"Damn it! Block them!"
Xeros shouted as he unleashed magic at the monsters climbing the ramparts.
The guards beside him thrust their spears and shields, pushing the monsters back down from the walls.
At that moment, a magical beast swooped down from the sky, threatening Xeros. "Mage!"
A guard cried out to him.
But Xeros was too busy blocking monsters coming from another direction to respond to the beastʼs attack.
Then, a flash erupted from afar, and something pierced the beastʼs neck.
Keeeaak—
Behind the fallen beast stood Yellin, clad in her Hercion.
She extended her hand, and the dagger that had flown returned to her, curving back around.
It was a dagger enchanted with magic that Hades had made for her.
At that point, Luter and Omar swung their swords at the monsters as they approached Yellinʼs position.
Xeros said to Yellin and Luter.
"There are too many enemies. At this rate, the walls will be breached soon."
Hades was providing support from the air with his magic, but there were limits.
If he revealed his true form, he could sweep away these monsters with ease, but doing so would trigger sanctions from karma, restricting the power he could use.
Though Yellin, the Black Sword Knight Order, and Ishtarʼs mystics were fending off the monsters swarming various points along the walls, their numbers were simply overwhelming.
There were so many that the corpses of the slain monsters filled the moat, piling up and creating paths for more to climb the walls.
And then it happened.
The already desperate situation grew even worse as something appeared in the sky.
Tssst—
A black-robed mage riding a ghost steed emerged.
Shockingly, the mageʼs face beneath the hood was a skull, with blue ghostfire flickering in its empty eye sockets.
The skull mage extended a hand toward the dead monsters and began chanting a spell. Shaaaa—
As the spell settled over the corpses, the bodies started to rise.
Groooar!
The monsters they thought were dead rose as undead from their spots.
Seeing this, Xeros, Yellin, and Luterʼs faces turned pale.
"C-Crazy. How can he raise that many corpses at once..."
No human necromancer or ordinary lich could perform such a feat.
Narak and Siemens had dispatched two powerful high-rank demonkind for this invasion of Dorta, aiming to wipe out both Julius and Zeke in one go.
Viper, a vassal of the Endlessly Devouring One, was willful but possessed strength that even other demonkind avoided.
Moreover, the skull mage leading the monster legion was a high-rank demonkind comparable to Viper—in some ways, even stronger.
With this invasion of Dorta as the spearhead, Narak and Siemens intended to accelerate the continental war, pouring in significant resources and forces to ensure success.
The skull mage, having raised the monster corpses, extended his hand toward those inside the walls and cried out.
"Foolish mortals! Cease your futile resistance! The longer you drag this out, the greater your suffering will be!"
Hades, who had been dealing with the beasts in the air, frowned upon seeing the skull mage.
"Isnʼt that a high-rank demonkind? What the hell is karma doing, letting a bastard like that roam free!"
While controlling his own power as a dragonkin with precision, the fact that he couldnʼt block the summoning of a high-rank demonkind infuriated Hades. He ground his teeth and shouted.
"Damn it! I donʼt get it either! Hey! Karma! Be fair about this and cut me some slack!" Hades extended his hand, creating a summoning circle.
From several circles floating in the air, the guardians he had crafted appeared.
These were new guardians improved with the help of Gelion, the soul artisan from Agamemnon Castle, and Feynen, the expert in magical constructs.
Hades deployed the guardians along the walls.
Clank!
The guardians, clad in various armors, landed on the ramparts and activated immediately, their eyes glowing.
Whoooong!
They drew the greatswords from their backs and swung at the undead monsters climbing the walls.
Kwaduduk!
The monsters struck by the greatswords exploded, scattering and falling below the walls.
For a moment, the walls buzzed with renewed vigor thanks to the guardians, but the monster assault showed no signs of letting up.
And shortly after, an even grimmer situation unfolded.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Rhinoceros-like colossal monsters charged forward, slamming their horns against the gate.
Kung!
The impact of their rush shook the entire wall.
Seeing this, Xeros turned to Yellin.
"At this rate, this place will be breached in no time. While I hold them off, Lady Yellin and Lord Hades, escape the city and head back to the central continent. Itʼs still possible to use the portal now."
Yellin shook her head firmly.
"A warrior of Ishtar never flees the battlefield."
At that moment, Luter turned his head and pointed to the sky.
"T-That!"
Not yet fluent in the common tongue, Luter pointed urgently and shouted.
The skull mage in the air had activated another spell.
Kugugugu—
Green mist began billowing from his body.
Xeros shouted upon seeing it.
"No! Wind! Wind!"
He hastily cast wind magic to blow the mist outside the walls.
But the green mist ignored his spell, slowly but steadily seeping into the city.
One guard ended up touching the ominous fog.
"Uh, uh?"
Blisters erupted rapidly on the guardʼs skin where it made contact.
"Gaaah!"
In an instant, the blisters spread across his body, and he screamed.
The blisters burst, spilling pus, and those nearby who touched it showed the same symptoms.
"Gaaah!"
More and more guards suffered as blisters formed, their agony spreading.
Xeros yelled to the knights.
"Do not touch that mist! Itʼs a deadly magical poison!" He shouted to Hades.
"Lord Hades! Burn that mist with fire!"
Hades, watching from above, fully realized how vicious the green toxic fog created by the demonkind was.
After a momentʼs hesitation, he snapped his fingers.
Snap!
Flames erupted, enveloping the toxic fog.
