As soon as Anna and I heard the alarm bell, we climbed down the tall building and rushed towards Icefall Manor. By the time we arrived, the place was a hive of activity as House Icefall retainers rushed to and fro. Anna and I managed to make our way through towards Cally's office.

Over the past few days, the office had undergone a radical transformation. It now looked like a makeshift war room, instead of the beautiful and elegant space from before. All the artwork and furniture, except for Cally's desk, had been removed.

Instead, a long wooden table occupied the center of the room, covered in various maps and papers. A wooden board stood next to it. Pinned to the board was a large map that depicted Icefall City and the surrounding area. Marks on the map showed the various changes we had made to the city in the name of defending it.

Even the ornate glowstone lamps had been replaced. The new ones bathed the office/war room with harsh white light. However, for some reason, the calming floral scent remained. Given the circumstances, I doubted it had any effect on anyone.

Cally and Lorelei stood in front of the map. Both wore grim expressions on their faces. Several people stood near them, a mixture of House Icefall and Clan Frostheart retainers.

This included Barrett Hayden, the retainer who confronted us when we returned to Icefall City a while ago. We had gotten to know him a lot over the past few days. He served as Cally's second-in-command, since he was the most powerful House Icefall retainer still in Icefall City.

When Anna and I arrived, the retainers were in the midst of reporting to Cally and Lorelei. As we entered, everyone fell silent and glanced in our direction. The two of us walked towards Cally and Lorelei.

"We heard the alarm." Anna said.

"What's the situation?" I asked.

Cally grimaced.

"Our scouts have spotted an army of demons and fiends heading towards Icefall City," she said.

I frowned.

"From which direction?"

"All of them." Lorelei said, her expression matching Cally's. "They have the city surrounded."

"We're trapped." Anna said, a cold expression on her face.

Cally and Lorelei nodded.

"There is no escape." Cally said in a quiet voice. "They intend to kill everyone in the city."

A heavy silence fell over the office.

"Lady Calla," Barrett Hayden said, "there is still a chance you can escape. If we gather our most powerful forces, you can break through the enemy lines and flee the region."

Cally narrowed her eyes at him.

"I am not abandoning the city." She said.

"But my lady-"

"Enough! I am an Icefall. This is my home. I intend to defend it, or die trying. Survival means nothing if everything and everyone I know and love is dead."

I sensed the sincerity in Cally's tone. She meant every word of it. In the First Timeline, Cally had fled while the demons destroyed Icefall City. She would rather die than go through all that again.

"I apologize, Lady Calla." Barrett said, bowing to her. "I spoke out of turn."

Cally nodded.

"You meant well," she said, "however, I cannot flee. My father charged me with defending Icefall City. If I don't stay and defend it, who will?" She glanced at Lorelei. "No offense intended."

Lorelei flashed her a brief smile. "None taken."

"What are we working with?" I asked. "How many are there?"

Cally and Lorelei glanced at one of the House Icefall retainers. Based on her attire, I assumed she was one of the scouts that Cally deployed.

"We estimate the enemy numbers in the low thousands." The scout said. "Most of them are Tier One and Tier Two fiends, as well as Tier Two demons. However, our people have also spotted a couple hundred Tier Three demons."

I scowled. A couple hundred Tier Three demons? They were powerful enough to wipe out Icefall City all on their own. The rest were just overkill.

"How did an army that large get past the attacking force?" Anna asked.

No one responded right away.

"What if Lord Icefall and the others are-?" Someone started to ask.

Cally cut them off with a slashing gesture.

"No," she said, "that's impossible. It would take more than a couple hundred Tier Three demons to kill my father and Auntie Charity."

I pinched my chin.

"Our enemies must have moved before the attacking force left Icefall City." I said. "In fact, perhaps that's what they were waiting for. Right now, Icefall City is at its most vulnerable. If our enemies destroy it, that will leave the attacking force vulnerable. The nearest safe haven is in the neighboring region."

