As Misha looked down at the surface, what reflected on her eyes was a black army crawling out of the forest.
“The Goblin— No, the Demon King’s Army.”
That name had caught on recently.
The Demon King’s Army.
That was an army mainly composed of goblins, but they had a horde that handled monsters, a horde that used battle slaves and goblins alike, a horde that rode on fast monster beasts, and a horde of traitorous humans.
According to the information Misha received from Elfa, those were the four major aggressors.
And among those, it was the monster beast handlers that she faced off with just recently. The sight of endless hordes of monsters attacking the fortress truly made it look as though the world were ending.
She couldn’t help but hold her Wyvern Lance tightly.
“Commander!”
With the sound of the flapping wyvern wings, came the voice of her subordinate. When she turned to the direction her subordinate’s spear pointed to, she saw a monster that stood out from the rest.
And surrounding that evidently high-ranking goblin was a horde of about 500. Moreover, two hordes that could control the monster beasts spread out from that horde in a pair of wings.
“So the boss is out.”
The hero’s orders were to support Elfa as their reinforcement, but should that fail, she was to lead the people of Elfa to Altigand.
“…”
As someone who has had to lead others despite her youth, she has picked up the habit of silently pondering inconvenient matters.
Some of Elfa’s forces had gone north, and it would take them some time before they could return. As such, Elfa basically only had half of their defending forces.
The Elfa general that was very understanding of her, Rasdir, was currently confronting the monster cavalry in the north. Yet now even more monsters were attacking them from the south. Misha was not so optimistic as to foolishly believe that this two-pronged attack was a mere coincidence.
“Well, that monster should be a good opportunity to stop them.”
Her target would be that high-ranking monster at the center of the hordes.
If she could just take the boss down, the monster horde should naturally collapse.
“Soldiers, hear and obey! The center of the newcomers shall be our target! Falcon Formation! After me!”
Misha’s battle cries resounded valiantly as she personally led the soldiers in the skies, not a hint of doubt of her victory could be seen in her eyes.
◆◇◆
When Gi Gi Orudo’s Twin-Headed Beast and Axe Army (Zeilduk) saw the enemy army approaching from the sky, a wave of unrest immediately rippled through them.
“Now what?”
His sworn friend, Gi Ji Arsil, asked, but Gi Gi himself could only frown. The king had already spoken, so they could only continue their march.
“It’s our king we’re talking about. I’m sure he has something in mind…” Gi Gi said.
“Perhaps, but… That’s originally our enemy,” Gi Ji said.
Fortunately, only the human-riding wyverns were standing in their way.
“Those wyverns could catch even the large monster beasts,” Gi Ji said.
And when dropped from the sky, the only fate that awaited any monster beast was death.
“It’s a future I’d rather not think of,” Gi Ji said.
Gi Ji glanced at the Goblin King. The enemy was approaching them from the sky, and yet the Goblin King leisurely continued at his pace.
“In the worst case, I’ll sacrifice myself. Try to suppress the army’s agitation and continue the march.”
“Alright.”
Gi Ji made his resolve, and Gi Gi nodded.
Gi Ji led his troops and deployed them behind the 500 imperial guard cavalry of the Goblin King, commanding them to sacrifice themselves if necessary, while he himself rode alongside the Goblin King to escort him.
“My liege. Please allow me to fight by your side.”
“What’s the matter, Gi Ji Arsil?”
The sight of the Goblin King looking up at the sky with his great sword on his shoulders was as imposing as ever.
“It would not do… To underestimate those wyverns.”
“So I’ve been told. Well, just watch.”
As a broad smile appeared on the Goblin King, he sent one of his imperial guards as a messenger to Gi Gu Verbena’s Axe and Sword Army (Felduk).
“Soldiers, distance yourselves!”
At the king’s behest, the imperial guards of his cavalry spread out one by one while maintaining their distance. Gi Ji glanced at his flanks with agitation, but the king just nodded in satisfaction.
“Mu.”
Won’t this make him the perfect target?
Gi Ji groaned before his agitation made him look up at the sky.
If the imperial guards meant to protect him are sent away like this, the enemy would naturally target him.
