When Ghislain had dealt with the swarm of over 200,000 Grexes in the Forest of Beasts, he had also used the Chain Lightning spell. At the time, Vanessa’s mana reserves were insufficient to handle the massive horde of Grexes. Thus, numerous runestones were buried across the area to harness their power for the task. The reason Ghislain had thought of that method was thanks to Jerome. In his past life, Jerome had frequently used this spell against large hordes of beasts. Remembering that, Ghislain had prepared the same magic to combat the Grexes. And now, Jerome himself cast the exact spell that had only existed in Ghislain’s memories—this time relying solely on his own mana. The sky began to scatter ash, drifting down like snowflakes. The gray ash fell gently to the ground, painting a strangely beautiful scene. What once had been the traces of flying monsters covering the sky was now like a serene spring rain of flower petals blanketing the earth. The battlefield noise seemed to pause momentarily, as if the miraculous sight had muted the chaos. The soldiers stationed at the fortress cast their eyes upward, however briefly. Through the veil of ash, patches of blue sky started to peek through. “Phew!” Overwhelmed by the massive expenditure of mana, Jerome staggered, feeling a wave of dizziness. Yet, his lips curled into a satisfied smile. “It worked.” Though Ghislain had witnessed this spectacle many times before, it was Jerome’s first time casting the spell against such a massive army. This spell was as dangerous as it was potent—if the scale and range weren’t carefully controlled, it could harm allies just as much as enemies. That’s why Jerome had always hesitated to use it. Fortunately, the skies were occupied solely by flying monsters, so no friendly forces were harmed. If Jerome had been fighting alone, he wouldn’t have unleashed such an overwhelming amount of mana in one go. It was the presence of allies that made this possible. “I should’ve tried this sooner.” Ironically, the inspiration for Jerome’s use of this magic came from Ghislain himself. During their time together, Jerome had heard numerous stories from Fenris’s people, including the tale of Vanessa handling the Grex horde in the Forest of Beasts with her magic. So, he decided to try it himself on this occasion. Their past and future seemed to intertwine, influencing each other in ways neither of them fully understood. “Waaaahhhh!” The soldiers, awestruck by Jerome’s devastating magic, finally erupted into cheers. This was the importance of a mage on the battlefield. When magic struck true, it could instantly turn the tide of war. Ghislain, who was still battling the Cyclops, glanced toward the fortress and grinned. “Our little mage is doing well. There’s nothing like magic for wiping them out all at once.” There were still plenty of monsters surging toward the fortress, but the significant reduction in flying monsters drastically lessened the fortress’s burden. “It’s time! Push forward now!” “We can win this! The odds are in our favor!” “Just a bit more effort!” The commanders’ cries resounded throughout the battlefield, further boosting the soldiers’ morale. With the Cyclops’s boulder attacks halted and the number of flying monsters significantly reduced, the fortress troops began gaining the upper hand. Jerome focused solely on handling the remaining flying monsters. The others were handling the monsters climbing the walls with equal efficiency. The monsters scaling the fortress walls were quickly dealt with thanks to Belinda’s efforts. Whenever she raised her hand, her daggers moved as though they were alive. The blades danced through the air, cutting down enemies with deadly precision. Swish! Swish! Swish! Screeeech! The monsters screamed in agony as Belinda’s daggers pierced them. Each flash of silver light signified another fallen foe. One monster, ten monsters, a hundred—it was impossible to count how many had been slain by her blades. Not a single ally was harmed. Yet the monsters fell in droves. Every gesture she made dictated the fate of the monsters on the walls. Like a conductor orchestrating a grim symphony, she played a melody of death. Marquis Alpheren ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) observed her performance and shouted decisively: “Pull back a little! Use the monster corpses as barricades!” Boom! The soldiers retreated in formation, one step at a time. It was a timely order. The pile of monster corpses had grown so high that they were beginning to hinder the fortress troops’ movements. The newly arriving monsters were forced to scatter due to the mounds of bodies blocking their advance. Jerome wasn’t the only mage making a difference on the battlefield. While he focused on defending the fortress and dealing with flying monsters, Vanessa was orchestrating the battle from a broader perspective. Boom! Boom! BOOM! Wherever she directed her magic, clusters of monsters