Stepping back slightly from the front lines, I surveyed the battlefield… It seemed the chaos from the earlier charge of the Demon King Type had settled.

Additionally, the magic cast by Lord Zighart, which had echoed from the north, had ceased. That battlefield, too, seemed to have calmed down.

I had already dispatched soldiers to both neighboring battlefields to assess the situation, so for now, I could focus entirely on this front.

“Can we keep going like this?”

“Impossible. Look.”

I pointed toward an adventurer party in the midst of battle, responding to the subordinate who had come to assess the situation.

It was likely a group formed by merging two or three parties.

They numbered a little over ten, fighting against roughly twenty goblins.

Even though these were goblins from the Demon Lands, the adventurers were accustomed to hunting in such conditions. Normally, despite being outnumbered, they wouldn’t struggle as long as they remained cautious. But…

“…Ah!?”

Despite blocking the attack with a shield, the adventurer staggered from a single goblin’s strike.

This scene had repeated itself multiple times already—it was clearly a blow far beyond what a goblin should be capable of.

“This isn’t the power of mere goblins… Could there still be a Demon King Type present?”

“Exactly. We might be in for another battle here. Stay prepared.”

“Understood!”

Fortunately, though some parties were struggling, none were on the verge of collapse.

Having witnessed the defeat of a Demon King Type firsthand, morale had surged.

If we could maintain this momentum, it would be ideal…

As I continued to observe the battlefield, considering our next steps, it became clear that the enemy would not make this easy.

From one corner of the forest, a new horde of monsters burst forth—not as an organized assault, but as if being driven forward by something. They scattered the adventurers in their path and made a direct rush toward the capital.

They must have been lying in wait all this time, but now, with no other option, they had been forced into action.

Though the source was not yet visible, from deep within the forest, I felt an overwhelming pressure—something far beyond the Demon King Type we had faced earlier.

The adventurers must have sensed it too, as the battle lines were gradually retreating.

They could still hold out, but if this situation persisted, it would be dangerous.

We needed to act.

◇

I re-entered the front lines, taking command and reorganizing the battle formations to fortify our defenses.

Just as I was implementing these changes, one of the messengers I had sent north returned.

“Commander!”

He wasn’t alone—another soldier from a different unit accompanied him.

This soldier had been stationed at an outpost within the forest.

Fortunately, no Demon King Type had appeared there, and while they had struggled against sheer numbers, they managed to fend off the attack by coordinating with the branch leader and other strongholds.

This was good news.

Now, only one Demon King Type remained, lurking in the shallows of the forest, watching us.

If that was the case…!?

“They’ve made their move!”

Just as I was about to deploy our reserved forces for a decisive attack, a shadow leaped out from the forest.

“There’s only one… Is that a Heavenly Wolf?”

The Heavenly Wolf—though not classified as a monster, was far stronger than most creatures of the Demon Lands.

Despite being a wolf by nature, it preferred to act alone rather than in a pack.

Because of this, even though it was a Demon King Type, it did not command a group of subordinates like other wolves.

Its size was comparable to the wolves we had defeated earlier, but its power was on a completely different level.

Of course, given that it had previously led multiple Demon King Types, its strength was undeniable… But this was beyond expectation.

Several adventurers in its path had already been reduced to nothing more than chunks of flesh.

There was no way I could handle this alone.

“It’s too strong… I can’t do this alone. I’ll redirect it north. Hold the line here while I buy us some time—go and inform Lord Zighart immediately!”

I relayed the command to my subordinates and spurred my horse forward.

Until Zighart could prepare his defenses, I had to stall the Demon King Type.

However, this creature was an immense threat.

Despite being the leader of this monster horde, it rampaged wildly, even attacking the other monsters in its vicinity.

I managed to keep its attention on me for now, but at this rate, my horse would collapse first.

Yet, if we moved too soon before preparations were complete, the casualties would only increase.

As I deflected the fangs lunging at me with my sword, calculating my next move, the beast suddenly leapt backward, putting distance between us.

“It looks like that one is leading the pack. Commander, switch to a fresh horse. I will take over in the meantime.”

“Teresa? That’s a huge help!”

Sensing my predicament, Teresa had come to assist from a neighboring battlefield.

She stood ready, brandishing 【Red Sword】, facing the beast head-on.

Even she wouldn’t be able to take it down alone, but buying me enough time to change horses should be no issue.

Gratefully accepting her offer, I withdrew to the main camp.

◇

By the time I returned to the front lines with a fresh horse, the battle had shifted slightly, but Teresa was still engaging the beast, keeping it occupied.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!”

“No problem. So, how do we take it down? If we rely on the current forces, the losses will be too great.”

I hurried to her side and took over the frontline position.

At the same time, she inquired about our plan to defeat the beast.

Now that she had faced it directly, she must have realized its overwhelming strength.

She had concluded, correctly, that we couldn’t bring it down with just our forces here.

“I sent a messenger to Lord Zighart in the north. Once preparations are complete, we’ll receive a signal.”

“Understood. I will lift it into the air. Zighart will bring it down. And you will deliver the final blow. Is that correct?”

“Agreed.”

After a brief exchange, we continued holding the beast at bay.

Then, a barrage of magical flares shot up into the northern sky.

It was the signal—Lord Zighart was ready.

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

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・【Area Identification】・【】・33 cards

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

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