Because our discussion was a success, we decided to throw another celebration that night. Of course, we make sure that we don't speak of what we discussed while the Nexus was active. Despite my Mother having trouble with the built-in surveillance inside the Nexus, we just convinced her to just forget about it and just go on like usual to ensure that they won't suspect anything.
After the lengthy celebration, we went to our own rooms that day. For me, I don't want to sleep just yet. I still have to solve the problem in the Alternate World and so I decided to return.
It was about to reach morning when I returned and since I still feel a bit energetic from the celebration, I am wide awake and cannot sleep. Due to this, I spend the rest of the day crafting a few stuff I might need. Sooner or later, we will be having a few skirmishes with the enemies and I needed to ensure that we will not be on the losing side.
I have continued crafting stuff for a few minutes now when all of a sudden, I heard a sudden explosion in the neighborhood. It's a bit farther away from my estimation but based on how strong the explosion is, there is no way it was from a weapon from this city.
Getting dressed immediately, I headed went out of the hotel. Queen Tanya and Queen Tori also got out themselves as well, already dressed in their battle outfit though they clearly rushed to do it as they still have some bed hair and they still looked sleepy. Ran started to ask some of the running passersby.
"What is happening?" Ran asked calmly to the panicking woman.
"They are here! And it seems they are intent on fighting and destroying this place!" after answering, she continues to flee.
"It seems the shogun's army is now attacking," Ran frowned.
"What about the men that Bladeheart cured from the possession?" Queen Tanya asked.
"They have volunteered to become the guards of this city for a while since they have experience in protecting different areas. If they are functioning normally, they should be the first ones to be defending the place," Ran answered as she looked around for a weapon to use as well.
"Ran, leave the fighting to us. Make sure the villagers are evacuated and far from the combat zone. Gather them up and make sure to keep them safe," Queen Tori suggested to Ran who starts to panic about what to do.
"I can do that but there are only a few of you guys... How can you all fight an army with only three people?"
"No worries. We can go to war with only the three of us."
Ran was hesitant but she nodded and gives her good luck wishes. "Alright guys, be careful out there, and good luck."
She then immediately assisted the people to evacuate correctly so that they won't panic and let them calm down while the three of us rushes to the area where the explosion occurred.
It didn't take us long to find it as the flames are already quite big and started to spread to the nearby buildings. Since most have wooden structures, the flames are easily crawling from house to house.
"We needed to extinguish the fire. [Amefuri Kozo]!"
A young kid wearing an umbrella hat suddenly appeared in front of us. The moment he appeared, the sky started to darken due to the dark clouds suddenly forming.
I was surprised when Queen Tori suddenly summoned a yokai known as Amefuri Kozo or mostly known as the Rainfall Boy. I know that Omnyoji classes are capable of using spirits and shikigami but I didn't know that yokais are among the skills you can use as well.
"Amefori Kozo, you know now what to do!"
The Amefori Kozo nodded and started skipping on the street. As the yokai did those slowly, the dark sky starts to release the heavy water it was holding, causing it to rain.
"Alright. That should do it. We should go. Thanks for the hard work, Amefori Kozo!" Queen Tori recalled the yokai and the yokai smiled before it turned into a piece of talisman that Queen Tori uses. Perhaps next time, I would also try to master the Omnyoji class as well. Using yokai to release phenomenons like that seems amazing.
We continue along the streets and as the rain begins to pour harder, the flames that are burning the houses are slowly getting extinguished as well, allowing us to no longer worry about the fire spreading any further.
It didn't take us long to reach the area where the first explosion occurred and when we arrived there, the men that we have cured before are currently the ones defending the massive gate. It's being pounded by the enemies outside.
However, the men are down from 5 to 3 now. Two of them seem to have died and it seems they have died fighting the enemies who have breached.
"We are here to help!" Queen Tanya shouted to the men holding off the enemies at the gates.
"No! You guys should evacuate! Our former comrades are now total monsters, they are no longer humans and they are not just some people you can easily defeat!"
"No worries. We can deal with them with no problem. Just keep the gate closed and we will handle the rest.
After that, Queen Tanya and I leaped off the walls and jumped down to our enemies. And just like the three men said before, their comrades are no longer humans. Although they have retained their human shapes, they have the traits of some monsters. Some gained some appendages while some became lycanthropes. But since they have converted into this form, that also means these guys are no longer possible to be cured of this.
"Your Majesty, they are no longer possible to be saved, the only salvation we can do for them is to give them death."
Queen Tanya grinned and swings her scythe, cutting down multiple soldiers rushing like zombies.
"Good! That would allow me to no longer hold back as well!"
She started swinging her scythe and slicing every single soldier attacking her. I assisted her and used my katana to make swift one-strike kills and alternating it with Daggers and using extremely close combat stabs at the soldiers when I get the chance.
A shikigami appeared alongside us, mowing down on the countless soldiers attacking as well. However, I think this is not just going to be enough if only the three of us will fight and defend the city.
"Atlas!"
"I am here to assist, Master!" Atlas wields his broadsword and started cleaving the enemies group by group.
There are plenty of them around like they are zombies indeed. It seems the shogun is now intent on bringing down the city without leaving a trace if they have deployed this many enemies at once and trying to burn down the place as well. Their intent is clear as day and they are no longer the same enemies that I thought they would be right now. I needed to adopt a new strategy to deal with them again.
We continue to deal with the soldiers as the rain continues to pour into the sky. Thankfully, after our efforts, the soldiers start to slow down as well. But I can tell we have yet to finish this siege. If they brought this many enemies in one fight, that only means they also have at least one or two commanders giving orders as well.
"Guys, don't let your guard down, I can see two enormous beings coming in front!" Queen Tori who was remaining in the gate to reinforce the defense of the gate and to also control her shikigami in a safe distance warned us.
We prepared ourselves as we waited for the enemies that are coming as well and soon enough, we found the enemies that Queen Tori described as huge.
A Tsuchigumo and Jorogumo. Although they looked like those monsters, it is also clear that they were transformed from humans. The Jorogumo for instance is the same woman commander of the 16th battalion of the shogun's army. She was a strong enemy before and she has monstrous strength when we fought her before but who would have thought that she would turn into a half spider-half woman all of a sudden? This is indeed no longer following the same script in the past timeline indeed.
"No wonder I felt like no one survived from all of the soldiers we sent to assault the gate. It's because there are some pests who are blocking the way for us to assault it," the Tsuchigumo started speaking using a hoarse voice.
"If that was the case, we should just deal with them so that we can bring back the glory to the shogun, yes?"
"Yes, Indeed."
Looks like they won't back down either. Time to fight!