Hey everyone welcome back for another chapter of this Sword Art Online Story! On the last chapter we finally got to see Adam's journey cross paths with Alice and Kirito! With the destruction of the Eastern Gate, the war has finally begun. While everyone is focusing their attention on the Eastern Front, Adam has been sent to a hidden pass to prevent enemy forces from attacking their camp. How will the Fourteenth Company deal with this matter, we shall see.
CHAPTER 11: The Hidden Path
At the boarders of the human empire, armies of human soldiers, led by Integrity Knights, had marched toward the Eastern Gate that soon began to crack. The cracks crawled their way down to soil beneath the feet of the human soldiers. Along the side of the wall were cracks that almost resembled the roots of a rotting tree. Light glowed immensely through the cracks, making this dry ravine as bright as day.
While some troops were speechless as they saw the wall slowly lose its strength before their eyes, others were shaking in their boots. The inevitable truth that once the wall would fall, these men and women would be introduced to the savagery of the beasts that awaited them. Every one of them waited, with sweat coming down their necks, as they felt the warm glow of the bright light that shined across the ravine.
On the other side of the wall, the beasts who were savoring the fight to come. For too long had they have been in exile. For too long, they watched their comrades fall at the hands of the Integrity Knights. Now, with their armies united, the monsters of the Dark Territory waited for their first moment to strike.
The leader of the Mountain Goblins, Chief Kosogi, who smiled with ill intentions, was ready to welcome the Integrity Knights properly. Not too long ago, he had heard news that one of his tribes located in the highest mountains of the human empire was slaughtered by an Integrity Knight. Oh how he relished in the thought of adding the head of one of these knights in his room of trophies.
Beside the Mountain Chief was the chief of the Flatland Goblins, Shibori, who roared in anger as he was ready to feast on human flesh. For sometime he and his troops have raided several villages, burning down homes, and taking human prisoners as their livestock. But in recent days, he had received news that a party he had sent west was decimated by a single knight. Some of his best troops were reduced to ash while the survivors were left to face the wrath of the chief. Shibori was out for blood.
Lilpilin, Chief of the Orcs, stood in front of his troops who were ready to prove themselves. Out of all the armies of the Dark Territory, the orcs were looked down upon the most. These creatures were pigs and so they were treated as such by many. This war would show them that the orcs could be seen as a valuable fighting force to this campaign against the humans.
The chief of the giants, Sigurosig, tightened his grip over her weapon as he stared at the wall before him. After hearing news that one of his tribesmen led a raid on a small town and did not return, the chief was angered with rage. Knowing that only an Integrity knight could defeat one of his giants, Sigurosig was ready to avenge his fallen.
Along side the giants, the ogres were reading their bows with their leader, Chief Furgr at the front of their army. Long have his people have waited to return to the Greenfield's that were stolen from them. For too long, Furor watched countless members of his pack die at the hands of the Integrity Knights. Knowing that they were the only obstacle standing between them and everlasting peace, the ogres were willing to kill anyone who stood in their path.
At the same time, the sound of clashing metal could be heard from the leader of the Pugilist Guild, Iskahn, who loved the thrill of fighting. In the eyes of a Pugilist, fighting was their way of life. To them, only the strongest were allowed to live for it was their victories that would echo in history. While Iskahn had faught many adversaries, defeating an Integrity Knight was his overall goal. Should he do so, then his name would go down in history as the first Pugilist to kill a knight. The thought alone brought a big smile on his face as he readied his fists for combat.
While the beasts prepared themselves for battle, the Chancellor of the Dark Mages, Dee Eye Ell, kept her poise. She loved death, and she relished in the sounds of her enemies screaming. Torturing was a hobby of hers and she could not wait to get her cold hands on several Integrity Knights. All in the name of her emperor who sat comfortably in his ship while his dark knight smiled wickedly.
On their side of the wall, the Integrity Knights prepared themselves for what lied behind the cracked wall. Sir Duesolbert stood at the front of the army as the leader of the First Unit, Right Flank. He held his bow with a firm grip as he readied himself for when the wall would collapse. But a small moment of concern came upon him as he wondered about how his disciple was at the moment. Sure Adam had seen many battles, but none compared to what was about to unfold in front of the veteran knight.
Leading the First Unit, Center, was Lady Fanatio who stood in front of her devoted knights, ready to lay down their lives for their Integrity Knight. Each member of the Whirling Blades held their swords with a tight grip. Their years of training had led them to this moment. While the light glowed through the cracks, Fanatio prayed for the safety of her and her troops, but with the gate quickly cracking before her, anything could happen. She stood tall, ready for whatever monster would come at her first.
Finally, leading the First Unit, Left Flank, stood Sir Eldrie. While he was holding down the front lines, alongside with Deusolbert and Fanatio, Eldrie could not help but feel concern for his mentor, Alice. With the fate of the battle resting on her shoulder, the young knight wished he could have lifted some of the burden off of her shoulders. The newest of the Integrity Knights held his divine object close to him, ready to unleash its nasty bite on any beast that would approach him.
Behind the first line of troops was the second wave or soldiers, Lady Sheyta held her sword close as she was prepared to lead the Second Unit, Right Flank. Her face was as plain as a field of cut grass for she showed no fear, nor excitement for the coming battle. In fact she showed no emotion at all. All she wanted in life was to unleash her thin blade upon countless enemies that would be sharply cut into pieces.
While most soldiers and knights were prepared to die in combat, there were those who feared death. Sir Renly was among those who felt great fear swell in him while he stood in front of the Second Unit, Left Flank. For years he had been considered one of the most cowardly knight within the order, but never the less he was still an Integrity Knight. Despite having a divine object at his disposal, Renly feared the thought of taking a life and dying at the hands of his enemies.
