Plunging into the rear of the Goblin Legion, I shouted with all my might,
"Charge!"
Immediately, each party's leader effortlessly dove into the throng of goblins.
It's hard to find an apt comparison, but it was like swimmers in bathing suits joyfully diving into a green sea on a summer holiday - their movements were that fluid and confident.
"Let's have some fun!"
Kuilan, leaping off his saddle, was the first to plunge into the waves of goblins. Adorned with high-grade items: the SR-rated gauntlet 'Armed Assault' in his left hand, the SSR-rated glove 'Lucky Strike' in his right, the SSR-rated 'Vampire General's Boots' on his feet, the SSR-rated 'Vampire General's Scarf' around his neck, and the SSR-rated, Nightmare Slayer 'Full Moon Massacre' as his cape, my highly-paid fighter proved his worth.
Boom!
Kuilan, crashing down like a bomb, literally tore through the goblins in his path. The red tassels of his hair whipped behind him, leaving a path of mangled goblins in his wake.
As the goblins regrouped and surged towards him, Kuilan, undaunted, wore a sly smile and assumed his signature stance.
"Ultimate Technique: Heart-Cleaving Wind Wolf!"
With a mighty shout, he unleashed his ultimate skill.
Boom!
The explosive force of his attack lifted nearly fifty goblins into the air, only for them to be torn apart by the ensuing whirlwind.
"Charge! Onwards!"
Following Kuilan's lead, the Penal Squad and soldiers cleaned up the remaining goblins. It was a brilliant breakthrough.
"Can't let the young ones outdo us! Forward, my knights!"
Next to charge was Dusk Bringar and the Dragonblood Knights. She was, as usual, not in armor but in a comfortable dress, wielding a long halbert, likely to compensate for her limited reach in mounted combat.
"Break through swiftly! We must pierce their core!"
"Understood!"
Dusk Bringar, flanked by four elite knights in a V-formation, led the charge, followed closely by fifty hand-picked soldiers from her own refugee ranks.
Swish! Boom!
I hadn't realized, but Dusk Bringar was quite adept with the halbert. It arced beautifully, slicing through the air and beheading goblins in its path. Her knights, too, efficiently dispatched any goblins within reach.
Dusk Bringar was consciously refraining from using 'Dragon's Roar' to avoid frightening the horses from Crossroad, a precaution I had suggested and she had silently agreed to.
Following them was the Holy Grail Seekers, led by Verdandi.
"Verdandi!"
"Yes?"
Before she charged, I called her over and tossed her one of the daggers I was carrying.
I handed Goblynch to Verdandi. The dagger, effective against goblins and also her primary weapon, would be useful.
Catching the dagger I tossed with agility, Verdandi smiled brightly. I returned the smile with a nod.
"Take care of it!"
"Leave it to me! Let's go, everyone! Charge!"
The Elven heroes and fifty soldiers darted forward with incredible speed. The Holy Grail Seekers fired arrows at distant enemies and threw daggers at those closer. Their attack range was significantly wider than the preceding parties, and goblins began to drop in the distance.
With three parties already on the move, what remained was...
"I was considering conserving strength, but..."
It was Lucas's party's turn.
Lucas, assessing the battle, narrowed his blue eyes.
"It doesn't seem like the situation for holding back."
The situation at the walls was dire, under relentless assault from the goblins. It was crucial for our attacking force to exert full strength while the walls still held.
"I'm counting on you, Lucas. Go full throttle."
"Acknowledged."
Swiftly dismounting his horse, Lucas inhaled deeply, then leaped off the ground like a rocket.
A golden aura unfurled behind him like a cloak - Lucas's ultimate skill, [Divine Descent]! It not only enhanced all his skills but also drastically boosted his own stats. In this state, his movement skill [Step of Persistence] could cover more than double the usual distance, making his movement almost teleportation-like, faster than riding.
Shooting through the air like a comet, Lucas quickly overtook the leading parties and charged to the forefront. His sword, [Bestowed Sword], radiated dazzling light.
Boom!
The [Divine Descent] transformed his [Strike of Will] into an area attack, magnified in range by the effects of [Bestowed Sword].
His swordplay, now more akin to magic, devastated the enemy lines. With each light swing of his sword, swathes of goblins evaporated, each life fueling his [Strike of Will] stacks, strengthening his attack further.
Watching Lucas single-handedly annihilate goblins with overwhelming force, I turned to the rest of his party.
"We can't just stand by and watch, can we?"
"Of course not!"
The heroes and soldiers, determined, nodded in unison. Drawing my staff [Maestro], I pointed it forward and shouted.
"Charge! Annihilate these beasts!"
***
Atop the walls.
Panting heavily, Evangeline wiped the sweat beading on her chin.
She was in charge of directing the wall defense. Although the suicidal goblin catapult attacks had ceased, goblins were now earnestly scaling the walls. Moreover, those at the base of the wall relentlessly fired arrows, uncaring whether their climbing comrades were hit.
The close-combat units on the walls had to fend off the climbing goblins while also defending against the arrows. Additionally,
Boom!
