The charging Asura Tamn-Jin-Chi roared.
"Om(ॐ)-!"
The mouths of the rooster, snake, and pig opened simultaneously, unleashing a resonating mantra.
Golden streams of energy extended from the core of the giant statue to the crescent blade, twin spears, and serpent spear held by its six arms, then burst forth like a storm in all directions.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Had we been within range, we wouldn't have even been able to collect our bones.
But we were aboard the mobile wall, [Knight Bringer], which generates tracks in real-time and moves on them.
We narrowly retreated the wall, escaping the attack range of Asura Tamn-Jin-Chi's assaults. Go, Night Bringer!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The three weapons swung menacingly, and each time an attack narrowly missed us, the outer panels of the wall were deeply gouged or pieces splintered off.
Lucas, assessing the power of the passing attacks, broke into a cold sweat.
"The destructive power is terrifying. If that thing reaches Crossroad..."
"All our defensive installations would be torn apart."
Asura Tamn-Jin-Chi in its second phase lost all its special abilities from the first phase.
But it compensates with immense physical power.
If it lands even one hit properly, even a wall made from black dragon scales would be crushed. It would likely inflict critical damage to our defensive structures.
"Therefore, we need to inflict as much damage as possible before it reaches Crossroad."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The narrowly missed attacks kept striking, but each time [Knight Bringer] accelerated or twisted its path to avoid them, as if it had a will to avoid being hit.
"What is the strategy to defeat it, my lord?"
Lucas seemed to assume I had a strategy ready. I sighed.
"This is the interesting part..."
With my [Unyielding Commander], we could avoid the mental status effect attacks of those things in the first phase without any damage.
But to counterattack Asura Tamn-Jin-Chi in the second phase's mental realm, we need to be mentally contaminated in the first phase. That's the second phase clear gimmick.
In other words, we have to allow the mental contamination attacks in the first phase and be somewhat affected to clear the second phase smoothly.
Recognizing afflictions to eliminate them—how conceptually fitting.
However, thanks to my [Unyielding Commander] effect, we are all mentally sound. In other words, we can't use the second phase gimmick...
What choice do we have? I can't deactivate [Unyielding Commander]. Allowing mental contamination to clear a gimmick could cause unforeseen problems later.
So, we must push through the second phase without the gimmick. Until that massive and sturdy Asura Tamn-Jin-Chi falls!
I explained this briefly to Lucas, who nodded with a bitter smile.
"So... we have to keep hitting Asura Tamn-Jin-Chi relentlessly for the next three days as it advances north! It's very tough, so we need to use every means at our disposal with persistence and grit!"
"..."
Lucas, observing the advancing Asura Tamn-Jin-Chi, suddenly chuckled.
"Somehow... it reminds me of when we stopped Jörmungandr."
"Exactly, exactly. We've already faced worse before."
With Jörmungandr, we had to send an elite force onto its body, destroying three protruding nodes while fending off werewolf attacks.
"Compared to that, this is quite a manageable operation, right? Oh! Back in my day..."
As I continued in my grumpy voice, Lucas quietly smiled and drew the [Bestowed Sword].
Then he struck at Tamn-Jin-Chi's body with an extended blade of light.
***
For the next three days.
We continued a tense game of cat-and-mouse with Asura Tamn-Jin-Chi, attacking it relentlessly.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
From the moving wall train, Damien and our gunners unleashed long-range attacks from the turrets. Lucas struck with his blade of light.
Tat-tat-tat-tat!
Clang! Clang!
In the sky, wizards aboard airships poured out magic without holding back, returning to Crossroad to reload more wizards for another round of magic bombardments.
Asura Tamn-Jin-Chi was a large, powerful, and sturdy enemy, but it gradually accumulated damage under our ceaseless attacks.
Its armor cracked and fell, and its massive statue body bore countless scorch marks.
By the time we reached the southern plains within sight of Crossroad's walls, it was already heavily damaged with deep fissures across its body.
"Artillery units-!"
Our artillery, already positioned on Crossroad's walls, aimed at the enemy simultaneously.
We drifted [Knight Bringer] to the side, moving out of the artillery's line of fire as I waved the flag grandly.
"Fire crossfire-!"
Boom! Boom...!
The sound of artillery fire echoed from the distant Crossroad walls, and,
Screeeeeee-!
Hundreds of projectiles tore through the air like a storm, all striking Asura Tamn-Jin-Chi with unbelievable accuracy.
Boom! Boom-boom-boom!
Boom...!
Hundreds of projectiles hit at once and exploded.
I clenched my fist, looking at the explosion site enveloped in thick smoke. Indeed, the artillery is the flower of the battlefield!
"..."
As the smoke cleared, Asura Tamn-Jin-Chi, having endured the mightiest crossfire of our monster front, was already incapacitated.
Unable to withstand the cumulative damage and the final crossfire, all six arms were broken and fallen, both legs crushed. The three heads were also hideously shattered.
"...Ah."
Was it my imagination?
Only at the brink of death did the six burning eyes of the statue regain a mild light.
"So that's what it meant. The teachings of the priests that day..."
Then, the monster muttered in a low voice with crumbling stone lips.
