There are several Kingdoms in the Eariel Continent—over fifty thousand of them.

Among them is a certain Mid-sized Kingdom far Northwest. It is primarily occupied by the Nowe’arns, with a population size of over 100 million people; an unimpressive and even below average size when it comes to Mid-sized Kingdoms of the Eariel Continent.

Still, this Kingdom has thrived due to its two Special Resource Points and its exports.

In terms of economy, this Kingdom is even doing far better than average Mid-sized Kingdoms, despite its relatively smaller size.

It is known as the Randalorion Kingdom.

Due to its prosperity, this Kingdom has military might that is above average. It also possesses deep reserves—something that many average Mid-Sized Kingdoms cannot boast of.

However—

"ROAAAARRRRRR!!!"

—All of these things are completely useless in the face of absolute terror.

The terror of the Magivores!

"H-hold the line!"

Many Knights gather together, huddling as tightly as they can to form an airtight formation.

This isn’t merely to protect their territory and people... but also to protect themselves. After all, if they gather together and attack as a powerful unit, their chances of survival would drastically increase.

Of course, this also means the Magivores will be able to kill all of them in one fell swoop now that they have made themselves easier targets.

However, these Knights have hope that this will not be the case.

For that reason alone, they tightly clench their weapons and express fierce determination.

Who are these Knights?

They are known as the Royal Knights—the most powerful military force in the entire Randalorion Kingdom.

Their might is lauded in stories and legends, and to the average man, each of these men possesses status equal to a hero. Royal Knights possess greater strength than even High Rank Knights, and their status also allows them much greater influence.

They are given access to more powerful Armaments and Potions, and dwell in the realm which others admire as well as envy.

These men have a different name associated with them.

—Peak humans!

Indeed! Each of them is famed to exist at the pinnacle of human strength.

They possess might that exists at the limits of human ability.

However... even that may not be sufficient when facing Magivores whose existence and abilities far transcend normal human capabilities.

Even now, these so-called Peak Humans are trembling.

Before them is a Cadre 5 Magivore known as the Throneback Behemoth.

This is a living fortress!

A creature of unimaginable scale and power.

It is a hulking beast whose shell resembles a moving throne of stone and crystal, with five gnarled horns and several eyes on its stony face.

Its gray skin feels like they were directly cut from iron mountains, and its gleaming shell only resonates the feeling of danger...

... And death!

Behind this Throneback Behemoth are all kinds of Magivores from Cadre 2 to 4.

They seem to recognize this Cadre 5 Noble Beast-type Magivore as their leader, so they all trail after it like some kind of champion.

This is also partly due to the efforts of the Royal Knights.

Rather than let the disaster spread beyond their range of control, these brave men and women drew the attention of the Magivores in one single direction, forcing all these terrifying beasts to gather in distinct positions.

All of this is to minimize the damage that will be wrought on the Randalorion Kingdom.

However, it is not a secret that many of them are regretting their actions now.

Perhaps in an attempt to protect their land, they had doomed themselves instead.

The mere sight of this army marching towards them is enough to make even a grown man bawl into tears and descend into madness, yet these people hold their ground despite clearly being overwhelmed by the immense danger they are facing.

They are the Royal Knights!

The last line of defense that the Randalorion Kingdom has!

If they retreat or fall, then these beasts will have a path carved out for them that leads to the Royal Capital. Once they are able to reach that location, the Royal Family will be finished, and it will officially mark the end of the Randalorion Kingdom.

To prevent such a tragedy, these people have created this formation in the outskirts of the Royal Capital—right beyond the great wall.

A structure that now appears flimsy in comparison to the army they will soon clash with.

"Damn it..." One of these Royal Knights curses under his shaky breath.

"This thing is supposed to be in the deep mountains. How did it appear here...?" Another whispers, trying his best to mask his fear with confusion.

"No use thinking about it right now!" At this point, their leader rises to the occasion and silences all the murmurs arising in their ranks. "This calamity is occurring in multiple locations across the Randalorion Kingdom! That is why Royal Knights were dispatched to various places to support the recovery efforts of these other locations. Once we are done here, we are also expected to join them so we can repel these adversaries!"

All the Royal Knights listening to these absurd words feel their chests tighten.

Even after surviving this nightmare, they still have to venture deeper into the pit of despair, challenging death for a second time.

Why?

How can this be allowed?

Their survival in this confrontation isn’t even guaranteed, yet they already know that the few who manage to make it out of this alive will experience another chaotic disaster in another location.

