"I think it's about time we took our leave. Lance, Melody, Charlotte, Pierre. Don't die on us. We will be monitoring things and we will step in if it is deemed necessary."
"I still don't know what you all are trying to do, but I'll trust you.", Lance replied.
"Wait.", Charlotte called out.
"There is one thing I want to ask first before you all leave."
"What do you want?", Ashley said while frizzling her hair.
"That vortex.... that wasn't a natural disaster, right? That was done by you all, right?"
"Who knows. Maybe. Maybe not. Later."
Samantha waved her hand and used her [Illusion] spell to make the group invisible.
"They just... they just disappeared...", Pierre whispered. He had seem them do it before, but even so was still shocked that they could do something like that. Even those extremely skilled in illusion magic could only make their bodies seem to be transparent, and so to become completely invisible was beyond anything they had heard of. And to do it with such ease...
Lance and the rest were left in shock on seeing this, however he simply waved this away.
"This isn't the most surprising thing we have seen with them so far. At any rate, lets focus on the upcoming fight."
"Yeah.", Melody replied. "Look at all those monsters.", she said, while pointing to the army of fishmen awaiting their arrival.
----
Ashley had perfected her magic to the point where she could create a magical force field with her mana.
What did this mean?
It meant that she was able to essentially move objects around with her magic.
Ashley lifted the antiheroes up into the air.
They were flying.
"Ah, this is a nice breeze.", Garett exclaimed, while sticking his head out into the wind as he flew.
They eventually arrived at a location in the air that was above Kota and the fishmen army.
Samantha held out a hand, and created four seats made from barriers, which were also made invisible using her illusion spell.
The four sat down, all taking their own signature positions, and relaxed as if they were mere spectators to the upcoming battle.
"I suppose this is one form of entertainment, to watch the worms struggle against each other.", Samantha commented while laughing in a high pitched manner.
"Yes.... the plan has finally come to fruition."
What was Trevor's plan?
Trevor understood that there was no saving Kota, and so long as the fishmen were led by him, that they would not perform rational actions. As things stood, they were a worthless race not even worth taking over.
He also understood that the humans held deep hatred towards the monsters, and would not so easily halt the campaign. They also wouldn't submit so easily, and would likely go on some justice rant as well if Trevor tried to win them over.
So what were his options?
He could either choose a side and support them- which would likely not yield favorable results, or he could instead do as he planned.
He didn't choose a side.
He chose individuals, sought them out, and deemed them as worth saving.
In order to avoid bias, he had selected people from both sides.
He did not care about one side or the other. He did not think that either side was right or wrong in this fight.
He only cared about those who would prove useful to him.
However, there was another reason why the antiheroes had allowed this fight to progress to the point it had. A reason beyond mere usefulness. While every single action which could take place had already been carefully planned, there was one final factor that went into their decision to sit back right now.
Entertainment.
They could have easily wiped out either side, or taken over those who were deemed useful without letting things drag out like this.
However, Trevor understood well that his comrades would appreciate being able to view such a spectacle, and so he had set things up for their viewing pleasure.
"Snacks?"
"Check"
Garett pulled out of his inventory a plate of kebabs, along with some popcorn, soda, and sweet rolls.
Samantha created footrests made of invisible barriers, and the four reclined as they prepared to watch the show.
There was another reason why the antiheroes kept their influence on this fight to a minimum.
The antiheroes, and even the Determined, had never released their full strength to anyone present in this fight.
The fishmen had only experienced the slightest sliver of what they were capable of.
The maneuver from Ashley just now was attributed to a natural disaster, but even then she had only used an insignificant fraction of her mana to do that.
Even the members of the resistance who had undergone [mass terrorize] only knew of the smallest percentage of Ashley's mind destroying power.
The reason for this was simple.
They wanted a select few people to know that they existed, however, they did not want them to comprehend just how powerful they were.
Lance and his group were prime examples of this.
Currently, Lance and his group saw the antiheroes as powerful beings- so powerful in fact that they had the strength of legends.
However, their current perception of the strength of the antiheroes was still within the realm of comprehension.
The antiheroes ensured that they never showed strength of incomprehensible levels. The abilities which they had shown thus far were never any greater than 10th or 11th tier, at best.
Though, these abilities were already beyond the realm of comprehension for normal humans, the antiheroes has no way of knowing this. To their knowledge, they were only showing off the smallest sliver of their power- something so insignificant that it shouldn't even raise an eyebrow.
And so, the ships approached the shore, and the fishmen readied themselves to fight. Their tridents were raised, and their expressions that of soldiers, ready to give their lives for their village.
Many other ships from the back line had snuck around the side, preparing to block off the underwater cave after they found it.
"Should we make a bet?", Garett asked.
"It wouldn't be much of a bet with me and Ally.", Trevor replied. "We already know what will happen."
"Ah... then, Sarah, why don't we bet on something. Do you think the fishmen will notice that the Legion Commander is making his way over to the underwater cavern before it is found?"
Samantha put a hand to her chin in thought.
"No, I don't think so."
"Ah, well it isn't much of a bet if we bet the same thing. Fine then. I'll take the opposing stance for the heck of it."
