[TL/N: Read my new work - Anime Group Chat in a Doomsday World!]
-------
Kled carried out his role flawlessly.
The moment he charged into the Ares Familia's camp, he urged Skaarl forward, sending the beast rampaging through the enemy ranks.
With his unyielding defense and sheer combat prowess, the Ares Familia's adventurers could do little more than watch in frustration—none of their attacks could even scratch him.
As Kled wreaked havoc, most of the soldiers' attention was drawn to him.
Even though their commanders tried to stop the intruders behind him, the chaos made it impossible to rally the troops in time.
Then, just as Gnar and Shyvana broke into the camp, grins of pure mischief spread across their faces.
Without a word, the two split up, tearing through the already disorganized camp in opposite directions.
"GNAR—!"
With a thunderous roar, Gnar's body surged with energy, his rage-fueled transformation turning him into a towering behemoth in an instant.
The northern side of the camp trembled.
With a single mighty swing of his arm, tents were sent flying as if they were nothing but leaves caught in a storm.
And the soldiers?
They might as well have been insects.
Compared to the massive Gnar, they were no different from helpless chicks scrambling underfoot.
Gnar, clearly amused, treated the battlefield like a game—every swipe of his colossal hand sent soldiers soaring through the air like ragdolls.
Those who weren't crushed outright found themselves plummeting from dizzying heights. Even if they survived the fall, they were as good as incapacitated.
But these were seasoned veterans—they wouldn't break that easily.
Even without orders, the soldiers quickly adapted, recognizing that the real threat was no longer Kled.
One by one, those who had been chasing him abandoned their pursuit and rushed toward Gnar instead.
The sight of their comrades literally flying through the air was all the proof they needed—if they didn't act fast, the entire northern side of the camp would be reduced to rubble.
Just as they turned, however—
BOOM!
A fiery explosion erupted to the south.
Shyvana had taken her true form.
Now a massive dragon, her presence alone was terrifying—but it was the sea of flames consuming the southern camp that truly sent the soldiers into a panic.
Tents ignited in an instant.
Supplies burned to ash.
The Ares Familia's soldiers scattered, running desperately through the inferno, their armor glowing red-hot from the relentless heat.
For a brief moment, no one had the courage to stand in her way.
Shyvana's original goal had been to locate and destroy the Ares Familia's food supplies—crippling their logistics.
But she soon realized something strange—the main food stores weren't here.
The Ares Familia's commanders had planned ahead.
Only the daily rations remained at the frontline camp. The bulk of their supplies had been moved to a rear stronghold.
Was this foresight?
No.
This was acceptance.
The commanders had never expected to take Orario in the first place.
While Ares had blinded himself with the illusion of victory, his officers had already prepared for retreat.
Losing a day's worth of food meant nothing.
"It's bad! The front line is under attack! Giant beasts have appeared, and they're adventurers from the Sol Familia! Our troops can't hold them off!"
"The Sol Familia?!"
"How did they get here so fast?! Our spies in Orario haven't reported anything!"
"What about the bombs? Didn't the front-line commanders use them to stop the intruders?! How the hell did they breach the camp so easily?!"
The chaos hadn't gone unnoticed.
Within minutes, scouts on horseback raced back to Ares' command post, delivering the dire news.
With the latest news, chaos erupted inside Ares' command tent—as if a bomb had gone off.
But even without a sentinel's report, the glow of fire in the distance made it clear—something had gone terribly wrong at the frontline.
Everyone in the tent knew it instantly.
What they hadn't expected, however, was that the Sol Familia was behind it.
Of all the possible forces they had considered when drafting their attack plan, the Sol Familia had been the least likely to intervene.
For years, throughout Ares' wars against Orario, the Sol Familia had remained neutral, never once stepping onto a battlefield.
In time, the Ares Familia had stopped considering them a threat altogether.
And yet—
Here they were.
Their sudden arrival had caught the Ares Familia completely off guard.
Now, everything needs to be recalculated.
The Sol Familia wasn't just any familia.
They were among the strongest in Orario, and their presence alone had the power to shift the tide of battle.
But what truly threw the Ares commanders into disarray was how unpredictably they had acted.
Instead of following the expected timeline—waiting for reinforcements from Orario to properly assemble—
They attacked. Directly.
No hesitation. No warning.
Now wasn't the time for pointless speculation.
As the scout relayed his report, the reality of the situation became painfully clear.
"The frontline has completely collapsed under the assault of two monstrous warriors," he gasped.
Even though the frontline forces had stockpiled a significant number of bombs, they had been caught completely off guard.
The Sol Familia cut through their defenses like a knife through paper.
Among them, Irelia was an unstoppable force.
The frontline troops—meant to hold their ground—had turned into nothing more than fodder for her blade.
With every effortless stroke of her blades, another group of soldiers fell.
The supply guards, meant to protect the camp's provisions, didn't even stand a chance.
It didn't matter how many of them rushed in—none could survive more than a single exchange with her.
The only limitation on her rampage was the amount of mana she had left.
"Retreat!"
"Fall back—fall back!"
"Everyone, retreat—NOW!"
The frantic cries of commanders rang through the burning camp, desperately urging their soldiers to flee.
At this point, the battlefield was in complete disarray—organizing any kind of counterattack was impossible.
The scattered, desperate counteroffensives that some soldiers attempted were completely meaningless.
There was no point wasting more soldiers in a battle they couldn't win.
After all, the troops stationed here weren't just any soldiers—
They were the elite warriors of the Kingdom of Rakia.
If they were all annihilated in one battle, even Orario itself wouldn't be able to consume such a massive victory.
For Ares, such a devastating loss was unthinkable.
As the Ares Familia's camp burned, the adventurers who had been waiting in reserve finally pushed forward.
To some, it may have looked like they were merely picking off the scraps—
But Riveria didn't care.
From the very beginning, their goal had been clear—
Drive the Ares Familia back to Rakia.
And now, that goal was finally within reach.
The battlefield had shifted.
And the Ares Familia had no choice but to retreat.