After seeing off Sera-dono, I entered the battlefield at the main front and took command. Some time had passed when—

At last, the long-awaited target revealed itself.

A large wolf, accompanied by its direct subordinates, was observing our movements from the front.

Even without Sera-dono present, it was easy to recognize—the difference in class from other monsters was unmistakable.

Furthermore, the wolves following it were also different. They had likely been influenced by the Demon King Type, but even without that, they were undoubtedly powerful monsters.

“Clear the way. Once you’re done, provoke it and lure it in. I’ll take care of that one.”

I pointed at the particularly large wolf waiting in the depths of the pack.

That one was the Demon King Type—the boss of this pack.

“Understood!”

It wouldn’t be possible to stall it with half-baked forces… These gathered adventurers wouldn’t stand a chance.

It seemed my subordinates understood as well, as they quickly evacuated the adventurers.

At the same time, they formed ranks at the rear to prevent the monster from breaking through to the city if we failed to bring it down.

The right flank was reinforced while the left was left exposed—likely to funnel it toward the northern battlefield where Zighart-dono was stationed.

“Do it!”

Once the adventurers had fully retreated, the knights stepped forward to fire their spells and lure the pack.

However, before they even cast their magic, the boss charged forward, leading the entire pack in a full sprint.

That movement felt somewhat unnatural… But since the goal was to draw them in, it could be considered a success. No problem.

The priority was dealing with the monsters before me.

“We’re counting on you!”

“It’s strong! Be careful!”

The knights, who had taken on the baiting role, called out as they passed by me.

Even without seeing its face, its strength was apparent.

But there was no issue.

Drawing the sword from my waist, I dismounted and stepped forward.

“Hah…”

I activated the blessing of 【Mind Shell】 and first spread it throughout the entire blade.

Gradually, I narrowed the range, concentrating it on only one side.

Then, at the final stage, I focused it solely on the blade’s edge—completing the process.

Normally, the blessing of 【Mind Shell】 enhances the entire weapon, but this sword was made of pure magic steel—its sharpness and durability were unmatched.

By channeling mana into it, it became virtually unbreakable.

This allowed me to focus all enhancement purely on its cutting edge.

The pack numbered twelve… Including the boss at the front, I would be engaging with five at most.

They were significantly larger and faster than ordinary wolves, but that wasn’t a concern.

Holding my sword at my waist, I waited for them to enter my range—

“Hah!”

Just before the boss reached me, I used magic to blast the ground beneath its feet, throwing its stance into complete disarray.

Then—

“Haah!”

I beheaded the boss in a single stroke.

Immediately after, I cut down the wolves charging behind it—one, two…

By the time I felled the fourth, the rest of the pack had seemingly grasped the situation and attempted to scatter.

However, the knights behind me didn’t allow that, swiftly taking them down.

Scanning my surroundings, I confirmed that no more packs were following.

Taking a deep breath, I suddenly felt something hard materialize in my palm.

A Holy Coin.

With my current strength, ordinary monsters no longer granted me Holy Coins.

Only the monsters dwelling deep within the Demonic Wastelands—or Demon King Types—were worthy opponents.

In other words, the wolf I had just slain was, without a doubt, a Demon King Type.

“Was I overthinking it…?”

The enemy had advanced their assault earlier than usual—shifting the attack from nighttime, when monsters had the advantage, to a time when our preparations weren’t yet complete.

They deployed their main force while still retaining reserves.

Such tactical awareness made it all the more strange that their leader had been so easily baited and recklessly led the charge.

It felt inconsistent… but was it just my imagination?

“Commander, that was splendid!”

My subordinates returned after eliminating the wolves that had broken away earlier.

No casualties—excellent.

“Yeah. The one I took down was undoubtedly a Demon King Type. We’ll clear out the remaining monsters here and then move on to the other fronts—!?”

A series of explosions, previously occurring intermittently, now erupted continuously from the north.

Moreover, they weren’t just warning shots—they were high-powered spells.

Even considering that Zighart-dono was there, sustaining such high-level magic repeatedly was unusual.

Oh, right—Sera-dono had mentioned lending him a Blessed Item.

However, the fact that the explosions were still ongoing meant that the battle hadn’t ended.

A report had mentioned that the number of monsters in the northern battlefield was decreasing, with only weaker ones remaining…

Did another Demon King Type appear over there as well?

“Could it be a Demon King Type…?”

“Most likely. And this may not be the last one. Return to the main camp and prepare to deploy reinforcements.”

The terrain here was easier to traverse than the north.

If they intended to break through, this would be the most logical route.

I didn’t think they’d gamble everything on such a strategy…

It was more likely that the battles in the north, including the one I had just fought, were decoys.

That was the most reasonable assumption.

“Also, send a message to the southern front.”

“Understood!”

I issued orders to dispatch reinforcements and relay the situation to all fronts.

Glancing around, I saw that the adventurers, who had been pulled back earlier, were stepping forward once again.

The monsters, too, were pouring out of the forest, filling the gaps left by the fallen Demon King Type.

This battle was far from over.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————

Sera・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind Garment】・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Serpent’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】【Red Sword】・15 cards

Seriana・【Range Identification】・【】・33 cards

Elena・【】・【Green Fang】【Amber Sword】・4 cards

Alec・【Strong Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・9 cards