Chapter 17

In the darkness of night, a group raced through the mountains. They moved without making a single sound, resembling ghosts. When they reached the fence set up on the mountain slope, the figure at the front pulled out a mountain knife that glinted in the moonlight. While the other figures kept watch, they silently and gradually cut the ropes that tied the fence posts and crossbeams. When the rope snapped, the other figures caught the crossbeam that was about to fall and slowly lowered it to the ground. Then, they removed the next crossbeam in the same way, creating a gap large enough for the figures to pass through, and they moved on to the next fence.

They repeated this process until they finally entered the encampment, passing through all the fences. Under the moonlight, the encampment was dyed a pale blue and was deathly silent. The sentries, who should have been on guard, were sitting with their spears, nodding off, exhausted from the day's battle.

The figures surrounded the sentries, covered their mouths with their hands, and placed the mountain knives at the necks visible from the collars of their armor, slashing them in one swift motion. The sentries, their mouths muffled, let out a muffled cry and died.

The figures ran through the encampment, seeking their next victims. Those who were counting stars to pass the time, those who had leaned against a tree and fallen asleep, and those who were doing stretches to stay awake were all killed without a chance to scream.

As one of the figures slit the throat of another sentry, the door of a house in front of them opened. A middle-aged soldier, yawning, stepped out, perhaps to relieve himself or to take over the watch. He was startled to see a figure in front of him, whose mouth was covered with a black cloth, but whose vine-woven armor and the fur peeking out from underneath were unmistakably Zoan. Under the pale moonlight, the Zoan's mountain knife and arms were stained black with blood.

"Zoan...?!"

The soldier tried to shout "Enemy attack!" but what came out of his throat was a large amount of blood. The Zoan's mountain knife had accurately slit the soldier's throat in an instant. However, the sound of the soldier's body collapsing alerted the other soldiers inside the house.

After disposing of the soldier, the Zoan sharply exhaled "Shh!" as a signal to his companions and charged into the house with his mountain knife. The companions, hearing the signal, followed one after another, and multiple muffled cries echoed from inside.

The soldier who was first to fall at the entrance, hearing the cries of his companions, thought of one last question as he lost consciousness: "Why are the Zoan here without any drums?"

◆◇◆◇◆

Garam was on the mountain overlooking the encampment where the massacre was taking place. His gaze was fixed on the encampment, not missing a single detail.

After some time, a change occurred in the encampment. A small fire split off from the bonfire at the edge of the mountain side and began to move in a circular pattern in mid-air.

"Chieftain! It's the signal!"

Garam nodded at Gulkaka's words and said, "Let's go!" He led the warriors waiting behind him down the slope, slipped through the fence with the holes, and entered the encampment. There, he was greeted by about twenty Zoan warriors with their mouths covered in black cloth. They were all elite, selected for their physique and demeanor.

"Chieftain! All the humans have been taken care of!"

"Any casualties...?"

"Just a few minor injuries."

The tone of the speaker was somewhat uncertain.

However, this was a result that could be expected. The Zoan, compared to humans, had superior physical abilities. Their strength and toughness were enough to match wild animals, and their explosive power was particularly noteworthy. Their reflexes, which could catch fish with their bare hands, and their explosive acceleration when running, were remarkable.

Engaging in close combat with the Zoan without forming a formation was tantamount to suicide. Moreover, for the Zoan, who were born hunters, the darkness of night was no hindrance. They could accurately pinpoint the enemy's position with their animal-like senses of hearing and smell and approach without being detected.

Without any preparation for a night attack and relaxed from the day's victory, the humans were already defeated the moment the attack began.

"Chieftain! Can we inform the hideout and release Soma from his surveillance?"

Without turning around, Garam could sense Shemul's joy from his bouncing voice. In contrast, Garam, still puzzled, could only give a brief acknowledgment.

"...Yes."

"Then, I'll be off."

Garam watched Shemul run off with a light step towards the hideout. Once Shemul was out of sight, Garam finally managed to speak.

"Hey, Gulkaka."

"What is it, Chieftain?"

"What have we been doing all this time?"

"I don't know. Don't ask me, Chieftain."

◆◇◆◇◆

"Soma! Just as you said, we've taken control of the village!"

Shemul waved away the young warriors standing on either side of the blue horse.

"I'm surprised. Truly surprised. I didn't think it would be this easy!"

Shemul was surprised, but from Soma's perspective, the Zoan not thinking of a night attack was even more surprising.

"A night attack would easily succeed. Just as you said!"

Soma's proposal to the Zoan was simple: "Launch a night attack."

When he saw Gajeta's reckless charge earlier, it reminded him of a "Banzai charge." A "Banzai charge" refers to the suicidal attacks made by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Pacific War, where, due to a lack of supplies, they charged the American forces with the cry of "Long live the Emperor!" without any strategic planning.

Soma knew about the "Banzai charges" from movies about the Pacific War that had been released in recent years. Initially, he thought, "It's amazing that they charged through a hail of bullets." However, when he mentioned this in class, a military enthusiast friend said, "That's not a tactic; it's a suicidal charge."

In reality, the Japanese Army's charges, lacking weapons and ammunition, were easy targets for the well-equipped American forces. In battles like Peleliu and Iwo Jima, where such charges were discouraged, the Americans suffered heavy casualties and even expected "Banzai charges."

Gajeta's charge up the mountain slope was more a result of overconfidence in their own strength and underestimation of the humans, but the outcome was similar.

