The Wall Shall Not Fall

"Third Formation!"

"Storm Blade Formation!"

The swordsmen positioned themselves just behind the shield wall, ready to replace anyone who fell.

Every movement flowed naturally.

Years of training had become instinct.

An elderly instructor smiled despite the battle.

"They still remember every drill."

Max answered quietly.

"They’re knights."

"They were never taught for ceremonies."

"They were taught for today."

Below the wall...

The Ogre King let out a thunderous roar.

"ROOOAAARRR!!"

It pulled the fortified scaling ladder with unbelievable strength.

The enchanted wood glowed faintly as defensive runes shimmered across its surface.

Several mages launched fireballs toward it.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The explosions covered the ladder in smoke.

When the smoke cleared...

The ladder remained intact.

One young knight swallowed hard.

"It’s still coming..."

Max lifted his sword.

"Hold your ground."

"No one moves."

"No one breaks formation."

Fear spread through the younger knights.

Many had never fought in a real war before.

They could hear the screams below.

They could smell burning flesh.

They could see undead climbing over piles of corpses.

One disciple’s hands trembled around his shield.

The veteran standing beside him quietly bumped his shoulder.

"Keep breathing."

The young man nodded.

"...Yes."

Closer.

Closer.

Closer.

Finally—

Crash!

The top of the fortified scaling ladder slammed against the city wall.

Hooks locked firmly onto the stone.

The Ogre King threw back its head and let out a thunderous roar of triumph that echoed across the battlefield.

The sound alone sent a chill through the defenders.

At its command, skeletal warriors swarmed toward the city walls.

They climbed with relentless determination.

They knew no fear.

They felt no pain.

They never hesitated.

Hundreds of bony hands clung to the ladders as wave after wave of undead crawled upward like an unstoppable tide.

"Archers!"

Max’s commanding voice cut through the chaos.

"Loose!"

A storm of heavy blunt arrows rained down from the battlements.

Crack!

Crack!

Several skeletons were struck squarely in the chest and skull, their brittle bones splintering apart. They lost their grip and plummeted to the ground, smashing into the undead below.

But it changed nothing.

More skeletons immediately climbed over the fallen remains.

There were always more.

One skeletal warrior finally reached the top of the wall.

Its rusted sword rose high, ready to strike.

Before it could even take a single step—

Slash!

A knight’s blade flashed through the air.

The skeleton’s skull spun away before its body toppled backward, crashing into the climbers below and dragging several of them down with it.

"They’re coming again!"

Another wave surged up the ladders without slowing.

"Spearmen!"

"Thrust!"

Rows of spears lunged forward in perfect unison.

Crunch!

Crunch!

The sharpened tips punched through brittle ribs and shattered ancient bones.

The first ranks collapsed instantly.

Yet the skeletons behind them climbed over the broken remains without the slightest pause.

Max stepped forward.

"I’ll lead."

Without another word, he leaped onto the edge of the wall.

His longsword came alive in his hands.

Every movement was calm.

Every strike was precise.

Every swing claimed another undead.

Skulls flew through the air.

Arms were severed.

Broken skeletons tumbled from the battlements, crashing into the endless horde below.

Watching their headmaster fight at the very front, the defenders felt their fear melt away.

Their courage surged.

"For Fantom City!"

"For the Academy!"

Their battle cries thundered across the walls as every knight fought with renewed determination.

The battle grew fiercer with every passing second.

Meanwhile...

Far below the city walls...

The wounded Ogre King noticed that one of its ladders had finally reached the top.

A savage grin spread across its monstrous face.

Ignoring the arrows buried deep in its thick flesh, it tightened its grip around an enormous iron club.

With a furious roar, it charged straight toward the city gate.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Each massive step shook the earth beneath it.

Eon’s eyes immediately locked onto the charging giant.

"Damn..."

His grip tightened around the handle of his Giant Battle Axe.

"If that thing reaches the gate..."

He didn’t finish the sentence.

He was already moving.

With explosive speed, Eon burst forward.

Dust erupted beneath his feet as he charged through the battlefield like a raging beast.

Several skeletons rushed to intercept him.

One swing.

Two swings.

Three.

His Giant Battle Axe tore through them effortlessly, leaving shattered bones scattered across the ground.

He wasn’t trying to wipe out the undead.

His only goal was to stop the Ogre King before it could smash through the city’s defenses.

Above the walls, Max caught sight of Eon charging straight toward the towering monster.

A faint smile appeared beneath his helmet.

"Good."

"He’s using his streght right way."

One instructor looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

Max never took his eyes off the battlefield.

"Earlier, he fought the Ogre."

"Now..."

"He’s fighting for the battlefield."

There was a world of difference between the two.

The clash was far from over. The fate of Fantom City still hung by a thread. Every defender knew that if even one more fortified scaling ladder remained standing for long, the walls would eventually be overwhelmed. Yet despite the despair surrounding them, no one abandoned their post.

The Wall Shall Not Fall.

---

The majority of the undead started to gather around the fortified scaling ladder.

Like a black tide swallowing the battlefield, skeletal warriors climbed over one another without fear or hesitation. Rusted blades clanged against old shields while empty eye sockets burned with pale blue flames. Every undead cared only about one thing—reaching the walls.

The defenders fought desperately, but the endless stream of enemies slowly overwhelmed them.

With their current numbers, the ones on the wall couldn’t stop some of the undead from breaking through their defenses as those undead enemies headed into town.

"That’s it! I can’t stay idle anymore!" Videl was about to head into town to stop the dozen undead that had broken through the defenses and entered Fantom City. Her hand tightened around the hilt of her longsword as she took a step forward.

Before she could leap from the wall, Lane reached out and firmly grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing, Lane?!" Videl practically growled, her sapphire-blue eyes burning with frustration. Every scream echoing from the streets below made her heart ache. She could almost picture frightened children hiding behind their parents while monsters wandered through the city.

Lane met her furious gaze without the slightest change in expression.

"You must not do that. It’s like what Clara said. Only you and I can face those undead dragons. Our chances for victory will diminish greatly if you waste your stamina and mana on enemies like those."

Her voice remained calm and steady despite the chaos surrounding them.

"So you’re telling me to watch innocent people die without being able to fight back!"

The words came out almost painfully.

Videl’s fists trembled.

Her breathing became uneven.

She hated standing still.

She hated hearing helpless screams while doing nothing.

Lane slowly tightened her grip on Videl’s wrist.

"Calm yourself, Videl. You must trust the others to do their job, just as they trust us to do ours."

Videl gritted her teeth, refusing to meet Lane’s eyes.

"Trust?" she whispered bitterly. "I’ve trusted people before. I know what it feels like to arrive too late."

"You think I don’t?" Lane replied quietly.