A minute before.
Leonas Cardin
'Can we trust it?' I asked while defending against the attacks. 'We should not; this could be a trap.' Opposed Brigadier General Vihra.
'I think we should take a chance. If they are really rebelling, it might save a lot of lives and time,' added Trask.
'I agree. We should take the risk,' supplied Axseer.
There is a risk to it, but the reward is also great. The decision is mine. A wrong step would cost me a lot, but I can't just ignore the benefits.
Finally, I made the decision.
'Brigadier General Axseer, you will lead. I will also give you three mage squads, cavalry company led by Lt. Colonel Luskin, along with two brigades led by Lt. Colonel Uram and Lt. Colonel Galin,' I ordered.
'As you command, General,' she replied after a moment of pause.
There was surprise in her voice; she had never led this kind of assignment or even participated in it, but if things get hard, she will be best suited to deal with it.
I have provided her ample support, which will give her the flexibility to deal with any problem.
….
Rahzira Axseer
It took me a few seconds to separate the company from the army.
I am not only leading my division, but also many supporting units. It is a comprehensive force, from the mage squads to the cavalry company.
I even got the elite battalion; they are really good at tearing through the enemy fast.
'Anything?' I asked Cas and his aerial reconnaissance unit. He and his small unit had also come with me; their beasts are in the sky, keeping an eye on everything.
Usually, the undead keep their cities impregnable, shooting any beast that comes within range.
Currently, they lack sufficient personnel and are focused on defending against us. There are some who are attacking them, and Cas and his people know how to deal with it.
Cas is good, Eli is better. He provides much more precise data, but he went with Lord Silver.
'Everything is calm, aside from the reaction of us moving toward them,' he replied. Seeing that, I didn't feel good, but kept moving.
I need to be prepared for everything, including the possibility of going back.
This could be the undead's strategy. Separating us, before mounting an offensive.
I am still surprised that I got the command. The last battle had been very straining for me. I had to push beyond my limit to control the fifteen thousand people.
Vihra or Trask would have been better; they have experience with these kinds of battles.
"Don't think about it too much, General. You got the responsibility, because Commander thinks you can do it," said Yard.
The old man always seemed to know what I was thinking. I nodded at him, gratefully.
'General, there is a movement from the living troops behind the southern gate.' Informed Cas. 'Then we shouldn't dally,' I replied and gave the command to move faster.
…
Orwin Dunwall
"They are coming," said Veyra. I could feel the relief in her voice.
I am relieved as well. However, we would have done this, even if they hadn't come. We are doing this for ourselves, for our people.
The undead had turned us into their slaves, so that they are not even willing to give us peace after death.
Wendel, who had been looking out, turned to us. He is a man in his late thirties, with thick brown hair and bronze skin, typical of the people on Mayhurst Island.
"The prissy forces of Greltheaven are coming toward us," he said with his eyes burning.
"They have used the underhanded means to win at Greltheaven, but here they will learn a lesson they have never understood before when we show them the true might of Vris'alud!" he shouted.
Vris'alud.
He is referring to us as forces of the undead, tying us with them.
I could see that it had made a lot of my men's expressions ugly. Will they follow me? The plan had been made, but only three people knew about it.
Me, Veyra, and Andra. I didn't even inform Birrows, as I'm unsure if he will be with us.
The undead cheered while we watched silently. I could see that made Wendel angry, but he only glanced before sending the command to his lieutenants.
We are only for the support. He will only use us when things get difficult or they breach the gate.
I was watching him when I saw his expression turn worse. I was thinking about what happened when the command rang out in my mind.
'Battalion seven, nine, and sixteen. Report to the eastern gate!' the voice of the Commander rang out in my mind.
He is pulling one battalion from each gate toward the eastern gate where he is fighting.
The command had asked for my battalion to report there, not only mine, but also some undead, looking at Wendel's expressions.
"It seemed like we would have to start sooner than hoped," I nodded and stepped forward.
We wanted to wait until the Greltheavens forces arrive. We might be doing this for ourselves, but the support would lessen our casualties.
I still want some people to taste freedom, not just die for it.
Now, we don't have any choice. We have to do it now. If we didn't, we would not get another chance. We will remain slaves of the undead forever.
At first, nobody noticed much, but soon I felt eyes on me, and I saw a frown appear on Wendel's face.
I took a few more steps before finally stopping.
