The Commander Kobold roared—a roar that seemed to invigorate itself rather than command the surrounding monsters. I maintained ‘Durandal,’ positioning myself to support the General and the surrounding Knights.

“—Come!”

Bosuro shouted, and the Kobold moved. Despite the jet-black armor covering its entire body and the greatsword—which suggested a sluggish image—the Kobold’s movements were remarkably swift.

It closed the distance in an instant and lunged at Bosuro on horseback. In response, the General swung his spear vertically. Again, spear and sword clashed.

A high-pitched, yet incredibly heavy metallic sound echoed. A lesser sword would have shattered the moment they collided—but neither Bosuro’s spear nor the Kobold’s greatsword broke.

And, in this clash, something happened that hadn’t before. Bosuro’s spear was pushed back.

“—That’s quite some strength.”

Bosuro let out a remark. If he were to be pushed back further, the blade would reach the General—I considered providing support, but he skillfully parried and dodged the blade, then galloped his horse to put distance between himself and the Kobold.

“—The surroundings are clear, then.”

Bosuro checked the surrounding situation once, then dismounted. He then faced the Kobold head-on—and a fearless smile appeared on his face.

“It seems you’re an opponent I must face with all my might… If you weren’t a monster, I would have certainly wanted you as a Knight of the Nation.”

Words of praise leaked from Bosuro… Amidst this, I stared at the Kobold and pondered.

Since it could completely block Bosuro’s sword, it was undoubtedly a possessor of great strength, as he had said. But—like the monster Atire fought, the monster before me parried Bosuro’s sword. This meant it also possessed skill.

He’s not just strong, he’s also skilled… But Bosuro’s skill is no joke. To surpass it, you need overwhelming power. The General told me that he can surpass any skill, but I think it’s impossible without power like mine.

Bosuro starts moving. He fearlessly closes the distance on the Kobold wielding a Greatsword and swings his spear.

The third clash. If his strength were considerable, Bosuro might have been knocked back, but… the Kobold chooses to retreat. Did he intentionally go on the defensive, or did he decide that the current attack was too difficult to withstand?

“Hmph!”

Bosuro pursues without hesitation. The Kobold responds by using his Greatsword as a shield… and the next moment, the spear’s momentum overwhelms the Greatsword.

Bosuro cuts back to deliver another blow. The Kobold finally can’t keep up… and the spear pierces his left shoulder.

The moment Bosuro finishes his swing, the Kobold’s left arm—from the shoulder down—is severed. Although the Kobold wasn’t holding anything in his left hand, there’s no doubt that losing an arm will slow him down. If this is the case, the General’s victory is surely certain.

At that instant, I notice. The Kobold’s Magic Power is increasing…

“—General!”

We both spoke at the same time. Bosuro reacted to it, sensing the Kobold’s movement.

As a result of his swing, Bosuro had a tiny opening. The Kobold aimed for it… and swung his sword.

But perhaps because of my voice, Bosuro managed to react. He successfully retreated and dodged.

“Sacrificing an arm, huh? He’s like a Human Warrior who risks his life, not a Monster.”

Bosuro says. Indeed, sacrificing one’s own body is more like something Humans would do than Monsters or Demon Races, but… as I observe the Kobold, a new change occurs.

Suddenly, Magic Power gathers in the Commander’s left arm. Just as I thought, “No way,” Magic Power burst from the severed section, and his arm regenerated in an instant.

“What—!?”

Even Bosuro was surprised by this. I felt the same. There are races with amazing Regenerative Abilities, like Trolls, but I’ve never heard of a Kobold-type having such an ability.

“Oh, I see. I knew he was quite strong since he’s a Commander… but he was also given a Special Ability like that?”

Bosuro mutters as if he understands, and readies himself again. Regenerative Ability—for example, Troll-type Monsters possess Regenerative Ability, but in the game, it was a specification where HP would recover after a certain amount of time passed.

Now that it’s reality, it’s possible not only to heal wounds but also to regenerate an arm, as the Kobold just showed. However, instantaneous regeneration is difficult unless it’s a high-class Monster, so this Kobold can be considered unusual in terms of Regenerative Ability.

Since it’s a Monster created with the General in mind, it’s undoubtedly special… but does it have other abilities as well?

For the Demon Race, if they can defeat the General here, it would be a great achievement in the Great War. There’s also the question of whether the Demon Race would bother with Humans to this extent… but no, at the very least, they would be wary of well-known individuals. Otherwise, they wouldn’t use such a special Monster.

It’s unclear how much the Demon Races recognize Bosuro’s strength, but given that they’re using this special Kobold to launch an attack, they must have a considerable evaluation of him. He’s a veteran Knight whose skill is considered among the best even among Humans… it wouldn’t be surprising if there were multiple layers of strategy.

Bosuro moves again. He was initially stunned by the Regenerative Ability, but he regained his composure and swept his spear. The Kobold, on the other hand, seems to be wary of the General, perhaps because his arm was severed.

At that moment, several Monsters slip past the Knight and rush towards us. I immediately deal with them with my sword—and at the same time, Bosuro’s spear sends the Kobold flying.

Seeing the Monsters falter, I think it’s an invitation and cast an Incantation. It’s “Holy Lance,” because just like with Atire, even if magic doesn’t work, the impact can deflect the sword’s trajectory—but Bosuro pushes even harder.

Before I knew it, the Kobold started to be completely on the defensive. He somehow parries the spear, but Bosuro increases his speed even further. As a result, the Kobold can barely defend himself—and seeing his momentum, some of the Knights intercepting Monsters nearby shouted words of encouragement for the General.

Listening to their cheers, I murmur.

“Can he… keep this up?”

The Commander Kobold is certainly strong. But Bosuro surpasses him—that conviction grows within me.

However, I don’t think the Monster’s strategy is over yet… In the game, both sides would mutually destroy each other, but in reality, it’s turning into a one-sided development for Bosuro. Is this the same flow as the game, or is it different—

At that moment, the Kobold let out another roar. However, it seemed to spread his voice to the surroundings, so he probably issued a command.

The next moment, I heard the voices of the Knights who were clearing the way nearby. Perhaps because the command changed, the Monsters’ movements must have changed. If so, the Knights won’t be able to cope, and the Monsters will surge forward, preventing Bosuro from attacking the Commander—is that it?

“Sofia, watch your surroundings.”

I called out to her and simultaneously got into a stance where I could unleash magic at any time. Bosuro was still on the offensive. However, given that the situation around us was suddenly getting noisy, the Commander must also be preparing to move to defeat Bosuro.

Just as I thought that, I felt Miasma emanating from where Bosuro and the others were fighting. I instinctively understood what it meant—the moment Monsters are generated.

Could it be that the Commander also has the ability to generate Monsters—in an instant, the Magic Power emitted by the Kobold decreases. Generating Monsters undoubtedly requires a corresponding amount of Magic Power, and that Magic Power depletion should be fatal in a battle against Bosuro. However,

The next moment, Monsters suddenly appeared around Bosuro.