Chapter 225 Match 3: The Siege Castle! [5]

Ting—Ting—Ting—Ting

The sound of warning bells echoed throughout the castle, startling Erina and the team. Erina knew this could only mean one thing - an impending attack.

With urgency, Erina hurried towards the ramparts with her team following her, scanning the horizon for signs of the approaching enemy.

"T-Two teams are approaching from the distance," Sofia alerted them, her voice tense with worry.

Erina's heart sank as she spotted the approaching teams. One was from Shadow Academy, known for their stealth and deception, and the other was from Blitzeirg Academy, renowned for their lightning-fast attacks.

"What in the world? Did they not leave anyone behind to defend their own castle?" Erina exclaimed incredulously, watching as the entire teams of 10 members from both academies rushed towards them.

"Are they not worried about leaving their own castle undefended? What if some other academy seizes their crown?" Penelope added, echoing Erina's thoughts.

Erina surveyed the situation with a sinking feeling in her stomach, recognizing that their team was outnumbered and outmatched. "They're coming at us from two sides, trying to divide our forces," she muttered to herself, her mind racing to compose a strategy to defend their castle.

Despite facing overwhelming odds, Erina remained focused and determined. She knew that defending their castle would be easier than attacking the enemy's castle, but she also knew they had to be strategic and work together as a team to survive the onslaught.

Erina began to formulate a plan in her mind, considering every possible scenario and weighing the strengths and weaknesses of her team against those of the enemy.

"Fuuu, Listen up, everyone!" Erina commanded, her voice ringing out over the noise of the bells. "Mages, take your positions on the walls and be ready to cast spells. Archers, head to the towers and be ready to rain down arrows on the enemy.

Lucas, and Ziona, prepare to meet them head-on. Oh, And Penelope, Mia, we need those magical barriers up now to protect our walls. Evan, you're on gate duty. Don't let anyone through!"

She paused for a moment, scanning the approaching students and assessing their options.

"Remember, we're outnumbered and outmatched, but we have something they don't have: teamwork. We work together, we fight together, and we win together. Let's defend our castle with everything we've got!"

!!

Erina pumped herself up with her motivational speech, but the response she got from her team was lackluster at best. They all just stood there, nodding their heads like a bunch of bobbleheads.

"...."

Erina thought inwardly, 'Okay, maybe I need to work on my pep talk skills. Note to self: watch more sports movies for inspiration.'

And Without a word, the team quickly dispersed to their positions, each one knowing exactly what to do.

Erina sighed to herself, realizing that maybe her teammates were just more action-oriented than speech-oriented. As long as they fought well, that was all that mattered.

As they moved to their assigned positions, Mia and Penelope quickly got to work, channeling their magical energy to create a shimmering barrier around the castle walls. The barrier pulsed with a vibrant energy, its power evident to all who stood within its protective confines.

The skill was not one that either of them possessed naturally, but in this virtual reality world, all mages were given access to it for this particular match. Mia and Penelope knew that this barrier would be crucial in keeping their enemies at bay and protecting the castle from any potential breaches.

However, it became noticeable that the barrier had limitations, as it left the main gate of their castle unprotected.

Meanwhile, Lucas and Ziona charged toward the enemy, their weapons shining in the sunlight. "We'll hold them off!" Lucas shouted back to Erina.

Erina nodded, her face showing a determined expression. "Sofia, we need you to provide cover fire for Lucas and Ziona from the archer tower," she ordered through the voice chat.

"Got it, Erina. You can count on me," Sofia replied confidently, ready for the task at hand.

The first wave of attackers charged toward the castle walls, their weapons glinting menacingly. Lucas met them head-on, his spear thrusting with deadly precision. He spun around, his fiery weapon leaving a trail of flames in its wake as he deflected enemy strikes and pushed forward.

Clink—Clink—Clink

Meanwhile, Ziona moved swiftly and gracefully around the attackers, her katana flashing as she took them by surprise from behind. She weaved in and out of their formations, using her agility to avoid the enemy's attacks.

Sofia stood firmly on the archer tower, alert. With her bow and arrow at the ready, she scanned the battlefield, covering Lucas and Ziona from any possible surprise attacks. Her sharp eyes darted around, searching for any sign of a sneaky assault from the enemy.

However, Despite Lucas and Ziona's valiant efforts, the Shadow Academy team proved to be a challenging opponent. Their members displayed impressive coordination and skill, making it difficult for Lucas and Ziona to gain any ground.

The two of them were forced to constantly dodge and deflect incoming attacks, unable to find an opening to strike back.

At the same time, as the attackers from Blitzeirg Academy approached from the other side, Penelope and Mia stood at the forefront of the defense.

They unleashed a barrage of spells at the enemy, their elemental powers blasting toward them with deadly accuracy. The archers on the towers covered them, picking off anyone who dared to come too close.

The students struggled to advance as they faced fierce resistance, and their attempts to breach the castle walls were thwarted by the combined efforts of Penelope, Mia, and the archers Nate and Lio.

On the other hand, Evan held his position at the gate, determined to keep the enemy at bay. With his shield raised, he expertly deflected each incoming attack on the gate with practiced ease. Despite the chaos and danger around him, he remained focused, his mind calculating every move.

Then, with a sudden burst of mana, Evan summoned a massive transparent barrier using one of his skills, shielding the gate from the hail of arrows and spells. The barrier held strong, but Evan could feel his mana rapidly depleting. He knew he couldn't sustain the barrier for much longer without risking exhaustion.

The fight was intense and both sides were giving it their all. Despite the Blitzerig Academy attackers' best efforts to breach the walls, the archers stationed on the towers proved to be a formidable obstacle, swiftly taking out any who attempted to scale the walls.

The sound of metal clashing against metal, the shouts of the fighters, and the crackling of spells filled the air as the battle raged on.

Meanwhile, Erina watched from the ramparts, issuing commands to her team and scanning for any sign of the enemy's next move.

She remained vigilant for any sign of infiltration or sabotage, knowing that the Shadow Academy team was renowned for their stealth and cunning tactics. She understood that if they couldn't penetrate the walls, they might try to sneak in and steal their Crown.

The team knew that they had to remain focused and alert if they hoped to emerge victorious from this battle.

***