kscans

Chapter 222 - Twin Battles on the Border

I closed in on Amon's back.

I was wary that he might attack in the same way as before, but... his tail didn't move. Did he not notice me? That couldn't be right.

Then perhaps another move? Just as I thought that, dozens of feathers floated up from Amon's wings. I had a very bad feeling about this. The numerous feathers flew towards me, raining down on me.

But their power was greater than that of arrows. Even with my armor's defense raised, they still managed to inflict scrapes.

First his tail, now his feathers—I couldn't believe he could do this while facing forward. Did he have some kind of automatic defense? The feather attack knocked me to the ground, and I was unable to move.

Tina was beginning to panic under Amon's strength. She was struggling against his superhuman might. The difference in their physical strength was so great that even enhancing her body couldn't overcome it. She was being pushed back, and at this rate, she would be crushed. Just then, she felt his power weaken slightly.

He seemed to be concerned about what was behind him. It appeared Shinsuke was attacking.

Tina wreathed her entire body in wind.

"Wind Bomb Blast!"

A storm raged from her entire body.

It was powerful enough to blow away a human. Even a monster the size of a Goblin Guardian would be knocked down. Amon withstood it. But his face was turned upwards. It seemed the wind pressure was so strong he couldn't even open his eyes.

With that attack, the force holding her back weakened even further. Tina immediately formed roller skates of wind on her feet and escaped.

Putting distance between them, Tina shouted, "I'm alright over here!"

*

As I struggled against the feather attack from behind, Tina's voice reached me. I immediately retreated.

Now that Tina was free, a reckless charge was meaningless. However, I was running low on magic.

I decided to take a gamble.

"Evil-Cleaving Violent Flash!"

I began a high-speed attack.

Amon immediately regenerated his right hand and met my attack with the claws of both hands. His speed was incredible, but his claws weren't wreathed in flame. He must have realized they were useless against my purple fire.

Amon's attacks were twice as numerous as mine. I should have been at a disadvantage. But we were evenly matched. In terms of speed, I had the upper hand. To a third party, it would be impossible to tell what was happening. But the sound and vibrations conveyed that a battle was being fought.

Tina wanted to join in, but the speed of the fight was beyond her perception. One step in, and she would be cut to pieces by someone's attack.

There was only one thing Tina could do: wait for an opportunity. That was all.

A storm of attacks too fast for the eye to see. Was he really holding a katana? The speed was unbelievable. The sensation in my hands was the only confirmation that I was. At first, we were evenly matched, but now I was pushing him back slightly. It seemed that if the timing of his two-handed attacks wasn't perfect, they would interfere with each other, reducing not only their speed but also their power. I could sense Amon's growing panic.

And then... KRAAAANG!

I knocked his hands apart with my katana. Amon's expression clouded over.

I shot fire from my feet and closed the distance in an instant.

Then, I raised my katana high.

*

Meanwhile, the General...

The new group of monsters had joined the fray, and the human army was pushed into a disadvantageous position.

They were already exhausted from the previous battle, and now they were faced with high-ranking and formidable monsters. It wouldn't have been surprising if more than half of them had died. But only a few had been killed in action. About twenty others were seriously injured, and more than twice that number had minor injuries. The number of deaths was small.

The fact that casualties were so low in this situation was a testament to the commander's skill.

From the rear of the battle line, the General commanded, "The wounded, fall back! You'll be a hindrance to the others! Warriors, fall back for now! Magicians and archers, don't let the monsters get close!"

The soldiers who had been fighting on the front lines fell back and immediately began to replenish their energy. Of course, the monsters weren't just going to stand by and watch. They prepared to pursue. But a barrage of long-range attacks prevented them from getting close.

However, there were those who pushed through regardless: the Ogres led by the Great Ogres. They ignored the arrow attacks and advanced without flinching at the magic.

The human army began to panic. Seeing their chance, the Ogres were about to advance when General Goltor stood in their way.

"You shall not take another step!" he declared with unwavering resolve.

The Ogres all snorted in unison, as if to say, what can one human do? Three of them attacked simultaneously with their right fists.

"'Iron Wall' Skill!" the General roared.

He blocked all their attacks.

The Ogres were slightly surprised that the human hadn't been blown away. In that opening, the General wreathed his great hammer in lightning and slammed it into the ground. The vibration and lightning strike stunned the three Ogres, and they fell to one knee.

