Chapter 293
About four in-game hours had passed since the battle began. Our army had repelled the second and third waves of Hell Beasts. There was no doubt that the enemies' average strength was gradually increasing, but they were still within a range we could repel without difficulty.
However, whether players or NPCs, anyone who keeps fighting will inevitably accumulate damage. We were conserving our strength by rotating our forces, but the Centaurs racing around the battlefield seemed particularly exhausted. It would probably be best for them to take a break.
"Let's send Kanna and Sei a chat message. More and more enemies are becoming too tough to simply trample under a cavalry charge... Though I'm not sure whether I should call that fortunate."
Although fewer in number, it was obvious that the individual Hell Beasts in the fourth wave climbing the vertical shaft in front of me had higher levels. More and more of them had surpassed Level 50 and were no longer mere Hell Beasts.
Those individuals seemed to possess relatively high intelligence, and many of them once again avoided the poison gas produced by Shiitake's bombardment. That was not to say that no individuals charged in despite lacking resistance, driven by their ferocity, but it seemed that those who survived the struggle for existence until they evolved were more likely to acquire cunning.
"There's still ammunition left, but there's a good chance even stronger individuals will appear. Jigoro, Genzuro. It's about time you two took the field."
"I've been waiting for you to say that, brother!"
"Leave it to us. You can rest easy."
The two had been unable to restrain themselves and had joined the Undead unit in battle. As they replied, they kicked aside the Hell Beasts and headed for the vertical shaft in search of powerful foes. Unevolved Hell Beasts were nothing more than small fry to us. Even so, only Jigoro and Genzuro could overwhelm them to that extent.
"Baa, baa. Those two are way too energetic."
"It's not like that's anything new, though!"
"They want to fight, so let them. We can conserve our strength while doing our job of dealing with the enemy horde here."
Wool supported us from the rear with his cries, while Eiji and Toji, who were fighting alongside Jigoro and Genzuro in the Undead unit, traded lighthearted remarks. The fiercest fighting since the battle began was taking place here because the greatest concentration of forces was gathered in one place, but the enemies' low levels left us enough leeway to carry on a conversation.
Of course, I was also supporting them with magic in addition to commanding the ground forces. I did not have enough leeway to join the conversation, however.
"Giiiiiiiiiii!!!"
Just then, an incredibly grating cry, like fingernails scraping across a blackboard, came from overhead. The sound was so unpleasant that I reflexively looked up, and there I saw a Hell Beast about as large as Cal flying and fighting the flying unit.
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"Gwoooooon! Gwoaaaaaaah!!"
"Cal-chan, you're really going wild!"
"He's really fired up... It's amazing that his pace hasn't dropped at all."
About a hundred meters in front of Shiratsuki, the forces assigned to escort Shiratsuki and the other aerial forces were fighting. Among them, Karnagtul was especially active, eager to reunite with Izam as soon as possible.
He bit through enemies with his powerful fangs, tore them apart with his sharp claws, and cleaved them with his greatsword-like tail. His four wings beat powerfully as they supported his body, and the wind pressure alone was enough to throw particularly weak Hell Beasts off balance.
"The two of you, keep your hands moving, not your mouths."
"Got it!"
"Sure thing!"
After Mots-san admonished them, the two focused on the battle. Shiratsuki's main cannon had reduced many Hell Beasts to ash, but there were still plenty of enemies remaining. Karnagtul was drawing the attention of more than half of the Hell Beasts charging toward them, yet quite a few still slipped past him and tried to target Shiratsuki or the ground.
Intercepting those enemies was Shio and the others' role. Shio sniped the particularly agile individuals with her bow and rifle, Nanako summoned countless crows to attack them, and Mots-san had already defeated many Hell Beasts with strikes using his wings and kicks.
"Fire, fire!"
"Yeah!"
The ones calling out encouragement in childish yet flat voices were the Metallica on the deck. Their voices alone sounded so relaxed that one might let down their guard, but seeing what they were actually doing made that impossible. They were riding Tactical Shells.
Every Tactical Shell on the deck was heavily armed, creating an extremely imposing atmosphere. That was because firepower, not mobility, was what they needed, so everyone had loaded every weapon they could mount without regard for weight.
When they all fired at once from Shiratsuki's deck, orange trails like tracer rounds were drawn across the vast sky. Despite their beauty, countless bullets carrying an unwavering will to eliminate the enemy pierced the bodies of the flying Hell Beasts.