At the very back of the small human army stood General Bercouli. He had seen many battles, and had learned enough in his long life on how to command his troops, but this was unlike anything he had ever seen in all his years of service. With only so few troops and so few knights facing off against armies of orcs, goblins, and all other beasts, the odds were stacked against them.
While the general watched the wall weaken itself, Alice sat on her dragon, preparing herself for what needed to be done. After learning that she would be holding the fate of the battle in her hands, the young knight felt an immense amount of burden and pressure swell within her. So many lives would be lost, and all she could do was watch from above. She prayed that her involvement in this fight would be enough to end the war and stop further bloodshed.
With all armies assembled at the gate, words written in fire could be seen set ablaze on the wall. The soldiers of the Human Empire expressed emotions of fear and shock as they saw the words FINAL LOAD TEST appear before their eyes. Those emotions were only strengthened when the words written on the gate dissipated away before the wall crumbled before them. A large burst of light erupted from the wall as it was soon destroyed with a blinding light that could be seen from the opposite side of the Human Empire. On November 7th, 380 H. E. C. the war had finally begun.
An avalanche of stone and rock crumbled to the ground as the Eastern Gate was reduced to nothing. The very ground itself shook while the thundering noise of large stones falling towards the ground echoed across the ravine. Finally in the blink of an eye, the stones turned to dust and were blown by the wind.
The knights braced themselves as they watched their only defense against the Dark Territory disappear right in front of them, Then, the voice of Emperor Vecta could be heard from across the ravine. "Soldiers of the land of darkness! The time you have long awaited is here! Kill all living things! Pillage all that you can! Lay waste to this land!"
Every beast, every dark creature that stood in the valleys of death, roared in excitement upon hearing the words of their dark emperor. Their roars could be heard from across the ravine by the knights and soldiers that stood in their way. While the knights were unfazed by this, their soldiers were shaking in their boots. Then, the first assault was launched against them.
Shibori, led the charge against the humans as he and the flatland goblins ran toward the frontlines. "Kill them! Kill them!"
The ground then began to shake and rumble as Sigurosig and the giants ran across the ravine to reach the humans on the other side. "Crush them!"
"Charge!" Kosogi yelled as he and the mountain goblins sprinted to the human soldiers. The ogres, orcs, pugilists and dark mages stayed behind as they watched the first wave of soldiers lead the assault.
With the ground beneath his feet shaking, Deusolbert remained still with his bow in his hand. Fanatio, on the other hand, drew her sword and pointed it at the charging beasts. "First Unit draw your swords! Prepare for battle! Monk unit, prepare your healing arts and incantations!"
"They're coming." Deusolbert said while he readied his bow.
"Cursed dwellers of the darkness." Eldrie added while he tightened his grip on his whip. "We'll show you what we're made of!"
With the front lines bracing themselves for the coming wave of monsters, the second unit stood back and watched the beasts from the dark territory charge toward them. While Sheyta was unfazed by the storm of beasts, Really was quivering with fear. Bercouli and Alice also watched the beginning of the battle from afar as they remained focused with their eyes fixed on the charging animals. "It's begun."
While the battle at the ravine was taking place, Adam could hear roars of countless monsters echo throughout the small path he walked upon. He stopped in his tracks as he looked at the tall walls of stone and rock and heard the sound of bloodcurdling screams and swords clashing. His second in command, Aaron, walked behind him in confusion. "What is it?"
"The battle has started." Adam said before he looked behind and saw a line of soldiers carrying shields and spears walk close behind him. "We will continue."
"You heard him!" Aaron said to the men and women of the Fourteenth Company. "Forward march!"
Before the Eastern Gate collapsed, Adam and his men remained safely at the entrance to the mountain pass. If the destruction of the gate was as dreadful as it was foretold, Adam was hoping that the force of the wall's destruction would be enough to seal the hidden pass. Unfortunately, the path still remained open. Which meant that he would have to defend it from an attack from the Dark Territory.
With his troops marching down a narrow crevasse, where only a small line of troops could fit through, Adam reached the other side of the hidden pass that flowed through the mountains like a snake. He and his troops readied themselves for when the Dark Territory would send their forces towards them. The young knight held his sword close while he pulled out the necklace that Hannah gave him. He intended on returning home from this war, but first he would have to survive this whole ordeal.
"We're ready for your next orders." Aaron said as he walked behind his captain, only to see him tuck the silver necklace behind his armor. "Sir?"
"Very good. We shall wait here until those monsters arrive." Adam snapped back to reality as he firmly tucked his most prized possession behind his steel armor. He then drew out his sword which caught the attention of his second in command.
"Should we expect any spectacles today?" Aaron said with a grin, referring to Adam's new sword, for it was the first time he had seen the Integrity Knight's divine object.
"No I do not think so." Adam said in a calm manor. "With this field dried of sacred resources, I must preserve all sacred arts unless they are desperately needed. Until then, we're going to do things the old fashion way."
As much as Adam wanted to use the power of his sword, for it would easily wipe out the armies of the Dark Territory in an instant, he needed to withdraw from using any sacred arts. He only had one chance of using the Storm Blade and he wanted use at the most dire moment.
It was also a shame that Hiroshi could not make the journey. The might of a full grown dragoon would turn the tide to their favor. But with the mountains too tall to overcome and the path too narrow to travel through, Adam would have to leave Hiroshi behind. With no magic or dragon to aid him in this battle, the knight would have to rely on his strength and will to push him through this upcoming fight.
Before the two could men could ponder any thought, both men saw a bright light glowing from the ravine that was miles south of their location. Every man and woman was captivated by the glowing light that lasted for only a moment before it was quickly gone in an instant.
"What do you suppose that was?" Aaron asked.
