At the same time, the soldiers of the Norno-Elsmo coalition who had escaped from Castle Khaza were fleeing eastward.
They were thirsty. They were also tired from the previous day's midnight march and battle. They were so exhausted that they could not move even a single step, but still they kept moving their motionless bodies desperately, with a single desire to escape from the hell on earth.
Hundreds of dragons covered the sky. That alone was bizarre enough, but then, of course, they came down to the ground and unleashed their breaths. From the castle, we could see the changing terrain in front of us.
If you stay here, you will die....... The soldiers in the castle realized it at the same time. Only a few minutes ago, a messenger from the Seifand army came and accepted the surrender. Soon the water will arrive....... While they were waiting for it to arrive, they were informed that the Grey Sahara was about to happen.
At first, no one in the castle believed it when they heard the story. It was because it was an ancient story, a fairy tale that had become a legend. It was unrealistic to think that it would happen here now.
But the messenger of Safand kept shouting at the top of his voice to run away. The way they shouted as if they were crazy was very realistic. No way, really. ...... Just when I was beginning to think so, I saw the sky covered with dragons.
Everyone who saw it felt their blood run cold. Naturally, the commanders, Funai and Nomasa, could do nothing but stare up at the sky. They knew that they had to flee. But the sight was so unrealistic that it completely paralyzed the soldiers' bodies. It was right after that. The dragons began their attack.
Tremendous explosions and tremors. At last, everyone in the castle started running toward the outside of the castle. They finally realized that they would surely die if they stayed here.
At first, the soldiers who ran out of the castle were running away with a single-minded desire to get as far away from the tragedy in front of them as possible. As time went by, they began to move their bodies with the single-minded desire to drink water, and they continued on the path they had come from.
But no matter how far he went, he could not find any water. The original river had dried up completely, the fish were dying, and there was a foul smell. All the soldiers knew that this had happened because the Safanid army had blocked the river. Then, if the blockade was lifted, they could get water. Then we can return to our homeland.
The soldiers silently continue on their way, their feet dragging on the dried-up river's rugged, stony path. Many of them fell down on the way, but there was no one to help them and they were left to die.
Finally, they reached a wall that seemed to be holding back the river. The wall was so huge and solid that it could not have been made by human beings. The soldiers, however, felt no fear. Rather, they were filled with hope that they would find the water they sought beyond the wall.
The quick-tempered ones tried to break the wall with their swords and spears. But no matter how hard they attacked it, it remained unscathed, not even a scratch could be inflicted.
"Move! Move!"
A man's voice, almost like a scream, is heard from behind. Pushing his way through the crowd, Nomasa, the commander-in-chief of Elsmo's army, appeared.
"Gather the wizards! Gather the wizards! Those who can use magic, gather!"
His voice was hoarse. Still, he shouted in desperation. He, too, was thirst-stricken.
At Nomasa's command, those who could use magic quickly gathered around. They knew what they had to do. Without being ordered to do so, those who could use earth magic put their hands on the wall and tried to break the spell.
But the wall did not budge. However, the intense desire to drink water brought out powers far beyond their abilities.
First, those who could use fire magic put their hands on the wall and began to send out heat. After a while, steam started to rise from the wall. They continued to heat the wall until the very last minute, while getting burns on their hands. In the meantime, those with warding skills put wards on those who could use earth magic. Then the healers heal those who have been burned.
They had one thought in mind. There is no need to break down this huge wall. All they needed was a hole, a hole through which water could pass. Then they could drink. We could quench our thirst.
No one taught them that. A wall made of clay...... is just a wall made of clay. If you melt the wrought metal with heat, and then use earth magic to cut away at the area, there will naturally be a hole in the wall. ....... Their minds were in agreement with this idea.
The idea was right on the mark. When they cast earth magic on the hot wall, a part of it collapsed a little. The soldiers around them shouted with joy. Again the fire mages send heat to the wall, and the earth mages with the effect of blocking heat melt the wall. ....... They did it again and again.
At first the soldiers watched with bated breath, but as time went by, they began to cheer the mages. Soon their voices became one, and a loud noise echoed through the surrounding mountains.
But the walls were solid. The mages pushed their magic beyond its limits, but the hole did not open. However, they were able to make a hole big enough to hold a man. Those who could use wind magic sent strong winds to scrape away the soil that had accumulated inside. It was obvious to everyone that the hole in the wall would be made with just one more step.
A fire mage enters the hole. He is flailing his legs, but then he stops moving. He was the last fire mage, but now he could no longer send heat to the wall. Two men grab his legs and drag him out of the hole. He is already unconscious.
The earth mage takes his place in the hole. He is already pale. He, too, shows that it will not be long before his MP is depleted. The surroundings, which had been so lively just a few minutes ago, are now quiet and still. All of them are looking at each other as if they are praying.
Suddenly, the wizard's feet start to flap. Tension rose to a fever pitch. The man is still flailing his legs. At that moment, a stream of water is seen dripping from the man's feet.
The soldiers silently grab the man's feet and pull him out of the hole. The earth mage's face was covered with mud. Indeed, the mud on the man's face was moist. When they looked again at the hole, they saw two soldiers fighting and drinking from a thin stream of water.
"Get out of the way!"
"Water! Water!"
The soldiers cheer. At the same time, the soldiers swarmed into the hole. Everyone was desperate for a drink of water. Some were kicked down, some were dragged out. At that time, when the scene was filled with such a disturbance, water poured out of the hole with a great force.
"Stop the racket! Line up! Get in line!"
It was Nomasa who raised his voice. He came to the water hole and ordered his soldiers to line up. He allowed the first soldier in line to drink the water, saying that each person would be allowed to drink for five seconds.
The soldiers lined up. Nomasa urged them to form two lines. But the line still went on and on to the rear.
One after another, the soldiers quenched their thirst. Gradually, the amount of water increased, as if the hole was widening. The soldiers, who had been standing in an orderly line at the beginning, began to crowd around the hole again, trying to be the first to drink the water.
It was then. The ground shook violently.
Streaks of water gushed out from the walls. Immediately after that, with a roar, the wall shattered into pieces, and a large volume of water began to pour out of it.
...... are swallowed up.
Nomasa's memory was interrupted here: .......