Flames bursts out of Christa's hand, spreading across the whole area, not leaving a single hole or corners without being ravaged by her flames. The goblins that are in the area have been incinerated the moment Christa's fire touched and engulfed them. However, some goblins that seemed to be holding a staff have managed to guard itself against the flame and went on the run.
"A shaman, huh?"
After seeing the shamans fleeing, Christa then dispersed her flames.
"I'm gonna go after them, you guys should get out of here."
When she turned around to face Itsuo and the others, she finds Selene lying on the ground and looked extremely exhausted as she seemed to be out of breath. Itsuo immediately comes to Selene's aid as he helped her sit still, but Selene fell on him.
"Are you okay, Selene?"
Selene could not say a word to respond to Itsuo, but it was clear that Selene used every last bit of her magic to drive herself into that state. Itsuo then helped Selene get back on her feet while the three other women stood up on their own.
"She must've used every last bit of her magic. Sorry, Christa, but we will have to get out of the cave while we can."
"Alright, take the other ones, too. I'll go and chase the goblins that went deeper."
"Are you sure you're gonna..."
Itsuo did not finish his sentence, he thought it was foolish of him to worry at someone who can just burn the goblins easily, someone who is clearly strong. He went back to what he was doing - helping Selene to get back by putting her hand around his shoulders. He then talked to the three survivors who seemed to understand his words even after being traumatized.
"Everyone we're getting out of here!"
Itsuo then turned to Christa.
"I can't be much of a help, I'm sorry."
"It's fine, go. And be careful when you get outside."
The last words that Christa spoke before they part ways puzzled Itsuo, wanting to know what it means, he tried to ask her but it was too late as Christa went deep into the nest. Left with only Selene who is worn out and the three other women, Itsuo decided to just get out of the cave with the same route where they entered.
In the meantime, with her flames to act as a source of light, Christa follows the path that the shaman went through. Of course, the goblins that the shamans warned of Christa's presence came running and confronting her one after another. But with her fists and her kicks, she hits them one by one, sending them away with her strength. She continues to do the same with the goblins who confronted her as she tails the shamans who are running away from her.
Somewhere deeper inside the goblins' nest, a big and open space enclosed by walls from dirt and stones, filled with torches that lit up the whole area is where most of the goblins are gathered together. Some small ones are feeding with meat but were not clear if the flesh they are eating came from a human. Apart from them, there are huge ones - the hobgoblins - who seemed to be conversing with others. But the way they communicate is different from how humans are communicating with their native languages. Some shamans can also be seen in the area as well that looked like they are comparing the staff each one of them uses to one another.
One would say, they looked like normal people from a village, doing their everyday thing in the neighborhood. However, the seemingly peaceful activity of the goblins is about to turn into chaos as a goblin that came out of one of the tunnels was seen running away in fear. Then, the tunnel that the goblin came from has started to give out light while the goblin hid in the middle of the crowd.
Some of the goblins that noticed the one hiding have turned their attention towards the tunnel as the light is seemingly becoming brighter and brighter. Then, fire suddenly bursts out of the cave. The goblins were startled. The goblins that were busy conversing with the others and the ones who are busy on their feast have turned their eyes on the tunnel that continues to spit flames. As the fire continues, some goblins came out of the tunnel, screeching in pain as they got caught by the fire. Turning their dark green skin into a pitch-black burned body of a lifeless goblin.
Seeing all these alerts the goblins of a danger. Holding their clubs, knives, daggers, they wait for the source of the flame that killed their fellow goblins to come out of the tunnel. They continued to watch carefully as they wait for someone or something to come out, but nothing seems to be coming out. Until a figure came out like a bolt and quickly leaped towards the shamans. In an instant, the goblin shamans' heads were severed, falling on the ground like a ball. Blood started gushing out like a fountain as the headless body of the goblins felled on the ground just like their own heads.
Because it was too fast, the other goblins did not see how their shamans have been killed. The only thing they saw was the shamans' lifeless bodies separated with their heads on the ground. Then, they heard a sound as if something landed on the ground. Obviously, it was the figure that appeared a few seconds ago and killed the shamans. The fire began to spread around the figure, revealing its identity to the goblins - it was Christa who chased the shamans earlier. And obviously, she killed the ones she's chasing before coming in this big gathering area of the goblins.
"Now then, you don't have a single shaman to protect you from magic."
The goblins roared as they charged forward, attacking Christa all at once.
"Burn!"
Christa began to use her flames once again, making the small goblins meet the same fate as the other goblins after confronting Christa. Meanwhile, the hobgoblins survived her ferocious flames but were still badly injured. Some, fall to their knees while the others managed to stay on their feet.
"Eh... You guys are still alive, huh? If only I can properly control my magic, I could've ended it in an instant. Angelika should've trained me to use magic properly, too."
As the goblins grunted in pain, one of them roared as if it was screaming for help. Then, the sound of something heavy walking from a distance could be heard.
"Oh...?"
Three goblins came out of the darkness. They appear to be bigger and more masculine than a normal kobold goblin. They also appear to wear garments that are unique to one another, like the one seen to have chains that are circling from their lower chest onto their back. The other is wearing a skull of an animal as a head armor while the other seemed to be just like a normal goblin, its upper body is exposed, but it wears a bone necklace that shamans usually use and its loincloth is decorated with bones and some skulls.
