The weather today was clear and sunny, and what a festive day it was. With that in mind, I climbed the platform which I instantly built by raising the ground. I looked around the [External Training Grounds] that was already expanded more than before and well maintained.
Those who will fight in the Holy War are here. As the leading role of this [Hell Week Festival], I have arranged the troops equally and in an orderly manner to be easily seen. In that way, before me is the whole tribe, scaling from shortest to tallest, small bodies such as Goblins and Kobolds in front, to the tallest in back, those proud of their big bodies such as Minotaurs and Trolls.
Some parts of the more mature members are absent from these columns this time because of their jobs backstage, with a few exceptions. Even with just this, the numbers that are standing in the columns surpasses over 3,000 members.
If I were to classify the members who are standing in line:
Goblin species - 800
Hobgoblin species - 700
Ogre species - 100
Troll species - 40
Orc species - 50
Bull Orc species - 20
Demon monkey species - 30
Half-Lord species - 80
Lord species - 30
Minotaur species - 15
Dhampir species - 30
Vampire species - 15
Ghoul species - 40
Kobold species - 400
Elves - 30
Insectoid species - 10
Apeman species - 30
Humans - 200
Lizardman species - 50
Half-Dragonewt species - 30
Dragonewt species - 15
Half-Midian species - 20
Red Cap species - 20
Dragotaurus species - 10
Centaur species - 20
Dullahan species - 15
Werewolf species - 50
Nail Cat species - 50
Familiars - 500
... And so on. But this classification and number is only a generalization. The rest of them are a mix of various tribes. For example, the goblin races have the goblin mages, goblin riders, and including goblin clerics that are summarized in the same category. It's the same with the Lords, Earth Lords and Gale Lords are gathered under the same classification.
You'll find that the number of races other than those listed above will vary a bit, as well. However, too much detail is just too much trouble, so I've skipped it this time. The number of group members has increased by an order of magnitude compared to the past, but this is a natural consequence of its composition.
In the first place, there are some kinds of tribes, which are small and weak, that have acquired racial abilities to survive in the severe world of nature by having an extremely short period from the pregnancy to delivery. This applies to goblins and hobgoblins and includes Kobolds.
In addition, women with the title[Demon Child's Mother]that grants enhancements to female members has increased, and because there is no shortage of food, the childhood mortality rate has lowered, which helped contribute to this increase of numbers.
Even if they[Rank Up]and became a higher species, their previous tribal abilities were inherited at a high rate, so the number of ogres and other species that would normally be a bit slower to grow also increased greatly.
It is natural that the number of members also increased because successful members called in their tribe's acquaintances from their hometowns and had their whole families join altogether or from scouting the individuals with the highest qualities in each place. Therefore, the total number of our members are increasing.
Not only are there merely about 3,000 people before my eyes who are soldiers, but also the non-combatants who participate as stagehands, behind the scenes, of the [Hell Week Festival] and people who are currently working at a store in each place. There are also a lot of people who cannot participate because their body is not yet ready, like the young and immature, or those whose bodies aren't meant to fight.
A large number of members are fully equipped, some even have their own ≪familiarss≫. Those members are clad in equipment different for each individual, but the quality of equipment expresses the true strength and status of those who are wearing it.
For example, there are Goblins and Hobgoblins, which are more numerous, that had just recently evolved or were recently born and are still at low-level base equipment. Or, in the case of Kobolds, most of them have been provisioned with a defined style of complete sets of equipment.
The power assist function was included in the armor packaging of the black skeletons that belong to the military units and have a variety of complicated shapes. Having Parabellum emblems embedded on the armor, I equipped black skeletons with weapons made of black bones, such as the[Bone Nail Gun], which shoots out bone nails, and the[Bone Snake Sword], which is connected with magical steel wires.
Even if I compare just this with the armed forces of the Kingdom or Empire for the time being, I got the equipment finished to be of a considerably higher quality for the lowest level general soldiers.
The armaments are already sufficient enough to speak of, though there are grounds for exceptions. There's the case like those who were not able to do[Rank Up]from members of our generation which were named as the Goblin Elites. Other than the regular equipment, they are equipped with many items like weapons from dungeons or items prepared by myself, blacksmith-san and dwarves, or also from the leprechauns who are painstakingly using magic metal and special fibers.
The quality of equipment should be able to fit along with how influential their users are or their worthiness, so they will be used to it and not change their overall balances with it. In some cases, a goblin is stronger than an ogre, and it is the reason that there are many of them who posses high-status equipment and higher ranks. That is what it means to be an Elite.
