Chapter12
. Battle at the Final Wall (2)
Bathed in the light of the bonfires, the swordsmen stood a few steps back from the outer edge of the wall, blades at the ready.
I see⊠Theyâre waiting to strike down the beastfolk as they climb up the wall. Fighting them here, atop the rampart, makes it easier to control the number of opponentsâbetter than engaging them on open ground.
But if even one of those things manages to get over the top, itâs over. The castle itself would be in danger. When I glanced down, I saw that a small number of swordsmen had also been stationed at the base of the wall.
From what Iâve heard, this is as close as it gets to a final battle. If the line breaks, itâs all over. Theyâd probably reach this very citadel.
âŠNo, I still have no idea what Iâm supposed to do. But still⊠they couldâve summoned me a little earlier, donât you think? At this rate, the place could fall before dawn.
Of course, I understand that Princess Leafaâs life was sacrificed for the summoning. But remembering the savagery of those beastfolk I saw last night, I canât imagine these walls holding out for longâŠ
Then, in that instantâI saw it leap up from beyond the ramparts: a lion-type beastman.
From the watchtower to the final wall must be around a hundred meters, but even from here I could feel the sheer force radiating from its muscular chest and mane, a pressure so strong it seemed to buzz through the air to where I stood.
In the blink of an eye, a short swordsman with vivid orange hair raised a long bladeâ
and the lionâs head went flying.
She turned, cutting down the next wolf-type beastman with a smooth, flowing motion. One after another, she cut them down with movements so fluid they almost seemed choreographed.
Even from this distance, I could barely follow what was happening. Up close, it would be too fast for the eye to track.
All along the wall, beastfolk were appearing, launching attacks on the swordsmen in every direction.
âThese swordsmen are strong!
But the beastfolk werenât normal eitherâtheir movements were wild, inhumanly fast and powerful. Yet the swordsmen didnât falter.
âItâs a matter of numbersâŠ
No matter how many the swordsmen cut down, more and more beastfolk kept appearing.
The fallen corpses were kicked off the walls one after another, to keep the footing clear. Even that much would drain their stamina quickly.
The battle had only just begun, yet each swordsman had already cut down at least three enemies. Out of 320 swordsmen, about 300 were stationed on the wallâthatâs around 900 kills already.
And still, the beastfolk came at the same relentless pace.
Not even five minutes had passed. If I assume night lasts about ten hours, from sunset to sunrise, then at this rate, each swordsman would slay about 360 in a single nightâmeaning the entire unit would take down roughly 108,000 enemies.
âA hundred thousandâŠ
My mind, still sharp from college entrance exam prep, did the math automatically. But the weight of that number hit harder than the calculation itself.
A hundred thousand in one night.
If this had been going on for twelve nights, thatâs already 1.2 million beastfolk killed.
And yet, two of the outer walls have already fallen, and now theyâre backed up to the final one. I canât even imagine how many enemies surround the city in total.
Whatâs worse, the bonfire light doesnât even reach beyond the wall. From the swordsmenâs perspective, the beastfolk must be leaping at them from total darkness. Theyâre fighting under unbearable tension, cutting down enemy after enemy without pause.
Wait⊠This goes on for ten hours straight�
Just watching from here had my nerves on edge. My palms were slick with cold sweatâno, my whole body was damp now.
I still didnât know what I could do, or what was expected of me. But at the very least, I had to keep watching carefully.
âYour Excellency, the MarebitoâŠâ
Shia-yunâs voice brought me back to myself.
âYes?â
âIf you strain yourself too much, youâll lose focus. Iâve brewed you some teaâplease, if youâd like.â
âThank you.â
I drank it down in one go, only then realizing how dry my throat had become.
Whatever my own circumstances might beâbeing summoned into this insane situationâthe reasons behind Princess Leafaâs desperate summoning were clear enough now.
They were out of options.
