"Understood, everyone?"
"Understood~" [In unison]
"Alright, then lean close to me and prepare to be teleported!"
With that, Ying licked her lips.
Was it a hunter's instinct before a hunt? Or like a certain protagonist's smirk before showing off? Neither, really. She was just a bit thirsty from talking so much.
Once everyone was ready, accompanied by a blue glow, they gradually vanished from the now ruined Tenshukaku.
Outside the outskirts of Higi Village...
"Roar!"
"Hold them back!"
Screams of agony echoed.
Figures clad in armor charged forward on the front lines.
Each of them wielded their weapons, desperately hacking away, trying to stem the tide of monsters surging ashore.
However, faced with the densely packed horde, these individuals seemed remarkably small.
Even in their armor, they were inevitably swallowed by the darkness of the endless monsters...
"Looking at the boundless expanse of monsters before them, a sense of helplessness began to dawn in the hearts of many soldiers."
After felling two Hilichurls again, the second squad captain of the Resistance army quickly called out to the soldiers behind him.
"Quick, report to Lord Gorou! A large number of monsters have suddenly appeared on the west side of Higi Village and immediate reinforcements are needed."
"Understood."
Receiving the order, a soldier immediately retreated swiftly, heading to another battlefield.
"Damn it, I really wish Lord Gorou would hurry!"
Another captain of the Resistance's third squad gripped his weapon, his face etched with unconcealed exhaustion.
If this place were to fall, Lord Gorou would be caught between two fires.
That being said, in truth, none of them were confident. After all, when reporting the situation not too long ago, they had already learned that Lord Gorou's situation was not much better than theirs. Even if he could spare some men, it would likely be at most a small squad.
And a small squad of soldiers... it was truly like a drop in the ocean.
But there was no other choice now.
With that thought, the captain once again swung his weapon, continuing to battle the Hilichurls. After all, every moment they could delay was another sliver of hope.
"Roar—!"
"Bang—!"
With a few thunderous roars, three colossal Ruin Guards smashed through the Hilichurls and Nobushi in front of them, cleaving three massive gaps in the formation built by the Resistance.
Seeing the critical situation, the Resistance squad leader who had just given orders quickly began to reassign his teammates.
"Fifth squad, fill the gaps! Second squad, come with me to take down those three monsters!"
"The rest of you, spread out and maintain the formation!"
"Yes!"
As the Resistance squad leader's orders were carried out, the remaining sixteen soldiers of the second squad raised their weapons and charged towards the Ruin Guards.
However...
"Awooo~~!"
With a sharp wolf's howl, a figure suddenly lunged out from the side, pinning a reinforcing Resistance soldier to the ground.
Its fierce and brutal posture and aura instantly drew the attention of all the Resistance soldiers.
"It's a Wolf! Beasts of the Ruin!"
The third squad captain ran the wolf through the head with his spear and quickly took command.
"Quick, hold them back!"
"Captain, there's a group of strange monsters appearing in the distance!"
"What?!"
The third squad captain quickly looked up and soon learned the names of those monsters.
"Damn it, it's a Bathysmal Vishap! How did they get here?!"
Meanwhile, in the gorge of Musou no Hitotachi...
"Damn it, why are there so many Ruin monsters suddenly appearing? This won't do..."
Gorou stared at the soldiers being felled by Ruin Guards all around him, gritting his teeth in frustration.
He was confident he could handle one or two, but that would take time. The current numbers far exceeded his expectations, and if he went to deal with the Ruin monsters, he wouldn't be able to spare any attention for commanding the two armies.
"Report!!"
"A large number of monsters have attacked the outskirts of Higi Village, and reinforcements are urgently needed!!"
"What?!"
Gorou looked at the messenger soldier, his brow furrowing.
This was truly adding insult to injury...
"We must find a way to resolve this..."
Although he was anxious, Gorou did not act rashly, carefully analyzing the situation.
The cliffside was the easiest area to defend on the entire island. If it were lost, there would be no fighting further back. Although withdrawing some men would increase the pressure, it was better than being caught between two fires.
With that in mind, Gorou immediately gave his orders.
"Captain of the Eighth Squad, lead your troops to provide support first!"
"Understood!"
With that, Gorou ran towards the area defended by the Shogunate army.
"Is there anyone from the Shogunate army who can go to the east side of Higi Village to help?"
Seeing the newcomer, a Shogunate squad leader asked unhappily.
"What's going on? Weren't you in charge of that area? Has it fallen so quickly?"
Gorou chose not to argue with him.
"I apologize, but the situation there is indeed critical. If it is lost, we will be caught between two fires."
"Tch..."
Seeing the other party take a conciliatory stance, the Shogunate squad leader stopped pressing and turned to assign tasks.
"Go, call out the last two reserve teams and have them go with them."
"Yes!"
Meanwhile, the battle on the east side of Higi Village had devolved into a desperate struggle. They were forced to retreat into the now ruined Higi Village for a final stand.
If this place fell, the Resistance forces in the surrounding areas would be under immense pressure.
But unfortunately, judging by the current situation, that seemed to be the absolute worst-case scenario.
"Roar!"
Seeing his two companions struggling to cope, a Ruin Guard let out another roar, attempting to assert dominance. A Resistance soldier, unable to dodge in time, was seized by another Ruin Guard and sent flying into the ruins with a single blow.
"Xiao Gu!!"
Watching his teammate fly backward, the Resistance captain roared in fury and charged at the rampaging Ruin Guard, but it was to no avail.
Attacks of this magnitude only managed to scratch a few bloody marks on the Ruin Guard, none of which were fatal. Instead, he himself lost his footing and was sent flying into the ruins.
"Aaaargh!!!"
The intense pain caused him to let out a pained cry.
"Captain!"
"Captain!!"
The remaining Resistance soldiers, still capable of fighting, had their eyes reddened and wanted to avenge their captain, but a sense of powerlessness lingered in their hearts.
Even though they were acutely aware that if they failed here, annihilation awaited them, the disparity in strength was truly undeniable.
"My, my... I didn't expect the situation here to be even worse than I imagined, Lord Hall Master..."