Chapter 26: The Sudden Wave

"Two days? TWO DAYS?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?! How in the world can we prepare to fight a Wave of Calamity in TWO FUCKING DAYS?!"

Tersia exploded when she heard the sudden news.

Not only Tersia, but the other members of Team EMIYA were also staring at their leader in horror. Farrie started nervously.

"Tersia-chan is right. This is just too sudden. I don't think we're mentally prepared for a Wave, sensei."

She said, "mentally prepared". And EMIYA understood; they might be ready in terms of physical abilities and battle skills, but a big battle such as a Wave needs more than just brute strength. No one could go to war and fight effectively if they didn't have a proper mindset.

Even EMIYA himself didn't like this idea. However, fighting the Waves is their duty, and even if they didn't want it, they would still need to get used to this sooner or later anyway. After all, Zeltoble is just one country. There should be Waves in the other countries, too – something the authority of Melromarc conveniently decided to refrain from telling the Heroes. He understood why they did that, but that still didn't make it any better.

"We just need to prepare with the little time we have left, then," finally, he said. He turned toward Captain Fargus. "I trust that you already did your own preparation for it, didn't you?"

The Axe Hero snorted. "Of course we did. You think that we are going to charge blindly into the Wave without any preparation? We have mobilized the army of Zeltoble two weeks ago, and they're all ready now, waiting for command. Also, the Grand Tournament is a chance for us to gather more helpers; hopefully, there will be some strong adventurers who would stay and assist us."

He glanced at Larsazusa, who was standing nearby. "I believe you are going to be one of those, aren't you?"

The panda woman grinned. "Oh, definitely."

EMIYA nodded. Zeltoble seemingly prepared for the Waves of Calamity much better than Melromarc did. And the best thing is Fargus himself seemed to be responsible and dutiful, unlike a certain Seven Star Hero who would just stay in his castle and leave everything to the summoned Cardinal Heroes.

"And we also thought about the possible location of the incoming Wave," Fargus continued, and led everyone to a table nearby. On top of the table, there was a map made of a big sheet of parchment. He pointed at the locations marked on the map.

"This is already the third Wave Zeltoble has received. After the two previous Waves, we deduced that the Waves' goal is destroying civilizations, and therefore they are going to hit places where there are people living. However, so far they haven't hit anywhere with too many people, like a big town. Therefore, these places are the ones where we think the Wave might strike."

He shrugged. "But anyway, this is just our guess. There's no way to be sure where exactly the Wave will hit. There might be a chance that it might hit somewhere completely unexpected, like in the middle of the ocean… so we already made some preparation for that, too. Zeltoble's navy and the Ark are always ready for a battle on the sea."

"Then what if we have to fight on land?"

Fargus smirked. "Interesting thing you're asking there. Watch."

He raised his hand toward EMIYA and started chanting. "As the source of your power, I, the Axe Hero, command you, decipher the law of nature and bring the being in front of me to the sky. Float."

Immediately, the Sword Hero felt his body being lifted up. He hovered in midair without being able to control his body for a while, and could only land on the ground when Fargus stopped the spell.

"After the first Wave, we spent a lot of time and effort developing that spell," said the Axe Hero proudly. "This will allow us to bring our vessels with us without fearing that they might crash if we happen to be summoned somewhere on land. Kinda impossible not to think about it, after what happened in the first Wave…"

"What happened?" Welt asked in curiosity. Fargus grumbled.

"Forget it… You only need to know that we lost a lot of people and equipment during that time. That's why we need to make sure that something like that never happens again. Yeah…"

Fargus' expression made Welt know that it's wiser not to dig deeper into it.

EMIYA chuckled. "That's a lot of preparation you've already made there, Captain. I'm pretty sure we won't have to feel not being ready for this Wave at least."

Fargus smirked back. "Sure as hell."

"Now then," EMIYA turned toward his disciples, "I understand that this Wave was too sudden for all of us. However, we need to get used to this, because in the future there are going to be a lot of Waves that we would have to tackle in a short period of time. But I'm not going to be unreasonable. This time, if any of you doesn't want to fight, I'm not going to force you."

None of his companions budged an inch. Fohl pumped his fist with a determined look on his face.

"I'm going to fight too, Master. I'm going to prove to you that I can be useful too!"

The Sword Hero turned his eyes toward Wyndia. The girl was still as quiet as always, but when she saw EMIYA's eyes, she nodded lightly in confirmation.

"Very well then," the ex-Counter Guardian nodded. He turned toward Fargus. "Captain, I'm going to need some help from you."

After half an hour of walking, the group stopped in front of a small house deep within the market district of Zeltoble Harbor.

