The once peaceful and prosperous Paralar Empire, now irrevocably lost, had been ravaged by the onslaught of relentless cannonfire. With the only gate sealed by Merlin's magic, the majority of the citizens of Paralar City had been relocated to underground shelters for relative safety, while the soldiers and paladins were left stranded within the city walls, powerless to mount any kind of offensive.
Night had always been the most vibrant time for Paralar City. People would gather to watch performances, attend lavish banquets, and the city would glow with the light of countless lamps. Yet now, under the veil of night, the city was choked with smoke and the roar of flames.
Suddenly, a dozen red streaks of fire descended from the sky, piercing the silent night.
"It's the bombardment carts!" a paladin on the city wall cried out in alarm.
The fiery stones hurtled toward the city with terrifying speed. Some struck the walls with a resounding crash, while others soared over them, crashing down upon the homes below.
The sky was ablaze.
"What of the sorceress?" one of the paladins called out, his voice strained.
"She's helping tend to the wounded soldiers!" another paladin answered.
"The enemy's using bombardment carts again, we need her help!"
"I'll find her!"
...
Meanwhile, in the Sanctum of Healing, Will donned his worn black armor, now scarred and battered, and took up his battle-worn short sword once more.
"Hold on, everyone," he muttered with determination as he gazed out at the thick smoke rising from the city. "I'll be with you soon."
...
In the sky, dozens of fiery stones were once again hurtling toward Paralar, one of which was heading directly for the gathering of soldiers and paladins. If it struck, it would undoubtedly cause great loss of life.
"Heavens! It's coming right for us!" a paladin shouted in terror, his eyes fixed on the incoming stone.
"Shield!" At that moment, Lissa arrived. She rushed forward, raising her hands to the sky, and conjured a magical barrier. With a deafening crash, the stone slammed into the shield, sending up a cloud of smoke and fire.
"Ah!" The people inside the shield cried out in shock.
Exhausted from her unyielding efforts since dawn, Lissa collapsed to the ground, too weary to continue. Her face was pale, drained of color, and she had not eaten all day.
"Lady Sorceress, what's wrong? Wake up!" the concerned onlookers rushed to her side, but Lissa remained silent, only gasping for breath.
"What do we do now? If even the sorceress can't hold on, we're finished!"
"If we can't get out, we can do nothing!"
"But the door is sealed with ice, we can't open it."
Lissa's collapse left everyone feeling anxious. During the entire assault by Arus, Lissa had been their only source of defense, and now, with her down, they were left to rely solely on themselves.
As the people debated their options, Will appeared, running toward them.
"Why haven't you fled yet? This place is no longer safe."
"Ah, it's Sir Will! Lady Lissa collapsed, and now we don't know what to do!" A paladin turned to Will, recognizing him. It seemed that Will and Lissa's fame had spread throughout Paralar after they had dispatched the assassin together.
"Lissa?" Hearing that she had collapsed, Will immediately rushed to her side.
"Lissa, are you alright?"
"Will?" Lissa weakly raised her head, her eyes glazed, as if unable to focus on the world before her.
"Don't worry, I'm here. I'll help them defeat Arus's forces," Will assured her with a firm voice.
"The door... it's sealed with ice by Merlin. I tried to melt it with fire, but it didn't work."
"Alright. I'll break it down. You rest here, we'll need you later."
"Hmph, break the door first," Lissa retorted with a bitter smile.
"They killed Sir Leon, made Eddie lose an arm, and now they've turned Paralar City into this. Don't worry, I'm furious. I've been looking for an outlet." Will's voice seethed with anger as he walked toward the city gate.
The city gate, sealed by Merlin's ice magic, was coated in unyielding frost. Will approached it, carefully studying the frozen barrier. Then, with deliberate slowness, he raised his fist, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, thinking of Sir Leon, slain, and Eddie, whose arm had been severed. Fury ignited within him.
"RAH!" Will suddenly shouted as he swung his fist with all his might at the center of the gate. The impact of his blow against the ice created a deafening noise, yet, after the sound faded, nothing had changed.
"Still not working?" Those nearby muttered in disappointment.
But then, at the center of the gate where Will had struck, cracks began to appear, spreading swiftly across the ice. Soon, the entire wall of frost was covered in cracks, and with a final, resounding "CRASH," the gate shattered into pieces.
"Ah..." The onlookers stared in wide-eyed astonishment.
"Hmph, no surprise. He's a man with the strength of a giant," Lissa said with a cold laugh.
"Giant...?" The crowd gasped, bewildered.
"Now that the gate is open, let's charge!" A paladin beside Lissa raised his sword and cried out. His call was immediately met with a chorus of cheers as everyone raised their weapons.
Meanwhile, Will, standing at the gate, drew his short sword and charged toward Arus's forces, not far beyond the walls.
"The gate's been broken, General Ray! What do we do now?" A soldier rushed to General Ray's side.
"Just as planned. Let's wipe them all out in one fell swoop," Merlin suddenly chimed in from the sidelines.
This time, I will avenge Leon and Eddie, Will thought darkly to himself.
"I will avenge them!" Will shouted, his voice filled with fiery resolve.