173 Student Activities
Students in the courtyard all begin flinging various spells at the attacking soldiers, some using simple levitation spells, some using the most basic elemental spells, and some using their family's own unique spells.
Soldiers left and right were being buried alive, burned to death, suffocated in big bubbles of water, or dismembered by haphazardly cast wind blade spells.
Even the familiars were getting involved, Kirche's Flame Salamander melts the armour of approaching soldiers, Malicorne's owl performs dive attacks to distract foes, and even the smaller familiars gather together and swarm people like a cloud of locusts.
"You fuckin' kids!" a gruff man shouts as he tries to pull himself out of the ground his legs had been buried in. Only for Sylphid to walk over and stomp on him, crushing his head, spine, and everything else above his waist.
There was a bit of friendly fire between the students, but there were enough 'relatively proficient' water mages around that such things were quickly dealt with.
Unfortunately, more and more soldiers were getting in, forcing the students further and further back towards the Great Hall, as they tried in vain to keep the tide of steadily increasing enemies away.
Professor Colbert eventually has to retreat to where the students are soon enough, as his position is quickly overrun. The same can also be said for Osmond, but the Headmaster refuses to budge from where he'd planted himself, determined to weather the storm or die trying.
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"Sire, our men have breached the walls, we'll soon have control of the place!" one man reports to King Gramont, who silently watches this all unfold from his commander tent.
Karston slowly nods, but doesn't congratulate anyone. To most it would seem that they were winning, but with how many men they'd lost from the first attack alone, they'd be hard-pressed to fight at all against Gallia or Germania if they still choose to invade.
...
"Do you hear something?" Karston suddenly asks, feeling as if he could hear something in the wind.
...
The men around him all shake their heads, but Karston's brows just furrow further, he walks outside of his tent and looks around, and after a moment, soon notices the shadows towards the horizon.
"What is that?" he mutters, squinting at the shadows in order to try and see them better.
"I don't know sir, but we should prepare our men regardless of what it is!"
Karston nods, "Prepare the dragon knights. And have a wind mage prepare a magnification spell."
Not long after this, King Gramont and his men are all able to see just what was approaching them... Dragon Knights? And, Manticore Knights...?
Karston's face pales, especially when he spots the person leading the group. "Karin de la Valliere... Men! Prepare to defend against a full-scale assault! Gather the archers! Gather the mages! Pull back our men from the Academy if we have to!
"But sir! We'll be back where we started!" one man starts but has his lapels grabbed by Karston.
"WHAT GOOD IS CAPTURING THE ACADEMY IF WE ARE ALL TOO DEAD TO USE IT!? PULL THE MEN BACK NOW!"
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The soldiers within the Academy are all ordered to pull back, and while most reluctantly follows the orders of their captains, a large percentage refuse and continue trying to capture it. However, now that their colleagues had retreated, they were at a massive disadvantage and easily picked off by Colbert, Osmond, and the remaining students.
As for King Gramont and his army? It was in chaos as its Generals rapidly tried to get everything ready to receive the attack by Karin Valliere. From what they could see, the majority of her forces were comprised of Dragon Knights, and Manticore Knights, as if they were just a massive shock unit as opposed to the main force.
Archers were put in position, Mages readying their spells and defences, and people while trying to turn their defensive structures, barricades, and other equipment around to face the approaching enemy.
Unfortunately, not everything could be prepared in time for the attack. Karin Valliere, the Heavy Wind is the first to charges into the first Dragon Knight with her Manticore, the larger than average beast easily overpowering the dragon as Karin swipes her wand-sword and easily cut both it and the rider in half.
Blood sprays from the wound and covers all below the attack in both human and dragon blood, a few getting crushed when the corpses fall as well.
Behind her, her other forces charge into whatever dragon knights remained in King Gramont forces, most of which immediately flee upon hearing that Karin Valliere was leading the enemy force. Her reputation was fierce and known, and since they were outnumbered in the air, most took their chances and fled the battlefield.
This left the ground forces to try and deal with the Dragon and Manticore knights, but arrows and long-distance spells could only do so much.
Dragons make 'bombing' runs over the Gramont ground troops, breathing fire as they swoop low and destroying vast swaths of troops as they do so. Some Manticore knights land on the outskirts and begin fighting on foot, the footsoldiers unable to do anything as the beast and its rider use claw, teeth, and spells to blow through any obstacles.
King Gramont seethes as he watches his men die, he looks up and his expression becomes even worse as he spots Princess Henrietta riding on the back of one of the Dragons, it hovers a distance above him and she casts a spell so that he and the Princess could converse, most likely wishing for a clean surrender.
"It is over Karston Gramont! Your men are on the verge of routing, and we hold air superiority! Lay down your arms and you will be treated fairly according to our laws!" Princess Henrietta demands.
