Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume16 Chapter12 (section)

===Part 4===

"&mdash;The third barrier has been breached!"

"It's no good. We can't sustain this any longer&mdash;Kyahhh!"

Screams of princess maidens came through the spirit crystal communicator then disappeared, accompanied by the sound of static. Similar reports were coming from everywhere above the city wall.

(It is only a matter of time for my current location too...)

Fianna bit her lip tightly.

Positioned at the zone in contact with Zohar, she was responsible for the place that was being invaded the most violently. Although the barrier was still holding up, just barely, if any more barriers at other checkpoints were to be destroyed, the entire defense line would probably collapse like an avalanche.

"...Kamito-kun...!"

Fianna clasped her hands together like praying, thinking about Kamito who was in enemy territory.

She had faith in him. But even with faith, she still could not change the fact that she worried.

Behind Fianna, Rubia spoke:

"Fianna, this place is not going to hold. Retreat to the Demon's Fist and re-establish the defense line&mdash;"

"But if we do that, Mordis' town area will&mdash;"

"Cannot be helped. Giving up the outskirts is the only recourse. At least it is better than getting wiped out here&mdash;"

Rubia spoke with a calm expression. However, there was heavy fatigue on her countenance.

Indeed, she was correct. At this rate, the defense line was going to collapse.

"...U-Understood, I will direct the princess maidens maintaining the barrier to retreat&mdash;"

Just as Fianna was going to give orders using the spirit crystal for communications...

"&mdash;no good&mdash;The fourth barrier..."

"...!?"

The voice was suddenly cut off.

In that instant, the weakened barrier was destroyed. A swarm of tentacles surged in all at once.

"Kyahhhhhhhhh!" "Noooooooooooo!"

Entangled by the tentacles, the princess maidens were swallowed into massive cocoons one after another.

(...No way!?)

The surge of Leviathan's tentacles resembled a tide. Just as Georgios, in the middle of guarding the princess maidens, was about to be devoured all at once&mdash;

"Georgios...!

A second before the tentacles were about to devour Fianna...

A light flashed past, sweeping across Zohar with city wall and the tentacles in its path.

(...Huh?)

With the sound of a deafening explosion, a gigantic pillar of fire rose up, instantly vaporizing the tentacles.

The atmosphere was shaking. Fragments and debris that had been tossed up began to fall in succession.

"What on earth happened&mdash;"

No sooner had she spoken, having fallen on the ground due to the impact, Fianna noticed a gigantic shadow overhead on top of her.

She looked up forcefully, only to see&mdash;

A fortress ruling the sky.

Layers upon layers of defensive armor. A spirit crystal reactor glowing with red. In addition, there were countless gunports fitted all over the body&mdash;

Velsaria Eva, clad in a fortress spirit's Elemental Panzer.

"Velsaria, you made it in time, huh&mdash;"

Rubia spoke.

"I apologize for the delay. Modifications took a substantial amount of time&mdash;"

The visor covering her head opened to reveal Velsaria's face.

The fortress spirit fired thrusters while slowly descending, landing on the city wall.

Crash&mdash;Under the great weight of the heavy defensive armor, part of the city wall collapsed.

To protect Fianna and the others, collapsed on the ground, she stepped in front of the continuously regenerating tentacles and declared loudly:

"Upon the name of the Fahrengart Knights, and upon the honor of the Sylphid Knights of Areishia Spirit Academy, I shall see to it that none shall pass another step forward. Anyone who wishes to conquer Mordis must defeat this Silent Fortress first!"

In that instant, all the gunports all over her body opened. The fortress spirit's super firepower attacked all at once.

Tentacles were torn apart, shredded in the explosion. One after another, the cocoons that had swallowed princess maidens fell to the ground, containing silhouettes of girls all covered in slime.

"Princess, now is the time to reconstruct the barrier&mdash;"

"...! Understood!"

Fianna nodded and shouted to the remaining princess maidens.

"&mdash;It is not over yet. Trust in our Demon King and hold our ground here!"