It is all useless!

The struggle to live might as well be meaningless!

But it cannot be helped.

The Royal Knights are the strongest military force in the Randalorion Kingdom, possessing at least two C Grade Armaments while also having access to B Grade Armaments.

Thus, everyone present has armor, shields, and assault arms at least in the C Grade, while their main Armament surges with B Grade power. As for their leader, the Captain of the Royal Knights, he possesses one of the only two A Grade Armaments in the Kingdom.

It is shaped like a sword, but in its true form, it transforms into a golden spear of brilliance.

This is considered the Randalorion Kingdom’s ultimate weapon.

It usually sleeps in the Royal Vault, but during times such as this, this weapon of great power is entrusted to the Captain of the Royal Knights.

He is to use it to secure victory for the Royal Family and protect the Randalorion Kingdom!

As for the second A Grade Armament, the Grand Royal Regalia, it is a defensive Armament worn by the King or Crown Prince during moments of crisis. It is said that this Armament can protect its user from any kind of damage at least one time, ensuring they cannot be instantly killed regardless of the attack.

Its defensive properties are also mighty—capable of even repelling strikes from the Golden Spear of Brilliance.

None of these details matter at the moment, however.

Because the Royal Knights are outfitted with the greatest weapons that currently exist in the Randalorion Kingdom, they are the most competent in dealing with these Magivores that have invaded their Kingdom out of nowhere.

This is why, although it would severely reduce their fighting power, they had to divide their ranks and spread themselves to the most important regions of the Kingdom.

There are only about three thousand Royal Knights in total within the Randalorion Kingdom.

This is the upper limit.

Due to the limitation of resources, there can never be more than three thousand of them in a Mid-Sized Kingdom. In fact, many Mid-sized Kingdoms only have about a thousand, so for the Randalorion Kingdom—which is even smaller than its peers—to have about three times that shows its superior military might.

Unfortunately, the current number of Royal Knights huddling together is only about a thousand.

The remaining two thousand have spread out to the other areas.

For one, the two Special Resource Points of the Randalorion Kingdom—The Purple Iron mines and the Green Shade Sand quarries.

Those are the most vital areas for the Randalorion Kingdom.

It needs the materials within those Special Resource Points in order to survive. If this is a terrorist attack, then it’s clear that such a place will be targeted, so another thousand were dispatched to these areas, with more soldiers focusing on the Green Shade Sand Quarries since it is far more valuable as a Rank 2 Special Resource Point.

In terms of accessibility, it is also the most vulnerable.

This is because Purple Iron Ores only form in thunder-struck caves, and as such, the location of the mind is largely inaccessible. And so, while both of these areas still require protection and the utmost attention, it is quite obvious which would be valued more.

The Royal Knights sent to these locations were split in a 7:3 ratio, with the latter dispatched to the Purple Iron Mines.

As for the last thousand of the Royal Knights, they were sent to various parts of the Randalorion Kingdom to protect the citizenry and the many crucial areas of the Kingdom.

Although this is warfare and the well-being of all matters to the Kingdom, in such a dire situation, one has to prioritize. As such, areas in the fringe of the Kingdom, which are sparsely inhabited, as well as largely unprofitable places, were ignored.

Lands belonging to the Noble Faction were also completely abandoned by the Royal Knights.

It’s no secret that the Royal Faction and Noble Faction are in constant conflict. However, this decision wasn’t born merely out of retribution.

No, it is a purely utilitarian move.

Nobles have their own Knight forces, as well as their personal armies filled with conscripts in their territory. They have stewards and all manner of resources to raise their own private forces to defend their territory.

Of course, the Royal Knights are well aware that these paltry forces will be insufficient against the might of the Magivores.

They might as well be fodder on the battlefield.

Without Armaments and Potions, how can humans stand against the Magivores?

If one does not possess the skills, how can they effectively utilize the mystical powers of these objects to slay these terrifying enemies?

Although conscripts allow Nobles to have huge armies, the average soldier is not very skilled.

Just a little better than a commoner.

As for the Knights, they are the elite unit of any Noble Household.

However—

Don’t Knight Households also have to protect their own territory?

As for individual Knights who serve their Noble masters, how powerful can they be? Would they be able to resist multiple Cadre 3 and Cadre 4 Magivores?

The answer is "No!"

It is clear that there will be great carnage and destruction in the Noble Estates, particularly those belonging to the Noble Faction, but this cannot be helped.

For one, the Royal Knights have a very limited number.

