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The barricades surrounding the defensive encampment had been completely reduced to ashes, while the surrounding wall had been charred nearly halfway through its thickness. It could no longer be expected to withstand another assault as it had in the past.

The countless undead that had blanketed the area had likewise been reduced to ash. Those that still retained enough of their bodies to move writhed desperately across the scorched ground, dragging themselves toward the living with undying hatred burning in their empty eyes.

And as for Howard and the others, who had been fighting at the front… They were still standing within the scorched earth.

Conrad stood firmly planted on both feet amid the blackened wasteland. Bracing the massive battle axe thrust before him like a towering shield, he supported it with both hands as white steam poured continuously from every inch of his body. Howard and Gilbert stood behind him, each pressing a hand against his back, lending him their support. Behind the three of them, Kyle knelt on one knee, gripping the hilt of his greatsword that had been driven deep into the earth. Beside him, Tony planted his knight’s sword into the ground with one hand while raising his kite shield with the other to protect himself as they endured the inferno.

Axe Fortress.

It was a defensive technique much like the Knight Order’s Phalanx. By pouring mana into his battle axe, Conrad transformed it into a barrier of magical force possessing tremendous resistance against both physical and magical attacks, shielding his allies. Howard and Gilbert had immediately placed their palms against Conrad’s back, channeling their own mana into him and greatly strengthening the technique. The three had instinctively formed this formation, allowing them to survive the explosion.

It was also because they had absorbed so much of the blast’s power that the heat reaching Cornell’s Heavy Shield Corps, and the soldiers positioned behind them, had been significantly weakened.

“My… You’ve survived even that?”

Aside from the crackling of lingering flames, silence had returned to the forest. Then came the surprised voice of a woman.

“My sincerest apologies for keeping everyone waiting. But it seems the party venue has been warmed up quite nicely.”

Covering her mouth with one hand as she giggled to herself, the woman clad in a black evening gown, Electra, emerged from the darkness beyond the shattered wall, seeming to seep out from the depths of the forest itself.

“So you were willing to burn your own followers along with us…” Howard growled. “You’re certainly extravagant, Vampire!”
“My? Didn’t you appreciate the improved scenery?”

Tilting her head, Electra laughed even harder under Howard’s furious glare.

“You little…!”

A savage grin spread across Conrad’s face as a vein bulged across his forehead.
Howard, however, was already moving. Gliding across the ground, he closed the distance in an instant until Electra entered the reach of the Grand Divider.

Without hesitation, he swung the blade in a sweeping horizontal slash. Sparks exploded with a deafening clang.

“…!”
“Ugh…!”

Howard’s strike had been intercepted. Appearing as though she had emerged directly from the darkness, a dark-skinned woman wielding an enormous machete-like greatsword blocked the attack. It was Joel. The brief delay was enough for Electra to retreat to safety. Groaning from the force of the impact, Joel barely managed to hold Howard’s blade at bay.

At that very moment, Conrad raised his gigantic battle axe overhead before swinging it violently toward the earth. One slash. Then another. Then a third. Each strike ripped open the ground, carving deep, claw-like scars across the battlefield. Blood suddenly erupted from the fissures, as though the earth itself had been wounded.

At the same time, Gilbert dashed into the forest. From a low stance, he unleashed a sharp, pale-green slash into the darkness.

“Tch!”

A blue-skinned woman, Marina, slipped out from the shadows just in time. Her body blurred as she twisted away from Gilbert’s attack before instantly retreating farther into the forest.

“So that’s your game!” Conrad roared. “You set off one hell of a fireworks show to distract us, then used the opening to bury your chains underground so you could attack the people in the rear! And the black-haired one’s just here to guard you and serve as a decoy, huh? Once we know the trick, it ain’t worth a damn! Don’t think the same stunt’s gonna work twice! You’ve got a lot of nerve looking down on us!”
“…Hmph.”

Electra let out a quiet snort, still covering her mouth with one hand.

“And now… whatever seems to be the matter?”

The three women stood shoulder to shoulder. Brushing her hair back behind one ear with an almost lazy gesture, Electra smiled at Howard and the others.

“The situation hasn’t changed in the slightest.”
“Oh, that’s enough, Electra,” Marina sighed as she leaned affectionately against Electra’s shoulder, touching a finger to her lips. “I wanted to see those expressions again, the looks people make when they realize they’ve already been caught in the trap.

But I suppose it can’t be helped.”
The three women huddled together, quietly laughing among themselves.

“…..”
“You damn women!”

Howard and Conrad ground their teeth in frustration.

“Since we’re all here for a party,” Electra said with a graceful smile, “we should be proper hosts.”
“Oh? So we finally get to play seriously?” Joel grinned. “About time.”
“Now, now, Joel,” Electra chided. “Do try not to overdo it.”

Stepping forward with theatrical elegance, Electra spread her hands before the plunging neckline of her gown. A small leather pouch, just large enough to fit in both hands, suddenly appeared between her palms. Smiling as though she’d just completed a magic trick, she rested one hand on her hip and proudly held the pouch in front of her chest. She reached inside. With a metallic rattle, she withdrew a handful of objects. They were fangs. Sharp, ivory-colored fangs measuring only two or three centimeters in length. Scooping up a handful, Electra scattered them across the ground between herself and Howard’s group as though sowing seeds.

“Come now, everyone! Let the party resume! Dance to your hearts’ content until the break of dawn!”

Throwing both arms wide, Electra sang out dramatically. The Earth immediately began to bulge. The ground swelled wherever the fangs had landed. Then, one after another, armored skeletal knights clawed their way up from beneath the earth.

Cadmus Knights. High-ranking skeletal warriors are said to be born from the fangs of dragons. Each possessed a threat level of 55, a level comparable to that of a Higher Rank knight.

More than twenty of them emerged. Within moments, they had all risen from the ground. Ignoring Howard’s group, they sprinted straight past them toward the expeditionary force positioned in the rear.

“What?!”
“Damn it! They’re going after the weaker ones?!”
“We simply can’t have anyone standing around as wallflowers,” Electra declared cheerfully. “Tonight, everyone is a guest of honor. The mindless rabble has already had its turn. These fine gentlemen should provide all of you with far more stimulating company.”

Electra’s plan was clear as day. These Cadmus Knights were nothing like the undead they had faced until now. Howard and the others instantly activated the magic crests engraved upon their leather armor. They smashed apart every skeletal knight attempting to slip past them, crushing armor and bone alike. But suddenly, massive black walls erupted from beneath their feet, cutting off their advance.

“Damn it! These b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲s̲ again!” Conrad cursed.

The same three colossal black undead they had encountered earlier rose once more to block their path. Standing atop one of the enormous black skulls, Marina lazily swung her chains through the air as she smiled down at them.

“You five can stay here and keep us company a little longer.”

Howard. Conrad. Gilbert. Kyle. Tony. The five of them had been completely separated from the main force. Isolated on the front lines.

“Tch…! Tony! Kyle! Hang in there! Don’t you dare die on me!”

Conrad roared, catching the charge of one of the gigantic black monsters with the shaft of his battle axe.