"I believe that was Lady Fanatio's divine object." Adam responded with a hint of jealousy. For years he had dreamed of witnessing the heaven piercing blade that Fanatio wielded. Knowing that he was miles away from the fight and could still see the light emitting from the legendary weapon, he wished he could be there to witness such power. Alas, he was where he needed to be.
But as his jealousy passed over, something had caught his attention. A cloud of dust could be seen on the horizon. Without looking away from the cloud, Adam stretched out his hand to his second in command. "Aaron."
As if their minds were linked up with one another, Aaron reached into his pocket to hand Adam small brass telescope. The young soldier watched his captain look through the telescope with his eyes narrowing in on the cloud that was on the horizon. "Captain, what is it?"
Miles from their location, Adam saw hordes of goblins, orcs, and ogres charge in their direction. The army was more than three times their size with what looked like almost three hundred beasts running to the hidden pass. It seemed that these beasts were aware that this path would lead them right into the campgrounds of the Human Empire. But while the Dark Territory sent a large force, it was smaller than what Adam had expected. Perhaps the dark emperor wanted to focus his forces on the ravine. Whatever the reason may be, Adam was going to have his hands full today.
"Captain?" Aaron asked, hoping to get a response from his commanding officer.
"Shields! Bring formation!" Adam shouted who finally looked away from the telescope and walked towards his troops. After only speaking just three words, Adam watched the strong men pick up their shields to form a strong wall of shields. Rows of shields formed an impenetrable wall. "Swords! Ready yourselves!"
The women of the Fourteenth Company were quick on their feet as they ran behind the shields being held by the men. Shortly after they tucked themselves behind the wall of iron and steel with their hands tightly gripping the handles of their swords. With the men holding the shields and the women offering them their strength, Adam's unit had formed an impenetrable obstacle that stood in the way of these beasts.
"Steady your hearts. Look deep within yourself." Adam said as he walked alongside his soldiers. "For your strength and courage will be tested on this day. Every decision you have made has led you to this very moment. This is where you make your stand! If you should happen to fall in this battle, I ask of you only one thing."
"What's that?" One of his soldiers asked.
"Take as many down with you." Adam responded to which the men laughed and roared with testosterone. Soon the ground beneath their feet begin to shake as they felt the army approaching. Small pebbles bounced off the ground as the young knight looked past the barren wasteland and saw three armies approach this narrow pass. The rumbling came to a halt as Adam watched the armies of goblins, ogres, and orcs bare their fangs at them.
"Pathetic human!"
"Look at all that meat! Look at all that juicy flesh!"
"I'm going enjoy ripping them limb from limb!"
As Adam heard the beast from across the field shout and roar at the top of their lungs, he slid his right arm through the leather braces of his long shield, while also extending his right left arm with an open palm. Aaron walks beside him and offers the night a long spear that stood nearly eight feet tall. At the front of the spear was a long steal dagger that was five inches long while the back of the spear carried a round iron ball to balance out the weapon. After hearing the beasts scream at roar with eager, he heard enough of it.
A goblin, who wore white face paint on his green skin belted out delusions of grandure. He noticed how Adam was at the front of his soldiers, and pointed his curved blade that sat on a bone handle, towards the knight. "I can't wait to feast on an Integrity Kn-"
In the blink of an eye blood was splattered across the faces of several goblins for the spear, that Adam held, was thrown directly at the goblin. The poor creature didn't know what hit him for his last images in life was a streak of silver, for the steal blade of the spear penetrated the goblin's skull in between his eyes. His fellow comrades fell silent as they watched one of their brothers die in an instant before blood sprayed across their faces. They soon looked out past the dried field and saw the Integrity Knight recover from the throw as he unsheathed his sword.
"You beasts hungry?" Adam shouted across the plain before he and his soldiers formed an impenetrable wall of shields. While the men held their shields with a firm grip, they pointed their spears towards the enemy. The women hunkered down beside their brothers to offer them their strength while they held their swords close. "Come and get it!"
An ogre pulls out a horn and blows a loud trumpet sound as the first wave of monsters come charging towards the wall of shields. Saliva flew into the air for these monsters were hungry for a good meal. While some ran on their two legs, some ran on all fours as they ran across the barren wasteland to reach their food - the soldiers.
With their spears sticking out of the shields, everyone readied themselves as they saw the distance between them and the animals shrink smaller and smaller. Adam held his sword with a firm grip as he allowed it to rest on his shield while the beast ran closer and closer. "Show them no fear! Show them no mercy! Show them your true strength!"
"Brace yourselves!" Aaron shouted before the army was now only a few feet away from them. In an instant the goblins collided head on against the shields of the human soldiers. Like waves crashing onto a rocky cliff, the goblins threw themselves onto the humans with many being impaled by the spears that stuck out. Blood sprayed across goblins as they continued to push forward with their attack. The human shields catlike like umbrellas, with very few goblin blood being splattered onto the human soldiers.
The force the hit the wall was that of a hurricane. The soldiers that stood their ground were pushed back several feet as the goblins pressed forward with their assault. Dirt dragged across the soil as Adam and his soldiers kept true to their formation. While the goblins at front died from the spears, others tried to climb over one another in order to reach the humans.
While the goblins were being held at single point, Adam took the opportunity to thrust his sword into the throats of several goblins. Several of the green creatures fell to his sword while others did their best to use their weapons against the humans. But the shields blocking their way, no goblin was able to land a killing blow on the soldiers that stood before them.
In the midst of the chaos, all the men carrying the shields shouted at the top of their lungs as they thrusted their spears to pick off several goblins. The women, crouched beside the men, used all their strength to hold tight onto a small grip that laid at the bottom of the shield. With two people holding onto the shield, much more strength could be used to prevent the wall from falling apart. Some of the women even used their swords to cut the shins and ankles of the grotesque beasts.
Like a cork being put back into a wine bottle, both armies came a brief halt, and in a brief moment of silence, Adam saw the opportunity. "Now!"
