Spiritbound [Spirit Magic, Military, Progression] (Book 1 Complete)

Seventy-five percent. It had crossed seventy-five percent of the buffer zone the defenders had created. Tucker could see the pebbles on the stone walls shake across the surface. The machine's momentum wasn't slowing down. Instead, it was increasing with each step gained.

"Cannoneers, fall back!" he shouted.

The men quickly nodded their heads and raced down the steps. They were veterans who trusted the acting commander with their lives. The iron boots thudded against the stone surface as Tucker locked eyes on the golem. Instinctively, he knew the golem wasn't after the common soldiers. It needed a prey worthy of its existence, and who else could it be than Tucker?

"You should find cover as well," Tucker said.

"And leave you behind?" Luka grinned. "I don't think so."

Tucker scoffed as the corner of his lips slightly curled up. The golem had already been through an excruciating battle at the Aegis Bastion. The men there had fought until their last breaths. There was no telling how many gave their lives to take down the golems, but only one came out of six.

"A hundred meters," Tucker muttered.

That was the distance remaining until the golem reached the wall, and now that it was in clear sight. Tucker could see the many battle scars on the steel plates. The dents between the joints and cracks that spider-webbed along its blade were testimonies to those who had fallen. He drew his blade and channeled the aura stars that glimmered within his soul.

There was a chance. No matter how slim it was for them to break the golem's weapon. With only the two of them standing on the inner walls, they were prime targets. The perfect bait to pull the machine's attention. Tucker felt the wind pull on his cloak. A scent mixed of smoke and smoldering earth entered his nostrils. Every movement sent a shuddering scrape through the air. The machine raised its scarlet-stained sword and brought it down with one powerful swing to cleave the wall.

Even for a machine devoid of life, Tucker could see it. A path that guided his sword in the most optimal direction. His spirit essence flowed freely around them, leaking into the surroundings as a single thread drifted towards the blade. Just enough for Luka to see so that he could follow the trail.

The enemy's blade cut through the air. A scarlet stream of mist from the bloodstained weapon arced towards them. Yet there wasn't the slightest trace of hesitation, only resolve. Their eyes lit up like flames from a beacon, piercing the crimson haze that sought to take their lives. They leapt to opposite sides, narrowly dodging the colossus's sword that caved in a portion of the wall.

Before the steel could bite any deeper, a surge of force rippled upward, pushing back against the blade. Beneath where Tucker and Luka stood were hundreds of protection runes. Each one flaring to life as their etched symbols shimmered with mana.

A metallic groan escaped the machine as steam hissed from the valves. It tried to pull the blade free, but Tucker and Luka rushed in, blades shrouded in reinforced layers of aura. Flashes of emerald and gold struck the cracks marked by the wind essence. The three energies collided in a violent contest for dominance, releasing a shockwave that blew away the smoke around them.

Cracks fractured along the spine of the blade until a sharp snap broke free. Fragments of steel fell from the air. The machine emitted a low, resounding rumble as its foot crushed the ground beneath it. In an instant, it lifted its other arm and swung its shield across the top of the inner walls. Cannons were flung aside like toys, smashing into the nearby buildings and ramparts.

But before the attack could reach the two watchmen, they dove behind the wall. All the defenders took cover from the debris as explosions thundered along the wall. Scattered shells detonated mid-impact, cloaking the battlefield in a choking smoke that obscured their vision.

Tucker landed on his feet while clutching onto the brim of his hat with one hand, keeping it in place as the gust of wind shook his body. He pressed his back to the wall beside Luka, taking shelter from the rubble that pelted the defenders. Somewhere in the chaos, a voice screamed for a medic. Tucker clenched his jaw. He knew that voice. It belonged to one of the Thirty-First, but he couldn't bring himself to look. The screams meant they were still alive, and soon, Pathfinder's medics would find them.

"We need to split up," Tucker muttered.

"Right, but where to—"

A deafening impact cut Luka off. The golem vaulted high into the air, its shadow blocking out the sunlight that barely escaped the dark clouds. Men froze with their eyes wide as the machine crashed down with a bone-rattling boom in the center of the courtyard. The brickwork beneath it buckled and split. Gears grinding in a deep rumble. In its hands, the broad metallic shield loomed. Countless blade marks scarred the front, but from the other side, not a single scratch existed. The colossus bent low. Its cogs clicked sharply as they locked together for a heartbeat. Then it tore free with a teeth-grating wrench.

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Tucker's eyes widened in an instant. The barrier artifacts weren't active. He rushed forward and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Knight Slayer!"

He caught sight of Benjamin on the rooftop, calmly studying the battlefield. A flicker of lightning coursed through the old man's body, dancing on his shoulders. At a glance, Benjamin could tell what the machine was planning to do and his captain's intentions. His muscles tensed as he clenched onto the shaft of the great hammer.

