Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.
Signed: Benji Himura
"Text" Talked sentences.
'Text' Thoughts.
-Text- Sounds effects.
(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language
: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.
Text: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.
Text: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.
Chapter fourteen: First siege
It is four in the morning and every guild member ate, drank, bathed and used the restroom in the half hour prior to that moment, now they are all in their previously indicated locations, ready to battle and well supplied.
Raki, Maria, Mutsumi and Saeki gained important roles in the defense, they would be moving potions, arrows and other items from Yuka, the guild's Kafra lady to the others, so the alchemists can give pots to anyone that needs, blacksmiths have their own supplies, the same with monks and other classes.
Benji was in the Emperium room with Jannine, they are the last line of defense before the emergency call, and they will stay with the Emperium all the time during that day and defend it from any one who might get there. It is four twenty three and the horns of the judges send from Tristan the III signal the start of the WoE, and with that sound the trial of fire of the Seiryu's legions started.
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The first defense strategy is simple, in Benji's world is called Spawn camping, casting area spell in the spawn point at the entrance and kill everyone that sets foot there. It was the same thing but targeted in the main gate that was open because the WoE rules.
Training and improving basic strategies Benji as well Layla and Erika trained the wizards to time their attacks and delays so there would always be one spell hitting the gate while others are being cast providing a continuous damage to the invaders. It was unknown to them that are the very same strategy used by the White Eyes guild.
The few knights, crusaders, monks and battle priests that passed through the massive rain of sorcery met their end against the front line attackers led by Layla and Alexis, knowing that with equips as well a vitality build certain classes can survive the barrage they focused on killing those few enemies.
The huntresses in their sniping points would take care of them too as well hitting the ones inside the barrage of sorcery the roar of the sorcery mixed with the cries of pain of the attackers filled the air with noise preventing anyone from hearing anything other than a lout shout.
No orders where issued, no command was needed, they all knew what to do and how to do it, it was rehearsed to the exhaustion, the timing was flawless to the huntresses too, they fire arrows with a small time difference between them keeping a continuous rain of arrows.
Invaders fall at the dozens not even able to glance at the inner area of the gate, support priestesses as well the alchemists keep the attackers supplied with health, buffs and SP, Makie was leading them, using her Gypsy's kiss to keep the SP usage lower around her.
It wasn't an easy rhythm to keep, but they were trained and determined to hold the castle for the entire period of the war. Wave after wave invaders pass by the gate, the defeated ones are sent to their save spots but new ones of countless guilds continue to come. The invaders hoped that the continuous battle would wear the defenders as horde after horde of attackers continues to pass by the gate.
Benji paces inside the Emperium room, one hour had passed since the battle started, yet the Emperium room was so deep inside the fortress protected by maze like corridors and guardians that no sound of the battle roaring just outside reached so deep in the bowels of the castle.
"You are really uncomfortable down here aren't you taisho?" Jannine asked sited next to the pedestal of the Emperium. "You are a front attacker after all." "This isn't how I like to lead." Benji replied. "Staying safely back here while everyone else is fighting? How can I do any good in here and not there with them?"
"You trained Layla well to act as your second." Jannine said pulling her knees to her chest. "Everyone knows how you like to be there helping them and fighting next to them. That is why they can trust on you as a leader, they know that they can count on you, and they also know that you trust on them to defend that gate, that is why they can fight knowing that if someone passes by them you will be here to protect our home, not because you think that they can't do their job but because is the best path to follow, I mean that tactically would be unwise for you to stand anywhere other than here."
"I still don't like to be like this." Benji commented sitting down. "Not knowing what is going on or how they are doing out there." Jannine nodded agreeing. "It is stressing but you can't forget that you are our pillar." Jannine said with a comforting smile. "Knowing that you are here to defend our home if we fail to hold the entry it makes us confident that everything will be alright, that if we do our jobs well out in the gate we will get praised for our good work and even if we fail to hold the gate you will comfort us telling how well we did for holding for so long. And we also know how worried you are about us so we want to do well to not make you worry about us."