"Oh, are you guys the goblin commanders?"
One of the three grunted at the kobold goblins as it orders them to stand up, the kobolds quickly stood up just like they were ordered.
"Looks like it."
Finally, Christa pulls the long white cloth behind her. As she removed the cover that acts as a sheath, she clenched the wooden sword's grip with her right hand.
"I'm getting bored of using my magic. It's time for us to do this with melee combat!"
The goblin commanders seemed to be laughing at the weapon difference between them and Christa - She had a normal looking wooden sword while the three goblin commanders are wielding a battle-ax, a giant blade, and a huge club.
"Oh? What are you guys laughing at? My weapon, huh? Do you guys think this thing won't work on you? well, don't blame if you cry in pain."
The goblin commanders carrying their weapons, as well as the hobgoblins, their battle cry echoed throughout the enclosed area as they storm towards Christa. She did the same and dashes forward to confront them. As they are about to clash with one another, as the goblin commanders are about to hit her with their weapons, she suddenly vanished out of their sight and they hit the ground instead of her.
Then, Christa appeared behind the hobgoblins and dashes faster than the naked eye. In a split second, the hobgoblins who are badly injured have their bodies full of cuts and by Christa's wooden sword. Because of the endless number of wounds made by her weapon, the hobgoblins started falling onto the ground as they lose a lot of blood and have died in the process.
The goblin commanders who couldn't react to Christa's incredible speed turned around their backs and saw a horrifying sight of the hobgoblins lying dead on the ground. But the girl who slew them was nowhere to be seen. Until the goblin commander standing between the two was sent flying after being kicked by Christa. Then, she proceeds to do the same to the other two goblins standing beside her - sending them away with her powerful kick. Then, she landed safely on the ground.
"I thought goblins from another place would be stronger than the ones living in the "Forest of no Return." What a shame."
The goblin commanders pick themselves up after being blown away.
"Well, I guess the no matter where they are or how many of them become a shaman, a goblin commander or whatever, goblins will always be the same..."
As Christa continues to seemingly mock the goblins. Blinded with rage, one of the goblin commanders recklessly went on the attack towards Christa. As it was about to swing its battle-ax and hit her. She then effortlessly, stopped it with only her barehand.
"A weakling."
The ax began to show cracks as Christa hardens her grip. And eventually, the battle-ax has crumbled to pieces. She then easily kicked the goblin commander away once again. The other two who tried to attack Christa ended up having their limbs cut by her wooden sword. Then, she proceeded to end their lives by stabbing its heart while the other has its head severed just like the others. Their blood sprayed into Christa's clothes as well as her face.
"Ah... I look disgusting now. Oh well."
The last goblin commander had given up and began to wait for its fated death just like the other ones. But instead of being killed after coming closer to it, Christa spoke to the goblin.
"Hey."
The goblin commander looks at Christa's face.
"I can't sense them, so you're going to take me to where they are."
The goblin seemed to be confused with Christa words.
Meanwhile, Itsuo and the others continued on their way to get out of the cave. Because the cave has returned to its original form after eliminating the shamans, the turns and curves confused them. However, after a few minutes, Itsuo managed to find the way out.
"Light, there's the way out! Let's go!"
Itsuo and the others immediately followed the light. And finally, all of them got out of the cave. After finally seeing the trees, the morning light, a scenery they've never seen in a long time made them regained their senses.
"Forest..."
"We got out of the cave?."
"We're finally out of that hell...?"
The women could not help but cry in joy as they have finally escaped a terrible nightmare that is being the goblins' plaything. Meanwhile, Itsuo helped Selene put her back against a tree. Selene then opens her eyes slightly as she looks at Itsuo's.
"Itsuo..."
"Selene, are you alright?"
"Yes, I just used all of my mana but I should regain them after I take a rest."
Selene's magic shield doesn't consume a lot of mana but it is considerably durable, knowing that, Itsuo began to wonder as to what has drained Selene's magic. Then, Selene answered.
"Back when Christa told me to create a barrier to protect us from her fire. The force of her flames is too strong that it makes my shield crumble almost immediately. And so I had to repeatedly recreate the shield. And that's why I used every last bit of my mana."
With his question that has finally been answered. Another question sprung into Itsuo's mind.
'Just how strong is Christa?'
Back inside the cave, at a certain area that looks like a throne room of the leader of the goblins was. A huge goblin with a similar size to a goblin commander, wielding a staff perfectly big for its beastly size seemed to be having a debate with another goblin commander. It's like they are deciding to make a run or stay and fight because of a single human. Between them, sitting on what it seems to be throne seat made by refined and hardened bones, is the leader of the goblins. It appears to be a little bit bigger than the two who are busy arguing with one another. Its appearance doesn't seem to be a bit different to the other goblins except for the ripped brown cloth covering its chest and a loincloth. It also appears to have a pair of bone earrings, a necklace and other accessories made by bones and skulls.
As the goblin in the middle quietly listens to the two who are still arguing, suddenly, something came flying towards them. When they turned their attention towards it, the smoke revealed the thing to be an upper body of a goblin commander.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to send him that way, he helped me find you after all."
The voice of the girl holding the lower part of the goblin spoke, she then throws it away as if it was just a toy a kid got bored playing. The two goblins seemed to be surprised and did not expect Christa's arrival while the one sitting on its throne remained silent.
"This place sure is big, right? Goblin Queen?"