"Does anyone need healing?"
The one who arrived while watching the Hell Beasts fall one after another like mosquitoes sprayed with insecticide was Mikero, hanging from a drone-type Golem slightly larger than the others. He could float, but unlike his other flight-capable companions, he had virtually no aerial mobility. To make up for that weakness, they had made him a drone-type Golem that he could operate directly.
He rode it around the battlefield as a healer. He had just finished treating the Scars, who were laying traps around the battlefield while remaining hidden.
"We're fine. However, Cal-kun seems to be accumulating damage."
"That's serious. I'll heal him right away."
Mots-san, who had been appointed leader, calmly conveyed the situation, and Mikero immediately took action. Using magic and his magic eye, he healed Karnagtul from a distant location.
Now that he was healed, Karnagtul rampaged even more fiercely, flying in every direction. Then, from the direction of the vertical shaft, a Hell Beast at least as large as Karnagtul came swooping in with a grating cry.
There were three Hell Beasts, all resembling raptors such as eagles and hawks, with fiery crimson feathers and beaks and talons that glittered like jewels. Their tail feathers were made of flames the same color as their plumage, and most of each head was occupied by a single bloodshot eyeball.
"Gwoooooooooooooo!!!"
"Eek!?"
Recognizing from its size and bearing that it was a powerful foe, Karnagtul unleashed a tremendous roar using the Skills 【Intimidation】 and 【Roar】. The air physically trembled, and even Nanako, who was supposed to be his ally, instinctively covered her ears.
"Giiiiiiiiiii!!!"
However, the three Hell Beasts did not cower before the roar, which seemed to exert physical pressure. Instead, they cried out as though challenging it. Their three eyeballs glared at Karnagtul, and, having apparently designated him as an enemy, they approached him head-on.
"Those look strong. It wouldn't be wise to leave them all to Cal-kun."
"Then we'll take on two of them. I'm counting on you, Shio-chan."
"Yes!"
Shio drew her bow and fired two arrows. The arrows sank into the Hell Beasts as though being drawn in, but since she had deliberately refrained from using any martial techniques, they did not seem to have taken much damage.
However, the target of their hostility had clearly shifted to Shio. The two Hell Beasts moved away from Karnagtul and began flying straight toward her.
"They're coming, Mots-san!"
"Let's hold one each. Shio-san, support us with your shooting as usual."
"Leave it to me!"
Mots-san closed in on the Hell Beasts, which could only be called monstrous birds, and engaged them in close combat, while Nanako summoned additional crows to surround them. From behind, Shio fired arrows and steadily whittled down their health.
The teamwork between the three was the result of practice they had undertaken in preparation for this battle. They had also anticipated fighting alongside Karnagtul, but Mots-san had insisted that they practice working as a trio as well, since Karnagtul might end up acting with Izam depending on the circumstances.
As it turned out, his judgment had been correct. In battle, Karnagtul's temperament became incredibly ferocious, so much so that it was hard to believe he usually spent his time sunbathing in the plaza with the children. Even now, he was fighting that Hell Beast while baring his fangs and roaring.
"Gigyeeeeeeh! Gek-ge-ge-ge!"
"Gwoooooo! Grrrrrrrr...!"
Surprisingly, Karnagtul was at a disadvantage in his battle against the Hell Beast. The Hell Beast had the advantage in aerial mobility, and its strategy of scratching him with its hard beak and talons before retreating made it difficult for Karnagtul's attacks to land. His scales were quite tough, but the Hell Beast's beak pierced them, while its talons tore into his flesh. His health was gradually being whittled away.
Even now, the Hell Beast nimbly dodged Karnagtul's claws and gave a short cry as though mocking him. Seeing this, he let out an angry growl and narrowed his eyes in frustration.
However, he was not frustrated because he could not land an attack and might lose if things continued this way. Karnagtul was confident in the physical abilities Izam had praised, and he wanted to defeat any opponent who was not stronger than him with those abilities alone. What frustrated him was that he had to use his trump card against an enemy that was merely quick, yet clearly weaker than him.
"Gwohn."
"Ghk!? Gigyeeh!?"
Karnagtul used 【Dark Arts】 to create an auditory hallucination. He made the Hell Beast believe it could hear his roar directly behind it.
The Hell Beast panicked and froze. Karnagtul mercilessly slammed his tail into it, cleaving it in two. He looked at the Hell Beast as it vanished while falling, his gaze seeming to hold something close to respect, and then returned to the battle.