"Normal weapons can be found anywhere around the market, but if you want masterpieces, this is the only place where you can find them."

The first impression EMIYA got when stepping foot inside the house was that it was definitely the workshop of a skilled blacksmith. On the wall, cases and shelves showcase many types of weapons, from normal ones like swords or spears to the less common ones such as poleaxes, morning stars and chains. All of those were of very high quality, at least equal to the ones created by Erhard, from what the ex-Counter Guardian could see. At the far end of the room, there was an open door, where a red light and the noises of a hammer hitting an anvil could be seen and heard.

Fargus walked to the empty counter and yelled.

"Oi, Refia! Are you home? I bring customers for you!"

The noises in the next room stopped abruptly. Two seconds later, a person emerged from the door. And EMIYA was surprised to see that the person was a woman. She was a redhead about forty years old or so, but the way she dressed herself was rather… inappropriate for normal women of that age: a pair of very short shorts and a white blouse with the neck so exposing it couldn't hide the black sports bra under it. Even at home, she was still wearing a pair of tall boots with white stockings under them. She was very muscular, obviously as a result of her job.

"What now, Fargus?" she grumbled while wiping sweat from her forehead with the towel around her neck. "I already told you that I won't sell anything to those useless brats…"

Then her words stopped abruptly when she saw who was behind the Axe Hero. She grinned. "Well, well, look who we have here. Aren't you the famous Sword Hero who has just dethroned this jerk over there this morning?"

EMIYA calmly met the eyes of the woman with his own. "My reputation seems to precede me already, hm."

"This is Refia," Fargus introduced. "Believe it or not, she is the best blacksmith Zeltoble has ever had in history. She's a genius when it comes to making weapons; things made by her are at another level compared to what is offered by normal merchants in the market. Sometimes she's a little bit crazy, though; some of the ideas she thought about are just... never mind, you're going to see soon."

The woman checked the ex-Counter Guardian out from top to bottom, an action which a normal person would feel very uncomfortable about. But this was EMIYA; his face was still as calm and indifferent as ever. The blacksmith woman grinned with a menacing look on her face.

"Interesting. You really are different from the pathetic boys who usually come here and demand me to sell them my weapons. But look is one thing…"

She walked toward a shelf nearby and said, with her back turned against him.

"Oi, oi, don't do what I think you're—"

"…let's see if you really deserve to buy my weapons!"

And EMIYA found the blade of a sword coming at his face. Everyone in the shop yelled in shock at the same time.

"Sense—!"

But to their surprise, the blade stopped in midair just one inch before it could decapitate the Sword Hero.

"So that's how a Hero is different from other people, huh," Refia's nasty grin never left her face.

"Next time, if you want to test someone, don't use this kind of method. There might be a chance that they would retaliate with lethal force," the ex-Counter Guardian replied with a smirk of his own.

Only now did the members of Team EMIYA see the Legendary Sword in the form of a single blade of Gaelion's Wrath nicking the skin of the blacksmith's neck. The muscular woman's grin spread even wider.

"How did you know that I was testing you?"

"That slash didn't hold any killing intent," EMIYA answered curtly. "Besides, you're not the only blacksmith I've ever met who would only make weapons for people who are worthy."

The blacksmith broke into laughter. A hearty, satisfying laughter instead of a menacing chuckle like what she did before. She withdrew the sword and returned it to the shelf she had taken it from, then walked back behind the counter of the shop.

"Well then," she said in an amused voice. "How am I going to serve Mr. Sword Hero today?"

"I'm here to prepare for the incoming Wave," EMIYA went straight to the point. "There isn't a lot of time left, so we cannot afford to procrastinate. Not only for me, but also for them, too," he pointed at Fohl and Wyndia.

It's not like he couldn't provide them with weapons from Unlimited Blade Works. However, he didn't think that giving out legendary weapons to fourteen-year-old kids was a good idea. Besides, he didn't think that the kids had it in themselves to utilize those weapons to their full potential yet, anyway. Better start them with normal things, first.

Fohl got his own pair of gauntlets, but when the slave trader left him in EMIYA's hand, he took the weapon with him, saying that it was "compensation for the contract". Fohl didn't like it at all, but still had to comply. So now he also needed a new weapon. And Wyndia also needed something like a wand or staff to effectively utilize her talent for magic.

"I don't need a new weapon," Fohl protested immediately. Even Wyndia didn't look that thrilled at the idea of getting a weapon for herself. EMIYA nodded.

"I know that you don't. However, we are going to war here. I'm not going to let you two fight the Wave without giving you proper preparation."