"It doesn't matter." Cally said. "What matters is that the enemy is almost on our doorstep. We don't have much time left to prepare." She looked at Anna. "Can you and your people defend the south gate? Lorelei will join you." She looked at me. "As for you, Gabriel. Will you meet up with Andre at the north gate? I already sent a messenger informing him about this."

Anna and I nodded. Cally gave us both a grateful smile.

"Thank you." She said. "Both of you could've left us to our fates. Instead, you stayed to help. I am grateful beyond measure."

I shrugged.

"Eh, I'm a Sturm. Hunting demons is what we do."

Anna grabbed me by the waist.

"And how can I run off and leave my man behind? My ancestors would disown me."

My cheeks heated up a little. A chuckle ran through the room, which alleviated some of the tension.

"Let's go." I said, acting nonchalant. "Time's wasting."

Anna nodded and let go of me, before the two of us headed out.

"May the gods watch over you both." Cally called out as we left, before turning her attention to her cousin. "Lorelei, can your people evacuate the civilians-…"

After we exited Icefall Manor, the two of us turned to head towards our respective posts. However, before we split up, I called out to Anna.

"Wait!"

Anna looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I removed my wooden mask, before I pulled her in for a quick kiss. After we pulled apart, she stared at me in a bit of a daze. I grinned.

"For luck." I said, before running off without giving her a chance to respond.

"You tease!" Anna called out.

I laughed, before I put my wooden mask back on and rushed over to the north gate.

As I hurried over to the north gate, I stopped by the rented house in order to pick up my newly repaired leather armor. Leroy wasn't there, so I assumed he was already at the north gate. I donned the leather as fast as I could, before I continued on my way.

The north gate consisted of two massive wooden doors that were reinforced with both steel and magic. A contingent of retainers from House Icefall and warriors from Clan Leone occupied the wall. The former manned the pair of elemental lances that had been placed here to protect the north gate. Several glowstone lamps lit up the area, giving everyone more than enough light to see by.

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A staircase led to the top of the wall. I ran up and saw Andre, who was already here. Leroy and Richard stood near him. Like me, my cousin wore a set of leather armor. However, his looked more ornate than mine, designed with a lion motif. It was also enchanted with several defensive spells. I had to admit, I felt a little envious.

The warriors from Clan Leone also wore leather armor, including Richard. Like Andre's, theirs had a lion motif. Leroy, in his full set enchanted armor, looked like the odd man out.

As for the retainers from House Icefall, they didn't wear armor. For them, it was superfluous. They were all wizards who could create magical barriers in order to protect their bodies.

It was quiet. Everyone remained silent with fearful expressions on their faces. No banter, no joking, nothing. However, despite their fear, no one looked ready to run. Impressive, considering the danger we faced.

I walked over to Andre. When he saw me, his expression lit up.

"Cousin!" Andre said in a cheerful tone.

He pulled me into a tight hug. The warriors from Clan Leone wore complicated expressions on their faces. I didn't blame them. From their perspective, I was the son of a traitor who abandoned Clan Leone. However, their young master treated me like a brother. So they had no idea how to treat me.

Richard gave me a respectful nod, while Leroy took his place behind me.

"How are things looking?" I asked.

"We're ready as we can be, Lord Gabriel." Leroy said.

Andre puffed up his chest.

"Let the demons come!" He said. "They'll break before the combined might of Cl-House Leone and House Icefall!"

Andre never lacked for confidence, I'd give him that. It was one of his most endearing, and most annoying, traits. I shared a look with Richard, who wore a resigned expression on his face.

However, as I glanced around, I realized that there was more to Andre's actions than met the eye. His confidence eased the tension and fear on everyone's faces. I didn't know if this was intentional on Andre's part or not. Regardless, I decided to play along and do my part.

"Yes." I said. "Those demons are no match for you and I. They'll never know what hit them!"

Andre let out a boisterous laugh.

"Exactly!" He patted my shoulder.

"When this is all over, remind me to treat you to a meal." I said. "I know a place with great noodles."

