Gabe's speech boosted his troops' morale, but it quickly plunged after they saw a giant hobgoblin five times the size of Gabe clad in purple armor and carrying an ax. Gabe walked up to him. "Judging by your aura, you must be the ghoul, yes? I challenge you to a duel!" The hobgoblin peered down at Gabe. "The ghoul? No, I am only a general, given the name of Vork by my Lord. So you wish to fight one-on-one? How interesting. I'll oblige you."
Gabe tightened his grip on his spear. If a mere general radiated such a powerful aura, what kind of monster was the ghoul? How powerful could it be?
Gabe did not have time to answer these questions, for he had no time to think. He barely managed to avoid Vork's ax as it smashed into the ground, forming a small crater. Gabe lunged, but he was sent flying with a soft stroke from Vork's ax. After Gabe regained his balance, he pointed his spear at Vork's head. Gabe used his quanta to make water swirl around his spear and shot a stream of it at Vork. The hobgoblin slashed through it with his ax, sustaining little damage. Gabe charged, running past the swing of Vork's ax, and leaped into the air. Ice danced around his spear this time, and he brought it down upon Vork, who snickered, flicking Gabe into the ground.
Vork cracked his back. "I haven't moved that much in a battle for a while now. I commend your strength. You did well for a little dracaena. But the fun ends now." Vork brought up his ax. Gabe closed his eyes, bracing for death, too weak to move. Suddenly, the howl of a kitsune was heard, and Vork jumped backward. Gabe looked to his right and was shocked to see Volpes, and sitting on top of him, Alyyiah. "You're the girl who's the true leader of that strange leprechaun village!" Alyyiah had a blank expression. "I knew you were stupid, but how dumb are you? Also, I have a name. It's Alyyiah, Lady Maria's personal assistant. Try not to forget." Conall, Ryan, Travis, Isabelle, Clover, and Sarah hopped off their kitsune and stood next to Alyyiah, who smiled back at them. "Well, now all the leaders of the Elven Riders are here." Sarah nodded. "I can't let my younger sister take all the glory, can I?"
"I must show Lord Gil my worth!" Isabelle exclaimed, hoping that Lord Gil will pay more attention to her if she showed him how strong she was. "Don't forget about Lady Maria," Conall added. "We have to impress the both of them."
"But a-aren't you g-guys scared?" Travis could not understand how everyone was so eager to take on an army of three hundred thousand. "We could die!" Isabelle relaxed his nerves. "We have nothing to fear, not with Lord Gil and Lady Maria on our side."
"Yep," Conall agreed. "Remember what I told you yesterday? A naiad herself said the ghoul is nothing compared to Lord Gil." Ryan furiously grabbed Conall by the shirt. "What? You met a naiad the other day, and you didn't tell me? I missed my chance to stare at an ultra-rare babe because of you!" Isabelle stifled him. "How many times do I have to tell you? Stop being so lewd in front of Lord Gil and Lady Maria!"
"You're only mad because you like Lord Gil, don't you?" Isabelle began to choke him. "Do you want to die?"
"Ok, ok, I'm sorry!" Alyyiah and Sarah laughed. They were surrounded by three hundred thousand goblins, yet everyone acted like they were at home. It was oddly comforting.
"Well, it looks like some newcomers have come to visit the dracaena's memorial site," Vork said. "What a cute little bunch of leprechauns and kitsune. I can't wait to devour you. I have a feeling you'll be quite tasty."
An explosion ringed across the battlefield. Flames of dark energy roared, engulfing thousands of hobgoblins. They moved in multiple directions, frying whoever it touched. Vork growled. "How annoying. What's going on now? Who's causing those flames?"
Nova, Andromeda, Holly, and Atticus stood side-by-side. They'd been surrounded by tens of thousands of hobgoblins, who'd they've been waiting to meet. A circle of dark energy formed in Nova's hand, and he grinned. "It's been a while since that attack on my village. Now, I say we get payback for last time." The hobgoblins stepped back. "Attack their village? I don't remember seeing any of them."
