevertheless, the Seventh Army kept moving forward. With or without the Siege towers. There was no turning back for them now.

Besides, all they really needed was one to reach the wall. It didn’t matter which. It can even be the decoy siege tower. Once they manage to get a foothold on the walls, they can slowly use the choke points in the castle to kill off the remaining humans. The key to winning the battle was to negate their numerical advantage.

“By the way, are you sure it’s alright for me to lead the succours in this battle? I don’t really think I should be out here on a battlefield,” Medica asked as the carnage occurred around her. “I’m more of a medic than a combatant.”

“We need all the manpower we can get. Besides, you are the only other person the succours will listen too. We are counting on you Medica!” Harbin responded.

“Um... I’ll do my best,” The prim and polite Succour responded and clenched her fist. She really was unlike the other Succours.

Captain Lina had suffered severe injuries and was currently in a coma. Most of the thick-headed Succours have also died, leaving Medica as the only person left to take command of the Succours or what’s left of them. The other Succours only remained silent as they flew within the large force barrier. Their roles, for now, were to stay low. They will be needed in a later part of the battle.

More and more streaks of blue lights hit the translucent bubble as the Seventh Army moved slowly towards the walls.

“Fifty percent of Siege towers have been destroyed! Make space for the others, they are coming in!” Poi yelled out to the men below her, her voice boosted by sound boosting magic.

As more and more siege towers were destroyed, the other soldiers of the Seventh Army started to flock to the safety of the other siege towers and their barriers. As more soldiers came, they started to push the siege towers harder and the demons gained speed.

“Are you sure this will work Captain Klauna? Medica asked. “I’m starting to think that this plan is rather desperate.”

‘Medica seemed rather talkative when under stress.’ Klauna thought to herself before replying. “That’s ‘cause we are.”

It was then that the gate of the fort opened and thousands of soldiers started pouring out of it. Seeing that the force field on Klauna’s siege tower was impenetrable, the enemies had sent out a detachment of soldiers in a suicide strike to destroy them.

“Although, It seems that the enemy is getting desperate as well,” Klauna said to Medica before going over to pick up a throwing spear. 

“Everyone get ready! The enemy is upon us!” She yelled and everybody tensed up waiting for the enemy to get near enough for them to strike the humans.

Everyone except Klauna, who drew her spear backwards while taking aim at the humans who were charging recklessly towards them. Klauna aimed for the area where she could hit as many humans as possible before throwing her spear. Not without shouting the name of the grade six skill. “Mass Liberation!”

The spear she threw was soon engulfed in a bright red glow before accelerating towards the humans who were quite a distance away. The spear kept growing in speed that it was almost impossible for the humans to shoot down the spear with interception magic.

The spear landed on a group of humans and a torrent of inferno consumed them. Klauna quickly took another spear and took aim. Seeing that the spear landed a little bit off from her intended mark, she readjusted and threw the spear again.

Once again, the spear flew into the air and landed on the humans.

Another few dozen humans were liberated to the raging inferno. Despite seeing their fellow friends being burned alive next to them, the humans kept charging forward to the siege towers. Klauna did not let up and continued throwing more spears towards them.

Medica and the other demons were visibly shocked when they saw Klauna did this. She was bombarding the enemy with a grade six spell alone without any magic circles or incantations to help her. At a range that was considered quite insane for a spear thrower. Everyone else couldn’t replicate the feat that Klauna could do and only waited for the enemy to enter their range. 

It wasn’t surprising to the Analysts of course. They have long seen the true power of their captain. It’s quite established at this point among them that Klauna was indeed the strongest Analyst and quite possibly one of the stronger demons in the whole Seventh Army. Maybe even the strongest, seeing as the rumours about her beating Lionel seemed to be true.

The lone artillery kept throwing spears as the humans ran towards the towers. They lost a huge chunk of men due to the bombardment, but a lot of them still managed to get close enough to the siege towers. 

