NOVEL FROG Chapter 86: Storm
As we got closer I noticed the wind getting stronger. There was also some rain visible underneath the localised storm cloud. While most of the city still enjoyed sunshine, dark clouds covered the barracks. There was no lightning coming from the sky though. Hopefully that meant Shani did not cause too much collateral damage. At least the rain would deal with some fires the demons might have started.
As we got closer I could hear the sound of combat. Weapons clashing, people screaming and the roars from the beasts of hell. Also there was a familiar laughter…
“AHAHAHAHAHAH”
“Is that Shani?” Lucy asked.
“It does sound like her…” I answered.
The barracks were a rectangular compound. It started with a wall and a gate, which led to a square. The square had buildings on three sides, the one in the back was the largest. They were all three stories high. I saw multiple smashed windows, scorch marks on the walls and even some holes. The real fighting happened in the square though. The huge open area looked like a war zone. Hundreds of soldiers engaged demons of all forms and sizes. Not only hounds were present. A three metre tall fiend was battling Shani. It used a naginata and was wearing black plate armour blazing with crimson runes. Two black horns poked through the helmet. The armour even covered its tail, only the big ashen wings were unprotected.
Despite the impressive appearance of the enemy Shani seemed to enjoy herself. She expertly dodged any strikes while slicing away with her scythe. The demon’s armour was dented in several places. Shani’s hits also electrocuted the target, and it became clear that the fiend was lacking a proper defence against it.
The Empire’s regular soldiers formed shield walls to deal with the physically superior demons. Meanwhile, more elite troops hunted the bigger enemies. I saw a surprising lack of magic on the Empire’s side. Where was their mage corps?
“The Empire’s resistance seems weak. I would have expected more from the garrison in the capital city. What do you make of this?” I asked Lucy.
“Hm. Do you think they lured most of them away? How did so many demons appear here anyway? We only saw hounds emerge from those runes so far.”
“Lured them away? That is a good point. I suspect they unleashed those hounds all over their city. They could have compromised a lot of people and created emergencies everywhere. I am not sure how they got all the demons here though. That would take a lot of preparation and probably some traitors higher up in the military.”
“We should go and help, we can solve the mystery later.” Lucy suggested.
“Ok, let’s go.”
While Lucy engaged the enemies with her spear I looked around the battlefield. The rain made everyone wet but only small puddles had formed so far. That was good, I did not want to electrocute any soldiers by accident. I had a 3rd level spell that would call three bolts of lightning from the sky. It only worked outdoors, needed clouds and was called Storm Bolts. It was fairly powerful but also situational.
I focused on my sorcerous power and began to modify the spell. By pushing it into a higher tier I could add additional bolts. I settled on a 7th tier slot giving me 15 bolts. Mentally I selected all the targets I wanted, mostly demons that the soldiers had troubles with. When I unleashed the spell the sky lit up. 15 bright bolts appeared simultaneously. The entire area lit up briefly, blinding most people. The whole square was filled with the screams of dying demons, followed by deafening thunder.
The fighting stopped briefly as most combatants were stunned. Shani used that distraction to decapitate her prey. Somehow she got her scythe in between the armour and the helmet. Lucy did not hesitate either and began stabbing the closest enemies. I unsheathed my sword and got to work. Slicing and stabbing I charged through the demons. They had no defence that could withstand my sword. Lucy was a whirlwind of death on the other side and Shani was gleefully cleaving demons in half. Soon it was over.
The rain had stopped and the clouds started to clear. Our magical clothing was durable enough that it withstood the fighting. But we were covered in blood. While the rain earlier helped a bit we were still rather dirty. Lucy, Shani and myself met in the centre of the square. The elemental lord was grinning.
“What happened here Shani?” I asked.
“A lot of fun happened! When you said I should stop the demons I started slicing some hounds. But I soon ran out so I kept looking for more. There were quite a few in the sewers! I ended up in this big room down there full of glowing circles. There was a lot of screaming when I showed up! And a lot of slicing.”
“How did you end up in the garrison?” Lucy asked.
“I saw the big guy come through a circle and followed it. Seemed like he would be fun.” Shani grinned, showing a lot of teeth. “And he was.”
While we were talking a tall woman emerged from the largest building. Based on her uniform she was an officer. Her clothing had several cuts and the glaive in her hand was bloody, that meant she had participated in the battle. The woman’s eyes were a deep red, as was her hair. She looked human otherwise. The woman was limping slightly as she approached us.