The women quickly released the handle of the shield before the men used all their strength to push forward. Several goblins were shoved back before they felt the immense pain of spears being thrusted into their chests. Soon enough, the Fourteenth Company began to march forward as they repeated this process over and over. The men would shove their shields against the goblins, thrust their spears, and move forward one step at a time. Many goblins fell as the last things they saw were the feet of men and women stepping over them while their green comrades backed away from the shields.
With every step he took forward, Adam thrusted his sword into the bellies of these monsters. In the old days, he would have not hesitated as to charge out into the sea of monsters by himself and gladly cut down every beast in sight. But those days were in the past, and Adam needed to focus on the present. If he were to lung out into the crowd, he would kill many goblins but would break formation with his troops, this making the wall weak enough to break. If he was to survive this war, he would need to fight with his head instead of with his emotions.
After taking only five steps, the soldiers of the Fourteenth Company were able to wipe out a quarter of the goblin forces that attacked them. Soon enough, Adam and his men were able to walk safely past the hidden path while his troops followed him. Several of the new, and inexperienced, members stayed behind to finish off any remaining goblin that was still clinging on to dear life. The veterans continued with their attack as more and more goblins felt spears being thrusted into them.
"Swords!" Adam shouted before the men opened their shield wall to allow the women to join in on this fight. "Sisters! On me!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Adam and the women of the Fourteenth Company lunged towards the charging goblins. Aaron stayed behind with the men, keeping the wall strong enough to not allow a single beast to get past their defenses.
Using his shield as a battering ram, Adam felt and heard the sound of bones cracking as he charged through several goblins. Using all his strength he lifts shield with enough energy to send a goblin flipping over him before he thrusted his sword into the belly of a goblin that stood in his path. With one goblin down, he pressed forward and deflected several strikes with his sword before using his shield to bash it along the face of one of these green monsters. Blood and teeth flew in the air as the young knight used his sword to decapitate the creature's head clean off.
Another goblin charged toward him with a large axe and aimed it directly at the Integrity Knight's head before. Adam acted quick enough to block the attack before thrusting his sword into the mouth of the beast. Just as he killed this particular goblin, several others charged toward him. Using his shield to deflect one oncoming attack, and his sword to retaliate with an attack of his own, Adam managed to slash, cut, stab, and decapitate a handfuls of goblins.
At the same time, the women of the Fourteenth followed as they staid close to their captain to kill several goblins that charged past him. Like a pride of lionesses, the experience women showed no mercy on these creatures as they gracefully hacked and slash their way across the battlefield. With no shield to defend themselves, the women needed to rely on their speed and agility, which was what Adam had hoped for.
With the Fourteenth Company consisting of both men and women, Adam needed to have both genders play to their strengths. While the men were naturally strong, they would be best suited for holding the shields and providing the best defense. With the women being more lean and agile, Adam knew that these women would be best suited for swords. If they were quick enough to land a killing blow, then the enemy forces would reduce to zero before his company would suffer any losses.
It seemed all the training he had put these troops too was paying off. While the men held the line with Aaron, the women fought side by side with their captain as they continued to reduce the number of goblins in the small barren valley that was now soaked in blood. Soon enough, Adam watched these brave women cut down the last of the few remaining goblins before there was none left.
Catching his breath, the young knight looks behind and sees his second in command, along with the men of the company regroup with him and the women. Aaron is the first to greet the captain in a sarcastic manner. "Well that could have been worse."
Before Adam could retort, the sound of a horn being blown can be heard from afar as they looked past the dead and saw the ogres reading crossbows on their arms. Before they knew it, Adam and Aaron watched a wall of ogres come charging towards them. They soon came to a halt and aimed their arrows directly towards them. Adam is the first to see what is about to happen. "Regroup!"
In an instant, every man carrying a shield charged forward to reform their wall of iron and steel as they watched ogres pull the trigger on their crossbows. The women hunted down beside their brothers in arms as they heard the sound of arrows flying directly at them.
Because these arrows were using only crossbows, it meant that these arrows had to be shot from a short distance and directly at the human soldiers. Had they have used long bows, the beasts could have been able to attack the soldiers from a further distance and keep them at bay. But with most of their forces being focused on the Eastern Gate, they had to deal with the hand they were given.
The sound of arrows soaring across the field could be heard from behind the iron wall as Adam and his soldiers hunkered down and felt the tips of a hundred arrows bounce off their shields. While most arrows bounced off, others were able to lodge themselves into the wall of shields. The moment lasted for only a brief moment before the arrows ceased. Adam looks across the field and sees that while the ogres were reloading the crossbows, the orcs were moving forward. "Form the turtle!"
Aaron and the men of the company quickly took hold of their shields to form a dome of iron that housed Adam and the women. In just a few short moments. As they sat behind their shields, they watched the ogres reload their bows while several orcs hurdled rocks towards them. While an arrow could easily bounce off their shields, a large stone would definitely be more effective as the men grunted as they felt their arms being bruised from the force of impact coming from the flying stones.
Knowing that the company had ventured further away from the pass and into the wide open terrain, Adam saw the disadvantage they were in. By moving further out into the open, the company was more susceptible to omnidirectional attacks. Despite their strength, they were still outnumbered. If more forces come to aid these beasts then it wouldn't be long until Adam and his troops would be surrounded in all directions and would be easily killed. By sticking close to the mountains and the narrow pass, it eliminates the possibility of the enemy approaching them from behind.
"Retreat back to the pass!" Adam shouted before the men and women slowly marched back to the mountains. This change of strategy served as a double edge sword. On the one hand, it allowed Adam to take control of the fight to where he decided where and how this battle would be fought. On the other hand it gave the Dark Territory a moment to attack the humans.