“Medica!” Klauna shouted.

Medica then motioned for her battalion to move forward, outward of the force field, but near enough to retreat back to it. Once the humans came near enough, the Succours flew outwards and started to bomb and claw the humans from above. They soon returned back to the safety of the force field, to avoid anti-air missiles and arrows. The other Analysts on top of the tower also started to attack the humans with their own range attack. The rogues attacked using their bows while Harbin and her small squad threw explosive spears.

The humans took massive casualties but still have the endurance and the spirit to charge forth at the siege tower. A few hundred humans, a third of what charged out of the gates remained.

“Man up, warriors! No humans are to reach this tower!” Cera yelled out a battle cry and she and her battalion charged right at the humans.

It was a slaughter. The enemy does not have a numerical advantage within the bubble. Cera’s men of five hundred Warriors combined with long-range support easily took care of the rest of the humans. The scores of humans who ran away were also killed by Saboteurs lurking under the ground and stabbing them with the sharp drill tails.

Seeing that their detachment force was completely annihilated, the humans grew more desperate and more and more artillery strikes came down upon the siege tower. Klauna knew that the shield could not last forever, and so did the enemies. The batteries that the force field ran on were the Analysts tirelessly pumping mana into the construct.

However, the siege tower will reach the wall long before the shield runs out. Klauna knew the limits of her soldiers more than anything. Even if the enemy had a secret weapon to destroy the siege towers, her men still have ladders that can be assembled quickly. Nothing short of complete annihilation will stop the Ak’hims from climbing that wall.

“More siege towers destroyed, only two left standing! Ours and General Lionel’s!” Poi yelled out for everyone to hear.

Two towers and the enemy had lost two thousand men at least. The army’s morale went up as they realised they might have a chance of taking down the fort. Although the morale boost was good, the fact that there were so few Siege towers meant that the demons were converging into a single manageable group. It meant that the army was strong, but it also means that the enemy can crush them in a single fell swoop

“A regiment of enemy infantry coming in from the west gate! About four thousand! It’s the enemy general! Ah! Another two thousand from the east!” Poi yelled out in panic.

Just as Klauna feared, the humans had figured out the demon’s plan. On one hand, the enemies were stupid, letting go of their defensive positions in the fort to strike them outside. On the other hand, it was the right thing to do. The demons needed a way to get in the fort or they would lose. If they waited for the Seventh Army to enter the fort, it would be too late.

It was too late for the Ak’hims to retreat as well. Six thousand humans were enough to rout them. Klauna needed to get a message to Lionel and half of the Seventh Army there to regroup with the troops on her side. They might be able to deal with humans with enough long-range attacks.

However, before Klauna could give out her orders, Balestra returned with a message. “General Lionel and his men have abandoned the siege tower and are currently on the way to engage the army in the west!”

“What?!” Klauna let out a rare look of shock.

“What do we do? I can still make it to the general for a message,” Balestra replied.

“Quickly tell him to—” Klauna stopped in the middle of her sentence as she understood why Lionel did it.

There was another approach to dealing with the humans in this situation, something that Klauna didn’t think up at all. It was something that was obvious now that she thought about it. Lionel was keeping the humans split and trying to buy time for Klauna to reach the fort.

After all, it was far easier for one thousand men to deal with two thousand than two thousand to deal with six thousand. They did it a while ago, annihilating two thousand humans with minimal losses. They can do the same.

“... No. We move forward. Tell the men to redouble their efforts to the fort and get prepared to engage the enemies to the east. Lionel will deal with the men in the west. We need to claim the fort as soon as possible.” Klauna told Balestra in a cold voice.

“Are you sure?” Balestra asked.

“That was an order Balestra,” Klauna turned her back towards Balestra before picking up a spear—to throw at the enemies coming from the east.

Klauna hoped that the brave lion could last long enough for her to seize the fort and come to his aide.