The distant clash of steel and monstrous roars echoed through the crumbling streets of Reflynne. Smoke curled upward, blurring the moonlight. Then—like a surge of divine judgment—the reinforcements finally broke through the barricades.
A column of armored knights pushed forward with disciplined precision, their shields locking into a wall of steel. Behind them, robed spellcasters and adventurers advanced in formation, their steps synchronized with the clanging rhythm of war.
At their head marched the Paladin—the one everyone simply called Boss. His gleaming silver armor reflected the fires burning through the city, making him appear like a beacon amidst chaos. Every step was measured, every command carried authority.
> "Shields up! Push through—don't falter!"
His voice cut through the battlefield like a war horn. The defensive line obeyed instantly, raising their shields as a wave of kobolds crashed against them. Sparks flew; arrows shattered; blades rang. But the wall held firm.
Up ahead, the fourth chieftain—a towering brute wrapped in scavenged armor—let out a guttural roar, cleaving through two fallen adventurers with a massive spiked club. Boss didn't flinch. He raised his hammer skyward, eyes narrowing in unwavering focus.
> Enemy mass: large. Spiritual resistance: low. Range: optimal.
Judgment—now.
A radiant glow burst from the hammer's head, bathing the square in golden light. He thrust the weapon forward.
> "Holy Art—Smite of the Dawn!"
A pillar of light descended from the heavens, crashing directly onto the chieftain. The blast incinerated the creature in an instant—flesh turning to ash, armor melting into slag. The shockwave scattered nearby kobolds like rag dolls. The soldiers behind him let out a synchronized shout, morale surging like a rising tide.
Boss lowered his weapon, face stern but calm. There was no pride, only duty.
> "Maintain formation. Advance to the square. Protect the civilians."
His presence alone anchored the chaotic battlefield. Like a general who'd walked this path a hundred times, he continued to issue precise, unwavering commands as the front line advanced through the smoking ruins.
---
Not far behind, a different kind of force followed—a wave of crimson and black. Cloaked figures, mostly men, moved with looser formation but fiery enthusiasm. Their cheers and manic laughter filled the air. At the center of their group strode the Red Mage—simply known as Leader among her followers.
Where Boss was controlled, Leader was wild. A wicked grin stretched across her face as her hands traced runes in the air, sparks of red energy swirling like bloodied embers.
> "Heh… so that's their big beast? Pathetic."
The fifth chieftain—a heavily armored kobold champion—emerged from a side street, rallying its riders and elites. Leader's eyes gleamed. This was her stage.
She raised her staff high, crimson mana surging like a living flame.
> "Burn them down."
The temperature spiked. A vortex of red magic swirled around her as she began chanting faster and faster, her voice both melodic and cruel.
> "Raging Flame Convergence… Infernal Bloom!"
A colossal sphere of fire erupted overhead, petals of burning light peeling outward like a hellish flower. It slammed into the chieftain's formation, detonating in a thunderous roar. Kobolds screamed as their bodies ignited; riders were thrown from their mounts, flailing as the flames devoured them. Leader laughed—high, unrestrained, delighted.
> "Dance for me, you little beasts!"
Her followers cheered like zealots, their loyalty absolute. They surged forward in Leader's wake, finishing off any burning stragglers with blades and spells, reveling in the chaos.
Where Boss brought structure, Leader brought devastation. Two forces—disciplined order and frenzied destruction—now converged on the same square.
---
At the square's edge, Yoshiya knelt beside Omina, wrapping a cloth around her arm while keeping a cautious distance from her still-trembling frame. Her berserk state had faded, but exhaustion weighed heavy. Nearby, Seikaku remained at his vantage point, cold eyes tracking the battlefield, calculating angles and threat vectors.
The reinforcements fanned out, creating a stable perimeter. Knights formed defensive lines around civilians, while Red Mage followers set the streets ablaze to block kobold reinforcements from circling back.
Boss planted his hammer into the ground, surveying the smoldering remains of the fourth chieftain. Leader twirled his staff, laughing as the fifth chieftain's corpse burned to ash.
For the first time since the siege began, the defenders held the advantage.
The united front had arrived.