Anyway, although the balance of equipment is slightly bad because of the physical size that varies greatly according to certain tribes and species, it still was splendidly worth seeing very much, and was quite the spectacle having the complete armed members organized in columns.
Even under normal circumstances, there might have been many that showed ill-natured faces and did not like the feel of the equipment, being that the equipment also feels a little bit too futuristic, and the sight is just like a depiction of the demon king's army out of a story.
When I look around at the columns from the platform to the wide area while thinking such things, you could see a variety of faces. There were those that had looks of motivation, those that looked pale as if being frightened and some even had smiles as if they had been broken.
When I laughed and they grin to respond to it, I somewhat had a feeling that their tension had gone down with only a reflected nervous smile, though a cursory glance would tell you that it was forced, but it could just be my imagination.
The Goblins and Hobgoblins near the front row quiver with excitement in anticipation of an adventure, some of their faces growing deathly pale, and some were in such a state that they were fainting from too much excitement and being supported only by their armor.
I then declared the holding of the [Hell Week Festival], and with a courageous shout to get things started, they filled the vast forest with shouts of joy, delightful screams, roars and tears. At first, I distributed the members into 10 groups sorting them from the first to the tenth accordingly by their capabilities.
With about 300 members in each group and a limited field, there would be too many events to hold on the same day, which means the groups have to respectively participate on different days for each part of the [Hell Week Festival] events. In order to make sure that the management of the event goes smoothly, it's been decided that each supervisor will be in charge of running only 1 event.
These supervisors will be organized as follows:
Inspectors are me and Kanami-san.
Supervisors are:
Minokichi-kun and Asue-san, who had both returned before dawn.
Burasato-san and Supesei-san, who had both already returned with the Grimoires and magic swords that they had collected.
Kugime-chan and Aifu-chan, who had both returned from a little bit of sightseeing.
Avenger, who had returned with us, and Rusty Iron Knight who has been training our members at the base for awhile now.
By the way, Seiji-kun is the only member of the 8 Demon Generals that isn't going to be a supervisor. Since he's the commander of the Medical Corps, ≪Prière≫, he's going to be working behind the scenes and will be on standby unless there's an emergency.
The main purpose of this [Hell Week Festival] is to completely boost the average strength of the members. In order to raise the survival probability for the Holy War even a little, those that have reached more than a certain degree of strength are able to support the others through this extreme training regiment by building teamwork and there is the reason to train intensively for a short term.
If they are trained in around 10 days as planned, they should become battle hardened and harder to kill, but I do wonder how many people will remain standing until the last day. I move onward to the [Hell Week Festival] solemnly while praying for at least half of them make it.
By the way, I will be in charge of the first group on the first day. The event is set to the highest standards. It is the start of the "long distance obstacle competition" in the Kuuderun Great Forest. The distance will be 52 kilometers. It's about 10 kilometers longer than the standard marathon and its location is in the forest's rich natural environment with many challenges and rest areas. With the exhausting trail roads, the physical strength necessary is already far more than standard. Since they are equipped with heavy armor, the exhaustion is greater.
Besides, when I said obstacle, I meant I prepared the course for a lot of attackers for them to run into that lie hidden around the course. The spiritual energy leaking from the hot springs is causing the large forest to continuously expand and grow, and also causing the strong monsters which haven't settled down to be attracted toward the hot springs, making powerful apparitions (spirits) appear. Also, the topography becomes a haunted place that fluctuates with echoing sounds and its surrounding places.
It will be extremely difficult just to finish the race. Since it's a competition, there is a punishment game for losing. I arranged it so that there's not much difference in the ability between the 2 forces before it has begun. Everybody from the start will run so desperately that no amount of luck or strategy could overturn them. My job was easy. I was at the tail end of the group giving those that lagged behind encouragement beatings.
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[A certain Tigerman's POV]
Suddenly, an event from the past flashed through my mind. A few years ago, I went out from the clan's settlement with 4 of my friends to earn foreign currency and train as a warrior. Although we had some hardships as beastmen, I think we were able to have some fun with it for a while. I became an adventurer and completed various requests and had various encounters.
However, one of the requests turned out to be a trap and as a result, we were put into slavery, forced to work for another empire's military. Our lives were valued less than common iron scrap metal. Poor housing, little food, days around severe battlefields.
I couldn't bear the rough treatment and abuse of the Imperial Army which didn't mind so much as a hair to the sacrifice of our lives. And one friend who went out with me fell down, and then another 2 fell down near death. We were in a state where death comes without even knowing it.
