Faced with the Skeletal Berserker Commander's ferocious strike, the massive enemy mech did not panic.
Instead, it drew a forty-meter-long greatsword from its back, calmly and deliberately swinging it to meet the oncoming slash.
In an instant, a massive arc of flame clashed against the Berserker's dark blade.
At the moment of impact, a violent shockwave exploded outward from the collision point—
followed by a deafening boom as the two energy slashes collided, triggering a fiery detonation.
The explosion engulfed several nearby beasts, consuming them in flames, while the resulting blast wave tore through the area.
Copper-built fortresses and monstrous creatures alike were hurled through the air.
Only the light mechs positioned directly behind the heavy unit escaped destruction—barely.
Even then, the tiny armored goblins perched atop those mechs—each no stronger than tier two—were blown away, leaving none alive.
But the chaos wasn't over yet.
After launching its first strike, the Skeletal Berserker Commander used the explosion's cover to dash straight toward the heavy mech.
It unleashed another devastating slash the moment it closed in.
The mech reacted swiftly, parrying with its own blade, and soon the two titans were locked in a furious duel—neither gaining ground over the other.
Unfortunately, their battle was catastrophic for everyone nearby.
Tier-three and tier-four units could survive the shockwaves if they stayed out of the direct blast zone.
But the tier-twos weren't so lucky—
the moment they were caught in the waves, they were obliterated.
Just from the collateral effects of the duel, nearly half of the nearby tier-two forces were wiped out.
Seeing this, the heavy mech changed tactics.
It began maneuvering to the right, toward the residential district, luring the Skeletal Berserker Commander away.
Bound by Hel's earlier command—to keep the mech occupied—and guided purely by combat instinct, the Berserker followed without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Hel's group seized the opening created by the disarrayed enemy lines.
Abandoning their Radiant Gold Shields, they charged directly into the fray.
The moment they entered the enemy formation, her two fifth-tier combatants revealed their full might.
The Flame Adjudicator carved through lesser foes—tier-twos and tier-threes alike—felling one with each swing.
Even the tier-four beasts crumbled after only brief resistance.
Above, the Snow Elf Assassin Queen took to the air, raining down arrows with precise lethality.
Within seconds, three tier-four beasts fell, each pierced clean through the skull.
But just as Hel's side was tearing through the ranks, a massive explosion erupted in the distance—
from the direction of the residential district.
A blinding sphere of fire—like a miniature sun—rose into the sky.
Moments later, an overwhelming shockwave swept outward.
The granite flooring itself was torn apart, exposing the black basalt foundation beneath.
Metal debris, shattered stones, and dust filled the air, carried on the raging wind.
Even though Hel's battlefield was nearly half a city away, the blast still reached them.
Fortunately, only the frontline beasts were caught directly in the shockwave.
The enemy mechs immediately withdrew the moment they saw the explosion, while Hel's forces hunkered down behind the Flame Adjudicator's unyielding defense.
The result was… ironic.
After unleashing such a massive attack, the enemy ended up destroying nearly half of their own army.
So then—who was the MVP of that explosion?
Answer: their own commander.
Hel hadn't even done much damage yet, and the enemy had practically sacrificed themselves.
However, her amusement didn't last long—she soon sensed that the Skeletal Berserker Commander was in trouble.
It wasn't just that the earlier explosion had injured it.
Now, away from the main battlefield, the heavy mech was fighting without restraint.
It unleashed one high-level elemental spell after another, its mastery of swordsmanship blending seamlessly with its spellcasting.
To fight it was like facing a seasoned swordmaster with a grand mage standing right behind him.
The Berserker Commander was barely managing to hold its ground.
The fact it hadn't already been destroyed was a testament to its sheer resilience.
Seeing this, Hel immediately ordered the Snow Elf Shadow Queen to provide long-range support.
She didn't expect the elf to deal serious damage—just to harass the mech and take off some pressure.
As for why Hel didn't send the more powerful Flame Adjudicator to help?
Simple: that clumsy brute couldn't fly.
Normally, both the Skeletal Berserker Commander and the Snow Elf Assassin Queen, as fifth-tier beings, would qualify as Sky Knights—
a rank where one gains the ability to fly using internal battle aura.
That's the origin of the term Sky Knight.
But the Flame Adjudicator?
Apparently, all its stat points went into defense.
It had no aerial capability whatsoever.
Maybe it was just too massive—too heavy to lift off.
So Hel had no choice but to stay put and handle the "small fry" herself.
Of course, she called them "small fry," but she never underestimated them.
The ones who had survived the earlier waves were all tough, experienced opponents.
Seven tier-fours remained:
five fully functional light mechs and two draconic beasts acting as living shields in front of them.
Behind those stood about fifty damaged tier-three mechs, now serving purely as artillery platforms.
Further out, forming a living barricade, were roughly five to six hundred tier-three beasts—
their massive bodies creating a thick wall meant to slow the Flame Adjudicator's advance.
They knew that tier-three beasts alone couldn't stop it,
so they focused their attacks on control-type magic—
spells designed to freeze, bind, or slow.
And it worked—at least for a moment.
Under the barrage of countless restraining spells, the Flame Adjudicator's movement slowed, nearly grinding to a halt.
Given enough time, they might actually have been able to whittle it down with hit-and-run tactics.
Even the Snow Elf Assassin Queen couldn't find an opening to slip through that airtight formation—
so what chance did a slow-moving tank like the Flame Adjudicator have?
But Hel had anticipated all of this.
If she stayed here, it meant she already had a countermeasure.
[Advanced Death Magic: Summon Undead Legion]
As she invoked the spell, a massive and complex magic circle flared to life beneath the Flame Adjudicator's feet.
Moments later, heavily armored cavalry—radiating deathly energy—materialized from the sigil.
The Skeletal Heavy Cavalry Legion had arrived.
This was one of Hel's trump cards.
Her current forces were limited, especially at the fourth tier.
Her mechanical Centurion, like the Flame Adjudicator, was slow and cumbersome.
Her Skeletal Greatswordsmen, though powerful, were too fragile and few in number.
That left only the heavy cavalry—
agile, resilient, and heavily armed—
the perfect choice for turning the tide.