Chapter 50 Siege Prep

Decem 9th of 4831 AS

After the battle, Azi was forced to face a long and harsh scolding from Shizu and Kajima and was forceD to go to bed by the both of them who were still worried sick about his health. But Azi did not go off to bed just yet, before acquiescing to their demand he first presented Shizu with her new weapon.

Shizu's original metal umbrella was mainly red and slightly black in color with a light brown wooden handle. Now, her new weapon was now mainly black and with red streaks in its metallic parts with a black lacquered wooden handle. The metal of the katana and umbrella sheets were a black color with numerous streaks of crimson red magic channels.

This was the quality of the blood steel and was amplified by Azi's magical infusion which stored magic energy into the channels which made them grow a bright crimson red when fully charged. The handle was also infused to allow small amounts of magic to travel up its handle and into the metal plates of the umbrella.

He instructed Shizu on the new features of the weapon and explained what he demonstrated earlier. Azi's previous attack was an infusion of fire elemental energy into the umbrella, which utilized the rune meaning "seal" to store the magic spell Azi intended to cast.

The basic idea of the umbrella's rune is for its user to load a spell of their choice into the weapon and just apply the needed magic energy to activate the spell. The stored spell can be changed but is limited to basic attack spells like fireballs.

Azi's intended spell was a simple fire ball, and since it was now stored in the umbrella's rune. Azi could cast the spell as long as he had enough magic energy or if the weapon had the needed magic energy.

The part where he used the ground as a contact point was his original way to use magic. He explained that since he learned how to make magic tethers, he could spread his spell out onto the ground in front of him and then detonated the spell through the tethers which acted like magic channels.

Usually, casting magic this way as inefficient due to how more magic is needed to sustain the distance between oneself to the intended point of casting. This is why thaumaturges used their staffs as a point of casting and propelled it from its tip.

Azi was able to use the former option due to how the umbrella had such an enormous capacity for containing magic energy that it compensated and allowed him send out instanteous explosions at different point along the red crimsion paths he made on the ground.

Touma, who was present in Shizu's personal tent, was absolutly awe struck by Azi's explanation. He knew the boy was getting lessons from him on thaumaturgy for the past two weeks, but for the boy to create what equated to a custom staff was jaw dropping.

It took him years to customize and strengthen on his own staff and it was an ordeal Touma preferred to not go through. For Azi to take only 5 days to create and 2 weeks to learn how to do this was enough for Touma to almost faint from the boys shocking intelligence and innovative ideas he had built into Shizu's weapon.

Luckily, a fellow soldier was able guide him out of the tent before he fell over in sheer amazement.

Shizu and Kajima chuckled at the sight of Touma's shock as he was guided away while mumbling incoherent words. Worried for Touma's health, Azi asked.

"Is he going to be alright Shizu?"

"Yes, Azi. A bit of rest will do him some good. Now its best you get some rest as well or will I have to coax you to sleep."

Shizu gave Azi a glare which he responded to by quickly getting comfortable on the wooden cot in Shizu's tent. Since he agreed to rest after he explained the new weapon and its features Azi complied. He quickly went to sleep as Shizu and Kajima tucked him in.

When they were sure Azi was in a deep sleep, Kajima finally spoke up.

"So what's the situation here. I saw the flares you launched. What happened?"

With a grimace, Shizu explained about the two suspicious men they found and what they were talking about. She also explained that they weren't out of danger just yet.

"Cursed bait!?" Said Kajima in shock. "That was banned by the emperor years ago. There should be no trace of it in the Empire by now."

"Yes, which means this has something to do with our western foreign neighbors. But right now we need to worry about the incoming swarm of Kengiri and gengiri. I suspect that there will be more waves of monsters on the way."

"For how long?"

"3 days, the cursed baits effects only last about 3 days but I don't think we can last the that long. It has already been a day and we aren't in good shape."