"You and the others hold me in a too high regard." Benji commented looking at Jannine. "I am just a man." "We know that but we can't help on seeing you as a hero." Jannine replied. "For some of us you are in this pedestal, guiding and helping us, standing there and covering us with your protection. Erika often calls you godsend, most of us, the twenty four rescued ones you are indeed a gift from the gods."
Benji remained in silence, sure he heard about that but Jannine was making him sound like he was a blessing. "Sure some of us tend to treat you more like a toy or a tool to level." Jannine added. "But that is because they are unable to express themselves, others as Layla truly loves you with their entire beings."
"So you girls know?" Benji asked with a smile, he tried to keep secret but in a guild like theirs it was hard, not to mention that more than once Benji have sex with Layla on his office. "Not all of us, you do walk a great length to keep it secret but some of us can tell, there is things that are different when a woman is in love and when that love is reciprocated. Besides Layla walks with a different spring on her step after you two have some encounter same happens with Haruka. Well Atsuko it isn't really a secret."
Benji nodded agreeing about Atsuko's part. "And how the ones who know are taking it?" Benji asked. "Very well, well I must say that some are very jealous too." Jannine answered. "They are jealous of the attention that Layla is getting from you and that they aren't brave enough to confess their feelings, or they are too afraid of having sex after what we have been through."
Benji nodded understanding. "It has been six months and for most of us isn't enough time." Jannine said with tears on her eyes. Benji moves to her and wipes her tears. "You don't have to bring it up." Benji said in a gentle tone. "I understand that."
"I want to bring it up." Jannine commented smiling to him. "I feel a little stronger every time that I talk about it, I was one that were there for the longest period, at least the oldest one of the group that you rescued."
"There was more than one group?" Benji asked surprised. "Yes." Layla answered. "Most of the girls don't realize; but the ones in the beds closer to the door are the ones there for the longer period of time, they sold the ones there to anyone who paid a good amount of money that is why there was an empty bed for Sara. But not all of us were sold, some of us died, I saw more than once I saw girls there that couldn't endure it any longer bit their own tongues and die. Others bit the members of the rapists making them crazy so they killed them. For a while they gagged us when not being used, in cases of member biting the girl would have the teeth ripped from their mouths so they wouldn't do it anymore, most of the time it infected and the girl died."
Benji remained in silence hearing that, he had no idea of that. "After a while the girls lost the will to flee." Jannine continued. "So those precautions weren't needed any longer. Most of us gave up hope, I had given up hope and faith few days before you rescued us, I was about to lose my mind and become a mindless doll when I heard the screams from the rogue dying outside, then it was followed by this orchestra of screams and sound of battle, moments before that I barely noticed that Sara was brought and chained in one of the beds, I was being raped as many of the others were."
Jannine takes Benji's handkerchief and wipes her tears. "Then they moved away when the battle started, they were confused and scared." Jannine said with a smile. "We hardly had strength to wonder what was going on much less talk to each other, they fed us only twice a day so we would swallow when they used our mouths, a way to make us so desperate for food and water that anything that might provide us with nutrients would be welcomed not mattering how foul it might taste. Layla was one that thought that something was really wrong, Erika said that the gods had sent an avenging angel to punish those who imprisoned us."
"Then I started to regain hope and faith as the cries of death of those men reached my ears, it sounded to me like the gods' voice telling me to celebrate that I would be freed." Jannine continued. "Then you came, soaked in blood, with arrows nailed on your body, a vision of a war angel still gasping excitedly from the killing that you just gave on our torturers. I was horrified when you were throw against the wall after fighting that rogue, but I saw that sphere that you threw, which by the way was a miracle that the bomb haven't hurt any of us, and when exploded it was the end of the punishment, I knew that you wouldn't die, I knew that you had something that would heal you, but Makie entered and gave you that white pot, from there is know history."
Benji nodded. "But as we robed the corpses and took the items from them Layla suggested that we somehow show to you our gratitude it was then that Saya found the Emperium, it felt fitting." Jannine commented. "We thought that putting us under your servitude wouldn't be enough to repay you for our lives and freedom, but was a beginning."
