kscans

Chapter 203 - Borderline Counteroffensive

The determined warriors headed from the main gate toward the wasteland where the monsters dwelled.

From a room along the way, Alumi emerged, axe in hand.

"General. I heard. Let me go, too."

Her breathing was slightly ragged.

The general replied, "No. I don't care how eager you are, I can't take someone who is unable to fight. Stay here and rest."

It was a firm refusal.

With an angry look, Alumi pressed on. "But this is a battle with no guarantee of returning alive. I want to prove my strength out there."

She stubbornly insisted on going.

The general mulled it over. "...Hmph. You are certainly strong, I'll give you that. But that's not enough. You don't understand the state of your own body. Besides, would you leave your comrades behind?"

He pointed toward the room.

Inside, the other members of 'Mad Dog' were still asleep. Alumi drew a sharp breath, her expression hardening.

The general continued, "I don't know where you heard the news, but I can't trust anyone on the battlefield who would abandon their comrades. Of course, there are exceptions. Some adventurers survive by entrusting their will to their friends. But that doesn't apply to you right now."

Alumi hung her head, unable to say a word.

"Don't be discouraged," the general said, placing a hand on her right shoulder. "This isn't your final battlefield. As long as you live, a fight that you must face will surely come. I don't know when... but it is not now."

Alumi relented. "...I get it. ...Damn it."

She muttered the last word under her breath.

In her mind, this was the most important battle of all.

If I survive this fight, my name will reach Bardos...

And yet, an injury from yesterday had left her unable to move. It was the most frustrating thing in the world. With that thought, she returned to her room and sat on the bed. She had no desire to sleep and no idea what she should do.

Just then, Mimi, who was next to her, spoke up. "Lady Alumi... Um..."

She seemed to want to say something, but the words wouldn't come out.

Seeing her listless state, Alumi said, "...Don't worry about it. Just think of it as bad luck. It's not your fault."

She then lay down on the bed.

Mimi knew it was just a brave front. Loose and Dord, who had overheard the conversation, said nothing and simply lay back down.

As the general and his forces stood on the edge of the wasteland, a scout who had gone ahead returned.

"Reporting! The monsters are advancing. They are approximately twenty kilometers away. Their composition is the same as yesterday."

In response to the report, the general asked, "What about our flanks?"

"As per your orders, General, we have positioned the Edgeson units."

Hearing this, an adventurer spoke up, slightly shaken. "Wait, we're leaving the Edgeson units behind?"

The others felt the same way. They had believed the Edgeson units were indispensable to this operation and had calculated their chances of survival to be high because of them.

The general explained, "The Edgeson units are powerful, but their ammunition is limited. We don't know when this battle will end. Therefore, we will not take them with us, but use them solely for the defense of the base."

A soldier, though slightly fearful, complied. "If that is the general's decision, we will obey."

However, one of the adventurers was clearly afraid. "I was counting on the Edgeson units... Are we really going to make it back?"

As anxiety spread through the air, the general spoke again. "I believed that since you chose to remain, you were all prepared. However, I am also at fault for not mentioning the Edgeson units. I will ask you one more time. Only those who are truly prepared should remain here."

At this final notice, the adventurers fell silent.

We're already prepared, we can't turn back now. In fact, to leave at this point would be a major embarrassment. One might swallow a little shame to survive, but they had been given a clear choice beforehand: stay or go.

And they had chosen to stay. In the end, nothing changed.

The general scanned his surroundings. "Chevre. I'm counting on you."

Chevre, who was standing beside him, nodded forlornly. "...May fortune be with you in battle."

The general and the knights who had been on standby advanced.

Watching this scene, I muttered, "This feels like a classic death flag. I'll have to work hard to make sure it gets broken."

Tina turned to me. "Death flag? Is that another piece of common knowledge from your country, Shinsuke?"

She wanted an explanation.