The General smashed their faces with his great hammer, finishing them off one by one. Seeing this, one of the Great Ogres breathed fire at the General. The flames had the power of a flamethrower.

"Thunder Shock!" the General shouted.

He unleashed a shockwave of lightning.

The shockwave acted as a shield, blocking the flames. The Great Ogre's attack ceased. The Ogres in front of it were charred black, but the General was unharmed. The Great Ogres realized they needed to be serious and finish him off for sure.

Internally, the General was panicking.

He could handle one high-ranking monster, but fighting five would be tough. However, he was the only one who could fight on the front lines right now. It would still be some time before the others who had fallen back could return.

He had to buy time. Just then, a Great Ogre wreathed its right fist in flame and charged at the General.

It ran with the ferocity and intimidation of a charging boar.

The General calmly watched his opponent and readied his lightning-wreathed great hammer. As the Great Ogre approached, it swung its right fist down. The scorching flames radiated heat even before they made contact. A normal person would have been burned and writhing in agony. But the General endured the heat, sweating only slightly.

He swung his great hammer in a wide horizontal arc. The fist and the great hammer collided. Neither gave an inch. But the heatwave mercilessly assaulted the General. He poured more magic into his hammer, increasing the power of the lightning.

The electricity passed through the flames and spread throughout the Great Ogre's body.

It roared in pain and numbness. The flames on its fist vanished, and the great hammer sent it flying back. Just as he was about to press his advantage, Great Ogres appeared on his left and right.

The General had forgotten—there was no way the other Great Ogres would just stand by and watch.

The two Great Ogres attacked him simultaneously with their fists. He didn't have time to use his skill. Their attacks hit him directly, crushing him like a press.

When their fists pulled away, the General was on his knees.

A dull pain shot through both his arms. Thanks to his armor, no bones were broken, but he wouldn't be able to move for a while. Three Great Ogres stood before him. He could see flames in their mouths. They intended to finish him off.

Realizing this was the end, he hung his head. But then, multiple water magic spells flew from behind him and entered the Great Ogres' mouths. Caught by surprise, the three Great Ogres closed their mouths and swallowed the water, then began to cough violently. They had drunk the water too quickly and it had probably gone down the wrong pipe.

And then...

"""OOOOOOHHHHHH!"""

A war cry erupted.

The front-line soldiers had returned. The adventurers ignored the Great Ogres and charged at the mass of monsters. The monsters were momentarily stunned, but when they heard multiple screams, they immediately began to counterattack. The knights charged at the Great Ogres.

A knight approached the General.

"General! Are you alright?! Take this."

He handed him a high potion.

The General drank it in one gulp. His wounds healed in the blink of an eye. But the pain didn't disappear. Still, he would be able to return to the front lines soon.

"You've already recovered? That was fast," the General said, his face weary.

The knight replied, "No, sir. We can barely swing our weapons..."

To this, the General said, "! Why would you come back in such a state..."

Before he could finish, the knight interrupted. "Losing you would be the worst possible outcome! Please, look."

He pointed to where the human army was fighting recklessly.

The General had told them to prepare to die, but he hadn't meant for them to throw their lives away uselessly. He wanted as many of them as possible to survive. That was why he had commanded them as he had.

The knight continued, "General, you told us to be prepared. But we all understand. We know you are trying to keep us alive. Without your command earlier, dozens of us would have died. We know that your 'desperate resolve' was just a way to raise our morale. You've done more than enough, General."

The knight said no more.

The General replied, "I understand. In that case, it is my duty to accept your feelings. Let's go."

The General steeled his resolve once more.

With his great hammer in hand, he charged at the Great Ogres alongside his knights.

*

Meanwhile...

I brought my sword down on his defenseless torso.

But just before it made contact, the purple flame vanished. And then, a wave of fatigue washed over my body.

The effect of `Turmoil` had worn off.

Amon, unharmed, declared, "An opening!"

He slammed his right palm into me with all his might.

I was sent flying several meters, bouncing multiple times.

I can't move. My magic is gone, so I can't channel it into my armor. I took the hit directly.

Tina screamed, "Aah... ku... you... YOU BASTAAAAAARD!"

She charged at Amon with her sword of light.