As they walked back to the side of the mountain, Adam noticed how the orcs began their assault. After seeing the humans slowly back off from their assault, these pigs seized their moment to retaliate. Walking forward gave the Fourteenth Company strength because all their energy was being pushed against the opposing forces. By walking backwards, this allowed the enemy to catch them off balance.
"Hunker down!" Adam shouted before the men and women stopped in their tracks. Shortly after the men braced themselves while the women offered support to strengthen the dome of shields. "Spears!"
After Adam's second command, the men slid their long spears through the small cracks that danced in between each shield being held. Now, this turtle had some spikes protruding from its shell for the company had managed to strengthen their defensive strategy. They all watched as packs of orcs charged towards them.
Before they knew it, this turtle was surrounded by filthy swine as several orcs threw themselves onto the dome of shields. While some died on impact from the spears that were thrusted into them, others tried to yank the shields away from the humans. At the same time, a couple of orcs tried to climb on top of the dome to try to break through from above. But as the orcs tried to pry these shields from the shields, Through the cracks of the dome, the women held their swords at the ready.
At the top of the dome, a single orc looks through one of the small cracks that laid in between several shields. He sees nothing but shadow and darkness until his eyesight adjusted and saw a young woman carrying a sword looking directly at him. In the blink of an eye, the woman thrusted her sword at the pig's eye and loud squeal could be heard from the orc who lost his eye and was gushing out blood.
Another woman looked through the cracks and saw how the screaming orc was right above her and saw how the orc placed his knees right above a small crack in between two shields. She thrust her sword and the orc who had lost one eye, had now lost something most precious to him. Blood dripped through the cracks as the women bared through the small amounts of blood spilling down from the above before the screaming orc rolled off.
During this brief skirmish, Adam and several other women thrusted their sword along the side of the dome to prevent any orc from taking their shields. Over a dozen of these pigs fell victim to the humans as they felt iron swords thrust into their guts and face. Blood dripped along the sides of the shields while the soil beneath them began to turn red.
After seeing how attacking the humans directly was a fools move, the orcs stepped away from the shields to prevent further losses. However, this was what Adam had hoped. Now that the company had a small space between them and these pigs, it allowed him to launch an attack directly to these beasts. Adam comes up with the unthinkable to surprise these monsters. "Disperse!"
With their eyes covered with the blood of their fallen, the orcs were unprepared as they watched the dome of shields fall apart before them as they watched the men carrying shields retreat back to the hidden path. But while their attention was focused on the retreating men, they were caught off guard when they saw Adam lead a charge of sword wielding women to deal with the pigs. The young knight gives the orcs a taste integrity shock in combat.
A pig who was rubbing the blood off of his eye, soon sees a large shield spear before him before it was slammed against his piglike nose. The force of the blow is enough to knock the orc several feet away before knocking over several other of his allies. Before the three could get up from off the ground, the last thing they saw was the sight of two women carrying swords thrust them into their guts.
Once again, the fourteenth company had split off into two with the men defending the pass and the women leading the charge. Out of confinement, the orcs also split off. While some stayed to fend off against Adam and the women, others tried to attack the line of shields. Those that attacked the wall of shields were greeted by Aaron and the men of the company who trusted their spears into the charging pigs. Once again, the shields marched forward to gain enough ground to put the orcs on the defense.
At the same time, Adam and the women sealed the orcs fate by cutting down the pigs at the rear. Soon enough, the tables had turned to where the orcs were now surrounded by the human soldiers. With Aaron holding the front with shields and spears, and Adam covering the rear with swords, the orcs were caught in the middle as both sides began to close in on them. But while the fighting took place, Adam looked behind and saw how the army of ogres stayed put with their crossbows at the ready.
An unsettling feeling began to swell up inside until he soon realized that he had made a grave mistake. While the humans were taking care of the orcs in this small massacre, he failed to see how he played right into the ogres hands. This moment of unsettle meant turned to fear as he watched the ogres march close enough to fire their arrows.
"Shields!" Adam shouted but soon realized that there were still orcs that stood between them and the safety of the shield wall. Knowing that they only had moments, the knight had to think fast. "Swords! Find cover!"
The women turned around and saw a cloud of arrows sore across the sky before raining down upon them. While Adam carried a shield and held it above, single woman dove beside him to take shelter. However, the women who were exposed, needed to act quick enough. While some were close enough to find shelter behind the shield wall, others improvised and used several orcs as meat shields to take the arrows. The pigs, who thought they had the upper hand on these women were surely mistaken as they felt arrows piece their backs
One woman looked beside her and saw the dying orc lying on the ground. In an act of desperation, she grabbed hold of the beast and rolled across the blood soaked dirt in order to protect herself from the oncoming arrows. Another woman, who was trading blows with an orc, flipped over the pig and hunkered down behind him before the pig saw a wave of arrows rain down upon him. The last thing the Beas saw was the iron tip of an arrow go right into his eye socket.
Unbelievable. Adam thought to himself as he sat underneath his shield while the arrows continued to rain. He looked beside him and failed to notice that there was a young girl crouching beside him. Looking upon the brave young woman who was no older than Hannah, angered the knight even more. While Adam was willing to lay down his life to save his soldiers, these monsters would gladly kill their own allies to achieve victory.
As the last arrows fell from the sky, not one person who was not under a shield, made it unharmed. Despite improvising, some of the women who took shelter under the bodies of several orcs, suffered minor scratches. While most arrows made contact with orc flesh, some had managed to embed themselves into the flesh of several women. Arrows lodged themselves into the shoulders and thighs of several women, and screams of pain could be heard. In a matter of moments, the rain of arrows had finally ceased.
"Recover!" Adam shouted before Aaron and the shields surrounded the wounded women of the company. As they surrounded themselves in shields, Adam watched the army of ogres move closer towards them. With half of his company wounded and need of medical assistance, the knight's top priority would be to make sure that the women were protected. "Get the women to safety!"
