Chapter 85: The Battle Outside Part 3
Lyra adjusted the bow slung across her back, her quiver already half-empty from her earlier skirmishes. Her auburn hair was tied in a messy braid, streaked with soot. Despite the chaos, her eyes were sharp and focused.
"I’ve been covering the western flank," she said. "Barely held it. The mist there wasn’t as thick, but people were still going mad."
Inigo grunted. "Same thing here. But I found the source. Some sort of illusion demon. I shattered its throne, broke the spell. Mist’s thinning, but it’s not over yet."
A nearby explosion rocked the earth. They both turned toward the breach, where the battle still raged. Demons howled, their cries a mix of beast and nightmare, while defenders pushed back with every ounce of strength they had left.
"Come on," Inigo said, hoisting the minigun. "Let’s clean up the rest."
They moved together down the street—Inigo on the ground, Lyra leaping between rubble piles and carts, gaining elevation wherever possible. She knocked three arrows at once, her fingers glowing faintly with wind magic.
Inigo took point. His minigun screamed again, tearing through a group of spider-like demons crawling up the barricade. The steel cordon was broken in places, manned by only a few bloodied adventurers.
"Reinforcements, incoming!" someone shouted.
From the southern alley, a large figure charged forward—Guildmaster Thorne.
The man looked like a walking wall of steel, clad in spiked plate armor with a massive tower shield strapped to his back and a greathammer in one hand. His beard was caked with ash, his chest heaving from the sprint.
"Inigo! Lyra!" he barked, voice like thunder. "You’re both alive. Good. We’ve still got a damn city to save."