By Zephyria The white spray, which slid down the steep slope, plunged down at once and formed a thick water mist. At the same time, the sound of the earth shaking, which would completely bury even a shout, made the ears dizzy.
“Why is that happening now…!”
One of the knights couldn’t finish his words and only opened his mouth. The pressure of the water gushing out was unusual, even more than facing the dam’s discharge site.
He wanted to believe that it was safe because the waterway was deeply dug below, but the bridge itself was located below the embankment that separated the plains. Moreover, as if to indicate that the water level was usually high, green moss was present in the cracks where the railings were corroded and cracked.
The knight, sensing an ominous feeling, immediately tried to find a way out, but when he looked back, there were many colleagues lined up densely. Moreover, most of them were running relying on their horses with their souls gone, and even if they turned back, having already passed half of the bridge, he was not sure if they could avoid it.
Meanwhile, water droplets that bounced up from afar sharply scratched his face. Someone, overwhelmed by the thunderous anger of the river, grabbed the reins and shouted.
“Retreat―!”
He, who had turned white, mumbled in a voice that couldn’t be heard and arbitrarily turned his direction in the middle of the group. However, there was no room in that place where about 20 warhorses were rampaging at the same time, and before he could even look to the side, he was kicked by a hoof and fell out, leading to a strong collision.
“Oh, oh, oh―!”
Three or four horses raised their front legs, shook off their owners, and fell over each other. The knight who fell under them had his lower body crushed, and five horses were pushed like dominoes and overturned in the middle of the bridge. Those who were following from the rear were forcibly blocked and hesitated, then retreated.
“Those idiots….”
A single impulsive action drove half of the forces to their deaths. The knight in the lead looked back and bit his teeth tightly, kicking the horse’s belly with his heel. He was going to pass the vehicle and cross the bridge first.
As the surprised horse nervously screamed and increased its speed, one of the cars turned its direction and stuck to the right side of the bridge. The other one also quickly stuck to the left side and moved forward, maintaining a formation side by side. The three escort vehicles blocked the road by putting up a barricade horizontally so that the knights could not overtake them.
The knights’ faces were filled with embarrassment as they were treated the same way they had been doing.
The driver, who was looking at the mirror, twisted the corners of her mouth. At that moment, Hugo’s eyes, who had been concentrating, shone sharply.
Boom, boom―
Swaaaaa―
The water stream, which burst out so intensely that it ignored physical force, completely opened 13 sluice gates that were opened by one-third. The strong men who were holding the handles were dragged by the suddenly turned handles and fell down. The water pressure that was pouring down was enormous, incomparable to the usual discharge.
It was as if the spray was shouting to jump out like living creatures, but even the experienced managers were confused because of the handles that could not be controlled at all.
“Why, why is this happening?”
“Get up! Get out of the way immediately!”
Bewilderment was momentary. The burly men, steadying themselves on the wet floor, supported each other and pressed their backs against the barrier. Just as they connected their lifelines to the safety hooks at their waists, the rough currents forming beyond the dam’s crown surged ominously. Sensing a chill, the supervisors cautiously raised their heads, only to widen their eyes and freeze in place.
“What is that…?”
A wave of unprecedented scale loomed overhead like a shadow. As if by instinct, they covered their ears, which had become muffled, and bent forward, gripping the safety bar.
Meanwhile, the waterspout that had shot into the sky changed direction, heading towards the white bridge 500 meters ahead. The tsunami, cutting across the sky, charged towards the Grand Canal.
“Damn it, damn it—!”
The knight, spurring his horse to the point of tearing its hide in his anxiety, also looked up sharply as the sky darkened.
A deluge, incomparable to any rainstorm, surged like a seismic cloud. The knight’s pupils dilated, and his upper body momentarily lost balance and swayed.
“Ah—.”
Before his death throes could dissipate, giant water snakes, foaming at the mouth, rained down like bolts of divine judgment, baring their teeth.
Soon after, the waterfall, crashing onto the surface, swallowed the entire white bridge. The surging waves, threatening to overflow, grabbed the knight’s hair and swept everything away.
As hailstorm-like streams of water pounded the vehicle, Hugo turned his head and shouted to the driver.
“Break through!”
The three vehicles, with their engines roaring, plunged into the waves along the road. Moments later, they disappeared completely, submerged in the water.
^
“It’s hit!”
Two of Hares’ knights, left in the control room, shared the situation in real-time through binoculars. The moment the massive wave struck the white bridge and the Grand Canal, a cataclysmic impact reverberated, shaking the heavens and the earth to the point where their hearts nearly dropped.
Water droplets, colliding and shooting upwards, fell like heavy rain, accompanied by a thick fog that threatened even the control room windows. The force was so fierce that it scratched the binocular lenses. As the world turned a hazy white with mist, the two knights shielded their faces with their forearms and retreated.
—What happened?
