Brendu's Point of View:
I drive a wooden sword covered in spikes along the blade straight into an Escamus' head. If that isn't enough, the poison secreted by the spikes should end its life sooner or later.
My constructs used to be nothing more than spikes or thick sharpened logs, but after spending so much time with Maki, I've developed a fondness for swords, and my creations have begun to resemble his. I had already been warned that girlfriends tend to pick up their boyfriends' habits and make them their own. This might be a perfect example.
The sword in my hand, slender like a rapier yet sturdy as an axe, proves it. I always thought I'd become a mid- to long-range fighter, but now I'm becoming as versatile as Maki, something I never thought would be possible.
Together with my three monstrous constructs, I'm carving a path of destruction through the enemy's advance. I just make sure to always keep a safe route back toward our troops in case I run into trouble.
Most of the Escamus are only grade 3, with very few reaching grade 4. That makes it much easier to spread chaos among them. I only have to be careful not to get surrounded. It doesn't matter if they're weaker—given enough numbers, they could crush me to death.
My monstrous trees impale and kill monsters as though nothing else matters. It only costs me a small amount of mana to reconstruct the pieces torn away by other monsters. The light armor over the combat suit my parents gave me makes me feel much safer. I've only reinforced the most vulnerable areas with densely packed branches for an extra layer of protection.
When I glance down at myself, I'm reminded of a story about a woman covered in branches and leaves who sought revenge for her family. It's a rather strange tale if you focus on the way she pursued vengeance, yet an inspiring one if you understand the reason behind it.
I tilt my head to dodge a set of claws, while my rapier deflects another Escamus' attack. A light step places me in the perfect position to pierce both monsters' heads with a single thrust.
The strike doesn't hit their brains, so they might have survived. They don't because of the massive amount of poison injected directly into their heads. Their bodies convulse before collapsing lifelessly to the ground. I can't remain still, because more monsters are already approaching from my flank.
Several wooden branches spring to life, halting their advance. Their legs are wrapped in powerful, resilient wood infused with my Imra, Laws, and Dominion. It's almost impossible for a grade 3 monster to break free, and even a grade 4 would struggle.
Several small spikes made entirely of poison are launched toward all of those monsters. They try to defend themselves however they can, but it isn't enough. Their bodies are pierced by the spikes, and the combined damage from the punctures and the poison coursing through them is enough to wipe them out.
"No matter how many I kill... they just keep coming." From above, I look down at the endless sea of monsters surrounding us. At first they came after me in overwhelming numbers because I'd strayed a little from the group. Once they realized how strong I was, they started sending only enough to keep me occupied.
"The monster behind all this is intelligent..." I let out a sigh. Dealing with intelligent monsters is always a headache. They'll even choose to retreat if they find themselves at a disadvantage.
I'm certain it isn't the grade 5 monster. That Escamus should be far too busy dealing with Maki right now. My boyfriend won't give its leader a single moment to breathe. Of that, I'm absolutely certain.
I slowly retreat toward the rest of the territory's small army. Everyone is maintaining a flawless formation, perfectly organized. The five Ruby-rank fighters serve as the pillars supporting it.
The Ruby ranks have to constantly scan the battlefield before acting. They need to find opportunities that allow the army to rotate quickly whenever someone is injured. They move with remarkable efficiency. They've trained hard to achieve results like these.
The entire formation revolves around two people in particular: Cokue and Joaki. They're the ones keeping the monsters under control, knowing exactly when to push the pace and when to ease off. The wind mage, in particular, wreaks absolute havoc whenever he gets serious.
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The artifact they used to conceal themselves serves another purpose as well: creating a favorable battlefield. It can be adjusted to slightly improve defense and healing. The effect may be small, but in a battle where the tiniest mistake can cost you your life, it's invaluable.
I move toward Cokue. He notices me approaching and starts heading in my direction at the same time. Neither of us neglects our responsibilities. We continue attacking every monster around us while making things easier for everyone else.
"Princess, have you also noticed something strange about all this?" He doesn't look at me while speaking. His eyes continue scanning the battlefield.
