Chapter 450: Scarecrows
Perseus POV
Ok, Buddy has become overpowered, I told him to just use a spell in the forest and he ended up having us all waist-deep in snow with a powerful blizzard in the area, he cleared the weather quickly enough, but he had a difficult time moving the snow. We would melt it, but we don't want to flood the village.
Besides, leaving the snow as is would be better as it'll be difficult to attack us in this condition.
"It'll be hard for us as well, but it is what it is...we should create a blizzard later, but we'll need the chief's permission first...no, not the ice cream, a literal one."
"Perseus!" a person called and I turned to see a watcher flying in my direction
"Yo, your name was Gerald, if I remember correctly."
"Not important, but Ruka has sent the chief a distress signal, she's surrounded."
"Just as planned..."
They really were aiming for us to split up...but this was part of the plan. It had to be. We needed to divide their attention and make them think they'd gained the upper hand.
The enemies taking the bait, zeroing in on the apparent vulnerability, was the pivotal moment we needed. Splitting up was a risk, but one we calculated for this precise situation. If they thought they had us isolated and cornered, they'd let their guard down. That's when we strike.
Specifically, they're aiming for our food supply of those who still remained at the tree, and since either Ruka or Leilah are guarding when the other watchers are resting, they are restless. We have watchers to dress and act as regular villagers to make it seem like people think that we haven't evacuated every non-fighter away, make it look like we're isolated.
So without a food supply, we'll be done for...they just needed us to go away, they've been pulling all sorts of incidents to lure us away, but it didn't work, however, since our spy leaked this, I sent Leilah and Ruka away to check on more important manners on a double mission, one to split up and 2 to find out about God's plan and the soul merchant, while having the goddesses on standby, though Maple is now in contact with the other 2 seasonal gods to help fight back God's army.
Having the gods directly interfere seems to send a message to the humans that the demons needed to be eradicated fast, and boosted their morale a bit, despite the gods never verbally advocating for the eradication of demons, well, maybe Saber was.
"We did plant those guys in, right?"
"Oh yeah, the field is going to be bathed in blood tonight." he replied
*****
3rd Person POV
The moon cast an eerie glow as the group of knights and mages silently infiltrated the enemy's territory. The air was thick with tension as they maneuvered through the shadowy fields, their light armor clinking softly in the hushed night to inform their allies of their position.
Their plan was simple, infiltrate the enemy's crop fields and set them ablaze. The whispers of the wind carried the scent of dry hay, adding an unsettling quality to the stillness of the night. The knights gripped their swords, and the mages clutched tightly to their staffs, ready to starve the Paradis village.
Rows upon rows of scarecrows stood amidst the crops, their grotesque visages contorted into sinister grins. The scarecrows' twisted forms seemed to loom in the moonlight, their stitched features resembling macabre masks of horror.
The knights cut down some crops, soaked them with oil, and split up to cover as many crops as possible with oil while the mages lit the crops up with magic flames, to ensure that it'll burn past any protection spells.
As they approached the first row of crops, the mages conjured flames, setting the plants alight. But to their horror, the fire danced harmlessly over the crops, leaving them untouched. A collective gasp escaped the infiltrators as they realized the grim truth. The crops were fireproof.
A sense of dread crept over the group as they hurriedly retreated, the failed mission casting a shadow over their initial confidence. Panic clawed at the edges of their minds, and a foreboding sensation lingered in the air.
"Damn it all," hissed one of the knights through gritted teeth, fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword. "How in the world did they manage to make their crops fireproof?"
"We spent weeks planning this, and they had to have a trick up their sleeves. Fireproof crops? That's not natural." A mage shook her head in disbelief
As they stumbled backward, seeking cover in the inky darkness, a low murmur of rustling leaves reached their ears. The knights tightened their grips on their weapons, eyes scanning the surroundings. A ghostly wind whispered through the fields, carrying with it an otherworldly chill.
One by one, as they retreated, the scarecrows seemed to inch closer every time they blinked or looked away, their silent advance sending a ripple of unease through the group. At first, they appeared as mere stationary figures, yet, with each passing moment, the distance between the infiltrators and the scarecrows diminished fast.
Their stitched grins and lifeless stares became even more ominous as they crept closer. And soon enough, they were surrounded by the scarecrows. A collective unease settled over the knights and mages as they locked eyes with the straw-stuffed guardians, their stitched grins seeming to widen in the dim moonlight.
The realization solidified as they exchanged silent, nervous glances, the gravity of their situation sinking in. Tension crackled in the air as they cautiously shifted, trying to maintain a defensive formation.
And then, amidst the petrifying silence, a single scarecrow's head twitched.
The straw-filled figure's head tilted ever so slightly, its stitched eyes fixing on the group with an unsettling intensity. A moment of frozen dread ensued. The knights tightened their grips on their weapons, and the mages prepared to unleash their spells. The scarecrows stood motionless once more, but the air crackled with an inexplicable tension.
"You...what are you?! Who's under there?!" A knight shouted as he knew that they already got found out