“We’re out of ammo! We’re out of ammo!!”
“Draw your swords and engage them in close-quarters combat, then!!”
There were so many corpses in front of us that it was literally impossible to find footing. The ground all around was soft and mushy, because of all the blood. Every step we took caused the blood below to gurgle. The air was dyed red. All of our faces were covered in blood mixed with sweat.
I didn’t know how many bullets I’d fired, but I was numb. An anthropoid that was sick of life charged over from in front of me. I blew his head off, and put a hole in his chest. The impact sent him flying backwards.
I do have some confidence in my marksmanship. I don’t know how many anthropoids I’ve killed, but there were still no gaps on either side. All that was in sight was the fur of the anthropoids.
After my guards emptied all of their ammunition, they drew their swords, and they’re currently engaged in a fight with the anthropoids. I switched out the exhausted militia with my guard unit. The militia suffered fairly significant losses. They had lost a quarter of their men, while the remainder were exhausted.
I separated the anthropoids’ main unit from their siege towers and formed a city wall out of ourselves. I couldn’t let the anthropoids in the rear get onto the city walls. The only reinforcements we got were the Valkyries who came out from the city. Our defence line continued to shrink more and more. We had to maintain the strength of the frontlines, or we would get ripped apart.
Maybe I should say that it was extremely fortunate that we were able to hold up for so long in the sea of anthropoids. We were comparable a leaf on the river that was at risk of being drowned at any moment. We had to get to shore.
I can, by all means, return to the city right now and have my guards fend them off, but I can’t do that. I should lead my soldiers and protect my people, not the other way around. My soldiers should die protecting my people and not me, who isn’t willing to protect the people.
I wiped my sweat on my forehead. Ling Yue gripped my cape tightly and looked at the anthropoids around us. She was at a loss for what to do. I didn’t know if she had some self-defence means, as I really hoped that she would use it if she did. Being able to have one more combatant right now would be a blessing.
Our only break was when the Earth Dragon Cavalry made their charge. The anthropoids were defenceless against the Earth Dragons’ charge. They left piles of stomped corpses behind every time they charged the anthropoids, but the Earth Dragons are limited by their stamina, too. They, too, have weak moments; hence, the cavalry had to join us as infantry.
I looked towards the dark horde of anthropoids and felt anxious. I couldn’t see Tanya. She broke off from us as soon as the battle started.
‘She should be searching for their commander, right?’
These anthropoids have no intelligence. All of their orders come from the higher anthropoid that’s acting as their commander. These lower anthropoids don’t know fear, but their commander does, though. As long as he flees, these anthropoids here will flee, as well.
They would also flee if Mommy Vyvyan came, though. The anthropoids here will all be annihilated if she comes.
Mommy Vyvyan is the ruler of elves, so I can’t force her to forsake the elves and come to save humanity. She promised she would come over as soon as possible, so we needed to hold out until then.
‘But will I be able to hold on?’
I looked at my soldiers down on the ground panting for air. I looked at my guards, who fighting the anthropoids with their swords. I watched at our defence line become weaker and weaker. I watched my men fall one after another. They weren’t scared and not one of them backed down. They took anthropoids down with them if they had to die.
‘Will I be able to hold on? Can my soldiers still hold on?’
‘We’ve killed so many anthropoids and then more, but that was just a drop in the bucket to the anthropoids. How am I going to hold on?’
“Your Majesty!”
Just as I lowered my gun and went to reload with my last bullets, Philes ran up to me with his face covered in blood. He huffed and puffed. He couldn’t make out a complete sentence. I looked at one of my soldiers before me. He was down on his knees, for he was exhausted. I shot down an anthropoid in front of him, but then several more axes smashed down on him, reducing him to a limp corpse that was leaking blood.
“We can’t hold out any longer.”
“We didn’t last for as long as I thought!”
“Yes. I am very sorry, but all of our men are exhausted.”
