Battle Commences! #3
"Haa...! Haa!"
"Ghhhk!"
"I-it's a monster legion! The witch is commanding a monster legion...!"
The retreating soldiers of the Baron's army cried out in terror, each expressing their mounting fear.
"Sh-shut up! I said shut your mouths!"
Even the non-commissioned officers, who were supposed to be keeping them in line, were just as terrified. The NCO, his face ashen, bellowed at the soldiers spewing such ominous words, but there was no turning back the morale that had already plummeted.
"Hoo, hoo...!"
Countless comrades had been burned to death.
"The angels...!"
Even the beautiful and powerful angels had been wiped out by demons of unknown origin. There was no hope. They couldn't even bring themselves to believe they would make it back alive.
"The witch has summoned Great Archdemons!"
"I-if we want to live, we have to offer sacrifices and beg for forgiveness!"
"Please! Pleeaaase...!"
Panic spread like wildfire.
The imps that had been throwing fireballs from the cliffs had already become ancient Great Archdemons of unknown identity. At least, that was how the soldiers who had witnessed them described it.
And amidst the flickering flames, the legions of hell appeared like ghosts from beyond. They were like Death Knights. They appeared suddenly, stabbing and killing every soldier who tried to flee in their direction.
"C-calm down! This witch is dangerous enough to take down angels! Even if we are retreating... if we make it back, surely! The center will send an even stronger angelic unit! That just proves how dangerous she is!"
The NCO shouted, but the soldiers doubted the very idea of making it back in the first place. Whether it was proven dangerous or not, if they died here, it was all over.
To make matters worse, the sky was beginning to darken.
Darkness. The witching hour.
Could they really survive the night?
No sooner had they thought it.
—*Ssssss!*
—*Ssssss!*
—*Sssssssss!*
An ominous sound echoed.
"Huh?"
From the darkness, women with the lower bodies of snakes began to charge.
"Waaaaaah! Run! Ruuuuun!"
"Wh-what! Aaaaaah!"
"Kuaaaaaagh!"
The hell from earlier was being reenacted.
The soldiers, seeing the Lamia Lancer Corps, screamed and fled.
"This is the power of air superiority!"
Having wiped out all the angels, our Pixies were now free to scout as they pleased!
The Pixies that flew out reported everything about the retreating humans, and I easily maneuvered my forces to launch bold ambushes. It was a one-sided map hack.
The enemies couldn't even see us, but I could check on them to my heart's content. Furthermore, they weren't used to jungle warfare, and having lost 20% of their troops to fire attacks, their morale was at an all-time low. They were also gripped by terror.
If I couldn't crush them in this state, wouldn't I be a complete idiot? Having commanded armies and fought battles in this jungle, I could easily pull off this kind of slaughter.
I shouldn't lose when I'm playing with a map hack in my own backyard.
This time, I'll wipe them out completely.
"Hehehe, Serineu. Your scouting skills are getting better by the day, aren't they?"
"I do it every day, so of course! And this is like playing 'find the human,' right? It's so much fun that I end up working even harder!"
This is it!
The Pixies' attitude of enjoying this! Combined with their excellent work ethic and war-crazed nature, they had truly become an invincible air force!
Fighting and learning while having fun! That is the strength of the Pixies!
"You, who fight while enjoying it, are a true professional!"
"We're stronger than professionals!"
"Then you're 'Special Class.' You guys are Special Class Pixies."
"Speeeecial!"
They sure like that.
Anyway.
—*Kugugugugu!*
"Kuaaaaaaagh!"
"Aaaaaah!"
The humans fell helplessly to the night ambush charge led by the Lamias. Because they were retreating in such a hurry, they couldn't maintain proper military discipline, and the further back you went in the formation, the more chaotic the defenses were.
We were clipping their tails with the Lamias.
As the female snake lancers swept through the formation in the dead of night, the soldiers couldn't even put up a decent fight, screaming as they were routed. That was all soldiers with low morale and fear could do.
"Hehehe."
Even if the NCOs managed to pull the troops together to form a formation, we could just retreat. It was night, after all. Morale and discipline were at rock bottom. They were so terrified they couldn't even think of launching a counterattack.
And that wasn't all.
—*Vroooom!*
"Kyaaaaaaah!"
"Grrrr!"
"Kyahat! Kyaaaaaah! Die, all of you!"
"Die! Just die! You human bastards!"
"Grrrr! Kill all human bastards!"
Our new air force was active in the skies.
It was the Pixie bomber unit carrying Imps.
We made a kind of swing that the Pixies wore around their waists, and they flew with the Imps sitting on them. Naturally, the cruising range was very short due to the weight of the Imps, but right now, the Pixies were spreading wicked, witch-like laughter as they circled above the Baron's army, scattering fireballs.
