The Throneback Behemoth.

It is a Cadre 5 Magivore, which makes it a walking disaster capable of destroying an entire Kingdom on its own.

A Small-sized Kingdom would never stand a chance against its might.

Mid-sized Kingdoms can put up a struggle against it.

Large-sized Kingdoms could probably win—but not without great casualties.

This is the reality of Magivores in the 5th Cadre. They are naturally famed to be at the extreme limits of what humans can handle, even with the help of Potions and Armaments.

Since Large-sized Kingdoms possess S Grade Armaments, their ability to repel such a beast is completely understandable. In fact, they should be able to succeed on a normal occasion, albeit with some sacrifices.

But to think such a terrifying beast would appear in the Randalorion Kingdom!

Without an S Grade Armament that could easily break through its tough hide, the defenders of this Mid-sized Kingdom can only engage in a battle of attrition.

Unfortunately, this is precisely the Throneback Behemoth’s strongest suit!

The best way to defeat this creature is to hit it as hard as possible as many times as you can until it falls. It is a simple strategy, but considering the kind of beast you are dealing with, it is the only path that reduces the potential casualties.

If one cannot use this method, eliminating the Throneback Behemoth will be next to impossible!

Not only does it have a frightening level of regeneration, but it also possesses great vitality and endurance. Since its body is made of stone, this creature feels no pain and will continue marching towards its destination while trampling on everything in its path.

Such an unstoppable monster...

If these were its only qualities, perhaps some hope could remain for humanity.

But these are merely passive traits.

Magivores of the 5th Cadre possess a minimum of five Special Abilities due to their abundant Mystical Characteristics.

The same applies to the Throneback Behemoth.

Its regeneration, solid defenses, and absence of pain do not qualify as Special Abilities, as they are mere racial traits born from its physiology.

The truly mystical abilities it possesses make it even scarier.

In fact, it has displayed two already.

One is the Stone Sentinels—an unfeeling army that consists of powerful vanguards who assist the Behemoth in taking down all obstacles in its path.

They do not feel pain and simply obey simple directives from the creature.

Attack... Defend...

March forward... stand still...

Those kinds of basic commands may not be the smartest tactically, but in terms of overwhelming the enemy or achieving simple tasks, they can become rather terrifying.

Then, the second Special Ability it has already displayed is ’adaptation.’

This is no ordinary Cadre 5 Magivore, but a rather problematic one that exemplifies the term known as ’tenacious.’ It is like a cockroach, a being that refuses to die.

As such, even when it is seriously damaged, as long as it is able to recover, it will adapt to the attack that injured it. Whether it will be by making its body tougher, or by making its body surface more resistant to the elemental attribute used against it.

It doesn’t matter the method.

The Throneback Behemoth will find a way to become even stronger upon recovery.

Not only can this terrible beast apply this quality to itself, but it can also influence its Stone Sentinels, allowing them to possess new traits that protect them from the very attacks that destroyed the previous batch.

In essence, because the first batch was destroyed so easily by the bombardment of the Royal Knights, this new batch developed countermeasures for that situation.

There are also its third, fourth, and fifth abilities, which are yet to be displayed.

But is that even necessary?

With the two abilities already displayed, this creature can overwhelm any army of humanity.

Even the A Grade Armament wielded by the Royal Knight Captain will be insufficient.

Perhaps if they had more A Grade Armaments, the Royal Knights would be able to overwhelm the enemy and eventually secure victory.

However, how would they be able to achieve such a thing now?

It is simply impossible!

"To think... my comrades are facing their own share of Cadre 5 Magivores in those other areas..."

The Captain gulps as he whispers to himself in deep realization.

He is almost certain that none of his troops will return, just as he is certain that he is likely to perish here.

"What wave is this now?" He asks aloud, not particularly referring to anyone.

"The fifth one, sir!" Someone replies.

He shudders.

The fact that they have survived for this long is mere luck.

The first wave was cleared very easily, although it bought time for the enemies to advance.

The second wave was more problematic because of the shields and ranged weapons of the adversaries, not to mention their increased number.

But the Royal Knights had already made some preparations with their Anti-projectile Barrier Spells. Thus, they were able to ignore the enemy projectiles and launch even fiercer attacks on the enemy, defeating them after some time.

Unfortunately, this caused the opponents to inch closer.

For the third wave, the number of enemies actually decreased to about fifteen thousand, and the Stone Sentinels became larger than usual—about two times bigger.

Each of them was over three meters tall.

They also spread out much more than before, becoming faster and more durable.

This caused them to be much more difficult to deal with.

But—

The Royal Knights still succeeded in repelling this wave thanks to the traps they set close to the wall. The Single-use Armaments erupted and took down many of these Stone Sentinels, causing them to crumble to dust.

The fourth wave made the Sentinels even larger—at about five meters tall.

Their numbers also reduced to ten thousand.

This is where the Royal Knights experienced the greatest struggle.

Yes, their enemies had become bigger targets.

However, they became far more difficult to deal with. They also possessed armor and weapons that granted them additional durability. Even the traps that were set could not eliminate them in one strike, causing them to advance closer to the wall than the previous ones.

Unable to think of any other way, the melee fighters had to descend and fight these Knights, using their Armaments and formation, alongside their Martial Techniques to repel them.

Although these things were enormous and had powerful defenses, their true fighting capabilities did not exceed those of Cadre 2 Magivores. That was how they were able to win against them this time around.

Now... the fifth wave has finally descended.

"T-this is... the end..."

No one who hears the Captain tries to refute his statement.

They know he is right.

Why?