Nova shook his head. "How rude. You couldn't even be bothered to remember us after you went and wiped out all the ogre villages. Is it because of our appearance? Well, we'll make sure to ingrain ourselves into your memories this time." Atticus nodded. "Yes, this is our path forward."
"Indeed. This marks a new beginning for us," Andromeda said. Holly unsheathed her sword. "And we have Lord Gil and Lady Maria to thank for this wonderful opportunity."
"What are of afraid of?" A hobgoblin lieutenant shouted. "There's only four of them! We'll overwhelm them with the difference in numbers!"
"Sorry," Nova said sarcastically. "But we won't be easy prey." He shot blasts of dark energy from his hands, each taking the lives of thousands of hobgoblins. Atticus ran through enemy ranks, slashing the heads of hundreds of hobgoblins with his sword. Andromeda used quanta to amplify her voice as she sang. Andromeda's singing had different effects, from making others drowsy to causing their bodies to explode. In this case, it was the latter. The bodies of hobgoblins around her shattered like glass.
The hobgoblins charged at Holly, who was sprinting towards them. Holly used quanta to increase her physical strength and slashed her sword into the air, creating an airwave that sent numerous hobgoblins flying and killed even more. Holly looked up into the sky, where Maria hovered and waved. "Did you see me? I told you I would be a good secretary." Maria nodded. "Yes, I saw you. Good work, Holly." She sighed. She wondered if Holly knew what a secretary even was, as the only thing she seemed to know was how to be violent. Maria thought Andromeda was still a better choice. She, unlike Holly, was graceful and refined, even in battle. Holly herself was just a brute, but she would make a good bodyguard. Maria made a mental note to reassign Holly as Gil's protector, and in a way that would not make Holly feel like she was being dismissed.
Vork turned back to Alyyiah and the Elven Riders. "It looks like I'll have to deal with you quickly. Oh well, not like it matters." He laughed. "A rescue force of foxes and leprechauns? It's so pathetic it won't even be worth devouring!"
Alyyiah and leprechauns were angered by Vork's comment. "Pathetic?" Alyyiah drew out her blade but put it back when she saw an angry Volpes grow to his full size, about equal in height to Vork. Volpes roared, and a vortex of fire came out of his mouth. It sucked all the hobgoblins towards it and into Volpes's mouth. Vork fastened his ax into the ground to prevent himself from meeting the same fate as his subordinates, but it was futile. The vortex was much too powerful, and Vork lost his hold on the ax. "Curse you!" Volpes licked his lips, satisfied with his meal. He had gained a plentiful amount of quanta. "See that, you disgusting goblins! This is a mere fraction of the power of someone you labeled as pathetic!"
"But there's nobody there," Ryan noted. Volpes nodded. "Exactly! That was the point!"
Maria chuckled as she saw the scene. Her beautiful pet fox, Volpes, had gobbled his dinner. Alyyiah had impressed her yet again. She proved to be a competent leader, and the Elven Riders decimated enemy forces. Nova and the other Onis did the same, and what was once a strong army was dwindling, and soon it would be crushed. But there was one factor, one that could single-handedly turn the tables around. Maria knew it would not let his army be overrun and would soon appear. She flew around the battlefield as her eyes scanned every detail, but no luck. "Gil, have you found the ghoul yet?"
"No. I'm sorry, Maria."
"Don't be. Just keep searching for the ghoul." Maria had decided to defeat the ghoul without Gil. As a Count, it was possible to do it herself. Besides, Maria knew she couldn't rely on Gil's strength every time they faced a strong opponent. As his second-in-command, she had to at least take some of the load.
A thought formed in her head. "Oh right, Jaco's with Euryale. I wonder how they're doing. I hope they're alright, although I doubt Jaco will be in any danger."
Euryale had shown Jaco the way to her mother's jail cell, and the two had broken into the prison chamber. They walked, finding dracaenas lying on the floor, their limbs missing. Jaco glanced at Euryale. "Did you kill them?"
