With Rashka swinging his blue-silver steel club before them, Rasdir calmly chose to distance themselves. When that distance reached a few steps, Rasdir yelled out and switched up their attack.
“──Spears!”
And the Iron Bull Knights met the charge of the Gaidga Tribe head on.
This attack that involved hiding behind the shield before stepping out with the spearmen was one of the tactics of Elfa’s heavy knights that their neighbors so feared.
“──GAH!?”
A voice that couldn’t be called a scream reached Rasdir’s ears.
The front line was indeed being pushed up. The giant goblins of Gaidga and Elfa’s heavy knights have clashed, and it seemed that they had gotten the better in the exchange.
But the demon from hell was an exception.
For at the end of his club raised high was a knight in full armor launched into the air.
Air, hot and white, exhaled out of the demon goblin’s mouth.
The long spears that should have stabbed the goblin were instead stabbed into the ground, and the shield-wielding knights were flying in the air. That was a sight truly befitting that of a monster.
But a commander was not someone that would stop thinking merely with that. Rasdir collected himself, took out his spear and shield, and stepped forward himself.
“Monster! I shall be your opponent!”
“Name yourself, kid!”
“I have no name for monsters!”
Rasdir stepped out with his spear. He was indeed tall for a human, but the thickness of his body was nothing compared to a goblin from the Gaidga Tribe.
Yet Rashka dodged his spear with nothing but a tilt of his neck before smiling ferociously.
“In that case, it will do for you to carve only my name!”
Rashka’s club descended, but Rasdir jumped back to avoid it.
“I am Rashka! Chieftain of the Gaidga Tribe! Hear it well and remember, human!”
The descending club crushed the earth and cut the air, scattering stones and dust. The great winds born from that attack would make one want to avert his face. Rasdir frowned.
“Commander!”
“Don’t mind me, just push the lines! If this monster isn’t stopped here, our lines will collapse!”
His subordinates tried to help him, but Rasdir chose to face the great adversary standing before him alone.
“Now, come! Monster! I will be the one to stop you!”
Rasdir bit his molars as he faced Rashka with burning eyes. A howl for a howl. Rasdir roared and so did Rashka.
“Well done dodging, human!”
The desperate efforts of the Iron Bull Knights allowed Altigand’s leftmost flank to recover.
The holy knights stopped the Axe and Sword Army (Felduk) at the center, while the margrave’s army stopped Zeilduk at the right flank. The left flank was somehow able to create a stalemate thanks to the cavalry and the desperate efforts of the Iron Bull Knights.
As for the mages, they continued to exchange fire with the demon king’s army, neither side able to secure an advantage.
“Give the signal.”
This stalemate was precisely what Altigand’s commander, Grendal, was waiting for. With these humans that have lived through defeat rallied together, their struggles will create a situation that will allow them to contend against the monsters.
The rising of the smoke was a signal for the wyvern knights.
A wisp of red smoke rose into the deep blue sky.
And when the 500 wyvern knights waiting in the distant Lusis saw that, they knew it was time.
“Attack! Our comrades are shedding their blood to protect the course of our nation! With our own hands, let us tip the scales to our favor!”
Leading the wyverns was a student like Grendal that just graduated from the military academy.
“For the future of our motherland (Altigand)!”
“For the future!”
And so, the trump card of Altigand, the wyverns, moved out, clinging onto that one sliver of hope that they would be able to turn the tides of this war.
◆◇◆
Pale could not help but be surprised as she watched the battlefield change.
“They are holding out much better than expected.”
The Goblin King rode beside her as he too watched the battlefield.
“There’s a smoke signal rising from the enemy camp. That’s probably the signal for the wyvern knights to move out. We should give the signal for Douhet to move as well.”
“Yes, I suppose we can look forward to Gi Za’s performance.”
“As you will… Your Majesty, please advance to the front lines once Douhet sets out.”
“Oh? Are you sure?”
“…You want to stand there, right? In the front lines? This will likely be the last battle to decide our dominion over the world.”
Pale’s lips curved into a small smile, and the Goblin King too wryly smiled.
“It appears that this king of yours is just too hopeless. But, it is exactly you say. I must stand before them.”
His pair of crimson eyes peered into her jade-green eyes.
“You are a hopeless man indeed, Your Majesty.”
That was all that Pale said before she took her bow.
“Once the wyverns have been neutralized, open a path for our king!”
A signal sent with the arrow of a bow could not possibly be that detailed, but her intentions were no doubt understood by all of Alrodena. The thought of the King’s Cavalry advancing was enough to immediately raise the goblins’ morale.
The time of their charge being around the neutralization of the wyvern knights could also be gleamed.
An all out attack with the Goblin King at the head.
The moment the generals received that command, they quivered in glee.
Born and raised in the distant Forest of Darkness to the west, already, they have not returned for many years because of the eastern campaign, but no goblin general could possibly forget that this passion, this taste for victory… Everything began because they followed after their king.
The end of this continent as they knew it was almost at hand.
The last enemy stands before them, and just as he has done in the past, their great king shall stand before them to face their adversary. How else could describe the feelings running through them other than that of jubilation?
“Gather your spears.”
Gi Ga Rax commanded in a voice filled with a passion he rarely showed. Though he gave that order quietly, no one could deny the feelings that burned behind it.
“Do you mean?”
Zaurosh, the clan leader of the Proud Clan (Leon Heart), who has been riding the battlefield with him for a long time now, sensed Gi Ga’s feelings and spoke.
“Our king will take the lead. To that end, we will attack with everything we have.”
Even Zaurosh couldn’t help but feel emotional, so he put his helm on deeper than usual.
“It’s out of character for me, but it appears, even I cannot help but be moved.”
As he held his weapon tightly, Gi Ga nodded.
“O great king of ours.”
As a smile found its way onto his lips, the ever faithful knight glared at the enemy forces.
