The Water Magician

9 AM. The battle horn echoes.

"Finally, it's here."

"Yeah."

In the central front line of the royal army, Zack Cooler murmurs, and Scotty Kobuck nods in response.

The first to move was the demon army.

"They're coming!"

As Zack mutters this, the voice rings out across the entire royal army.

"The attackers are Phantom Soldiers. Frontline stand by. Monk squad, deploy."

The voice belongs to Ilalion Baraha, using the magic voice transmission.

There is no more convenient magic for commanding a large army than this.

It can convey commands across the entire battlefield.

The wind attribute magic voice transmission is not particularly difficult, but using it in a place like a battlefield is challenging.

Because it’s a place where magic flies around and magical power runs rampant.

Of course, it's fine now since it’s still before the battle begins...

Even after the battle starts, only a few can readily use it in the vast kingdom.

Following the orders via voice transmission, the temple's monk squad is dispatched.

One thousand monks each are positioned in the center, right flank, and left flank.

In terms of numbers, it can hardly be said to be many.

Looking at the approaching demon's Phantom Soldiers, there are easily sixty thousand.

That's a staggering twenty times!

However, the monks do not falter.

One must possess a faith that surpasses that of ordinary priests to become a monk.

They willingly risk their lives to protect the goddess and her followers, dedicating everything to the goddess of light.

Now, they have set out with the resolve to cast everything aside to protect their fellow citizens of the kingdom.

The frontlines of the monk squad clash with the frontlines of the Phantom Soldiers.

Wielding their sacred weapon, the Holy Blessed Staff, the monk squad charges into the Phantom Soldiers.

In a single strike.

At just the touch of the staff, the Phantom Soldiers vanish.

Witnessing this, High Priest Gabriel and Legacy Officer Rasharta nod in agreement.

Though it was expected, it's only natural to feel joy when it works out well.

For the royal army, the monk squad's almost unique strong point against the demon army is achieving remarkable effects against the Phantom Soldiers.

The monks continue to fight fearlessly against the wave of approaching Phantom Soldiers.

Of course, they are not unscathed.

They are facing an enemy twenty times their number.

While defeating the enemy in front of them, they can also be slashed from the side.

But they are monks.

Fighting monks.

All of them are also users of light attribute magic.

“O Mother Goddess, I entrust myself to your great healing hands, heal.”

They cast it upon themselves and their comrades beside them...

Continuing to fight while avoiding only fatal blows.

They understand.

They are the trump card against the demon's Phantom Soldiers.

Conversely, if they were to disappear, they would be overwhelmed by the Phantom Soldiers in numbers.

Therefore, they cannot die yet.

They must continue to fight to protect the citizens of the kingdom.

For that reason, they cannot afford to die.

There is no substitute for them.

Boldly exposing themselves to danger.

Carefully avoiding fatal blows.

While discerning between both, the leader of the monk squad, Gawain, and vice-leader Chase fight while commanding.

The timing for a full retreat will come from headquarters.

So until then, they must not falter...

The most troublesome enemy for them may not have been the Phantom Soldiers.

There is no substitute for them.

In other words, they must continue fighting until the Phantom Soldiers cease to appear.

Perhaps their greatest enemy was endurance.

Leader Gawain looks around while fighting.

It seems additional Phantom Soldiers are being deployed.

The monks continue to fight, but they appear to still have some breathing room.

(They’ve been trained well.)

Gawain continues to swing his staff with a faint smile.

That was during the turmoil in the royal capital.

Leader Gawain and vice-leader Chase were confronting the abominations that continued to surge from underground, as the captain and vice-captain of the Central Sanctuary monk squad.