"No! They were alive when I snuck out!"
"Then a hobgoblin might be roaming around here. Ah, here it is." A fat hobgoblin four times the size of Jaco appeared, laughing. He bent his knees, but before he could run, he found his arms and legs entangled in an intricate series of threads. Jaco had used quanta to create strings that could not be torn apart, not even by Lord Gil when he had tried it on him. However, Jaco could use these strings to literally rip the bodies of his opponents in half. The hobgoblin screamed as his body was divided into two.
Euryale stared agape, in awe of Jaco's strength. She could not even beat one of the giant hobgoblins, but Jaco did it in the blink of an eye. Her mother had been right. Jaco was an Oni, a race born of ogres only once every ten thousand years. Jaco's masters, the ones who gave him his name, had to be tremendously powerful if they turned Jaco into what he is now. Euryale felt the light her mother had described in her heart. Thanks to Lord Gil and Lady Maria, her people would be saved.
Jaco looked back at her. "Is there something wrong?"
"Not at all, Lord Jaco!"
"Then let's go. I sense your mother's aura up ahead."
Jaco ripped the cell door with his bare hands, and Medusa looked up, her face brightening as she saw her daughter. "Euryale! Oh, you're safe!" Euryale hugged her back. "Yes, mother, thanks to Jaco." Medusa smiled at Jaco. "You have my gratitude." Jaco shook his head. "No, I'm merely a servant. Lady Maria was the one who ordered me to rescue you."
Euryale wrapped her arm around Medusa's shoulders as they walked out of the prison chamber. "Jaco, what about the alliance?" Because of her foolish son, Medusa may have lost the allies she needed to save her people. "My people attacked the hobgoblin army too early. I'm grateful that Lady Maria helped me despite that, but still..."
"There's no need to be worried," Jaco reassured her. "Lady Maria and Lord Gil are fighting the hobgoblin army as we speak. Our forces have already engaged with the enemy."
"But why? We broke our promise to you, and I was unable to form a treaty with your masters."
"I formed one on your behalf," Euryale said. "I came across both Lady Maria and Lord Gil in the forest. You were right, Mother. There was light at the end of the tunnel. Our people will be saved."
"Is that so?" A tear dripped from Medusa's eye. "What a relief. Then there is hope after all. Our people will be saved."
To Jaco's right, the wall began to crack. It crumbled, and another hobgoblin appeared. Medusa froze. She was too old to fight a giant hobgoblin, and her daughter was not strong enough to take one on. She watched as the hobgoblin swung his mace. "Jaco, no!"
Jaco smiled. "Relax. I've already immobilized him." Medusa's jaw dropped as she saw what he meant. The hobgoblin's body was tied to the floor by white threads, the same ones she saw Jaco use in her throne room. Euryale smirked at her mother's expression. "It seems Jaco has that effect on everyone."
Jaco glared at the hobgoblin. "This is a message, to both the hobgoblins and the mastermind using them as puppets. You will pay for wiping out the ogre villages. Messing with the Onis will be your undoing." Jaco ripped the hobgoblin's body into pieces, shocking Medusa even more.
Gil was glad. He had confidence in his friends but worried that they might lose due to the gap in numbers. Thankfully, that was not the case. The Onis obliterated anything they came across, and Alyyiah led the Elven Riders well as they hacked through hobgoblins. It had only been an hour, and already the army's size had been reduced by half. If this kept up, the hobgoblins would be forced to surrender in about another hour.
Then Gil saw it. It was a goblin, but it was different from the others. He was ten times the size of Gil, with skin the color of ash, long claws on its hands, and a forked tongue similar to the dracaenas', except his was as big as Gil's body. Gil had never seen the demon before, but he knew what it was. "Maria," he telepathically communicated, "I've found the ghoul."
"Alright. I'll share the news with everyone. But don't attack it. We'll fight it as a group, got that?"
"I understand. I'll be waiting for you then, Maria."