The ants approached, and two figures stood to meet them – one clad in gold, the other crimson. Garth watched with a pair of binoculars as the infested insects began their assault. There’s too many. Cursing their arrogance, Garth considered what to do. He was about to call for a mobile squad to try and help them fall back, but paused as he saw DeRosa move.
A whirlwind of mana exploded from the body of the former Councilman, and his backpack opened. Nearly two dozen metal balls were pulled out, and began to spin around DeRosa. Garth’s eyes widened as he saw the carnage begin. The balls were spinning around the red robes with incredible speed, smashing through the carapace of the ants like paper. For his part, DeRosa stood in the eye of the storm, the area directly around him pristine as ichor and ant pieces painted the battlefield beyond.
Still, he wasn’t done. Extending his left hand, a blue-green lance of energy flashed out, blasting a line through the approaching insects nearly twenty meters deep. Repeating the motion, he fired off three more lances. In seconds, DeRosa had wiped out well over a hundred ants, and the number was only climbing. Looking over at Reynolds, he was met with another impressive sight.
The golden armor flashed in the light as the halberd spun, slicing apart the bodies of any insects that got close. The degree of carnage was far less than the area near DeRosa, yet Garth found his combat style even more impressive. Every movement was made with intention, the long reach of the weapon reaping lives with every stroke. At the same time, Reynolds moved with a grace that belied his size and heavy armor. His footwork and agility were both impressive, always keeping the bulk of his opponents at a perfect range to engage. Garth was almost positive that the man was using three different boosting skills in tandem, though he had no way to confirm it. One for speed, one for power, and one for recovery?
Soon, the pile of bodies around the two humans had grown to impede the advance. Looking around the battlement, Garth saw similar expressions of awe on the faces around him. As far as Garth knew, virtually nobody left in the Central Authority had ever seen DeRosa or Reynolds fight in earnest. Watching them now, it was a sight to behold. Originally, Garth had thought DeRosa nothing more than a paper-pushing administrator. Now, seeing an army of ants breaking against his defenses, he couldn’t help but be impressed. He thought he was likely a match for the man, now he had to admit he was outclassed.
How would they have stacked up against Valentine? It was an odd thought. Still, watching them fight, he was reminded of the Liberation leader. The man was an absolute terror, and yet he could see both DeRosa and Reynolds fighting him to a draw. Both were far beyond where he had been when he’d nearly been killed by the man. Of course, a lot has changed since then. He was pulled away from his thoughts as he saw the mass of ants begin to swerve around the pocket of destruction caused by the two awakened, and he turned to his Communication Array.
“Prepare for long-range bombardment. DeRosa and Reynolds are buying us time, don’t waste it!”
There was a still moment as his order spread across the wall, and then the air around ripped apart as hundreds upon hundreds of skills activated at once. Garth could feel the mana whipping into a frenzy as Mage-type awakened cast their devastating attacks into the oncoming horde. Rangers sighted in on the leading insects, crippling them with precise shots. Though the tide felt endless, Garth’s heart soared as he saw the effectiveness of the attacks.
Explosions rocked the ground as the ants stepped on prepared traps, they got caught up in the barricades, and yet they still kept coming. As the minutes wore on, Garth’s optimism receded. There are just so damn many. The barricades between the approaching swarm and the wall were now almost completely torn down by the waves of creatures, the explosives spent. The once massive torrent of attacks raining down from the walls had slowed to a more moderated pace. The defenders were doing well, but they were getting tired.
Notices continued to come in from other places around the wall. As expected, ants were coming from other directions as well. While the bulk of the forces were here in section four, there were several pitched battles happening in sections eight and twelve, where they hadn’t stationed as many defenders.
“Joseph, get to section eight. Once things are under control, head to twelve. We’ll have another squad there, but it sounds like they’ll need support.”
“Yes, sir.”
The mobile squads were made up of a combination of mages and rangers, each given a cargo transport to quickly traverse the streets and get to each part of the battlefield where they’d be needed. A drone floated nearby, dropping off a crate of ammunition that the Rangers near Garth quickly unpacked and distributed. Below, he heard the beginning of the engagement with their melee troops. Polearms and shields were the weapons of choice, a strong phalanx against the onslaught. For a while, it held. Then, the ants did something unexpected.
Struggling to advance, the waves of mutated ants began building a bridge. Ants bit on to one another as they surged towards the walls, forming living siege weaponry. The melee troops at the gate weren’t able to get close enough to disrupt it, as they were squaring off against opponents of their own. The Rangers were reloading, and the Mages didn’t have enough big attacks left in reserve to wipe out all the advancing bridges.
Without stopping to consult his aides, Garth drew his sword, mana already being channeled through his arms. As he ran, a snarl escaped his lips as an AIR BLADE, wider than any before, ripped through three of the living bridges. Ants were slashed to ribbons as the attack tore through the group, followed quickly by another. Screams down the wall grabbed his attention, and he gave the nearby Mages a quick nod before taking off in the direction of the screams with FLEET FOOT.
