The meeting of kings reached its end.
The consensus was to mobilize forces and strike at the Black Dragon directly.
"Let's lead the entire army and march to battle!"
"Should we just let it continue firing like that?"
"If we have to engage in a decisive battle, now is the best time while our forces are still fully intact!"
The one who opposed was the Emperor.
"Ash had warned me in advance. If he finds himself unable to issue orders, he said to absolutely not go out and fight, but to fortify our defenses at Crossroad."
The kings objected.
"So, you're saying we should just keep getting pounded by that breath, Traha?"
"...We are devising a plan."
"Devising a plan! If that breath hits here again soon, and this time strikes our barracks directly, then we won't even be able to counterattack!"
Traha frowned.
Although Ash had left instructions, the kings had a point.
It was uncertain how long it would take for the Black Dragon to reach this place, Crossroad.
Just staying in that position and continually firing like a cannon, the fortress city would not be able to withstand it.
'Ash left behind a way to block the breath...'
But that 'method' had not yet been activated. The reason was that the 'method' wouldn't respond since Ash had disappeared.
'If only we could block the breath, we could buy time while waiting for its approach.'
Traha sighed anew. The monster front here was abnormally dependent on his youngest son.
'Son, you know better than anyone how important you are here...'
Yet to throw his life away. To cast the king into the heart of enemy territory.
'A commander should know his own worth, be grateful for the sacrifices of his soldiers, and also consider preserving his own life a virtue.'
It had always been reckless, but this time it was excessive.
Why to such an extent?
'No, perhaps.'
...because there was no other way but to risk his own life?
'If Ash thought that was the only way out.'
Then what would this counterattack against the Black Dragon mean?
"Traha? What shall we do?"
The Emperor slowly pulled himself from his thoughts and nodded.
"Very well. Let's employ the second method we prepared."
Since Plan A, the expeditionary punitive force, had failed.
Plan B—mobilize a human army to strike at the Black Dragon's neck.
Engage in a full-frontal assault with the monsters.
The kings all nodded in agreement. Traha continued.
"We will deploy the heavy knight brigade, the light cavalry brigade, and the airship fleet we brought from New Terra from Everblack."
Currently at Crossroad, the main strength of the Everblack army was stationed, drawn from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Legions.
Primarily consisting of the heavy knight brigade, light cavalry brigade, and regular infantry.
Traha declared that all but the regular infantry would be deployed.
Moreover, the airship fleet would be launched.
The entire airship fleet that had been left in New Terra was now at Crossroad. There were altogether sixteen ships.
The flagship Alcatraz had been decommissioned and could no longer fly, but the remaining fleet was still a formidable force.
Various artifacts developed after the last great battle were also installed.
"With the main forces of Everblack stepping forth like this...!"
"We definitely have a chance! This is doable!"
"Good. Let's meet the Black Dragon a day's journey from the Black Lake. The airship fleet will depart first, and our forces will move to the specified location via the teleport gates..."
The kings, all hardened by previous conflicts, and the soldiers, diligently trained in anticipation of Plan B, acted swiftly once the decision was made.
The sounds of the soldiers gearing up with armor and weapons reached the meeting hall.
One by one, the kings left the meeting hall to issue orders to their armies.
"..."
Traha gestured to the side.
His adjutant quickly approached.
"Prepare the heavy knight brigade and the light cavalry brigade, and... call Captain McMillan."
***
"...sigh."
McMillan, the commander of the Everblack Empire's airship squadron, grimly puffed on his pipe tobacco.
After losing the entire fleet during the last battle with the King of Flies, and even decommissioning Alcatraz, McMillan thought he would certainly be dismissed... but the Emperor did not do so.
The experience of fighting against the King of Flies was deemed very important for a fleet commander.
Thus, McMillan still maintained his position as the commander of the airship squadron.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
After receiving the deployment orders from the Emperor and heading towards the airship hangar, McMillan continuously exhaled smoke.