Hearing that, Fohl didn't complain anymore. What his master had just said made sense. He just didn't like it that much, however. He was more comfortable fighting with the gauntlets he inherited from his father, and even though it didn't fit him that well, it was something that could never be replaced.

"Someone who is recommended by the Sword Hero himself should be good enough," Refia nodded. "Well then, you are little Fohl, aren't you? Quite a celebrity in this land, I say. Finally decided to ditch that old pair of gauntlets, hmm?"

"I didn't…" Fohl started angrily, but EMIYA's glare made him stop mid-sentence. He sighed and relented.

"I didn't want to. I just… can't use them anymore. I lost them."

That was the truth. After leaving the twins in EMIYA's hand, the slave trader took Fohl's weapon with him, saying that it was "compensation for the breaking of the contract". That didn't make any sense at all, but he didn't have any way to retaliate against the demand of the bastard.

Refia leaned over the counter. "That's actually good for you. I'm not saying that it isn't a good weapon, it's just that it doesn't suit you. It is something designed for a grown-up to use, and I'm pretty sure you already realized that you cannot fit your hands into it properly. You still need a lot to grow before you can use it effectively. Better start yourself at something that fits you and wait until you level up a little bit more."

EMIYA winced mentally. That woman might be good at her job, but she was insensitive as hell. What she said was completely correct in terms of professional knowledge, but considering what that weapon meant to Fohl, saying something like that was no different from stabbing him in the chest.

Then again, he wasn't someone with the right to talk about that, either.

He squeezed Fohl's shoulder, and raised his voice before the boy could say anything else. "That's true. However, we're not here for you to lecture him. If we waste all day here listening to your preaching, there won't be enough time to prepare for the Wave."

The woman eyed EMIYA with a look full of curiosity, but didn't say anything else. She turned back and retrieved something from the shelf behind her, and put them on the counter. It was a roll of seamstress tape.

"Gauntlets are usually used as parts of armor, not weapons," she said. "Therefore, it's kinda difficult to find a pair ready for you without having it custom-made. Something of your size is even more difficult. However, if you leave your measurements here, I'm pretty sure I can cook up something before the Wave starts... About 40 more hours or so, isn't it? Then it would be ready tomorrow night."

"Isn't that a little bit too quick?" EMIYA pointed out. Refia just smirked back at him.

"You're gonna be surprised to know what a person can do if they put all their effort into it. Now, I believe you would want some swords for yourself, wouldn't you?"

EMIYA nodded. "As many as you have. We need as much power as we can find."

"Feel free to go around to check, then," Refia nodded. "Remember that you would have to pay for it, though. Can't have you go around copying everything I have here without paying, like this jerk did when he first received that Seven Star Axe," she glared at the Axe Hero, who gave her a cheeky smirk in response.

While Refia was taking Fohl's measurements, Wyndia walked around the shop. She looked at the weapons with curious eyes, and her gaze stopped at a rack at the corner of the room. The wooden rack was filled with wands and staffs of all sizes and kinds. They looked normal from the outside, but to the dog girl's eyes, they were all glowing with magical power.

"So, a magic user, hmm? Sharp eyes you have there, little girl."

Wyndia nearly jumped in surprise when Refia's voice suddenly rose from behind her. She stuttered. "I—"

"Wands and staves are created to act as conductors of magic," the blacksmith said. "People can use magic without them, obviously, but those weapons can augment their magical ability by focusing their magical power and assisting them in spell casting. Even master magicians would sometimes use these tools to give themselves an edge in combat."

She took a staff off the rack and twirled it around. "Those staves and wands sold in the market are made so that even the normal people without much magical proficiency could use them. But those things can't do much help to a powerful magician whose mastery of magic far exceeds what the tools can handle. And the more powerful ones which fit their capabilities, the ones made from powerful magical substances such as unicorn hair or phoenix feather, are usually very picky and would only allow people whom they deem worthy to wield them. It's just like they have their own souls."

She gave the staff she was holding to Wyndia. "Here, let's see if you're worthy of wielding this one. Hold it and try channeling your magical energy into it."

The dog girl glanced at the blacksmith warily, then shrugged and grabbed the weapon in the other woman's hand.

And something amusing happened. Right as the dog girl started channeling her magical energy into the staff, it glowed brightly and exploded into a rain of splinters.

Wyndia dropped the remains of the weapon in her hand in shock. Everyone in the room stared at her, utterly baffled. Refia, her eyes widening, muttered.

"This never happened before… Here, try this one," she handed Wyndia another staff on the rack, which was thicker and looked much stronger than the one before. But to her surprise and shock, this one suffered from the same fate as the previous staff.

