Dimensional Descent

Joseph and Damian looked back after hearing the clicking of the gears. They had put their all into running and avoiding the A and Dark Prisoners around them, but hearing such a loud commotion, they couldn't help themselves.

When they saw the sudden appearance of the Dark Cloud Prison guards, and in such a large number at that, they felt as though their legs couldn't carry them fast enough.

There was just half a kilometer between them and the city gates. To well trained men like them, even before the Metamorphosis, this was a matter of a two or three minute run at most. Yet, these few minutes felt like the longest they had experienced in their lifetimes.

Escobar scanned the situation emotionlessly. It was as though he couldn't see the archers aiming their bows toward him.

His gaze landed on each and every one of the guards that had fallen, the billowing of his mustache becoming deeper with each passing moment. Even with the long cycles of his breath, it felt as though the wind around the Warden was kicking up, responding to his will in large swaths.

"Mow them down." He commanded coldly.

At that moment, the clicking of guns sounded.

City Lord Hargrove's pupils constricted. 'That's impossible.'

Heavy military boots stepped forward before they each kneeled, pressing their rifles to their shoulders. And then, the bullets rained.

As quickly as the guards had fallen, the prisoners fell even faster. How could the fire rate of archers match the pace of semi-automatic weaponry?

"Shit!"

Damian growled, his feet stamping against the ground.

A surge of earth followed his command, peeling concrete jetting into the air to cover his back.

are normal gunpowder based

the final remaining distance to the city, anxiousness clear in

"Dammit! Open the gate!"

than a hundred that had made it this far while several thousand more were crossing the final distance. But, those of Hargrove City didn't seem to hear what was going

was gripped with despair. Could this

didn't make any sense.

to have the calm headedness he once displayed. His decision making became cloudy and he banged on the gates just like all the others, unable to think for

scene

situation now," He said

as many would have expected them to. Rather, they began to lower platforms

veteran of governance, Hargrove understood the truth of human nature, and it would be the truth no matter which world one was born in. If things came too easy, they wouldn't be appreciated. Very easily, a great boon could become bland, a lifesaving grace could be expected, and a savior could become just

group of people, Hargrove needed them to understand who held the power and who didn't. As for the few who died

wailing below suddenly began to cheer. They didn't even consider the fact their lives would still

as Hargrove expected.

"Shields at the ready.

body seemed even more agile than the

of prisoners that had escaped to successfully climb upon those platforms before they crossed the remaining distance. From a cursory calculation, there was only enough space for a hundred people at a time and

wall, that would be asking for death. However, the existence of the platforms

to have not considered the fact that it would be impossible to use the archers to stop their siege if the very platforms

actions though,

be said that in order to become a guard here, you had to be an elite amongst

and women that followed Governor Duke Owen now were all

However....

the slightest