"I don't know which one we should choose… but I think if we want to confuse the enemy, then we should go with Hime's plan," I said, giving my opinion to them.
Yuu-chan and Luke immediately fell silent and reconsidered the plan that Hime had made.
As long as the enemy forces were lured into gathering together, then we would be able to surround and defeat them easily.
Luke let out a light sigh before giving his answer again.
"If we decide to take that plan, then everything will depend on you and the people who stay here," Luke said as he replied to me.
Of course, I already knew that. I could only do what I was capable of if that was truly the plan we chose.
"I'm not forcing you to take Hime's plan. I myself am also not very confident about the task I'll have later," I replied.
"No, Yukito-sama. I think we really should take Hime's plan," Yuu-chan said while looking at us with a straight gaze.
I could feel the seriousness in her eyes; she was truly sincere about the answer she had just given.
"Why do you think that way?" Luke asked, sounding unconvinced by Yuu-chan's decision.
"We don't know how strong the enemy is, so the forces that will surround them will see their strength first, compared to us who stay here."
"If the enemy turns out to be stronger than we expect, the scouting unit can return as quickly as possible to give us information."
"Because of that, how about we create a scouting unit from part of the group?" Yuu-chan asked.
She was right. The weakness of all our plans was the absence of a scouting unit. None of us had thought about it because almost all of this area consisted of forest.
If the scouting unit that Yuu-chan proposed was formed, then we would be able to gather much more information about the enemy than before.
"That sounds good. I agree with Yuu-chan. That way, it'll be easier for us to make a decision later," Hime replied.
—
Somehow, Luke eventually agreed to the new plan made by Yuu-chan.
And the one chosen to become the leader of the scouting unit was… of course, who else but me?
Together with several others, I went along the edge of the forest to observe the enemy's position.
Naturally, we moved as quickly as we could, aided by the fact that some of us were able to use Boost.
That skill was extremely useful in situations like this. I hoped Cyve would give me a few more of his skills someday.
"You all, stop for a moment," I said, stopping the others.
I was finally able to observe the enemy forces, who were not moving very quickly.
A group of different monsters united into a single army.
The Demons were also standing at the very front, indicating that they were the leaders of the monster forces.
There was no doubt they had been sent by Abbys to attack Riruyo, especially since the barrier was growing weaker.
"What should we do?" "We can't stay here too long."
"Yuusha, what do you think?"
The people around me began asking about what decision I would make next.
Even before they asked, I already knew the answer I would give them.
"We need to return before they notice us. Hurry," I said.
As befits the leader of a unit, I let the others retreat first before following behind at the very back.
I couldn't be a leader if something as small as this was enough to make me hesitate.
At the very least, I had to do what a leader should do, even if it was dangerous to my own life.
Fortunately, the enemy forces did not notice our presence, allowing us to return to where the others were waiting for our report.
——
"Yukito-san, thank goodness all of you returned," Hime said as she welcomed us back.
Loki-san walked toward us; I figured he wanted to know what I had seen earlier.
"Yuusha and everyone else, I'm very glad you all returned safely. I'm truly grateful."
"In that case, come here, Yuusha. All the plans you and your companions prepared are truly perfect," he said.
—
It was now certain that we would proceed with Hime's plan, as all preparations had been fully completed.
Just like before, I would lead one unit that would take a longer detour deeper into the forest before surrounding the enemy.
Meanwhile, another unit would be led by Luke, acting as a supporting force for the unit I led.
Hime, Yuu-chan, and the others would remain in front of the barrier to hold back the enemy as much as possible until Luke's unit and mine reached their positions.
"All right, it seems everything is ready, isn't it? In that case, Luke and Yukito-san, go, and don't forget to stay careful," Hime said.
"Hah… I'm sure we'll all reunite again, so don't worry," I replied.
"That's true, but everything also depends on how long you can hold out, so please wait for us, okay?" Luke said, carrying the hopes of everyone present.
Luke and I, along with the forces entrusted to us, began moving toward our respective positions.
The plan was extremely well prepared; all that remained was to wait for the enemy to let their guard down, and we would win this battle.
Yosh, I have to keep moving forward!
"You all, don't get tired just because of this. All of our families are waiting for us, aren't they? So move faster for their sake!" I shouted as I ran together with the others.
I never expected my words to have such an important impact on them.
They looked more confident and assured than before. Of course, they would do their best for the source of their happiness, right?
Just like me, I wouldn't return until I had slain most of those demons.
——
(Luke side)
"I can only use a small knife to fight, but all of you have swords, shields, and magic staffs!"
"Because of that, we'll protect each other and bring good news back to those who are waiting for us."
I deliberately gave words of encouragement to my unit. I didn't want them to make the atmosphere tense.
After all, they were already full of enthusiasm. My choice wasn't wrong, right?
"Let's move!" I shouted as I ran at the very front of the formation.
Everything depended on Hime-san and Yuu-chan—whether they could hold out or not.
But when I thought about it again, their magical abilities were truly outstanding, so I didn't think there would be any problem.
My unit was also very confident about winning. Yukito must have been doing the same thing I just did.
All right, this is the second time I've led a unit to fight Abbys after becoming a member of the hero's party.
My heart pounded as I thought about the enemy we would soon face; all kinds of emotions mixed together inside me.
Tsk, damn it… this feeling is truly incredible! Just wait, Charles-san—I'll truly become your number one disciple!