"百劫積集罪 (The sins accumulated over countless kalpas)."
The sins accumulated over countless ages,
"一念頓蕩盡 (Vanish in a single thought)."
Disappear suddenly in one thought.
"如火焚枯草 (Like fire burning dry grass)."
Like dry grass burns in fire,
"滅盡無有餘 (Nothing remains)."
Everything disappears without a trace...
Tamn-Jin-Chi closed its eyes slowly, reciting its final mantra like a last will.
The second wave of crossfire from Crossroad rained down upon the crumbling monster.
Boom...
***
The Samdoksim Affliction Legion was thus eradicated.
After commending Lucas, Damien, the soldiers, the airship crew, and everyone who toiled through the three-day operation,
I personally retrieved the magic cores from the shattered statue remains and looked southward into the distance.
There, standing on the horizon, was the masked clown.
It was Crown. He had come to watch the battle again.
"..."
"..."
Crown, who had been silently observing us, eventually turned and disappeared back south.
"...Whew."
I clicked my tongue, packing the three SSR-grade magic cores of Tamn, Jin, and Chi.
The Rat Legion and the Samdoksim Affliction Legion were undoubtedly formidable as single units. They must be among the strongest monster legions left in that hell.
But for some reason, I had a feeling.
"A bigger one is coming..."
Next stage.
I had a hunch that Crown would bring something even more formidable.
"..."
...And as usual, my ominous premonitions tend to come true.
***
A few days later.
Stage 48.
Boom-! Boom-! Boom-! Boom-! Boom-!
The sound of drums echoed.
This rhythmic and orderly drumming that shook our hearts was not of human origin.
It came from the monster legion emerging from the black lake.
Booooo-!
With a massive horn blast shaking the ground.
Clop! Clop! Clop!
Monsters with the upper bodies of humans attached to the bodies of horses emerged in rows, their hooves pounding the ground as they marched out of the black lake.
They were all clad in gleaming helmets and armor. These were the Centaur (Κένταυρος) Legion.
Once an ancient race that taught medicine, politics, farming, and daily life to all other races,
For some reason, they suddenly sought to destroy the entire world and waged war against all other races, ultimately being defeated and driven to extinction, according to legend.
Clop! Clop! Clop! Clop! Clop!
Moving in an incredibly precise formation, they reorganized into four main units in front of the black lake.
They distinguished themselves by the colors of their cloaks: white, red, black, and blue.
Leading each unit were unusually large captains, each holding a distinctive symbol.
The captain of the white-cloaked unit held a bow.
The captain of the red-cloaked unit held a sword.
The captain of the black-cloaked unit held scales.
The captain of the blue-cloaked unit held a scythe.
"Whew..."
Hovering above the black lake in La Mancha, I watched them organize their formation and muttered their name.
"Apocalypse Knights..."
The White Knight of Pestilence.
The Red Knight of War.
The Black Knight of Famine.
The Blue Knight of Death.
And their knights, 110 in each unit.
A total of 444 knights of doom charging towards destruction.
They were the monster legion invading humanity in this defense battle.
'As if it weren't the final stage, they're picking out all the tough ones...'
They are the strongest legion as a single monster unit.
In terms of sheer combat power, they could rival the top 10 nightmare legions we've faced.
The only reason they didn't make it into the top 10 was that they lacked a unified leader. They had four field commanders, the Four Horsemen, but no king to represent their collective will.
After all, they are embodiments of plague, war, famine, and death, rampaging towards destruction without any self-will, much like their living legends.
Though they didn't make it into the ranking of nightmare commanders, their power is formidable.
'This won't be an easy battle.'
Booooo-!
The buglers in each unit set aside their drums and blew their horns vigorously,
Clop, clop, clop...
The four units of the Apocalypse Knights began to march north, gradually gaining terrifying speed.
Being Centaurs, a half-human, half-horse race, they were effectively a cavalry.
At this pace, they would reach Crossroad in no time.
"The enemy monster legion has begun advancing north!"
Reports from the scouts echoed in my ears.
"The enemy legion has split into four units!"
"111 each, divided into four paths, advancing north through different routes!"
"They're moving through pathless terrain without slowing down! At this rate, they'll reach Crossroad in two days, if not sooner!"
"What should we do, Your Highness?!"
"..."
I opened my eyes wide after closing them briefly.
We already have our defensive strategies prepared.
"We will split into four and block them."
The Apocalypse Knights are divided into four units.
And they synergize when they fight together.
They will converge into a single army in front of Crossroad, and if all four units arrive intact, we won't stand a chance.
We must defeat them separately before they combine.
"Divide the mobile wall [Knight Bringer] into three parts and deploy them at three points."
I pointed to key positions on the map between the black lake and Crossroad.
"Transform [Knight Bringer] into forward bases at these points to block the enemy. Deploy the units as per the prearranged plan."
One of the soldiers cautiously asked.
"Three forward bases to block three units, understood... but what about the fourth unit?"
I nodded.
"I will handle it."
My magic fortress is still quite usable.
I banged the table and extended my hand.
"We don't have time! Begin the operation immediately!"