Pale could clearly see that Brandika and the Goblin King were now facing each other.
“…Yes, the king of humans, Brandika, will not flee. This entire stage was prepared just for you.”
The corner of Pale’s mouth lifted as she watched them from the distance.
When Pale saw the pursuing forces that after their fortress fell, what ran through her mind then was the plan to kill Brandika. With the Goblin King’s strength, no matter how thick of a formation the enemy sought to lay, it was possible to break through it.
Losing her strong subordinates and retreating after expending all of her strength in an expedition… None of those things was forgivable. Not to mention permitting a head-on charge toward the enemy.
But as far as Pale was concerned, the Goblin King’s world domination and Brandika’s army of 50,000 were nothing more than pawns to fulfill her vengeance.
It didn’t matter how many had to be sacrificed, so long as Brandika died, the plan would be a success.
Pale quietly laughed in madness.
In order to keep Brandika from escaping, she turned 50,000 humans into hostages and had them killed by the goblins, then she unleashed the Goblin King at Brandika.
“Touri… Ryutanu… I…”
As she looked up, the blue sky filled her vision.
Even her own life was weaved into her plans. Originally, she should have been killed in front of Melgion Fortress after her pursuers caught up, but because of the sudden downpour, her life was spared. It was a heroic resolve though the Goddess of Vengeance has blessed her.
“No, no… Not yet… He lives yet. He breathes in the air and raises up his weapon.”
Tears welled up at the corner of her eyes as she smiled a crazed smile and killed her emotions.
“Ha ha… Brandika, king of humans, your pride shall be your undoing. No, your undoing is my will… Ha ha ha. I bring death to your army.”
Pale took her bow, then she covered her arrow in oil and lit it on the nearby torch.
As she pulled on the bowstring and made the wind cry, she shot out an arrow.
That arrow could be seen clearly even from a place far away from the battlefield.
“Move out, move out!”
In a place half a day’s distance on human feet from the battlefield, the demihumans could see that arrow and know that this was an opportunity for them to mobilize.
“Is that a signal?” Tanita, who led the long tailed two-headed-two-tailed ones, glanced at Fanfan who was currently talking with a giant restless ant.
“Fanfan’s eyes couldn’t possibly be wrong!” Fanfan said.
“I saw it too.” The first wing of the winged ones (harpyurea), Yushika, gracefully stretched her white wings and agreed.
“Hmm… Then let us go,” Tanita said.
Behind him were the dependents of the long-tailed, 300 lizard men warriors from the waterside in the Forest of Darkness and 200 ratmans. Every one of them were outfitted for battle and looked at Tanita with a gaze full of reverence.
“Can’t let those bastard centaurs be the only one to look good,” Mido the Tyrant who led the Fang Tribe (Werewolf) said in jest.
“Aren’t you just worried about the gray wolves?” Luther the Moss-Covered Shell who ruled the Shell Tribe (Papirsag) readied his monsters.
“S-Shut up!” Mido replied.
“Fanfan knows. Cynthia was taken from Mido by the king!” Fanfan’s round and cute eyes gazed into Mido, causing him to falter.
“Like hell that’s true! Damn it! I’m going ahead!”
Seeing Mido perk up his shoulders as he walked away left everyone wryly smiling as they each mobilized their forces.
The third arrow Pale shot was a signal for the forces outside the battlefield to attack the Red King.
◇◆◇
After overcoming tens of thousands of soldiers, the Goblin King now stood before him.
Brandika’s imperial guards and staff officers remained yet, but though they raised up their spears, the Goblin King did not see them.
Nor did Brandika.
After passing through waves of horses so numerous they could be likened to the sea of clouds, this goblin now blocked his path.
His body dyed in blood, a great sword in each hand… Already, there was no telling how many hundreds of men and horses this goblin has slain. And as if his body was afflicted with a great fever, white smoke rose up from the goblin’s body. Even though the morning mist had already cleared…
Should he still call this monster a goblin? He wasn’t sure. Perhaps chaos itself has taken the form of a monster and now stands in his path. The steed he rode upon snorted in displeasure and kicked against the ground.
Just that was enough to strike unrest upon the people nearby.
Wasn’t his army that which conquered the south? Brandika felt anger, but at the same time, he felt refreshed.
What stood before him was a true monster.
Not a figure of speech, but a true monster.
Before his might, humans trembled in fear. With his power, he could pull out the mountains, and with his spirit, move the world. Even the soldiers that should be defending him could only prostrate themselves before his strength.
But that was precisely why he believed he was being tested.
