I could tell that Dagger had changed, but I did not have the time to think about it, as the element of surprise we had due to the surprise attack had already worn off and the Goblins had started to retaliate.

“Gyag, giiaruh!!” (Tsk, we’re under attack!!)

“Giidogyah!” (Lord Sword!)

“Guoah! Giu giureh!!” (I’m going to cut our way in! Follow me!!)

The tall and lean Goblin, Sword, crossed his arms and held onto the hilts of his Short Swords, which were sheathed in scabbards hanging on either side of his belt. Slightly pushing it back to make unsheathing easier, he then pulled out his twin blades.

The Goblins under his command also unsheathed their swords a little later, and the sounds of blades scraping against scabbards could be heard throughout…

“Voa, guaoouh.” (I’m sorry, we got stuck at the front.)

As I slashed and flung away a Goblin with my Short War Hammer, I thrust my earthen sword by my feet and activated the earth type, zone binding demi-human magic, “Thorns of Punishment” which I prepared earlier.

“Voruguooh.” (Thorns of Punishment.)

“G-gugiiiih!!” (Y-you bastaaaard!!)

“Guh!?”

“Gieh!!” (Uoh!!)

The legs of the Dual wielding Goblin Swordsman charging at me were caught by the thorns growing out of the ground. More than a dozen Goblins under his command were similarly entangled in the thorns, and anyone who stepped into it while running was similarly incapacitated by the thorns.

It was a spell that could only be used effectively in forests with lots of trees, and because the area of effect was large, I was able to buy some more time…

But I was careless, and the supposedly immobile tall and lanky Goblin quickly put his swords away, took out the Throwing Knives from his cloak, and threw them at me!

“Gyaaaoooh!” (Eat thiiiisss!)

“Uoh!?”

“Guaaah!!”

I deftly turned my upper body away and dodged it at a paper-thin margin, but Barrack, the Werecat warrior standing behind me, got hit in the shoulder. I felt a little sorry for him somehow, but it wasn’t the right time to do so.

As I attempted to return fire towards the tall, skinny Goblin who continued to throw his knives, I reached behind me to take my weapon, but my hand only grabbed air.

(Ah, I left my bow behind… dammit!?)

In the time that I wasted looking for my bow, the two knives that the tall skinny Goblin had thrown at me drew near!

“Guuru, kuaruuun.” (Protect, Light Barrier!)

*Clang, clang*

As I braced myself to get injured, a shining barrier made of holy light appeared in front of me and deflected the blades. I thanked Lancer for activating the spell right on time, and once I hid between the trees, I checked on the captive girls and saw that Liz had just cut their bindings with a knife.

“Liz, thank you…”

“You can run now, can’t you? Go over there!!”

“Yes!”

Liz had only cut the ropes tied between their ankles that the Goblins used to prevent them from escaping.

In an area not far away from the girls, the Werecat warriors led by Buster and Wallace were holding off the Greatsword-wielding Goblin and his squad. 

“Garuou voruoah!!” (Thou shall not… pass!!)

“Giuah!!?” (Uoh!?)

“Giiuh!” (Watch out!)

Stepping in with his right foot, Buster twisted his upper body to release a sideways cleave to frighten the approaching Goblins, but…

“Giueruh, gyaugyaoh!!” (Fear not, the Goblin Hero is here!!)

The large Goblin who unleashed a magic-infused roar to enhance his brethren, used his companions’ backs as a stepping board to launch himself as he swung his shining Greatsword!

【Activated：Brilliant Blade】

【Effect：Sends a slash of light flying towards the enemy (Close Range), Effective against Spirits and the Undead 】

“Uooooh!?”

As Buster dodged the slash of light that suddenly flew at him in an attempt to break his stance, Wallace, who was aiming for an opening once the enemy wielding the shining blade landed, stepped wide and unleashed a single right-handed stab!

“Hiyaaaaaaaaaah!!”

“Giuh!” (Nggguhh!)

The large Goblin used his Greatsword to deflect the attack and took a half-step in the opposite direction to kick the troublesome Werecat warrior in the solar plexus with full force.

“Gyaaaoh!” (Uraaah!)