Staff after staff, wand after wand was turned into splinters on the ground in the effort to find the perfect weapon for Wyndia. But strangely, Refia only looked annoyed and frustrated, and somewhat… amused (?) rather than angry. She muttered while crouching on the ground, picking up some fragments of the recently destroyed weapon.

"Tch… even that one is not suitable? Then…"

Her face suddenly brightened up, and she bolted upward before running back to the workshop behind the store. Everyone in the room could barely exchange mystified looks before she dashed back into the room, with a long, thin object wrapped in a sheet of white cloth in her arms.

"Here, try this," she said, and dropped the package in Wyndia's hands.

Curious, the dog girl unwrapped the package, and her eyes widened.

Inside the cover was another staff. However, this staff was completely different from the other ones Wyndia had been trying until now. Instead of wood, the shaft of the staff was made from a type of metal similar to titanium, and the head made of gold and silver was shaped like a spearhead with two prongs instead of the normal round shape of a staff, with a big, red spherical crystal at the center.

Hesitated, the girl grabbed the metal shaft with her right hand. A surge of magical energy suddenly exploded with the girl and the staff as the center, sweeping through the shop and knocking the young members of Team EMIYA down on their butts. Wyndia's hand was seemingly glued to the staff, and her face twisted in an expression of pain.

"Let go, Wyndia-chan!" Farrie screamed in horror. "Let go of that staff!"

But EMIYA's eyes narrowed when he saw the expression on her face. Instead of fear and panic, her face was now bearing a firm expression of determination, even though the ex-Counter Guardian could feel that her magical energy was being drained rapidly. Even though she was obviously in pain, there was something that was preventing her from giving up. The staff... or maybe... it was the dog girl herself.

"Wyndia!" he called. "Are you okay?"

The girl nodded, still with the same determined expression on her face, even though she didn't say anything. The surge of magical energy was getting more and more intense; it didn't look like the girl could hold on much longer...

Then suddenly…

A blinding burst of light exploded from the place where Wyndia was standing. It filled the whole room in a blink of an eye, so sudden that everyone had to shield their eyes in reflex. It faded away as quickly as it came, and when it did, everyone gasped in surprise when they saw what was happening.

The staff had changed. It didn't drain mana from the dog girl furiously anymore, and the red gem at the center of the head was glowing with a gentle light. Below the golden head, two wings made of golden light were shining elegantly, and from them, a warm heat of acceptance brightened the room.

"Just as I thought."

Wyndia jumped when she felt Refia's rough hand patting her right shoulder. The woman was looking at her with the biggest grin anyone had seen on her face.

"Tell me, girl. What did you feel when you grabbed the staff?"

It seemed Wyndia was too shocked to keep her normal cold façade. She stuttered.

"I… I don't know… When I grabbed it, I felt that my magical energy was sucked out of me, but… something inside me told me that I had to hang on and not let it win, so I just… pulled my energy back, and after that… after a while… it just stopped. I don't know what happened."

"And that's everything?" the blacksmith pressed. "You don't feel anything else? Fatigue? Exhaustion?"

The dog girl shook her head.

Refia broke into laughter. "Just as I thought! Can't believe I would live to see the day this freaking thing gets tamed by someone, not to mention a little girl!"

"I don't get it," Tersia scratched her head. "Is there something special about that staff?"

"Oh, trust me, little girl, that staff is anything but normal."

Captain Fargus growled. He took a step forward and glared at Refia. "Where did you get your hand on something that dangerous? You know at that level, that staff might even be considered a cursed weapon, don't you?"

Refia just shrugged. "Eh. I wouldn't expect a blockhead like you to understand the brilliance of my work, anyway. There's nothing 'cursed' about this thing; if anything, you can say that it's the complete opposite. This is more of the result of my attempt to replicate the Seven Star Staff."

Those words were no different from a bomb that had just been detonated in the middle of the room. Farrie, the one with the vastest knowledge in the group, exclaimed in disbelief.

"No way! The Legendary and Seven Star Weapons are holy artifacts created by the World itself; there's no way someone can just recreate them like that!"

"And you are completely right, little priestess," Refia nodded. "No matter how hard I tried, this little thing here was just a fake, a cheap knockoff of the real thing. There's no way it can compare to the real Seven Star Staff held by that king of Melromarc. The only thing I managed to replicate was the tendency of throwing a tantrum and being picky about who would be able to hold it. No one has ever been able to wield it without being drained to the core before. However, that doesn't mean that it is not a powerful weapon; it is made from the best materials and was enchanted with all of my skill and love. Basically, it has the closest thing to a soul anyone could ever create in our history, and it has its own personality. You should be happy that it has chosen you to be its master, girlie."

