The adjutant looked puzzled. Why would they open the fortress gates and charge out? Unfortunately, he lacked Grant's ability to fully grasp the situation on the battlefield.
"The fighters below are highly skilled. If we let them fight until the end, the number of monsters will be significantly reduced," the adjutant suggested cautiously, implying they should conserve their own forces by letting others die first.
Grant's lips twitched in irritation.
"If you don't prepare to open the gates and lead the charge immediately, I'll sever your head first."
"…I will obey your command."
Once Grant's orders were relayed to the officers stationed throughout the fortress, the soldiers began to mobilize.
After surveying the battlefield for a few more moments, Grant shouted additional commands.
"Archers, focus your fire on the flying monsters and those on the outskirts! Be mindful not to hit our allies!"
"The rest of you, raise your shields and draw the monsters' attention! Leave the killing to the hunters!"
"Move quickly! We march out now!"
Boom!
Waaaahhhh!
The gates of the fortress creaked open, and the soldiers of Turian surged out, shields raised, shouting their battle cries.
The archers maintained concentrated fire on the monsters swarming from the outer flanks.
These soldiers were veterans who had spent years battling monsters. They carried out their commander's orders with precision, their discipline honed by countless battles.
As the gates opened fully and the soldiers poured out, the hunters watching from the walls began to shout in disbelief.
"Grant! What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?"
"Get a grip! The only reason the monsters are losing ground is because of that surprise attack!"
"Look at the number of monsters! They'll tear you apart in the end!"
Descending the wall with his weapon in hand, Grant glanced at the protesting hunters and said, "We're abandoning the fortress walls to fight. If we die, so will you. If you don't want to die, follow us and fight."
"Y-you—!"
The hunters were caught in an impossible dilemma. The fortress's regular forces had all moved out, leaving them with only two choices: follow the soldiers or flee.
But fleeing wasn't an easy option either. The gate on the opposite side of the fortress remained closed, and even if they managed to escape, their futures would be grim.
Grant, fully aware of their predicament, smirked as he delivered one final reminder.
"Don't forget that your hunter certificates and consent forms have been sent to the royal court."
In the Turian Kingdom, every hunter's credentials and agreements were stored as duplicates with the royal administration.
A hunter who refused to fight monsters had no place in the kingdom. If these hunters fled and were caught, they would be banned from every region—or worse, executed.
"Damn it! We were going to fight anyway!"
They had climbed the walls to fight in the first place and had plenty of combat experience.
They truly intended to fight. That is, until that lunatic Ghislain appeared and overturned their strategy.
"Let's go. We don't have another choice."
One hunter's words prompted the others to nod in reluctant agreement. After all, they had nowhere else to go.
Whatever their reasons, no one came to a place as dangerous as this without being cornered.
"Screw it! Whether we die here or later, it's all the same!"
"At least those crazy bastards are good fighters. Maybe we'll survive."
"Hurry up! Let's form a proper formation!"
The hunters raised a war cry of their own and charged forward. By then, the soldiers had already formed a shield wall.
With the addition of the hunters from the fortress, the monsters' momentum weakened further. Ghislain had plunged deep into their ranks, reducing the number of monsters near the fortress itself.
The hunters who had been fighting earlier smirked at the new arrivals.
"Hey, you cowardly bastards. This is what we do for a living, and you were too scared to come out?"
"Idiots. Don't talk so much after being forced out. Watch me kill them all while you piss yourselves."
Though the exchange was rough, the hunters laughed nonetheless.
For most, this was their first time fighting in such a massive battle. The heat of combat began to grip them, and adrenaline coursed through their veins.
Their morale and enthusiasm stemmed entirely from Ghislain. His overwhelming power made this possible.
Ghislain, seeing that all forces had finally gathered, grinned.
"You should've come sooner. Better late than never, I suppose."
Boom!
Swinging his greatsword, he sent monsters flying and then turned to shout.
"Soldiers, focus only on defense and drawing the monsters' attention! Hunters, follow me and fall back for now!"
Without hesitation, Ghislain leaped backward. Deprived of their immediate targets, the monsters surged forward with renewed ferocity.
"Fall back quickly!"
The voices of Fenris knights echoed across the battlefield. They knew from experience that Ghislain's orders must always be followed.
The hunters, shaking off their hesitation, retreated behind Ghislain. As they pulled back, the Turian soldiers became the front line, holding their shields against the monster tide.
"What do we do now?"
The soldiers, caught between the advancing monsters and the retreating hunters, hesitated. They couldn't immediately withdraw without leaving the front vulnerable.
Grant, regaining his composure, shouted, "Stick to his plan! I trusted him to get us this far, and we'll follow his command to the end!"
