THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"That's six!!" 

With this, I have won the bet against Willhem. Out of the fifteen kirsurks that appeared, the soldiers took four down already. There is still one remaining and Willhem has managed to kill four of them with K'nor and the other soldiers' help. So, even if he kills the last one, I still win.

While hovering in the air, observing the situation, I see a pack of Longinus Dall leaving the fort. There are about ten of them. With their six legs and their long big tail, they do have that  frightening look to them. The next moment though, the fire ball of a mortar falls on the pack and just like that, it is annihilated. They didn't even get the chance to do anything. 

Seriously, this battle, this war…What is this all about? What is the hammer hands trying to achieve? If he really wanted freedom as I think, this cannot be the freedom he envision. I don't see any Titanie roaming around happily here. In fact, I don't see any at all.. The only human looking people on their side are longinus men and they don't even seem to come to the battlefield much. 

"Kriekk!!" 

Oh well, let's think about it later. 

"For now, you guys are next." 

I fall on a prator and a dall and restart the slaughter.

***

Two hours later, a sort of trumpet resounds behind us, I turn around and see a whole new bunch of soldiers appearing from behind the mortars.

"The next wave is here!! Change formation!!" 

Once again, orders are given and from the line they had rebuilt earlier, W like formations appear. 

"Hey, capt'! It is time!"

Willhem and the others start running to the back as well. Why are they leaving? The battlefield is here. All the actions is here. All the action they wanted.

"Why are you guys running away?"

After I catch up to them, I grab Willhem's shoulder and ask him.

"I don't to be burn alive, man." 

"What?" 

Before I can ask him anything else. The trumpet resounds again and the mortars start moving. The long tube from which the fire balls burst out move upwards. When they stop moving, the soldiers near them start descending down the hill as well. Then the fire burst out as usual. But this time, it goes way higher in the sky. 

When we get past the lines of soldiers, the fire balls start falling. 

"Ah, okay. Now, I understand." 

"You stay there when it happens and you will have yourself a nice trip to hell."

The fireballs crash near the soldiers' formations. So very near, in fact, that I am impressed how they managed to stay calm. Perhaps that's why they maintain a certain line during their fight.

"Stand aside!" 

While I am bewildered by the order and discipline with which the soldiers are accomplishing their duty, those who are coming from behind push me as they go through. There a first wave of them, holding shields and spears. They are the first to join the previous line. When they arrive at the level, the W formations open from the rear and they get through the gap, slaughtering the Longinus while advancing.

"Kriek-"

"Kriekk-"

The Longinus don't get a chance to do anything. They are attacked from the front and the side by spears and swords so they can only die. And most of them being low class vanguards doesn't help much. 

Then a second wave arrive, holding bows and crossbows. They first stand behind us and while the soldier's formation changes, returning to a simple line, they start shooting. So that's the process they use.

While they shoot beyond the lines, the soldiers previously holding the lines start retreating. Under the continuous fire of arrows, bolts and fire balls from the mortars, they must feel relieved. 

"So, what do we do?" Willhem looks like he still wants to go there. 

"Now, we rest a bit." Just like that, he sits on the ground and wipes the sweat off his face.

"Wait, just like that?"

"Yup. Right now is the best time The mortar are striking close to the line and they will progressively evolve further ahead. Meanwhile, the soldiers will also push through and increase our stand. That's how you do this. Little by little, we will reach the fort." 

"I see." Well ,that looks efficient but I think it takes too much time. "And from the look of things, when do you think we will reach the fort." I sit near willhem and K'nor comes next to me. Good boy.

"I don't know. They execute this change every four hours. Counting the soldiers who die and the fatigue building up, we might take as much as two weeks. If those portals were closed, it would be a different story though."

He is right, I have never knew those could stay open for so long. Maybe there is something maintaining them. I think I know what I should do next.

"The only problem would be to-"

"Don't even think about it." 

"What?" 

"Assaulting that fort alone is too much for anybody. I don't even think the high commander himself could try that. There is no fun in a battle where you don't get to retaliate before dying."

"Is that so?" 

"More importantly, you remember the tournament I told you about, right?" 

"What?" Willhem brings his face close and the bloodthirsty smile he shows indicates he is about to talk rubbish.

"Sigh…"

***

Just like Willhem said, four hours later, there is a new wave of soldiers coming. Meanwhile, krisruks have appeared twice. Twenty the first time and ten the second. And in total, I have killed twenty of them. I keep giving the smug look to Willhem since he only managed to bring down eleven. 

"And that was with K'nor's help." I rub it on his face and his face is as red as a ripe tomato.

"I still more Longinus than you!" 

"Yeah, yeah. You can take care of prators tomorrow then." 

"Like it is difficult!!!" 

"Ahaha!! You got done in good, Will! Look at you all pitiful now!" I think it is the fact that the others are mocking as well that is upsetting him so much.

We have decided to stop for now and are heading back to the camp. The night is falling so it is better this way. When we reach the hill and walk by the mortars, one of them, on my left, opens. A sort of trap door opens on its side and somebody comes out of it.

"Wait, what?" 

"What?" 

"Look! There is somebody coming out!" 

"Yeah, well, they have to rest as well."

"No, you don't understand."

While we are talking, a girl around my age comes out of the mortar. Wearing only a top and trousers, she has a trained body that is covered in sweat. Her brown hair and eyes add up nicely to her Belgium like skin. Farner definitively has a more developed chest though. Then, like nothing, another person comes and enter the mortar through the door.

"Hey, you left your uniform here again!" 

Clothes are then thrown outside and as right before they land on the girl's head, our eyes meet.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" By the time I realize it, the others are already well ahead of me. I have been staring at her for tat long. Oops.

When we reach the camp, soldiers are looking at us, but not in a weird or bad way. In fact, one even comes and greets us.

"Hey guys! What you did there was incredible!" He comes with an overzealous and happy attitude but as he extends his hand to Willhem, he is immediately shot down.

"And you are?" 

"Ah, sorry. I am the second class Montmer Atrid. You helped my unit earlier today by killing a kirsurk. You and that awesome wolfider. Man, where did you find such an incredible pet? I had never seen a beast Angas before!" 

The guy keeps talking like nothing. Not only that, others start coming to us now because of him. In less than five minutes, we are surrounded by soldiers talking without giving us a chance to say anything. 

"What is happening here?!" The commander finally comes and break the gathering. The soldiers all scatter without a second thought when they hear his voice. Fuu…Finally free.

"Let's go." Willhem speaks with a calm but annoyed voice. Meanwhile the commander looks down on us like we are rats. Like I thought back in Mercuria, this guy was just playing the nice guy.

"Your tent is the red one at the corner of the camp." He says one last thing when we get past him then return from wherever he came from. 

We walk to the tent he said is our own and that thing could barely receive five people. I peek inside and there are only four beds as well.

"Of course." 

"You guys are used to it?" The way Willhem doesn't seem surprised answers my question about whether this is on a regular basis or not.

Unlike the other tents, there is no fire in front this one. Or maybe he must build it ourselves. Hendrick brings out an axe from his bracelet while Willhem brings out a knife. Another guy is already holding dishes when I look at him and just that we make a camp fire and start grilling meat. Under the close but distant watch of the soldiers, of course. Then while we are eating, I see the girl from earlier entering the camp. Once again, our eyes meet and then, she walks to me. She is wearing her uniform now.

"Hey, pervert. We need to talk for a bit.