Because not only is this army thirty thousand in number, but each of them has a height of five meters. Not only that, but they are all adorned in full armor. They all possess shields and blades, no longer resorting to ranged weapons.

That’s not all, either.

While their bodies are still dull gray like stone, the armor and weapons that they possess have a crystal-like glow, giving them a powerful luster.

This dangerous gleam can only mean one thing to those who are observant.

These are special!

The previous wave of Stone Sentinels possessed no special qualities at all, but this new group is different. They possess weapons and armor that reek of the same thing Armaments are comprised of—Mystical Characteristics.

The Stone Sentinels are now wielding Armaments... just like the Royal Knights!

Of course, their items are not as glamorous or as powerful as the B Grade or even C Grade Armaments that these elite warriors are wielding. In fact, the most powerful type of Armament present is likely D Grade.

But when confronted with an army of thirty thousand that possesses D Grade Armaments, even those who wield higher Armaments have no choice but to tremble.

The Royal Knights are only a thousand.

Now, they are even less since some died at the hands of the Stone Sentinels in the last wave.

There are barely nine hundred left.

Out of these nine hundred, many are exhausted, and some of their Armaments require rest after being used up multiple times without stopping.

Would they really be able to take on an army of this size?

No, in the first place... Isn’t this unfair?

How is a Magivore able to create Armaments from stone? Should that not be against the law of nature, to begin with?

Well...

... This is actually the third Special Ability of the Throneback Behemoth.

—Digestion!

By consuming Special Resources, it stores the excess nutrients within its large crystal-like shell, giving it a stockpile of Mystical Characteristics at its disposal.

However, this is not an intelligent creature.

As a being of instinct, it cannot forge Armaments of its own volition.

Thus, it relies on its ’Adaptation’ to learn the structure of the armaments which oppose it, and thus create its own versions of them. Of course, since it isn’t a Fabricant and does not possess the knowledge required to properly craft Armaments, it can only make weaker kinds of Armaments.

This is why the Armaments wielded by the Stone Sentinels are largely E Grade, with some of them being D Grade.

Naturally... It can create even more powerful Armaments.

However, to do so, it would need to study the A Grade Armament of the Royal Guard Captain.

Doing so would allow it to create a C Grade Armament.

If it were to adapt to an S Grade Armament’s attacks, it could even create a B Grade Armament on its own or en masse—as long as it possesses a sufficient stockpile of Mystical Characteristics.

This is the terror of a single Cadre 5 Magivore!

Even the Royal Knights are shocked by this development, unable to believe their eyes.

Even as the army draws near, they can’t do anything to stop it.

"C-captain... What is your command?" One of the Royal Knights, after swallowing his saliva and mustering the remnant courage that has clung steadfastly to his heart, finally asks this question.

For a moment, the Captain stares incredulously at this Knight.

His eyes widen, and his lips twist, as if to tell him: "Are you seriously asking me this question when you can see the situation?"

However, after gazing upon the frightened but determined expression of the Royal Knight before him, the Captain finds himself invigorated with a strange feeling. A kind of courage that only arises through camaraderie.

His mind, which had been impeded by his growing fear, begins to clear up.

"Ahh... That’s right..." After giving this brave man a look of gratitude, the Royal Knight Captain laughs lightly and casts his gaze on the coming storm.

The Stone Sentinels are practically at their doorstep already, and the Magivores aren’t very far off.

They are barely a few hundred meters away.

Such a distance is negligible.

"Haa... So it has come to this..." He smiles to himself for a moment.

Then—

"Focusing on them will only waste further time! The stone warriors will keep respawning no matter what, so we should target the source this time. Throw everything you have at the Throneback Behemoth! I will also do the same!"

Brandishing the golden spear in his grasp, the Royal Knight Captain screams aloud.

His eyes burn with immense, unquenchable passion.

He understands that this may very well be his last stand, yet he finds himself strangely invigorated at the present moment.

Unable to understand why, he can only focus all his strength on the spear.

He takes his stance.

His body shifts, and he raises the spear in a unique position, almost as though he is about to throw a javelin.

Everyone also positions themselves, ready to thrust everything they have at the colossal monstrosity that has yet to show any hint of stopping.

"LOOSE!"

After yelling, hundreds of projectiles launch immediately—all of them targeting the same entity.

WHOOSH!!!

Without wasting time, he also launches his A Grade Armament.

—The Golden Spear of Brilliance!

The weapon slices through the air, whistling with a destructive melody while crossing the distance in a flash.

Everything seems to pause as it charges at the enemy.

Power incarnate seizes everything.

Accumulated light.

Great might.

An impossible radiant display of unquantifiable heat... all of coalesces at the tip of the weapon, creating a blazing inferno that sears through the world itself.

The air itself vibrates, and the ground trembles.

All await the impact!

However—

It is at this moment that the Throneback Behemoth reveals its fourth and fifth Special Abilities.

The fourth is something known as Danger Detection.

This Magivore, as a self-preserving entity, is capable of detecting anything that has the potential of harming it greatly. And so, even without needing to resort to evolution, it will naturally try to protect itself from danger.

How does it achieve this?

This is where the fifth Special Ability manifests.

—Citadel!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!

The blazing inferno makes a terrible impact, causing tremors and a burst of destruction to cover the entirety of the battlefield.

The Magivores and Stone Sentinels in the surrounding area immediately become consumed and are vaporized by the sheer disaster that this explosion causes.

It is a sight of absolute chaos!

An eruption of unprecedented might—one that could even make S Grade Armaments waver.

Unfortunately...

"N-no way!"

... The powerful explosion did not even touch the Throneback Behemoth!