Clang!!
The guard's halberd clashed with the Fragmentum monster's weapon, sending sparks flying. The battle-hardened Silvermane Guard quickly slew the monster with his poleaxe.
However, after killing one monster, more would swarm to take its place. The guards of the Second Squad were gradually unable to hold the already crumbling front line. A few Fragmentum monsters began to break through their defenses and charge toward the rear.
"We can't hold on much longer!!!"
A Silvermane officer clenched his jaw, locked in a struggle of strength with a massive Fragmentum creature before him.
But he was quickly overpowered. His halberd was shattered, and he could only watch as the enormous body lumbered towards him.
"Sigh..."
Only when death was truly upon him did the officer begin to recall his past life, but in the end, it was only with a resigned sigh.
He had spent his entire life defending Belobog. He had no wife or daughter, so what was there worth remembering...
Crack...
Just as the officer prepared to meet his end, a crisp sound, like shattering glass, echoed in his mind.
"We made it!" It was March 7th's excited voice!
"Clear out the enemies. Let's help these Silvermane Guards get out of here first," Dan Heng said decisively, glancing at the battered and broken Second Squad behind them.
"Stelle, protect March!"
"Got it!"
The four of them fought side-by-side, instantly turning the tide of a battle that the guards had been losing badly.
Dan Heng, spear in hand, plunged into the horde of monsters like a flood dragon entering the sea. March 7th's Six-Phased Ice shield followed close behind, tightly protecting him.
Swish!
The tip of his spear was like a razor-sharp thorn, its cold light glinting. In an instant, he cleared a large area, slaying every Fragmentum monster within his spear's reach!
Thwip... thwip...
Arrows lodged themselves in the bodies of the monsters, and frigid ice instantly burst forth from them. Any creature struck by an arrow was transformed into an unmoving ice sculpture.
"Hah!"
Stelle stood guard by March 7th's side, baseball bat at the ready. For a time, the ten-meter radius around March was like a no-man's-land. No Fragmentum monster could break through Stelle's defense to get to her.
And even if one did... it couldn't break the shield condensed from Six-Phased Ice!
"This might hurt a little. Hang in there."
Wende inserted a lightning needle into a severely injured guard. The power of the Abundance flowed through the guard's meridians, coursing through his body and healing his wounds.
Crack!!
"Ngh..."
The guard, whose bones were being forcibly set by Wende, broke out in a cold sweat but endured it stoically, nodding at Wende gratefully.
"You should take them and go back. Tell your commander that we will be withdrawing from here shortly. Have her prepare in advance."
With that, Wende waved his hand. The lightning needles embedded in the remaining members of the Second Squad instantly dissipated into arcs of electricity. Having just received Wende's treatment, they had recovered some mobility and were fully capable of returning to their own position.
"Now then, we just need to create some time for them."
Wende's gaze was as sharp as a winter frost. Under his control, lightning needles shot out at high speed toward the nearby monsters. Any creature struck by a needle was instantly paralyzed by the electric shock, only to be reaped by March 7th's arrows or Dan Heng's spear.
The Fragmentum monsters that had been overwhelming the Silvermane Guards were now falling like straw at the feet of the Trailblaze party. This greatly shocked the guards who had not yet retreated. They knew that among the guards, the only one who could be considered a one-man army was Commander Gepard! Yet the combat power of these four was no less than his!
Without time for further thought, the surviving guards hastily retreated towards their garrison in the rear. They had to deliver this information to Lady Bronya!
"They're gone," Dan Heng noted, looking at the retreating guards as he casually skewered another monster.
"Good. If they stayed, they'd just get in our way."
A lightning needle shot past Stelle's hair, pinning a monster that had been attempting a sneak attack firmly to the spot.
"Hiyah!"
Stelle reacted instantly, swinging her bat in a reverse grip. The Fragmentum monster's head exploded like a watermelon!
"...."
Thud.
Dan Heng stood with his spear planted on the ground, his expression impassive as he looked at the monsters before them. A murderous aura instantly filled the entire area.
Perhaps sensing that Dan Heng was not to be trifled with, or for some other reason, the monsters' fierce offensive came to an abrupt halt. The remaining creatures, whether out of fear or something else, began to retreat like a receding tide back into the perimeter road.
"Is that it? And here I thought these monsters were tough! That's all they've got?" March 7th pouted with a look of disdain, as if she hadn't had her fill of battle yet.
"March, don't let your guard down. We weren't their target, so they naturally retreated," Dan Heng explained, stowing his spear.
"The Fragmentum on Jarilo-VI has existed for a long time. There must be a leader-like entity among these monsters. Although I don't know why these guards were attacking this place, it's definitely related to the Stellaron."
Listening to Dan Heng's analysis, March 7th nodded in understanding. She then noticed Stelle standing nearby, looking a bit dazed.
"Hm? What's wrong with you? Are you hurt? Wende, quick!"
Seeing Stelle's slightly abnormal expression, March 7th decisively called for the only doctor on the Trailblaze party.
"No... I'm fine, March. I think I was just hearing things," Stelle said, rubbing the space between her sore eyebrows as she waved March off.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
Wende walked over to Stelle's side. Seeing her slight frown, he felt a bit puzzled, but he still took her left hand and pricked her Hegu point with a lightning needle.
Slowly, Stelle's brow unfurrowed. Only then did Wende remove the needle.
"Thanks, I feel much better."
Stelle touched the hand Wende had held, feeling a little awkward, and thanked him.
"Don't mention it. We're family, after all," Wende said with a casual wave. The current Stelle still seemed a bit shy in his eyes. What a world of difference from those chaotic evil players!
At the same time, Wende made a secret vow. If she dared to touch a single trash can later, he would use his "lightning needles" to properly treat this child's "Trash Can Syndrome"!
He was sure that neither her "adoptive mother" nor her "birth mother" would stop him from helping them educate their child.