At the same moment that Alno was throwing himself into a desperate battle.
The members of other units also found themselves in situations where they had to abandon the construction of barriers as they engaged in battles with various opponents.
For example, looking at one squad...
The female commander of the Holy Knights, Grander, with her chestnut hair, was leading a small unit that was smoothly preparing to construct a barrier.
Then, a young man walked up.
The young man with blue hair, walking leisurely, had two horns like antennae on his forehead.
These horns indicated that he was not human.
Grander clicked her tongue and dispersed her troops, leaving behind the officer in charge of the barrier.
"Are you a resident of this village?"
There was no need to ask, but she bought time for her subordinates to prepare for battle.
Of course, she didn't expect an answer, but...
"Yes. I warn you, sit quietly and wait here.
If you do, you won't have a painful experience. It will be the best outcome for both of us."
He made a condescending suggestion.
Grander snorted and rejected the offer.
From the beginning, dealing with monsters was out of the question, but more importantly, the monster in front of her was just one.
It seemed to be an upper-class ogre, but it wasn't their enemy.
Ogres are known for their reliance on brute strength in battle.
They use their high physical abilities to wield heavy weapons and repel enemies.
Moreover, their robust bodies have an unusually high defense, and some even possess regenerative abilities.
Ogres are the natural enemies of ordinary adventurers.
However, they are Holy Knights. None of them would lose to an ogre.
Because they have never encountered an ogre of A-rank.
The one in front of them, while appearing weak for an ogre, exuded an aura of a higher-class veteran.
It was likely a "Named" unique monster.
It must have the unparalleled power in this forest.
In that case, there was something to tell. The power of those called Holy Knights.
To show the breadth of the world to this "frog in a well" and ensure they would never look down on them again.
(Well, since I'm going to kill them here, there won't be a second time either.)
Grander narrowed her eyes.
"Be on guard! The enemy is one, with a danger level of 'A-'. Three of you, deal with it!"
She considered deploying her subordinates to construct a holy barrier, but the opponent was just one.
The mana flowing out was insignificant, and the danger level seemed low.
This decision determined the fate of Grander's unit.
"You're too careless. Are you underestimating your opponent?"
Immediately after three Holy Knights approached the man, a dizzying illusion occurred.
Then, the three who passed by continued to run forward and collapsed.
It seemed they were paralyzed and lost consciousness in an instant.
Three elite Holy Knights became unable to fight in a moment.
"What did you do!"
"You're not an ordinary one. What are you!"
The officer's voice echoed from a distance as Grander felt a sense of déjà vu.
It was something their commander Hinata often said...
And the aura exuded by the man in front of her was that of an absolute powerhouse.
Only now did she understand the meaning of Hinata's advice. But it was too late...
The shadows behind her had already knocked out her fellow Holy Knights.
They disappeared like mist, as if nothing had happened.
It was likely that he had hidden his clones from the beginning.
Just like Hinata, when he warned the opponent, the battle was already over.
She never intended to underestimate the opponent, but the result was everything.
Grander had lost.
"You could have called yourself something grand, but it's a bother.
I have a reason for keeping you alive.
Tell me everything you know about the Holy Church.
I'm studying torture, so if you refuse to speak, I'll be your training partner.
Of course, if you want to resist, go ahead.
So, what will you do? I don't care either way."
The man spoke calmly, without changing his expression.
A sense of indescribable fear rose in Grander, mixed with his cold beauty.
Resistance was meaningless. So, speak honestly or choose death.
She noticed that her fellow Holy Knights were all alive. If she chose death, the same choice would be forced on each of them one by one.
To buy some time, she decided to endure torture here...
"Do whatever you want. We will never bow to monsters."
Grander said as if giving up.
Then, she drew her sword and released her mana. Activating her elemental armor, she faced the opponent.
Even if she couldn't match his strength, at least she would maintain her pride.
The blue-haired, handsome man, Sou, raised an eyebrow and made a displeased expression.
