Junior's party consisted of five mages.
Junior, an SSR-grade mage, and two R-grade and two N-grade mages.
The gap between the well-equipped and awakened Junior and the rest, who had barely mastered the basic skills, was stark.
But even the least among them was still a mage.
And when five mages gather, they could literally shake heaven and earth with their combined power.
The four mages, excluding Junior, each unleashed their elemental magic.
"Ooh-"
"Wow-"
"Ah-!"
With the faint battle cries of the young boy and girl mages, their spells chaotically struck the southern field.
Flames, whirlwinds, fierce streams of water, and rocks rained down in disarray.
Boom! Bam!
In the face of such magic, even the Goblin shieldbearers' defenses were useless, and where each spell struck, dozens of Goblins fell like flies.
However, after a short barrage, the young mages were panting and had to step back, seemingly having reached their limit due to their low levels.
Then, finally, Junior stepped forward.
"Huff..."
Taking in a deep breath, Junior thrust forward her staff.
Junior was an Elemental Sorcerer.
A mage capable of controlling all elements of magic.
While she excelled in her innate elements—water, wind, and electricity—she wasn't incapable of handling others.
Especially when the other mages had laid the groundwork like this!
"Grrr-!"
Junior's eyes widened with determination, and the magical atoms that filled the field began to move in an intricate dance.
The elements of fire (火), wind (風), water (水), earth (土), and then—
Rumble, rumbling...
Flash!
Lightning (雷)!
The very element Junior inherited from Jupiter, the lightning, joined in!
The five magical elements intertwined and synergized, fusing together magically, and then, moments later.
Boom!
A terrifying explosion ensued.
The field before the forward base turned into a wasteland. At least hundreds of Goblins caught within the range were instantly reduced to ashes.
The aftermath of the explosion, with its flames and residual heat, made the area difficult to approach.
This was the power of a mage.
A walking bombardment, a living tactical missile!
Any formidable monster legion would have been nearly annihilated by such a combined attack, as hundreds were incinerated.
But—
Creak...
Click! Click!
They were Goblins.
Creatures accustomed to using their sheer numbers as a weapon.
And they had spread out their formation in anticipation of such an attack.
It wasn't enough to break the vanguard of these creatures...!
As the field rippled with the heat of magic, the dispersed Goblin horde didn't stop; they continued their charge.
After firing her big shot, Junior started to recharge her magical power, and in the meantime, I called upon my next missile.
"Damien. It's your turn!"
"Got it!"
Damien immediately dropped his magic rifle and drew the 'Black Queen.'
Damien had two area-of-effect abilities.
His ultimate skill, 'Showdown,' and the railgun mode of the 'Black Queen.'
This time, 'Showdown' was sealed off—not because it was ineffectual, but because the number of enemies was too great.
'Showdown' shoots a magical bullet that targets all enemies and allies within sight, attacking the enemies and healing allies.
However, the total amount of magic power Damien could expend was finite, so the more targets he acquired, the more his bullets would fragment, reducing their power.
With the Goblin legion numbering over 30,000, using 'Showdown' would split Damien's magical power into 30,000 shots—a futile act.
It would only result in draining his magic power and becoming combat ineffective.
So the second option it is—'Black Queen'!
Damien prepared by fitting on the heat-resistant gloves and drew out a pristine magic rifle, clutching it to his chest.
"Nightmare Slayer mode, engage."
Click, click!
The barrel transformed whimsically before finally forming two long rails.
"Set it to maximum power."
Fizz, fizzzzzz...!
Seven magic bullets condensed into one large one, trembling with sparks of electricity between the two rails.
Magical currents sparked between the rails, signaling the completion of the firing preparations. Damien signaled to me with a glance, and I nodded in response.
"Fire away!"
"Got it!"
Damien's finger pulled the trigger.
BOOM-!
With an immense gunshot, the magic bullet was fired.
Shattering the barrel of [Black Queen], the magic bullet pierced straight through the depth of the Goblin Legion.
Every goblin in its path was torn to shreds. Instantly, the Goblin Legion was split in two along the trajectory of the magic bullet.
Not just the front-line goblin soldiers, but also the officers in the rear were swept away by this sniper shot.
The kill count of the Goblin Janissaries soared in a single breath.
But, as before...
I couldn't help but repeat the same words as with Junior earlier.
They were goblins, creatures who wielded life as a weapon in their war of attrition, and had spread their formation wide in anticipation of our artillery.
Still, it wasn't enough to break their spearhead...!
Click! Click-click-click!
As if no gap had ever been created, the green wave filled in their casualties and surged forward again.
Within the barricades, stone walls, traps, mines, and the kill zone we had set up-
They died, died, and died again, climbing over the bodies that piled on the ground.
By the time the kill count exceeded a thousand, the vanguard of the Goblin Legion had reached the southern walls.
Ssshhhing-!
Melee heroes on standby for close combat drew their weapons.
Lucas's party. Evangeline's party. The Leprosy Extermination Squad. And Dusk Bringar with the Dragonblood Knights.
Just before they plunged into battle with the goblins that had crowded right up to them-
"Your Majesty!"