Garett smiled devilishly.
"If a group of fishmen is sent back to defend the cavern before the Empire reaches it, then we jump in and support the fishmen. If not, we jump in and support the humans."
"That doesn't exactly have any benefit for you or me whether I win or lose."
"True, but it will show the fishmen that they were right to listen to our advice if they do so.... and it will ensure that they know they were wrong to ignore us if they don't."
----
Lance checked his pockets before the ships made it to the shore to ensure that he had all the potions prepared by the Doctor with him.
Mid grade healing potions.
Smoke bombs.
Paralysis fumes.
Flashbangs.
Acidic poisons.
Bottles which contained elemental spells.
As an alchemist, Lance enjoyed thoroughly his apprenticeship underneath the Doctor. Before meeting his comrades on that night in the bar, he was studying in order to become a court magician, specialized in the crafting and production of potions and other gadgets. The Emperor had allowed the open practice of magic, so the day in which a court magician would be hired might not have been long off.
However, he met his comrades, and his life took a sharp turn as he entered the mercenary lifestyle.
Lance was originally a very serious person, however his comrades got him to loosen up.
Rather than spending every second of his life studying for some prestigious role which may or may not ever exist, he instead learned to appreciate the present moment.
Lance knew that preparation for the future was important, but he also learned that dawning too much on the future was pointless.
There were some things which were out of his control, and through the adventures and misadventures he had with his comrades, he learned to accept that.
He had to do what he could for the time being, in the present moment.
Right now, the ships were about to hit the shore, and soon enough he would plunge into the battlefield.
Was he scared?
Yes.
Lance rarely ever fought in a battle to the death.
Typically, the most dangerous things that the mercenaries had done up to this point was hunting large animals, or taking down a gang of criminals.
But this was different.
Among humans, Lance and his group were stronger than the average person.
If they were to face off against any old criminal in a one on one, they would win, usually. Only strong mercenaries gave them a real challenge.
However, the only monsters that they had ever faced off against directly were a group of weakened goblins just beyond the border. They seemed to be tortured to the point beyond recognition, and had almost no will to live at that point, so it couldn't exactly have been called a real fight.
Right now, their opponents were fishmen.
They boasted of scales which were as tough as steel, if not stronger to protect their entire bodies.
The muscular bodies of these trained soldiers bulged with strength.
Would his little tricks be enough?
Would him and his comrades be able to survive?
The reason they had decided to come on this trip was twofold.
The first was to make money, in order to support the resistance which they had recently joined.
The second, was because they wanted to assist in the Empire's takeover of the monster realm.
However, now that they sided with the antiheroes, this goal was blurred.
What were they actually trying to achieve here?
Either way, Trevor had told him to simply do as he would have originally.
They would fight the fishmen, as intended.
But would they be able to survive?
The fishmen were excessively stronger than anyone had expected them to be.
The spirits of the soldiers around him were high, however that was only due to an event which was out of their control which eliminated a large amount of the fishmen.
Would he be able to eliminate the rest so easily?
He didn't know.
What he did know, was that he wanted to trust in the antiheroes.
Even if they were monsters, he knew that the time he spent with them was legitimate.
Even if they resorted to terror, he knew that it was not a meaningless act of chaos.
There was a purpose behind it.
Lance could accept this, and he and his group headed over to the boarding area, where a plank had been lowered to allow the soldiers to exit the ship into the shallow water.
The four walked off the ship, where the water was only about a foot deep.
Lance felt the cold water as it soaked his feet, however now was not the time to care about such discomforts.
Just 20 meters away, 700 fishmen were preparing to attack, remaining in a rectangular formation, with their leader behind them.
Some of the more brutish mercenaries began jumping from the deck of the ship, and charging at the formation.
"Heh heh!!! First come, first serve!!!"
About 50 men at once jumped off the ship.
Many more ships were arriving, and large numbers of men were doing the same.
There was no sense of organization.
It was simply a field of chaos, with warriors acting on their own and charging at the organized fishmen formation.
Melody took the position up front, and Charlotte stood next to her.
Pierre and Lance took the back row, and the four advanced cautiously, in the midst of chaos.
They would take out one enemy at a time, and they wouldn't charge in like fools.
They valued their lives more than anything.
Melody raised her staff, and a glowing aura spread around the party.
[Damage Up (Lvl 3)]
[Health Up (Lvl 2)]
[Physical Resistance Up (Lvl 2)]
Buffs were cast on the party, and they glowed with power.
'We can do this.', Lance thought.
Many of the burly men who were running at the fishmen were almost there.
It was then, that the leader of the fishmen shouted out.
"Show these monsters that they have no right to trample on our village!"
----
The entire battlefield was then turned to shambles.
The fishmen ceased to remain in their organized formation, and all ran out towards the many warriors who were running on their own, separated from each other, through the shallow water.
'We don't need something silly like strategy to win a battle like this. Look at these idiots. They are all spread out. Do they think they can beat a fishman in a one on one, and while their legs are dragging in the shallow water? Hah!', Kota thought.