He sighed as if saying, "Oh, you chose to resist. I have no interest in ranks, but it's best if you tell me directly."
Before he finished speaking, Grander moved.
Her sword was fast, cutting through the opponent in an unpredictable trajectory.
But what was cut was a clone, which disappeared in smoke.
Grander realized that as long as she couldn't pinpoint the real opponent, she had no chance of winning.
"Alright, let's start the torture. Speak if you want to."
The low voice whispered in her ear, and Grander's reaction was slow.
Only Grander intended to fight, while to Sou, Grander was no threat.
A wave of pleasure pierced Grander's body.
Fine threads entangled her, stimulating her sensitive areas. There was no pain, only pleasure overwhelming her.
"Alright, I've sealed your fainting and climax. It's best to speak before you go mad."
In the wave of hellish pleasure, Grander desperately tried to resist.
But... unfortunately, she couldn't hold out for long.
??????????????????????????
Running across the battlefield, Gobta and Gabir met a squad of Holy Knights.
Hakuro was already by their side, and five of Sou's subordinates, the "Shadows," followed behind.
"Don't hold us back, bro!"
"Unnecessary interference! You, don't hinder me!"
Such was the conversation between Gabir and Souka.
Though they still seemed to have a bad relationship, everyone knew they actually got along well. Only they thought no one had noticed.
With such a conversation, they finally reached their destination.
The Holy Knights noticed the approaching group of monsters and finished their preparations.
They all opened their mana and were fully armed.
"Be careful! These monsters don't seem to be ordinary."
"But, Commander, there are six dragonkin?
Is the one without armor an ogre?"
"No, it's not an ogre. It's Oni.
Unlike ogres, who rely on their physical abilities, this is a special entity with unique abilities!"
"Hmm, impressive. But, I feel an abnormal pressure from the leading dragonkin."
The Holy Knights discussed.
The approaching monsters were likely the main force of the monster kingdom.
They clicked their tongues, finding them troublesome. However, if they abandoned the barrier construction here, they could rely on other locations.
This proved the accuracy of Hinata's prediction.
If the main force came here, it could be considered a fortunate turn of events.
"Alright! I'll take down that large dragonkin.
You two, deal with the Oni!
The rest of you, five of you, handle the remaining five dragonkin!"
"Understood! So, what about the lone hobgoblin mixed in there?"
Commander Gregory glanced at it.
"Tch. A weakling mixed in. I'll crush it in an instant!"
The Holy Knights agreed.
They knew the commander's skill. A hobgoblin could be easily dispatched with one strike.
However, they wondered why a hobgoblin was mixed in.
There was no need to introduce themselves to the monsters.
As if to show their resolve,
"Stay out of my way, die! Tyrant Interception Slash!"
Swinging the halberd in his hand, he imbued it with the power of Absolute Magic and released a shockwave forward.
The powerful attack from Gregory's large frame could take down a strong monster with one strike.
He wrapped the halberd with mana spirals and fired it at the enemy.
The mana from both hands spiraled together, combining at the tip and releasing a powerful blast.
Tyrant Interception Slash was the ultimate technique of Holy Knight Gregory.
The shockwave advanced as a band of light.
The dragonkin and others, including Gabir and Souka, dodged it.
The remaining were Gobta and Hakuro. Hakuro leaped from the ground, using trees to approach the Holy Knights.
The only one left was Gobta.
"Wait! Really!?"
The path was narrow, and without Hakuro's movement, there was nowhere to run.
If Gregory could catch 2 or 3, it would be good, but he was satisfied with catching the weakling.
Erasing the hobgoblin from his mind, he searched for the approaching dragonkin and the Oni.
Thus, the battle in this area began.
The most unfortunate was Gobta.
No one came to help him, and he was left behind.
"Really, this is no joke! Leaving a weakling like me behind, how cruel."
Muttering complaints, he prepared for the incoming shockwave.
