“GURUuoOOOoAaAAA!!”
With the swing of a sword, the iron shield was torn through, and the body of a soldier was sent flying. But despite that explosive strength, the momentum of the terrifying horse didn’t slow down even a little as it charged into the gap. Already its mouth was dyed in red from the blood of several soldiers, but hungry for more, it bit at the soldier’s head before it and filled its mouth with that delightful red of life.
Sui crushed the head along with the helmet, but it seemed he wasn’t so fond of the taste of iron, as he immediately spat it out, then he vented his feelings on the wall of soldiers in front. A great lump of weight quickly sped toward the soldiers. There was no end to the death brought about by the horse’s hooves. Already the hair covering its hooves was dyed with blood and was a hue of dark red.
Atop that horse was none other than the Goblin King himself, who swung his two great swords.
The Goblin King skilfully handled two great swords. With every howl, the enemies would freeze and their movements would dull. And each time, a line of soldiers would be torn apart like a pair of scissors cutting through a sheet of paper. The Black Flames of the Underworld danced on each great sword.
That was already a kind of natural calamity
Each time that raging calamity swung his arms, each time would a life be extinguished. It was almost as if there were no people in the plains as that black tornado charged straight for the human king. Supporting the Goblin King were 800 knights.
“GURUuUOOOAAaa!”
The forces following from behind were like a force of flame as they chased after the king. More fearful were their howls than that of a pack of beasts as their bellowed howls shook the earth and struck fear into the heavens. Gi Ga Rax’s spear penetrated the throat of a soldier. Cynthia the Gray Wolf bit off the arm of an enemy. Gi Be Slay skilfully used his spear with one arm, and Hal indomitably lopped off the head of an enemy.
Pale had told the Goblin King beforehand.
The enemy was the greatest tactician within the continent. It was likely that they might have seen through her plans already.
But no matter how great a tactician the enemy was…
They could never imagine such a fast and powerful existence.
—In other words…
“Even if they’ve seen through our plan, use your overwhelming power and flip the board upside down.”
Even if a trap is waiting, lop the enemy’s head off anyway. The plan Pale spoke of while Gi Za’s staff was aimed at her was not really something that could be called a plan.
This was purely brute force.
Flip the board upside down and claim victory with the power of a single monster.
It was precisely because Pale realized that the enemy was greater than her that she took this plan.
“…It is a terrible plan as far as plans go.”
But that is precisely why Brandika would not be able to see it coming. It was precisely because he was not an untalented boor and because of Carlion’s plan that he would fall straight into Pale’s plan.
With the force of a raging storm, the Goblin King broke through the endless wave of humans. Be it the veteran soldiers that have won countless battles or the fire-wielding wizards, neither of them could stop the king now.
◆◇◆
“…Can they not be stopped? There’s no more than 1,000 of them!”
Despite the enemy falling straight for their trap, the enemy’s charge was showing no signs of slowing. If anything, their own lines were the ones starting to collapse. When the staff officers around Brandika saw that, they started to panic.
“This is impossible. How is this happening?”
It was ridiculous. The army that was being surrounded was overpowering the army that was about to surround it. The exact opposite of what was supposed to happen was happening. And that very army was headed straight for where Brandika was. Even if that army was still far away, the pressure from it cold be felt from where they were.
The sound of the monster’s hooves kicking against the ground and the howls of the monster that swung two great swords from atop it, followed by a horde of man-eating fiends from right behind. That monstrous army was approaching them. Despite all the brave generals and heroic soldiers that stood between that army and them, the staff officers could not feel safe at all.
They watched as the soldiers were skewered, looked up in fear as the soldiers’ heads were sent flying, listened with anxiety as the soldiers screamed from the top of their lungs, and finally stared blankly as the soldiers tripped over each other and the formation itself was broken. To the staff officers, the sound of breathing had turned into an alarm and was getting faster by the moment. The sea of soldiers was being parted, and the Monster King was going straight through it.
“…We’ve been had.”
When Brandika said that, the staff officers strained their eyes, and then they saw Saldin’s and Germion Kingdom’s flag moving.
“Oh! If it’s them, then perhaps!”
They could stop the monsters, is what they thought. A faint hope they clung to as their eyes narrowed.
“Damn it! At this rate, the front is going to be torn into shreds!”
As a commander of a cavalry battalion himself, Saldin couldn’t help but be envious of the scene unfolding before his eyes. That was a true assault. Not the sort executed against a fleeing enemy, but a true assault that went straight toward one’s foe.
The very sight that inspired many to become a cavalry commander in the first place..
An overwhelming charge that rendered any and all who stopped it dead in their tracks. A penetrating power that couldn’t be described by the likes of a human cavalry. Seeing that, called forth envy and hate within Saldin. Fortunately, they were enemies, for if not, he would only be able to watch at them with envy.