The slope was likely cut to obtain wood for building houses, but Soma believed its true purpose was to prepare for a Zoan attack. The agile Zoan, if allowed to get close, would be a formidable enemy due to their strong bodies.

However, the difficult slope and the fence that restricted their movement made it an efficient kill zone for the Zoan. Charging into it without a plan would result in the Zoan warriors being killed one-sidedly, just like the Japanese soldiers charging the American machine guns with no ammunition.

Soma asked Shemul, "Why did you do something so reckless?"

From Soma's perspective, if they wanted to break the fence, they could have dropped rocks or logs from the slope. Alternatively, since the soldiers were so relaxed, a surprise attack without warning would have been much easier. He couldn't understand why they chose such a straightforward and suicidal charge.

However, Shemul's response only criticized Gajeta's lack of experience and poor judgment, not the reckless charge itself. This was the source of Soma's frustration with Shemul.

The reason for this difference was that the Zoan originally lived on the plains, where there were no obstacles to hide behind, and battles were always direct confrontations. This approach was ingrained in the Zoan, who believed that battles should be fought head-on with a declaration of intent.

Moreover, the Zoan, being physically superior to humans, thought it was beneath them to fight in a sneaky manner. In the past, when the Zoan were stronger, they could break through the fence with sheer numbers and strength, achieving victory. This experience made them even more resistant to changing their tactics.

The success of the night attack also had its roots in the human side's mistakes. A century ago, the famous general Inkdius, when asked about the qualities of an excellent commander, replied:

"The courage to fight dinosaurs and dwarves with light armor, bows, and slings. The cunning to lure merfolk onto land. The leadership to advance in perfect formation with strong shields against elf arrows. The caution to fight Zoan with bows and spears from a defensive position. The endurance to withstand the slings and arrows of harpies until they run out."

These qualities are still taught to soldiers as basic tactics for fighting sub-humans.

As written, when fighting the agile Zoan, the basic strategy is to prevent them from getting close and to fight with bows and spears. This strategy had been effective until Gajeta's reckless charge.

In other words, humans had become accustomed to the Zoan's fighting style over a century. Soma's proposed night attack was, in a sense, a century in the making.

Soma thought, "Aren't the humans in this world too complacent?"

While he believed the attack would likely succeed, he still had some doubts. When it did, he inwardly sighed with relief.

He had to act as if success was expected, given his bold claims. Shemul, on the other hand, was overjoyed by the success of Soma's proposal.

Soma hoped this would make the Zoan reconsider their fighting methods. If not, the next plan would be even more different from their usual tactics.

◆◇◆◇◆

The next morning, Soma visited the encampment with Shemul. The Zoan warriors were already cleaning up. For the proud Zoan, even the bodies of hated humans were treated with respect. They dug holes in the nearby mountainside to bury the dead.

The problem was the bodies of their fallen comrades, which had been left unattended. According to Zoan tradition, the dead should be given a sky burial. However, due to the risk of disease from the decomposing bodies, they had to be burned along with the remains of the tents.

As an old woman sang a song for the souls of the dead, Garam lit the pile of wood. The dry wood quickly burst into flames. The Zoan present swayed from side to side, joining in the old woman's song. This was a solemn Zoan ritual, and Soma, being human, could only watch from a distance.

After a few hours, the fire finally died down, and the Zoan searched the ashes for their comrades' belongings.

"Soma, you're the human boy, right?"

Garam approached Soma, who, still shaken from the previous night's threat, jumped back. Garam shook his head, indicating he meant no harm.

"Thanks to you, I was able to bury my comrades. I also recovered the mountain knife of the previous chieftain."

The mountain knife was found on one of the human soldiers who had taken it as a trophy. Zoan mountain knives are masterpieces crafted by dwarves, passed down from father to son, and from son to grandson, symbolizing the pride and soul of the warriors.

"This will ensure the soul of the previous chieftain... my father, is passed on."

Garam, seeing Shemul approaching, smiled wryly. He probably thought Shemul was threatening Soma for showing him the mountain knife.

"Raging Fang! What are you...?"

Garam threw the mountain knife to Shemul, who caught it in a hurry.

"This is the mountain knife of the previous chieftain...?"

Shemul, recognizing the knife, was momentarily speechless. The hand that held this knife belonged to a rough warrior, but he remembered the warmth of his father's hand when he comforted him as a child. Shemul held back his tears.

"Keep this. Pass it on to your child when you have one."

Garam already had two mountain knives inherited from his uncle and grandfather. He knew that his father was most worried about Shemul, who had the heavy responsibility of being the heir. Giving the knife to Shemul was a way to ease his father's worries.

"With this, I have no regrets. Now, I can fight to the fullest."

With the food stored by the humans, they could evacuate the elderly and children. Without any concerns, the remaining warriors could face the human army.

So Garam thought.

However, Soma, unaware of this, said calmly, "First, set up sentries. Scouts or regular patrols might come from the fort, and we don't want them to know we've taken it back."

Garam and Shemul, wide-eyed, stared at Soma, who panicked.

"Are you following my orders?"

Soma thought his proposal had improved his standing. He was worried that he would be dismissed as no longer needed.

Unaware of Soma's anxiety, Garam said in shock, "You mean you're going to repel the army that's coming next?"

"Of course...?"

Soma's matter-of-fact response left Garam and Shemul speechless.

The "Battle of Hogunare Hill," the first battle of the "Destructive Heir Soma Kisaki," was about to begin.