Several of the inexperienced members of the company broke ranks to aid the women by getting them into the hidden passage. However, by doing so, this weakened the shield wall as Adam and his men began to slowly back themselves up into the passage to reassess the situation.
With half of his company wounded, and a small portion gone to aid them to safety, Adam's forces were quickly being reduced to a slightly significant amount of men carrying their shields and only a handful of women who managed to make it out of the arrow assault with only scratches. The odds were stacked against them as they could no longer deploy the same strategy they used on the orcs and goblins. Should they do so, then their forces would be easily overwhelmed by the ogres.
In order to stand a chance against these creatures with the small numbers they had, the fight would have to take place inside the passage. It was small and narrow but because the Fourteenth company had suffered a minor loss in their ranks, this would allow them to move freely inside the path while the ogres would have to release small amounts of their army to funnel them into this narrow path.
This sudden realization brought some comfort to the young knight. If the ogres believed that they had the advantage, then they would send their forces into the path. The only down side to this plan would be if the ogres caught on, they would only send half of their forces and wait for more to arrive to finish them off. Adam was hoping that the ogres hubris would be their downfall.
By making it believe that the humans were on the run, the ogres would be walking blindly into the new battlefield that was under Adam's control. But the knight had to make sure these beasts would take the bait. All Adam needed was to make sure that every last ogre was inside this narrow path deep enough for them not to escape.
With only seventy men carrying their shields, Adam watched the hungry wolves walk deep into the dark path. The red clouds of the Dark Territory slowly began to get blocked by stone and rock from the mountains that towered the two armies. Every step they took, the humans and ogres stepped further into the darkness. The sound of marching could be heard as it echoed throughout the passage. Not a single word was spoke from either side. Every living being in this path of darkness was waiting to see who would make the first move.
The sun began to set as the young knight looked from the corner of his eye saw the last of the wounded flee to safety. With the wounded out of harms way for the time being, he could focus his attention on the approaching ogres. With both armies now dead in the middle of the path, there was no where to escape. If he needed to make a move, now would be the only chance.
Before the two sides could make a move against one another, the canyon glowed a bright shade of orange. Both man and beast felt a searing sensation burn at the side of their skin as if they were standing inside of an oven. They looked up and saw smoke blacken the sky with a red glow as screams could be heard for miles. Adam no idea what had just happened but with the ogres distracted for the moment, he sized this moment.
"Shields!" After only having shout just one word, the men of the Fourteenth company slam their shields onto the ground to make their stand. Spears protruded out of the triangular shaped formation that stood before the ogres, but the beasts remained still. In order for these wolves to take the bait a small sacrifice was needed. The knight throws his sword and flying ever so gracefully, it finds its way in between the eyes of an ogre.
The wolves were caught off guard as to why an Integrity Knight would throw away his weapon. But as blood sprayed on their faces, and their friend fell flat on the ground dead, the wolves charged towards the humans. It would seem that Adam had poked the hornet's nest as he watched the ogres snarl, roar, and bark as they showered their teeth in a fit of rage. However, this was what Adam had hoped for.
By breaking the tension with a single death, the ogres were now provoked and were now motivated by rage to engage the company in a single attack. This would allow Adam and his men to control this battle on their terms, for the wolves had just sprung the trap. The only downside to this improvisation, was that Adam would have to fight his way to several ogres in order to retrieve his sword.
"Disperse!" Adam shouted as his army broke formations to allow the ogres to slip into a path that had spears facing from the left and right.
The army of wolves watched as they became surrounded in tomb of spikes. They had seen first hand how these humans dealt with their kind and were not going to hastily attack the humans like the orcs and goblins before them. But as they saw the line of men break before surrounding them, they had no where to go.
"Spears!" Adam commanded before every man began to thrust their spears into the ogres that were caught in between a rock and a hard place. With the steep canyon walls at their backs, it provided the men with a firm holding, knowing that they would not fall back. The only direction they had to move was towards the wolves who bled in front of them. Even though these ogres mostly came with their arrows and crossbows, some still brought swords and axes.
But while those who faced the walls were unable to reach for their weapons, as they were quickly impaled by human iron spears. Those who were in the middle of the commotion, were to crowed as they were all compressed into this narrow path.
Despite not having his sword, Adam held his ground as he used all his strength to keep the wolves inside this Iron Maiden of a path. One ogre tried noticed how the knight had only a shield to defend himself and tried to break free from the slaughter. Adam quickly noticed this and slammed his iron fist into the beast's long jaw before teeth and blood splattered in the air. Knowing that one punch would not be enough, Adam repeatedly beat the wolf into submission before one of his fellow soldiers thrusted his spear at the side of the beast's neck.
The army of wolves began shrink smaller and smaller while the army of men took one step closer with every ogre that was slaughtered. The wolves who died at the hands of men were in shock as they could not believe that this small band of humans were able to defeat armies more than three times their size. Not a single man in these ranks showed fear or net even a single ounce of mercy as they continued to march forward. In their eyes, it was kill or be killed and only the strength and will to live would prevail. It seemed like Adam had trained them well.
If only some of the other integrity knights could have witnessed such a moment for there was a time where the Fourteenth company was belittled by Axiom Church as nothing more than a band of soldiers carrying shields. But to Adam, this company would prove affective given the opportunity for if this company could apply their strength into their shields, then the armies of the Human Empire would come to respect this small army of brave men and women.
As night had fallen, the warm glow that lit the canyon had soon faded away as darkness sank in the mountain pass. With only a few more ogres left to handle the human armies soon began to slow their attacks for their vision began to darken. This moment of hesitation was all the ogres needed in order to retaliate.