Behind them, the video stone on the table glowed faintly. Simultaneously, someone’s urgent voice echoed, booming.
The face reflected on the video stone, the size of a human head, was Cordelia. Judging by the curved figures around her, she seemed to be receiving the situation report with her subordinates.
A knight, his face drenched from the impact of the deluge, quickly closed the window and, as the storm subsided, scanned the bridge area with binoculars. However, the currents were so strong that they continued to foam, obscuring not only people and transport vehicles but even the railings and pillars.
Only the grass and trees near the embankment were uprooted and swept away in a miserable state. The knight, with an uneasy look, rolled his eyes and fixed his gaze, replying.
“…Not visible yet.”
Cordelia’s expression on the video stone also darkened rapidly. Covered in worry, she urged them to search further, even after hearing the answer. The two knights diligently scanned the waterways where the rapids had formed, but for about a minute, nothing caught their eye.
Occasionally, a human-like shape flickered, but it invariably turned out to be a tree branch or floating debris. As only the muddy water churned with spray, the knight muttered with a worried voice.
“Could they have been swept away…?”
“There, look over there!”
At that moment, the other knight next to him hurriedly pointed beyond the window. At the tip of his index finger, a large fish-like creature was causing suspicious movements beneath the surface, as if cutting through the water.
“That’s…!”
The two knights widened their eyes and focused on the area. Simultaneously, the colleagues who had been murmuring beyond the video stone fell silent.
Before long, the flow led to the end of the white bridge, and through the rough currents, a waterlogged transport vehicle struggled to roll its wheels and climb up. The knight calmly began to count the visible shapes.
When the last, third vehicle came up, he raised his voice.
“All three have made it out!”
—What?
No sooner had Cordelia asked back than cheers erupted around her. Cordelia, looking around at her subordinates with a dumbfounded expression, finally broke into a bright smile. She slammed her hand on the table inside the watchtower and leaned in, urging her subordinates.
—I need to see it with my own eyes. Show me that area now!
At Cordelia’s command, the knight who had been observing the outside put down his binoculars and carefully lifted the video stone. As he approached the window frame and placed it halfway over the edge, Cordelia’s view now showed three black vehicles just starting to run on flat ground.
“…Ha.”
A sigh of emotion escaped her lips. Her uncontrollable brow furrowed involuntarily. Fearing she might show another unsightly display of weakness, Cordelia forced herself to smile awkwardly. Then, without realizing it, she clenched her right fist. She brought her resolve to her left chest, just as Leonardo had done.
She, along with all the knights of Hares who were watching the glorious scene, wished for the safety of their departing benefactors.
Meanwhile, the three vehicles that had barely escaped the submerged bridge immediately sped towards the forest path leading to a nearby territory. Hugo, watching the rear until the end, calmed the currents as much as possible to prevent flood damage downstream.
His gaze swept over the undulating white bridge area and moved to the upper part of the dam, where their grateful allies would be.
The floodgates, which had been fully opened, were now slowly closing. Next to them, two small figures were waving their hands from the floodgate control room.
“Hoo….”
Hugo let out a sigh filled with many emotions.
His right hand neatly touched the edge of his eyebrow. He saluted those who had helped them escape safely, conveying his respect.
^
“Huff, cough, huff—.”
Around the time the transport vehicles had completely disappeared into the forest path, the knights who had barely managed to crawl up the opposite side of the bridge, clutching the manes of their horses, spat out water.
With each gasp, the liquid that had flowed back up their esophagus trickled down their mouths and chins along with saliva.
Looking down at his subordinates, who were a mess and barely alive, the 39th Commander tore at his hair with a flushed face.
He was seething with anger. It was only thanks to everyone putting up a barrier together and grabbing onto the railing at the last moment that they hadn’t been swept away and drowned.
The immense water pressure was beyond human strength to withstand. Only about 10 people had barely made it back, and in the meantime, the horses had disappeared, with only six of them returning. It was as if they had recklessly chased after them, only to lose a piece of their own flesh.
A knight, wringing out his wet clothes next to him, cautiously asked his superior.
“Shall we pursue them?”
Then, the Commander, turning back with a menacing look, pointed to the waterway where the rapids were flowing and asked back, his lips trembling.
“Are you going to go?”
“…I’m sorry.”
The knight hurriedly lowered his eyes. The 39th Commander, grinding his teeth, kicked the helmet that was lying nearby for no reason.
After raging for a while, he stared intently at the opposite side of the bridge, which he couldn’t reach, then slowly lowered his shaking shoulders and grabbed the saddle of his horse next to him.
“Either way, the places those guys can go are fixed.”
He immediately mounted his horse and turned towards the rear. Then, looking down at the remaining knights, he ordered.
“Half of you go into the territory and investigate this matter, and half of you search for those who were swept away by the water. Don’t even think about coming back until you find them all. Unless you all want your heads to roll.”