Everyone was awestruck by what was unfolding in front of them.

Everyone, except for EMIYA. He groaned.

"Great. I want to train a soldier to fight the Waves, and guess what? I got a magical girl, of all things. What a lucky bastard I am."

"Is there something wrong with being a magical girl?" Welt asked in curiosity. EMIYA's face darkened.

"You don't want to know, Welt… you don't want to know… So, how much do we have to pay for everything?"

Refia counted on her hand. "Hmm… the gauntlets for Fohl are custom-made, so it would take you 3 gold coins. The swords that you copied with your Legendary Sword… hmm, about ten gold coins would do. That staff, though… you can keep it for free. I've been looking so hard for someone who can wield it, and it would be an insult if the chosen one had to pay for it."

Wyndia breathed out in relief. She clutched the weapon in her hands; it's rare to see the dog girl look so happy.

"You still have to pay for all the staves and wands she destroyed, though."

EMIYA grumbled unhappily.

[32:27:13]

That evening, Team EMIYA still did their training as usual. However, Wyndia was excluded from the physical training. While watching her fellow disciples train their muscles, she was assigned to sit back and learn the basic magical spells in the books of magic he bought before in Castle Town.

"Knowing powerful magic is meaningless if you cannot find the opportunity to cast them. As a spellcaster, you need to stay close to your allies, and stick to the spells you can use with the highest speed unless you are under good protection. Remember, the spellcasters, or magi, are not people who throw their lives away recklessly in the frontline."

That's what he said.

That's the reason why she was sitting at a corner of the training field, firing spell after spell to the sky. Her incredible affinity for magic wasn't just for show; she managed to master all the basic spells for lightning, fire and ice elements in only a few hours, and was even able to cast the Fireball and Ice Shard spells without having to chant the long incantations, a feat that even a very skilled magic user like Farrie couldn't do.

"Wow! That's so awesome, Wyndia-chan! You really are an incredible magic user, just like what Gaelion-san said!"

That enthusiastic voice was from Tersia, who was walking toward her while wiping the sweat on her forehead with the towel around her neck. Walking next to her was Farrie, who was beaming at her with the brightest smile on her face. The pair sat down next to her on the log she was using as her seat.

"You're not training?" she glared at the two older girls. Farrie smiled back at her.

"We're done for today. It's Fohl-kun's turn now. See? He's sparring with sensei."

Indeed, the hakuko boy was in the middle of a spar with EMIYA. Although, saying that they were in a "spar" was a very big stretch. It's more like EMIYA beating the crap out of the poor boy with Torashinai.

"Too many openings!" the ex-Counter Guardian was barking while striking the right cheek, left arm and left shoulder of the hakuko boy with the bamboo sword. "If this is the best you can do, you are going to be killed the first minute you arrive at the battlefield! Slow your movement down and take note of where your openings are! Calm yourself down and keep your head clear! Do not let the heat of the fight get into your head!"

Soon, Fohl was sent sprawling on the ground. He gritted his teeth, trying to push himself up. But the determination in his eyes never faded; when he managed to stand up, he slipped back into his stance, but this time, his eyes were calm and alert instead of careless like before. And with a loud yell, the boy charged in again.

"Our two new siblings are both so talented," Tersia said cheerfully. "Just half an hour of training and he already understood what we needed a few weeks to do."

Wyndia stared at the sword maiden. "You had to do this for weeks?!"

"Mm," Farrie confirmed. "I still remember how I lost consciousness the first time sensei put us through that training regime…"

"That tyrant," the dog girl muttered. "Why didn't you say anything? You are his companions, not his… his… servants! Why do you have to force yourself like that?"

Farrie looked at the younger girl with an understanding smile. "At first, I also thought the same way, I admit. But the more I worked with sensei, the more I realized that he was not wrong. I used to be a weak girl who couldn't do anything but get bullied by others, but I've stopped feeling inferior to others. I realized that even someone like me has my own strength, and sensei was the one who helped me find it."

"Mhm," Tersia agreed. "Even though sensei is a bit rough, he truly cares about us and this world. I'm sure everything he does is for our sake. I believe there's nothing we need to worry about as long as we still have him with us."

Wyndia went silent after those words.

She still had some doubts about the Sword Hero. But she couldn't deny the fact that during the time she had been spending with him and the others, her life had changed in a way she couldn't expect it to do. A feeling that she had never felt before in her life had emerged in her head. A feeling she had never felt before when she was imprisoned in the dungeon of the church. A feeling she had never felt before, even when she was with her foster father.