Damn. Two of the living bridges had made it to the top of the wall on the other side of section four. Large ants were streaming up and across, and he saw the bodies of some of the mages. They were mangled under the clawed feet and mandibles of the fungus-infested ants, which moved in jerky, erratic bursts. The fungus seemed to have taken root much more deeply than the last group Garth had seen up close, stalks protruding from joints in the chitin.
Two people were clutching bleeding gashes as they tried to back away from the ants, and Garth shoved them roughly behind him as he stepped up to face the creatures. The first one lunged at him, and was met with the tip of his blade, piercing its head and pinning it to the top of the wall. Another ant tried to clamber over its dead comrade to get to him, and was summarily bisected by an AIR BLADE launched from a rising slash. The skill ripped through four other ants that were attempting to cross the wall into Nierburg, and in a quick leap Garth made his way to the top of the living bridge.
His arms were beginning to feel the strain of the skill, though he didn’t hesitate as he sent a vicious strike ripping through the line of ants, sending pieces of chitin and a rain of ichor to the ground. Garth’s attacks took the pressure off, and he saw a jet of fire and pulse of crackling purple lightning shatter the second landing point on the wall, two exhausted Mages nodding at him with relief clear on their faces.
The waves were beginning to thin, and Garth looked out to the field. He saw Reynolds, left arm hanging limp at his side while he continued to fight, slaughtering ant after ant. His movements were much more sluggish than before, and Garth’s suspicion of boosting skills was reinforced. Still, he was dangerous. DeRosa appeared to be largely unhurt, though the balls he had been using as projectiles had begun to warp and lose their shape. They’re not going to make it much longer. There were far fewer ants approaching now, but it was a long way to get to safety. As if reading his mind, he saw Reynolds disengage. At the same time, DeRosa began to make his way towards the man, smashing any ants that got in his way. As soon as Reynolds got close, DeRosa did… something. The air around them blurred, and the next thing he knew, Garth was staring at empty space. He blinked, confused. What the hell kind of skill was that?
Whatever it was, DeRosa and Reynolds had more than done their part. In hindsight, it made sense that they’d have some sort of method to evacuate the battlefield if things went sour. DeRosa wasn’t the kind of man to go into battle without contingencies. Evaluating the carnage, he was still taken aback. The two of them on their own had likely killed as many ants as the first several volleys of skills from the battlements. Not men to underestimate. Unfortunately, his thought was cut short by the Communication Array.
“Garth! We need help!”
It was Joseph’s voice, sounding panicked.
”What’s going on?”
“They’re flying!”
The ants approached, and two figures stood to meet them – one clad in gold, the other crimson. Garth watched with a pair of binoculars as the infested insects began their assault. There’s too many. Cursing their arrogance, Garth considered what to do. He was about to call for a mobile squad to try and help them fall back, but paused as he saw DeRosa move.
A whirlwind of mana exploded from the body of the former Councilman, and his backpack opened. Nearly two dozen metal balls were pulled out, and began to spin around DeRosa. Garth’s eyes widened as he saw the carnage begin. The balls were spinning around the red robes with incredible speed, smashing through the carapace of the ants like paper. For his part, DeRosa stood in the eye of the storm, the area directly around him pristine as ichor and ant pieces painted the battlefield beyond.
Still, he wasn’t done. Extending his left hand, a blue-green lance of energy flashed out, blasting a line through the approaching insects nearly twenty meters deep. Repeating the motion, he fired off three more lances. In seconds, DeRosa had wiped out well over a hundred ants, and the number was only climbing. Looking over at Reynolds, he was met with another impressive sight.
The golden armor flashed in the light as the halberd spun, slicing apart the bodies of any insects that got close. The degree of carnage was far less than the area near DeRosa, yet Garth found his combat style even more impressive. Every movement was made with intention, the long reach of the weapon reaping lives with every stroke. At the same time, Reynolds moved with a grace that belied his size and heavy armor. His footwork and agility were both impressive, always keeping the bulk of his opponents at a perfect range to engage. Garth was almost positive that the man was using three different boosting skills in tandem, though he had no way to confirm it. One for speed, one for power, and one for recovery?
Soon, the pile of bodies around the two humans had grown to impede the advance. Looking around the battlement, Garth saw similar expressions of awe on the faces around him. As far as Garth knew, virtually nobody left in the Central Authority had ever seen DeRosa or Reynolds fight in earnest. Watching them now, it was a sight to behold. Originally, Garth had thought DeRosa nothing more than a paper-pushing administrator. Now, seeing an army of ants breaking against his defenses, he couldn’t help but be impressed. He thought he was likely a match for the man, now he had to admit he was outclassed.
How would they have stacked up against Valentine? It was an odd thought. Still, watching them fight, he was reminded of the Liberation leader. The man was an absolute terror, and yet he could see both DeRosa and Reynolds fighting him to a draw. Both were far beyond where he had been when he’d nearly been killed by the man. Of course, a lot has changed since then. He was pulled away from his thoughts as he saw the mass of ants begin to swerve around the pocket of destruction caused by the two awakened, and he turned to his Communication Array.