"Well, it's kind of a recent rule," I explained. "Things like, 'I'm counting on you,' or, 'I'm going to get married when this is over.' They say anyone who says that is guaranteed to die."

The spear-wielding adventurer next to me paled. "I-Is that true?"

I offered what little comfort I could. "Well, as long as you don't do anything reckless, you should be fine."

The adventurer started muttering to himself. "...What do I do? I... I just sent a letter to my girlfriend back home, telling her we'd get married if I made it back alive..."

It seemed I'd said the wrong thing. I wanted to help him if I could, but I had no idea if I'd have that luxury.

Tina, who had been watching from the side, said, "I will do what I can, but I am only human. I have my limits."

She stated the simple reality.

"Limits, huh?" I mused. "That's what I set out on this journey to find. This battlefield might be the best place to learn my own limits. It's the same as a year ago, but the scale is on a whole different level."

I was lost in thought. My own strength. I thought I'd understood it a year ago, but I wasn't satisfied, which is why I'm still here.

Perhaps I could gain something from this battle as well.

Just as I was thinking that, the general's voice boomed. "All units, halt! The monsters are in sight!"

At his cry, everyone readied their weapons.

I gripped my Great Hammer and looked ahead. What was coming was a horde of Goblins, Wolves, and Lizardmen. The same formation as always.

The general, his fighting spirit flaring, declared, "I will take the vanguard! Follow me!"

He brandished his Great Hammer in his right hand.

A ball of lightning appeared in his left hand—about the size of a baseball.

"Thunder Shot!"

With a sound like a sharp crack—kakiin—the sphere shot toward the monsters.

It looks like it has low power, I thought. It might be a threat to a single monster, but against such a large number, it didn't seem like it would be very effective. The other adventurers seemed to think so, too. However, for some reason, the knights wore confident expressions.

The answer came in an instant.

The moment the sphere hit a Goblin, it erupted in a massive explosion, taking dozens of nearby monsters with it.

The adventurers stared, dumbfounded by the sight.

A knight yelled, "What are you gawking at?! Now's the time to attack!"

After his shout, the knights charged forward.

The stunned adventurers snapped back to their senses and charged as well. Tina and I followed. The general also charged in, a moment behind.

The monsters were thrown into disarray by the initial blow and couldn't react to the onrushing humans. The Goblins on the front lines were helpless as the human forces trampled them.

The Goblin Knights and Lizardmen in the rear saw what was happening and immediately launched a counterattack.

But it was too little, too late to stop the momentum of the human forces.

I swung my Great Hammer with a roar. "Hrrrrraaaaaagggghhh!"

I unleashed my full strength, spinning like a top. Of course, I had already confirmed there were no allies nearby.

Tina cried out, "That's... Fire Lance Barrage!"

She unleashed a crescent-shaped flame.

The fire streaked toward the rear of the monster horde, near some rocky cover.

Before I could say anything, Tina said, "Look over there."

She pointed to where a Skeleton was burning, turning to ash.

"I knew there were Undead," I said, "but they aren't even joining the fight. What's going on?"

To this question, Tina replied, "We lack information, so I can't say for sure. But that Skeleton was hiding as if it were watching us. Like a surveillance soldier."

Based on her speculation, I offered my own. "So that means the root cause of all this either doesn't trust the monsters, or they're just messengers?"

An Undead with its own will, or maybe a Magician like a Necromancer controlling them? Either way, whoever is using Undead can't be a decent being.

Tina considered it. "That's certainly a possibility, but something feels off. It's hard to put my finger on what... but for now, let's focus on getting through this."

With that, she readied her weapon as a group of Lizardmen approached.

As Tina and I prepared to intercept them, a voice came from behind. "Allow us to assist, you two!"

I glanced over my shoulder to see a swordsman and several other adventurers behind us.

"We appreciate the help!" I shouted. "Let's get through this together!"

With a quick word of thanks, I turned back to the front.

The battlefield swirled with killing intent. Who would live, and who would die?

Only the world knew.