In one continuous movement, the war machine swung its shield in a wide arc, decimating the surrounding buildings. It threatened to flatten everything in its path. But Tucker was already there. His aura blazing in the wind with Luka close by his side as they tried to stop the machine from completing a full rotation. Their combined force halted the shield's momentum for a heartbeat. Then, Benjamin landed like thunder striking the ground beside them. His hammer smashed against the metal as sparks erupted.

But the machine kept going.

Right before it smashed into the gothic stone buildings, Ray and another knight surged in, swords braced against the grinding edge. Aura cracked against steel, the shock reverberating through the courtyard like a storm. Five distinct auras flared—emerald, gold, silver, and more, illuminating the dust-filled air.

The shield continued to crash against them like an avalanche. Tucker's teeth clenched, every muscle screaming in pain as the strain continued to build up. His boots dug furrows into the ground, so did the others. Dirt and shattered stone broke around them. Together, they were barely holding the line as the shield kept pressing forward.

But they had managed to slow its movements. Just long enough for the men on the rooftops to take action. Tucker glanced at the top and saw Liam and Luther standing ready. He could hear Liam shout at Luther to fire the siege weapons.

The ballistas creaked as the siege weapons took aim. The harpoon resting on the slider shot forth as the tension in the ropes gave way. Iron chains attached at the end rattled and flew towards the giant. Yet, right before they could connect, a hexagonal barrier emerged around it, deflecting the projectiles away. Sparks bounced off the tips of the harpoons, and the men gritted their teeth, roping in the projectiles.

Tucker clicked his tongue at the attacks failing to puncture the defenses, but soon caught sight of Brian.

"Knights, forward!" Brian shouted on the ground floor, assembling his squad as they rushed forward.

A handful of knights rallied to his side, their blades gleaming from the flames. The emblems of their different orders rippled on their tabards. Boots thudding against the bloodstained floor that had yet to dry.

Brian led the charge. In a single unified march, the men struck. Some drove their swords forward in piercing thrusts while others brought down their blades in cleaving arcs. Each blow sent cracks spider-webbing across the blue, hexagonal barrier.

As the first barrier shattered before them, a roar rose from their ranks. Morale surged. They pressed their advantage, but before they could close in. The golem's visor flared from a cold light to a burning scarlet. The grinding churn of inner mechanisms drowned their cheers as glowing magic circles manifested one after another. They ignited in the air. Not one. Not two, but nearly twenty different sets.

Tucker's eyes trembled. There were too many magic circles filled to the brim with mana. A powerful spell that even a fortress couldn't withstand. He shouted, "Take cover!"

Captain Morgan led the front lines to a halt. His face drained of color. "Shields!" He bellowed.

But the order was too slow, only one shield bearer lunged forth in time. His armor clanking in rhythm with his sprint. The first fireball slammed into his great shield as the runes along its face rippled with energy. Then came another, and another. A relentless storm pounding against steel and aura alike. The knights rallied behind the shield bearer, infusing their aura into his armor, but it wasn't enough. Sparks and molten fragments burst from every impact, sending shivers down their spines.

The bearer held his ground for a moment that felt like an eternity. Sweat dripped down his back and face. He refused to yield until a final blast hurled him backward. A knight called out the shield bearer's name, helplessly watching as his friend's body slammed against the ground with a sickening thud. The other knights scrambled to fill the gap, bracing desperately as the spells ripped into their ranks.

Meanwhile, Nemo and Jones swung their giant ballistas towards the golem's legs. Harpoons were resting securely on the shaft and ready. They fired once an opening revealed itself—only for the machine's head to snap in their direction. Its burning gaze locking them in place.

"Shit!" Nemo cursed and grabbed Jones by the collar.

"Wait! What are you doing—" Jones cried out, but Nemo didn't listen.

"Land one good hit for me." Nemo grinned.

With all his strength, Nemo hurled his friend to the far side of the slanted rooftops, sending him sliding out of the firing line just as a flaming sphere came soaring towards them. The blast tore through the top of the roof, throwing Nemo sideways into the choking haze. Explosions erupted across the nearby buildings, scattering soldiers who desperately sought cover.

Those who survived scrambled to man the ballistas again, but the golem raised its broad metal shield, deflecting every projectile in a storm of sparks. The men cursed under their breath. Those who could, tried their best to rescue their comrades from the collapsing buildings.

All this happened in moments far too fast for Tucker to comprehend. He watched as the chaos unfolded, his gut twisting as the gears inside the machine groaned and shifted. The colossus turned its focus back to the five men who had stopped its shield. The ballistas were burning. Their plan was already in ruins.

Tucker bitterly gritted his teeth. He had never expected the fight to go smoothly—but he'd never imagined that the golem would plunge headlong into their ranks, nor unleash such a devastating barrage of spells. It was unheard of, and as the battle continued, his heart trembled.

Yet as the golem stared at the men, it turned its gaze towards the castle. The machine wasn't after them. It was after the forces that were retreating. In a heartbeat, it marched towards the final teleportation platform. Through the burning city. Through the dead bodies that littered the streets.

And seeing this, in the moments where Tucker's heartbeat grew faint. He knew—that if they didn't stop it here, no one would.