The Greatest Story Ever Written

Chapter 7

Fighting an opponent entrenched in their own territory is a nightmare. Even more so if they are well equipped and well organized. These are the reasons why the demonic horde is incapable of breaking through the walls and overwhelm the defenders of Silay.

The average guard of Silay wears lamellar armor made with wood and cloth. They are usually armed with pole weapon, such as a halberd or a spear, and a ranged weapon, usually a bow or a magical rifle. These armaments are used efficiently in defending the walls of Silay.

The explorers, on the other hand, are the offensive group of the army. They wear lamellar, similar to the guard, but cover themselves with invisibility cloaks. They are required to wield a battlefield weapon, often a mace, axe, or longsword, together with a magical pistol, and have an arming sword and one or more daggers as backup. They also often bring bombs, magical or mundane, and a few potions.

As of right now, these two parts of the Silay army are trying to repel the demonic army led by Sigmareth. The explorers are causing chaos amongst the demons, destroying siege weapons and killing as many demons as they can. Meanwhile, the guards are shooting at demons, thinning their numbers little by little.

These, together with large scale attacks from the mages and cannons, are preventing the demons from destroying the barrier. The barrier itself is preventing them from going near the walls.

The siege went on until sunset. The demons retreated after seeing the futility of a direct assault.

Three hours after the siege, Pacifico came out of his meditation session and ate together with Remuel, Harold, Robin, and Jacob on top the walls. A few minutes into their meal, Pacifico had an epiphany.

"Hey lads," he started. "I've got a great idea."

Everyone else on the table stiffened for a moment. They all knew that most of Pacifico's ideas, while effective, are incredibly dangerous.

After gaining enough courage, Remuel decided to ask, "An idea about what?"

"I've got an idea on how to beat them and make some of them join us!" Pacifico said, with a wide grin.

He then proceeded to tell his plan to everyone on the table. Everyone was convinced that this idea is insane. That is, insane enough that it might just work.

The next morning, everyone went into position. Pacifico's plan has been told to everyone that is taking part in the defense of Silay. Now, they are all tense, waiting for their opponents to come forth once more.

Pacifico himself was not in the open. Instead, he is preparing his spell behind the wall in order to not be seen. He needs to finish his spell before showing himself to the enemy.

Suddenly, an incredibly loud screech akin to a bird was heard. What followed were loud roars and footsteps. The demonic army has come once more to lay siege to the city.

The defenders of Silay allowed the demons to gradually take ground. They feigned exhaustion, making the enemy to believe that they are about to win. The demons themselves took heavy casualties while the defenders had none. They reached the barrier by the middle of the afternoon while still getting shot by the guards.

By the time it was sunset, they were about to break the barrier. However, that never happened as a humanoid figure quickly leapt from behind the wall and cast a spell on Sigmareth, imprisoning him.

Without their leader, the majority of the low-class demons was unable to distinguish friend from foe and attacked each other. Most of the high-class demons, meanwhile, ran away as fast as they could.

Sigmareth wasn't able to notice the spell. It trapped him inside a strange abyss with a chaotic mess of black and white. It felt uncomfortable and claustrophobic. On the outside, his prison looked like a gigantic egg with swirling patterns of black and white.

After three hours, he was released into a magical circle in the middle of a room. The room itself was barren save for a few windows and one door. The magical circle was drawn on the floor. It sapped his strength and prevented him from escaping.

It was morning when people came to see him. One was a man with long hair, formed into a bun held together by a hairpin and some fabric. He wore robes and seemed to radiate power. The other was a being he recognized, a flaming demon holding a sword made of hellstone, Remuel.

"Hello there, Sigmareth," greeted the man in robes. "Nice day, isn't it?"

"I would say that if it wasn't for the fact that I am inside this damned circle," retorted the demon of pride.

The man in robes looked to Micahel and nodded. The fire demon nodded in turn and looked towards Sigmareth.

"Allow me to reintroduce ourselves," he started. "I am Remuel, Demon of Fire and Flames. The one with me is Pacifico, leader of Silay."

Sigmareth nodded and replied, "I believe you already know me, but I will return the courtesy. I am Sigmareth, Demon Lord of Pride."

"With the pleasantries out of the way," said Remuel. "Let us begin our negotiations."

Pacifico smiled and said, "Alright, Sigmareth, my terms are simple. Stop your attacks and join us or die."