Chapter 32

"Currently, the evacuation has reached its final stage." Upon hearing these words, Renee's face lit up with a smile. "That's great to hear. Currently, the situation here is stable, so bring some reserves when you report to the Western gate." The enforcer nods their head and says goodbye to Renee before heading to a tent.

Renee turns around and heads towards an elevator that scales up the wall. When Renee reached the top, her eyes immediately fell upon Natasha, who stood there unwaveringly, her gaze fixed on the relentless wave assaulting the wall.

"How much longer will this persist?" Natasha glanced to her left and saw Renee coming to a halt beside her. Natasha remained silent, refocusing her attention on the seemingly endless tide. 

"What's wrong, mam?" With Natasha's strange reaction catching her attention, Renee directed a keen look toward her boss. "Nothing, just like u I wish this would end, but with those thoughts it also makes me wonder, is this it?"

Surprised by her superior's words, Renee looked down. Beasts were charging at the wall. If they were lucky, they could launch an attack on it before being shot dead. Renee's eyes widen as she recalls Natasha's words. A brief look revealed that the damage to the wall was insignificant, and with no flying abyssal beasts being part of this wave. Ultimately it came to, preventing them from entering the city only required them to take care of those who could climb the wall.

Renee's mind wandered as she glanced back at her superior, filled with many questions. Right as Renee was on the verge of speaking, their attention was suddenly diverted as they both simultaneously shifted their gaze to their right. The sound of a massive explosion startled them both, followed by smoke rising into the sky. "That's the Western gate, isn't it?" Renee had surprise written all over her face as she spoke these words.

Natasa's eyes coldly glared at the smokey sky before she took swift action. She rushed towards Renee, grabbing her with both arms and jumping forward. Natasha releases her grip on Renee and rises to her feet, fixing her gaze on the dust cloud directly ahead. With a swift arm motion, a gust of wind clears the smoke screen, revealing its contents to her, a bloated figure, standing approximately three meters tall, gripping a large cleaver.

Natasha's teeth clenched as she stared at the bronze gear with clock hands attached to the fleshy figure. With her hand tightened into a fist, Natasha lunged forward and struck the colossal figure, causing ripples to move across its body and propelling it backward. Without giving it a chance to recover, Natasha immediately followed up. With a swift motion, she removed her sword from her back and gripped it with both hands. With a clean vertical slash, she tore through its body, cutting it in half.

Her gaze landed on yet another bloated figure assaulting her men and the enforcers on the wall. Ready to dash, her leg movements stop when her eyes glance to her right. She holds it to her side and places her left hand on the flat side of her sword. causing it to clash with the large cleaver held by the bloated figure. While she slid over the ground she glanced at the figure, it was still standing tall once more and looked completely unharmed. 

Before she could even process the situation, the figure was already sprinting towards her. As she swings her sword, the bloated figure unexpectedly opens its arms and seizes her. In its clutches, the colossal figure jumps off the wall. "Renee, you take care of the other one!"

As Renee looked at the other bloated figure on the wall, her head spun. The mysterious figure held her attention, leaving her perplexed. Renee's gaze shifted and stopped when she spotted a face that was protruding from its side. That alone was terrifying, but strangely, she could vaguely see said person standing in front of her dressed in a clockwork uniform. She halted her pointless pondering and started taking action.

In pain, Natasha let out a scream as she crashed to the ground. With the cleaver raised, Natasha attempted to get out from under it, while the blade descended, but her body remained numb from the crash. 

Before it could make contact with her, abyssal beasts jumped towards the colossal figure, having it just barely miss its swing. While they bit into its flesh, Natasha found an opening and escaped from under it.

As Natasha took a moment to collect herself, she took notice of the foul odor entering her nose. Around her lay thousands of monsters, and the number kept increasing.

The enraged, bloated figure screams while shaking off the beasts and charging towards her. Natasha brandishes her sword, halting the figure's cleaver. Out of her mouth comes a grunt as teeth dig into her skin. Through the immense agony, she exerts all her might to push the cleaver aside, before bashing her elbow down into the eye of the creature biting her side.