“Prepare for long-range bombardment. DeRosa and Reynolds are buying us time, don’t waste it!”
There was a still moment as his order spread across the wall, and then the air around ripped apart as hundreds upon hundreds of skills activated at once. Garth could feel the mana whipping into a frenzy as Mage-type awakened cast their devastating attacks into the oncoming horde. Rangers sighted in on the leading insects, crippling them with precise shots. Though the tide felt endless, Garth’s heart soared as he saw the effectiveness of the attacks.
Explosions rocked the ground as the ants stepped on prepared traps, they got caught up in the barricades, and yet they still kept coming. As the minutes wore on, Garth’s optimism receded. There are just so damn many. The barricades between the approaching swarm and the wall were now almost completely torn down by the waves of creatures, the explosives spent. The once massive torrent of attacks raining down from the walls had slowed to a more moderated pace. The defenders were doing well, but they were getting tired.
Notices continued to come in from other places around the wall. As expected, ants were coming from other directions as well. While the bulk of the forces were here in section four, there were several pitched battles happening in sections eight and twelve, where they hadn’t stationed as many defenders.
“Joseph, get to section eight. Once things are under control, head to twelve. We’ll have another squad there, but it sounds like they’ll need support.”
“Yes, sir.”
The mobile squads were made up of a combination of mages and rangers, each given a cargo transport to quickly traverse the streets and get to each part of the battlefield where they’d be needed. A drone floated nearby, dropping off a crate of ammunition that the Rangers near Garth quickly unpacked and distributed. Below, he heard the beginning of the engagement with their melee troops. Polearms and shields were the weapons of choice, a strong phalanx against the onslaught. For a while, it held. Then, the ants did something unexpected.
Struggling to advance, the waves of mutated ants began building a bridge. Ants bit on to one another as they surged towards the walls, forming living siege weaponry. The melee troops at the gate weren’t able to get close enough to disrupt it, as they were squaring off against opponents of their own. The Rangers were reloading, and the Mages didn’t have enough big attacks left in reserve to wipe out all the advancing bridges.
Without stopping to consult his aides, Garth drew his sword, mana already being channeled through his arms. As he ran, a snarl escaped his lips as an AIR BLADE, wider than any before, ripped through three of the living bridges. Ants were slashed to ribbons as the attack tore through the group, followed quickly by another. Screams down the wall grabbed his attention, and he gave the nearby Mages a quick nod before taking off in the direction of the screams with FLEET FOOT.
Damn. Two of the living bridges had made it to the top of the wall on the other side of section four. Large ants were streaming up and across, and he saw the bodies of some of the mages. They were mangled under the clawed feet and mandibles of the fungus-infested ants, which moved in jerky, erratic bursts. The fungus seemed to have taken root much more deeply than the last group Garth had seen up close, stalks protruding from joints in the chitin.
Two people were clutching bleeding gashes as they tried to back away from the ants, and Garth shoved them roughly behind him as he stepped up to face the creatures. The first one lunged at him, and was met with the tip of his blade, piercing its head and pinning it to the top of the wall. Another ant tried to clamber over its dead comrade to get to him, and was summarily bisected by an AIR BLADE launched from a rising slash. The skill ripped through four other ants that were attempting to cross the wall into Nierburg, and in a quick leap Garth made his way to the top of the living bridge.
His arms were beginning to feel the strain of the skill, though he didn’t hesitate as he sent a vicious strike ripping through the line of ants, sending pieces of chitin and a rain of ichor to the ground. Garth’s attacks took the pressure off, and he saw a jet of fire and pulse of crackling purple lightning shatter the second landing point on the wall, two exhausted Mages nodding at him with relief clear on their faces.
The waves were beginning to thin, and Garth looked out to the field. He saw Reynolds, left arm hanging limp at his side while he continued to fight, slaughtering ant after ant. His movements were much more sluggish than before, and Garth’s suspicion of boosting skills was reinforced. Still, he was dangerous. DeRosa appeared to be largely unhurt, though the balls he had been using as projectiles had begun to warp and lose their shape. They’re not going to make it much longer. There were far fewer ants approaching now, but it was a long way to get to safety. As if reading his mind, he saw Reynolds disengage. At the same time, DeRosa began to make his way towards the man, smashing any ants that got in his way. As soon as Reynolds got close, DeRosa did… something. The air around them blurred, and the next thing he knew, Garth was staring at empty space. He blinked, confused. What the hell kind of skill was that?
Whatever it was, DeRosa and Reynolds had more than done their part. In hindsight, it made sense that they’d have some sort of method to evacuate the battlefield if things went sour. DeRosa wasn’t the kind of man to go into battle without contingencies. Evaluating the carnage, he was still taken aback. The two of them on their own had likely killed as many ants as the first several volleys of skills from the battlements. Not men to underestimate. Unfortunately, his thought was cut short by the Communication Array.
“Garth! We need help!”
It was Joseph’s voice, sounding panicked.
”What’s going on?”
“They’re flying!”
