Chapter 98
Having regained consciousness, Otto swung his hammer around like a scythe mowing grass, mowing down the oncoming antfolk.
"Otto! Hold them there!"
In response to my order, Otto answered with a swing of his hammer.
The hammer, a massive block of iron, whistled through the air, scattering the slender antfolk like dolls.
It was such a satisfying advance that I could hardly look away.
An ant tried to slip beneath one of his wide swings, but Kyle threw a knife to close the opening.
The two of them were the rock set at the front and the pillar supporting it. Once we had established the core of our fighting force, things would be easier.
"Sensei!"
"You seven over there. Support Otto and the others. Seal the gap."
That's Sensei for you. Without waiting for me to say anything, he had made the preparations and was issuing precise orders.
When I looked toward the rear, the soldiers had gathered in response to the instructions I had just given. But the line was still tenuous—far too unstable to call it a battle line. We would push back farther from here.
"Graves! Return here. There are three allies along the way, so pick them up. Miecha and Sei, return here while joining up with Ben and Hans's unit. Borel and Gatt's unit, you're back, correct? Hold the line here. All right, everyone, I'm going to count to ten. The instant I finish counting, each of you take one step forward. Understood? One step forward! Here we go! Ten! Nine!"
I slowly counted down. At the battle line, antfolk surged toward us, trying to break apart the force we had gathered. But the soldiers, wholly focused on defense, held them back, and their momentum gradually began to fade.
I understand it now: a battlefield is like a wave. Each individual is weak, but when they come together, momentum is born. That momentum never lasts forever. It rises as they combine their strength, then ebbs and flows like the tide. The antfolk's momentum was strong now, but it was gradually weakening and would reach its lowest point in a few seconds.
"Three, two, one!"
"Now! One step forward!"
"Yes!"
At my shout, the soldiers thrust out their spears in unison and advanced exactly one step.
It was only one step. Yet that single step pushed back the antfolk swarm and transformed the confused, uncertain battle line into a clean defensive line, as though drawn with a ruler.
"Hahahaha, I can't believe it."
Even though he had played a part in it, Sensei seemed unable to believe what he had accomplished. I, too, couldn't believe I was really doing this. It felt like a dream, but even if it was, that was fine. I only had to do what needed to be done now.
"Miecha, Sei. Ben and Hans's unit is back, correct? Graves's unit has assembled here as well. Sensei, I'll leave this place to you. I'm going to rescue Glenn and Zeze's isolated unit."
We had deliberately left Glenn and Zeze's unit behind on the battlefield and pitted it against the enemy's main force, which consisted of royal guard ants. If they had not held those enemies in check, we would not have been able to reorganize the rear. But they were in a dangerous situation now, under fierce attack. We had to hurry to their aid.
"Hey, Romelia, that's too dangerous."
"We'll be fine with Miecha and the others there. More importantly, watch out for explosive magic stones. They may still have some hidden."
I wanted to believe they had used them all, but I couldn't be certain.
"Miecha, can you go? Let's move!"
I asked him, then swung my sword without waiting for a reply. It was probably a poor move for a commander to go to the front line, but it made it easier to get the soldiers to follow me. The members of the Romelia Squad also had no choice but to go forward and cut down enemies to protect me.
"Move out! Double time!"
The moment I stepped one pace beyond the battle line, I found myself facing a swarm of antfolk like a tsunami.
Because I had gathered our allies to restore the battle line, the area around us had changed from a whirlpool of confusion into a muddy torrent.
To reach Glenn and Zeze's unit, we would have to force our way through it.
"This way!"
The enemy swarm was a muddy torrent, but I advanced without hesitation.
I could now see each current from above.
I could tell at a glance where the flow was strong or weak, where the enemy's attention was concentrated and a group was trying to surge forward as one, and even where no one was paying attention.
"Miecha, Sei, take the lead and advance as I direct. Ben and Hans's unit, secure our flanks."
I formed the unit into an arrow-shaped formation and pointed the way with my sword.
"Break through the gap in the enemy on the right, then turn left and continue straight. That will put us on the antfolk's flank, so push through by force. You don't need to defeat the enemy—just focus on racing through!"
We surged ahead by choosing places where the enemy's attention was elsewhere, where their momentum was weak, and where there were gaps between units.
Battle was all about momentum. Even if we were outnumbered, we could break through easily by driving our stronger momentum into a weak point.
"Glenn and Zeze's unit! We've come to help!"
The two units left behind on the battlefield were, by now, battered almost beyond endurance. They were barely standing, protecting one another as they fought.
That was only natural. They were facing a force centered around armored royal guard ants. It was precisely because they had held the enemy here that we had been able to reorganize the rear.
"Attack!"
Miecha and the others charged and clashed with the royal guard ants.
The royal guard ants were elite, but we had brought an elite force of our own.
"Romelia-sama! Why are you here? Hey, you lot, protect Romelia-sama!"
Glenn and Zeze forgot about their own wounds and moved to guard me.
"Die already!"
Sei roared, while Ben and Hans cut down enemies as well. Graves brought down the last one, annihilating the royal guard ant unit.
"We made it through!"
I turned around and leveled my blade at the King Ant commanding the antfolk far across the front.
The battlefield stretched from one distant end to the other, and the King Ant looked no bigger than an actual ant. Even so, I had no doubt that we felt each other's gaze. The King Ant stared at me as I pointed my blade at it, and I clearly saw flames of anger burning in its compound eyes.
The King Ant gripped its scepter with its insectile fingers and swung it forward in anger. The force centered around the royal guard ants protecting it began to advance.
From my bird's-eye view, I clearly sensed the enemy's attention shift.
The soldiers guarding the enemy headquarters leaned forward, their vigilance toward their surroundings slackening.
Now! Al, Ray!
I sent a wordless signal to the greatest trump cards on the battlefield.