Chapter 162: The Stand 4

The goblins standing atop the walls of the Burrow Kingdom watched as the invading army approached, their expressions growing increasingly grim with every passing second. The ground trembled beneath the countless charging warriors, while the sky above was filled with griffons and other flying creatures carrying soldiers toward their defenses.

"FIRE!"

The moment the command was given, countless arrows shot from the walls, accompanied by magical projectiles released by the goblin magicians.

Blazing fireballs, streams of lightning, and enormous spears of concentrated energy descended upon the approaching army, creating explosions that swallowed dozens of invaders at a time.

However, the forces of Essiel were far from ordinary.

Lizardmen raised their shields to protect themselves from the incoming attacks, while powerful beasts charged through the explosions without slowing down.

Some invaders were killed before reaching the walls, but the remaining warriors continued advancing, stepping over their fallen comrades as they prepared to engage the goblins directly.

The goblin magicians continued their bombardment, unleashing wave after wave of spells that illuminated the battlefield. For a brief moment, the defenders managed to hold their ground, their coordinated attacks preventing the invaders from advancing without suffering considerable casualties.

"KEEP FIRING! DON’T LET THEM GET CLOSE!" a goblin commander shouted.

The goblin archers obeyed, releasing another volley that darkened the sky above the battlefield.

Then, the first invaders reached the walls.

A massive beast slammed its body against the defensive barrier, causing the entire structure to tremble as cracks spread across its surface. Before the goblins could reinforce the damaged section, lizardmen rushed forward with enormous weapons, striking the barrier repeatedly until a portion of it finally shattered.

"THEY’VE BREACHED THE DEFENSES!"

The shout spread through the goblin ranks, but the defenders immediately rushed toward the opening, determined to prevent the enemy from entering the kingdom.

Goblin knights charged into the advancing lizardmen, their weapons colliding with the invaders’ blades as the two sides fought desperately over the narrow breach.

For a while, neither side gained a decisive advantage.

The goblins possessed the advantage of their fortified position, allowing them to concentrate their attacks against the invaders attempting to enter.

Their knights fought with desperation, while the magicians behind them continued casting spells that struck the enemy formations and forced the invaders to pay dearly for every step forward.

Yet the army of Essiel had come prepared.

More beasts began striking the walls, while the flying forces descended upon the goblin archers and magicians positioned along the highest towers. The defenders were forced to divide their attention between the enemies approaching from the ground and those attacking from above, gradually losing the coordination that had allowed them to hold their positions.

Then, the situation became even worse.

Thousands of tiny petals appeared across the battlefield.

At first, the goblins assumed they were nothing more than ordinary flowers carried by the wind, but the petals quickly multiplied, spreading across the ground and rising into the air. Before the defenders could understand what was happening, enormous vines erupted from beneath their feet, twisting around their legs and bodies before violently pulling them away from their positions.

"WHAT IS THIS?!"

One goblin knight attempted to cut through the vines, only for several more to emerge and wrap around his arms. Nearby, enormous roots burst through the ground, tearing apart defensive formations and sending goblin soldiers flying as the surrounding earth cracked beneath their tremendous force.

Then, countless figures appeared among the petals.

They looked exactly like Thousand Petal.

Some emerged from the ground, while others descended from the air, each possessing the same graceful appearance and terrifying control over nature. Within moments, the goblin defenders found themselves surrounded by dozens of identical Constellations, all directing their attacks toward different sections of the fortress.

"HOW MANY OF HER ARE THERE?!"

The goblins had no answer.

Every time they destroyed one of the figures, more petals gathered elsewhere, and additional clones appeared to replace the fallen ones. The vines continued spreading across the battlefield, piercing defensive formations and dragging soldiers away from their comrades, while enormous wooden roots rose like pillars to crush the goblin fortifications.

The balance of the battle began to shift.

What had initially been an even confrontation gradually turned into a desperate struggle for survival, as the goblins struggled to defend themselves against an enemy that seemed capable of attacking from every direction.

At that moment, one of the Goblin Emperors finally moved.

The enormous goblin with crooked teeth leaped from the fortress walls, his massive body descending toward the battlefield like a falling mountain. He raised his gigantic club above his head before swinging it violently into the ground, releasing a tremendous shockwave that swept across the surrounding area.