"I didn't do that seeking for rewards." Benji said seriously. "I just went to help Sara." "As Erika said it was godsend." Jannine replied with a smile. "That you would bump on Sara just before she was kidnapped and that you would rescue her, action that culminated with our rescue was something determinate by the will of the gods."
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Noon finally arrived giving to the defenders a break, it was lunch time and the attacks had to cease. The gates were allowed to be closed and the defenders retreated to the mess hall where a large meal was waiting for them, but before eating they would use the restroom and then eat, if they had time they would take a nap or wash away the sweat.
The priestesses heal everyone before the meal. They eat quickly the cold food; it was prepared in the night before knowing that they wouldn't have time to cook. Unlike all the other meals that one is in silence, they will have time to chat later eating gains priority since all the fighting made everyone hungry.
Benji watched everyone devouring the meal in silence, for the moment he couldn't do more than that, he would later try to say some words to them, telling how well they are doing and that they are all doing a great job in defending the castle.
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Layla cringes feeling massive cramps on both of her arms, two thirds of the day had already passed leaving only eight more hours of battle ahead of them. She knows that she isn't the only one suffering from muscular pain, all the other melee fighters and archers are, and the casters are with their throats sore and straining their voice to continue to cast their spells.
The only relief that they have is that the number of attackers lessened considerably since it started in the morning, meeting the solid defense of the Silver Moon castle intimidated most of the new, small and fame seeking guilds that thought could make an easy name if defeating the Seiryu's legions.
Still the oldest guilds, more organized and used to the hardships of the WoE continued to attack, some waited until that last third of the battle to join, fully rested and ready to battle.
Layla knew that this last portion of the day would be the hardest not by the sheer amount of attackers but the quality of them, but she also knew that they didn't counted with reinforcements and only with the seventy four members there in the gate they would have to hold for eight more hours.
But Benji's words at lunch made everyone continue to fight hard for their home, it was their home and they wouldn't allow anyone to set foot there without invitation. For Layla, Atsuko and Haruka it was more personal than that, it was also proving to their lover that they would defend their home from the invaders.
Even Maria and Raki helped a little in their own way, the two young girls used their blue and pink bunnies to deal absurd amounts of damage and stun some of the most resilient invaders making easier for the others to finish them.
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Jannine lies in the floor of the Emperium room, she is sleeping softly with her head resting on Benji's lap; the room was silent other than the sound of their breathing. After the lunch they returned to that silent room and remained there, they kept themselves amused with a deck of cards and a sketch book.
For a while they played card games, when bored with that Benji made a sketch of Jannine, he started to learn how to draw with Mana, in their free hours she would teach him, that when they weren't busy with other acts, after they left Benji gave a couple hours by day to practice and was pleased with his skills.
Jannine laughed and played while modeling, making simple poses and moving just to annoy Benji who had to tell her to not move. But after a couple hours it bored them, with the silence in the room Benji began telling to Jannine an old unfinished story that he used to write before his arrival in Rune, he was surprised that Jannine listened with such gusto, he wasn't sure if she liked the story or was just happy in finding another way to ease their boredom.
A chime came from Benji's watch, twenty minutes to the end of the WoE. Layla and the others were still holding the gate. Bored and feeling wickedly evil Benji wakes Jannine. "The WoE is ending." Benji said to her. "I have this plan that I want to execute so you will come with me to the gate."
Jannine was confused but obeyed. "Layla Jannine and I are moving to the gate." Benji said sending a message to the knight. "Leona go get some supplies from Teresa." Benji said now the only other assassin from the guild. "We are going to burst two castles." "By ourselves?!" Leona asked surprised. "We use the mess to enter and break the Emperium before we are noticed; at least that is the plan." Benji replied. "Come on it will be a perfect way to finish this day."
Leona sighed but agreed. While the assassin readies herself Benji and Jannine join the defenders, seeing their leader next to them reenergizes the guild members and they fight even harder.