But I'm still alive, what kind of karma is this. My life should of ended on that battlefield, but I was saved by the help of the Noble Ogre who I owe a debt of gratitude now. I intended to continue making an effort to repay the favor he gave me. As a result, I came to be accepted here and thought it possible to call it a clan or a family. Even more so, from now on, I will continue to repay this debt. However, the determination for that answer is a little bit shaken.
「Incoming enemies from the right! Since the vanguard is large, use your shields to sweep it away while the rear guard fights.」
The trees are lush and the forest is dense. My companions and I have been covered in mud while desperately advancing forward. Loud bone rattling sounds was heard. The sound came from our right, from which comes the advancing column of the black skeleton army.
Their numbers are about 100. The army of black skeleton stands in an orderly fashion in between the trees without any trouble, shielded by a simple barricade of stacked logs and bones with[Bone Nail Gun]poised in perfect order, squeezing the trigger in unison. Immediately after, the bone nails were shot from the muzzles approaching at high penetrating speeds.
They weren't aimed at vital parts for safety reasons, though even this could not be ignored. With a roar, our vanguard stepped forward to become our shields. I equipped hooked claws which were forged with the magic allow which the dwarf blacksmiths developed at the end of their research which is also enchanted, the[Magic Tiger Claws].
The magic item[Magic Tiger Claws]exerts its effect by loading it with magic, and it will produce 3 huge magic claws the size of swords. I moved both arms relying only on physical ability with no wasted movements of power using the inherited Arts of my tribe, that only males could use, the[Beast Arts]. The third[Dance of Claws] to beat down and knock the bone spikes away.
With the swing of an arm, the 10 closest bone piles were flipped, scattered, and discarded becoming debris that accumulated underfoot. Although not even 1 second had passed since the onslaught of bone nails began, they still continued from the rear and show no sign of waning.
「There's a lot of them!」
The shooting of bone nail guns didn't stop. However, it was natural. In 1 second, the[Bone Nail Gun]could fire 2 rounds. With 100 black skeletons operating those guns, the amount produced would be 200 nails per second being discharged. In addition, high ranking black skeleton commanders, who are few in numbers, are mixed in alongside the bone army. They are armed not with[Bone Nail Guns], but with[Bone Nail Assault Rifles]which has been improved in all aspects. Since these rifles are equipped, the actual number of bone nails being fired should be even higher.
「The high-ranking ones mixed in are troublesome. Shit!」
As for the bone nail gun, we can cope without a problem but the 5 skeletons using the Bone Nail Assault Rifles had several more times the power than what my arms could prevent. As a result of their cooperative targeting against me, for only a moment, my movement stagnated. Intense murderous intent was directed at me and my senses accelerated due to the imminent threat of death. I saw it in the surrounding scenario, which was moving slower than usual.
To the rear of the bone army was the black skeleton sniper with a strengthened and improved long distance shooting specification ,[Bone Nail Sniper Rifle], and the trigger was just squeezed. A grinding noise occurs. The Bone Nail Sniper Rifle's muzzle discharged a slightly larger and thicker bone nail that was approaching at high speed at my head in order to take away my life. Surely, its impossible to dodge and evade to the left or right in my broken posture.
I follow my instinct and bare my fangs. Thought and movement were one action and because I was running on instinct, I closed my mouth and my fangs cut into the bone nail, stopping it.
However, I feel that it would have unceremoniously shot through my mouth if I was missing even the slightest focus, while thinking that it doesn't matter if I have broken my fangs as my neck muscles expand in force. The fang that bit the bone nail took dreadful pressure, and I succeeded in bearing the nausea from the smell of the heated bone nail.
While I succeeded in avoiding a certain death, a cold sweat begins to fall down my back, and with a rush, I spit out the bone nail. What is left is fine debris in my mouth, plus bad feelings due to the sick gritty powder taste, but we will not talk about that. I hit the bone piles like a hurricane with a single minded devotion.
A rear defender fights back with a[Bone Nail Gun]. Although, at first, it seems the enemy decreased, but all of a sudden, there are numerous simple log barricades being formed, and it doesn't decrease at all and is really troublesome. Above all, the number of moves the enemy can make is too vast.
Since it is becoming difficult to move as the bone piles that are knocked down are now crowding my feet, I think that the situation will begin to gradually decline.
「「「Earth's Hunger!」」」
The help came from the half-earth lords who cooperated together using fourth rank magic to bring about the appearance of a huge hole in the ground at the feet of the black skeletons.