The earth shattered.

Dirt, rocks, and broken pieces of armor flew in every direction as hundreds of individuals were caught within the attack. Lizardmen, humans, and enormous beasts were thrown aside, their bodies crushed beneath the destructive force of the Emperor’s swing, while the surrounding ground transformed into a massive crater.

The Emperor pulled his club back, revealing a vicious grin.

"COME ON! IS THIS ALL YOU HAVE?!"

Several Essiel soldiers rushed toward him, attempting to overwhelm the enormous goblin with their combined strength, but their attacks barely slowed him down. He swung his club again, sending another wave of destruction through their ranks, before a sudden burst of flames forced him to turn his head.

The Magic Swordswoman had arrived.

She landed several meters away from the Goblin Emperor, her sword already drawn as flames gathered along its blade.

The heat surrounding her caused the dust in the air to rise, while the goblin Emperor tightened his grip around his weapon and stared at the woman who had dared to approach him alone.

"You’re quite the noisy one," she remarked.

The Goblin Emperor answered with a furious roar before charging toward her, his massive club sweeping sideways with enough force to crush an ordinary warrior into nothing more than a bloody stain.

The Magic Swordswoman stepped forward instead of retreating, her sword flashing as she redirected the strike with a precise movement, sending sparks and flames bursting from the point of collision.

The impact shook the surrounding battlefield.

She immediately twisted her body and launched a counterattack, her flaming blade cutting toward the Emperor’s torso, but he managed to pull his body backward before the attack could land cleanly.

The sword still carved a burning wound across his side, causing him to growl in anger as he swung his club downward once more.

The Magic Swordswoman dodged the strike, and the club smashed into the earth, creating another enormous crater.

Before the Emperor could recover, she rushed forward and unleashed a series of rapid sword strikes, each one carrying the destructive power of fire.

The goblin blocked several attacks with his weapon, but the flames gradually spread across his armor and skin, forcing him to retreat several steps as he realized that his opponent was far more dangerous than the ordinary soldiers surrounding him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Lapace suddenly bolted upward.

His body shot into the air as he escaped the range of several incoming attacks, his hammer resting comfortably in one hand.

However, before he could look down at the battlefield, numerous projectiles suddenly erupted from beneath him, their trajectories converging toward his position from several directions.

Lapace’s eyes widened.

The attacks had come from the slime-like Goblin Emperor.

The enormous goblin stood among the ruined ground, his round body trembling as countless spheres of concentrated energy emerged from the strange substance covering his skin.

With a sudden movement, he launched the projectiles upward, sending them toward Lapace with astonishing speed.

"YOU LITTLE!"

Lapace raised his hammer, and a flash of light appeared around his body.

The incoming projectiles suddenly changed direction.

Rather than colliding with him, they curved through the air as though an invisible force had seized control of their trajectories.

Several goblins barely had time to look upward before the redirected attacks struck their positions, producing a series of violent explosions that swallowed entire groups of soldiers. The slime-like Emperor’s eyes widened as he watched his own attacks tear through the ranks of his allies, while Lapace laughed from above.

"HAHAHA! YOU SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL WHEN THROWING THINGS AROUND!"

The Goblin Emperor’s expression twisted in anger.

He immediately launched another barrage, this time spreading his projectiles across a wider area in an attempt to overwhelm Lapace through sheer numbers.

The attacks filled the sky like a swarm of glowing meteors, but the Constellation moved between them with frightening ease, redirecting some toward the ground while smashing others apart with his hammer.

Each successful deflection caused further destruction among the goblin forces.

The slime-like Emperor finally understood that his opponent could manipulate the direction of incoming attacks, but finding a way around that ability while protecting his own soldiers proved far more difficult than he had expected.

And elsewhere, the situation was becoming even more terrifying.

Onyx Elf hovered above the battlefield, facing the Goblin Emperor dressed in dark red robes, while the darkness surrounding them continued expanding across the sky.

The shadows grew thicker with every passing moment, spreading over the clouds until the sunlight itself began disappearing behind an enormous veil of black energy.

The goblin Emperor released another furious cry as purple magical energy surged around his body.

Onyx Elf merely raised his hand.

The darkness above them descended like a living creature, swallowing the surrounding light as the two powerful beings prepared to clash once more.