Impending Doom

Startled awake, Naib had a headache due to the sudden warning from the men on night watch.

"What?! Men! Prepare for battle!"

Naturally, if even Naib felt a headache due to the sudden night attack, his men had it worse due to their weaker physiques.

Not only were they tired as heck, but they were also having trouble focusing due to the lack of sleep.

Still, they had to defend Unclave City for 2 more days, or else, the deaths of Hazem, Rashid, and the 15,000 mercenaries who initially defended Gonad City with them would be for naught.

Naib initially didn't think that a mere newly risen tier 5 kingdom would give them any trouble.

Now, he realized that he had been very wrong.

His instincts were begging him to retreat with his remaining men and just aim to rebuild their reputation and their strength, unfortunately, the deaths of his brothers were making it hard for him to simply quit.

Hence, with a heavy heart, the Timberwolf Mercenary group picked up their arms and assumed their formations as they waited for the loathsome Rougenfortians to arrive.

Naib didn't feel good about this battle. He and his men were tired while the Rougenfortians probably slept for around 5-6 hours judging by the timing of their arrival.

Unfortunately, they've got no choice but to fight.

As the Rougenfortians arrived closer and closer to the city walls, the defenders of Unclave City were so silent that one could hear a pin drop.

What they felt at that moment was…fear of death.

Nobody wanted to die and most of the defenders wanted to flee right now.

They were only humans after all, however, at the same time, they were warriors and their pride didn't allow them to leave their brothers behind.

"Fire at will!"

The silence was broken by a sudden loud command of an archer captain stationed on the walls, ordering his men to fire at will as the invaders entered the archers' effective range.

Arrows with vicious intent flew through the air as the invading Rougenfortians inevitably suffered losses.

Fortunately, the enemies were way too outnumbered so their losses were quite minimal by the time their battering rams managed to reach the gates of Unclave City.

*BONG* 

Fear gripped the hearts of the defenders as the battering rams relentlessly slammed into the iron gates of the city.

Only an hour had passed since the start of the battle and although their only casualties were those killed on top of the city walls, the attack of the Rougenfortians wouldn't end anytime soon.

*BANG*

The fear in their hearts only intensified as the bridgeways of the Rougenfortians' siege towers latched securely on top of the city walls, allowing the fully armed and well-trained Rougenfortian infantry to flood the city walls.

Sounds of fighting and the death throes of their dying comrades were slowly driving the mercenaries, who were waiting in front of the city gates, insane.

This was the first time they felt the true horror of the battlefield out of all the commissions they took on.

Before this, all of them felt fearless, as if nothing could stop their mercenary group under the lead of their wise and valiant leader, Naib.

Unfortunately, they finally met their match today as the crafty and strong Rougenfortians finally breached the city gates.

"Forth, Rougenfortians!" Helena yelled at the top of her lungs as thousands of Rougenfortians bravely pushed through the tight choke point of the city gates.

Although they were having more losses than kills in the beginning, once the Rougenfortian infantry managed to secure a foothold inside the city, they managed to start pushing the mercenaries back.

'Shit! I can't allow them to gain a footing inside the city!' Naib inwardly thought as he sprang into action, leaping in front of the Rougenfortian infantrymen in hopes of pushing them back.

Unfortunately for him, Helena wasn't going to allow him to rampage unchecked. Thus, in just a few more seconds, the two rivals were clashing swords once again.

This time, Naib refused to back down.

Everything he worked for was at risk. If he couldn't even defeat a puny tier 5 kingdom, then it was impossible for him to avenge himself from his family.

Fueled by rage and determination to protect his life's worth of work, Naib ferociously hacked and slashed at Helena, his attacks becoming bolder and bolder as time went by.

Helena wasn't one to back down herself. 

With the flames of passion for fighting and the determination to protect her hometown from the upcoming strong invaders, Helena bravely fought back, not losing in the slightest whether in terms of skill, strength, or courage.

Try as he might, unfortunately for Naib, they were way too outnumbered.

His options slowly dwindled as the Rougenfortian infantry who came from the siege towers slowly descended after wiping out the defenders stationed on top of the walls.