[W-what's happening?!]
[Why are the dead monsters suddenly moving again?!]
Kori and Rhyss shrieked as they desperately pushed the living dead away with their spears.
[I've called Serafina for help! Just hang in there!]
Ashta shouted at her comrades while kicking away a goblin which head was hanging limply on its shoulder.
[You said that long ago! Shouldn't we retreat to the inner walls now?!]
Kori questioned anxiously.
[Just shut up and make sure no monster escape to the stairs! We're dead either way if the goblins made it to the statue, remember?]
Ashta reminded them firmly.
After throwing her dagger to a goblin that ran past her, she stepped back to the injured Tamo that was resting on his back behind the blockade of the remaining members of Party 3.
The hero was drinking the last drops of his health potion and slightly recovering when she left him there earlier.
Ashta took her last health potion, the advanced vial, and extended it to her incapacitated comrade. Her eyes remained on the monsters flooding the battlement toward the stairs.
[Tamo, how're your wounds? Here! Take my health potion! You need it more than I do!]
But Tamo never reached out to take the vial from the woman.
Ashta finally turned her gaze to him, finding Tamo lying silently with blank eyes.
['Tamo (★★)' has returned to the Goddesses' embrace! His fighting spirit will be remembered forever.]
He had died for a while now. Apparently Ashta and the others did not see the notification while the chaos was erupting.
The party leader turned her full attention to the corpse. Shaking him to wake futilely.
[Tamo, why are you so quiet? Hey, wake up!]
Though Ashta was still in denial of the loss of her comrade, her remaining ones did not.
[He's dead, Ashta!]
[Stop shaking him and help us out!]
Their shouts helped Ashta woke up from her daze.
[Y-yes! Sorry! Everyone, let's stick together and maintain this formation until help arrives!]
She quickly turned to the monsters again with her weapons at the ready. Though she could not wipe off the terrible fear from her face.
['Ashta (★★)' has fallen into the state of panic. All stats decreased by 50%!]
They fought on and on. Battling the hordes as an effective trio. The result of their hard training in the lobby.
But the monsters were relentless and their fatigue was worsening.
The enemy blows were starting to become harder to shield or deflect at each turn.
They were no longer sure they could hold the line.
['Kori (★★)' has fallen into the state of despair. All stats decreased by 80%!]
[They're too strong, Ashta! I don't think I'll be able to keep gripping my weapon! We must pull back!]
The spearwoman shouted desperately to her party leader.
['Rhyss (★★)' has fallen into the state of despair. All stats decreased by 80%!]
[There're too many of them! We'll die if we stay in front of the stairs like this!]
The spearman agreed.
Before Ashta could reply them, a halberd-wielding woman suddenly jumped over the three and sliced a clean arc using her weapon, tearing down the approaching reanimated monsters.
Norn had arrived.
The 3-star hero immediately addressed the remnants of Party 3.
[We'll hold the only stairs leading off the walls as long as we can! The monsters had to either cramp themselves in this narrow path or jump off the walls! Reanimated or not, they won't be able to walk, let alone run, to the statue after such a long drop!]
Norn's instruction managed to settle Party 3 down. None of them were asking to retreat any longer.
With Norn taking over the leadership position, the remaining members of Party 3 continued defending the southern walls.
But terrible fear still lingered within their minds no matter what Norn did to encourage them.
As what happened on the fifth floor with Gerson, fear was not simply an emotion in the trials.
['Kori (★★)' is on the brink of death. Her life is in danger!]
A goblin managed to land an arrow through the spearwoman's chest and even grazed another on her neck.
[Ashta, pull her back! Pour the health potion on her immediately!]
Norn ordered the party leader whom was turning more silent and horrified.
[We're gonna die!]
Rhyss shouted frantically at the sight of his wounded comrade.
[Pull yourself together! Weren't you a patrol guard before coming to the lobby? A city will fall the moment its guardsmen surrenders! Now keep fighting!]
Norn reminded the only warrior fighting beside her at that point. She could not afford to have him breaking down right there and then.
Situation was certainly turning direr on Party 3's side despite Norn's help.
And it was absolutely worse on Party 2's since their enemies were triple the number Party 3 was facing on their part of the walls.
[Stay strong, Maddock! You're taking Norn's place now! Dwindle their numbers as much as you can!]
Zecht urged his comrade to his side.
Party 2 was also pushed back right to the mouth of the only stairs leading off the eastern walls.
I could not imagine how well those two parties would be able to fend off the monsters had there been more than one stairs on each side of the outer walls.
[I'll do my best!]
The 2-star at summoning said while plunging his spear through three goblins at once. Though there was more than a tinge of fear on his face.
Zecht turned his attention to the swordswoman behind him.
[Luan, you're our last line of defense! Don't let any get past you!]
[Leave it to me!]
She replied while dismembering a reanimated goblin. The girl too was more than uneased.
The party leader then turned to the boy archer beside her.
[Tarran, you step in and provide cover whenever one of them gets hurt!]
[Understood!]
Tarran said while slicing his daggers through the monsters. He no longer used his bow in battle since he only had few arrows remaining.
The boy was the only one other than Zecht who remained calm despite the crisis.
The enemies Party 2 had to face was many.
Zecht, the 3-star hero, was able to build an effective and efficient formation that could fend the monsters off.
But even they were not immune to uncertainties.
[Guardian of the Wings is rallying his army!]
[All enemies have gone berserk!]