Chapter VIII: SHE is coming back

With his spear, Felix put an end for three Burned Heads, help cornered soldiers.

"Can you stand?" he offers his hand to the soldiers, pulled them up one by one.

Last man stands, a shield man. He seems need every help he needs even for standing up.

"Come, go there," Felix pointing at some space on back that seems a save place, a place where seems appear unattracted for monsters. No soldiers attacked in that area, even no monsters in there.

He carrying the last man, retreating to that space. Just a moment they arrive in there, a Green Giant attack. Felix defends, deflect Green Giant claw with his spear. The groups who with him instinctively attack the monsters.

One soldier with a sword slash one leg, make it fall on the ground. One other swordsman takes care of the hand, disable one of its favourite attack. Final blow, the spearsman thrust the Green Giant head. It dead. The Green Giant is dead.

Making sure it really death and looking around no monster coming again, Felix open the conversation, "Look like you still have a stamina to fight," trying to break the tension, successed but create a awkward situation. Definitely condemn his words.

He saw the soldiers catching their breath catching their breath and their armour damaged very hard. Especially the man with shield, he is the last one Felix pull earlier, his concentration consumed by his pain on the left arms since beginning. Felix finally realize, the arms are hanging in the air, broken.

"Right listen up, I'll be to the point. Anyone who still can fight, i want you to keep fighting. The one who cannot lifting their weapon, needs to go to infirmary immediately. However, we are really and really hoping that you to fight for little longer,"

"Is there a plan Sir?" one of them come up, a man with sharp nose and glare.

"Yes, we made a plan. But we need more time to execute it," Felix stare at them, tries to convince them with it.

There are a bright, they see a light after their eyes appear in gloom after saw Felix attempt to eyes that they want to end this night. Didn't want to destroy their moment, Felix keep convince them even though he himself not sure if the plan really works one hundred percent.

"As I said before, I anyone who still fight to fight, anyone who cannot lift their weapon go to infirmary right now," Felix look in to eyes of shield-man, confirm his condition,

"I'll say this to all of you, your life also our priority," he pats the soldier' shoulder.

The shield-man nod. Helped by one soldiers, he retreat to meet the paramedic.

"Because you already exhausted and lost you Shield-man, i suggest to joint other groups as extra strength," new he turns to remain soldiers.

"Yes, Sir!" they saluting him.

"Excuse me Sir, but this order, do you mean we have to buy some time Sir?" the sharp nose man confirms.

"Roughly, yes. We need you to buy some time. There will be a signal, when you hear it, I need you to retreat as fast as you could,"

"May I know what the plan is, Sir?" another soldier come forward.

"Its Third Stages power. We'll execute a Third Stages power on them, one more. But we need to adjust couple of things. I'm ensure you; this would put an end the night," he pats others soldiers one by one.

"We just don't want to repeat Commander Brengos mistake like before. We gonna make sure how much enemy we are facing and finish them all in one hit," just when Felix said that, two Woman in Dress and the Burned Head coming at them. Felix turns, with his spear, he swinging it to the incoming monsters. Two died from a slash, and one of them from thrust.

That attack and Felix words made they catch their guard again, all of them doesn't want to that kind of ending really occur.

"If we not doing that, we'll killed for sure later. If we die, our family, our loved one would definitely feel Misery Era again," he add and finish his short briefing.

"Now, go!" Felix orders

"Yes Sir!" all of them depart, to frontline again.

Just when they go to in fight again, Felix calling them, "Hey," the all of them turn around, "Did you originally part of Army or from Lasykar?" Felix asked

Look confused with Hunter question, the sharp nose soldier answer, again. He act like the leader of group, or he is, "Me and all friend, coming from West-Wings Lasykar. We just receive more training just after an announcement from Capital,"

"Announcement from Capital?" he thinks for a moment and coming back to reality, "Oh, so how it is"

The kind of leader and his group looked each other, "With due all respect Sir, Army is just more trained Lasykar and they only few of us. Even guards are just local Lasykar that authorized by lord,"

"Oke, thank you for your information,"

"Yes Sir," they walked away.

"So, what he said is true. One hundred fifty thousand manpower is all paramilitary and just ordinary man. That's why it at that time…" a flashback when a group of people they passed by on their way. Just woman, children, and old citizen in the party coming to Felix mind, "Did this kingdom doesn't separate between army and paramilitary as manpower huh?"

Felix look around, he saw other soldiers who send to each group to help them and give same instruction. Didn't find any group seem need his help, he decides to changes his target, looking for Hunters. He found Karine, Durok, and three other 'little' Hunter fighting in frontline.

***

"What? You want me to use Third Stages?" asked Durok, raising his voice.

"Yes, this is what came to my mind. We cannot continue like this," Felix come again, defending his idea.

"What is your plan Felix?" now Karine ask him, while helping Lanang restore their Energy and stamina. On other side, Leon and Lea protect them from incoming monsters.

