The artillery battalion where Paul and Pascal were stationed temporarily ceased fire, abandoning their fruitless attempts to break the enemy line.
Meanwhile, the other Mages hidden among the National Guard had already devised a way to break through:
Without any warning, a giant hand of earth and stone erupted from the ground, slamming down hard on the barbed wire and the first trench. The soldiers inside the trench were knocked unconscious and buried alive before they could even realize what had just burst out in front of them.
After the hand crumbled, it successfully formed a ramp over the barbed wire. The National Guard infantry cheered and charged, concentrating their assault on this breach in the defenses.
