While the ground below was a scene of death by fire, blade, and the crushing chaos of friendly fire as the masses panicked, Rei and Seto had ascended to an altitude far above the reach of the Firestorm’s influence.
From this height, he could see the layout of the battlefield, but humans were indistinguishable from one another—mere specks on the earth. Rei stroked Seto's back as he projected the Misty Ring List into his mind and withdrew the intended items.
To the naked eye, the objects appeared to be nothing more than ordinary barrels. In truth, they were packed with an immense quantity of junk that had already been deemed useless at the blacksmith shop. There were swords snapped midway through the blade, broken sword tips, spears with shattered points, and battle axes with only half their edges remaining. Some items were little more than rusted kitchen knives, and the barrels were further filled with numerous fragments of iron ore known as scrap ore, along with other waste the blacksmiths had decided was fit only for disposal. Despite being called "trash," the contents of these barrels were undeniably lethal debris. Holding a barrel—nearly a meter in diameter and stuffed to the brim—with one hand, Rei fixed his gaze on the ground.
Below, the Firestorm continued to rage in all its fury, systematically reaping the lives of the Bestia Imperial Army.
"Now, for the finishing touch."
Watching the chaos unfold, Rei let go of the barrel. It plummeted toward the earth. The instant it left his hand, he withdrew another from the Misty Ring and dropped it, repeating the process in quick succession.
He did this five times in total. More than half of the falling barrels were caught in the vortex of the Firestorm and pulverized. The swarms of blades packed inside were swallowed by the winds, dancing within the pillar of fire. Satisfied, Rei signaled Seto by lightly patting Seto's neck. Without waiting to see the final outcome of his makeshift shrapnel, he began the flight back toward the Kingdom of Mireana Army's lead unit.
Meanwhile, the Bestia Imperial Army's lead unit was suffering even greater devastation thanks to the barrels of lethal junk Rei had dropped from the heavens.
The Firestorm now contained countless blades and ore fragments. When these pieces were flung out of the vortex by centrifugal force, they acted exactly like bullets, piercing, slashing, and shattering anyone attempting to keep their distance from the fire.
If that was the state of things on the outside, those swallowed by the Firestorm itself stood no chance at all.
When the Firestorm had first ignited, some mages had managed to survive the initial pull by erecting barriers. Others possessed magic items that increased their defense or generated protective fields. However, no barrier or armor could withstand the continuous bombardment of blade shards and ore fragments acting as high-velocity projectiles inside a vortex moving at hundreds of meters per second. They watched in horror as their barriers and gear were eroded away before their eyes, and, unable to move, they died in absolute despair.
Because the Firestorm remained stationary, the damage from the barrels was somewhat localized. Nevertheless, no soldier could remain indifferent while watching the people beside them be shredded by metal shards fired like bullets. Furthermore, the heat—exceeding a thousand degrees Celsius—turned the metal into a liquid spray that rained down, sticking to the skin of those wounded and unable to crawl away. Screams of renewed agony rose from men who should have been too broken to even breathe.
In other cases, fragments blown out from the Firestorm cooled rapidly, solidifying back into jagged metal that gouged through those wearing non-metallic armor, such as leather armor. While those in metal armor managed to avoid immediately fatal wounds, they could not negate the sheer impact of the fragments hitting them; any shard that struck an exposed limb or joint easily pierced through flesh and bone.
A massive Firestorm exceeding a hundred meters in height. It was no exaggeration to call the catastrophe it brought an unavoidable calamity.
The battle lines had been drawn, and the Kingdom of Mireana Army and the Bestia Imperial Army were just moments away from clashing. Yet, immediately after the start of hostilities, the sudden appearance of the Firestorm in the center of the Bestia lead unit had thrown their side into a frantic state of damage control. Naturally, the ordinary soldiers were the first to descend into total confusion. The adventurers had all faced death before and knew the visceral effects of magic, and the knights underwent rigorous combat training daily. They were astonished, but they maintained enough composure to avoid a total rout.
The soldiers, however, were another story—specifically, the volunteer soldiers and conscripts. Among the rank and file, those who trained for combat as a profession managed to recover quickly after the initial shock. But the largest segment of any army consisted of volunteers and conscripts. While they had received basic combat training for this war, it was the bare minimum intended for fighting other men. It was certainly not meant to prepare them for a natural disaster unfolding in their midst.
The volunteers and conscripts were terrified by the sheer abnormality of the fire-wreathed vortex. Their panic cost the Bestia Imperial Army precious time, allowing the damage to spread even further.
On the other side, the Kingdom of Mireana Army was far less disorganized. After all, the disaster had struck the enemy, not them. Even so, the shock was enough to halt the advance of the lead unit; some men were so cowed by the sight that their legs gave way beneath them.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa... what the hell is that? That Rei kid... he could even pull off a stunt that insane?"
In the very front of the lead unit, one man muttered in a daze. He gripped a giant battle axe—a magic item so famous it shared its name with his party.
"Elk-san! Is that...?"
Three figures pushed through the stalled soldiers and called out to Elk. Recognizing the woman as someone closely associated with the person who had caused the phenomenon, Elk gave a small nod.
"Yeah. Just as Mirene says, that’s likely Rei's work. I’d heard from Min that he had massive magic power, but I never imagined it was this much."
"So it really was him..."
"Yeah. He said he'd launch a preemptive strike to keep our casualties low while dealing with the King's Faction's petty schemes, but this..."