“Fuh!”

As Wallace jumped back after blocking the kick with his left hand, Buster lowered his stance and rushed forward with the Greatsword on his shoulder!

“Garuguouooooon!!” (You’re going down with a single blow!!)

【Arm Strengthening (Large/ Instantaneous)】

“Gyauooooh!”

The large Goblin raised his weapon and bore the full brunt of the Slash Attack as Buster made a semi-circular orbit as he approached again, but because the Kobold was superior in size, Buster held him down with full force.

“Gi, gyah…” (Kuh, uuh…)

“Gigiugyah!” (Lord Brave!)

“Giuah.” (Damn you!)

The Goblins nearby moved to join forces to help their trapped horde leader, but they were not the only ones who responded to the situation.

“Kuruooouh.” (You’ll have to go through me first!)

“Hold them back!”

Dagger and Wallace reined the attacking Goblins in, and as the Werecats and Goblins continued to cross blades, the battle gradually tilted in favor of the Werecats…

“Giiaooh!” (Uooooh!)

“Guh!?”

The Greatsword-wielding Goblin stepped back diagonally with his left foot and kept his upper body away as he slightly lowered his sword which blocked the strike to remove one of his hands from the hilt to deliver a punch to his opponent’s face.

However, Buster, who also saw that he was within striking distance, similarly removed a hand from the hilt of his Greatsword and delivered a right jab, the dull sound of their connecting fists audible.

“Gugeh!”

“Gaah!”

Both of them were taken aback once their punches connected. But after they took some distance from each other, they resumed their fight.

“Gueru giu giosuh!!” (I will split you into two with my Blade of Light!!) 

【Brilliant Blade】

“Voruaooouh!!” (I’ll smash you to bits!!)

【Arm Strengthening (Large/Instantaneous】

The shining blade wielded by the Goblin with the Greatsword clashed against Buster’s brusque Slash Attack. 

*Clash*

“Gugiih!” (Kuah!)

“Gauh!” (Guah!?)

A moment later, the scattered afterglow cut Buster’s shoulders and arms, but his attack, which won the contest of sheer strength, sent his opponent’s shining blade flying and destroyed the latter’s stance.

“Kuuh, garua!” (Kuh, now’s my chance!)

Without paying attention to his injury, Buster shook the dirt off the tip of his Greatsword and unleashed another full-powered attack as he ran towards his target!

“Gugaah!” (Dammit!)

Narrowly reacting, the large Goblin tried to defend with his Greatsword, but he was overwhelmed by the sheer force of the attack that he ended up being slashed diagonally* from his right flank up.

“Gu, gugii…” 

The large Goblin, mortally wounded from belly to shoulder, staggered back, and with the last of his strength, gathered his magic into his Greatsword, making it shine radiantly.

“Garuuoaooon!!” (This is the end!!)

 *slash*

“Guhah, gia… uh…

With a final blow, Buster ended the Goblin Hero’s life and the light dwelling in the Greatsword burst.

“Guoh.”

The fading afterglow, which was the result of the Goblin leader’s last struggle, wounded Buster enough to cause him to cough up blood. 

“Gi, gigiugyah!! Gyao…” (L-Lord Brave!! No way…)

“Gigiugya giirugiaruh!!” (Lord Brave has been slain!!)

With the leader of their horde struck down, the grief-stricken Goblins started fleeing like a scattering of spiderlings.

“Gii, gyaougieru!” (Tsk, let’s get out of here!!)

The Goblins who were trapped in the thorns cut their way out and similarly fled, and the battle concluded without us having to withdraw.

“Everyone, we won!!”

“UOOOOOOOOOH!!!”

Amidst the victorious battle cry raised by the Werecat warriors, another Kobold ascended the Silver Spiral Staircase. And as always, there was no way to perceive it in reality…

=================================================================================================================================

Translator’s Notes:

*Slashed Diagonally – in the original, the phrase was 逆袈裟に切り裂 (gyaku-kesa ni kirisakareru) which is “to be cut up diagonally”. Gyaku kesa(giri), or upward diagonal cutting, is one type of Tameshigiri which is the Japanese art of target test cutting.