What had enacted that ideal form was not only their enemy but a horde of monsters that weren’t even human.
“We’re going to make our era! We’re going to open an age of man! Right, Carlion!”
As Saldin drew his long sword, he ordered his army to advance straight toward the enemy.
“Mind if we join you too?”
With a great sword atop his shoulder, that was none other than the reinforcements from Germion Kingdom.
“Can a holy knight lead a cavalry!?”
“Ha! You’ve got guts, kid. But you don’t have to worry. This cavalry ain’t mine. It’s something that was lent to me!”
As he kicked against the stomach of the horse, the Storm Knight sped up and tried to ride ahead of Saldin. The cavalry Gulland had brought with him was not his but was lent to him by his sworn friend, Sivara. However, he only had 300 soldiers with him since they were currently in the middle of a siege and no one was actually expecting him to use them.
“Like hell I’ll lose to you, idiot!”
But Saldin wasn’t about to let someone one-up him, so he rode faster and headed straight for the Goblin King.
The Goblin King took down soldier after soldier with his two great swords as he led the charge, but Saldin and Gulland were about to take him down with a pincer attack. Although these two had never really worked together, as veterans who has fought countless times in the battlefield, they were skilled enough to be able to work together at a moment’s notice.
“You owe me one! Take this! Ruler of Wind and Lighting (Astaroth)!”
Gulland unleashed a lightning attack toward the king and managed to get his attention, but a swing from the Goblin King’s Black-Flames-Clad great sword was all that was needed to nullify his attack. One swing and Gulland’s attack both vanished while a nearby soldier was cut in two when the Goblin King’s great sword swung back where it came from.
That was the difference between their strength.
But Gulland had intended that attack to be nothing more than a diversion in the first place. With both Saldin and Gulland attacking at nearly the same time, that was no different than him telling Saldin that he was going to get the Goblin King’s attention.
“No one asked for your help! But I’ll be damned if I don’t take it!”
Saldin’s long sword extended toward the Goblin King’s flank, but what greeted him was not the sensation of a blade burying itself into flesh but that of the hard material of metal. One of the Goblin King’s great sword had deflected his attack.
“Tch!”
As Saldin clicked his tongue, he saw the Goblin King easily receiving Gulland’s two-handed attack with just one hand. When Saldin saw that, a shiver ran through his back. That was a holy knight. A represent ion of a nation’s power, and yet here was an enemy that was handling him like a child.
Although Gulland was covered in wounds after just a few clashes, he still managed to slip past the Goblin King.
“Fucking monster!”
As Saldin spat that, he brought his steed around. As he heard the cries of his subordinates being cut in half, he prepared to make another charge toward the Goblin King.
At this rate, the Goblin King would soon reach Brandika with that monster cavalry of his; so, Brandika tried to start another charge, but the Goblin King was already out of reach. As such, Saldin decided to change his plans.
“We’ll take them from the side!”
Saldin commanded that to his cavalry as they turned around counter-clockwise. They would attack the Goblin King from the side.
“After me— What!?”
Saldin had raised his long sword over his head and was about to begin the charge when a goblin on black tiger suddenly appeared beside him.
“Let’s fight, human! I am Hal of Paradua!”
The goblin’s spear grazed Saldin’s cheek as he said that. The black tigers had split from the Goblin King’s forces and blocked Saldin’s path. As they were riding parallel to them, they couldn’t carelessly charge.
“Fucking goblins!”
Saldin slipped through the spear and attacked with his own long sword, but Hal was too quick with bringing back his spear. Saldin found it shameful to suddenly find himself tied with a troublesome enemy, but he had no choice but to accompany him.
Gulland found himself in a similar situation, as a slender goblin with long arms on a black tiger stopped him when he was about to start his charge a second time.
“The small fries should stay put!”
“Any and all who dare impede my king’s path to domination, become rust upon my spear!”
Gi Ga Rax the Knight Class Goblin thrust out with his long spear outside of Gulland’s range. With such powerful attacks constantly pouring at him from outside of his range, Gulland couldn’t find the opportunity to make a big move.
“Fuck!”
Gulland glanced at the Goblin King, but he knew that he was already too far, not to mention too fast. It was likely that not even an hipparion would be able to chase him. The human army was barely an obstruction to them. In fact, from a third party’s perspective, it looked like he was about to get poked to death anytime now.
“You asked for this, fucker! You’re dead! You’re done for!”
“Come, human!”
Realizing that he had no choice but to kill this fly in front of him, a fierce fight began between the Goblin King’s loyal retainer and Gulland.
Supported by the two goblins, the Goblin King rode deeper and deeper into enemy territory. With nothing left to stop him, the humans started shaking.
