The battlefield fell eerily silent for a brief, fragile moment.
The last embers of the fifth chieftain's corpse drifted into the night sky, painting streaks of crimson smoke across the moon. At the center of the square, surrounded by the ruins of its fallen kin, the Kobold King stood motionless.
It was massive—taller than any wall in Korvath, muscles coiled like steel cables beneath its blackened armor. Its horned crown gleamed under the moonlight, and its burning red eyes swept across the adventurers now surrounding it from every side.
Then, it roared.
The sound was less a cry and more a declaration of absolute dominance. The ground trembled. Windows shattered. Birds scattered into the night.
---
Seikaku's View — Precision Meets a Wall
From atop a half-collapsed rooftop, Seikaku had already calculated every possible attack trajectory.
Distance: 132 meters.
Wind Speed: 2.4 m/s northeast.
Target armor thickness: estimated 6.8 centimeters at weakest point.
He loosed a series of arrows, each enchanted for piercing.
> Trajectory… release… correct… fire.
The arrows screamed through the air like silver streaks—only to bounce harmlessly off the King's armor with sharp, metallic clangs. Not a single dent.
> "…Data confirmed. Armor exceeds parameters."
His expression didn't change, but his grip tightened on the bow. Mireina Katsumi, standing beside him, bit her lip as her hands hovered over the alchemy kit, realizing even her strongest enchantments wouldn't pierce that hide.
---
Paladin's View — The Shattered Shield
On the ground below, The Paladin rallied his knights with a firm wave of his hand.
> "Line formation! Forward—hold the square!"
They obeyed without hesitation, advancing with shields raised. The Paladin himself strode to the front, hammer ready, a wall of divine strength meant to hold any enemy.
The Kobold King moved faster than something that size had any right to.
A colossal blade swung sideways. The Paladin barely raised his shield in time.
CRACK—!
The shield shattered like brittle glass. The Paladin's feet were driven deep into the cobblestone as he slid back several meters, coughing blood. The force alone had nearly broken his arm through the gauntlet.
> "Damn it… it's like hitting a mountain that strikes back."
Behind him, his line faltered. The confidence that burned moments ago now flickered uncertainly.
---
Red Mage's View — Fire Meets Defiance
Not far away, The crimson-haired female Red Mage—stood atop a stone arch, eyes blazing with fury.
> "I'll melt that armor down to slag!"
Her staff burned bright red as she chanted rapidly. A circle of fire expanded beneath the King's feet.
> "Grand Art—Infernal Storm!"
Pillars of roaring flame exploded upward, engulfing the King entirely. The air distorted with heat. The ground cracked. Even the nearby adventurers shielded their eyes from the blinding inferno.
But as the flames died down… the King still stood, unharmed. Smoke coiled off its armor like it had merely stepped out of a hot spring.
The Red Mage's grin faltered. For the first time that night, her voice lowered.
> "…It didn't even flinch."
---
Yoshiya's View — Breaking Barriers
Near the center of the square, Yoshiya stood beside the still-recovering Omina, hands pressed together in a steady rhythm.
> "Barrier—Layer One!"
"Barrier—Layer Two!"
Glowing domes of light formed around clusters of wounded adventurers. Explosions from stray attacks echoed through the square, but his magic held—barely. His mana pulsed wildly, sweat rolling down his forehead.
Then the King moved again.
It slammed its massive shield into the ground.
> BOOOOOOOM—!!!
A shockwave erupted outward like an earthquake made of pure hatred. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground. Buildings shattered in every direction. The church crumbled like sand. Hospitals and guild outposts collapsed in bursts of debris. The town hall split down the middle. Marketplaces and houses toppled one after another in a wave of ruin.
Yoshiya's barriers buckled and shattered, sending him sprawling backward. Debris rained down. Screams filled the night.
> "No… no, no, no—!"
"Everyone, get back!" he yelled, scrambling to raise another barrier.
But the King's presence alone felt like standing before an avalanche. Even Seikaku's calculated attacks, Boss's defenses, and Leader's firepower meant nothing. It was a force of nature, not just a creature.
The Kobold King slowly raised its massive blade toward the moonlight. Red energy gathered along its edge like a rising storm. The ground beneath its feet fractured further, glowing faintly as its power reached a critical point.
All around it, the adventurers regrouped, battered but unyielding.
Seikaku adjusted his aim.
Boss braced himself, arm shaking but ready.
Leader gritted her teeth, fire swirling around her again.
Yoshiya struggled to stand, hands trembling.
The King brought its sword down—not yet striking, but charging an attack so massive that the very air grew heavy with dread.
The night of Korvath trembled beneath the King's Wrath.