Leona returns to front, Benji tells to the girls of his plans, the cheer of them surprises and scares the invaders. Leaving the front Benji and Leona head to their targets in Geffen, they head to two different castles, cloaked and avoiding the battle.
Benji knows that he is short of time so he runs cloaked in the halls; his plan is simple break the Emperium sending everyone out of the castle just before the WoE ends, Leona has the same goal but she is a pure sin and not multi-class so she will rely in her breaker equipment to break the crystal.
Making his killing swift and hiding before anyone sees him Benji advances relying in his usual bad luck of finding the way out of a dungeon in games to take him to where he wants to be.
He is a bit surprised in seeing that he did find the right path, the room isn't empty but isn't filled either, two knights, one priest, one huntress and one rogue are guarding the room as the fight is happening in the other halls.
Benji kills the priest by slitting his throat, the surprise of the defenders is enough to Benji finish off the huntress before she can notch an arrow, cloaking Benji moves in the room a knight uses sight and reveals the rogue, Benji was far from the range and uses that chance, killing the rogue was easy.
Poisoning and stunning the two knights Benji sees that the time is almost over, Benji turns to the Emperium and packs as much damage on it as possible, the two knights recover from the stun and attack Benji.
The assassin dodges while still attacking but some of the attacks do hit him; Benji relies on his equipment, HP and skills to keep him standing. The knights shout while stabbing their spears with fury at Benji, he ignores the hits and continues his assault.
As he feels his HP getting too low the Emperium shatters under his attacks sending everyone away from the castle. A message comes to him instants later telling that Leona also succeeded on her mission and took the other castle. The sun rises and with it comes the horns signaling the end of the WoE.
The day was over and so were the battles, Benji falls sited on the floor resting his bloody back on the pedestal of the Emperium, laughing through his pain he can hear the cheering and shouts of his subordinates as they celebrate not only their victory in defending their home but stealing two castles.
Leona was aware that Repherion and Yesnelph were castles that often fell and changed hands in the WoE, no guild made it home yet, so Benji weren't feeling bad for stealing them.
"A priestess or a monk ready to heal me would be nice." Benji said to the girls. "Same here." Leona added. "I took a very bad beating and I hardly have HP left." "We are moving." Layla replied to them. "We are sending you two some healers."
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Mana and Shina laughed and laughed hard, so hard that they are crying and holding their stomachs in pain, their allies and even the enemies stare to them in shock, it was okay that the White Eyes held their castle through the entire day but no one could understand why they are laughing so hard, and not the evil and frightening laugh that they gave when fighting but one of pure amusement and happiness.
They got the message about Seiryu's legions stealing two castles in Geffen just moments before the WoE ended. They were almost in ecstasy for seeing that Benji who they saved and trained not only protected his castle only with his guild but stole two castles in their first WoE, how they couldn't be happy in seeing that happening.
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Back in Amatsu leaving the two new castles empty and alone for the moment Benji as well all the girls of his guild are in the dinning hall, even Teresa was there to celebrate with them even without fighting she fought in her own way.
"I am not good with speeches." Benji said to them standing over a chair. "You all saw the failure that was in lunch." All the girls laughed at his words, they are happy and now that it passed it was a funny to recall and then was inspiring on its own way. "But each and every one of you worked your hardest today and the proof of that are not only that we are here today but the two castles that we stole!"
The girls shouted raising their wine cups over their heads cheering at his words. "We didn't settle in only winning!" Benji continued. "We humiliated them! And today we drink to that!" All the girls cheered loudly once again spilling the strong cheery wine in the floor and on themselves, it doesn't matter it was a party; everyone downs the strong liquor and cheered.
The dinning hall is filled with laughter and happiness, liquor and food are consumed by everyone they were thirsty and starving. Cold leftovers aren't much of a feast, but then even the party wasn't truly a party, everyone was tired, numbed by the long day of battles, their clothes and armors damaged and covered in blood, they were reeking sweat and blood, with muscles aching and throats burning in pain but they are happy.
