With Sylpha joining the fray, the previously stalled front line began to advance at a pace that was visible to the naked eye.
Yeah, she really was dependable. As expected of Sylpha.
『Master Lloyd, we have bypassed the traps set by those men. Once we cross the river ahead, we will reach the bandits' hideout.』
Just as that thought crossed my mind, a telepathic message from Sylpha arrived via Shiro.
『Good work. As expected of you, Sylpha. However, the enemy will almost certainly make their move at that river. Be on your guard.』
『I understand. In fact...』
After a brief silence, Sylpha continued in a somewhat heavy tone.
『They are already here. In considerable numbers... likely their entire army.』
『It looks like they’re betting everything on this. Sylpha, please be very careful.』
『I am grateful for your concern. Well then, I shall go to battle.』
The telepathy from Sylpha cut off.
It looked like today’s main event was about to begin.
◆
Facing off across the river were the Ido Squad and Galilea Squad, led by Sylpha, and the bandits led by Bills.
Galilea stood by the riverbank, snapped a branch off a tree, and tossed it into the water.
The branch was swept away and vanished from sight in an instant.
"The current is pretty damn fast. They went and knocked down the bridge, too," Galilea muttered, clicking his tongue in frustration.
His gaze rested on the charred remains of the bridge.
"Could we cross by hooking Galilea's threads to the opposite bank?" Ido asked.
"We'd be picked off by arrows before we even got halfway."
Across the river, the bandits were poised with their bows drawn.
"Hey, you cowards! How long do you plan on just standing there?!"
"The way home is that way! Giahaha!"
Glaring at the bandits as they hurled jeers, Galilea turned to Ido.
"Ido, can’t you do something with a barrier?"
"It would be difficult. Not with those numbers... and they even seem to have Barrier Sealing. If there were other mages, it might be a different story, but I alone wouldn't be able to maintain a barrier long enough for you all to cross. In defense of the honor of mages everywhere, let me just say: this is the standard. Master Lloyd is simply an anomaly."
"Master Lloyd definitely feels like he's in a league of his own, even among the extraordinary... but I see. It's that difficult, then."
Just as Galilea let out a sigh, Ren of the Poison Moth returned from scouting upstream.
"It’s no good. There’s nowhere that looks crossable. I found one spot that was shallow, but..."
"The enemy is stationed there, I assume?"
Ren nodded at Sylpha's question.
"It's a depression in the terrain, and there were plenty of bandits with bows. I think we’d come under concentrated fire while crossing. It looks even more difficult to ford than this spot."
"So they aren't naive after all."
"That leaves Babylon, who went to check downstream..." Galilea added, though he sounded skeptical.
After a short while, Babylon of the Giant Rat returned.
"How was it?"
"Ah, I found a place that looks crossable. The distance is short and there are no sentries, so for a moment I thought it was promising, but the current is incredibly fast and the opposite bank is a sheer cliff. It's quite impossible. We're in quite the predicament. Heh heh heh."
"Umm, that’s no good either. What should we do, Sylpha-san? If we don't hurry, we won't be finished by tomorrow."
Sylpha pondered for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"You're right. We don't have much time, so we shall have to push ourselves a little. But before that... everyone, please come here for a moment."
Everyone gathered beside Sylpha, looking confused.
Using the Magic Soldiers as a makeshift wall, she continued.
"Now, I will explain the strategy—"
◆
Across the river, the bandits led by Bills had been waiting.
They were just beginning to lose focus out of sheer boredom when one of the subordinates raised his voice.
"Oh?! They've finally started moving!"
Seeing the Magic Soldiers begin their advance toward the river, Bills issued an order.
"Hey, you lot, it's all-you-can-shoot! Treat it like target practice and fire away!"
"Yessir!"
The bandits readied their bows and began raining arrows down on the Magic Soldiers.
The indiscriminate hail of arrows pierced the arms and legs of the Magic Soldiers, halting their advance.
Though the Magic Soldiers felt no pain, they could no longer move once their joints were destroyed. Those who fell were swept away by the churning river.
"Still, they’re strange soldiers. That movement, as if they have no will... it's like bugs. It's creepy. But this formation isn't so soft that it can be broken by brute force. ...No, there's no way they haven't realized that. Are they plotting something...?"