With the canyon in complete darkness, while the humans could no longer see their targets, the wolves were able to see them as clear as day. Ogres had good vision during the day, but even better vision at knight which proved useful to them in this scenario. While the men struggled to land a killing blow, the remaining orcs howled in the cold night as they soon broke free of the trap.
The first set of humans didn't stand a chance when the ogres deflected their spears before swatting away the shields that kept them safe. Using only his claws, one ogre managed to gut a man with a single punch. Blood was coughed onto the beast before the wolf snarled his teeth to take a bite out of the human's throat. Another ogre managed to pull out his word and was able to behead one soldier in a single swipe. The head gushed out blood as it flew into the air before rolling on the ground.
Just as the ogres launched their last assault, a loud explosion could be heard for miles. But the chaos that ensued the canyon pass was overtaken the explosion that occurred several miles south of their location. The sound of men dying and screaming echoes across the mountain pass before they were silenced by the eruption. But no man or beast paid any attention to what was happening at the Eastern Gate for they trapped in a small pass that was beginning to flood itself with the blood of men and ogre.
Before Adam could react to the situation, from out of the shadows, an ogre charges at him at full force, knowing the knight onto the ground. A clenched fist slams onto the side of the beast as Adam punched the ogre in a fit of rage. With his arm trapped in the sling of the shield he watched as the wolf raised his claws. At just the right moment, Adam discarded his shield and used his right arm to block the oncoming attack, protecting his face. The ogre roared as the knight could feel its hot breath before the beast was silenced when a spear was thrusted into the side of its head. Adam watched the wolf fall to the ground before he saw that it was Aaron who protected his captain.
This feels all too familiar. He thought to himself as he took Aaron's arm and was lifted up back on his feet. He remembered seeing moment like this in a dream, but could not put his finger on it. Amidst all the chaos, something catches Adam from the corner of his eye and sees an ogre ready his bow that was aimed directly at Aaron. It pulls the trigger and an arrow soars through the air. Time stood still as Adam watched this arrow fly directly towards Aaron's throat. Acting within the moment, Adam grabs hold of his friend and covers him with his own body before the arrow sank into the knight's right shoulder.
The look on Aaron's face was that of frightened child who failed to see the attack, only to have his captain take the blow for him. Adam did not show a single ounce of regret in his decision. Aaron was one of his oldest and closest friends and would do anything to protect him. That was when Adam soon realized why this moment felt familiar. While he bared through the pain he remembered the dream he had back at the farm and remembered of how he watched his close friend die in his arms. It seemed he had prevented that nightmare from becoming a reality as he felt a stinging pain coming from the back of his shoulder.
The ogre roared in anger as he grabbed a sword off the ground to finish off the human who killed his friend. But as he stormed through the crowd of men and wolves, he saw how two bodied lay before him. One on top of the other, the two bodies remained still as the wolf raised his blade to stab through both bodies. But while his ares were raised, his torso was exposed and Adam quickly rolled off Aaron before the human soldier thrusted his spear into the belly of the beast.
Using his cape, Adam shielded both him and his friend from the falling blood and organs that came out of the ogre that fell before them. The two exchanged looks of gratitude but did not say a word for they were exhausted and in dear pain. Adam stood up on his feet and reached for the arrow that was lodged underneath the plate of armor that covered his shoulder. The pain was the if a very large splinter was digging into his skin. Knowing that he would need medical aid to remove the arrow and seal the wound, he would have to wait.
But as the chaos raged on his eyesight began to grow better as he saw his sword sticking out from the body of a fallen ogre. As he retrieved his sword in a quick haste, he noticed how the men began to quickly readjust themselves to the darkness of the canyon pass. They soon began to see the remaining wolves and soon formed ranks without even Adam saying a word.
The young knight watched his soldiers stand side by side with one another as they thrusted their spears into the last of the ogres. Years of training came into affect when the men came together as one to finish off the last of the remaining beasts that killed their brothers in arms. Aaron took part in this assault to where he led the last remaining men to kill the last ogre who had five spears impale him from every direction. The ogres were finished and Adam was at a loss of words of how his men acted without given any orders.
It was as if every man at arms shared a single mind as they knew perfectly how to take control of a situation that was spinning into chaos. He looked at Aaron, who congratulated the troops and was pleased to see how his second in command was able to lead these men in one last assault against these beasts. The sound of cheers can be heard echoing in the mountain pass as several men cheered at this first day of victory. "To our captain! And to our fallen brothers!"
"Tell Vecta to send all his forces here!"
"There's nothing that can stop us now!"
As the skies began to clear and the moon began to rise, Adam walks into the crowd of cheering men and sees every one of them salute him out of respect. He sees a couple of women, who stayed behind to fight, stand on their feet to salute their captain. He sees how each and every member of this company had blood, sweat, and dirt on their faces while their weapons and armor were filthy. "This day does not belong to me, but to you my brothers and sisters who have shown the world that even the tiniest of forces can alter the course of destiny. This night is to you and to our fellow brothers and sisters who gave their last breath to protect our home."
Just as the men and women could honor their fallen, a ray of light could be seen dancing above the night sky. Seeing as how they could only see a fraction of what was happening from the mountain pass, the remainder of the company runs out of the hidden path to see the phenomenon. Adam looked up and saw the sky glow beautifully as harmonic voices could be heard for miles. For a brief moment there was peace as everyone saw a single bright light twinkle among the rays of light.
"It cannot be."Adam said to himself as he narrowed his vision to make out of the single light that shined brightly in the sky. He soon begins to notice how the light began to take on the form of a woman. Her hair glowed with an angelic aura while dress casted a heavenly shine. Adam had read stories about the gods and goddess of this world but never in his life did he believe that he would one day look upon the Goddess of Creation. "Stacia?"