Having fought against the King of Flies before, McMillan intuited that this battle would be exceedingly difficult.
However, there was also logic in the decision that it was better to aim for the monsters' neck with their forces than to be unilaterally ravaged by the enemy monster without even a fight.
Crouching and gathering strength was a tactic only applicable against an opponent with a manageable power disparity. The Black Dragon was a monster far beyond the usual scope.
Whether it eats us or not, our chance to strike with all our might is... now.
"I'm not fond of night flights..."
Grumbling, McMillan moved on.
There was a temple on the way to the airship hangar. Visiting to pay respects to the heroes of the expedition, and also to seek advice for the upcoming battle, McMillan stopped by.
The temple was filled with the acrid smell of gunpowder and the foul stench of blood.
Soldiers, swept up in the black flame breath and burned, continuously screamed as they died with raspy voices.
Endlessly, the injured were carried to beds, and just as many were covered with white cloths and laid outside the temple.
"..."
McMillan's jaw was clenched tight.
Inside the temple corridor, Lucas was sitting. Recognizing a familiar face, McMillan waved his hand.
"Captain Lucas! Or should I say, Acting Commander Lucas now. Are you feeling alright..."
McMillan suddenly stopped speaking.
At the temple entrance, the sight of Lucas resting with a sinister black sword cradled in his arms... for a moment, he did not seem human.
A wolf—or perhaps something even more malevolent.
Gone was the usual gentle smile of Prince Ash's follower, replaced by a knight scattering a deadly aura, as if he would stab anyone who approached.
'...It's not just Captain Lucas.'
Only then did McMillan notice as he looked around the temple.
All the heroes resting and receiving treatment... their aura had completely changed.
Their faces, dry from bloody tears, stared into the void, waiting only for their bodies to recover.
They were like shattered glass pieces.
Originally one, transparent and beautiful.
But now broken and scattered, seeming to cut anyone who approached.
"...Captain McMillan."
Lucas, noticing McMillan's visit a beat late, nodded in greeting.
"What brings you here..."
"Ah, Acting Commander. I mean..."
"I am not the Acting Commander anymore."
Lucas immediately countered, and McMillan blinked.
"Excuse me?"
"I have just resigned that title... I argued that we should absolutely not lead the troops to deployment, but the kings would not listen. So, I returned it."
"..."
"And more than anything, I must now follow a path that I can no longer bear such grand titles."
Lucas's eyes, gazing at the floor, emitted a chilling light.
"...So, Captain McMillan. What brings you here?"
McMillan briefly explained the current situation.
As Lucas had already heard, most of the forces stationed at Crossroad had decided to strike at the Black Dragon simultaneously, and the airship fleet was also mobilized for this operation.
And since he was to command the airship fleet, he asked if Lucas had any advice.
Lucas silently shared information about the Black Dragon.
Although data on the Black Dragon's attack methods and physical abilities had been disseminated to the entire front line beforehand by Ash, the information the heroes had gained from actual combat was even more valuable.
And it was far more sinister.
Looking over the information he had received, McMillan's complexion turned pale. Lucas added calmly,
"I am sorry that I cannot be of help in this battle due to my severe injuries."
"No, everyone is aware of the tough fight you all have been through."
"...Captain McMillan. I sincerely wish you victory, but still, I must say."
McMillan swallowed dryly at Lucas's next words.
"Be sure to judge well when it is time to flee."
"..."
"If even a few more of our troops survive, they could serve as a shield when we set out for revenge."
That was the end of the conversation.
Lucas closed his eyes and leaned his head against a pillar, and McMillan, hesitating, had no choice but to step back.
"I have a bad feeling."
Outside the temple.
Putting the pipe he had momentarily pocketed back in his mouth, McMillan looked up at the sky and sighed.
"I have a bad feeling..."
It was too dark to tell whether it was day or night, and whether the blurry orb in the sky was the sun or the moon.
What was to become of this world, he couldn't tell...
