Chapter 117 - Massacre

Months had passed since the children were saved. They had grown accustomed to life in the monster country, and their abilities as elementals had developed enough that Shizu praised them during their sparring sessions with her.

As she housed a spirit lord within her, even when the children all worked together to attack her, it was still a futile attempt. Even without the spirit lord, they weren't as experienced as Shizu, who had lived for almost a century.

The revelation of her true age surprised them all. Kenya even commented that she was older than a grandma, which resulted in him facing harsher training and sparring from her. The children had kept their mouths shut about that topic ever since.

Meanwhile, Rimuru, who had been watching from afar, smiled as Chloe ran toward him.

"I told them I'm tired," she explained, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"When will you reveal your identity?" Rimuru asked. They'd only been able to talk like this casually at night, when the others were asleep or when Chloe made excuses like this.

Though the latter was starting to raise suspicion among the others. They'd even teased her about having a crush on Rimuru, which, in a way, wasn't far from the truth.

She shook her head. "I still need some time. I've been giving hints to Shizu-sensei, but only to her for now."

Rimuru patted her head, smiling warmly. "Got it. You can reveal it when you're ready."

Chloe smiled, feeling Rimuru's hand on her head. "Ehehe."

"Well, aren't you good with children, Rimuru?" Velgrynd's voice came from behind them as she appeared near the two. "Careful there, you two. Chloe isn't in her real form."

"It's fine," Chloe pouted as Rimuru removed his hand from her head. "I'm just a child who has a crush on Rimuru-san...sama. He's only being kind to me because I'm trying to get close to him."

"Is that the narrative you're going with?" Velgrynd raised an eyebrow.

"Whatever," she said with a shrug, "Rimuru, I got word that the west is finally starting their march."

"Finally?" Rimuru smirked. "I got tired of waiting."

He informed Shizu and the children that he was going to take care of some things and said his goodbyes. With Velgrynd by his side, they gathered their army, including Ciel and the two demonesses.

"From what this says..." Rimuru waved a letter in his hand. "They're planning to sneak attack me and Hinata during our fight."

"That's why I'm going with you, Master," Ciel said calmly. "The plan is for Velgrynd to guard the forest, Carrera and Ultima will handle the main force, and Benimaru and the army will fight the advance troops."

"Do we have any visual on the army's current location?" Rimuru asked.

Ciel, using thought communication, shared a detailed update. Benimaru's subordinates are currently observing their movements.

Benimaru, taking the cue, began outlining the army's composition. "The main army is composed of allied soldiers from several western nations. Most of them are from regions near Ingrassia, as most of the border nations didn't participate, except for Falmuth. In total, the allied soldiers number 45,000. They've also enlisted 10,000 mages, 15,000 mercenaries, and 20,000 holy knights from the church. On average, their strength ranges from B- to A+, not including the ten Saints of Luminism."

"A 90,000-strong army coming here." Carrera grinned, imagining the chaos she would cause. "Should we attack them now?"

Rimuru shook his head. "We'll wait for the advance group to cross the borders of the forest. Once they're in, you'll intercept the main army before they can pass. Warn them first, then decimate them. Make sure to leave some survivors, preferably high ranking and traumatize."

"Got it, My Lord!" Carrera replied eagerly.

"Of course, Rimuru-sama!" the others chimed in.

"I'm watching over the house?" Velgrynd sighed to herself. "I guess I don't really care about the battle."

"It seems something is also coming to make sure you don't interfere, so it's better for you to stay here." Rimuru added. "We are both a weaker version of ourselves who are still fighting in Citadel, I got Ciel to have your other self to give you more power during this war."

Rimuru clapped his hands as he smirked, "Well then, shall we greet our uninvited visitors?"

....

The King of Falmuth, Edmaris Falmuth, smirked arrogantly as he led the main army of the allied nations. With the army passing through his territory, he had managed to secure the highest position as its supreme general. While some nations, like Ingrassia, had complaints about it, they were more than satisfied that the majority of the high-ranking officers came from their own nobility.

"How is the advance team?" He asked, casually grabbing his wine glass. They were in the main tent where most of the generals and their lieutenants were discussing and reviewing their plans.

"Yes," one of the generals replied. "We've been informed that they've safely passed through the forest. It seems the rumored monsters guarding the border have fled."

Edmaris laughed loudly, the sound echoing in the tent. "Hahaha! Those monsters are pathetic. The advance army is just a group of 20,000, and they fled? That demon's warning was nothing but a bluff."

As his laughter and mockery grew louder, the fellow officers in the tent agreed silently, nodding and exchanging smug looks. This was an easy battle. With nearly a hundred thousand soldiers in the army, their united collaboration, boosted by not only the nations but the church, had raised their confidence and morale.

Meanwhile, the advance team moved forward with confident strides. They had found a dirt road and animal trails, using them to navigate through the forest.

Benimaru, who was leading the monsters for their battle, was observing the human army with his keen senses. "They should be coming close soon," he muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the horizon.

With a swift motion, he gave the command. The Dryads, who had been following him, vanished into the trees, leaving behind only a scattering of leaves that swirled in the air.

"You shouldn't come into enemy territory like that," Benimaru said with a smile, his voice dripping with pity. "Especially one that's protected by creatures like Dryads."

"Chief," an Oni called out to him, its deep voice cutting through the silence. "The rest are already in position."