"Extend the defensive line! Draw the monsters' attention to us!"
Clank! Clank! Clank!
Rooooaaaar!
The line of shields stretched out, forming a defensive barrier. Monsters ferociously attacked the soldiers standing in their way.
"Urgh!"
It was a chaotic mix of all kinds of monsters. Naturally, many of them were more than capable of leaping over the shields with ease.
"Spearmen!"
Thrust! Thrust! Thrust!
Grant adopted the most traditional strategy to hold the monsters back.
But these opponents weren't human. Many had grotesque physiques and superhuman strength.
Flying monsters were especially problematic, bypassing the defensive line to attack from the air.
Though archers on the ground and those still atop the fortress walls shot at the aerial threats, they couldn't keep up with the sheer number of enemies.
The soldiers' line faltered, slowly giving way under the relentless assault.
Screeech!
"Argh!"
"Pull back gradually!"
"What are the hunters doing?"
As the soldiers retreated step by step, a gap began to form in the center of the line.
Ghislain noticed the situation and called out again.
"Good, you're holding up well. Now it's our turn to attack again."
From the side, Kaor shouted urgently.
"The soldiers are being pushed back! We need to go in now!"
Ghislain nodded calmly and replied.
"All right, let's go."
"Go where?"
"From now on, we'll focus on one flank."
Boom!
Ghislain charged forward, his greatsword slicing through the monsters as he roared.
"Everyone follow me! Break through the left flank! Ignore the monsters advancing ahead—our soldiers will hold them off!"
A red glow in Ghislain's eyes grew brighter. His massive greatsword was enveloped in a vivid red aura, sharper and more intense than before.
Ghislain had activated the third mana core, drawing out its full power.
Boom!
With a single strike, dozens of monsters were torn apart, their bodies sent flying in all directions. Ghislain carved through the monsters' left flank like a battering ram.
"Move quickly! That guy's so fast, you'll lose him!"
Kaor yelled, charging after Ghislain, with the knights gritting their teeth as they followed suit.
"Waaaahhh!"
The hunters, inspired by Ghislain's overwhelming strength, let out a battle cry and surged forward.
Boom! Boom!
Screeech!
The monsters' flank began to collapse. Ghislain created openings, and the knights and hunters poured in to exploit them.
Even the flying monsters couldn't stop their advance.
Thunk!
Dozens of spears rose into the air and pierced the incoming aerial threats, taking them down before they could do any real damage.
Although the sheer number of monsters meant not every flying beast could be intercepted, those that descended were quickly cut down by the knights and hunters.
These weren't amateurs—they were skilled fighters capable of taking down several monsters each.
Boom!
Ghislain's greatsword didn't stop. Every swing obliterated the monsters in its path.
And that wasn't all.
Whirr—!
At some point, a handful of spears began orbiting Ghislain.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
The spears struck nearby monsters and returned to Ghislain, clearing out threats from a distance. This allowed the knights and hunters to engage with even greater ease.
Screeech!
The cries of monsters echoed across the battlefield. The rear ranks of the horde were now completely broken on one side.
This was Ghislain's signature flank rotation tactic. Originally designed for cavalry to attack the vulnerable rear and flanks of heavy infantry formations, it required a highly trained army capable of precise coordination.
Against disciplined opponents, countermeasures like using cavalry to intercept or breaking through the center to reverse the flanking maneuver could be deployed.
But monsters had no concept of strategy. They simply charged at whatever was in front of them, making them even more vulnerable to human tactics.
All that was required was a strong enough vanguard to penetrate their lines.
"Run faster! We'll strike their rear before the defenses crumble!"
Ghislain shouted, stomping one foot into the ground.
Boom!
The earth trembled, causing the monsters around him to stumble.
The display of power left everyone—both allies and enemies—stunned. But there was no time to stand in awe.
The battle demanded their full attention.
Ghislain was moving so fast that even keeping up with him was a challenge.
Ssss—
Red steam continuously rose from Ghislain's body, soaked in the blood of the monsters.
Crack!
The sound of bones creaking echoed ominously.
In truth, his body wasn't in great shape either. Activating the third mana core had already pushed him to his limits.
While he had grown stronger and could now amplify his mana more effectively and sustain it longer than before, there were still limits to how long he could maintain such a state.
'I have to push harder, faster.'
Under normal circumstances, he would have paced himself, conserving energy throughout the battle. But now wasn't the time for that.
The soldiers of Turian and the hunters lacked proper training. They weren't a unified army, and despite Ghislain's best efforts at commanding them, there were limits to what he could achieve with such a force.
The hastily constructed defensive line wouldn't hold against the onslaught of monsters for long. Ghislain knew he had to crush the enemy decisively while the line was still holding.
