As dawn broke and the sky began to change colors, the Goblins who stayed the night in Lucua village began to stir.

Yesterday, under the orders of their leader, Brave, they were able to have a proper rest after drinking themselves silly and making merry, so most of the troops appeared to be in good shape.

However, their progress was slowed down because of the loot and the captured Werecat women that they had brought with them.

“Giu, gigiigiaooh.” (Come on, hurry up and walk!)

“Utah…”

The Werecat women’s hands were tied in front of them, and even though the Goblins forced them to walk by pulling on the ropes, their footsteps seemed very heavy. 

They knew that they would be doomed once the Goblins took them to their lair. However, they could not even resist because the Goblins were threatening them with their sharp daggers.

“sob *sniffle* sob sob”

“Uuuuu *sniffle*  *sniffle* waaah” 

The sound of the Werecat women’s sobs could be heard loud and clear breaking the peaceful morning that rolled in at Lucua village.

……………

………

…

Meanwhile, a silver dog man standing on top of one of the trees that offered a view of the village from the north side, watched the Goblins as they made their way home.

“Guruo garuaooh.” (Please call everyone here.)

“Waon!” (Okay!)

With a cheerful reply, my sister speedily jumped from tree to tree, returning to the group who lay hidden in a place not far from here. And I carefully made my way to the east entrance of the village and waited for the others to follow as I tracked the Goblin’s destination by following their tracks. 

“Garuo, kuon.” (I’ve called them, big brother.)

It did not take long for the Werecat warriors and their families to arrive, and their faces twisted in horror and rage as they took in the state of the destroyed village, and their fallen kin lying on the ground.

“Dammit, I’ll make them pay for this!”

“…This is too much!”

There were signs that several of the corpses had been eaten by the Goblins, making the scene more morbid than we left them yesterday.

“Ueh…” 

“Uurrrghhh…”

Liz and the other female Werecat warriors retched dryly as they tried to keep their nausea at bay.

“Everyone, let’s prioritize our living friends first…”

Wallace brought everyone’s attention back as he patted his daughter’s back. The Werecat warriors’ expressions were all full of indignation and anger, and it felt like their bodies were seething with fighting spirit as well.

After offering a few minutes of silent prayer for the departed, we started following the Goblins’ tracks. As we had guessed bringing their prisoners along had slowed their marching pace, so we were able to catch sight of the last Goblin.

I observed their entourage as they left Lucua village and from what I recall the composition of it was as follows: marching at the front were the group of lean and skinny Goblins, while the middle group consisted of the captured Werecat women, the Goblin sorcerer, and his unit, and lastly, the group at the back consisted of the Greatsword-wielder who seemed to be the leader of the horde and his unit.

As I figured out the best way to take out the Goblins, I sent a hand sign to my companions.

“I’ll go ahead first.”

“Roger, Chief.”

Once they passed at a certain point, it was confirmed that the Goblins’ destination was just as I had predicted, so I took the long way to get ahead of them and hid in between the trees. The Werecat warriors who had likewise followed me similarly laid low in the bushes and under the shade of the trees, their tails wagging impatiently…… it looked like their hunting instincts had been awakened?

Fortunately, their course did not seem to change, and soon, the group led by the tall, skinny Goblins passed in front of us. A few minutes later, the group led by the Goblin sorcerer which included the captured women who were our targets, approached. I had wanted to release my ranged earth magic, but I could not do it since the Werecat women would be caught up in it.

In my left hand, I clutched two arrows along with my bow and nocked an arrow with my right hand. 

(I would love to shoot that sorcerer first, but if I miss, I might hit the hostages instead…No choice.)

After I finished the preparations for my attack, I released a magically-charged howl that signaled the start of our counterattack.

“Guruaoooooooonn!!”

【Activated: Battlecry】

“Gi!?” (What!?)

“Giauh!!” (Where did that come from!?)

“Gyaouh!” (Be on your guard!)

Aiming for the surprised Goblins, the Werecat warriors jumped out from their hiding places in the trees and the bushes and commenced the attack!!

“Let’s go, everyone!!”

“UOOOOOOOOH!!”

“Guruaaaaaaaaah!!” (We’ll beat you all!!) 

“Garuuoa voann!!” (I will pierce you with my Spear!!)

Aiming for a chance to shoot in the middle of the confusion, I fired my first shot at one of the Goblins guarding the prisoners.

*whoosh* 

“Gyah!”

Using the arrows I held with my bow, I quickly fired a series of shots. As a countermeasure for reducing the magic consumption and time taken for magic activation during rapid-fire attacks, I maintained a constant air current using air magic and used the arrows in conjunction with it. 

*tang, whizz, tang , whizz* 

…the arrows flew with the light sound of air currents being cut through rang out.

“Giuh… aaah!”

“Gigii…i”

Three arrows pierced the chests of the three Goblins who had stopped moving one after another.

“Gauh!” (Alright!)

After I finished my task, I set my bow against a tree, held my Short War Hammer in my right hand, and hovered my left hand over the ground. 

“Uruguugah!” (Clay Sword!)

As I cast the earth type demi-human magic spell, “Clay Sword”, a Sword made out of rocks and mud shot out of the ground and settled into my left hand. Holding a weapon in both hands, I prepared for battle. I was a little late to the battle, but I charged at the Goblins with a yell.

