A few imps detached from the main enemy force and flew towards the goblins that shot them down with arrows. A single one passed the barrage and was shot down by Matthew.
They completely ignored the goblins and flew straight to the civilians hiding in the crevice. All of those in the front line understood. That wasn't an army marching towards invaders. They were bloodthirsty demons running towards a slaughter.
There was no reasoning, no parley, no pause. They were there to inflict pain and the humans and the single elf had to survive their bloody desires.
The first line was made of hobgoblins carrying shields and swords with goblins hidden in their midst carrying spears. Behind them, a line of goblins wielding bows and then the two ogres, Faralynn and the adventurers. Lastly, Matthew, Orson, Erin and the goblin shaman.
The dretches and imps weren't organized at all. They just charged at full force throwing themselves on the shields and trying to yank them out of the hobgoblins' hands. The ones behind started to push the ones that stopped on the shield wall, being pressed against the charging mess and the standing army.
The goblins started to shoot volleys of arrows over the shield wall hitting the demons stuck there. The ones who tried to flank the position were soon met with the fierce strike of the ogres.
Some imps, seeing how the charge was stuck by the goblin defense. Took flight and tried to charge straight for the civilians.
Erin, then, charged a lighting bolt gilded by her Holy Mana and shot 3 of those down. Matthew too used his gun to down some while Orson used his staff to turn his Mana into ice and create a flying dragon made of ice that started to hunt the flying imps.
Faralynn's sword glowed golden with holy power as she aided one of the ogres into slaying some stragglers trying to flank the archers. The other 2 adventurers were aiding the other ogre.
The battle seemed to be going their way. Some injured goblins were quickly removed from the front and hurried back to the crevice where the medical staff healed them. But no major loss was being suffered by them.
But just when they felt that the day could go their way, some imps took flight above the range of the bows and spells. They conjured fire on their hands and threw it down making it rain over the goblin troops.
The goblin shaman extended a barrier over the army, but it wasn't strong enough to protect them all. Some of those fireballs landed taking down some goblins.
Orson's ice dragon flew high and chase after the imps, but they scattered quickly making pursuit difficult. And as soon as the imps felt safe, they would make fire rain down again.
Matthew's gun could reach them, specially using Boost Gunpowder, but he and the ice dragon weren't enough to defeat all of them.
With the fire attacks from above, the shield wall was weakened. Soon a hobgoblin went down and the line broke. The mass of dretches and imps that were just being sliced and pierced while trying to take down the shields, suddenly became a fury of claws and teeth taking down their prey in a frenzy.
Orson, using his staff to shoot down some imps with bolts of ice, realized the trouble in the front line.
"Retreat! Orthos, Orthus, to the front! Everyone else, retreat! Remake the wall!"
The two ogres, Orthos and Orthus, stepped forward while the goblins and hobgoblins broke formation and started to run away. Faralynn charged forward with them, but soon Orson grabbed her by the wrist and ordered decisively: "Fall back!"
While the ogres held the demons back, the goblins reformed the shield wall at the crevice. Archers back, a single line from wall to wall.
The children cried scared. The adults prayed and the medics kept their work healing the wounded goblins. Orson looked at the civilians.
"Those who are willing to fight for their lives, take a weapon. Those are magical, even if you're not an adventurer they can be useful. It won't be easy, but we can't fall here today."
The priest was the first to pick up a sword, leftovers from the dead. He positioned himself beside a goblin, behind a hobgoblin carrying a shield. After that, one by one the men and women came forward, picking up a weapon and joining the line.
Orthos scream shook them all. One of the great beasts fell leaving the other to fend for himself.
Even some children picked up a weapon. Even if none of them wanted to put a child in that situation, the reality of things were that they would need to fight sooner or later.
"I'm sorry my lady." Orson said while drinking his last Mana potion. "I don't think I'll hold up to my word."
Faralynn shook her head. "No… You've done way more than expected."
"Erin." Orson called for the girl. "Give me all Mana potions you have."
Erin rushed to him and gave them all.
"You see. Using Summon Pact in the hells consumes a lot of Mana. I didn't bring them all to save Mana for me to be able to fight." He explained while drinking.