"You're right. Um... so, are we just supposed to stand here and watch?"
At Mirene's words, her party members—the archer Ekryl and Sulnin the Mage—nodded in agreement. Everyone else around Elk turned their gazes toward him as well, looking for guidance from the most skilled warrior on the field.
Elk, however, merely frowned with a grim expression.
"Look at that thing. Do any of you actually want to charge into a fire tornado?"
"I'll pass," Mirene replied almost reflexively. The others around her nodded fervently.
Even though they were still over a kilometer away from the Bestia Imperial Army, they could feel the ambient temperature rising. The area around the Firestorm was undoubtedly a scorching hell compared to which a midsummer day would feel like a cool breeze. Charging into that would only result in needless deaths. That was the honest opinion of Elk and everyone else on the front lines.
Amidst the tension, Mirene was the first to notice the figure in the sky—a testament to her affection for the creature. Seeing a shadow flapping its wings as it approached from the enemy's side, she cried out.
"Seto-chan!"
At her shout, those nearby followed her gaze. Indeed, the silhouette of a flying Gryphon was visible. The figure astride its back wore a robe and carried a massive scythe. To those from the frontier, it was a familiar sight: Rei and Seto, the duo famous throughout the City of Gilm.
"Thank goodness, Seto-chan is safe... wait, what? Why are they...?"
Mirene's relief turned to confusion as she saw three Dragon Knights approaching the flying Gryphon.
Fortunately, the Dragon Knights were not acting hostily; their spears were not leveled at Seto. Before the eyes of the onlookers below, Seto calmly accompanied the Dragon Knights toward the central unit of the vanguard, where the command of the Neutral and Noble's Factions resided.
"Elk-san, what does this mean?" Mirene asked, watching Seto be surrounded as if he were being taken into custody.
She hoped that Elk, with his years of experience, would understand the situation. Elk merely tilted his head, his face clouded with thought.
"He's likely been summoned to explain that," Elk said, gesturing toward the Firestorm still raging in the distance.
Even from this far away, with the enemy soldiers forming a wall between them, it was clear that as long as the vortex stood, the damage was mounting.
Mirene nodded, accepting the explanation. As they were discussing their next move, a soldier approached from the rear, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"All units, advance! The Bestia Imperial Army is in total chaos thanks to the fire tornado! Strike now and whittle down their numbers while we have the advantage! Do not approach the tornado itself; circle around and strike from the flanks! Neutral Faction to the enemy left wing! Noble's Faction to the enemy right wing! Repeat: All units, advance!"
At the command, the hesitant lead unit finally lunged forward. Units, parties, and solo adventurers alike began to move, making a wide detour to fall upon the Bestia Imperial Army's flanks.
The Bestia commanders who had survived the initial blast were frantically trying to rally their men to counter the Kingdom of Mireana Army. However, the sheer panic of the volunteer units continued to hinder them, making it nearly impossible to reorganize.
The Kingdom of Mireana Army crashed into the disorganized Bestia forces like a tidal wave.
Returning to a short time earlier, as Rei and Seto left the Bestia lines after creating the Firestorm. As the one man and one beast flew back toward the Kingdom of Mireana Army, they noticed three Dragon Knights closing in on them.
"...They're on our side, right?" Rei asked.
They were coming from the direction of their own army, so it seemed obvious. However, the approaching Dragon Knights looked incredibly tense. Had their spear tips been leveled at him, Rei might have mistaken them for enemies out of pure caution.
"Y-Yes! We are Dragon Knights of Duke Kerebel's Knight Order! We were dispatched because the Knight Commander and Lord Daskar wish to speak with you immediately. If you would, please come with us!"
The lead Dragon Knight called out in a voice that was slightly thin with nerves, while the other two moved to flank Seto. To an observer, it looked more like they were escorting a prisoner than guiding an ally.
"Fine. Lead the way. Since the enemy is in a tailspin, I'd like to get the main force moving as soon as possible."
"Understood! This way!"
True to their word, the three Dragon Knights escorted them directly to the lead unit's command headquarters.
"Lord Daskar, I have deployed the wide-range annihilation magic as promised. The Bestia army is in shambles. If we strike now, we have an overwhelming advantage. Resume the march."
The moment they landed at the headquarters, Rei made his announcement to the gathered nobles.
Lord Daskar, however, simply gave a wry smile and gestured toward the other nobles. Rei followed his gaze and saw that most of them were still staring at the distant Firestorm with their mouths hanging open.
"As you can see, the demonstration was a bit too 'stimulating' for them. You overdid it just a little, kid."
"I disagree. This man has fulfilled his duty perfectly. He deserves rewards and praise, not a lecture," Filma Dezil, the Knight Commander of Duke Kerebel's Knight Order, interjected with a smirk.
Hearing the top leaders of both factions speak, the other nobles finally snapped back to reality. Though still wearing expressions of shock, they began to murmur and debate excitedly among themselves.
"...So, Lord Daskar. Can we resume the advance?"
"Yes, of course. It would be a crime to waste an opportunity like this while the enemy is reeling. Filma-dono?"
"No objections here. Only a fool would let such an opening pass."
At the word of the two commanders, the morale of the surrounding officers surged. That energy proved infectious, spreading through the entire lead unit like wildfire.
"Send word to the front! Resume the attack!"
Daskar's roar echoed through the command headquarters, signaling the start of the true offensive.