With the wave of her hand, rays of star and light stretched across the sky while the voices of angels could be heard in such a harmonic tone. Mountains began to crumble while canyons began to form as Stacia made her presence clear.
Adam watched as the dancing light made its way to the hidden pass. The men and women of the Fourteenth Company looked at the sky above them as it glowed hypnotic colors that captivated their attention. Little stars slowly rained down upon them but were reduced to noting before the humans could touch their gentle glow. But soon enough the ground beneath begin to shake as they began to see rocks from the top of the mountain behind to crumble. The young knight widened his eyes as he saw the hidden pass begin to crumble.
"The pathway is being sealed!" Adam shouted while the ground shook beneath him and his soldiers. "Run!"
"Everyone make for the passage!" Aaron shouted with fear in his lungs. "Go!"
With rocks and boulders falling from the top of the mountains, the hidden pass was beginning to seal itself. If the hidden path was sealed and the company was on the wrong side, then Adam and his troops would have to fight their way back to the army campgrounds. Sure they would stand a chance against the forces of the dark territory but they would also lose many soldiers before they could reach their camp. The only safe way back to camp, would be to run through the hidden path that was sealing itself.
"Shields!" Adam shouted as he was the last person to enter the passage. As a knight and as a captain, the lives of his soldiers were what meant to him the most, and he would be damned he left anyone behind. With one word, the strong remaining men of the company raised their shields to protect themselves and the remaining women from the falling rocks that came from the mountains.
Slowly but surely the gateway began to seal itself and Adam could not believe his eyes of what was unfolding before him. He watched pathway close itself like the grand doors of the Axiom Church while large stones fell down from above. The knight had no time to waste and quickly ran behind to company while the mountains began to seal the path.
As he ran, he saw a young woman twist her ankle and collapsed while everyone ran past her. Knowing that he needed both arms to carry her as quick as possible, the knight disregarded her shield before he grabbed hold of the girl who struggled to stand. Adam wasted no time as he used both hands and all his strength to carry this soldier to safety while the ground shook beneath him and the mountain walls beside him began to close in on him.
With the exit within sight, Adam could see Aaron and the remainder of the company waiting on the other side as they shouted for their captain to hurry up. Not a moment too soon did their captain managed to make it out of the pathway before it was sealed by large stone and rock. In just a matter of moments the hidden path was no more as the rays of light in the sky began to disappear. Soon the earthquake began to cease as the dust in the air settled before Adam looked behind to see that the narrow path between the mountains was no more.
Adam turned around to see Aaron and several men approach him as he set the woman down to be taken in for medical attention. Aaron could not believe his eyes of what had occurred before him, nor did he have any words that could express the amount of confusion in his thoughts. All that he could think were three simple words. "What just happened?"
"I'm not sure?" Adam responded while he tried to catch his breath from all the running he had endured. He wished he had the answers as to what had just happened, but even he wouldn't believe it. Did he really see Stacia in all of her beauty? Was she the one who sealed the pathway in stone? Why did the Goddess of Creation come to their world? All these questions flustered inside the mind of the integrity knight. He just as confused as Aaron and every other man in the company.
One thing was fir sure though, Adam was still an Integrity Knight and was still the captain of the Fourteenth and as such, he needed to be a leader these soldiers would follow. He looked around and saw the men and women covered in dust and blood from the rocks that fell upon them. While some were strong enough to stand, others could barely do so, and yet they still tried as they looked upon their captain.
White dust clouded their faces while red blood flowed like a river. These men and women had been through Hell and had welcomed the armies of the demon king with their swords and spears. Against all odds, against all forces, these soldiers showed their devotion to their captain for it was he who gave them purpose and respect. Such minor injuries would not slow them down. Only death would stop them from fulfilling their duties. Anyone who was brave enough to fight, earned Adam's respect.
"The hidden path has been sealed! Our duty has been fulfilled!" Adam said as he looked at his soldiers, and saw the men and women of the company lightly cheer. They would have cheered louder if they were not out of breath from the running they just went through and if they weren't confused of the previous event that occurred. "We will make way back to camp where the wounded will be treated and the rest will help themselves to food and drink! You've earned it!"
"Alright, you heard him!" Aaron shouted. "Move it men!"
"I want every man and woman who is strong enough to offer their help to those who aren't!" Adam ordered as he watched some of the strong men and women, put their weapons aside to help those who could barely stand. The company soon marched their way south in order to reach the doctors and spell casters they fought to protect.
While the army marched, Aaron stayed behind with Adam who looked at the sealed rock behind him. "Do you have any idea of what just happened?"
"I have some thoughts." Adam said to his second in command while he rubbed the rough surface of the stone wall before him. "But I will withhold any conclusions until I speak to my superiors. With any luck, perhaps they could provide me with some answers."
The knight turns away from the mountain wall before he and his friend looked ahead to see the sight of nearly one hundred brave soldiers march back to camp. This day had proved as a testament to their strength. Not just in their physical strength, and not just in their will to live, but also their strength in fellowship. Today they looked in the eyes of demons straight out of the pits of Hell. They spilt enough blood to drain a field of crops three times over. They fought in the dirt and mud alongside one another and still came out clean at the end of the day. These soldiers deserved more for what they were worth and yet they still choose to fight alongside their captain. But despite the hidden path being sealed, Adam felt that their war against the demons of the underworld was only beginning.
Okay everyone, that's gonna do it for this chapter. Wow. Asuna has entered the story! It was only a matter of time before she showed up given where we are at in the timeline. But now that she's here how will her interaction with Adam be and what will happen to our knight, given how he was not at the battle that took place after Asuna aided the knights. We'll find out in March as I will take a small break to write the final three chapters that are going to be THE BIGGEST CHAPTERS I have ever written. I hope to hear from you soon and I hope to see you all again when I release CHAPTER 12: A Final Stand.