Chương 448: Chapter : 448

"Your attacks are entirely useless," Hestia mocked smoothly. She lowered her hand. She turned to her elite vanguard.

"The enemy is relying entirely on brute force and numbers. They have zero tactical coordination. It is time to end this miserable encounter. Prepare a structured counteroffensive." Zaima nodded sharply. She lowered her defensive barriers. She drew a long, glowing white sword from her belt.

"Yes, Your Highness. All units, shift to offensive protocol beta." The 16th Unit instantly changed their entire combat stance. They stopped defending the carriages. They stepped outward. They formed a tight, aggressive wedge formation. Elma took the very front point of the wedge. She crossed her silver swords in front of her chest. Celia moved to the left, holding a stack of explosive magical darts. Another servant moved to the right, charging a bright sphere of freezing ice magic.

Zaima stood in the center, coordinating the magical strikes.

"We will push them back to the cliffs," Zaima instructed.

"Do not break the line. Move as one single entity." The 16th Unit marched forward. Their white boots stepped in perfect unison. They looked like a solid wall of flawless, lethal precision. The remaining Ashura monsters charged the wedge formation. They swung their claws wildly. They fired erratic blasts of green energy. The elite girls systematically dismantled the attackers. Elma sliced through the monsters in the center. She moved with blinding speed, cutting down targets before they could even swing their arms.

Celia threw her explosive darts into the crowd. The darts detonated with bright flashes of white light, knocking multiple beasts off their feet. The ice user froze the legs of the monsters on the right flank, shattering their armor into brittle pieces. They pushed the enemy line backward. They cleared the dirt road inch by inch. The monsters screeched and stumbled. The mindless biological weapons simply could not compete with the highly structured, disciplined counteroffensive of the Royal vanguard.

Princess Hestia watched her team dominate the battlefield. She crossed her arms and smiled proudly. This is exactly why the 16th Unit was feared across the Empire. They were perfect. They never panicked. They executed their orders flawlessly.

"Keep pushing," Hestia called out smoothly.

"Leave none of them standing. We have a high-priority mission to attend to, and I refuse to be delayed by mindless garbage." Elma slashed another monster across the chest. She kicked the falling beast away. She breathed a little fast, but she felt incredibly confident. She spun her swords, ready to take down the next wave. The combat intensity remained very high, but the tide of the battle had completely turned. The 16th Unit had absolute control over the narrow transit route.

The armored convoy sat safely behind them. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. The girls prepared to launch their final, devastating wave of magical attacks. They wanted to wipe the remaining Ashura operatives off the road completely. They tightened their grip on their weapons. They focused their mana. They were totally prepared to finish the fight themselves. They did not need any help. They did not want any help.

But as Elma raised her silver swords to strike the next target, a sudden, blinding flash of yellow light illuminated the entire canyon. A massive, overwhelming aura of absolute, terrifying magical power crashed down onto the battlefield. The pressure was so intense it made the air feel thick and suffocating. The sheer force of the arriving presence made the rocks tremble. The battle was about to take a massive, totally unexpected turn. The 16th Unit stopped their advance. They looked toward the end of the road.

A new participant had just entered the chaotic combat zone, and the entire tactical balance of the canyon was about to shift entirely.

The blinding yellow light faded slowly from the canyon. A loud, buzzing sound echoed through the air. The thick dust settled on the dirt road. A tall man stood in the exact center of the path. It was the 1st Prince. His name was Zeus Belmontia. He wore a pristine white military uniform. Bright gold medals decorated his chest. His posture was completely straight. He did not slouch. He looked incredibly strict. Tiny sparks of yellow lightning popped around his polished black boots.

His platinum-blonde hair did not move in the wind. His green eyes looked very cold. He stared at the massive group of Ashura monsters. He did not look scared. He looked completely bored. Princess Hestia stood near her golden carriage. She crossed her arms. She smoothed her white silk dress. She looked very annoyed. She glared at her older brother.

"Zeus," Princess Hestia called out. Her voice sounded very crisp.

"You are interrupting my battle. My unit had this situation completely under control. We did not ask for your help." Zeus did not turn his head. He kept his cold eyes on the monsters.

"You were taking too long, Hestia. I do not have time to wait for you to play games. These creatures are blocking the main road. I need this road cleared right now." Zaima stood behind Princess Hestia. The scowling servant crossed her arms. She glared at the 1st Prince. She did not like him. She wanted the 16th Unit to get all the glory. Ken Eliot sat on a large, flat rock near the back of the convoy. He did not care about the glory. He wore his navy blue suit.

His white shirt hung completely untucked over his belt. He did not wear a tie. His black hair stuck up in messy spikes. He slouched his shoulders. He pulled a small plastic bag from his pocket. The bag was filled with colorful gummy bears. Naomi walked over to him. She did not scold him. She smiled a very warm, friendly smile. She playfully nudged his arm with her elbow.

"Are you eating candy right now, Ken?" Naomi teased gently.

"We are in the middle of a massive combat zone. You should pay attention." Ken gave her a lazy, goofy grin. He popped a red gummy bear into his mouth. He chewed it happily.

"Candy provides essential energy, Naomi," Ken explained. He slouched a little more.

"I need sugar to watch the show. Do you want a green one? The green ones taste like green apples. They are the absolute best flavor." Naomi chuckled softly. She reached into the bag. She took a green candy. She put it in her mouth.

"Thank you, Ken. Now watch the 1st Prince. He is incredibly dangerous. We can learn from his fighting style."

"I will try to keep my eyes open," Ken mumbled. He let out a loud yawn. The Ashura monsters recovered from the bright flash of light. They looked at Zeus. They realized he was a new target. The mutated beasts let out loud, bubbling roars. They bared their sharp fangs. Glowing green liquid dripped from their mouths. They charged straight at the 1st Prince. There were dozens of them. They moved with terrifying speed. They swung their jagged claws. They fired massive blasts of toxic green magic.

The magic zipped through the air.