What ensued then was a slaughter.
While there were about 3 times more mercenaries overall than the fishmen, the ones who had exited on their own from all the ships only numbered to be about 1000- roughly a third of the mercenary force.
Many teams, such as Lance and his group, had already been pre-formed, and they were taking their time to position themselves as a party and take on a single enemy at a time.
The men who had charged out on their own were not so fortunate.
One mercenary with a large mace and an even larger build was dragging his feet in the water, when Ploritan made his way to him.
"Ahaha!!! A Tiger Shark, eh!? You should make for a good opponent!!"
The man swung his mace widely, however his feet were locked in place due to the water.
Ploritan easily jumped back, evading the blow, and the man lost his balance due to the inertia of the mace combined with the planting of his feet, thus he fell into the water, sploshing about like an amateur.
"Fuck!! Wait, just a minute!! I'm not used to this type of fight!!"
Ploritan had no time nor patience for mercy.
This man was an enemy, who was trying to take over his village.
Ploritan lunged at the helpless man, his teeth penetrating through the armor, and ripping out a chunk of his chest with it.
After killing off this man, Ploritan continued to the next.
This scene was not limited to Ploritan.
Many of the warriors who had jumped out prematurely were unaware of the difficulties of fighting in shallow water, and they met quick deaths due to this.
However, there were still many who were not complete idiots, and understood the difficulties of the terrain, and had prepared for such.
Many warriors wore lighter clothing, or proper footwear pertaining to aquatic conditions which would allow them to move easily and freely.
As a result of this, many warriors had been able to land blows on the fishmen.
They were effective.
While slicing weapons would leave only a scratch on the hard scales of the fishmen, blunt weapons would do a large amount of damage.
Once the scales had been destroyed by blunt weapons, the fleshy and weak interior of the bodies of the fishmen would be revealed, and they could be easily harmed.
About 1/3 of the warriors who had jumped out were able to land a crushing blow on the fishmen, however only a few were able to live long enough to land a killing blow.
The vast majority of the fishmen remained alive, whereas around 500 of these soldiers had now been taken out.
Ploritan charged forward with ease. He was an elite among the fishmen, who had survived many trials and tournaments. Even the experienced warriors among the humans could not match his movements, especially now that his lungs had been completely healed by Samantha.
'I have to thank those antiheroes greatly if I survive this... how compassionate of them to have healed me up to allow me to fight for my people.'
Ploritan continued to rip warrior after warrior apart with his teeth, and stabbed many with his trident until he was surrounded with around 10 bodies.
'These humans are weak, however my brethren are slowly being injured. Just how many of them will we have to face? If it is just the ones who have landed, we can win for certain... however...'
Ploritan felt that was not the case.
Would the humans really attack with such a small force when the fishmen had this much of a difference in individual strength?
It was unlikely.
Ploritan continued to charge forward, when he saw a group of four.
He saw them take out one after another of his brethren.
'Those four! They are strong!! My brethren are falling one after another to them! If I don't step in, they will continue picking us off!'
Ploritan rushed towards the group in order to take them out.
-----
Lance and his group stayed close to the ship, behind the lines of rampaging warriors who charged out with no sense of caution or care for their own lives.
'Is that bravery, or stupidity', Lance wondered.
However, after seeing many of the people be killed off, his question was answered.
'Stupidity.'
The fishmen were slowly being chipped away at, but many warriors had died fighting them.
At this rate, the mercenary force would be wiped out before the main unit arrived.
Lance took a peek back to see where the ships of the main unit were, however...
They were not approaching this shore, but rather heading to the side where another shore lay.
"What are they doing!?! Do they plan on leaving us to be killed?", Lance shouted while pointing to the main force.
"Of course they would leave us to die. This is a battle, and they are an army. They are here to win, not to make sure everyone makes it out alive.", Melody responded as if she expected this. "We're the infected limb, and if they don't chop it off, they won't live."
"But why would they steer clear of the battle itself!?! Where are they going!?", Charlotte asked frantically.
"Probably to secure a strategic point or something, while leaving us here as the bait.", Pierre said while biting his lip.
"No... this can't be.... we're the bait!?", Charlotte exclaimed.
"Don't worry.", Melody reassured her. "We are no longer on their side anymore anyways."
"Melody..."
Melody smiled.
"People will betray others the second they have the opportunity to if it benefits them. Never forget that."
"But you won't betray us, right?", Charlotte begged, with puppy eyes.
"Don't worry about me. I hate people who would pretend like they are family, only to reveal their true colors when later on.", Melody retorted with closed eyes and a bitter smile.
"Melody....", Charlotte whimpered.
"Let's focus on surviving, just as we were told.", Pierre said.
"Yeah."
The group turned to the battle.
Many fishmen were getting closer to them.
"Focus on one at a time. Even if it's 'cowardly' or 'unchivalrous' or whatever, we take them out four on one. They are nothing more than monsters, so you won't have any problems killing them, right?", Melody questioned.
Lance and Charlotte nodded.
"No problems at all."
However, a slight sting hit Lance as he made his response.
'Monsters eh... I wonder what that word really means...'