The magic by the group of half-earth lords had a larger area of effect compared to only being cast by a single lord and the development speed gave no time for escape. The earth closes in like a carnivorous beast swallowing the black skeletons along with the simple log barricades, leaving no chance to crawl out.
The earth makes a rumbling sound and mixed in are also crunching noises, where you can feel the tremors and hear the logs and skeletons breaking down and getting crushed together.
I stomped on the earth a couple of times to confirm its rock steady, and I ran to hunt the remaining sniper. I could see the Black Skeleton Sniper targeting my torso as the surrounding scenery are moving backwards at high speeds. I saw that the Black Skeleton Sniper, whether to prioritize ease of handling for close combat or for rapid fire, have changed its equipment with bone nail guns.
The bone pile approaching at high speed is aimed at my key point but it is accurate and easy to read, so it could be easily prevented by putting a magically enhanced claw on its path. As I was coming into reach, I was forced to stop as "Black Bone Ramparts" was raised, an installation type barrier, to protect the figure of the black skeleton sniper.
The obstruction was a magic item, a Parabellum original, 8 meters high and 10 meters wide, with thousands of black bones layered with magic that doesn't allow attacks and forces them to be weakened.
There is simply no comparison between this and the simple log barricades, it would be very appropriate to call them castle walls. But without regard to it, I used[Beast Arts]13th form[Fierce Tiger Penetrating Palm].
[Fierce Tiger Penetrating Palm]is a unique breathing technique. Because of its characteristic of gathering the body's magic and energy to focus at a singular convergence point of magic, compressing it to form a ball that shoots out of the hand, the more focused its compression, the higher the penetration power.
Its destructive power and penetration power are some of the most well-known beast arts, and it was the only beast art in my arsenal that can go against the Black bone rampart. The black bone rampart was struck head-on and penetrated through, making a palm sized hole. From that hole is a responding sound of the black skeleton sniper that was hiding in it.
While I exhale, I check my surroundings for any surviving soldiers. There doesn't seem to be any. Still maintaining a minimum amount of vigilance, I check the back of the black bone ramparts to confirm the kill. The black bone sniper's ribs and spine were crushed and scattered about the ground. There was no movement at all. Verifying its death, I collected the bone nail sniper rifle from where it rolled on the ground.
Before, we were told that should we defeat our attackers, we are allowed to keep the personal effects that were on said victim. So these 2 items were now mine, the[Bone Nail Gun]and the[Bone Nail Gun Sniper Rifle], which will still be very valuable and useful later on. The power of the[Fierce Tiger Penetrating Palm]would work exceptionally well with these 2 items, increasing their penetration and power of destruction. I will be able to use it like this almost immediately.
I found the operation control panel and the black bone ramparts folded into a rectangular box, letting me put the 3 looted magic items in the storage device. This just might be worth all the pain, I thought to myself as I returned to my colleagues. As much as I would like to slow down, it will be difficult to finish the race within the time limit.
「Check for the wounded.」
「12 people injured, treatment is finished and movement won't be a problem.」
「Is that so.... we must push forward, we got a quarter to go. How much hardship will be left after this, just thinking about it makes me tired.」
When I returned, the situation had been confirmed. There were many injured people this time, and yet there weren't any who was disabled. In spite of it being a happy moment, we still had 10 kilometers to travel. Of the 300 that started with our group, nearly 80 are injured, and 30 dropouts appeared. 20 of the 30 dropouts were people that tried to outwit others at the beginning of the games.
There is no blame on them, because those that fail receive a punishment game. But those that went ahead of the group were marauded early on by attackers and soon fell out. Those who stand alone will be attacked more heavily than the group.
If there is only 1 person, it is much harder to resist an attack. With many people and solid camaraderie, resistance becomes possible, followed by unhindered movement forward. Anyway, instead of going out after the dropout of the preceding group, we decided to go ahead with cooperation, but the speed of progress would inevitably slow down.
The risk is very high to take the lead, but it is not clear if this time is enough. To advance is hell, to retreat is hell, what a crisis. We advance forward, while thinking about the debt of gratitude of the demon that pursues us from the rear. I am thankful to him for training us, but couldn't he be more gentle? I would probably die before I could repay this favor.
■――▽――■
Night began and it was finally over, but there were more people that completed the whole distance than expected. The first lesson came from the first victims, and resulted in the rest coming to cooperation naturally. Unfortunately, many dropouts appeared, but it's not a problem. It could probably be said to be a satisfactory result.
In order to gain the vitality for tomorrow, I served gorgeous dishes using labyrinth ingredients, which we have secured in large quantities, while thinking that we should continue like this in the future. After all, the sisters' cooking is delicious.