The impact was certain.
—*Whoosh!*
"Kuaaaaaaaaaagh!"
"Save me! Save meeeee!"
"Aaaaaaaaah!"
The falling fireballs and the echoing laughter of the witches crushed the Baron's army's morale. It was clearly visible now.
"Kwahahaha!"
The troops were falling apart. They died pierced by Lamia spears, or they tripped while running and were trampled to death. This jungle was hell for them. Some soldiers disappeared into the darkness of the jungle in a panic... but waiting for them was the Dark Elf human-hunter unit.
—*Vroom!*
Soon, the bomber unit and the scouting unit returned.
"Demon King! The further we go, the tighter their defenses are getting! It seems it'll be hard to break through!"
"I see. So they're all forming formations?"
"Yeah!"
"Then Serineu, go and give the order to retreat."
"Got it!"
We'd stirred them up enough. If they'd set up a defensive posture, we should pull back. For now, we'd retreat, engage in small-scale guerrilla warfare to keep them from sleeping, and then we could attack again.
"Temporary retreat!!! Everyone, pull back this way!!!"
Anyway, we pursued the Baron's army, tormenting them like that.
Everything we tried worked, so the Baron's army was already down to less than half its strength.
"What are those bastards planning?"
But suddenly, they stopped their march and started building some kind of encampment to prepare for a defensive battle.
What is this?
Did they finally lose their minds from the shock of near-total annihilation?
Not only were their comrades roasted by fire attacks, but our monster legion had been successfully picking them off one by one.
It wouldn't be strange if they had gone crazy, but it didn't make sense to build an encampment in the middle of enemy territory without any other options.
"Keruk keruk. My King. Looks like they're planning to live here."
Even Buril found it strange, snickering and mocking them.
"Aren't we neighbors now? We should bring a gift to our neighbors."
"What kind of gift would be good?"
"Whatever it is, something lethal would be best."
"Hehehe, yeah. That would be best. But for now, let's just stay put."
We had the Kobold unit providing supplies, but they were running out of supplies. They had no water or food, and they were exhausted.
I think they'll just die on their own if we keep watching them like this.
"Necree. Never get close to that encampment. There will be some guys coming out to find food in the middle of it. Just quietly take them out."
"Understood."
"Serineu. Attach some Pixies to the Dark Elves."
"Okay."
They were obviously going to operate a food collection team, so we'd cut that off.
"Look, Julia."
"Yes. I am watching."
"We can't break through that, can we?"
"To be honest... I think it would be difficult. No matter what, if they've built earthen walls like that and deployed spearmen, we can't break through."
"Yes. You can never break through something like that with cavalry. Please observe that properly and remember it."
I educated Julia firmly.
The Lamia is a powerful cavalry unit, but it is not omnipotent. Although they had shown overwhelming performance, I had never once engaged the enemy in a head-on collision. That was why we won.
"Julia. In times like that, you just have to surround them and wait. They'll dry up and die on their own. You can't live if your supplies run out."
"Yes. I will keep that in mind."
"However... reinforcements might come."
"Reinforcements?"
"Yes. The enemy's support troops. Honestly, I don't think there will be any, but in this case, you just have to maintain the siege and cut off the enemy's reinforcements well."
"Understood, Demon King."
But in reality, since the Baron's army still had more troops, it was impossible to truly surround them. It was just pretending to surround them to instill fear.
The important thing was that the enemy had suffered near-total damage, didn't know the scale of our forces, and their morale was at rock bottom.
We had to make good use of that.
"Everyone! For now, stand by! Just keep an eye on the enemy's movements and get some rest!"
"Keruk!"
And then night fell.
"Serineu! And the Pixies!"
"Yeah!"
"Is there something else to do!"
The Pixies looked at me with eyes full of anticipation. I gave those Pixies a very simple order.
"Night has fallen! What kind of time is night!"
"A fun time!"
"It's hunting time!"
Yes! Night is a fun time!
"That's right! Night is a fun time! But it'd be a bit sorry for them if only we were having fun! So, over there! Go to the humans' encampment and have a good laugh! Spread the laughter!"
"Laughter...! Okay!"
"Got it!"
"When you laugh, you have to laugh together!"
—*Vroom!*
Soon, all the Pixies took flight. And they headed straight for the humans' encampment. The Baron's army was still waiting there.
If they were just waiting, they'd be bored, so I had to give them some time to enjoy themselves.
—*Kyaaaaaaah!*
—*Hahat! Hahat! Ahahahaha!*
—*Kyaaaaaaah!*
—*Ahahahaha!*
The Pixies circled above the Baron's army encampment, bursting into witch-like laughter.
"Hehehe, they won't even be able to rest now because they're so anxious."
We just had to strike after draining their stamina and mental strength.