kscans

Chapter 211 - The Empire's Advance.

The Empire. The Royal Castle.

The Throne Room.

While the other nations had begun their counteroffensive, there was no such movement here.

Because a counteroffensive from the Royal Capital was pointless. The Empire’s greatest strength was its border.

Yorune spoke.

"...Captain? What is the situation?"

Captain Magnes, standing at perfect attention before him, replied.

"...There is no change in the monsters’ movements. Our forces—both soldiers and knights—are holding strong, but a portion of the adventurers fled last night. ...It was only the rookies who ran. ...It seems someone filled their heads with something."

He seemed to find it too tiresome to even mention the person by name.

Yorune nodded. "...I see. It can’t be helped. We can only pray they made it out safely. ...And what of him?"

He asked, just to be sure.

Magnes sighed. "...He is currently in a room at the Guild. We have him under surveillance, but he appears completely at ease."

Yorune gave his order. "...Do not engage in any aggressive combat here. Everything waits until the battle at the border is concluded."

Just as he made the declaration, a knight burst into the room in a panic.

"...F-Forgive my insolence!! The monsters are on the move!! ...They are advancing on us as well!!"

At this report, Yorune turned to his captain.

"...Captain Magnes. Intercept the monsters at once. Our forces are limited. Do not lose anyone needlessly."

Magnes bowed once and departed for the battlefield.

Left alone, Yorune looked to the heavens. "...May victory be with the General. And with ‘Red Lightning’..."

He offered a prayer.

The border.

The battle raged on.

The appearance of three Goblin Guardians had intensified the fighting. Worse still, hordes of Goblins had appeared and joined forces with the Lizardmen. The combat grew fiercer by the minute.

In the midst of it all, I made a decision.

"...Alright, I’ll take one of the Goblin Guardians. ...Tina? You okay?" I asked, checking on her.

After all, this enemy had an absurdly high defense against physical attacks. Its only weakness was fire.

But Tina wasn’t skilled with fire magic, and the flames from a spear wouldn’t be enough to bring it down.

Tina replied, "...I’m fine. ...There are plenty of ways to handle this. Please, believe in me."

Her eyes held no trace of doubt.

I nodded. "...Got it. As for the other one... looks like it’s taken care of."

In the distance, General Goltor was looking our way.

Goltor saw the newly arrived Goblin Guardians. "...Looks like I’ll have to take these on. ...But I can’t do it alone. ...Which means..."

He scanned his surroundings, searching for someone who could match his strength and wouldn't flinch against a high-level monster. In this place, there were only two such people. When he found his targets, they had already drawn their swords.

A sign they were getting serious. Noticing Goltor’s gaze, the man nodded at him.

Goltor said, "...I’m counting on you."

He spoke his thanks, though it was impossible for them to hear.

…The General was looking this way, so I gave him a nod. He seemed to understand, turning his gaze back to the Goblin Guardian.

I told Tina, "...Looks like the General will handle one of them. Now we can fight without holding back."

Tina smiled, relieved. "...You’re right. It’s a relief not to have that extra worry."

Honestly, taking on three Goblin Guardians would have been rough, especially on a chaotic battlefield like this.

Tina and I broke into a run, heading for our targets. We ignored the Lizardmen and Goblins that crossed our paths—getting tied up in minor skirmishes would only create an opening for our real opponents. We reached our respective Goblin Guardians at the same time.

Both monsters blocked our sword strikes with their spiked clubs. ...Unlike last time, their weapons were far more vicious. A single hit, even against Adamantite armor, could be fatal.

…The General charged his own Goblin Guardian, likewise ignoring the swarming enemies.

And then,

"...DOOOORYAAAAAAH!!!"

He swung his great hammer in a massive arc.

The Goblin Guardian met it by raising its own spiked club, and the two weapons clashed.

An adventurer watching the three of them fight yelled, "...Whoa, they’re taking on all three of those high-level monsters! This is our chance! Let’s take care of these small fry so we don’t get in their way!!"

The nearby adventurers and knights let out a battle cry.

Their morale soared, and they successfully began to turn the tide of a battle they had been losing.