Feels weird Karine call Felix by his name.

"Listen, these non-stop waves coming to us. I kind of experience this in some way," all other Hunter listen to him carefully, "However, no matter how much waves coming, it must be the source. The source where they come from,"

"I suspect it two situations. First, they must be waiting in very big numbers on their sides. However, I don't get any benefit on them not doing it all at once," Felix continued his talk, "Second, there must be a way to transport themselves to here, on this battlefield,"

"And you think the second one is the truth. Is that what you think?" Karine responds

"Yes. Could you please help me remember few things about them that different from what we know and what happen right now?" ask Felix, rhetorical, but try his best to not offense them, persuade them to agree his theory.

"First, in past, they active and attacked us at night, and they active before sunset. Second, they attacked in very great numbers, at once. But now, they attack in waves. Get bigger in after previous attack," he moving his finger, counting while remembering Brengos answer on this question before.

"And the Burned Head just dive from the sky. That what I heard from Brengos and another soldiers I talk to. You're right, that not Burned Head's thing," Durok add

Durok get it.

"Yeah. So, I told Adam to give a signal to confirm my assumption using horn. One long blow, is the first one. Two blows are the second," Felix explain.

"What about if none of it true? What if your guess wrong?" Leon open his mouth, in Karine care, changing his and Lea position with Lanang to protect them for a while.

"The third blow coming,"

Doesn't long after Felix said that words, a sounds of honking horn from distance heard.

*Hhhooonnnnnkkkkk*

All people within the Fort heard it. They wait,

*Hoonnkkk*

The second honk is coming. Shorter than the first. They wait, slightly a sounds of horse running heard from distance, from the same side where honking sounds came.

*Hhhooonnnnnkkkkk*

Third honk is coming. Something not right, something off. Karine and Durok stunned.

"Don't tell me," Karine said, she stands up.

"Look like its really coming," this time Durok follow her.

They just stand there, anticipate something different from what Felix theory.

Sounds of horse running become clearer. From it, a shadow of rider seen. Its Guard Gali, he run in full speed, holding his horn and horse bridle very tight, spur his horse faster.

All the six Hunters saw emotion of fear showed in Gali's face

In sudden, his hand which having the horn moving to his mouth. Karine and Durok on same time, make a stance. One put his hands on ground, one put her hands on the air. The horn arrives in his mouth, ready to blowed. Take a deep breath, Gali blow it

*Hooon----*

The honk stops. The sound of flesh and blood being forced out of Gali's body replace it.

"HEAVY HAIL!" Karine shout, changing the atmosphere around them, for heat of fight into cold sensation. She created a lots of pointy ices, flying toward the enemy in places where Gali died

"MULTIPLE GIANT WALLS!!!" Durok yelled, right after Karine finish his attack, making the earth trembling.

"EVERYONE, RETREAT!!" a loud voice out from Brengos, ordering all the soldiers in front to retreat. Every single soldier who heard their Commander order, running, the one who still stand up, the one who fall from it, run for their life, leaving their weapon and shield on the frontline for one more time.

From the trembling earth, three big and tall walls, close to each other, appear before Hunters. That walls are the biggest and the tallest ever saw in that day.

Behind the walls, same direction on where Guard Gali came before, one blare of laughing voice reach everyone ears. Every single of soldiers tries to protecting their tools of hearing from it. So is the Hunters.

"GET HERE!" Brengos call out all the Hunter; Felix, Karin, Durok, Leon, Lea, and Lanang, just when the laugh is over. All of them rush to Brengos, like a blowing-hard wind.

"Hold on me," Brengos said just after they assembled while putting his hand on the ground. Every one of them hold some point of Brengos uniform.

"Wind Blast," a blast of wind came off the ground, push Brengos and the others up. Just a second after, they set their feet on the top of the backmost wall, welcomed by a icy wind. The Commander on the other hand, land with his knee, having a difficult time to stand up.

"Go!" Brengos, with his remaining strength, push Felix, forcing all other Hunters to moving forward. Even for Karine, who tries to help him, ease his fatigue and restore some of Energy, "You to Karine. You know SHE is coming back,"

All of them, running to front wall. They jump from one wall to another until reach their destination. In the front wall, they walk to it edge, looking down to earth. A bunch of Green Giant standing in there, waiting.

"Look!" Lea point to some space, rear to army of Green Giant. A monster half human half long reptile. Her upper body, wrapped by a piece of cloth around her torso with a crown that resemble of a mountain on her head. On Her lower half body, a long body with green scale helping her 'walking'.

She stares at them with Her sharp eyes, smile with her fangs at her mouth sending; slowly slithering to them, sending a death threat to any creature in front of Her, include the Hunters on top of wall.

"Welcome back, b*tch" said Durok with his cold sweat covering his face.