A scout's urgent report came in.
Looking in that direction, a scout peering through a telescope at a different bearing shouted.
"They are flanking us-!"
"...!"
I picked up my telescope to look in the direction pointed out by the scout.
Clip-clop! Clip-clop-!
The sight of Goblin Cavalry maneuvering around to the east of the forward base and flanking us became visible. The number of the brutes riding roughshod was in the thousands.
"Your Majesty! To the west as well!"
Another scout reported, and I turned my telescope in that direction.
Rum-rum-rum-rum-rum-!
Charioteers.
Goblins riding chariots pulled by massive beasts came into view. Their scale was significant as well.
'Tch!'
I had had a rough time with werewolves during Stage 10, so I never thought they would honestly just attack from the south.
Especially since this time the opponent was the Goblin God-King. Among the monsters, it was one known for its cunning.
I had kept it in mind, but to attack the rear so textbook perfectly...
'The walls of the forward base are not high.'
We'd reinforced them diligently, but in the end, it was merely a base, not a fortress. And our numbers were not great.
Even the cavalry and chariots could neutralize the walls.
Distracting with infantry like shield soldiers while sending in the high-impact cavalry and charioteers in a flanking maneuver was textbook and effective tactics.
'From ancient times to the modern era, the basics of tactics can ultimately be explained simply.'
Anvil and Hammer.
The defense force (Anvil) withstands the enemy's attacks while the mobile attack force (Hammer) moves to strike the enemy's rear.
Shield and spear. Infantry and cavalry. Tank and DPS...
Even as a gamer who's clueless about military strategy, I could recognize the fundamental, textbook tactics effective in any game for managing troops effectively.
And then—the Goblin Legion's anvil was deep and firm.
Their infantry units, despite being torn to shreds by our crossfire, somehow managed to hold their ground.
No, it was more than just holding on—they were right under our chins, intact.
And now, the Goblin Legion's hammer was approaching from behind.
They were positioning our chin on the anvil to strike us on the back of the head with a hammer.
"Entire army!"
What choice did we have?
"We retreat—!"
Better to flee before getting hammered.
"Through the Teleport Gate, back to Crossroad!"
"...!"
"Begin the retreat with the regular soldiers! Immediately! Execute the order!"
Some of the heroes and soldiers looked at me with surprised eyes. A retreat sooner than planned could be confusing.
But that was how swift their advance and flanking had been.
To escape unscathed as per our initial plan, we needed to start retreating now.
Boom! Bam!
With one last barrage from the cannons and ballistae, and firing off the artifacts.
Swoosh!
Whoosh!
We poured oil and lit the equipment on fire, ensuring it wouldn't fall into enemy hands, and the soldiers began to rush back inside the forward base.
Watching them, I turned my head to the side. Dusk Bringar flashed her sharp teeth in a grin.
"Do you finally need my help?"
"Yes. Your Grace, I leave it to you."
"Haha, just leave it to me!"
Dusk Bringar, standing atop the wall with a smirk, took a deep breath, and then,
"Lie down, you worms—!"
She let out a thundering lion's roar.
Dragon Roar!
The prerogative of the top predator dragons. Merely with their growling, the victims freeze in terror.
Creak?!
Squeak!
Thud!
The Goblins within range of the Dragon Roar dropped their weapons and lay flat on the ground. The effect was undeniable.
'Good, this buys us more time.'
I looked back at the heroes and nodded.
"Let's retreat!"
The hero parties also started running towards the Teleport Gate.
The Teleport Gate set up in the central courtyard of the forward base was activated, emitting light.
Most of the soldiers had already escaped.
Lucas pointed inside the gate.
"My liege. Please go ahead."
"No, I'll be the last to..."
"My liege."
Lucas insisted with a stern face.
"Please go ahead."
"..."
It wasn't a situation for stubbornness. I nodded and threw myself into the Teleport Gate.
Flash!
Once the teleportation was complete, it was the Crossroad barracks. Soldiers who had arrived earlier were lined up under their superiors' orders, checking numbers.
Flash! Flash!
After I passed through, the remaining members kept returning one by one through the teleport.
Damien's sniper party and Junior's mage party were the first to return.
After them, Dusk Bringar and the Dragonblood Knights, Evangeline's party, and then Lucas's party returned in order.
And then, a moment of silence.
I furrowed my brow and looked towards the gate. What's going on.
"Why aren't the remaining people coming back..."
Crash!
Before I could finish, a noisy commotion ensued as bandaged, bulky mercenaries rolled out from the gate.
The tank party, the Leprosy Extermination Squad, assigned to the rear guard, had returned.
Their leader, Torkel, shook off the green blood and soot from his body.
"...Just barely made it. Right before we entered the gate, the Goblin Legion broke into the fortress... We barely escaped before being caught."
"Well done, Torkel. Alright, does that mean everyone has returned?"
As I checked the faces of the returned heroes, I suddenly stopped.
"...Wait a minute."
Only then did the other heroes notice the anomaly, their expressions hardening one by one.
After checking the number of heroes and soldiers once more, I muttered reluctantly.
"Where did the Shadow Squad go?"
--TL Notes--
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