From the body of the King of Flies, a horde of monstrous flies poured out towards the forward base.
Screeeeech!
The sound of the wind being sliced as the flies descended.
Their methodical release in precise intervals resembled a meticulously coordinated missile barrage.
However, we were not unprepared on this side.
"Summon-!"
I shouted, extending my hand forward.
Swoosh!
At that moment, my magical barrier overlaid atop the forward base's walls, simultaneously combining with R-grade magical cores and various building materials pre-positioned around the area.
My ultimate skill, [The Foremost Flag], allows the construction of a magical fortress. Within this fortress's range, the restriction on the number of summoned creatures disappears.
In other words, as long as there are materials and resources, it's possible to build an unlimited number of turrets!
Within seconds, dozens of automatic turrets were constructed atop the walls of the forward base.
Click, clack, clang!
Click-!
The completed automatic turrets raised their barrels in unison and then,
Ratatatata!
Fired away.
A barrage of turquoise magic bullets decorated the sky, shredding the incoming monstrous flies to pieces.
Vrooooom!
For the flies that narrowly evaded the barrage with acrobatic flight, there was,
Zapzapzap!
An electric trap waiting!
The walls of the forward base were plastered with all kinds of insect-killing traps.
From electric traps to sticky traps, insecticides, flame throwers...
Artifacts optimized for killing flies were densely packed.
This was, in essence, Project Fly Hell!
Thud, thud, thud...!
The flies torn apart by the barrage and caught in traps quickly dropped dead. The first wave of monstrous flies was swiftly dealt with.
"Ha, haha...!"
"This is nothing!"
The faces of the heroes and soldiers brightened a bit, having realized anew that they could indeed contend with these monsters.
And at the same time.
Click-
The King of Flies now extended two of its legs forward.
Immediately after,
Vrooooom-
Screeeeech!
A much larger number of flies emerged from the King of Flies's abdomen than before.
Their numbers were roughly double that of the first wave.
Maintaining formation, I yelled towards the incoming horde of monsters.
"Don't underestimate them-!"
The automatic turrets ceaselessly fired magic bullets, and the flies that made it through the barrage all crashed into traps and dropped dead.
Still, sufficiently, manageable!
Click-
And the King of Flies, before the second wave had even finished dying, moved on to its next action.
This time, it extended four of its legs forward.
Vrooooom-
Screeeeech!
An intimidating swarm of flies poured out from the King of Flies's abdomen.
Twice the number of the previous wave. Four times that of the initial wave.
The sky was so filled with flies that the blue of the sky was almost completely obscured.
Until now, defensive turrets, traps, and artifacts alone had enabled automatic interception, but now it was becoming difficult.
"Grr...! Begin interception!"
At my shout, the waiting heroes and soldiers gripped their weapons.
"Artillery! Fire!"
"Yes! Fire-!"
"Fire-!"
Boom! Boom! Boomboomboom!
Artillery skillfully fired their shells, which exploded in mid-air, showering down a rain of fire.
Followed by arrows from the archers, skewering the flies and causing them to rain down like precipitation.
The elite forces of the monster front formed an overwhelming barrage. The flies couldn't even approach properly and were utterly annihilated.
And then,
As if completely indifferent to the humans' desperate resistance, the King of Flies mechanically moved on to its next action.
Click-
Legs. Eight of them.
"...!"
Suddenly, clouds gathered in the sky, and then, those clouds began to move toward the forward base en masse.
...No, not clouds.
A swarm of flies.
Double the number of the previous wave. Eight times that of the initial wave, these monstrous flies descended on the forward base like a rain of missiles.
In desperation, I called out to the mage.
"Dearmudin!"
"I'm on it!"
The mages waiting in the wings raised their staves towards the sky at once. Dearmudin commanded,
"In the order we agreed upon, by element! Water element team goes first, then follow in sequence!"
"Yes!"
"Now-!"
Following Dearmudin's signal, magic of different elements poured forth.
Water, ice, and then lightning.
Followed by wind.
Lastly, fire.
Dearmudin unleashed a massive flame from his staff.
Mages, positioned by element, executed the pre-arranged combination. The swarm of flies filling the sky was cleanly swept away.
But,
Click-
The King of Flies did not stop.
Now, it extended sixteen legs.
"...!"
For a moment, I couldn't hear anything.
The sheer number of flies emerging from the King of Flies was so great that the sound of their wings fluttering filled my ears to the point of deafness.
"Burnout!"
I shouted desperately. Thankfully, due to my trait [Main Order], my command was clearly conveyed to my subordinates.
"It's your turn!"
Burnout nodded and activated her equipment.
Click! Vroom...!
A rough sound, reminiscent of a gasoline car's engine, roared as Burnout's custom-made, large, specialized weapon transformed and readied itself.
It was a massive, mounted machine gun-like device, with six barrels arranged in a cylindrical shape, and at its center, a bombing core taken from the body of the Dandelion Monster Legion commander was installed.
Creak...!
As a red light entered the core, hundreds of dandelion seed-like bullets were loaded into the barrels as if being sucked in, and as the barrels began to spin and preheat to a red glow, the device started firing.
Dadadadada-!
A terrifying firing sound was accompanied by a blinding muzzle flash.