Ordinary poison would dissipate in fire.
But this mist was different.
Tssst—
Instead, upon contact with the flames, it expanded even further.
Hades, who had ignited the fire, widened his eyes in shock.
"Huh? What the..."
At that instant, a sharp pain struck his heart, and Hades clutched his chest, staggering back.
"Ugh! Damn... Karma, you really gonna do this?!" His actions had been restricted by karma.
The toxic fog, now wreathed in flames, billowed thicker, enveloping the entire wall.
Xeros scattered some with wind magic, but it wasnʼt enough.
The monsters kept climbing the walls.
Despair washed over Xeros.
'Is this the end?ʼ
As a genius in Nirvana, Xeros had rarely felt despair.
But since joining Zeke on the battlefield, it had been one despair after another.
He never imagined his magic would feel so powerless outside the lab.
'Damn! What genius mage? What warlock and sorcerer?ʼ Still, he couldnʼt give up here.
Xeros pushed aside his helplessness, gritted his teeth, and steadied his breath.
"Cover me!"
Yellin and Omar flanked him for protection, while Luter leaped forward, slashing approaching monsters to keep them at bay.
Xeros closed his eyes and chanted.
A massive gust of wind rose from his body.
Kugugugu—
Squeezing out every last bit of mana, a colossal whirlwind formed around him.
Soon, it took the shape of a giant.
Kwaaakwaa—
Xeros controlled the wind giant to sweep up the mist and hurl it far beyond the walls.
At the same time, he directed another whirlwind at the skull mage in the air.
Whoooong!
The massive gust enveloped the skull mage, but he remained unmoved atop his ghost steed.
The skull mage extended his hand again.
"Foolish human. Face true terror and wail."
Kiaaaak!
A horrific banshee wail emanated from the skull mageʼs body.
Countless wraiths pierced the whirlwind and flew toward the walls.
Kiaaaak!
The wails from the wraiths struck fear into the guards and knights, turning their faces pale as they trembled.
"No... Weʼre all going to die."
"God has abandoned us! Uwaaah!" The wails stirred human terror and despair.
Those plunged into panic lost all control.
Some dropped their weapons and jumped from the walls.
Even the knight order fighting below began to crumble.
Xeros, who had summoned the whirlwind, was also growing exhausted.
'Has God truly abandoned us...?ʼ Boom! Thud! Thud!
Just as the colossal monsters were about to breach the walls.
Kwadududuk!
The colossal monster in front froze solid in an instant.
The rigidly frozen beast blocked the gate, becoming an impassable wall for the others.
At the same time, a massive light descended from the sky.
Pajijijik!
Hundreds of lightning bolts of light swept away the monsters on the walls, as well as the wraiths.
With the wails gone, the knights regained their senses first.
Xeros, Yellin, and Luter looked up at the sky. Hades pointed with his finger and shouted.
"Youʼre here! Finally! You annoying bastard!"
A horned horse galloped through the sky, ridden by a knight in Hercion, his cape fluttering in the wind, a shining sword in hand.
Zeke had arrived.
Bucephalus charged toward the skull mage on the ghost steed.
Whoooong!
In the meantime, Zeke drew his chained hammer, spun it, and hurled it at the skull mage.
The hammer flew swiftly toward him.
Seeing this, the skull mage extended his hand and screamed.
"Insolent human! Iʼll grant you the most agonizing death!" With his cry, the skull mage cast a spell.
A black-energied wraith burst from his hand, lunging at the hammer.
The venomous wraith was lethal to humans.
But before it could reach Zeke, it collided with the incoming hammer and vanished.
"Hm?!"
Only then did the skull mage realize the hammer that obliterated the venomous wraith in one blow was no ordinary artifact.
The skull mage, maintaining his dignified posture, spurred his ghost steed to swiftly dodge the approaching hammer.
Whoooong!
But it was futile.
Zeke manipulated the chain, pursuing the fleeing mage relentlessly.
Whiiiish!
As the hammer chased him like it had eyes, the skull mage couldnʼt help but panic momentarily.
He quickly regained his composure and shifted his target to Zeke, the hammerʼs controller.
Shaaaa—
Vicious toxic fog poured from his body, a thick green mist enveloping Zeke.
Even with Hercion, trace toxins could seep through.
The skull mage assumed Zeke would drop dead instantly.
But he was gravely mistaken.
Shaaak!
A blade of radiant light pierced the hazy toxic fog, flying toward the skull mage.
Slice— "Kiaaak!"
The concentrated purifying light slashed across the skull mageʼs body.
"Kuh..."
Unable to heal the wound from the light blade, the skull mage retreated for now.
Then, a brilliant golden aura began emanating from within the toxic fog.
Whoooong!
Soon, the mist dissipated, and a powerful wave of golden aura spread outward.
Zekeʼs Great Purification skill extended toward the walls and the knight order battling the monsters.
Whoooong!
The massive golden wave bathed the entire battlefield.
Shaaaa—
Knights and guards enveloped by Zekeʼs golden wave felt the blisters from the toxic mist heal in an instant.
At the same time, those gripped by fear from the wraiths regained their senses.
"A miracle! Itʼs a miracle!"
The knights and guards rose, shouting toward Zeke in the sky.
"The Knight of Salvation! He has saved us!"
The cry spread across the battlefield, completely turning the tide.
At that moment.
Those who spotted something in the sky cried out in astonishment.
"T-That!"
A massive phoenix burst through the clouds, revealing itself in the battlefield sky.