Benimaru nodded, stretching his body and exhaling with a sigh of boredom. "Tell them to keep the high-ranking officials and nobles alive."

"But how can we tell who they are?" the Oni asked, genuinely puzzled.

Benimaru's expression darkened slightly. "Rimuru-sama said to target the ones giving orders, the ones acting arrogantly, and those whose armor is pristine and untouched." He listed the descriptions with a cold smile. "Make sure those particular ones see everything that will happen."

As the human soldiers, organized in ranks of three, marched on, the winds suddenly picked up, howling through the clearing. The gusts were so fierce that the soldiers were forced to shield their eyes. They squinted into the wind, trying to make sense of what was happening. But then, they noticed something... a warm liquid was mixing with the dust in the air.

"E-enemy attack!" A shout from an officer cut through the tension. The soldiers tensed, eyes darting around in search of the threat.

'Where?' everyone thought, their hearts racing. But then, as they looked down, they realized something horrifying. They were covered in blood.

"Ahh!"

"Don't panic!"

"What, what is happening!?"

The soldiers were thrown into disarray, their faces pale with fear. They looked around, and some of their companions were lying motionless on the ground, their bodies riddled with punctured holes, others severely wounded.

"The winds!" a mage shouted, his voice trembling in disbelief before he was pierced through the chest by a thick branch. The branch hoisted him into the air for all to see, his mouth filling with blood as he gasped for breath. "Khak..." The mage's body dangled, blood dripping from his mouth.

As if on cue, more branches shot out of the ground and trees, ensnaring soldiers and lifting them into the air like ragdolls. Their bodies dangled for everyone to see, the soldiers' terror turning into panicked screams.

Breaking out of their shock, the remaining soldiers began to scatter in all directions, running blindly into the chaos, desperate to escape the unseen attack.

The soldiers had spread out throughout the forest. Their movements seemed aimless, driven only by the need to distance themselves from their previous location. With so many scattered, it was time to start thinning their numbers.

Benimaru, who hadn't even moved from his position, sat lazily on the ground.

(Now.) He communicated through thought, his voice clear in the minds of his subordinates.

With his words, several thousand orcs, hidden in various parts of the forest, formed a semi-circle around the area where the soldiers were scattering. They stomped their feet in unison. "Earthquake Stomp!"

The ground trembled violently beneath them, focusing directly on where the soldiers were. Already in a state of hysteria and chaos, the sudden shifting of the earth caused them to lose their footing, adding to their panic.

On the dirt road, where at least half of the soldiers remained, the situation was slightly more controlled. Though they were still in a state of panic, their composure was better than most, thanks to their experience.

"They are more chaotic than expected," a voice suddenly commented from above. Some of the soldiers looked around, trying to locate the source of the voice. It came from an old man with white hair, perched on a tree branch, his sword drawn.

"There!" shouted one of the soldiers, finally spotting the enemy. Reinvigorated by the discovery, they fired arrows and spells at him.

Hakurou, who had been watching with mild interest, shook his head pitifully. With smooth, graceful movements, he sliced through every projectile, both physical and magical, effortlessly.

"This is good training for the inexperienced children," Hakurou muttered, stroking his beard. He raised his hand, signaling for more. "Maka, be precise with your attacks. If I see any wasted movements, there will be harsher punishment."

"Yes!" came the response from multiple voices hidden in the trees. Monsters with horns began to appear one after another, their presence growing in number. The soldiers felt dread settle over them as they realized the enemy's strength was increasing.

"Og-ogres!" one mage shouted, spotting the horned monsters.

"Wrong." Hakurou shook his head in disappointment. "Kijins."

A soldier suddenly felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He looked down, only to see a spear protruding from his abdomen, the tip poking out from his back. The man collapsed, lifeless.

With the death of that soldier, the slaughter of the soldiers in the center began.

Elsewhere, soldiers across the forest were facing similar fates.

"Hahaha! You humans are no match for the mighty Bovoid race!" Gozu, an ox-headed monster, raised his bloodied axe. Behind him, more than a hundred bovoid monsters eagerly fought, finishing off humans in the area of the semi-circle with terrifying efficiency.

On the other side of the semi-circle, the equinoids were also in motion. "Now!" shouted Mezu. At his command, the equinoids charged through the forest, their spears and axes stabbing and hacking at every human in their path. Their swift movements ensured there were no survivors.

Benimaru watched the scene with amusement, a smirk spreading across his face. "If only they could learn to be quiet when they meet each other," he muttered, admiring their performance.

While the three main powerhouses, the Kijins, Bovoid, and Equinoid, were cleaning up the densely packed areas of the forest, the orcs were taking care of the thinner crowds. Moving through the forest with great precision, they slowly shrank the battlefield with each step.

The few soldiers who managed to escape the semi-circle and tried to flee the forest soon found themselves facing the Dryads, who locked them in the forest's embrace.

"We have to do well for everything Rimuru-sama has done for us," Treyni said with a smile, as another human collapsed beside her. His body was filled with cuts and punctures, as if wrapped tightly in thorny vines.

Benimaru stood up and stretched his body, letting out another bored sigh before heading back to the Capital. "Now that the warm-up is finished, time for the main event."

A/N: I am very thankful that this is a draft, after rereading this part. I literally forgot about the ten saints. I can tell you all that they never made any appearance(except Saare next chap) because I forgot and they weren't that relevant lol.