Before him was a wall so great it was like a great mountain.
Brandika couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Perhaps the people who did jobs as reckless as adventurer work and those who prayed for peace were completely different.
Dying on the throne after years of peace and tranquility was not something Brandika could possibly desire. No. Life could only be life when danced upon the borders of life and death.
Not a trace of regret could be seen on his friend’s face. Carlion himself lived his life exactly how he wanted to live it; so, what reason was there for Brandika to distort his way of living?
“Move.”
Quietly, Brandika ordered his shields away, and he moved onwards. This monster that now stood before him. Surely, he must be the King of Monsters.
It is only when a king stands before death that a king can show his true worth.
Brandika wasn’t about to lose now.
“I am the king. Brandika of Attibel Kingdom!”
Brandika passed through the imperial guards, who looked on with eyes wide open, then he struck his Long Double-Edged Axe (Valdis) into the ground and boldly named himself.
“Name yourself, monster.”
The blood-red eyes of the monster looked into Brandika.
“I am the king, the king that binds the unhuman.”
The Goblin King put away his two great swords and unsheathed the Guardian Sword of the Giants (Titan Dagger).
“Hmph… It’s a battle between kings then! Others need not interfere!”
As Brandika lifted the massive Valdis, he cleared away the dew from the battlefield.
Within Brandika and the Goblin King’s chest welled up a feeling. Was it joy? Or was it madness?
“GURUuUOOOoOAAaAA!!”
“UOoOOoOOOOoO!!”
The goblins fought valiantly to support the king, but the difference in number was overwhelming. No matter how many enemies they cut down, another would come to take its place. The only reason they were able to keep fighting while keeping their advantage despite wavering between madness and calmness were Pale’s excellent orders.
“Lord Gi Jii’s platoon shall retreat… Archers, three volleys, after me!”
The enemies in the area, where the arrows fell, stopped.
“Again! Another volley!”
Where Pale’s arrow landed, so did the arrows of the elves and the members of Ganra. The strength of Ganra’s bows has gotten stronger after all the battles they’ve gone through. So, when their 600 archers shot their bows, there was more than enough firepower and precision for them to stop the enemy’s advance. As the arrows continued to rain, they managed to bring chaos to the enemy.
As one might expect, large armies often relied on their numerical advantage. But moving such great numbers required that someone instructed where each unit go and what each unit should attack.
But no soldier wanted to die; hence, there probably wasn’t a man who wanted to encroach into the land of death and go where the arrows were raining. As such, the soldiers avoided the place where the arrows fell and moved around them instead.
This created a dent on their formation, causing them to be unable to assume the offensive posture that they would like.
“Lord Gi Gu’s platoon shall retreat as well. We will use the catapult.”
Originally, siege weapons were meant to be used against castles, but by reducing their range, they were able to use them as weapons against the humans that were as numerous as the clouds. South, East, Southeast, Southwest. Humans were closing in from almost everywhere they could, and Pale had to deal with them all.
“Enemies are approaching from the east!”
Pale turned a little, and when she saw the enemies approaching the castle wall, she knit her brows.
“Send a messenger to Lord Zaurosh. I’m leaving the east to him.”
Currently, Pale was giving orders to the platoons outside while also dealing with the approaching main forces of the enemy from the south and the southeast. No matter how skilled Pale was, she could neither summon soldiers from thin air nor multiply herself.
There was also a limit to how many things a single person could think about.
“Understood. Prepare the ballista!” Zaurosh who received word from the messenger looked down the castle walls and at the approaching great army.
“They sure are desperate.” Fase from Proud Clan (Leon Heart Clan) said as he readied the Ballista beside Zaurosh.
“The tactician’s plans have come together. The Red King’s army being able to continue fighting is a testament to how strong they are. They probably have a lot of faith in their clan leader.”
Zaurosh aimed his cross spear at the enemy and howled.
“Fire!”
As Zaurosh watched the enemy soldiers mowed down, he renewed his fighting spirit.
“But we don’t plan on losing either. It’s our duty to kill, so that we can protect those we must.”
Before Zaurosh’s eyes was the sight of the enemy army panicking under ballista fire while Gi Gu’s army cut them down as they retreated.
To whom victory would fall was yet uncertain, but both camps continued to shed blood and believe that they would be the one to win.
◆◇◇
As two god class weapons clashed, shockwaves leaked to the surrounding area. A monster and a human put their pride on each swing, causing sparks to flash as they groaned and sought to crush the other.
The monster steed of the responded to him and attacked the enemy with its own attack as it stepped forward. At the same time, the king himself also attacked.