While she had to keep up with the bloated figure, the surrounding beasts relentlessly pounced on them. Their claws dug through her skin and their mouths aimed for her neck. She stayed calm and struck them down whenever she had the time to respond, but the bloated figure seemed to have a different perspective on things. It didn't seem to care how many chunks of flesh the beasts ripped from its body; it ignored them and focused its every strike on Natasha.

As Natasha defended herself against all incoming attacks, her concentration was interrupted when she heard something creaking, causing her to stare in the gate's direction. "Renee!!!"

On top of the wall, Renee could hear Natasha's sudden scream. Inclined to finish this bloated figure off, Renee had to quickly devise a makeshift plan. "Everyone listen well. We're pushing that thing off the wall."

"Miss I don't-"

"Do not question me and get at it, now!" Obediently following her command, a group of enforcers and clockworks hurried towards the massive figure. The rugged hammer the figure held swoops through the air, bashing against soldiers, but the one who got through slammed their body weight against its legs. Renee who ran alongside them did the same. With enough power behind it, the figure stumbled backward and fell down the wall, but not without taking a soldier with him.

"Miss, are you alright?" Hand on her shoulder, Renee was rubbing it while squatting. "Yes, I'm fine. Now help Natasha deal with all the surrounding beasts. "

Steam spewed out of Natasha's blade as the cogs inside of it began to turn. Along with it, her eye color changed to a grayish-white with a light-blue undertone. 

Bullets hurdle from on top of the wall, putting down the beasts charging towards her. As she swung her sword. Her sword sliced through the bloated figures flesh, but one swing wasn't the end. Her arms moved at incredible speed. She cut until only small pieces were left and with her final slash, a burst of smoke came from her sword, causing its body parts to fly in all directions. 

Wasting not a single other second, Natasha turned to her right and rushed towards the wall. Her leg muscles tightened as she bent them before jumping. The wind caressed Natasha's face as she ascended above the wall before gracefully descending. 

Previously, gunshots clogged Natasha's ears when she was on the wall, but now there was absolute silence. The remaining soldiers had collapsed and were taking deep breaths. 

Renee was speechless as Natasha stared at her back. Natasha's gaze shifted to where Renee was looking. The wave of abyssal beats they had previously kept at bay were now sprinting through the city streets.

"How, how did this happen?"

"I don't know myself."

 Frustrated, Renee turns around while letting her emotions out. "How could you say that so calmly? Not long ago, I received word that the evacuations were almost done. What if it's still ongoing?"

"Renee." Natasha lets out a sigh before grabbing her by both shoulders. "All we can hope for is that it isn't the case."

Renee's eyes stopped shaking. "I have to go and make sure-"

"No, you don't." Renee rubs her forehead after Natasha flicks it with her finger. "You are no fighter. Stop trying to act like one."

Frustrated by her inabilities, Renee looks at Natasha. "Then what about you?"

"I will go up there." Natasha points her finger at the largest building in the city. After she acted, an explosion erupted at the building's pinnacle, startling them both. "I'm coming with you."

"I don't think so, I don't need you getting in my way." baffled by Natasha's quick response, Renee didn't know what to say. "For all I know, they're having a party up there. I don't need you to tag along for that."

"Natasha you don't-" Natasha interrupts Renee again, by sighing. "Renee, you need to stop always caring for others and start thinking about yourself."

"Says the person who doesn't even follow her own words!" Natasha's expression stiffens upon hearing Renee's outburst.

"Then what about them? Are you just going to leave them behind?" Natasha points at all the soldiers who are looking at them.

"I do not need your help, but they might." Renee followed Natasha's arm and glanced at everyone. "Now listen to me Renee, move across the wall towards the Eastern district in one of the hangers next to the river. There should be an airship left for situations like these by Reginald. Mount that ship and leave this city. That is what I ask of you."

Renee takes a deep breath before looking back at Natasha. "Alright." 

Natasha smiles and glances at everyone. "Don't die." After jumping down the wall, Natasha lands on the rooftop of a building and quickly disappears into the distance. 

Renee sighs, before shifting her gaze to all the soldiers. "Alright everyone, you can recuperate for a little while longer. After that, we make our way east."