But it ended with such a result, what is happening? It even made Cocytus suspect that the lizardmen were strengthened by some unknown powers.
The ones that could defeat the lizardmen in combat would probably be the skeleton archers and riders.
As Cocytus was observing the situation, the skeletons were being crushed. The usefulness of the skeletons and zombies were reduced to tiring out the opponents.
In that case, the effective forces would be the remaining 300 undead beasts, 150 skeleton archers, and 550 skeleton riders. They were outnumbered instead.
Cocytus started calculating in his heart.
The undead were strong in battle, especially in a drawn out fight. The undead didn’t feel anything, and wouldn’t feel neither fear nor pain. They didn’t need rest or sleep.
The advantage these characteristics brought were evident with no need for any explanation.
For example, most creatures would fall from a powerful hit from a mace to its head. Even if they didn’t die, they would bleed profusely and feel pain. The one who got hit would lose all will to fight. Some warriors who were trained to resist pain might be able to stand their ground, but most people would lose the will to fight.
This was natural for living beings.
But what about the undead?
Smash its head? It would keep on attacking.
Break its arm? It would stab at you with its stump.
Take out its legs? It would crawl at you.
That’s right, as long as their negative life force remains, the undead would continue to fight. As long as the condition for its death was not met — which was cutting its head off for most undeads — it won’t lose its will to fight like humans. This meant that the undead was in a way, the perfect soldier.
In terms of individual strength, the lizardmen obviously had the upper hand. But that could change.
Cocytus’ raised his evaluation of the lizardmen by one level and acknowledged that they were not enemies that could be defeated easily. What he needed to do now was to turn this into a battle of attrition.
"How about retreating for now and observe the situation?”
“I believe this is a wise move, my lord.”
“Sending out the skeleton archers and riders might be a better option, master.”
“No, I think we should press on with the attack and sap them of their stamina, my liege.”
“How would waiting for them to tire help? If we can’t destroy the enemy’s base camp, they would be able to rest and recover right?”
“Indeed. Our foes had strengthened their defences with just a fragile wall. How about taking that village and routing them?”
After hearing the response from his underlings, Cocytus picked up a ‘Message’ scroll. He glanced at Entoma from the corner of his eyes and observed her expression.
Entoma seemed disinterested as she looked in the direction of the mirror. She was putting green biscuits she took from somewhere towards her chin. In the next instance, clear cracking sound could be heard. Her attitude seemed to be implying that she wasn’t involved. That was probably why her facial expression was blank.
— Wrong, that expressionless face was just a decoration.
Cocytus remembered her true identity and realized how stupid he was when he tried to read her expression.
She was a Familiar Eater. Even Cocytus’ friend, one of the ‘Evil Five’, Kyouhukou (Lord of Terror) said without hesitation that ‘she is the most scary one’. That was Entoma’s true identity.
Cocytus gave up trying to read Entoma’s thoughts from her face and used the scroll to issue the instruction to the commander.
“Are they looking down on us?”
Zenberu mumbled. He wasn’t loud, but it was enough for everyone surveying the enemy from on top of the mud walls to hear.
“Their archers and riders are still held in reserve, I think they are underestimating us…”
“That’s right, I thought the enemy would charge at us at one go…”
“Fight with zombie, smooth.”
There were only 45 hunters fighting the zombies. Using hit and run tactics by throwing rocks at them, the hunters were luring the zombies slowly away from the skeletons. The female lizardmen moved slowly to the flank of the skeletons.
“Aren’t their movements rather queer?”
“… Indeed.”
Instead of being lured, the zombies were focusing completely on the hunters. Was the commander agreeing with this? No, there was no way any commander would accept this, but in actual fact, that was how the zombies were moving. Then, what is the objective of the enemy? Everyone present were baffled by this.
“I don’t understand why they are moving this way.”
“Yes, I agree with Shasuryu.”
No matter how they thought about it, there doesn’t seem to be any purpose in the zombies’ action.
Zaryusu thought about it for a moment and shared his thoughts with the others.
“Maybe there is no commander?”
“No commander…? Ah, you mean the undead are just following the very first instruction they received?”
“Yes, correct.”
Among the undead, the lowest tier comprising of skeletons and zombies lack intelligence, so giving timely orders would be the most efficient way to utilize them. But the enemies this time felt as if the only order they received was to eliminate any lizardmen near them. That’s what Zaryusu meant.
“That is to say our foes thought they could win against us if they have the numbers… No, could this battle be just an experiment to see how well the undead fight without a commander?”
“That may be so.”
“Damn it! What kind of joke is this?”
The one lashing out in anger wasn’t Zenberu, but Shasuryu. Even Shasuryu couldn’t take it anymore, the lizardmen were betting their lives on this war.
“Calm down Shasuryu, it might not be so simple.”
“Ah, my apologies… It is a good thing that we have the upper hand.”
"You are right older brother, we have to use this chance to diminish the enemy's’ numbers.”
The fatigue from battle was heavy, the mental strain would be enormous in a chaotic fight. Without knowing if the enemy would come from the front, back, left or right, just swinging your weapon under such conditions a few times would be much more tiring than normal.
But the undead wouldn’t get fatigue and would fight without rest.
The difference between the living and the undead would become more prominent with the passage of time.
Time was the enemy for the lizardmen.
“Tch, I want to take the field too.”
“Endure, Zenberu.”
If the skilled Zenberu was to join the fray, they could level the skeletons in no time. But that would mean revealing their own trump cards. Zaryusu and the other five were the ace in the hole. They had to show their ace if the situation called for it, but before the strongest foe shows itself, they must not show their hand.
“But wouldn’t it play right into our hand if the enemy doesn’t advance?” Zaryusu said to the others. The others agreed with him, and Zaryusu asked Crusch who was beside him: “How are things on your end?”
“… Yes, the ritual is going as planned.”
Crusch answered as she looked inside the village behind them. The group of druids were performing a ritual inside the village that could become another ace for the lizardmen. It usually took a lot of time, but with all the druids of all five tribes gathered here, the progress was sped up and it could be used in this battle.