Clench.
He gritted his teeth and attacked relentlessly. If his momentum faltered, the monsters would grow even more ferocious in their assault.
Boom! Boom!
Drip.
At some point, blood began to trickle from Ghislain's nose. His hands, gripping the greatsword, started to tremble.
But he didn't stop. He continued pressing the monsters back, slashing through their ranks without pause.
Meanwhile, the knights and hunters following behind Ghislain were finally able to grasp what was happening.
"Wait... are we attacking from behind?"
"What's going on? How did this happen?"
"I don't know! Just keep pushing!"
Screeech!
Monsters that had been charging forward suddenly found themselves attacked from behind.
Grant, observing the battlefield, clenched his fists in awe at the miraculous turn of events.
'Incredible! To break through such a massive horde and strike from behind! How is it possible for someone to execute such tactics here?'
Though monsters lacked intelligence, they were still difficult opponents due to their superior physical strength. The weaker ones were dangerous simply because of their overwhelming numbers.
Yet Ghislain had managed to penetrate the horde without the aid of cavalry and seize the rear.
Grant couldn't help but feel regret. If they had trusted Ghislain from the start and formed a proper battle formation earlier, they could have minimized casualties and fought more effectively.
But he quickly shook his head. Regret wouldn't change the past. What mattered now was focusing on the battle at hand.
"Push forward a little more! Hold the line just a bit longer! Reinforcements are coming from behind!"
This strategy depended on the front line holding firm. Both flanks needed to pressure the monsters simultaneously for the tactic to succeed.
Hearing Grant's rallying cry, the soldiers gritted their teeth and began advancing once more.
Screeech!
The monsters were oblivious to the tactical shift. Acting on instinct, they turned to attack the new enemies appearing behind them.
The number of monsters advancing forward dwindled. As half the horde turned around, the defensive line began to stabilize.
Boom!
Ghislain continued to pour every ounce of his strength into annihilating the monsters at the front. With each passing moment, their numbers dwindled further.
Watching Ghislain, a hunter shouted with renewed vigor.
"Let's push harder! We're almost there!"
Inspired by Ghislain, the knights and hunters who still had strength left surged forward with newfound determination.
They rushed in droves, cutting down every monster in their path.
Their actions caught the attention of the strongest monster on the battlefield.
"Grrrrrrk."
Among the monsters was a particularly massive figure, distinguishable by its two heads.
It was the Twin-Head Ogre.
Every monster wave typically had a leader—a monstrous being that guided the horde. This wave's leader was undoubtedly the Twin-Head Ogre.
Positioned at the rear of the horde, it finally succumbed to its violent nature, trampling over its own kin as it charged forward.
"Raaaargh!"
The Twin-Head Ogre let out a deafening roar, so powerful that the surrounding monsters stumbled and retreated under the sheer force of the sound.
Unlike most monsters, the Twin-Head Ogre possessed a higher level of intelligence, thanks to its two heads. While it didn't fully grasp how the tide had turned against them, it understood enough to realize that their situation was dire.
Gripping an enormous club, the ogre began advancing. Though the "club" was nothing more than a massive tree trunk crudely shaped to fit its grip, it exuded raw, terrifying power.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
As the Twin-Head Ogre charged toward the rear, the knights and hunters attacking the monsters froze in their tracks, their courage wavering.
Just the act of the ogre running forward sent nearby monsters flying. It paid no heed to anything in its way, using its massive club to swat aside even its own kind if they obstructed its path.
"Fall back!"
"Leave that monster to the other monster!"
"Focus on taking out the smaller ones around us!"
The hunters shifted their attention to cleaning up the remaining minor monsters, all the while glancing nervously at Ghislain. There wasn't a soul brave enough to face such a towering behemoth head-on.
In this battlefield, there was only one person who could handle such a monstrosity.
The knights of Fenris also turned to Ghislain, shouting with confidence.
"My lord, we leave this to you!"
"A creature like that is no problem at all for our lord!"
"Come on, let's clear the space and give him room to fight!"
Ghislain had single-handedly carved his way through thousands of monsters. The Twin-Head Ogre would surely be no challenge for him.
He had defeated far scarier foes before, like the infamous Blood Python when he was even weaker than he was now.
Everyone around him wore expressions of trust and optimism. With such a monstrous ally on their side, they had no reason to fear.
Ghislain scanned the faces of those around him. Their eyes were filled with hope and expectation, their smiles radiating reassurance.
Seeing their unwavering faith, Ghislain grinned back confidently.
And then...
"Cough!"
He suddenly coughed up blood and dropped to one knee.
"..."
The faces of those watching turned ashen in an instant.
[T/L: Please support me and read 330 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]