As they ran alongside the old man, William used a ntal link to inform Fang about the hidden portal located away from the city. Yet he made sure to let him know about his plan regarding that thing, so he wouldn’t ss things up.
Fang felt surprised by William’s plan. If anything, it was bold! It wasn’t just about closing a door; it was about setting a trap that would resonate all the way back to the upper realm.
Knowing that the toxin was getting cured, every single master in the city found a new surge in morale! The sight of their comrades rising from the brink of death acted as the ultimate stimulant.
Their attacks beca fiercer, and their advance beca unstoppable! The despair that had hung over the city like a funeral shroud was torn asunder by war cries and the rhythmic thrum of spirit techniques.
Even when the scale of this battle grew to an extent that William’s monsters wouldn’t cover a great part of the battlefield, it didn’t matter.
The human defenders were fighting with a desperate, newfound strength. And with Fang’s return—appearing on the ramparts like a vengeful god of war—things shifted even further to the better.
"W... What happened?"
Away from the chaotic frontline, in the relative quiet of the inner square, Lara’s voice ca so weak, so soft. She was slowly opening her eyes as if she was waking up from a long, troubled sleep. The greyish tint of the toxin had faded from her skin, replaced by a faint, healthy flush.
"Easy there," William said, his voice dropping to a gentle tone. He didn’t let her stand up all at once, keeping his arm behind her shoulders to stabilise her. "You suffered a deadly toxin, and you need to take it easy. Your ridians are still recovering from the shock."
"T... Toxin... The... The city... My city..." Lara’s eyes opened widely when her mind started to recall the frantic monts before she collapsed—the sll of decay, the sight of her soldiers falling, and the overwhelming feeling of helplessness. Her voice beca shaky and anxious, while her body tried to resist William’s firm grasp in a desperate attempt to find her feet.
"I have saved the day, the city is secured!" William expected her to act this way. He knew her heart was tied to every stone and soul in this place. "I heard the news late, but ca once I did. Sorry, I left without enough backup."
He knew this was his fault; he had underestimated his enemies. In his pursuit of higher goals, he had left the gate poorly guarded.
But he never expected to et three of the upper realm’s most infamous figures—the Dark Triad—in this war, in this lowly world! If he had known, he should have kept enough monsters to keep the city safe.
"Don’t say that," Lara said, her breathing finally starting to even out. She slowly adjusted her body, sitting on the ground while holding her head with both hands. "Ouch! I have the worst headache one can ask for! It feels like a thousand needles are dancing in my brain."
"Headache is better than death, right?" William tried to crack a joke. It was a silly, almost clumsy attempt at humour, but in the middle of a war zone, it carried a strange weight. It actually made Lara chuckle, a dry, raspy sound that brought a smile to William’s face.
"As long as you can joke like that, then everything is fine," Lara’s voice started to sound better the more she talked. The elixir was doing its work, repairing the cellular damage at an accelerated rate.
"I can’t even summon enough strength to spread my spirit sense and examine the city. Tell , is there anything still standing intact? I bet you destroyed everything in your battle! Knowing you, the collateral damage must be legendary."
"Co on, you know I never fight recklessly like that," William shook his head, feigning offence. "At least three buildings are still intact, satisfied?"
"Hahaha, that’s a new record, cough! Cough!" Lara coughed and sneezed as her body purged the last of the stagnant energy. She could feel the warmth of her own spirit power beginning to circulate again. "Help up. I want to see what happened to my city."
William knew she was getting better and that her willpower would no longer allow her to stay on the ground. He helped her stand, and as she reached her full height, she fell into a heavy silence.
The city was indeed broken. From their vantage point, the devastation was clear. Many buildings were damaged, their roofs caved in or walls shattered by stray spirit strikes, and many landmarks simply weren’t there anymore, reduced to piles of rubble.
Yet there were still parts of the city standing—islands of stone in a sea of debris. And on top of all, there were lots of masters fighting with renewed vigor to defend the periter.
"It looks better than I thought," after standing in silence for a few minutes, Lara finally said that. Her eyes weren’t on the ruins, but on the banners still flying over the main gates.
"Don’t worry," William said, patting her on the head as if she were still the young disciple he first t. "We built this city from almost nothing, and we’ll do it again. But first..."
"We have a war to win," Anjie’s voice interrupted. She had returned from the frontline as fast as she could when she saw Lara standing up. She wasn’t alone; all the girls—Sara, Becky, and the others—hurried back as well, their faces a mix of exhaustion and absolute relief at seeing Lara recovered.
"We need to give those bastards a hard ti," Sara said, her fists clenched and her eyes burning with a dark fire. "They did us right this ti, and we need revenge! They thought they could poison us and walk away?"
"It’s not your fault," William said, looking at each of them. He could tell everyone had their own ideas and guilt about the situation.
User Comments
0 comments from readers