Elf Tensei Kara no Cheat Kenkoku-ki

Vol 05 Chapter 20-2: Defense Battle

The fire foxes initiated their flame magic in groups. As long as they had visual contact, the fire foxes could cast magic on any target within range. Peeking at the Imperial soldiers through the holes made for crossbow firing, they activated their magic while remaining hidden behind the wall. The ladders quickly caught fire, and the Empire's soldiers climbing them fell. The fire foxes' abilities proved more efficient in dealing with close-range targets. There was also the option of using wind to knock down the ladders. However, if several people were holding them down, it would require considerably strong magic and that would be a considerable drain on our mana resources, and more importantly, we wanted to burn the ladders to prevent their reuse. The battlefield reached a stalemate. No, we were slowly being pushed back. We couldn't withstand their sheer numbers. Fatigue began to show on both the elves firing arrows and the fire foxes burning the enemies clinging to the walls. There was also a limit to our arrow supply. 「Everyone, hold on for now. Don't use the trump card yet!」 I issued instructions to all fronts through the communication device. There was one thing prepared that could turn the situation around. I desperately resisted the temptation to use it immediately. It had to be used at a more critical moment. ◇ Time passed. It had been about three hours since the battle began. Everyone's concentration was waning. We were starting to show symptoms of fatigue. The accuracy of the elves firing arrows was dropping, and the fire foxes were struggling each time they cast their flame magic. The physically weaker ones, who had been continuously loading arrows, had trembling hands. They desperately tried to keep up, but their pace was clearly slowing down. Yet, there was no sign of the Empire's momentum stopping. Multiple ladders were propped against the outer walls, and the fire foxes couldn't keep up with disposing of them. Sensing they were close to breaching the walls, the Imperial soldiers were emboldened, and the Imperial army’s commander started pouring more forces into the fray. At this moment, the area around the outer walls was swarming with the most Imperial soldiers it had seen all day. It was a moment of dire crisis, but also an opportunity. We had been waiting for this moment! 「We’ll use the trump card, those in charge, hurry with the preparations!」 「Northern front is ready anytime. Yukino will do her best.」 「Eastern front is also good to go. Kuro and the others are ready whenever.」 「Cyril-niisama, the western front is also prepared. We are ready whenever you are.」 Using the phone, I gave the go-ahead to use the trump card on all fronts. Responses came from Yukino, Kurone, and Kemin, who led the fire foxes in their respective areas. On the southern front, where I was, Kuu and the other fire foxes began to move frantically. The fire foxes descended from the outer walls and placed their hands on the ground. Now everything was ready. 「Start the countdown. On my signal, use that magic simultaneously… 3, 2, 1. Activate!」 As I gave the command, a rumbling sound began to be heard. Building a tall wall with a thickness of ten meters was challenging. So, we did the opposite. We dug around the walls to a considerable depth of ten meters, spanning three meters wide, and solidified the ground surface. With that, we achieved the same effect as building high walls. Fortunately, fire foxes were skilled in earth magic second only to fire magic. They were able to dig such a large hole in a short period. Looking at the hole, an idea occurred to me. It could be used not only to enhance defense but also as a trap. For that, we piled up soil over the hole and hardened it thoroughly. We hardened it so thoroughly that it wouldn’t collapse under any weight, except when all the fire foxes used their earth magic at the same time. This was for dealing maximum damage to the Imperial soldiers at the most critical moment. It would be problematic if it collapsed under a minor load. And then, the ground split open. Imperial soldiers were being swallowed into the earth one after another. 「Cyril, it’s a great success,」 Lucy, who had been shooting arrows next to me, said with a sigh of relief. I smiled back. 「Yes, the plan worked perfectly.」 「They have received terrible damage, do you think the Empire’s people will retreat?」 Just as Lucy said, the soldiers clinging to the wall, along with their ladders, fell into the pit, many of them dying instantly. Those who survived were severely injured. Additionally, those who didn’t fall into the pit were stunned by the carnage inside, and the realization that what they thought was a near victory had not only reset to the beginning but had become even more difficult. This would probably make them retreat for today. The morale of their soldiers was devastated, and they needed to rescue those who were still alive. My only concern was the complete lack of movement from Ashno. Hopefully, she wasn't plotting something worse… 「The Empire's people are retreating.」 「Yes… All units, snipe at will. Leave enemies outside of the sure-hit range alone! Don't pursue them too far! Remember, we have a limited number of arrows.」 As we chased the fleeing soldiers, today's battle came to an end. I let out a long sigh. 「All fronts, except for the guards on watch, withdraw and rest. As planned, we'll switch shifts every six hours.」 The lengthy first day had ended. The siege battle was just beginning. From tomorrow, the Empire, having learned from our defensive tactics, wouldn't rely solely on brute force and numbers. They would come with some sort of strategy. We couldn't let our guard down yet. And above all, the absence of Ashno, who hadn’t shown herself at all, was eerily unsettling.