The sound of Orthus falling to his injures and being devoured by the demons was heard.
"But summoning is my specialty." He continued. "I'll call the last of my servants." He said while turning to Matthew. "I'll trust you to protect the lady."
When the demons charged the survivors, the ice dragon landed in front of them and used its body to hold for more time.
Orson concentrated and in a flash of light another army, twice as big appeared in front of the shield wall. Goblins, hobgoblins and 15 ogres. Orson fell unconscious on the floor after using all his Mana.
He was put in the back of the crevice, with the medics, the ones who didn't stood to fight and the wounded.
Faralynn stepped forward and assumed command.
"Hold! Fight!" She screamed, more to encourage herself than the others. "We fight for our lives! WE WILL SURVIVE!"
The ice was shattered by hundreds of fireballs as soon as the elf finished her words. With no pause, the demons charged.
The fight was fierce. Orson's army stood still fighting like heroes, but being felled one by one.
Everyone was fighting desperately. When the demons reached the line with Matthew and the others, they all fought bravely.
"When you level up, pick Warrior, get the Imbue Mana skill and apply to your weapon!" Matthew screamed while hacking the head of a dretch off.
Around him he could see some of the civilians with Mana running through their weapons. Not all was lost, he dared to hope.
Erin fell to the floor without Mana after using another lightning bolt and downing a number of demons. She was hurried back with the others.
Matthew was already out of bullets and using his gun like a hammer.
Faralynn picked up a shield from the floor and stood in the wall shoulder to shoulder with the hobgoblins.
The ogres were their best force. The only ones who could defeat the demons with a single strike. However, not even them could hold the enemy away.
One of the children who was beside Matthew was grabbed by a dretch and pulled away. Matthew could only hear his screams, but could do nothing.
Looking around, he was stepping on the dead. Not just goblins and hobgoblins, but some of the civilians. Fireballs flew over their heads hitting those hidden behind. The smell of burned meat mixed with the stench of rotten eggs and the putrid smell of the dretch.
Was it all lost? Would they survive?
One of the adventurers that was with them had his leg cut clean off by a dretch bite. The other had his neck slashed by an imp. There were only 3 ogres still standing.
Wasn't he hopeful just a second ago?
A fireball hit his face. Part of his hair caught on fire. He applied Anesthesia on hiimself and kept fighting. He had no choice. He had to survive.
A glimpse of hope caught his eye. He leveled up. He prayed. He begged all the gods he could remember the name. He cried in pain when part of his ear was bit off. Please be something good.
"Congratulations!
You draw a tier 4 class!
Ranger"
Tier 4! What a lucky draw. However… Ranger's only skill was Animal Companion. A skill to make beasts more powerful. A class that's supposed to be an upgrade for Tamers. To turn that tamed lizard into a dragon… Useless for him at that moment. He couldn't use it on the goblins, nor the ogres.
He had to survive. So he put all his points into HP. He then grabbed a shield and ran towards Faralynn taking the position of the hobgoblin that just fell beside her. On her other side the priest was holding other shield.
"Hold them back! By the will God! We will survive!" the priest screamed while cutting down an imp.
It was then that the worst happened. The line was broken. The demons entered the crevice. The civilians had nowhere to run. Those who picked weapons tried to fight. Screams and burnt meat.
Faralynn rushed back to protect Erin. Matthew ran right behind her.
What happened around them was a scene that reminded them why that place was called hell. But even with the horrors that were happened all around them. They didn't stop fighting.
The demons feasted, lusted and tortured those around. The only survivors were Matthew, Faralynn, a 14 year old boy, the priest, Orson and Erin, the last 2 unconscious on the floor.
The 4 of them held their shields up in a semi-circle, protecting themselves and the 2 on the floor. The demons mostly ignored them. The ones that didn't, took joy in scaring them with screams and showing something horrible.
The boy had tears on his eyes and gnarled in anger while an imp teased him dancing with the body of his dead mother.
The priest prayed avidly without taking his eyes off the demons.
Faralynn was scanning the surroundings, still trying to find a way out.
Matthew then thought about his family. After today, he was sure they would never allow him to go for an adventure again. He laughed to himself. As if he was going to survive…