Bills placed a hand on his chin, deep in thought.
"It's trouble, Boss! They're attacking from over there too!"
"Hoh, a pincer attack, then?"
If they were attacked from two locations at once, their fire would indeed become somewhat dispersed.
However, Bills thought they were severely underestimating his men.
The strength of this bandit group lay in the sheer number of archers and their proficiency.
The bandits, who were used to sniping enemies through gaps in the trees, took advantage of the overwhelming wall of the river to unilaterally strike down the Magic Soldiers.
"Don't falter! Keep moving forward!"
The one giving instructions was the mage boy, Ido.
He was the only mage Bills had confirmed; only that boy could use Flight.
Even if there were others, if it was just one more mage, they would simply shoot them out of the sky.
"Don't let up on the pressure! Keep going, keep going!"
As Bills looked toward the other flank, Talia of the Hundred Scars was egging on the Magic Soldiers.
Every time she pricked her own finger with a small needle, an arrow would fly off in a completely wrong direction.
With Talia's ability to link damage, she was throwing off the aim of the enemy archers with every act of self-harm.
Combined with the support from Ido's magic, it still wasn't enough; too many archers were stationed on the opposite bank, and the Magic Soldiers had hardly made any progress.
"So that side is a diversion... But do they seriously think they can take us down with just this?"
Regardless, they only needed to repel them with everything they had.
Under Bills's instructions, his subordinates continued to fire.
Their concentration was beginning to snap during the barrage, which felt like it would last forever.
Just as Bills was about to bark an order to snap them back to attention—
"『Don't move!』"
A voice that seemed to vibrate the very air echoed around them.
The movements of everyone present halted for a split second.
At almost the same moment, Bills noticed countless white threads racing through the darkness.
The threads wound around his subordinates' bodies, binding their limbs in an instant.
Behind Bills, who had somehow managed to dodge, a white shadow danced.
It was Sylpha. The flat of the sword in her hand reflected the moonlight, flashing in the dark night.
"Damn it!"
Bills tried to draw the sword at his waist to respond... but his hand grasped thin air, failing to catch the hilt that should have been there.
Searching for his weapon, Bills found a man hiding under his horse's belly.
The man's limbs were bent at angles that didn't seem human, and gripped in his hands was Bills's sword.
The white shadow, Sylpha, didn't miss that opening; she kicked Bills down from his horse.
"Tch!"
Bills tried to scramble up immediately, but it was useless.
The tip of a sword was pressed against his throat, stopping just a hair's breadth from his skin.
"I have no intention of taking your life. Cease your futile resistance."
"..."
After a brief silence, Bills sighed and raised both hands.
"...I give up. It’s a surrender. I lose."
"I am glad you understand."
Sylpha pulled the sword away.
However, she kept her fingers on the hilt so she could unleash a strike at any moment. Bills understood this as well and made no further move.
"Using the guys across the river to bait us while you drew our attention... You got me. But how did you cross that rapid current?"
"With loyalty to my master, a rapid of that level is of no concern."
Sylpha closed her eyes and answered.
In reality, they had spun Galilea's threads to the opposite bank and carried out a crossing with a small number of elite former members of the Assassin's Guild who possessed superior physical abilities.
Even though Ren's poison could neutralize the majority of the enemy, it had been a dangerous gamble. Sylpha felt relieved that it had somehow worked out.
"In any case, we have won. You will disarm everyone and come before my master. I trust there are no objections."
Ren, who had caught up, shuddered at the low voice that brooked no argument.
It was the voice Sylpha used when she was delivering a harsh punishment.
But Bills let out a strange, chuckling laugh.
"Sorry, but I can't do that."
"...Oh? So you wish to die?"
"It's more like it's impossible. If it was just these guys I'm commanding, they'd already be disarmed."
Hearing Bills's words, Sylpha's eyes widened as she realized something.
"Don't tell me..."
"Yeah, it's not like I'm the one running this whole mountain. There’s another Night King. Night King Mars, my elder brother figure. And right about now, he’s probably at your master's throat."
Saying that, Bills smirked.