If they spread themselves too thin, the aid they will be able to render would be negligible.

This means they have to prioritize.

In such a situation, who wouldn’t favor their allies?

Besides, in the case that the Randalorion Kingdom survives this calamity, wouldn’t the Royal Family suffer the greatest loss if they lost their Royal Knights—especially if these Knights went to the Noble Estates to protect them?

If these Nobles are able to conserve some of their might while the Royal Family expends theirs, then the aftermath could lead to massive instability in the current status quo.

It could even lead to a Civil War or an outright coup.

Thus, in moments like this, the Royal Faction must prioritize itself and consolidate itself while seeking to whittle down its opposition’s might as much as possible.

Although this is a fight for the survival of the Kingdom, it is also a political campaign.

These factors cannot be overlooked.

"Get ready, everyone!" The Captain of the Royal Knights, also referred to as the General, raises his golden blade, which has now transformed into a spear.

His scream permeates the air, invading the ears of the thousand men around him.

The time has finally come.

Now that the Throneback Behemoth has entered their range, it would be foolish not to initiate assault. Waiting for it to get closer would mean that they would have far less time to damage it or bring it down.

Right now, they don’t even know how much effort they would need to take it down.

This Behemoth clearly relies on defense more than offense.

It will be a nightmare to kill it.

Yet they must try!

"Ranged attackers... Aim!" The Captain bellows, commanding instant movement from the group at both sides.

"Loose!"

WHOOOSH!

Loud whistles of energy-coated missiles of all kinds of shapes, sizes, and intensities shoot out of the distinct Armaments of these Knights.

They decorate the evening sky like fireworks, descending upon the enemies like blazing arrows.

While this is happening, however, sudden movements begin to occur on the Throneback Behemoth’s body. Once these offensive maneuvers hit, the creature only halts for about half a second before continuing its march.

Its barely noticeable freeze causes despair to well up in the hearts of these Knights.

"I-Impossible!"

"It’s that strong?!"

"I-It’s because of its great defenses! It’s too tough!"

From their initial wave of attacks, it has become evident that this beast will be even more difficult than a standard Cadre 5 Magivore.

Right as they dwell in this anguish, they notice parts getting chipped from the body of this colossal behemoth. At first, this causes them to smile or express relief. After all, they believed that these falling parts were a result of the damage the creature had taken from their assault.

How wrong they were....

The fallen fragments suddenly begin to move once they touch the ground, transforming into what appears to be humanoid sentinels.

"W-what are those?!"

"They’re coated in armor... Like us!"

"D-did that thing just create Knights... from its body?!"

While they marvel at this despairing sight, the fractured body of the Throneback Behemoth begins to heal. In an instant, it recovers from the fragments that fell from its body.

The worst part about the situation is that these stone sentinels not only outnumber the Knights, having an estimated ten thousand, but they are also lifeless constructs that are separate from the Magivores that have to be dealt with.

The Royal Knights would have loved to ignore these stone constructs, but their sudden charge towards them prevents such a thing.

"They’re quick..."

"We can’t let them advance. They’ll ruin our formation!"

"Attack them! Destroy the constructs first!"

The Royal Knights, realizing the only path out of the situation, use all of their might to repel the ten thousand stone knights.

The venture proved rather difficult, especially due to the agile and nimble nature of the opposition, but they managed to destroy them eventually.

Unfortunately, while they focused on this task, the Behemoth and its army inched closer...

... Without sustaining any damage!!!

"We have no time to dilly dally! Prepare for the second wave of attacks!" The Captain screams at the dazed Knights around him, his frustration welling up.

"We must attack the Behemoth now!" He barks at them with a passion. "Ranged attacks, prepare to... what are you all staring at, huh?! I said, prepare to... to... ahh... oh, by the gods..."

When he looks ahead, he also freezes up.

Because he sees yet another stone army being formed by the Throneback Behemoth.

This time, the army has increased to twenty thousand.

All of these golems also possess weapons—some of which are defensive, while others are ranged. Clearly, they would be much harder to take down now, and they can also retaliate with their own weapons.

Naturally, these constructs are weaker than the Knights.

However—

’With that number and the weapons they have... not to mention how largely inconsequential they are to the main fight... it’ll be impossible to win at this rate.’

The Captain of the Royal Knights shudders while breaking into a cold sweat.

He knew this task would be difficult.

Next to impossible, even.

But it is only now, for the first time, that he recognizes the sheer scale of the situation.

It is impossible... completely impossible to win!

Defeat is imminent!