***
The troops that teleported from Crossroad assembled at a point one day's distance from Black Lake and two days from Crossroad.
Remaining in Crossroad were the monster frontline direct troops, the general infantry of the empire, and the militia and various racial armies replenished after the autumn festival.
This had happened because all the racial representatives had opposed the deployment.
Excluding these, the number of troops assembled at the battlefield reached 30,000.
Initially, when the kings brought their soldiers, they could have increased the number by merely inflating the numbers, but following Ash's instructions, only the elites from each country were gathered.
And still, it amounted to 30,000. Moreover, they had trained together for several months in anticipation of a major monster battle.
30,000 of humanity's finest united forces.
Moreover, in the skies above—
Screeeeech!
The airship fleet.
The world's most formidable weapon and Everblack Empire's last bastion, the airship fleet, was scattering left and right in its majesty, occupying the sky in the distance.
"Let's just stick to the plan."
Staring down the valley that led from Black Lake towards Crossroad, the chieftain of the Mirage tribe said.
Then, the commanders of various units around him nodded.
The overall command of the allied forces was taken by the chieftain of the Mirage tribe. These nomads had long been at war with goblins and had extensive experience fighting monsters.
The command of Everblack Empire's heavy knight brigade and the airship fleet was assigned to the respective leaders of the heavy knight brigade and the airship squadron commander.
The command structure was all set in advance. The issue was the strategy.
"Ambush. Encircle. Surprise attack. Annihilate."
The current allied forces were hidden in the forests on both sides of the valley, overlooking it from below. Originally, the teleport gates were secretly installed in these woods.
On the left side of the valley were the allied kingdoms' troops, and on the right were the empire's heavy knight brigade and light cavalry brigade.
They were lying in wait, holding their breath, and at the moment the Black Dragon noticed the airship fleet and focused on it, they would simultaneously surround and ambush it from both sides.
They were ambushed far away in the middle of the forest, wary of being detected, and even deployed artifacts to aid in wide-area concealment. The monster would never dream of it.
While these forces clung to the Black Dragon to buy time, the airship fleet and the mages from various kingdoms would finish it off.
"Everyone, if we fight resolved to death... we can surely wound it."
The Mirage tribe chieftain declared resolutely.
"Let's show the will of humanity."
Everyone firmly grasped their weapons.
Many of the current forces were veterans who had remained at the front even after the battle with the King of Flies.
Their will was strong, and they still had the pride of a suicide squad sworn to protect the world.
How long had they waited?
Thump... Thump... Thump...
Along with the sound that shook the ground.
At the end of the valley, Night Bringer appeared.
It seemed as if darkness itself was moving, the creature more like a huge whale swimming through a sea called night rather than a dragon.
The monstrous body slid across the ground, rapidly approaching, and as it did, it filled the field of vision and grew larger.
Gulp...
Humans all swallowed dryly.
Tears welled up unknowingly in response to the overwhelming malevolence emitted by the evil dragon.
Exhaling a trembling breath, the Mirage tribe chieftain tightly closed his eyes and quietly recited a prayer.
"Great gods of the sun and sand, please protect our armor today, and endow our swords with light and glory..."
At that moment.
Creak...
Above the head of the Mirage tribe chieftain, a sound of something opening resonated, followed by a damp heat pouring down on his turban-covered head.
"...?"
Puzzled, the Mirage tribe chieftain looked up,
There, floating above, one of the Black Dragon's heads with gleaming golden eyes... was opening its mouth wide, cruelly smiling.
"I was going to pretend I didn't notice..."
From the main body of the monster that had stopped walking, the middle head of the Black Dragon whispered in a low voice.
"You shouldn't seek the sun in front of me."
"...O gods."
As the Mirage tribe chieftain gritted his teeth and drew his curved sword—
Roaaaaar!
The head of the Black Dragon hovering above unleashed flames towards the ground.
The command center of the allied forces was engulfed in flames without even a chance to scream.