He was a jerk, yes. He was a brutal drill sergeant, yes. However, at the same time, she could feel a warm atmosphere among the members of the team when he was there. Everyone on the team was so… comfortable around each other, and they seemed to trust the Sword Hero willingly and unconditionally, without questions.

It was just like… this whole team was a family. And Wyndia herself was now a part of it.

Maybe she was too harsh on him, after all…

Her hands squeezed unconsciously around the shaft of the staff. She didn't realize it, but a small smile was blooming on her face.

[22:07:26]

"So, these are the troops you gathered for the battle, hmm."

EMIYA looked at the group of people standing in the square in front of him. There were about two hundred people, most of whom were soldiers, although there were also twenty or so adventurers. All of them looked rather experienced; it was obvious that they had been through battles before.

"They are all the finest fighters this country could find, Sir Sword Hero," Lord Bentley nodded, waving his hands toward the group of people. "We already talked about the incoming battle with them, and they are all very enthusiastic about helping."

EMIYA pondered. Having this many people would definitely help a lot, considering that the Heroes didn't get much assistance from Melromarc's royal family during the last Wave. At least Zeltoble was considerate about this. However, there's no way they could go to war like this. They would at least need some organization.

Suddenly he felt something poking the side of his waist. He turned around, and saw Captain Fargus poking him with the handle of his Seven Star Axe.

"You should say something. After all, we already agreed that you are going to lead this battle, didn't we?"

EMIYA raised an eyebrow. "When did we ever agree about that?"

Fargus just gave him a cheeky grin. "Two seconds ago. Now, go."

The glare on EMIYA's face tripled in intensity, but Fargus didn't even budge. The annoying grin never left the man's face. He rolled his eyes, but still had to relent; after all, he also needed to raise his voice later, anyway. He stepped forward, and the square suddenly went silent.

"Thanks, everyone, for coming to assist us in the incoming Wave," he raised his voice. "I expect you all to have already known how terrible the Waves are. Even so, you still came to help us. And for that, we are grateful."

He really hated this kind of talk. However, during his time in Chaldea, he learned that words sometimes are even more powerful than swords and guns, especially if they come from a person with big influence. And just as he expected, cheers erupted from the warriors as he finished his words.

"However," he continued, "we cannot go to war without preparation. Weapons, armors and other equipment, I expect that you got all of them ready. The only thing left is organization; we cannot just rush head-first into the enemies' lines and expect to come out winning. Among you all, I trust that there are people with specific talents in one particular type of weapon; we are going to create battalions, led by people chosen by me and Captain Fargus, and each battalion is going to follow their assigned orders of action when the Wave starts, no question asking. Is that clear enough?"

There was a general murmur of assent. EMIYA nodded.

"Good. Then, let's begin with the infantry. The people who are good with melee weapons like swords, spears, shields, or anything in close combat, please step up."

About half of the group stepped forward. Among them, EMIYA could see people wielding spears, great swords, rapiers, battle axes and everything, and there were also people wielding one-handed shields together with their other weapons. At least the warriors here weren't as shallow and short-minded as the ones in Melromarc.

He made a quick head count, and nodded. "Good, we have one hundred and thirty-two people. So, we are going to split into three groups. Two of them are going to be led by me and Captain Fargus, and we are going to face the monsters of the Wave head-on. The last group is going to take care of evacuating the people in the vicinity of the battlefield."

Fargus looked at him curiously. "A whole battalion just for evacuation? Isn't that a little bit excessive?"

"In the previous Wave in Melromarc, a whole village would have been wiped off the map had it not been for the Shield Hero's help," answered EMIYA. "I don't want to leave anything to chance this time."

Fargus scratched his beard. "You got a point. Still, I guess forty-four warriors in the evacuation group is kinda too many. Maybe we can leave it at about thirty or so, and leave the remaining fourteen in the two combat battalions. You know, the frontline also needs strength."

EMIYA nodded. He also understood what Fargus was saying. "If that's the case, we'll need a good hand to handle that team. Larsazusa, can I entrust you with leading the evacuation team? There might not be a lot of battles there, but as I said, we need someone good to handle that, and I know you can do it."

The panda woman grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."

Suddenly the status screen popped up in front of EMIYA's face without a warning. There was a new additional selection in the menu, which was blinking brightly. Its title was "Battalion Setting". Curious, the ex-Counter Guardian selected the blinking title, and a new menu popped up, showing the three newly formed battalions with the names of the leaders on top.

So this is how they formed armies here, huh...

A description popped up in the middle of the screen.