Buster kicked one of the Goblins who had an arrow in his chest when he came to join the fight, and he raised his Greatsword and swung it down on the Goblin Fighter who pulled on the captives’ ropes.  

“Guuruaaah!!” (Instant Kill!)

“Giiaaaaaah”

Intending to block the blow, the Goblin Fighter raised his Sword and pushed back with all his might, but Buster’s one-hit attack broke the sword and sank into half of his skull, causing him to die immediately.

Aiming for the time when Buster paused after his splendid attack, another Goblin tried to stab his dagger at Buster from the side, but…

“Kuonn!” (Pierce!)

“Gii!?… Giuah!!”

Lancer’s Goblin Spear suddenly appeared out of nowhere and pierced the abdomen of the Goblin who tried to take Buster by surprise.

“Onh!” (Hyah!)

She quickly pulled back her weapon and kicked away the Goblin as she removed her Spear from it. As the two of them appeared, the 19 Werecat warriors also charged and fought bravely.

“Uooooooh!”

“Diiiiiieeeeeee!!”

“Giih!” (Shit!)

“Gigiguh, gugaaoh!” (As if we’d just let you kill us!)

Two of the Werecat warriors stopped the Goblins’ Slash Attacks with their Bucklers and counter-attacked with a thrust of their swords.

“Kuah!?”

“Ow, dammit!”

With their natural agility, the Werecat warriors jumped back, but the enemies’ attack penetrated their leather armors and they received shallow cuts. 

“Fall back, men!!”

When they diagonally jumped backward in response to the command from behind, they saw Wallace who held the hilt of his Saber in his right hand as he held onto its sheath with his left.

“Flash!!”

With a quick step, he simultaneously drew his Sword and unleashed a side-sweeping flash attack, flinging away the Goblins’ swords and slashing their bellies horizontally.

“Gyah!? Gi, ia…ah.”

“Gugeah! Guuu… gubuh…”

The Goblins squatted down while holding onto their abdomens as their blood and guts spilled out of their wounds and they died lying in a pool of their own blood.

“Gia, gueh!!” (Im…possible…!!)

Rock, the Goblin Sorcerer, could not hide his agitation at the sight of his fallen brethren. They had kept vigilance for surprise attacks when they stayed the night at Lucua village yesterday, but they were caught off-guard when they expected nothing to happen. 

They figured that if there were an ambush, then it would be at the time when they were tired, and the enemy had the most advantage, that was why they had even made preparations to use the captured Werecat women as hostages last night…

While he was thinking of such things, a Werecat’s blade loomed over him!

“Uraaaaaaah!”

“Giuuh!”

The  Goblin mage immediately held out his hand and gathered his wind-type magic to form a wind blade.

“Zenosuh, ireusu.” (O wind, tear them to pieces.)

“Guuh!?…… Gahah.”

The Werecat warrior who attacked Rock was unable to avoid the wind blades and was slashed in the abdomen, spraying blood all over the place as he collapsed… but impatience and fear were written all over the Goblin who took his attacker’s life.

In the first place, he was guaranteed a certain death if the Sorcerer stepped into close combat range against warriors. Looking around he saw that most of the troops he was leading were either dead or currently engaged in battle. 

(This is bad, we have to retreat to Brave’s side as soon as possible!!)

(…)

But that order had come too late. Dagger, who had not appeared in the midst of the battle, had hidden in the treetops and gradually gotten close to the Sorcerer. Holding her Daggers in an underhand and overhand grip, Dagger attacked from above.

“Guruaoooooon!!” (I’m gonna kill youuuuuu!!) 

“!? Gah….nnghk, gii.” (!? Nggah…n-no way)

Reacting to the sudden sound, the Goblin sorcerer looked up and was stabbed between the eyes with the Stiletto, while the other Dagger slit his throat.

“Hyu… hih…”

His life ended in regret as the sound of leaking air came out from him. Having finished off the troublesome Goblin, Dagger kicked off the corpse as she retrieved her blade that was stuck between his eyes.

“Guangiah!? Gyaouh!!” (Lord Rock!? Dammit!!)

Before she could catch her breath, a Goblin Fighter aimed at her from a slightly diagonal direction and unleashed a thrust with his Long Sword with the blade cutting at her horizontally, but because he was upset, the attack was released too early and did not reach.

“Ukyann!? Gaonn!!” (Uhyan!? You shit!!)

Dagger lightly sidestepped and avoided the sword thrust, and before the Goblin warrior could pull back his arm, she drew close to his chest and used her body weight to put force as she thrust her Stiletto into his heart.

“Gubuah, gah…ahh…”

The Goblin warrior, who was fatally wounded by the blow that penetrated his leather armor, vomited blood and lost his grip on the Long Sword he was holding as he sank to the ground.

At that moment, Dagger’s consciousness climbed the Ultimate Spiral Staircase in the middle of the hectic battle without anyone, including her, noticing. The shape of her ears changed slightly, while the fur on her tail became even fluffier and contained magic. Furthermore, the fur on the tips of her limbs also turned white, contrasting with the golden-colored fur on her body…

Name: Dagger (Female: sister)

Race: Evolved Kobold

Rank: Fox Walker

Skill: Leap Enhancement (Large/ Effect is Instantaneous), Elementary Phantasm, Hearing Enhancement (Small/ Constant), Fox Fire

Title: The Fox That Attacks From Above

Weapon: Stiletto (Main), Dagger (Auxiliary)

Armament: Leather Armor