The howls of the Shackled Hounds had begun to weaken.
What had once been a constant storm of snarls and cries across the ruins had now faded into scattered echoes. One by one, the beasts inside the funnel formation had fallen to the encircling spears of the Twin Spears squad.
Only around fifty of them remained.
The battlefield still carried tension, but the tide had clearly shifted.
From their position overlooking the battlefield, Shiri watched the movements carefully before speaking.
"Sir Kairo," he said calmly, "Garth has left the formation."
Kairo tilted his head slightly.
"He's headed toward the front," Shiri continued. "Toward the Alpha."
Kairo stared forward for a moment before exhaling.
"Well," he said with a small shrug, "his job inside the formation is done anyway."
He looked over the battlefield, where the soldiers of the Twin Spears squad now surrounded nearly the entire trapped area. The funnel had worked perfectly.
They had successfully enclosed the beasts.
Then Kairo's gaze shifted toward Lyra.
Even from this distance, she was easy to spot.
Standing among the kobolds with her shield raised, she looked calm and perfectly composed while holding the defensive wall.
Kairo let out a small chuckle.
"Honestly," he said, "she's the biggest player here."
Shiri raised an eyebrow.
Kairo leaned slightly toward him with a teasing grin.
"I was honestly worried those beasts would ravage our territory."
He gestured lazily toward Lyra's position.
"But thanks to her defenses, we didn't even need your lousy stone wall."
Shiri's eye twitched slightly.
"Even at a time like this," he said flatly, "you still want to annoy me."
Kairo burst out laughing.
Shiri crossed his arms.
"Stop it," he muttered, "or I'll throw you into the hounds myself."
The two exchanged a brief glare before both quietly chuckling.
Even in the middle of battle, the small exchange eased the tension around them.
But Kairo soon looked forward again.
"Still," he said more seriously, "she really is the biggest player here."
Nearby, Renn had overheard the conversation.
His fingers rested lightly against his violin as his eyes moved toward Lyra in the distance.
Inside his mind, his thoughts stirred.
(Both Garth and Fallon have already made strong impressions on Sir Kairo.)
(They've shown exactly why their lords trust them.)
His grip tightened slightly.
(But I…)
(I haven't shown anything yet.)
Then, slowly, a grin appeared on his face.
(Lord Lyra wouldn't like that.)
Renn stepped forward slightly.
"Sir Kairo," he called politely.
Kairo glanced back.
"Hmm?"
"May I help speed up the… cleaning?" Renn asked with a calm smile.
Kairo blinked once.
Then he shrugged.
"Sure. Go ahead."
Renn nodded.
(Time to show why Lord Lyra is so confident.)
He lifted his violin.
The instrument rested gently against his shoulder as he raised the bow.
The bow glided smoothly across the strings.
A clear, resonating melody filled the battlefield.
"War Cadence."
A soft glow spread outward with the music.
Across the formation, the soldiers suddenly felt strength surge through their bodies.
Their movements became faster.
Their strikes carried more power.
Spears thrust harder.
Shields pushed forward with greater force.
Kairo's eyes widened.
"Whoa."
He stared in amazement.
"That's awesome."
But Renn wasn't finished.
His bow moved again.
The melody shifted into a deeper, steadier rhythm.
"Enduring Hymn."
Another wave of energy spread across the battlefield.
This time, the soldiers felt their bodies steady and strengthen, their defenses hardening as they continued pressing the attack.
Kairo's eyes sparkled with pure greed.
"Wow."
He rubbed his hands together eagerly.
"Support-type heroes really are on another level."
Then he leaned toward Renn with a sly grin.
"Hey, Renn."
Renn glanced toward him.
"How would you like to come stay with our little family?" Kairo asked, his grin widening as he rubbed his hands together again.
The offer was obvious.
Shiri immediately clicked his tongue.
"Shameless."
Renn laughed lightly.
"Sorry, Sir Kairo," he said politely, "but I'm loyal to Lord Lyra."
Then he turned his gaze toward the battlefield again.
Toward Lyra.
She still stood calmly among the kobolds, shield raised, her posture elegant and unmoving.
(Just look at her…)
(So calm. So absolute.)
Renn smiled softly.
(I'll show her too.)
(That I'm worthy of standing beside her.)
Lyra stood firmly within the defensive line, her shield raised before her as she held the wall alongside the kobolds.
The reptilian soldiers braced their spears beside her, their sharp eyes fixed on the battlefield ahead.
Across the broken courtyard of the ruins, roughly fifty Shackled Hounds still prowled and circled, their chains scraping across the cracked stone.
The beasts snarled and paced restlessly, searching for an opening in the defensive line.
Yet Lyra did not move.
Her posture remained perfectly straight.
Her shield rested in front of her with calm precision, and her expression remained composed and elegant, as if the battlefield around her were nothing more than a quiet garden stroll.
To anyone watching, she looked like the very image of discipline.
A calm and reliable defender holding the line.
But inside—
(This is so boring.)
Lyra's eyes remained focused forward, but internally she nearly yawned.
(When is this going to end already?)
One of the hounds growled loudly as it paced closer.
Lyra barely reacted.
(If I were back home right now, I'd be enjoying tea and biscuits. Fresh ones too… not the cheap kind.)
Her shield shifted slightly as she adjusted her stance.
(But nooo… instead I'm stuck here in these dusty ruins.)
Her gaze briefly drifted across the broken stone buildings surrounding them.
Collapsed walls.
Shattered towers.
Nothing but rubble.
(Seriously… why did this disaster even happen here?)
(Anything valuable in these ruins would have been looted ages ago.)
A kobold beside her nervously tightened his grip on his spear.
Lyra sighed internally.
(And on top of that, I have to act like this mysterious, cool warrior type.)
Her expression remained flawless.
Elegant.
Composed.
(And a maid, of all things! Me? )
(Honestly, whose idea was that?)
Another growl echoed across the courtyard.
Lyra slowly glanced past the ruins.
Far beyond the broken structures, somewhere in the distance, the Alpha had appeared.
And Garth had gone rushing off to meet it.
Her eyes lingered in that direction for a moment.
(That brute must be having the time of his life right now.)
She imagined the loud warrior charging into battle, shoutIng and laughing like a madman.
Lyra's lips twitched slightly.
(That actually sounds fun.)
She looked down briefly at the shield resting in her hands.
(Standing here holding a wall is so dull.)
(It would be way more entertaining over there.)
The hounds in front of them continued pacing restlessly.
The kobolds stayed alert.
The battlefield remained tense.
Yet Lyra simply smiled faintly.
Suddenly, one hound broke ranks and lunged, jaws snapping toward Lyra's face.
The kabolds surged forward, alarmed—but it was unnecessary.
Lyra simply raised her shield and brought it crashing down.
The hound's head split with a wet crunch; hot blood sprayed across her cheeks. She didn't blink. Her smile stayed calm, unshaken.
([Maybe I should wander over there once this is done.)
(Just to see what all the excitement is about.)
Her elegant posture never faltered.
But behind that calm expression—
Lyra was already wishing the fight would hurry up and finish.
To be continued.....