After our encounter with the Monkey?, we proceeded deeper into the 49th floor while remaining alert. Now that they had a commander, the next mixed-species group we encountered would likely be even more troublesome. A group with solid coordination... I only hoped my fears were misplaced.
However, despite our caution against a difficult fight, there was no sign of any monster mobs appearing. That was strange.
"There aren't any... the monster groups, I mean."
"Yeah. Based on the patterns so far, it feels like they should have shown up by now..."
"One or two pop up occasionally, but it doesn't feel like a full-scale attack. They pull back immediately after a single clash... Is it scouting, after all?"
"Scouting... which means there really is a commander, isn't there?"
As the likelihood of my annoying theory becoming reality rose, I couldn't help but let out a sigh. If they were throwing different types of enemies at us for reconnaissance, it meant they were using the information gathered to devise countermeasures. We hadn't shown all our cards yet, so we were still in a good spot, but an explorer team that barely made it to this floor might get wiped out on their first encounter if they weren't careful.
"They're probably here. That means they’ll be tougher than the disorganized mobs we've faced so far."
"I thought they were coordinating fairly well up until now, though? Well, they mostly just stayed out of each other's way; their mutual support was pretty poor..."
"Mutual support, huh... In that case, taking out the chain of command is definitely the top priority."
If the command structure was lost early on, the monster groups would likely revert to a disorganized rabble. That would make picking them off individually much easier.
As we searched for the stairs while dealing with sporadic monster interference, we eventually emerged into a small clearing within the forest.
"Ugh."
In the center of the clearing stood a single massive tree with a trunk as thick as a drum. Standing before it was a lone Monkey?, positioned as if to block our path while letting out a threatening growl. Moreover, when I sensed the area, I realized there were hidden reinforcements lying in wait within the surrounding forest.
I took it they were fully prepared to intercept us.
"It looks like the fellow intends to meet us head-on."
"Head-on? But surely that's..."
"Looking at the enemy's formation, though, it feels like they’re just going to throw numbers at us rather than using clever tricks."
"Since they have the advantage in numbers, they’re probably aiming to wear us down through attrition."
"...It seems so."
Following the points Yuji and I made, Hiiragi-san closed her eyes briefly to scan the area before agreeing with our assessment. It wasn't just the enemies visible in front of us; she seemed to sense another group of similar scale nearby that appeared to be a reserve force.
So the reason we hadn't encountered any monster groups on the way here was because they were gathering their forces...
"They've probably grasped that we're the only ones on this floor right now, and while we're strong, we're few in number. Barring extreme exceptions, most people get overwhelmed when pushed by sheer numbers."
"And since they have enough mass to organize a reserve unit, I guess they don't feel the need for petty tricks?"
"Likely. For them, even if one group is wiped out, their numbers will eventually return to normal as they respawn over time. As a commander, there are almost no downsides to engaging in a war of attrition."
The downside of attrition is that people and resources are consumed like water. For that reason, it's a tactic that isn't—or rather, shouldn't be—employed unless there is a massive disparity in resources. However, if that drawback can be ignored, it becomes an effective means for the weak to strike down the strong. No matter how superior a foe's natural strength is, combat inevitably causes some drain, and fatigue will accumulate.
That said, there was no reason for us to go along with the enemy's intentions.
"Anyway, let's kill the Monkey? commander before they move. After that, we just have to pick off the rest, even if there are a lot of them."
As I spoke, I threw a throwing dart before the Monkey? could act, seizing the initiative. The dart flew straight and true, piercing the Monkey? right between the eyes.
"Gih!?"
The Monkey? let out a short shriek after taking the dart to its brow and slowly fell onto its back. It was an incredibly anticlimactic end, but with that, the enemy's chain of command should have collapsed.
However...
"Gyauh!"
"Gyuh!"
"Eh!?"
Threatening cries from the monsters surrounding us in the forest rose all at once. Despite the Monkey? being defeated, they began their attack with organized movements.
Wait, was that guy not the commander?!
"Tch! Fine, we'll verify that later. Let's intercept them!"
"Yeah, you're right! First, we crush the troublesome rear guard!"
"You two, be careful! We don't know when the reserve unit will join in!"
"Understood!"
Unfortunately, our attempt to shatter the chain of command with our opening move had failed, so we ended up clashing head-on with the disciplined monsters. Three more Monkeys appeared from atop the massive tree towering behind the fallen one, presumably to act as vanguards. Leading a host of Weasel monsters, Badger?, and Squirrel?, they surrounded us from three directions, forming a triangle.
It seemed they wanted to split us up to pick us off or annihilate us through encirclement.
"...What should we do? Should we play along with their plan?"
"It's not like I couldn't handle it alone... but since they've gone through the trouble of splitting into separate groups, I think it's better to crush them one by one while using long-range attacks to keep the others at bay. This way, we only have to deal with a third of them at a time."
"You're right. If we move around while keeping them in check, we can strike each group before they can coordinate."
"Then... let's go with that!"
And so, our combat strategy was decided. While encirclement and picking off enemies are indeed great tactics for fighting while minimizing one's own damage when you have the numbers, they are only truly effective when the opponent's skill is equal to or lower than your own.
However, if the opponent is superior, it can end up being a fragmentation of one's own fighting force, as in this case.
"Hiiragi-san, please keep them in check with magic! As long as you can stall them until we defeat the group in front of us, you don't have to kill them!"
"Leave it to me! 'Air Ball'! 'Air Ball'! 'Air Ball'!!"
"Daiki, let's crush them now! There's a crowd behind them, so finish them in one blow!"
"Of course!"