Black Flames of the Underworld burned within the Goblin King’s great sword. One of the things the king has received from the Goddess of the Underworld (Altesia), who ever seduced one toward death, was the favor of the one-eyed snake. In response, Brandika attacked with his long double-edged axe (valdis). A god class weapon he’d unearthed from a dungeon once upon a time.
The magic axe responded to its bearer and continued to increase its destructive powers infinitely. It even strengthened the physical abilities of Brandika. Brandika swung that destructive power with both hands and equaled the Goblin King, who has felled countless soldiers until now.
“GURUUuOOOOAAAaAa!”
“NUUuUOOORAAAaAaA!”
Even their battle cries were full of valor. Already they had clashed twenty time, but the battle continued yet.
As the two warriors clashed with neither taking a step back, it was as if two elephants were fighting in the meadows to decide who would reign king. Before anyone knew it, the goblins and humans near them were charmed.
Though the standpoints of the soldiers were different, their respective kings, whom they believed in, were fighting each other. It would have been stranger had they not been charmed. Gradually, silence overtook the area surrounding the two kings.
Within that silence, only the sound of their battle cries and the clashing of steel could be heard.
The guardian sword of the giants (titan dagger) that the Goblin King swung carried with it powerful winds as the Goblin King sought to slash Brandika diagonally down from the shoulder. King Brandika met that attack from the opposite direction with his Long Double-Edged Axe (Valdis). As axe and sword met, they bounced off each other, and then another attack came.
When the great sword was deflected, the Goblin King brought it back and swept against Brandika from the right. In response, Brandika sprung up his axe and swung down with it. Neither one was willing to yield as they continued to fight at point blank.
As the Goblin King glared at Brandika, the latter smiled like a beast.
“What’s wrong, monster!? Is that all you’ve got!?”
“GU, NU…”
It was just a little, but without a doubt, the scale was leaning. Perhaps it was fatigue or perhaps it was because he had used too much ether, but Brandika was starting to put out a little more power than the Goblin King.
Weapons locked, as they each tried to crush the other dead, the God Class weapons cried out. As they put enough strength to crush the molars they grit, the two kings separated, then clashed once more. The attacked they released when they separated cut the air, and the shockwaves from their attacks crashed into the surrounding soldiers, causing them to bend.
“Die!”
“Don’t look down on me!”
They both held the sword above their heads and cut diagonally down with their respective weapons. The trajectory their weapons followed was almost the same. As such, the two weapons were bound to clash. When the God Class weapons clashed, it was as if a small bomb had exploded as the resulting force looked for an exit.
“Ohh, so you can do it if you try!”
“Keep prattling!”
The Goblin King used his will to silence the thoughts within seeking to rage, then he swung his great sword. As he tamed the power bestowed upon him by the gods, he transformed it into his own and swung his sword.
“Turn me into a blade (Enchant)!”
As the king used Third Impact (The Third Chant) along with his burning black flame of ether, the flames of the underworld quickly expanded.
“Come!”
Nothing was imbued within Brandika’s battle axe. One could tell from his bulging muscles that all he had was pure power, but those bulges were not ordinary. For the vessels along Brandika’s bulging muscles were pulsating.
That great power was coupled with a god class weapon – said to be the strongest weapons in the world – and unleashed itself against the Goblin King’s great sword. The sound of the impact was like that of a cracked bell ringing throughout the world. It caused the hipparion Brandika was riding upon to panic.
But the same held true for the Goblin King’s Sui, forcing the two kings to back off and dismount. There was a distance of 10 steps between them. As the two kings confronted each other, after that flash of silence, without any signal, they took a step.
“URAa!”
“NUu!”
As the two powers clashed, the air shook and the atmosphere was cut. The earth cracked under the step of the two kings as they continued to swing their weapons.
As the Goblin King’s great sword was deflected to the right, he allowed the impact to pass through, then he took another step forward. Like a dance performance, the Goblin King nimbly moved; like a spinning top, the Goblin King turned his back on the enemy and shifted his center of gravity. As that happened simultaneously, the Goblin King swept with his great sword from the side.
But Brandika had also measured the distance when his weapon was deflected. Having decided that he was a little too close to the Goblin King, he moved back a little. At the same time, he put his entire body’s strength into his battle axe and intercepted the Goblin King’s attack.
As he let out a battle cry and struck down the Goblin King’s great sword, he glanced at the Goblin King’s great sword that struck the ground and his own battle axe. In a flash, he took a step, and swung his battle axe at the Goblin King’s neck. With his animal-like instincts, Brandika could tell that the monster in front of him had terrifying regenerative prowess.
