“It’s over.”

A voice only I, being close, could hear. Simultaneously, the Kobold unleashed its magic power as a last resort—in that moment, I had a premonition.

No way, this guy—immediately after that thought crossed my mind, I instinctively began an incantation.

Bosuro’s spear touched the top of the Kobold’s head. The blade cut through as if it were paper—and instantly cleaved the Kobold down to its chest.

“He did it—!”

Sofia’s voice came from behind. Some of the surrounding Knights also cheered. However,

“General! Run!”

I shouted. In an instant, the Kobold’s body suddenly—glowed.

“This is—!”

Bosuro understood, not only stopping his spear but letting go of it and retreating with only his body.

“Sofia!”

As I shouted, I advanced towards the glowing Kobold. Bosuro then looked at me over the Kobold, as if wondering what was happening,

“You, too, must flee—”

He couldn’t continue his words—the monstrous strength and skill to oppose Bosuro. Furthermore, the art of creating monsters and the act of sacrificing one’s life. And the final strategy remaining was… self-destruction.

Truly a monster created to kill Bosuro. The next moment, the monster’s body exploded before my eyes.

—And when my vision cleared, I covered my mouth and let out a small sigh.

“Good grief, I’m covered in dust.”

After sighing, I let out a small breath.

However, it was good that I noticed it at the very last moment… that was quite dangerous. It was fortunate that I was acting with the General.

For the Demon Race, defeating the General must have been their top priority. As a result, the General survived, but it’s now confirmed that he’s a person marked by the Demon Race in this battle. After the battle, I should advise him to be careful.

“…Lord Ruon.”

Bosuro’s voice was heard. I replied, “Yes,” and pushed through the dust to bring him into view.

“I’m glad you noticed it at the end.”

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

Bosuro was relieved. Then he bent down once and picked up his spear. His weapon, which was caught in the explosion, seemed undamaged, perhaps because it was made of a special material.

“—Lord Ruon!”

Sofia from behind. I turned around to see her, hand on her chest, looking at me with utmost concern.

“A-Are you hurt…?”

“I’m fine. I just got covered in dust.”

“Is there a reason why that’s all that happened?”

To Bosuro’s question, I replied, “Of course.”

“It’s a defensive magic—’Crystal Shield.'”

It’s one of the magic spells that increases defensive power, targeting the magic user themselves. In terms of its effect in the game, it significantly boosts defense in exchange for a significant drop in attack power. The game’s balance favored brute force, so cases prioritizing defense were rare, and its usage frequency was low. Nevertheless, it was a type of magic useful in a pinch, and I’ve had magic-users cast it as a precaution against high-attack enemies like Golem types.

In the real world, it looks like a vertically elongated cuboid barrier forming around the user. Since it constructs a strong barrier on all sides—up, down, left, and right—defensive power certainly increases, but in return, attacking becomes almost impossible.

What I used this time was a slight modification. Instead of building a Crystal Shield around me, I targeted the Kobold just before it exploded. This kind of application is possible if you have an opponent using magic right in front of you.

This means the Kobold exploded in a sealed space created by the Crystal Shield, allowing Bosuro to retreat.

However, I was only able to get the magic to activate, and I couldn’t completely defend against it. In the end, the Barrier was destroyed. Still, the impact was minor, and I was only caught in the smoke of the explosion.

“Are you really okay, Book…?”

Sofia couldn’t help but ask. She looks like she’s about to cry… but I slowly nodded.

“I’m fine… General Bosro. It seems the Commander has been defeated.”

“Indeed, it seems the Monsters have lost their coordination.”

I looked around. As the General said, the Monsters’ movements were clearly sluggish. The Knights attacked them relentlessly. There were many of them, but it would only be a matter of time before they collapsed.

“Lord Ruon, thank you.”

Then Bosuro spoke to me.

“It would have been impossible to defend against that last attack alone. If Lord Ruon hadn’t been here, I would have certainly died in battle.”

…I didn’t expect to have to employ so much strategy. Anyway, the biggest hurdle has been cleared. All that’s left is Kanan’s Awakening Event.

“…Hmm, Knights have arrived from the east and west too, have they?”

Bosuro said. I strained my ears and heard a battle cry from afar. The General must be right.

When I checked with my Familiar, it seemed Sylvie and Kuuza, who were in the east, were also heading this way. The Monsters in the east and west were almost dealt with, leaving only the north side, which had lost its Commander. The soldiers of the Alastin Kingdom should be able to handle this without any problems.

Now, regarding the next move… After all the Commanders are defeated, the Demon Race that created this army will appear. This being will raid the Castle alone and head towards the Throne Room where Kanan is.

The Protagonists, due to their achievements in battle, are asked by a Knight to go to the King and rush to the Castle. However, Kanan herself awakens, and the Demon Race is defeated by the Sacred Sword.

From here on, it’s essentially like an event battle… but I’m checking around the Castle with my Familiar, and there’s no sign of the Demon Race appearing. I recall that in the game, a Messenger would come to either Atire or Shelk, who were near the Protagonists, so I should be able to notice if I observe with my Familiar, but–

“Lord Ruon.”

At that, Bosuro spoke up.

“The battle is almost over… but the crucial Demon Race isn’t here. It should have been the Demon Race that led this battle, not the Commander we just fought.”

“That’s probably right.”

As I agreed, Bosuro grunted briefly.

“The battle won’t end until we defeat that thing… However, with the battle situation as it is, perhaps we should retreat.”

I couldn’t answer anything–just then, a Knight rushed towards us.

“General, a report!”

“What is it?”

“Your Majesty is heading to the North Gate.”

–Hold on. What is that?

This was definitely an event that didn’t exist in the game… Is this a new development that occurred because Bosuro and Atire and the others are alive?

Anyway, this was unexpected, and I couldn’t predict how the Demon Race would move. I immediately started checking the town’s situation using the Familiar that was observing my companions.

“…The battle is still ongoing, but Your Majesty is probably already on the move.”

Bosuro was right. There was some movement around the Castle. However, it didn’t seem to be anything urgent.

“Lord Ruon, let’s return to the North Gate for now.”

“Understood… But, about that.”

I looked at Sofia. Bosuro seemed to understand and nodded slightly, then spoke to me.

“Regarding the Princess, let’s keep it under wraps for now.”

“Yes. Sofia, if King Kanan comes, it might be better to stay a little further away.”

“Indeed.”

Sofia also agreed, and we decided to go back for now.

On the way, we met Atire and the others who had rushed from the east and west, and also reunited with Sylvie and her group. They seemed to intend to act with us, so they went to the rear together.

“Am I correct in understanding that the battle is nearing its end?”

Sylvie confirmed it. When I nodded, Kuuza shrugged his shoulders.

“It must be short for a war… but it felt like a long time.”

“Me too.”

Sofia agreed. I listened to their conversation and thought about what to do next.

My Familiar caught sight of Kanan and the Royal Guard leaving the Castle. This happened because the General was alive, and I couldn’t predict how it would unfold.

However, based on my past experiences, there’s a possibility that the story will progress as in the game even if I’m not at the event’s location. If so, there was a chance that the Demon Race would attack the moment King Kanan stepped outside—

From here, the situation took an even more unexpected turn.

“—I at least hoped for the General to be safe, though.”

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice reached my ears.