Chapter 52

After annihilating the rogue group, we continued on towards our destination. Along the way, we encountered a few more rogue groups.

And we finally arrived safely at the grassland where the Haikobolts were said to inhabit...

"Hey... What do we do now?"

"I don't know what to do either..."

Right before us, there were countless Haikobolts swarming around.

We were observing from a distance, but the vast open grassland was so filled with Kobolds that the green was barely visible. They were moving subtly, making the entire area ripple, which was quite unsettling.

The number was incomparable to the rogue groups. It easily exceeded a few hundred, probably more than a thousand, though it was hard to tell.

Is the core monster supposed to be somewhere in this crowd?

"Two parties fighting this is just asking for trouble, isn't it?"

"...Experiencing an attack from this many enemies is not something you get to do every day."

"Sh-Should we retreat?"

Dius's party was completely terrified by this sight. Gauss sounded excited, but I'll just pretend I didn't hear that.

I also thought it was impossible when I saw this. Even though we've killed thousands of monsters before, I don't think we can take on this many at once.

"Hmm, if we retreat here, won't there be even more next time?"

"That's true. Big brother, isn't this manageable?"

"If there are this many, I'll probably have some left over for myself."

Unlike Dius and I, who were feeling discouraged, the women here showed no signs of unease.

Nohl placed her hand on her chin, thinking seriously.

Estel took out her staff and the red and yellow grimoires, hugging them tightly and fidgeting with excitement. Her gestures were cute, but the thought of what she was about to do was quite alarming.

Sisha, on the other hand, looked happy and eager to fight, despite the overwhelming numbers.

Is this a good reaction for a girl? Am I the only one in our party who's worried?

"The question is whether this is a complete group or an incomplete one. If it's incomplete, it could grow even more."

"An incomplete group... I really don't want to think about that..."

Miguru looked displeased at Dius's words.

Retreating would be easy, but if we left this unchecked and came back later, what would we find?

Even if we brought reinforcements, if the Kobolds doubled in number, it would be hopeless.

Maybe it's better to strike now while Nohl and the others are confident they can handle it?

"So, what do we do? Fight them with just us?"

"...To be honest, this is beyond my ability to judge. If possible, I'd like you, Ohtsuka, to decide. If we fight, we'll have to rely on you and your party for the main combat."

As he said, if we fight, it will definitely be led by us.

With this enemy, Nohl and I shouldn't take fatal damage.

Dius, who needs 2-3 attacks to take down an enemy, would be overwhelmed by the numbers if he were on the front line.

Moreover, to take down this many, Estel's area-of-effect attacks are essential. If we're targeted, it will definitely be us.

"What do you think?"

I can't make this decision alone, so I decided to look at their reactions.

"I'm confident I can take them down with this number."

"If things get too tough, we can always run. It might be good to reduce their numbers here."

"I'll leave it to you~"

Nohl drew her sword, clearly ready to fight. She exuded a strong sense of confidence.

For some reason, Nohl looks incredibly handsome. Was he always this cool?

Estel says we can run if necessary, but what if they chase us? In the worst case, we could use the beacon to escape, though I'd rather not let that be known. I'll just say it's her magic and that it's a rare, powerful spell.

Sisha, feeling confident she can fight, responded with a relaxed tone. Is she really okay with this?

They're all so reliable, and it would be embarrassing for me to be the only one feeling weak. I should also muster the courage and give it a try.

"Alright, let's fight. First, Estel will bombard them. When the front line of enemies comes, Nohl and I will move forward. Dius, please protect Estel and the others until the battle stabilizes. Sisha, please keep an eye on the retreat and provide healing if needed."

Even if we retreat here, we'll probably be asked to come back and deal with them again. We should strike while the chances of success are high.

We'll reduce their numbers as much as possible before engaging, and Nohl and I will take the front. If we find the core monster, we'll take it down.

Once it's gone, the group will likely disintegrate.

Sisha will secure the retreat, and if we're overwhelmed, we'll have a way to escape. The beacon is our last resort.

"Hehe, it's been a while since I've gone all out. I'm really excited."

With the plan decided, the battle began.

The signal to start was Estel's bombardment. She raised her staff, which was taller than her, and took out the red and yellow grimoires. The books floated in front of her, powered by magic.

Multiple magic circles appeared in the sky, and numerous fiery orbs, larger than a person, appeared. They looked like small suns.

As she brought down her staff, the fiery orbs rained down on the Kobold group, exploding one after another.

Flames and dust rose from the impact points, and Haikobolts were thrown into the air, disintegrating into particles of light.

A few Tyranno-Kobolds survived and tried to stand up, but more fiery orbs rained down, engulfing them in flames and erasing their existence.

Next, the ground began to rise, and rocks started to gather. When the rocks reached the size of the fiery orbs, parts of them exploded and flew towards the Kobolds.

They crushed the Kobolds in a straight line and exploded with a loud bang, sending smoke rising from the distance.

Did she combine fire and earth magic? That's a pretty extreme idea...

This is no longer a battle; it's more like a massacre.

"...I'm too tired to be surprised anymore."

"Estel, that's amazing, too amazing!"

"What is this... I want to go home..."

Dius, witnessing this, was wide-eyed and speechless.

He had never seen anything like this. It was a hellish scene, similar to the Frogmen incident.

Dius was covering his eyes, reacting with a mix of shock and disbelief. Miguru, on the other hand, was clenching her hands in front of her chest, looking at Estel with sparkling eyes, which was the wrong reaction.

Gauss showed no particular reaction, and Sumika was trembling with fear at the sound of the explosions.

The impact points were gouged out, and the grassland was unrecognizable. It looked like a war had taken place.

Craters were everywhere, and the few surviving Kobolds who managed to escape the explosions were running towards us but falling into the craters.

To prevent them from escaping, more fiery orbs rained down, exploding inside the craters and erasing them from existence.

The craters deepened, and the cycle repeated as more Kobolds gathered and more fiery orbs flew.

Despite the chaotic bombardment, Estel's calm and focused demeanor was both reassuring and terrifying.

Looking at her casting spells, her cheeks were flushed, and she had a seductive aura.

Is she really that happy to cast so many spells...?