"When the commander usurped the lord. He promised us freedom and dignity. Instead, he became a puppet of the undead, enslaved us," I said, my voice booming without any skill.
I could see the shock, but also the understanding in the eyes of my people.
"He had fallen with them to such a level that he had sold our lives as well as our death to them, not even sparing our bodies, even after death!"
They understood what I was saying, and there was barely any surprise on their faces.
As if they expected the worst from their commander, for whom they had rebelled against their lord.
"No more. I refuse to be a slave of the undead anymore. I will fight today for the freedom I once knew and the dignity I once had!" I finished and raised my halberd.
"Die undead!" I roared and charged toward the undead.
I could see Wendel laughing before his face turned cold with eyes filled with fury.
"Shoot him dead," he ordered, and immediately, I saw tens of arrows coming toward me, along with the spells.
I could not defend against them all, nor could I dodge them. So, I kept moving straight toward them. I already expected that I would die, and there is no hesitation in my heart as I ran toward them.
Soon, the attacks are less than five meters in front of me. In a second, they will reach me.
It was when the shield appeared. The familiar, oval windshield appeared in front of me; it was Veyra's. I know, she will defend me.
Though a moment later, tens of others popped up around me, with hundreds of army skills covering me.
"Kill the undead basterds!" I heard the roars from Andra and Birrows before the other officers joined in. As they did, I saw them charging toward the undead.
Soon I saw soldiers charging–hundreds of them. Thousands of them, including those hesitant ones, also brought their spears forward and charged toward the undead.
I could see Weldel's face turn ugly, and a momentary hesitation appeared on his face, before the decision took over.
He said something to his lieutenant before jumping off the gate.
Thud!
He landed with a thud and moved forward till he appeared in front of the horde, with fury burning in his eyes.
"You all have made a grave mistake. For it only death is a worthy punishment!" he said.
"Kill them all," he roared and came toward us with the horde, with his people shooting spells and arrows toward us.
Boom Boom Boom!
They had even turned a few cannons toward us and fired cannonballs.
The shields popped up, but they are being struck by the heavy fire. They are breaking rapidly, and while new ones are taking their place.
Finally, the shield in front of it couldn't hold, and a blast appeared, and a few spells sneaked in before another shield took its place.
I didn't stop; instead, I swung my halberd, activating the Vanguard Slash.
Rip Clang Rip!
My halberd cut through the Ice Spear, before tearing the Wind Arc apart and then moving to the Earth Pike.
My attacks are fast, and I cut through the spells, but not all of them. Some got close, when a round shield appeared to my left, while a long sword appeared to my right.
They defended and cut through the spells.
"A little warning would have been better," said the man in his fifties. He is Birrows, one of the Lt. Colonels.
"I wasn't sure," I replied truthfully. I didn't have to say 'about you,' as the man understood it. He and Commander go back a long way; I don't know whether I could trust him.
He simply nodded.
"So, what's the plan?" asked Andra. "You two, go for the gate; I will stop Wendel," I replied. Hearing that, surprise appeared on their face.
"He is four levels higher than you," pointed Birrows.
I am not surprised by how he knows it; he knew them due to his connection. This is why I had not included him in the plan.
I am Lv. 31. This means Wendel is at Lv. 35; I knew his level was at mid Lv. 30s, but didn't know exactly.
It is a large gap. I am at an early Lv. 30s while he is at mid-Lv. 30's.
He is also a skilled fighter who has been battling on the island until two months ago, before he arrived here. In contrast, I haven't fought in a single battle in the past two years.
Though as I moved toward the undead. It didn't feel like it; I feel more prepared than I ever felt.
"Ok," they said after looking for a moment, and moved away from me. Their responsibility is the gate, and I hope they will be able to open it.
There won't be any support for at least ten to fifteen minutes.
This might not seem like much time, but it is. The enemy has eight times as many numbers as we do, and they want to swarm us.
They will have to tear through the swarm and open the gates.
It is a massive challenge.
I'm not sure if they can do it, but I will try to hold Wendel off for as long as possible.
Spells came and I moved through it with the support of my mages, until finally, I came in front of Wendel, with the massive swarm of undead behind him.
"I will not kill you quickly, you ant. I will keep you alive and torture you for weeks. You will beg for death, but it will not come," he said with a grin and attacked with a large red sabre.
"Good," I replied simply to his frustration and swung my halberd in counter.