“Salia, you should relax a little.
The dragon god said as he sipped his fire liquor and watched the shifting tides of the armies.
The goddess looked up at the giant form and then shook her head.
“As much as I would like to, I am not as composed as you.”
“If you concentrate too much on individual points, you will lose sight of the whole. Instead of straining your eyes on what is close, you should look out at the broader view. Don’t you agree?”
The dragon’s long claw pointed to the Fang Riders to the left.
With the support of the goblin archers, they were putting up a good fight against the mounted troops.
“One dragoon was cut down over there, and that became the turning point. After that, they recovered on the right wing immediately.”
“Yes.”
“And then, as if provoked by the lightning strikes unleashed by the enemy, the lizardmen on the left began to move, causing the course of battle to shift yet again.”
The infantry was struggling desperately to drive off the swarm of lizardmen attacking the flank of the left wing. However, the tercio formation, ill-suited to defending its sides, was slowly being broken apart by the enemy horde.
Ordinarily, the cavalry would have been there to secure the flanks, but they had been caught between the magic beasts and lizardmen, and forced to remain on the defensive.
“In battle, everything is interconnected. Even at opposite ends of the battlefield, when it is too far for sight or sound to reach, each side still influences the other.”
“And that is why I must look at the whole.”
The dragon silently pointed to another spot with his claw. At the center, the ogre horde were beginning to retreat, little by little.
“This really is reckless. Even if the ogres are tough, the difference in numbers is too overwhelming. At this rate…”
“It’s a war of attrition? And they’ll gradually be at a disadvantage?”
‘All units, fall back! Do not run! Do not turn your backs to the enemy. And do not knock down the person behind you!’
The demon general’s orders rang out. And the monsters continued their retreat. On the other hand, the Hero’s men were advancing slowly.
The movements of the humans and monsters resembled a vast, rolling wave. But it was the Hero’s army that was surging forward and crashing on the shores of the Demon King’s forces, ready to swallow them up.
“At this rate, they will be crushed without being able to escape. Do you really think it is possible?”
She knew the full scope of the plan that he had given to Berganda. However, unlike the Hero’s army, which could communicate instantly, the Demon King’s forces relied solely on the signal arrows, which caused delays.
‘Godess! What is the situation on both wings?’
She did not like being summoned in such a casual manner. Still, she ignored such thoughts and spoke to Sheto.
“The Fang Riders on the right have recovered. The cavalry is still intact, and they’ve brought down one dragoon and are holding another in place. On the left, the lizardmen have launched an assault on the infantry, causing their coordination to crumble.”
That being said, these were only small changes. The core of the Hero’s army was still in good condition, and it seemed like the monsters would be crushed at any moment.
‘I see! All units, halt for now! Knock aside the enemy’s spears!’
At the demon general’s command, the monsters stopped in their tracks and struck the enemy soldiers. The Hero’s army responded in kind, and the two sides were locked in combat once again.
“That damned general…he is rather capable.”
“…In what way?”
“Look closely at the movements of the Hero’s army.”
Said the dragon god. She turned her gaze to the massive army and saw a slight stagnation. The magicians were unable to keep pace with the infantry’s movements. And they were colliding with their own allies.
‘Good! Resume the withdrawal! Pull back without showing your backs…and run like hell!’
Once again, the formation began to move.
“Don’t let the formation break! Have the magicians focus on marching instead of casting!”
The Seer’s angry voice rang across the battlefield. But after they had clashed with the monsters once again, their formation was becoming warped.
As the monsters edged back, little by little, slipping past the enemy spears, the Hero’s army was thrown off its rhythm and its ranks steadily fell into disorder.