We first rushed toward Group A, which had moved to the left flank, and launched an attack while Hiiragi-san kept the others at bay with magic. Yuji and I closed the distance instantly and cut down the Monkey? serving as the vanguard with a single strike. It might not have been the overall commander, but it was surely the commander of Group A at the very least.
And as expected, that thought was correct; Group A's coordination fell apart. Their cooperation lost its edge as they each tried to move independently. However, those movements created perfect openings for us.
"Yuji, I'll take the Squirrels?, you handle the Weasel monsters!"
"Leave it to me!"
I threw my throwing darts at the Squirrels? that looked ready to attack, while Yuji approached a Weasel monster that was starting to move back toward the forest and swung his kodachi. The darts pierced the center of the Squirrels?' bodies, and the kodachi lopped off the Weasel monster's head.
As for the remaining Badger? that were presumably lurking underground...
"Moving to the next one! We'll leave the Badger? that haven't shown their heads for later. We'll crush the next group before they can merge!"
"Roger! Hiiragi-san!"
"Got it!"
We quickly changed course and sprinted toward Group B. If they merged, the enemy's strength would double, so we had to finish them off quickly.
And because Hiiragi-san's distracting attacks were concentrated on Group C, that group was forced to a complete halt.
"Stalling complete! I'm leaving that side to you!"
"Understood. Yuji!"
"Yeah!"
Confirming that Group C had stopped, Yuji and I closed in on Group B all at once. Using the same method as before, we first took out the Monkey? commander, then the Weasel monsters and Squirrels? whose coordination had been disrupted, before moving toward Group C. And just as before, the Badger? were left for later since we couldn't tell where they were hiding until they showed their faces.
And then...
"This is the last one!"
"Gyuh!"
Yuji slashed through a Weasel monster, and for the time being, we had finished defeating all three groups that had appeared before us.
However, since there were likely Badger? still lurking underground and another group of monsters of a similar scale remained nearby, we couldn't afford to let our guard down yet.
"...For now, it looks like we've cleaned up the enemies within sight."
"Yeah. Though we still have to deal with that other group since this isn't over yet."
"True. More importantly, why hasn't that other group joined the fray yet? Normally, if there's a reserve unit, they should have been deployed by now."
"Now that you mention it, that's true..."
Just as Hiiragi-san said, since the first Monkey? we killed wasn't the overall commander, there had to be another one. Despite that, it would have been strange for them not to deploy the reserve unit even when it became clear the three groups were facing certain defeat. Sensing their presence, it was inexplicable that they hadn't even moved toward the combat zone, let alone deployed. Could it be that there was no overall commander at all?
Just as the thought occurred to me, a sudden vibration traveled through the ground.
"Wh-What is this?!"
"Jump! Get away from here!"
"!?"
Following Yuji's warning as he sensed something, Hiiragi-san and I leaped back with a large step to clear the area.
Then...
"Roots?!"
"Tch! So that tree growing in the center was the monster?!"
In the spot we had frantically avoided, tree roots thrust out from the ground where we had been standing just moments ago. As Yuji said, the massive tree towering before us was a monster... a Treant-type monster.
Treants are certainly a staple when it comes to monsters in a forest. I didn't want to run into one, though.
"! Yuji!"
"I see, so that guy was the real commander..."
"That Monkey? standing out in front was just a decoy to make the final confirmation."
As soon as the Treant revealed its true form, I sensed the reserve unit waiting nearby start to move and hurriedly informed the two. Since they were spreading out thinly to encircle us while avoiding close combat, it seemed they had learned from our tactics in the previous fight and were responding accordingly.
It was certainly more troublesome for a small party like ours to deal with enemies scattered over a wide area than a concentrated attack.
"Well, anyway, we've found the enemy commander. If we kill it, the chain of command will finally collapse for real this time. The enemies are scattered right now, but if we take that thing down, they might lose their discipline and rush us all at once. If that happens, they'll be easier to kill than they are while scattered."
"Certainly easier than dealing with them while they're spread out and picking at us."
And so, we decided to kill the commander first, as per our original plan.
But with a trunk that thick, could a sword even cut it?
Five minutes had already passed since the battle began, but it wasn't over yet. We had finished off the monster groups surrounding us, but the Treant had yet to be subjugated.
Incidentally, the roles were for Hiiragi-san and me to go around killing and distracting the enemies encircling us, while Yuji focused on defeating the Treant.
"Yuji, we're done over here. Want some help?"
"...Yeah, sorry, I'm struggling a bit. Give me a hand."
"Understood."
Yuji requested support from Hiiragi-san and me with a slightly sheepish expression. The Treant he was fighting also seemed to have taken fatal damage, so it looked like it just needed one final push.
The roots it had extended from underground were sliced up and scattered around, and the vines that appeared to have grown from the branches overhead were similarly shredded. On top of that, the thick trunk, which was the main body, was covered in numerous large gashes.
"...Burning it... would be bad, right? In a forest like this... even if it seems like a weakness."
"If it goes on a rampage, we might end up setting the surrounding forest on fire too."
"In that case, let's carve it up with wind like when we made the barricades. Can I... leave the finishing blow to you?"
"Yeah, I'll at least settle things at the end."
And so, it was decided that Yuji would deliver the finishing blow after Hiiragi-san's wind magic. First, Hiiragi-san fired several "Air Cutter" spells at the Treant's trunk. Having already lost its roots and vines, the Treant had no means of defense, and taking multiple "Air Cutters" to its trunk created deep slits that served as an undercut.
Then, timing it for the moment Hiiragi-san's attack ended, Yuji sprinted toward the Treant and...
"Hah!"
Yuji delivered a heavy kick just above the undercut in the Treant's trunk. With a massive crack, the Treant snapped in two at the notch and collapsed with a thundering sound.
Phew, is it finally over this time?