Chapter 160: The Stand 2

At the forefront of the approaching army marched enormous beasts that towered over ordinary buildings, their bodies covered in scales, fur, or armor that glimmered beneath the morning sky. Some resembled gigantic lizards, while others possessed multiple horns and powerful limbs capable of crushing everything beneath their feet.

Behind them came the armies of Essiel.

Lizardmen marched in organized formations, their weapons held firmly as their scales reflected the light. Fishmen advanced alongside them, carrying unfamiliar equipment and magical weapons, while griffons soared overhead with riders upon their backs, their enormous wings casting moving shadows across the plains.

Further behind, countless humans and other races followed beneath their respective banners. Their formations stretched so far across the landscape that the goblins standing on the walls struggled to determine where the front lines ended and the rear forces began.

The sight became even more terrifying as the goblins noticed the figures standing among the advancing armies. Several individuals possessed auras so overwhelming that even the strongest Goblin Emperors instinctively straightened their backs, while others floated above the army without needing wings, their bodies radiating magical energy that distorted the air around them.

The goblins had never seen such an enormous gathering of powerful beings.

And yet, the invaders continued advancing as though the hundreds of thousands of soldiers waiting behind the fortress walls were nothing more than a minor obstacle.

The four Emperors gritted their teeth.

"So, these are the bastards who injured the Mother Goddess," the first Emperor growled, his club trembling in his grip.

The Emperor in dark red robes slowly descended until his feet touched the wall, while the slime-like Emperor’s expression finally lost its usual laziness. Even the fourth Emperor, who had remained silent throughout their conversation, unfolded his arms and summoned a faint glow of magical energy around his body.

They understood that the battle ahead would not be easy.

But they could not retreat.

The Burrow Kingdom stood behind them, sheltering countless goblins who had fled from the kingdoms already destroyed by the invaders. Beyond its walls were families, children, elders, and people who had never held a weapon in their lives, all depending on the soldiers gathered here to protect them.

If the four Emperors abandoned their positions, the enemy would have a direct path into the heart of their civilization.

The first Emperor stepped forward, his enormous body casting a shadow over the soldiers gathered behind him. He raised his club high into the air, drawing the attention of the entire army before releasing a roar that echoed across the fortress.

"ARE YOU READY?!"

Hundreds of thousands of goblins answered with a thunderous shout.

"OOOOOOOOHHHHHH!"

The Emperor grinned, revealing his crooked teeth before turning toward the approaching enemy. He could feel the nervousness surrounding him, but he also knew that fear could be overcome if the soldiers had something worth fighting for.

"LISTEN TO ME, MY BROTHERS!"

His voice spread across the walls, carried by magical energy that allowed even the soldiers standing at the farthest end of the army to hear every word.

"WE MAY HAVE COME FROM DIFFERENT KINGDOMS, AND WE MAY HAVE FOUGHT EACH OTHER FOR COUNTLESS YEARS, BUT TODAY, WE STAND AS ONE!"

He slammed his massive club against the stone wall, causing cracks to spread beneath his feet. The sound echoed through the fortress, and countless goblins raised their heads to look toward the Emperor who stood at the forefront of their defenses.

"THE CREATOR GAVE US THIS WORLD! OUR FAMILIES LIVE HERE, OUR CHILDREN WILL GROW HERE, AND OUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON WHAT WE DO TODAY!"

The soldiers raised their weapons, their nervous expressions gradually replaced by determination. Even those who had doubted their chances moments earlier began gripping their weapons more firmly, their eyes turning toward the enemy advancing across the plains.

"THE MOTHER GODDESS HAS ALREADY FOUGHT THESE INVADERS AND PAID THE PRICE FOR HER COURAGE! NOW, IT IS OUR TURN!"

The Emperor pointed his club toward the advancing army, his voice growing louder with every word. His crooked teeth showed as he roared, and the enormous weapon in his hand seemed almost insignificant compared to the determination burning in his eyes.

"IF WE FALL HERE, OUR FAMILIES WILL BE SLAUGHTERED, OUR KINGDOMS WILL CEASE TO EXIST, AND OUR ENTIRE WORLD WILL BE PLUNGED INTO DESPAIR!"

His roar shook the fortress.

"SO FIGHT! FIGHT FOR YOUR CHILDREN, FIGHT FOR YOUR HOMES, AND FIGHT FOR THE CREATOR WHO GAVE US EVERYTHING WE HAVE!"

The goblin army erupted into a deafening roar, hundreds of thousands of voices merging into a single declaration of defiance. Soldiers who had never met one another raised their weapons together, while the tamed beasts behind them released furious cries that reverberated across the battlefield.

"FOR THE CREATOR!"

"FOR THE MOTHER GODDESS!"

"FOR THE GOBLIN RACE!"

Their voices spread across the fortress and reached the advancing army, but the invaders showed no sign of hesitation. They continued marching forward, their movements steady and disciplined, as though the cries of the defenders had made no difference whatsoever.

At that very moment, something appeared high above the approaching battlefield.

A massive sphere of fire emerged in the sky, its brilliant radiance illuminating the surrounding landscape as though a second sun had suddenly appeared above the horizon. Its surface churned with terrifying energy, and the light it emitted continued growing brighter until the entire Burrow Kingdom was engulfed in a blinding flash.

The soldiers looked upward, their triumphant shouts dying in their throats as the enormous fireball descended toward them. Even from a great distance, they could feel the heat radiating from it, and the magical barriers surrounding the fortress began to tremble under the immense pressure.

The four Goblin Emperors looked upward.

Then, unexpectedly, grins appeared on their faces.

"Do you think something like that will be enough to defeat us?" the Emperor holding the massive club sneered.

He raised his weapon high above his head before swinging it violently toward the sky. A tremendous wave of energy erupted from the club, spreading across the battlefield as the surrounding air trembled under its immense pressure.

At the same time, the Emperor dressed in dark red robes raised one hand, gathering a dense mass of purple energy above his palm. The energy rapidly expanded, forming a gigantic sphere that pulsed with magical power, while strange symbols appeared across its surface.

The other two Emperors remained motionless, their expressions calm as they watched the incoming fireball. They had no intention of wasting their strength on an attack that their companions could intercept, and their attention remained fixed upon the advancing army beyond the walls.

Then, in an instant, the gathered energies surged forward.

A massive wave of power shot into the sky, meeting the enormous fireball before it could reach the fortress. The collision produced a blinding flash, followed by a deafening explosion that swallowed the surrounding clouds and illuminated the entire battlefield.

For a brief moment, the sky itself seemed to have split apart.

The goblins watched as the fireball exploded in midair, its flames scattering across the clouds before gradually disappearing into the morning sky. The shockwave swept over the fortress, forcing countless soldiers to brace themselves as the walls trembled beneath their feet.

When the light finally faded, the Burrow Kingdom was still standing.

The four Goblin Emperors remained at the forefront of the defenses, their expressions carrying the confidence of rulers who had survived countless battles throughout their long lives. Behind them, the goblin army erupted into another roar, believing that they had successfully repelled the enemy’s opening attack.

However, the Essiel army had not stopped advancing.

Across the battlefield, the powerful figures leading the invasion continued watching the fortress, seemingly unconcerned that their enormous fireball had been destroyed. Their first attack had failed to break through the defenses, but the battle had only just begun.

And the Goblin Emperors had yet to understand the terrifying difference between repelling a single attack and surviving the full might of Essiel’s invading forces.