Chapter 357: The Barbarian Surprise Attack

Over a thousand enemy warriors were crossing the border river.
From what Rest could see, most were Ogres and Lizardmen, though there were also many who looked indistinguishable from humans.

“Barbarians using magic…? That’s not what I was told.”

Rest frowned in confusion as the enemy emerged from thin air like a mirage.
He’d heard that while these tribes had strong bodies, wings, scales, and carapaces, they were notoriously poor with magic.

“And yet… that spell was advanced—invisibility, maybe?”

They’d hidden themselves completely, likely through some kind of optical magic that bent and refracted light to conceal their presence.

“For people who supposedly can’t use magic well… that’s a bit much, isn’t it?”

Something was definitely wrong.
Even as that thought crossed his mind, Rest targeted the advancing monsters along the riverbank.

“Fireball. Amplify. Compress. Accelerate!”

“GYAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!”

A dense, compressed fireball — almost like a bomb — streaked through the air and exploded in the middle of the enemy ranks.
A pillar of fire rose skyward, and several warriors were blasted off their feet.

“Sturdy, aren’t they? And their morale’s unusually high.”

Despite the explosion, the barbarians charged on without hesitation.
The fortress archers and mages fired back from the walls, but because they’d been distracted by the Winged Tribe above, their attacks toward the ground were scattered and weak.
Meanwhile, more and more of the enemy drew closer.

“I see… this is a lot more sophisticated than I thought.”

The Winged Tribe had attacked from the clouds — the perfect distraction.
Then, while everyone looked up, the main force, hidden by illusion magic, charged in from the ground.

A double-layered ambush — and if Rest hadn’t noticed in time, the fortress would already be lost.

“Guess I’ll start by clearing the skies first.”

He gathered his magic and began constructing a spell.

“Wind Orb. Amplify. Compress…!”

As he had done before with fireballs, he amplified and compressed wind spheres, sealing them inside a containment barrier.
Repeating the process several times, he created a massive bomb of air.

“I won’t use the Flame God… I promised not to, and it’s too dangerous with allies nearby anyway.”

But wind—wind was safe enough.
And he’d carefully adjusted the power.
He launched the “air bomb” upward.

“Take this—Divine Wind: Shinatuhiko!”

At the height of the clouds, the barrier ruptured.
A burst of compressed air detonated outward.

The resulting shockwave blasted across the sky, scattering the Winged Tribe like leaves in a storm.

“Wha—!?”

“What in blazes was that wind!?”

A violent downdraft hit the fortress below, but aside from a heavy gust, there was no serious harm.
The winged attackers, however, were shredded by the pressure wave and dropped like stones, slamming into the ground one after another.

“Good… that takes care of the ones up top.”

Now he could focus entirely on the ground assault.
The enemy had drawn closer, but that only made them easier targets.

“Let’s finish this—Thunderstorm!”

Bolts of lightning rained down from the heavens, striking the barbarian ranks pressing against the walls.
Dozens of enemy warriors were fried where they stood.

“Fire! Use your spells!”

“Don’t let them reach the wall! They’re climbing!”

“Knock them down! Don’t let a single one inside the fortress!”

The soldiers responded quickly, pushing back the invaders.
Though the enemy’s assault was fierce, the defenders’ morale had recovered — it seemed the fortress might just hold.

Rest allowed himself a breath. This time, we might actually manage—

“Hmm…?”

But as the saying goes, “When fortune smiles, beware the shadow it casts.”
The next disaster came swiftly.

“The gate… it’s opening!?”

That’s right—
The fortress gates, which had been sealed shut, suddenly swung wide open.

It wasn’t forced open from the outside.
Someone inside had unbarred it.

“You lot! Let them in!”

A handful of soldiers appeared outside the gate — clad in Iwood Kingdom armor — and beckoned the barbarians forward.
The invading warriors, as if waiting for that signal, surged toward the entrance in a wave.

“Damn it—!”

Rest clenched his teeth.

He’d completely overlooked it — the oldest trick in the book.
The enemy had planted spies inside the fortress, waiting for the right moment to open the gates from within.

A simple tactic, used countless times throughout history — and yet still devastating.

(I didn’t see it… I was focused on the Winged Tribe above, and the army crossing the river. I never considered that there might already be enemies inside…!)

They’d been outmaneuvered, perfectly.
The enemy’s coordination was frighteningly precise.

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!”

“Wh–Who opened the gate!?”

“They’re inside! The barbarians are inside!!”

Before the defenders could reorganize, the enemy poured through the open gate.
In an instant, the interior of the fortress dissolved into chaos — a boiling cauldron where friend and foe clashed in close combat.

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