"Oh? That guy is actually that troublesome?"
Hearing Dimitri's answer, Vito scanned the wreckage of the battlefield, looking somewhat surprised.
"Way beyond just troublesome!" Dimitri narrowed his eyes. "That guy seems to have become an Ability User. I'm not sure of the specifics, but it likely involves turning his body as hard as iron or stone, similar to Abel's ability."
"An Ability User... I see." Vito nodded. They had clashed with him years ago; it seemed he had grown significantly stronger since then. After all, this man was a Supernova from the same era as their captain, and back then, his bounty was second only to the Captain's.
"What's the plan now?" Vito asked.
Dimitri surveyed the fighting on the street. Their side held a clear advantage; the ragtag army of the Church of the Night was simply no match for them. Furthermore, while Cavendish was still locked in a fierce duel, the fervor of the mob had cooled significantly after witnessing the brutal exchange between Dimitri and Bank. Some of the more cowardly followers had already quietly dropped their weapons and fled back to their homes.
While there was still a contingent of city defense forces present, they had been decimated by the Chris Pirates and had almost entirely lost their fighting spirit.
"The situation is too chaotic. Let's pull back to the harbor first!" Dimitri said grimly.
The current state of affairs was a mess. The Chris Pirates and the Triangle Pirates were being swarmed by at least ten thousand rioters, a thousand city guards, and a massive number of Church personnel.
Moreover, just minutes ago, Dimitri had faintly heard the roar of battle coming from the center of the castle. In the Kingdom of Bivins, the center of every fortress was the Inner Keep, usually where the Lord resided. It was highly likely the Lord's manor was under siege as well. Given the scale of this uprising, it was probable that the garrison stationed at Fort Respler had also met with disaster.
"Retreat to the harbor... fine, let's do it your way." Vito thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
…
Valanfort. Inner Keep.
"Kill them!"
"Breach the Inner Keep! Slay those wretched nobles!"
"The Goddess of the Night has descended! Heretics must die!"
"The Night is coming, tomorrow is no more; salvation for all lies only in the Night!"
The mob—a mix of commoners, Valanfort city guards, Church clergy, and Paladins—surged forward like a swarm of ants toward the towering stone walls.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Bang! Bang! Bang! Whiz! Whiz! Whiz!
Cannons roared, gunfire crackled, and arrows fell like rain. The cries of battle shook the heavens. Rolling logs, battering stones, and boiling oil, anything that could deal damage, were hurled down from the ramparts as thick black smoke billowed upward.
The smell of gunpowder, blood, and filth mingled together, creating that unique, oppressive scent of a battlefield. Every second, soldiers plummeted from the walls; every second, people were cut down at the base; every second, life was snuffed out in droves.
"Hold them back! Hold back these rebellious curs!" The silver-haired old Lord, clad in the armor of his youth and wielding a hand-and-a-half sword forged of fine steel, swung his blade and roared with all his might.
"My Lord!" A middle-aged man in ornate armor ran up, his face etched with anxiety.
"What's the word? Have you reached the garrison?" The old Lord's eyes lit up, and he grabbed the man's arm.
"My Lord, there's still no answer on the Den Den Mushi. We've lost all contact with the garrison!" the man cried. "What do we do? We're going to be besieged and slaughtered here!"
"Lost contact with the garrison?!" Hearing this, the old Lord swayed, leaning on his sword to keep from collapsing. "How could this happen? They are the most elite legion in the kingdom! How could they be cut off by a mob of commoners?" he roared, his eyes bloodshot.
The military of Valanfort was split into two parts. The first was the local City Defense Force, eight thousand strong, responsible for patrols, security, and routine defense.
The second was the Garrison Force, usually stationed outside the city but moved inside due to the recent domestic rebellion. They numbered thirty thousand and were among the kingdom's finest, not a single one was a local. Half were sons of nobles from the main castle, and they were rotated every few years. Their sole purpose was to hold Valanfort and secure the escape route for the royal family and high nobility. If they had been defeated or subverted, it truly was the end.
Three streets away from the Inner Keep, Bane, dressed in black-and-white cross-patterned robes and wearing an obsidian crown, stepped out onto a street corner.
"What's the status?" Bane watched the assault on the Inner Keep from a distance before turning to a man beside him in similar robes.
"Your Eminence, the situation is still within our control!" The regional bishop of the Church of the Night hesitated before adding, "However, the walls of the Inner Keep are incredibly sturdy. Since our attack was launched in haste, we may not be able to breach them immediately."
"We attacked in haste, but they are defending in haste. It's the same," Bane replied coldly.
"True, but the Inner Keep holds not only a thousand city guards but also hundreds of private retainers and knights. Coupled with those massive walls, our several charges have been repelled." The bishop's expression was grim.
Bane nodded noncommittally, his eyes fixed on the siege. Beneath his stoic mask, his heart bled, not for the dying believers, but for the clergy. Valanfort was the Church's headquarters in the Bivins Kingdom, housing a vast number of ordained personnel. Because they often preached abroad, they were trained in martial arts and weaponry. While not as strong as the Paladins, they were far superior to the common folk.
These clergymen were literate and combat-ready; they were the foundation of the Church and acted as low-level officers during the uprising. If their losses were too great, the massive army of commoners would lose its leadership, and the situation would descend into uncontrollable chaos.
"The defenders are few. We must take the keep quickly!" Bane commanded sternly.
"Yes, Your Eminence!" the bishop replied solemnly.
After a long silence, Bane watched the brutal siege and suddenly asked, "Any news from the garrison?"
"Some news. More than half of the thirty thousand garrison troops have defected to our side. We've taken two of the three city gates, but the East Gate still holds!" The bishop watched Bane's face carefully as he spoke.
"What? Didn't we already assassinate the High Commander of the garrison? Why isn't it taken yet?" Bane frowned, his annoyance visible. "The East Gate is the main camp of the garrison. Did our assassins fail to kill that man?"