exploded into chaos. Vanessa carefully assessed the battlefield. It was impossible for her to eliminate all the monsters alone. Instead, she concentrated on minimizing allied casualties and creating favorable conditions. “Earth Wall.” Rumble! Massive walls of earth rose amidst the tide of monsters, momentarily halting their advance. It was a low-mana spell, allowing her to continuously erect barriers. The larger monsters smashed through the walls with brute force, but the smaller ones couldn’t do the same. The smaller monsters tripped and fell when their path was suddenly blocked. The mid-sized ones, oblivious to the chaos, trampled their smaller kin. Even when a wall was broken, another would soon rise in its place. This slowed the monsters’ progress, creating opportunities for the fortress archers and mages to strike. It wasn’t about killing as many monsters as possible; it was about slowing their advance, giving allies the upper hand in combat. At the forefront, Julien fought alone, surrounded by a mountain of corpses. Each swing of his sword cleaved monsters in two, splitting both the earth and the creatures in his path. Even Julien, who knew no fear, felt the pressure of the overwhelming number of monsters charging at him. But he didn’t retreat. He knew that if the fortress walls were breached, it would be catastrophic. Thanks to his efforts, the number of monsters reaching the walls was drastically reduced. Exhaustion was beginning to show in his eyes. Despite killing so many, the tide seemed endless. His mana reserves had dwindled to less than half. Slash! Screech! Even so, Julien didn’t stop. ‘I have to take down as many as I can to keep the fortress safe.’ Lowering his stance, he moved gracefully, his will imbued in every motion. When his sword swung again, it felt as though the world itself held its breath in terror. Slash! The monsters surrounding Julien fell in an instant, their bodies cleanly bisected. They died so quickly that they didn’t even have time to scream. Yet, Julien frowned slightly. Roar! The damage wasn’t as severe as he’d hoped. The monsters further back had only sustained minor injuries. His repeated attacks had drained too much mana, weakening the potency of his strikes. The enraged monsters charged at Julien with renewed ferocity. Gripping his sword tightly, he prepared to endure just a little longer. At that moment, a massive earthen wall erupted in front of the advancing monsters. Rumble! Screech! The monsters’ charge came to an abrupt halt as they slammed into the wall, clawing and smashing at it in frustration. This gave Julien a brief moment to catch his breath. Vanessa had timed her intervention perfectly. After a short respite, the walls began to crumble, and the horde surged forward once more. As if on cue, hundreds of daggers rained down from the fortress walls like a waterfall. Screech! The approaching monsters screamed as they collapsed, unable to withstand the relentless assault. Belinda descended beside Julien, a weary but triumphant smile on her face. “Thanks to you holding them off below, we’ve nearly cleared the ones above. The remaining monsters can be handled by the soldiers. Let’s defend together now.” Julien gave a firm nod. The fortress was on the brink of collapse, and someone had to hold the line. ROAAARRR! The two of them unleashed unrestrained attacks on the advancing monsters. Once their mana was completely depleted, they would have no choice but to retreat to the fortress walls. However, if they could endure just a bit longer, they might fully turn the tide of battle. BOOM! BOOM! BOOOM! Suddenly, lightning and flames rained down ahead of them, obliterating swathes of monsters. Jerome, while still engaging the remaining flying monsters, had begun aiding the battle below. Marquis Alpheren quickly assessed the situation. The monsters atop the fortress walls were now few and far between. “Archers and mages, support the frontlines! Move now!” Targeting the midlines of the monster formations could inflict significant damage, but it was far more important to ease the burden on the superhumans fighting below. With the immediate threat to the fortress alleviated, reinforcements were directed toward the battlefield outside. WHOOSH! Archers and mages lent their support to Julien and Belinda, allowing the two to fight with less pressure. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖 Yet Vanessa’s primary focus wasn’t the frontlines. Instead, she concentrated on aiding the isolated Fenris knights, who were in the most perilous rear position. RUMBLE! Countless earthen walls sprang up around the Fenris knights, accompanied by pillars of fire erupting into the air. Vanessa carefully orchestrated her magic to ensure no more than a manageable number of monsters swarmed the knights. Thanks to her precise coordination, the Fenris knights had maintained their strength even against the overwhelming horde. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Screech! The battlefield echoed with constant magical explosions, but the Fenris knights remained unfazed. They trusted Vanessa’s skills implicitly, allowing them to focus entirely on slaying the monsters before them. At this point, each knight was practically a living weapon of unmatched lethality. Amid the chaos, one individual stood out as the most ferocious combatant. CRAAAASH! Finally, the neck of a Cyclops, riddled with wounds, was severed completely. “Hah...” As bloodied monsters surged from the rear, they encircled Ghislain, who was drenched head to toe in crimson. BOOM! BOOM! BOOOM! Ghislain’s massive greatsword cleaved through the monsters mercilessly. Two remaining Cyclopes swung their enormous clubs repeatedly, trying to crush him. Screeeech! The monsters continued their frenzied charge, heedless of the danger posed by Ghislain’s greatsword or the Cyclopes’ devastating blows. Grinding his teeth, Ghislain gripped his sword tightly and swung it once more. CRAAAAASH! Dozens of monsters surrounding him were obliterated in a single, sweeping strike. Those caught in the shockwave were flung backward in droves. Neigh! The Black King, his warhorse, leaped into the fray, creating an opening for Ghislain to strike again. Around him, countless spears of mana materialized and flew through the air. Even as he dodged the Cyclopes’ massive clubs, Ghislain’s attacks remained unrelenting. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Thunderous sounds echoed as the earth quaked beneath their combat. At the center of it all was Ghislain. Together with the Black King, he dominated the battlefield with unmatched precision and ferocity. Moving like lightning, Ghislain weaved through the swarm of monsters, his sword carving through flesh with surgical efficiency. His eyes were cold and calculating, but beneath the surface lay a madness that dwarfed even the feral rage of the monsters. Flesh and blood filled the air in his wake. Where Ghislain passed, only destruction and despair remained. His very presence resembled a natural disaster. Screeech! The monsters, now reduced to primal instincts, trembled at the sight before them. Their base senses screamed warnings, signaling that the figure before them was no ordinary being. BOOM! BOOM! BOOOM! Every motion Ghislain made was imbued with calculated brutality. The monsters' bodies disintegrated under the relentless onslaught of his blade. It was not just a clash of instincts and rationality but also of sheer primal will, and the monsters were losing. Ghislain’s momentum only grew fiercer, reshaping the battlefield to bend to his will. CRAAAAASH! Chunks of monster flesh tore apart, scattering across the field. ‘Not many left. They’re almost done.’ Even as Ghislain kept moving, he assessed the situation. The flow of monsters emerging from the mountains had noticeably diminished. This meant the end of their reinforcements in the region was near. ‘Just a little longer.’ This battle could not have been fought more perfectly. Everyone was performing their roles to near perfection. The only thing preventing a complete rout was the sheer number of powerful monsters. But reinforcements were on the way. They would arrive soon. BOOM! BOOM! BOOOM! Across the battlefield, magic erupted continuously, and arrows rained down in relentless waves. The air reverberated with the battle cries of soldiers and the roars of monsters. Time passed, though it was hard to tell how much. THUD, THUD, THUD! The sound of approaching hooves reached their ears. At last, the awaited reinforcements had arrived. Vanessa, who had been conserving her mana to assist her allies, lit up with determination. Extending both arms outward, she channeled the remainder of her mana into a powerful spell. RUMBLE! The ground trembled as an enormous and lengthy barrier rose from the earth. The barrier blocked the path of the monsters advancing toward Julien and Belinda at the fortress front. It also stopped the monsters surrounding Ghislain and the Fenris knights. Screeech! Only a handful of monsters could now confront the defenders due to the barriers. The once-overwhelming horde was effectively trapped between the walls. Momentarily disoriented, the monsters quickly resumed their frenzied attacks, hammering against the barriers with blind rage. Suddenly, the sky darkened. Immense magical energy coalesced at a single point, distorting the air and sharply increasing atmospheric pressure. The monsters, lost in their madness, failed to perceive the strange phenomenon. However, Ghislain and the other seasoned warriors instantly recognized the shift. A victorious smile spread across Ghislain’s face as he turned to look in the distance. “They’re here.” Beyond the horizon, over a thousand mages appeared, each radiating a formidable aura. Together, they began to unleash their power, targeting the trapped monsters with overwhelming precision.