Andre grinned at me.

"Lord Gabriel." A voice called out.

I looked over and saw one of the House Icefall retainers looking at me, eyes filled with fear.

"Do you really think we'll make it?" The retainer asked.

I felt everyone's eyes on me. It felt like they all held their breaths as they waited for my answer.

"Yes." I said in a solemn voice. "We'll make it through this."

After I spoke, the House Icefall retainers and Clan Leone warriors grew less nervous. Some even started looking confident. A needle of guilt pierced my heart. I hadn't lied to the retainer, but neither had I spoken the truth. I didn't know if we would make it through this night. Even if we did, a lot of people were going to die. That was unavoidable. However, for the sake of maintaining morale, I put on a brave front.

I gazed out into the distance. Giant glowstone lamps lit up the area before the north gate, similar to searchlights. Despite the myriad of hidden traps, the land looked calm and peaceful. However, I knew that it would soon be covered in blood and corpses.

We all fell silent as we waited for the demons to come into view. Ten minutes later, we caught our first glimpse of them. At first the demons appeared as a massive amorphous and shadow blob that moved about in the distance.

And then a hellhound appeared, illuminating the area around it. Another one joined it, and another, and then another. More and more hellhounds appeared, until there were hundreds of them. Their flames allowed us to see the thousands of demons and fiends that crawled, slithered, and flew towards Icefall City. They stretched as far as the eye could see, surrounding the entire city. The sight of them sent a shiver down my spine.

Not for the first time, I wished I was still an S-rank hunter. At the height of my power, I could've wiped out an army like this with a single swing of my sword. However, as a mere Second Star martial artist, I had a bloody battle ahead of me. We all did.

My heart hammered in my chest and my blood thundered in my ears. My nerves felt taut, as if they would snap at any moment. I clenched my fists over and over again, though that did little to relieve my tension. I couldn't tell if I was terrified, exhilarated, or both.

A hellhound's howl echoed through the night. Another joined in, followed by several more. The other demons and fiends chimed in as well, with roars and snarls. It sounded as if the hordes of hell were on our doorstep. Considering the situation, that wasn't far from the truth.

When the sounds died away, a hush fell over the land. It was as if the world itself held its breath.

A moment later, the army of demons and fiends rushed towards Icefall City. There were so many of them that the ground started to shake at their approach.

The ones in front died right away, falling victim to the traps Cally had set up. It was a slaughter.

This slowed down the remaining demons and fiends, but didn't stop them. Despite suffering horrific casualties, the demons and fiends pressed forward, brute-forcing their way through the traps. They didn't care that their comrades were dying all around them. As for the ones that flew, they were unimpeded. They rushed towards us, filled with blood lust and fury.

"Ready spells!" Andre called out. "Charge the elemental lances!"

The House Icefall retainers readied to cast their spells, while a hum filled the air as the elemental lances charged up. Tension filled the air as the flying enemies drew closer. Most were monsters that had been turned into fiends, but I noticed a few mind eaters mingled in.

"Attack!"

Dozens of flying demons and fiends died as the House Icefall retainers launched a barrage of spells. Water bolts pierced, air blades sliced, earth spikes impaled, and fireballs exploded.

A moment later, the elemental lances fired, shooting beams of pure magic. These beams tore through the demons and the fiends with ease. A cloud of smoke and dust and blood filled the air, obscuring our vision.

Our troops started to cheer when they saw how many enemies we had killed. However, the cheer was cut short when more flying enemies emerged from the smoke and headed right for us.

"Keep attacking!" Andre shouted.

The House Icefall retainers kept casting spells and firing the elemental lances, all in an attempt to stop the flying enemies. However, it was futile. There were too many. The best they could do was slow them down.

"Warriors of Clan Leone, prepare to engage the enemy!"

Andre's people let out a roar as they readied themselves. Leroy and I drew our swords and adopted defensive stances. Moments later, the flying enemies swarmed us. They attacked with claw, tooth, and tentacle.