Benji smiled looking at the tired but happy faces of his friends, it was a long day and he knew that for each and every one of them it felt even longer and torturous, but now that was over they rejoiced in the happiness of knowing that their effort preserved their home and were rewarded by fame and glory, everyone knows the name of their guild and their strength.
The celebration is short, in half an hour only Benji, Layla, Haruka, Atsuko and Erika remained in the dinning hall; everyone else retreated to their rooms to sleep. "So it was worth?" Benji asked to them.
"Every moment of it." Layla answered with a smile. "While knowing that we are able to hold this castle again next month counting with allies wouldn't really hurt." Erika commented with her body aching in pain. "If we could take turns in defending the gate and resting it would be much easier."
The others nodded agreeing but they weren't complaining, they shined in their first battle as a guild. "And what you will do now Benji-taisho?" Haruka asked to him. "I don't mean go to bed and sleep or sleep with one of us, I mean and from now on what we will do?"
"I haven't thought this far in the future." Benji answered with a tired smile. "I focused in one worry at time, and now that the worry of everyone's morale being low because of the doubt if they could defend the castle is gone and the worry of losing this castle is also gone I have to worry on what comes next."
"One month isn't enough time to build a strong alliance or a second guild." Erika commented. "We might lose the two castles that we conquered today." Benji chuckled. "I never really intended to keep those." He commented. "It was just to humiliate those who thought that we were weak and to show to your girls our strength; I wouldn't have done that if I didn't know if you could hold the gate."
"Benji!" A voice called him. Benji looks around. "But we should also take what we can from them while we can." Benji continued. "In the next WoE we decide what to do with them." "Benji talk to me!" the voice said. "I am busy here!" Benji replied annoyed at whoever is sending the message to him.
"Come on Benji is that way to speak to me?" the voice replied in a teasingly crying tone. "After all that we have been through." Then Benji realizes with who he is speaking with.
"Mana?!" Benji shouted happily. "That is right!" Mana exclaimed cheerfully. "I was getting sad thinking that you had forgotten all about me, and all the fun that we had together… I was about to cry."
"No she wasn't." Shina said joining in. "We are calling you to congratulate you. We saw that you not only defended your castle but conquered two more without counting with anyone other than your guild members. We are so happy and proud in hearing of how strong you became."
Layla, Atsuko and Haruka felt pangs of jealousy seeing Benji speaking so cheerfully with his long unheard friends, but they were aware of their relation. "Look Benji as much we would love to chat more." Mana said casually. "We also fought all day long so we are tired too; we call later and chat more."
End of the chapter fourteen:
Author explanation corner:
Castle conquer: I know, at least I think that I know that taking over a castle isn't all that easy, but the conquered castles, at least in the story and in this particular chapter was stolen over seven times each. It is also a known fact that the best time to steal a castle it is at the very end of the WoE, the final minutes or so, because there are less chances of the castle being stolen from you.
The used 'strategy' was the simple walk on the halls cloaked, locate and destroy the Emperium. I think that isn't all that unusual in the WoE that certain castles or guilds are unable to hold a castle that they just seized, I saw happening a couple of times when I played in the same time of the WoE, usually I avoided because the server overload.
Lunch break: Hours of continuous fighting makes everyone hungry, not to mention thirsty and dying for a bathroom break. The lunch break was added to give to the adventurers to much needed time to at least go to the bathroom. I can only imagine how some people suffer in the WoE with two continuous hours of attacking or defending the castle.
Anyone with a little imagination can picture a castle falling because someone left he computer to take a leak because it couldn't hold it in any longer. Be that person a guild leader that couldn't see the attackers and do an emergency call or a guild member that stopped attacking because was away from the computer.
Speeches: I know it sucked; I am not good with speeches.
Jannine's story: It would be too convenient that there was only one group of girls abused, the kind of boldness of kidnapping a girl in broad daylight comes with lots of experience and confidence in doing the same thing over and over. Seasoned criminal groups constantly kidnap, use, sell and kidnap again to have a constant flux of 'merchandise' in the display and for the costumers. More details of this plot will be revealed later as the story develops.