Although that was something he sensed partly because of his experience in hunting monsters, he was indeed correct. Dealing a little damage to the foe before him would only spur him even more. What he needed was a powerful blow that would instantly kill the enemy before him.
The Goblin King looked at his great sword that had been struck into the ground and immediately released it, expecting that Brandika would follow up with a strike of his own. Just as he expected, Brandika took a step forward. In response, he took a step forward himself and swung his fists. No matter how strong Brandika might be, in the end, he was only human. His body was much weaker compared to the Goblin King; hence, if the Goblin King hit him with his fist, the only result would be his face caving in, his bones breaking, and his life ending.
Because the Goblin King knew that he unhesitatingly chose to fight in super close combat.
But Brandika’s resolve went above that. The Goblin King’s mighty fist. Even though both of them knew that he would die as soon as that fist hit him, Brandika pushed his head into the trajectory of that fist without hesitation, and at the same time allowed his battle axe to finish its swing.
“KA!?”
“GU!?”
Both warriors staggered.
The Goblin King’s fist managed to hit Brandika’s head, but what was unexpected was that Brandika’s weapon had strengthened his physical abilities. A defensive power that not even the Goblin King could penetrate. But even then the Goblin King was still able to damage Brandika’s face, as could be seen by him staggering in front of the Goblin King.
Compared to that, however, the damage the Goblin King incurred was far greater. The magic battle axe had buried itself into his shoulder and broken his bone. That blow that entered from his collar bone to his shoulder blade had indeed left a heavy wound. The Goblin King could no longer feel his right arm.
But the Goblin King still got back up first. Brandika, who had been hit in the head with a punch, needed a little more time to collect himself. The Goblin King used that opening to kick Brandika.
“GAHA!?”
After moving Brandika out of the way, the Goblin King checked his unmoving right arm, then picked up his Guardian Sword of the Giants (Titan Dagger) with his left arm. As the Goblin King felt black ether pouring out of his wounds instead of blood, he could tell that his wounds were regenerating. He wielded his great sword once more as he walked toward Brandika.
Despite breathing heavily and blood flowing out of his mouth and several of his organs being damaged, Brandika smiled fearlessly as he stood up.
As the Goblin King gradually regained use of his right arm, he thought of saying something to the enemy before him, but in the end, he decided not to.
“…Words are meaningless, huh.”
The Goblin King had thought of asking Brandika to surrender, but after seeing the pride behind that fearless smile of his, he dropped the idea. Could the proud man who claims himself as king of the humans surrender here? The answer was no.
The moment they named themselves king was also the moment they cursed themselves to keep that name till death.
Presently, humans and monsters yet lived in two different worlds, but the Goblin King wants to rule them both.
If the king of the people were to be introduced into the equation, then wouldn’t the monsters and the humans only hate each other? As the Goblin King fought with the man before him, such a question beckoned him.
That was another reason why he took a step forward.
“My sword shall crush you!”
“…Monster, you think I could possibly lose to the likes of you!?”
As Brandika brushed aside the air with his battle axe, he forced his unmoving leg to step in as fast as he could.
“NUUoAAAAAa!”
Blood poured out from Brandika’s veins and forced his muscles to bulge abnormally. Blood infused with ether [1] poured to every corner of Brandika’s body as he moved, from his heart to his liver to all of his muscles.
Brandika’s battle axe was literally an iron hammer that could crush the earth.
“GUuRURUuUUuUAaaA aaA AA!!”
But the Goblin King met that iron hammer with his great sword.
He took a step, and the ground was crushed, then with his right arm that shouldn’t have been able to move, he gripped his great sword. Finally, as he usurped power from the servants of the gods, he released a blow.
Two powers, each carrying everything their respective masters possessed, met each other and released a storm of power. In the next moment, Brandika’s battle axe was deflected, and the sword that was used by the titans to claim heads bore itself into the body of the human king.
The guardian sword of the giants (titan dagger) tore through his blessed defenses, bit off his trained muscles, crushed the bones that supported his body, and severed the pride that may or may not be inside.
As the Goblin King’s sword crushed the top of Brandika’s shoulders, wrecked everything until his collar bone, and then severed the heart from the rest of the organs, the journey of the southern king came to an end.
“…”
Without so much as a word uttered, Brandika fell. And by the time he’d fallen, already he was dead.
One king looked down from up high, while the other prostrated himself down low.
And yet, for some reason or another, it seemed as if a hint of satisfaction could be seen on Brandika’s twisted lips.