Burnout had the ability to add explosive properties to the projectiles she fired. Moreover, using a weapon made from the core of a dandelion monster, specialized for bombing, and...
'Adding the ultimate skill effect on top of that!'
Burnout's awakened ultimate skill [Fireworks] is a passive skill.
Its effect is to make the bodies of the enemies she kills immediately 'explode.'
Compared to other heroes' ultimate skills, it might seem modest, but the true value of this ultimate skill is revealed when facing a massive number of monsters like now.
If Burnout kills an enemy monster with her bombing,
The dead monster's body explodes, and the explosion damage causes another dead monster's body to explode... creating an infinite chain reaction.
And if this combination of bombing and explosion can be successfully linked!
Boomboomboomboom!
It becomes possible to truly annihilate hordes of minor monsters with firepower...!
Flowers of fire bloomed in the sky. In front of Burnout's overwhelming bombardment, countless flies exploded, burst, and fell burning.
In front of this spectacular fireworks display, our heroes and soldiers cheered.
When the terrifying explosions ended, the sky had cleared, and at the base of the forward base's walls, the bodies of the burnt flies were piled up like a mountain.
A smile unwittingly crossed my lips.
"How does it taste, you damned bugs..."
I couldn't finish my sentence.
Click-
Thirty-two legs of the King of Flies.
Were extending forward.
Unknowingly, I screamed.
"Damn it, enough already! You crazy monster-!"
Thudthudthudthudthud-!
It poured down.
A shower of fly monsters, thirty-two times the number of the initial wave, was hammered towards the ground.
"Fire at will! Respond-!"
We also began intercepting using all available means.
But- there were too many.
Far too many.
Beyond automatic turrets, traps, artifacts, shells, arrows, magic, and bombardments...
Vrooooom!
The flies that finally broke through the barrage and fire net began to penetrate inside the walls.
I stared at the hideous compound eyes of a giant fly that had reached right in front of me, thinking.
Why.
Is there so many...?!
"Bodybag-!"
At the same time as my shout, Bodybag, who was on standby, activated her exclusive equipment.
Bodybag's ultimate skill is [Multiple Telekinesis].
The ability to manipulate multiple objects at once with telekinesis, with no limit to the number of objects as long as the magic allows.
Click, click, click-!
Dozens of armors arrayed in front of Bodybag rose into the air all at once.
The armor, obtained from the Ironclad Lion and processed to be as light yet as sturdy as possible.
Bodybag used these armors to-
Thump! Thump! Thump-!
Block the rain of flies pouring towards Burnout by force.
Burnout needs to keep attacking without rest.
Someone needs to block the flies' attacks for Burnout, who is continuously bombarding. Bodybag was performing that role.
From all directions, flies poured towards Burnout, but the armors controlled by Bodybag easily crushed their heads.
Simultaneously, vanguard heroes who had drawn their weapons stepped forward, slicing and stabbing the flies that had gotten close.
Several heroes shone with their brilliant efforts, but especially.
Crackcrackcrack!
The Insect Busters were rampaging.
Their previously shown arrogance was not just for show.
Burning with flamethrowers, melting with unidentified toxic fluids, smashing with hammers, and searing with electrically charged staffs...
Especially the leader was furiously ripping apart the flies, wielding a magitech weapon with blades rotating like a chainsaw in his hand.
Crackcrack-!
With every swing of that saw, flies were ferociously shredded.
The flies that had broken through our fire net and penetrated inside the walls, however, could not breach the wall formed by the vanguard heroes and were utterly pulverized.
It seemed as if we were somehow holding on, but... in reality, the situation was worsening by the moment.
"Your Highness!"
Lilly reported urgently.
"They're not getting caught in the traps anymore!"
"What?"
"They're not being lured into traps! Not a single one has been caught since a while ago!"
It wasn't just the traps.
"The shells aren't hitting properly either!"
"Arrows, too, they seem to be dodging as if they can predict their paths! The hit rate is plummeting! This is clear evasion...!"
I clenched my teeth.
Are they learning?
The flies?
Our attack patterns?
"Don't mess with me, seriously...!"
When we somehow managed to clean up the flies that had swarmed in,
The inside of the forward base was filled with the bodies of flies, and the vanguard heroes and soldiers were gasping for air.
I, too, had been swinging my pistol, Agate, and staff, Maestro, to kill the flies. Grinding my teeth, I looked up at the sky.
Vooooooom...
Slowly, yet surely.
The collective of giant flies - the King of Flies was getting closer to our side.
"...I've been waiting."
And that meant,
"You're within ‘range,’ you damned monster...!"
It also meant that the monster had entered the range where our secret attack would be most efficient!
"Damian! It's your turn!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
As I shouted, Damian, who had been waiting behind me, transformed his rifle as if he had been waiting for this moment.
The true highest firepower of the monster front.
Nightmare Slayer, [Black Queen].
Click, click, creak!
Above the barrel of the Black Queen, transformed into a long railgun, seven magical bullets spun around and merged into one. Magical current imbued with power sparked along the barrel.
I extended my fist forward and yelled.
"Fire!"
Damian did not hesitate to pull the trigger.
Boom!
With a terrifying blast, Damian was thrown backward by the recoil of the shot.
And the white magical bullet that was fired cut through the air like dancing-
Puff-!
And blew the giant head of the King of Flies to pieces.
--TL Notes--
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