"Yes. It feels as though everything is being orchestrated, as if they're only trying to wear us down." Apparently, I wasn't the only one who noticed.
I turn to look at Joaki and Murill. Both of them are frowning as well. They must have noticed how the monsters keep changing their formations and strategies.
At first they focused on me, then on the weakest members of our formation, and now they're trying to pressure the very pillars holding it together.
"They're trying to find a gap in our formation, or at the very least force us to lose our organization. It's as if there's a commander pulling the strings from the rear." Cokue creates enormous spikes of compressed air, each one piercing at least two Escamus before disappearing.
"I haven't been able to spot anyone so far. Do you have any idea where they might be?" Along the way I kept searching for anything unusual or a different kind of monster, but I found nothing.
"No, Princess. I've been looking as well, but I haven't been able to find any sort of general or anything similar." Cokue seems slightly irritated. "For now, I can't complain too much. This has been easier than expected. If things continue like this, we'll leave without any casualties."
"That's the main problem, isn't it? It feels too easy. The grade 4 monsters keep coming one at a time. It would be far more troublesome if they attacked together." Everything feels unreal.
"I think that's about to change." The man with the wind affinity keeps his eyes fixed on a single point.
I follow Cokue's gaze. Deep within the sea of monsters on the right, I spot five Escamus that stand apart from the others. Even though they're only grade 4, they're clearly no ordinary monsters. They're among the strongest of their rank. Their Dominion alone makes that obvious.
One of them stands out more than the rest. The leader carries a wooden staff topped with a brilliant green gemstone. Just looking at him sends a chill down my spine. Our eyes meet, and he gives me a devilish smile.
"They're trying to wear us down, Princess. They only plan to endure until the end and claim all the credit. They don't care how many of their own kind they sacrifice." Cokue frowns and clicks his tongue.
"Do you think we should deal with them first?" That's a decision only the commander of the operation can make.
"I've considered several options. The first is for me to go alone. I don't know if I can defeat them, but I can at least keep them occupied. The second is to go with you, Princess, or with Joaki. That would give us a high chance of victory, but..." Cokue pauses for a moment.
"There would also be a high chance that our army would suffer heavy casualties." I finish the sentence for him.
"Exactly, Princess. The last option is to keep destroying everything they send at us and hope we still have enough strength to face them once this sea of monsters is gone... or wait for Maki to finish off their leader and receive his help." Cokue doesn't seem convinced by any of the options.
"Which one do you think is best?" I've already started drawing my own conclusions, but the opinion of someone experienced and trained on the battlefield carries far more weight than that of someone who's only studied warfare in theory.
"They all have advantages and disadvantages. Personally, I'd rather take the conservative approach and risk our people as little as possible." Cokue replies.
This man has a kind heart. He doesn't want to throw away the lives of his soldiers. He's completely different from those generals who don't care how many men die beneath them as long as they achieve victory.
"The first or the third option..." It's a difficult decision. Studying wars doesn't give you the character needed to make decisions in the middle of one. I'm grateful to experience choices like these in a "relatively safe" situation.
Cokue glances toward Samo. The Diamond-rank elder is observing everything, looking as though he's waiting to be called upon at any moment. "As a last resort, we have Lord Samo. With him, we could end this quickly. I'll personally repay the Vichag family if necessary." I can see the determination in his eyes.
"Then we'll go with the first option." I answer. "I'll give everything I have to keep the casualties to a minimum and eliminate the Escamus as quickly as possible so I can come help you. Don't forget who I am. I'm a princess of the Kingdom of Juka." My Imra and Dominion erupt into the surroundings like a raging hurricane.
"I'm leaving my men in your hands. Please take good care of them. Don't push yourself too hard. I won't be able to look Maki in the eye if something happens to you. If it comes to that, remember that these men have already accepted the possibility of giving their lives for the territory." Cokue finishes speaking before taking flight toward the five monsters. I understand his words. I understand them perfectly. In a situation like this, none of us are children anymore. There are risks we have to take if we want to reach our goal.