◆◆◆
“Impossible…” Muttered a voice after about a breath after the Goblin King killed Brandika’s.
That voice echoed throughout the area, reaching the spectators that have been charmed by the battle of the two kings.
But the goblins were still watching. They stared so hard at the Goblin King it was as if they were waiting for something.
And then… The Goblin King did it. He took the human king’s sword and lifted it up high, and then he said.
“Shout out the cry of triumph! Let our victory resound throughout the world!”
“King! King! King!”
The goblins zealously called out the name of the king. They struck the ground with the butt of their spear and knocked their shields and made merry.
It was at this moment that the humans turned around and screamed.
It was also at this moment that – for the first time – the world came to realize that the goblins were indeed opposing the humans.
“Trample our foes underfoot! Wipe them out! Already, there is none left who can impede the path to our dominion!”
The Goblin King once again mounted Sui and gave orders as he wielded his Black-Red-Speckled Great Sword.
“After me!”
In order to save the fortress that was yet fighting, the Goblin King rode northwest. Though busied with giving orders, Pale could clearly see that the Goblin King had turned around.
She commanded, “Open the castle gates and pursue the enemy. Assume the Arrow-Point Formation! Lord Rashka of the Gaidga and Lord Gi Go Amatsuki shall take the lead!”
“Finally! I was dying waiting!”
As Rashka hit his club on his shoulder, he bellowed and let loose a roar that has long been waiting for a release. As soon as the castle gates were opened, the human soldiers were crushed.
In the blink of an eye, word of the Goblin King’s victory spread throughout the entire army. After all, Brandika’s stronghold was destroyed by the Goblin King. There was no hiding it. The various units that gave out orders fell into panic.
And even the more chaotic mixed army immediately started retreating as soon as they got word of Brandika’s defeat. As a result, a part of the goblin forces was suddenly left with nothing to do.
“Lord Gi Zu, bring your platoon in front of the castle gates!”
When Pale saw that, she immediately revised her tactics and gave orders to Gi Zu’s platoon, which was about to pursue the enemy.
“NU… If I must!”
Gi Zu gave up on the pursuit, turned around, and provided support for Gi Gu, who was fighting in front of the castle gates.
Gi Zu’s brawler goblins launched an attack toward the flanks of the human platoon fighting with Gi Gu Verbena. The fists of the brawler goblins brought much pain upon the humans. With Gi Gu’s army and Gi Zu’s army crushing upon them, the Red King’s army had no choice but to break formation and flee.
As the human army broke formation and fled, the demihumans started attacking from outside the battlefield. Fanfan led a swarm of ants, and regardless of whether the humans were alive or not, they swarmed into the jaws of the humans. As for the humans that crossed the river and tried to run away there were met with the swords of the lizard men.
“Lord Gi Gi, release the monster army!”
Just to be doubly sure, both Gi Gi’s monster army and the demihumans’ monsters were released and sent after the humans. By the time most of the enemies had been driven away, the battlefield was already dyed with the light of the setting sun.
Pale walked through the blood-stained and corpse-filled land.
“…Vengeance is done.”
Within the empty meadows, where no living creature was left, Pale cried alone.
And so, the battle that would decide the ruler of the south was won by the goblins. And after Brandika and Carlion’s death, the Red King quickly lost its momentum, and just like that, the unprecedented kingdom that appeared out of nowhere vanished.
◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆
Peerless Strength
Receive revision when strength is increased instantly. (HIGH)
Fighting Soul
When the enemy’s class is greater, ally strength, intelligence, and agility are increased (MEDIUM) and the pressure from the enemy is decreased (MEDIUM).
Divine Favor of the God of Flame
Charm effect on those with the flame attribute (HIGH), natural HP regeneration increased (LOW), strength increased (MEDIUM).
Dungeon Explorer
When facing monsters, gain increased strength (MEDIUM), stamina (MEDIUM), defense (MEDIUM), mana (MEDIUM).
King Guided by Faith
Charm effect when acknowledged as king. Charm effect toward no attributes (MEDIUM).
Duelist
When engaging an enemy in a on on one combat, mana can be converted into physical powerup, allowing one to greatly increase one’s physical ability.
Blessing of the Ancestor God that Birthed Nations (Ativ)
After being acknowledged as king, all stats increase (MEDIUM), and charm effect on those with the divine protection of the Goddess of Healing (Zenobia) (Fourth Daughter) (MEDIUM).
[Item] Valdis
This weapon has no inscription, so it is not know who crafted it, but from its strength and effects, it can be inferred that it is a god class weapon.