BATTALION SETTING

Heroes can establish battalions from a group of warriors to assist them in battles, in addition to their main companions. The warriors who fight in a battalion would receive experience points proportionate to how well they perform in the battle, as well as some boosts to their stats while they are in the battalion. The higher stats the leader of the battalion has, the stronger the boosts would be.

So it meant that he needed to choose a strong warrior to become the leader of the battalion. He felt glad that he had assigned good people to lead the three infantry battalions he had just set up.

After confirming once more that the three battalions were fully established, EMIYA decided it was time to move to the next one. "Who among here are good with magic, both offensive and defensive?"

Hands rose to the air. EMIYA noticed that there were way fewer people who volunteered this time than before. It seemed that even though magic was way less complex than it was in his world, there weren't that many who could be considered "good" with magic. Including the two magic users of his own team, there were only about twenty people.

EMIYA did a quick calculation. With this number, it was kinda useless to group them in a battalion. Also, based on their equipment, he could assume that about two-thirds of them were healers, and only about five or six specialized in attack magic.

Then…

"Right. So, we're going to split you all up into groups of four. Each group is going to have three healers and one attack mage, and will go together with each of the other battalions. Your duty is to provide support for the frontline, healing them, casting support magic and giving additional firepower when necessary. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!"

Finally, there were only about forty warriors left. EMIYA's eyes swept across the group; he saw that all of them had bows, crossbows and slingers with them.

"So I guess you are all good with ranged weapons?"

The warriors let out a cheer of agreement. The Sword Hero nodded again.

"Good. Then this will be the Archer Battalion. Your duty is to provide firepower support from behind the frontline while the defenders fend off the enemy's vanguard. Welt," he glanced back at the archer of his team, "you are going to be the leader of this battalion."

The aforementioned boy nearly jumped in surprise. "M-me?!"

The Sword Hero nodded at him. "You are the best archer that I've seen after I arrived in this world, Welt. You're more than qualified to take this job, I'm sure of it."

"Now that is obviously an exaggeration."

From the back of the group, an adventurer walked up. He was a tall young man with spiky hair under an archer cap on his head, and he was wearing a dark green-coloured long coat with a bow slinging across his back.

"I know that he is your apprentice and everything, but if you say that he's better than anyone here, it's going to be an insult to all of us, Sir Sword Hero," he said in an arrogant voice. "All the people gathering here today are experienced fighters who have gone through battles. There definitely are other people here who are more deserving to be the leader than that snot-nosed brat."

"How dare you…!"

EMIYA raised his hand to stop Tersia's angry exclamation. He looked straight into the man's eyes, who met his gaze unflinchingly. It seemed this man was also a good archer, and obviously what EMIYA had just said offended him.

"So, you think that you are better than Welt?"

The archer smirked, not even fazed a bit. "Naturally."

"Then let's make it a contest."

The ex-Counter Guardian walked to a range of trees about five hundred meters away. He pulled out five target rings from inside the Legendary Sword's inventory and pinned them on the trunks of the trees.

"You two are going to stand there and fire at these targets," he said. "The person who has more shots hit the bullseye would be the winner, and the loser has to obey the order of the winner without any question. Is it okay for you?"

"No problem with me," the archer grinned. He got his bow off his shoulder, and drawing five arrows from his quiver, he shot them, one by one, at the targets. The five arrows stabbed the rings with five loud "thud"s.

Impressive… Seems this guy wasn't all talk, after all…

Four of the arrows landed right at the center of the target rings. The last one was about a centimeter away from the center, but still very close. The archer wasn't just boasting; he was actually pretty good.

The man glanced at Welt with an arrogant smirk. "How's that, brat? Think you can beat that?"

The boy glanced at his teacher, who was looking at him right now. If Welt were still the nervous wreck he used to be in the past, there's no way he's gonna be able to do it. However, he's not the boy he used to be before. And looking at his teacher's confident and ensuring eyes, he knew that he could do it now.

He took a deep breath, and drawing five arrows from his own quiver, he fired them at the targets. And everyone gasped when they saw the result.

Every arrow hit bullseyes. The first one stabbed the center of the ring right next to the other archer's arrowhead to the left, the second one to the right, the third one above, and the fourth one even split the other arrow in half at the shaft. The force of the last arrow hitting the bullseye was so great it broke the shaft of the other arrow on the target ring.

The other archer dropped his bow in shock.

"H-how the hell?!" he stuttered. "How the hell were you able to do that?!"

EMIYA had to hold himself back to not show a triumphant smirk. With arrogant people like this, the most effective way to make them cool their heads down is to deliver them an utterly devastating defeat. And now, the arrogant archer was standing there, gritting his teeth in anger and humiliation.

"So, anything else to say? Welt defeated you, fair and square. Are you going to accept him as the one who will lead you now?"