Shinsuke’s Side

I faced the Goblin Guardian. Looking at it again, I saw it was wearing a breastplate in addition to its new weapon. A quick `Analysis` revealed the details. ...Mithril, fire-resistant, slash-resistant...

That was some quality armor. The kind even a seasoned adventurer would have trouble acquiring. And the other two were wearing the same gear. Just as the General suspected, there was an intelligent entity behind this. ...One with either significant funds or advanced crafting skills.

I cloaked my sword in flame. ...The Goblin Guardian readied its club.

We stared each other down. ...The Goblin Guardian moved first.

It took a step and brought its club crashing down. I dodged. I was confident I could block it, but I didn’t want to waste the stamina. ...That said, this wasn't an opponent I could beat by holding back.

The moment I dodged, I swung my sword horizontally at the Goblin Guardian’s right leg.

It connected, but only managed to inflict a slight burn. Not even a scratch. This one had even higher defense than the last one.

…The Goblin Guardian paid it no mind, instead swinging its left fist in a backhand blow. My posture was off; dodging was impossible. I took a defensive stance and poured magic into my armor. ...The backhand sent me flying, but I was uninjured. ...Adamantite really was the best. Its defensive power was second to none.

The Goblin Guardian grew cautious and didn’t move, keeping its club at the ready. ...It must have realized that a direct hit having no effect meant normal attacks were useless.

…A formidable opponent. A calm, calculating enemy is always a pain to fight.

I readied my Flame Sword and slowly closed the distance. The Goblin Guardian did the same. ...The instant our weapons were in range,

...they clashed. Sword and club were locked in a stalemate. We immediately broke apart.

Given its size and weight, the club should have been limited to downward swings or sweeps, but the Goblin Guardian’s immense strength allowed it to swing it around freely. Right to left, a horizontal sweep from the left into a sweep from the right—it attacked without a moment's pause. ...I continued to parry the ceaseless barrage with my sword.

In terms of pure strength, it was my near-equal with my magic-enhanced abilities. Using `Thunderclap Incarnation` would probably end it, but I’d already used a fair amount of magic in the battle so far. Thinking about what lay ahead, I wanted to avoid using it. ...I had no choice but to win with my experience and sword skills alone.

Fortunately, I’d trained for just this sort of thing, so I shouldn’t have too much trouble. ...After parrying for the umpteenth time, the Goblin Guardian executed a wide horizontal sweep from the right. I deflected it and slipped inside its guard. In that momentary opening, I unleashed a flurry of blows. ...A five-hit combo, aimed at the parts of its body not covered by armor.

The impact forced the Goblin Guardian to stumble back. Its abdomen wasn't cut, but it was scorched black.

…The Goblin Guardian rubbed its stomach slightly. I couldn’t tell if it was hurt, but it was clearly bothered by the attack.

I poured magic into my sword.

"...Flame Demon Sword ‘Thrust’."

A red orb of energy formed at the tip of my blade.

…I assumed a thrusting stance. The Goblin Guardian sensed something was wrong. It let out a roar and brought its club down with both hands. It was faster than before, the muscles in its arms bulging.

…I couldn’t block or dodge this attack. My only option was to strike faster than my opponent.

I leaped into the Goblin Guardian’s range. The whole motion took 0.5 seconds. ...The Goblin Guardian’s strike would land in 0.30 seconds. ...A span of time incomprehensible to an ordinary person.

But relying on an instinct honed by experience, I plunged the tip of my sword into its stomach. ...And then.

…DOKKAAN…

An explosion echoed across the field. ...The Goblin Guardian was blown away. It flew two meters before landing with a heavy thud and collapsing.

There was no sign of it getting up. ...As I approached, I saw a large hole blown through its stomach. It was an instant kill.

I sighed in relief. "...That was a gamble, but it paid off. In a way, I have the Former Pope to thank for this."

…This technique was based on the former Pope Aleister's exploding sword. I had practiced condensing the energy over and over again. ...I’d only wondered if I could do it, but I never thought it would come in handy like this.

I was glad I’d taken the time to learn so many different things.