“Your Majesty…”
“Do not fear! If you dare ride by my side, then prepare yourself, Gi Ji Arsil!”
At the sound of the king’s voice, a fire burned within Gi Ji, and the wyverns at the end of his glare began to descend.
Yet even then, the Goblin King did not stop. With his imperial guards riding around him in a circle, the Goblin King only rode faster. Gi Ji rode desperately so as to not fall behind, but then the roar of a wyvern descended upon them.
“—So you’ve come!”
“Your Majesty!”
Gi Ji cried out, and the wyvern roared with its attack, yet only a fierce smile appeared on the Goblin King as his great sword burned with black lames.
“—Turn me into a blade (Enchant)!”
On the body of his sword, burned the flames of black of the underworld. As master to the aberrant and the deformed, the high king that must conquer the world, the Goblin King clashed with the wvyern king head on. The wyvern knight handled a lance even longer than the lances wielded by horsemen. Moreover, he was attacking from above.
The moment of his descent could only amplify the speed and power behind his attack. And when all of that was put together to unleash a powerful assault, no normal solider could possibly endure the wyvern spear.
But, the Goblin King did not slow down the slightest.
He continued onward and deflected the Wyvern Lance, then immediately unleashed a second attack to lop off the head of the wyvern, sending its rider into the ground along with the scattering fountains of blood.
──As expected of my liege!
Gi Ji inwardly cheered, but he kept his guard up and awaited the next attack. The Goblin King may have easily stopped that attack, but just how many could accomplish the same feat?
Suddenly, something flashed within his mind.
Perhaps that’s the reason why the Goblin King ordered his cavalry to keep their distance.
He wanted to turn himself into a bait to have the enemy focus their attacks on him.
When Gi Ji realized that, a strong sense of shame and regret attacked him as he grit his teeth. For what reason were they then even in the battlefield if the king was only going to protect them? But even as he ground his teeth, one wyvern after another charged toward them.
“Your Majesty, I shall fight even if I must give my life!”
“I said, ‘do not fear’!”
A multitude of wyvern knights charged straight for them, yet the Goblin King did not even budge.
“Slow down!” The Goblin King said.
So the Goblin King commanded, and yet wasn’t it the other way around? For the Goblin King’s gaze with which he beheld the approaching wyverns did not contain the slightest hint of fear.
“Die!” The wyvern knight said.
Once again, a wyvern knight struck out with his lance, and the Goblin King drew his blade, lopping off the wyvern’s wings. But this time, he did not even spare a glance for the wyvern knight’s vicious crash.
Then more wyvern knights came, though this time the wyverns themselves attacked with their powerful claws.
“Fire!” The Goblin King said.
Immediately after, spears were thrown from the king’s cavalry, and then from further behind, came flying the arrows of the elves, lodging themselves into the wyverns. Felduk made it rain with their magic bullets as well.
This was an attack timed with the approach of the wyverns, and made with the most careful of attention.
One move wrong, and the end of their spears, arrows, and magic would undoubtedly be the king himself.
But if they feared hitting him, then the wyvern knights would attack the king.
The commanders could only stick their own necks out as they gave the order.
One wyvern knight after another crashed into the ground, and before long, their corpses littered the ground. Naturally, the arrows, magics, and spears that intersected grew as well, drawing a scene that resembled a crossfire with the king at the center.
Spells of wind tore apart wyvern wings, while elven arrows shot their riders dead. Any wyvern that approached would find a spear thrown their way, blocking which would only weaken their assault, serving them fresh and nice for the Goblin King to take down with a stroke of his blade.
And yet amidst that crossfire of arrows, magics, and spears, did the Goblin King dare to run with composure.
“Your Majesty. Is this not dangerous?”
“Oh Gi Ji, Can I still attend to my kingly duties if I dare not even trust my own subordinates?”
“My liege!”
Gi Ji prostrated his head, and the Goblin King glanced at him, then he turned his gaze back to the skies.
To the wyvern knights that had stopped their assault, did the Goblin King point his great sword, and with a loud voice, declare.
“Here I am! Knights of wyverns! If my defeat is what you seek, then come down here and fight!”