The archer of Team EMIYA stood in front of the green archer. He reached out his hand with a smile. "My name is Welt Barton. Let's do our best to help each other."

The green archer gritted his teeth. Then, he slapped Welt's hand away.

"My name is Oliver Patel, but don't ever think that I have accepted you. You just beat me by your damn luck. We'll see in the Wave who the real better archer is!"

Then he picked up his bow and walked away.

"Wow, Welt-kun, you've made yourself a rival!" Tersia patted his shoulder cheerfully. The archer didn't look that thrilled about that, though; if anything, he looked kinda sad.

"Don't tell me you feel pity for that guy," Wyndia, standing next to him, snorted. "No matter how I look, he's just a jerk. I hate that guy."

"It's just because he has never found anyone as good as himself before," Surprisingly, it's Damian Kaur, the mayor of the city who had been standing behind everyone from the beginning, who raised his voice. "That young man is the best archer in this city. He has been the champion of our annual archery contest for years. Now that he has found someone who threatens his position as the best, surely he's gonna be pissed."

Tersia glanced at the mayor. "You sure know a lot about warriors of this land."

The man shrugged. "I'm not only the mayor, but also the host of most tournaments in the Grand Stadium, you know. That's basically my job."

"All right," Captain Fargus raised his voice. "There is still a day for you to finish your preparation, so we are going to dismiss for now. The Wave is going to begin at exactly five in the morning tomorrow, so, remember to gather here at four. Now, dismiss!"

EMIYA glanced at the pirate captain. "Are we just going to let them go like that? I mean, some of them might chicken out at the last minute."

"Then let them," Fargus snorted. "If they actually run away, then they don't have what it takes to fight in this battle, anyway. Besides, I know a lot of these guys; they're not as weak as you think. They will turn up."

[00:10:25]

The army stood in the great hall, in front of the Hourglass of the Dragon's Era.

EMIYA had to admit that he was surprised when every single recruit turned up just like what Fargus had said. The Captain really understood the people in this land more than him. Then again, the man had been living here for years, while EMIYA was just someone who had been summoned to this world for less than two months. Someone who had been close to the citizens of this land for years should have understood them more than a person who didn't even know anything about it until just a while ago.

His eyes swept across the small army. Everyone looked agitated, even the members of his team. Wyndia was fidgeting with her staff nervously; it was obvious that even though she claimed to be ready, she wasn't that thrilled with the idea of using her magic to attack other beings yet. Fohl's hands kept opening and closing nonstop under the gloves of the new gauntlets he got from Refia, which now fit nicely around his small hands, unlike his old weapon. Sweat could be seen rolling down his forehead. At least he wasn't as riled up as he had been the previous day, though. Upon thinking about how Atla would be left alone when he went fighting the Wave, the poor boy almost freaked out, and only calmed down when Lord Bentley himself volunteered to take care of her until he returned.

"You don't seem to be worried much, hmm."

EMIYA snorted upon Fargus' question. "Why should I? Worrying about a fight only lowers the morale of the troops, as well as of myself. Better leave that energy to think about what might happen."

Then he changed the topic. "How is the preparation? Are the vessels and weapons ready?"

The Axe Hero nodded. "All outside, and got enhanced with Float. The ballistae and cannons are all loaded, ready to fire anytime."

EMIYA glanced at the countdown clock in the corner of his vision. Three minutes left. The other warriors could seemingly understand that, because all the noises in the hall died down all at once, and the tight atmosphere of the room suddenly increased threefold in density.

Five seconds left.

Four…

Three…

Two…

One…

BOOM!

The explosion shattered the silent atmosphere, just like the time when he fought the Wave in Melromarc.

But…

"Why aren't we teleported?"

The question coming from Farrie sent confusion across the hall. EMIYA was confused, too. If it was anything like the previous Wave, they should have been teleported to the site of the battle by the power of the Hourglass… right?

Unless…

EMIYA's eyes widened at the thought that had just appeared in his head. Without a word, he ran out of the chamber, pushing through the crowd of warriors in the process. And what he saw when he reached outside sent a chill down his spine.

The sky of the city was coated in a blood-red color. And far off the coast, there was a huge crack in the fabric of space that could be seen even where he was standing.

And Team EMIYA went and did some preparation before the Wave came. Not a lot of things to mention here, but there are some details that are going to be very important in the near future.

The Wave came in a very unexpected way. To be honest, I don't remember quite well if there is anything saying that the Dragon Hourglass would protect the place where it stands from being targeted by the Waves or not, but in this work, I'm going to assume that there isn't anything like that.

Until next time.