Without hesitation, I used [Storm Dragon's Claw]. There wasn't any chance of missing in a target rich environment like this. In fact, my greatest worry was making sure I didn't hit anyone from my own side.

Leroy and Richard shouted at the same time as they swung their greatswords with explosive force. Andre snarled, before using a claw technique similar to [Storm Dragon's Claw], one that used Fire instead of Lightning. The Clan Leone warriors let out their own attacks. Foul-smelling black blood and body parts rained from the sky as dozens of demons and fiends died.

The swarm of flying enemies, stunned by the ferocity of our attacks, paused for a single moment. When that moment ended, they swamped us. I pushed [Elusive Mist] to its limits as enemies attacked me from all sides. Each time I swung my sword, they died in droves. However, they just kept coming. After a while, I accumulated several minor injuries.

I was tempted to keep using [Storm Dragon's Claw], but I refrained. I didn't know how long this battle would last, so I needed to conserve as much stamina and mana as possible.

A Clan Leone warrior screamed as a mind eater tried to drag her into the air. I rushed over to help her, but a group of enemies blocked my path. However, just as the mind eater started to fly away, one of the elemental lances fired and cleared the immediate area in front of us.

This alleviated some of the pressure on us. I dispatched the enemies around me, before I used [Storm Dragon's Claw] to kill the mind eater. The Clan Leone warrior fell, but I caught her.

"Than-." She started to say, but I cut her off.

"Fight now, talk later."

I placed her down. The Clan Leone warrior nodded, before jumping back into the fray. We continued to fight, until we managed to drive the flying enemies away. We all let out cheers as they all flew off, the swarm now cut down to a third of its original size. Afterwards, we took time to tally up the casualties.

To my surprise, there weren't as many as I expected. While everyone sported several minor injuries, there weren't that many serious ones. Even so, we had quite a few fatalities. Some laid on the wall, their bodies mangled beyond recognition. The rest had been dragged off by the mind eaters, which I'd say was an even worse fate. Still, we won this round of the battle, and that was the important part.

As healers worked to take care of the injured, I walked up to Leroy. He sported the least amount of injuries, because of his enchanted armor. Black blood drenched him from head to toe, as if dyeing his armor.

"How are you holding up?" I asked.

Leroy nodded.

"I can keep going." He said, his voice a little strained.

"Get some rest while you can. The real battle is going to start soon."

I looked over at the army of demons and fiends. The traps had slowed them down, but they still pushed forward at a steady rate. Soon, they would reach the moat filled with Holy Water that Lorelei set up. With any luck, that would delay them long enough for us to thin their numbers.

Afterwards, I looked back over Icefall City. I grimaced. While those of us at the north gate had pushed back the swarm of flying enemies, they still managed to breach the city walls in other places. The smarter ones flew over the walls altogether. Small groups of flying demons and fiends were wreaking havoc throughout Icefall City.

I gave it some thought and decided to deal with them. Our forces were stretched thin as it was, so I doubted we had many to spare right now. Besides, it was better than twiddling my thumbs at the north gate and waiting for the enemy to arrive.

"I'm heading off to deal with them." I said, nodding towards the flying enemies wreaking havoc in the city. "Stay here."

"But Lord Gabriel-." Leroy started to say.

I cut him off with a sharp gesture.

"That wasn't a suggestion." I said in a cold voice.

Leroy's body language radiated discontent. However, after a moment, he nodded.

"As you command, Lord Gabriel." He said, a trace of bitterness in his voice.

Right, I needed to deal with that before it festered into resentment.

"This isn't because I think you're weak or will slow me down." I said in a gentle voice. "I need you to remain here in my stead. The only reason I feel confident in leaving the north gate is because I know you're holding the line here. While I'm gone, you're my representative."

Leroy straightened up.

"Yes, Lord Gabriel." He said, more enthusiastic than before. "And, thank you."

I nodded, before I headed off to deal with the flying enemies wreaking havoc in Icefall City.

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