Shaka noticed something was wrong the moment the flying monsters took off.
The battle on the city wall had reached a critical point. The enhanced saber-toothed tiger now blind ran amok through the ranks. Five Minotaurs, covered by goblin skirmishers, were climbing the walls. With no other options left, Shaka used explosives to blast all five through a spatial portal in an instant.
The saber-toothed tiger finally fell to poisoned blades. But by then, the harpies had already crossed the wall and rushed into the inner city.
Helpless, Shaka unstrapped his bundle and pulled out the special tennis racket Cecil had repaired. Just as he was about to take out the last four special explosives
"Wait a minute." Sora grabbed his arm. "These monsters are acting strange. There's no reason for them to attack the gate this fiercely. Something must be drawing them here."
Shiro added, "Or their leader."
Shaka frowned: "You want me to save the explosives for that?"
Sora didn't need to speak his meaning was clear. But Shaka glanced at the residents already under attack and shook his head firmly.
"I won't ignore lives in danger just to improve killing efficiency."
If the flying units weren't dealt with quickly, casualties would skyrocket. Blank might see residents as numbers, but Shaka could not.
He hurled the last four bombs into the sky.
"Explode!"
Four trails of fire twisted and streaked through the air, each striking one of the remaining harpies.
In the flickering flames, Shaka turned back to face the monsters swarming up the wall.
A moment later, just as the enchanted swords and kerosene supplies were nearly exhausted, everyone spotted a figure hidden among the horde.
The pale goblin roared and swung its eerie curved blade down hard.
"Gusha bakuraka!"
Three bolts of lightning split the sky, blanketing the battlements in white light.
Magic.
"A monster... that can use magic?"
Panic spread through the defenders. Some dropped their weapons and fled they were just gatekeepers earning 2,000 valis a day; they had no reason to throw away their lives.
Yuuki watched in horror as a guard in front of her took a lightning strike to the back to protect her. His flesh sizzled, blood seeping through charred armor. The soldier at the center of the blast was nothing but a lump of blackened charcoal.
"Why?" Yuuki froze. Though she'd faced death many times before, this was different.
The wounded guard covered in cold sweat spoke in a trembling voice:
"Idiot... how could I let a girl younger than my daughter die before me? We're the city's guardians!"
Yuuki finally understood what Shaka had meant. This wasn't a game. Without a word, she drew her sword and charged toward the advancing monsters with a roar.
On the other side, lightning flashed across the sky.
"I knew it." Sora pulled Shiro close as he looked back.
Shaka lowered his arm from his eyes, equally shocked: "That's... an enchanted blade?"
"How could a monster wield something like that!"
But he quickly regained his composure and shouted: "Sora use your magic to scan it! There's something wrong with that beast!"
"I already have." Sora's eyes were deep and focused as he looked at Shaka. "If you'll listen to me, we can end this easily."
He relayed the information from his [Winning Astrological Chart]:
Goblin Shaman (Dragon Kin)
- Enhanced species | Level 3 | Ability Rank A
- A high-level demon that devoured flesh and blood of a black dragon subspecies. Obsessed with black dragon corpses.
- Possesses basic intelligence, but has gone mad from consuming too many dragon magic stones. Craves further evolution.
- Special modification allows its fur to attract lightning and unleash devastating strikes.
This looks exactly like a monster from some game, Shaka thought. If they were to name it later, he'd definitely suggest [Lightning Strike Keno].
Shaka's mind wandered for a moment before he snapped back: "You knew this the whole time? Then why did we—"
He cut himself off when he saw a line of dwarves on the wall ahead, holding steel shields. Steam rose from their bodies, and they looked disheveled but none were dead.
They turned and gave a thumbs up: "Hephaestus Familia product magic-resistant shields! Worth every valis!"
You're advertising at a time like this?
Sora said calmly: "It's fine. We couldn't have dealt with the aerial units either. Your choice wasn't wrong it was just different from mine."
Sora would have prioritized preserving the wall's fighting force over civilians. Shaka had chosen the opposite.
He rallied the troops: "Hey, Shiro does the current situation align with our calculations?"
Shiro squatted on the ground, drawing complex formulas with a twig that Shaka couldn't understand. She looked up: "We're missing one key variable."
Sora smirked and called out: "Sergeant!"
The sergeant cleaved through a monster and rushed over anxiously: "What now? More monsters keep coming our defenses are about to break!"
"Has anything suspicious been brought into the city recently?" Sora cut straight to the point.
"Suspicious?" The sergeant was stunned. "Nothing that I know of."
Shiro reminded him: "Related to dragons."
"Dragon?!" The sergeant's face changed instantly. "Men gather up!"
"Go get that merchant we arrested yesterday!"
The remaining soldiers looked troubled: "Captain, we don't have enough men to spare!"
Sora interrupted: "Bring up what I asked for earlier!"
"They're here!" Yui panted as she ran up, carrying a heavy box.
Inside were the high-proof liquor bottles Shaka had given Sora.
Sora grabbed two and handed them to Shaka: "Here smash these down below!"
Shaka hurled the bottles with all his strength. They shattered on impact, triggering massive explosions that set the area beneath the wall ablaze.
Shaka stared in shock: "What was that?"
"Simple Molotov cocktails. Saw it on a TV show never thought I'd actually use them."
Isn't that just a fancy name for a fire bomb? Shaka thought, his eyes wide.
Yui's face lit up. This was exactly the kind of thing mischievous kids loved to make. "I want to try too!"
"Keep them coming!" Sora handed two bottles to Yui. "We'll hold the line here. Go bring up that merchant they mentioned!"
"I'm on it!" Yui threw a few bottles like a baseball pitcher, then dashed down the tower in a ninja-style run.
The case of liquor was quickly used up. Combined with the kerosene already poured on the walls, the pressure on the defenses eased significantly.
A moment later, a soldier carried a struggling merchant held down by Yui up to the wall.
"Baker! Let me go! I'm a businessman! I make millions every minute! I'll report you to the association!"
Baker had been locked up all night and was seething with anger. Now he'd been dragged to the dangerous battlements. Don't they know my life is worth more than all these peasants combined?
Shaka looked at the captain and asked in a low voice: "Where are the items?"
The sergeant pointed to Baker's backpack.
"What do you think you're doing?" Baker demanded warily.
Shaka paid him no mind. He knocked the merchant unconscious with a karate chop and snatched the briefcase Baker had been clutching. Inside was a cylindrical object wrapped in cowhide.
Shaka's pupils contracted: "This is..."
The sergeant asked nervously: "The merchant said it's Cadmus's wing membrane very valuable. Is there a problem?"
Cadmus's membrane? Can't you see those black scales?
Shaka ground his teeth: "These are scales from a black dragon subspecies! He deliberately lured the beast tide here!"
He removed the Minotaur pelt from around his neck and compared them. The scattered black scales on the pelt matched exactly what was on the so-called "wing membrane."
If the dragon remnants Shaka had accidentally dropped were like a piece of cake on the ground, this complete dragon hide was a feast. The former had lost its appeal, but the latter was exactly what the monster needed for further evolution.
"That beast is searching for corpses with purer blood than its own. Once it sensed this ancestor-level bloodline, it locked onto the city immediately!"
Seeing the item in Shaka's hand, Sora smiled confidently: "Now's not the time to dwell on that."
Shiro's eyes flashed as she nodded: "The conditions for victory are now complete."