Philes looked at me in a composed manner. He then made a deep bow and said, “I am very sorry, Your Majesty, we have let you down, so I hope that you can give us the order to stay here while you return to the city. We truly cannot hold out any longer. We cannot guarantee your safety when we completely gas.”
I laughed. I looked at Philes and replied, “If I wanted to return, I wouldn’t have needed to wait until now. You’re all exhausted now. Do you think you’d be able to hold out for one more second for me to flee?”
“But…”
“You guys didn’t let me down. You all did a splendid job. You all did the absolute best you could. I underestimated the strength of their assault and their fighting power. In other words, our current predicament is my fault. I’m the one who got you guys all surrounded deep in enemy territory. Would I still be a Prince if I ran off after getting you all in trouble?”
A roar suddenly came from behind. The forefront’s frontlines were torn apart. Our men at the front were knocked flying. A huge anthropoid, similar to the one we crossed paths with in the snowy mountains, came into sight. He knocked our soldiers at the front flying as if they were balling pins. He then leapt into the crowd of anthropoids. The only sounds that came from there were short cries of pain from our men, and the loud smashing sound from their axes.
“Ah, sorry, Your Majesty.”
Philes chuckled, and then drew his blade.
“I won’t let you guys die.”
I took out my necklace at my chest. Once this necklace gets stained with my blood, it means that my life is in danger. Mommy Vyvyan would be teleported to me immediately from anywhere in that situation. I didn’t want to use this necklace. I can’t call her over for something minor when she just had a battle in the elven lands. Vyvyan isn’t just my mom, but also the ruler of elves.
I had no choice now, though. I had to use it.
‘We can turn this around if Mommy Vyvyan comes!!’
The huge anthropoid roared then charged toward me. Ling Yue screamed in a high-pitched voice; then suddenly grabbed me and sprinted toward the rear. I never expected her to pull me. My split moment of surprise caused my necklace with my blood on it to slip out of my hand and fall on the ground.
Ling Yue had already grabbed me and ran toward the city door…
I saw Philes. I saw his proud and dreary smile one last time. He looked at me one last time then turned back. He picked up his sword that was virtually soaked in blood and charged over.
“NOOOOO!!!”
I shouted at the top of my lungs and shoved Ling Yue away. I spun around and ran toward Philes.
‘I won’t let you guys die! I won’t let you guys die! I won’t let you guys die!!’
‘Mom… Mom… I beg you… Mom… If you can sense me… please come to my rescue… Please save us!!’
The anthropoid charging toward Philes suddenly shook and froze on the ground.
Correction.
All of the anthropoids froze. Philes looked at the huge anthropoid, dumbfounded. He paused for a moment and looked at the anthropoid in front of him vigilantly.
The anthropoid shuddered, and then fell to the ground with a loud thud. A small figure flipped up and stood atop its corpse with a round object in her hand.
The anthropoids all went silent. They looked at her and the thing in her hand with astonishment.
“Are you all not going to get lost?!!”
Tanya was covered in blood from head to toe. She threw the round object into the air. The brown fur of an anthropoid scattered in the air.
It was a head!
The anthropoids cried out in a way that I’d never heard before. They looked at us. There was fear in their eyes for the first time. Their fear ran bone deep. Despite numbering hundreds and thousands of times more than us, they slowly began to retreat.
Tanya jumped off and rushed at them with her sword. The anthropoids cried out and ran back for their lives. Their formation fell into disarray.
‘I bet they’d step on their own kind without the Earth Dragons having to go and stomp them!’
“You think you can run away after hurting my child?! As payback for our forest and my son, you shall all die here!!”
All of the ground around instantly froze up. Anger and dominance blasted through the air. The anthropoids spent much effort to raise their heads and look up to the sky. There, they saw Vyvyan, who resembled the incarnation of the sun.
A gigantic fire ball appeared in the air. Vyvyan looked down at them coldly and thundered, “None of you will get away!! On your knees! Kneel before my child!!”
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