"Ah!"
"Damn it, another suicide bomber!"
Goblins attempting to breach the wall included suicide bombers, complicating matters. Most targeted the damaged right section of the wall, aiming to bring it down completely.
Human snipers, magicians, archers, and artillery focused on defending this area.
But the problem was these damned suicide bombers attempting direct wall breaches.
Just killing and eliminating these leech-like monsters would have been easier, but even in death, they caused explosions. This constant threat led to unceasing injuries.
"Minor injuries, apply potions and return to the front! Seriously wounded, transport them to the temple, now!"
Evangeline commanded while pushing back three goblins with her shield, gritting her teeth in frustration.
Her armor was splattered with black blood from intercepting numerous goblin suicide bombers with her body.
'It's okay, still manageable!'
By current results, the human side held an overwhelming advantage. They had killed thousands of goblins without significant human casualties. The exchange was so lopsided that the term 'exchange rate' hardly seemed appropriate, as they crushed the Goblin Legion at the walls.
Despite the endless waves of Greenskins pressing forward steadily, Evangeline felt confident in the situation's sustainability. Heroes and soldiers prepared for melee combat stood atop the walls, with archers and artillery still pouring out attacks. Attackers like Damien and Junior, though tired, remained effective.
Above all,
"Your leader is dead-! Your god and king have fallen by our commander's hand!"
Lucas held the Goblin God-King's helmet aloft, proclaiming victory. The sight of the bloodied helmet and Lucas's declaration plunged the goblins into fear and confusion.
Seeing this, the human attack force, which had maneuvered behind the Goblin Legion, began slaughtering the goblins.
Boom!
As the heroes valiantly charged, the goblins, incapable of proper resistance, were torn apart.
'Good, keep it up!'
The walls held strong, and the attack force decimated the goblins. And with the goblins having lost their leader, the situation seemed to favor victory. Then, Evangeline heard a disturbing sound.
Bwoo!
A horn resounded, the Goblin Legion's signal. Feeling a chill, Evangeline looked in its direction.
"What?"
She saw a bizarre scene.
A crown and mask combined into a helmet, leather armor, and a golden cape. A distinctive-looking goblin sat atop a mountain goat.
"...The Goblin God-King?"
The very image of the Goblin God-King, whom Ash had just defeated, stood prominently amidst the Goblin Legion.
"Hear me!"
The goblin shouted.
"I am alive! Your god and king, Kali-Alexander, is eternal!"
Instantly,
The goblins' morale transformed. Those who were in fear and confusion, even at the rear, became energized with renewed vigor.
"These fools...! It's obviously a fake! Why are they falling for it?!"
Evangeline ground her teeth in disbelief.
The figure was noticeably smaller, and the voice thinner. This was definitely not the Goblin God-King.
Evangeline's observation was spot on.
The figure, adorned in equipment mimicking the king, was one of the Goblin Amirs, who had been hiding within the legion. Using body doubles in his army to deceive enemies was a tactic Kali-Alexander had favored even in life.
This time, the tactic was used to deceive his own army.
- If my death becomes certain, you will take my place.
The Goblin Amirs remembered Kali-Alexander's last command well.
"Damien! Take down that fake king with a sniper shot... What?!"
Evangeline's instruction was cut short as she gasped in shock.
"The king is with you!"
"Our legion is immortal!"
"Long live the Goblin Kingdom!"
Throughout the Goblin Legion, fake Goblin God-Kings resembling the real one began to appear, wearing the same attire. Initially startled, Damien and other snipers quickly raised their magi-guns to target these imposters. Bang! Bang! Bang...!
With each gunshot, the fake Goblin God-Kings fell one by one. However, even as they fell, other imposters mounted goats, issuing orders.
"Charge!"
"Rush forward!"
"Kill and burn!"
Seeing the king reappear endlessly, even in death, the Goblin Legion fell into a frenzy, almost like madness.
Goblins, known for their low intelligence, are easily deceived. Alexander, their former king, knew this better than anyone.
Damien's magi-bullet pierced the chest of the last fake king - a Goblin Amir. Even in his dying moment, he shouted.
"Annihilate the humans!"
With the death of all the fake kings, the morale of the Goblin Legion had skyrocketed. They paid no heed to the human heroes' offensive decimating their rear ranks. Their focus was solely on charging forward, towards the walls.
"Crap...!"
Evangeline fiercely struck down goblins clambering over the wall with her shield and spear. The number of attackers was overwhelming.
Other heroes and soldiers, previously providing ranged support, had to draw their swords as the situation grew dire. Focusing on repelling the goblins scaling the walls, their interception of the suicide bombers at the base slackened, leading to...
Boom!
Explosions...
Ultimately, allowing the explosions to happen became inevitable. A large group of suicide bombers slammed into the already damaged right side of the wall. Though each bomber's power was negligible, their sheer number was the issue.
And then,
The wall crumbled...
"The wall..."
A scout atop the right side of the wall cried out in despair.
"The wall is collapsing!"