Night Sabotage

The ash carried by the rain slid down Ezekiel's face. He was about to fall asleep. The siege was dragging on too long. He stretched a little and looked over the battlement. Sure enough, they were still there. Now they were even dancing on the deck of the ships.

The newly ordained Knight checked his ammunition. He let out a sigh. Looking up at the sky, he felt the raindrops bouncing off his face. The cold water soaked him to the bone, mixing with the sweat under his chainmail. This damned rain was going to ruin the gunpowder.

—Attention!

He stood straight ipso facto.

—Those possessed fools are more stubborn than a mule with a cold. Anyway, prepare your gear, we leave in 10 minutes. See you at the wall.

Leave? Outside the wall? At dawn? The sergeant must have had too much to drink. Or lost a bet. Out there, only a slow and painful death awaited.

Ezekiel put on his chainmail, his sword, his shield, and his helmet. He placed his flintlock pistol in his belt. Maybe being a baker, like his father, wouldn't have been so bad after all.

On the south wall, with his entire unit, the sergeant explained the plan. A stupid plan. The sergeant definitely wasn't drunk. He was simply insane.

But sometimes in life, madness and genius are indistinguishable.

The technicians loaded the catapults. The inquisitors invoked "Shield of Truth", strengthening the Knights' armor. The soldiers took defensive positions.

CLANG!

Like boulders glowing with their own light, the Knights fell upon the enemy ships. Some fell into the sea.

The impact shook him to his teeth. Ezekiel rose dazed, with the taste of blood in his mouth and a sharp ringing in his ears. He had landed at the stern, near the helm. The deck reeked of tar, saltpeter, and something more putrid, like meat left in the sun. He drew his sword and raised his shield.

"Breathe. Focus. One at a time," he told himself.

The faces of the demons were priceless.

As he had practiced thousands of times, he executed "Tidal Strike" in the blink of an eye. His sword was propelled by a torrent of water, allowing him to launch several consecutive cuts. A demon's head went flying. Black blood gushed from the wound, turning to smoke upon contact with the air.

The rest of the demons charged at him.

Ezekiel drew his flintlock pistol. He aimed at the demon leading the charge and blew its head off. One bullet. There wouldn't be a second.

The demons lunged at him. They still retained human features, but horns of molten rock sprouted from their heads. They moved with unnatural ferocity, wielding swords and axes with a strength no man should possess.

Ezekiel deflected a slash aimed at his head and drove his boot into the next one's chest, buying himself a moment of space. He seized it to execute "Zornhau". The diagonal slash split the nearest demon in two before it could raise its axe. Then he took cover behind his shield. The rest didn't stop. They crashed into him like an avalanche of steel and claws. He planted his feet, roared, and shoved with his entire body. The demons went flying.

An electric current illuminated the deck. A burst of lightning The demons collapsed. Nathan jumped from the adjacent ship to where Ezekiel was.

—They won't get past here. —he patted him on the back. —Come on, let's keep moving.

The duo reached the third ship. A luminous projectile came directly at them. Nathan invoked "Miraculous Protection". A web of arcane filaments dissipated the impact, which burst into a thousand sparks.

—That's new. —Nathan frowned.

A burly figure in complete armor, black as the night itself, approached them. In his hand, he carried a thick tome whose pages turned on their own.

—Rain of fire.

Another projectile accumulated before him and shot out. Nathan's barrier dissipated the impact again, but cracks were beginning to appear.

—This is going to be a war of attrition. —said Ezekiel.

—This is absolute crap. —Nathan laughed nervously.

—Cancel the barrier.

—You have fewer lights than a pirate ship. If one of those missiles hits you, it'll disintegrate you.

—Trust me, brother.

Nathan held his gaze. Damn it. He reluctantly cancelled the barrier.

—Only those willing to die deserve victory —thought Ezekiel. He channeled the telluric force beneath his feet and executed "Seismic Charge". The ground cracked in his wake. He rammed the Fallen Knight with the full weight of his body and armor, dragging rocks and dust behind him.

The impact was brutal. The Fallen Knight's shield shattered into a thousand pieces and the charge sent him to the ground. His armor screeched against the deck planks as he tried to get up.

—Now, Nathan!

Nathan didn't need to be told twice. He channeled "Polar Cold" over the Fallen Knight. An unnatural frost spread across his armor, freezing the joints, numbing his muscles. The Fallen tried to raise his sword, but his arms wouldn't respond. The cold had stolen his strength.

Ezekiel stood up, panting. That had been close.

BANG! The ship shook and the two Knights fell onto the deck. It was starting to sink.

There were more demons on the surrounding ships. Recognizing their power, they chose to sink the ship and wait for them to drown.

—Bastards! You have no honor.

—If they had any, they wouldn't be with them. —Nathan got up as best he could. The situation didn't look good. He only had enough mana left for one last spell. —Which one looks better?

Ezekiel surveyed the surroundings.

—That one there. —he pointed to a ship packed with demons and Fallen Knights.

Nathan nodded. He grabbed Ezekiel's arm and used "Shadow Step". They appeared on the ship's deck.

—And now what, galaxy brain?

—Now we do something that will be remembered for centuries.

Without any mana, Ezekiel and Nathan faced the enemies. The wind carried the smell of blood and gunpowder. The waves hit the ship's hull like a war drum.

Ezekiel smiled, entering an offensive stance.