Using high-speed movement magic, I quickly reached the vicinity of the North Gate. According to information from the familiar I had flying overhead, the Alastin Kingdom seemed to have the upper hand—

Immediately after, a monster’s roar, like a howl, was heard. I saw the members of the reserve army nearby looking intently at the battlefield, wondering what was happening.

As I glanced at them, I received a report from the familiar about Sofia’s and the General’s whereabouts… As I approached them, I saw the General, mounted and ready for battle.

His appearance, should I say, was like that of a war god… The General, who had switched from a sword to a spear, overwhelmed those who saw him.

“…You’ve come, Lord Ruon.”

Bosuro, noticing me, spoke up. Then Sofia approached me.

“Lord Ruon, are you injured?”

“I’m fine. It seems you haven’t fought yet.”

“Yes… but…”

With a grim expression, she clenched her fist tightly.

“The air is heavy…”

Hearing her words, I shifted my gaze to Bosuro, who was mounted. He nodded slightly, understanding that I grasped what it meant to lead.

“Lord Ruon, can I entrust her protection to you?”

At that moment, Bosuro asked a question. The phrase “Can I leave it to you?” appearing means that–

“Are you going alone?”

“Of course, I’ll lead a unit. Currently, the war seems to be evenly matched, but considering that the battles in the east and west have concluded, the Monsters will probably make their move too.”

Bosuro looked around. The cavalrymen who were still waiting for orders nodded, watching the General’s expression.

“The enemy’s forces are now only those remaining at the North Gate… The Commander approaching from the North Gate has considerable leadership ability. If he grasps the situation, he’ll realize there’s no time.”

–So, if more forces push in from the east and west, he’ll judge that there’s no chance of winning and go for an all-out decisive battle?

However, the strength of the enemy Commander is the biggest problem. Since he’s an opponent capable of fighting Bosuro to a mutual defeat, even if the battle situation is absolutely in our favor, we cannot be careless.

“…General.”

“Does that mean Lord Ruon is coming too?”

I immediately nodded to the question.

“Yes, I’ll provide support too.”

Our gazes met. Bosuro was silent for a moment regarding my assertion, but–

“…It seems like you’ll come along even if I refuse.”

“That’s right.”

“Understood. Very well.”

“Lord Ruon.”

Sofia spoke. Well, of course, that would happen.

“You’re not going to tell me to wait here, are you?”

“…General.”

“Understood. However, prioritize protecting yourself.”

After saying that, Bosuro ordered us to mount our horses. Then he shouldered his spear and called out to the Knights.

“With our hands, let’s end this war!”

The Knights’ voices rose. Their high morale was partly due to the General’s presence, but also because the end was drawing near.

And under Bosuro’s command, they began their charge. At the same time, the other cavalry units also moved, launching an all-out attack on the northern army where the Commander was thought to be.

The soldiers were fighting in a chaotic melee, but Bosuro charged regardless. The cavalry advanced, weaving through the allied soldiers, and began engaging the Monsters.

Due to that charge, even the sight of Monsters being blown away could be seen–as expected of the General’s unit. I think the large number of people is also a factor, but their ferocity is much more intense compared to Atire’s. This is undoubtedly a move possible only because the General is present.

I paid attention to the General and Sofia while defeating Monsters using ‘Durandal’. Sofia, on the other hand, skillfully defended against Kobold attacks with her sword and retaliated with Magic. It seemed she couldn’t use very powerful Magic due to allies being nearby, but even so, her precise elimination of Kobolds was remarkable.

From the looks of it, there shouldn’t be any problems with enemies other than the Commander. Indeed, the greatest threat in this battle is the Commander that Bosuro is confronting.

Just how formidable is this enemy…? While I was thinking about how I should act if the General fell into danger, the target finally drew closer.

As expected of the Book unit, their forces were substantial, but perhaps because the cavalry had been launching wave attacks until now, the number of Monsters had decreased somewhat, so we were able to break through more easily than expected. And the Commander that appeared before us was–

“What…?”

I muttered in a voice low enough not to be overheard by anyone.

All the forces in this war were Kobold-type. The Commanders in the east and west were also the same, and it was easy to surmise that the Commander of the Book unit attacking the North Gate would also be Kobold-type… and that prediction was correct.

However, the equipment he wore was something I had never seen before. It was a completely different type of Monster than those that appeared in the game. I had thought he wasn’t just any Monster, given that he could fight the General to a mutual defeat, but–

“…Is it an enemy not featured in the game, like the Kraken?”

I braced myself again. It was a situation where anything could happen. Looking at the General, I could see he was showing strong caution towards the Commander. He must have judged him to be strong at a glance.

“That monster… is a threat, isn’t it?”

Sofia also seemed to sense something unsettling, letting out a few words. At the same time, Bosuro shouted,

“I’ll take on the one who seems to be the Commander! Knights, deal with the surrounding monsters!”

That meant it was similar to when the Knight who charged with Atire cleared the way for the battle with the Commander… The Knights followed that order, and the vanguard Knights moved to avoid the Commander.

In response, the Commander—a Kobold—roared, seeing our movements. It seemed to be giving orders to the surrounding Kobolds, but—

“Lord Ruon.”

Then, Bosuro’s voice called out to me.

“I will charge forward as I am. Lord Ruon and the others—”

“We’ll watch. The General’s battle.”

That’s all I replied. I didn’t say I was preparing to provide support, but Bosuro, who understood my abilities to some extent, seemed to grasp what I was trying to say.

“You’re always so worried, aren’t you?”

“It’s not that I underestimate the General’s strength, but…”

I glanced at the approaching Commander.

“…it just seems like that monster is special.”

“Indeed. I agree with that.”

Bosuro replied, then re-gripped his spear.

“Very well. My battle… let it be etched into your memory.”

The General declared, then increased his speed further—during which, I clearly pinpointed the monster’s form.

It was clad in black armor from head to toe, and held a greatsword in one hand. Additionally, it carried two similar greatswords on its back, and its physique was larger than the ‘Kobold General’ I had fought with Atire… The oppressive feeling was considerable, and I realized that a mere soldier would be no match for it.

Since it was a monster I had never seen before, I couldn’t say anything definitive about its strength, but considering the magic power it exuded, I wondered if even Atire could handle it—immediately after making that conjecture, Bosuro raised his spear, and the Commander monster also moved in response.

The spear and greatsword clashed. Bosuro, on horseback, had the greater momentum—but the monster calmly received it, not being blown back, and parried the spear.

Bosuro passed by the monster, pulling back his spear. He immediately tried to turn his horse—and at that moment, the surrounding Kobolds moved to target the General.

“Support the General!”

As one of the Knights shouted, the organized Knights charged at the monsters. It was exactly as Bosuro had instructed—no, the momentum even showed an atmosphere of pushing back due to their high morale.

“Well then, it’s finally the final battle.”

Bosuro declared, then re-positioned his spear. On the other hand, the Commander—should I call it a ‘Kobold Dark Knight’ from its jet-black armor? The monster also readied its greatsword, preparing to meet Bosuro.

It was a one-on-one situation… I focused on the monster within it. Without a doubt, this was the monster that had defeated the General, taking him with it. I would observe every move it made and act to prevent the General from dying… With this resolve in my heart, I quietly began to converge the magic power sleeping within my body.