Shizu looked outside of the tent and saw that all her men were exhausted from the fight. She anticipates that the next wave for the coming 2 days would include kengiri which only Touma, Kajima, Shizu, and maybe Azi could take on together. Sighign Shizu continued.

"But the main issue is numbers, the swarm of gengiri are the main problem. If we let that many of them enter the forest, they will breed and grow into kengiri. We can take the Kengiri out in the clearing with no problems since we are expecting them, but we just do not have enough hands to prevent all the gengiri from getting into the forest."

Shizu had an annoyed expression at the current situation, but Kajima, who was off to the side, thought about what they could do. An idea clicked in his head as he remembered his time in the previous war.

"Shizu, how many thaumaturges with earth aptitudes do you have?"

"Including Touma, we have two. Why?"

"If we use the features of your weapon, we could set up a small fortress here in the clearing to prevent the gengiri from entering the forest. We just need them to build up a high enough and thick enough wall the funnel them to a single location so we can take them out all at once or have then run into a kill zone."

"Yes but they would run out of magic energy, and we need them for their wide range attack magic."

"Yes we do, but Touma told me that Azi gave him a supply of stamina potions and they can utilize the magic energy Azi has stored into your weapon. There are not that many potions left but Azi's stored energy will supply the last of what we need.

This plan could work since we only need to buy enough time for reinforcements to come. Manu should be coming as we speak."

Reviewing the suggested plan and running a few calculations in her head, Shizu could not deny the merit Kajima's plan had. She smirk and added.

"Alright let's go with your plan. I'm glad you are as sharp as every Uncle Kajima."

"Hey I may be old, but I am still wise. You better listen to your elders, or do you want me to scold you like I did Azi?"

Shuddering at the thought, Shizu stood straight up and nodded her head up and down furiously in agreement. This made Kajima laugh as he enjoyed seeing Shizu like this as it reminded him of when she was younger. But before he could reminisce on more past memories, Shizu told him.

"I'll gather the thaumaturges and start the plan. For now, can you watch over Azi. I think he needs some more sleep to fully recovered."

Nodding his agreement, Kajima pulled up an empty wooden crate to act as his stool as he sat next to the sleeping Azi.

While the sun was still in the sky, the expedition team got to work in shifts as they prepared their camp into a small fort. The men gathered their arrows, organized the weapons, and gathered stones they could use to throw at the enemy during a siege.

Touma and a fellow thaumaturge had their work cut out for them as they began to erect a 3-meter-tall wall of hardened dirt that was 3 meters thick. This wall went around the camp and along most of the perimeter of the clearing that gave anything from the mountain path access to the forest.

Luckily, they had enough magic energy as the stamina potions and Shizu's new weapon made up for what they did not have on such short notice.

There were sporadic attacks of small swarms of gengiri that counted as many as 10 to 20, but they were easily eliminated after they erect the stone wall around the camp.

With the ability to kite the only slightly intelligent gengiri, they were able to manipulate how they moved and were able to bait them into a kill zone at the camp's entrance. Arrows would meet them first, then stones from slings, and then a line of spears for good measure.

By night fall, the expedition had made all the preparations they could in the makeshift fort. Everyone was now on a guard shift rotation until reinforcements arrived which Kajima estimated to be by next morning.

Manu needed at least a day to prepare the reinforcements and since a day had passed, they should have already left Shisayama and be on their way.

"Touma, launch another flare to signal Manu's party."

"Yes Lady Shizu."

Touma raised his staff and with practiced focus, he conjured a red magic flare that launched from the tip of his staff and shined into the night sky.

*****

Decem 10th of 4831 AS

In the distance, a nearby caravan caught sight of the flare. From the ornate wooden carriage was a girl with fluffy ears and a red-white feathery dress as she peeked her head out of the carriage window.

"Brother, look."

A man on an Hororon mount looked to the night sky and saw the flare. He wondered.

'Just what should I do?'