Compared to the absurdly powerful leaders, he could do little. It was troublesome to be treated the same, Gobta thought.
And,
(Sorry, Raphael! Emergency. What should I do?)
[Answer: If you take it head-on, Gobta will be annihilated.
Immediately execute the 'Unification' with the Star Wolf and hide in the shadows to ambush the enemy from behind.]
(Thanks! Always grateful!)
Surprisingly, Gobta could communicate with Raphael through the mental link.
Following Raphael's calculations, Gobta immediately acted.
Unifying with the Star Wolf, he hid in the shadows, evading the shockwave and starting to move.
His abilities were greatly enhanced, and he felt his strength more than doubled.
Gobta circled behind the Holy Knight who attacked him, without realizing that the opponent was the commander and the strongest.
He followed Raphael's guidance without thinking.
Holy Knight Gregory was not careless. He immediately responded to the presence behind him.
Rolling forward, he avoided the sudden attack from the wolf's teeth. Then, he deflected the spear thrust with his halberd.
Surprised that the hobgoblin he thought he had killed reappeared unharmed and attacked from behind, Gregory focused on the opponent.
He no longer underestimated the opponent, recognizing him as a worthy adversary.
Gobta and Gregory.
Neither of them stepped back, and a fierce battle began.
Using shadow movement, Gobta successfully infiltrated the Holy Knights' formation faster than anyone.
This was a surprise to not only the Holy Knights but to everyone.
"Shadow movement, huh. I made a mistake. You use it better than we do."
"No, Gobta is amazing."
"Right, right. Actually, stronger than me?"
Souka's mutterings were answered by Touka and Saika.
Though it was the first time they heard Gobta was strong, they knew he wasn't weak.
The Tempest was full of powerful monsters.
Just looking at their master, Sou, showed his endless strength. They couldn't be surprised by everything.
"Alright, then we should show our best!"
Shouting, they began their attack from above, targeting Gobta.
Through coordinated play, they broke the Holy Knights' formation.
As a result, each Holy Knight had to face one of Sou's group.
Gabir started to toy with two subordinates.
Though they were Holy Knights and subordinates of Gregory, they were not weak.
However, the choice of weapons was a problem.
Their weapons, designed to cut through magic, struggled to harm Gabir's sturdy dragon scales.
Though the subordinates were skilled swordsmen, Gabir was a top-tier warrior.
Their swords were deflected by Gabir's spear.
Moreover, the Holy Knights' ability to cast elemental magic with their mana-infused spears was ineffective.
Using magic to collapse the enemy formation was impossible.
Most of their attacks were ineffective, and their spatial awareness through mana detection made illusions meaningless.
They were truly powerless.
"Kwahahaha! Is that all? You can't even last an hour in Hakuro's training!"
While saying this, Gabir toyed with the subordinates.
He was immune to the Holy Knights' elemental magic and their various attributes.
Moreover, he was superior in swordsmanship and physical combat.
The subordinates, who were strong enough to challenge the dragonkin, tried to buy time.
If they could hold out until Commander Gregory returned from dealing with the hobgoblin, they would win.
They didn't notice that the Oni had disappeared.
The other members were busy with the dragonkin, who were a match for them.
Thus, the battle continued, with each facing a worthy opponent.
Hakuro observed from a tree.
Watching the battle,
"Hmm. Gabir is having it too easy.
Souka and the others are a good match. It's better than training.
They're lucky to have such good opponents. Training alone lacks the sense of crisis."
He muttered, observing the battle.
Of course, he planned to help if it became dangerous, but it didn't seem necessary.
"Gobta, always running away when he could do it if he tried...
But today, it seems to have worked out. Raphael guided him well."
He nodded, satisfied.
Everything was going according to plan.
When Sion mentioned a rank dispute, he thought of a practical training session.
From the beginning, a rank dispute without Benimaru would lead to complaints and repetition.
Sion needed to learn from a painful experience.
"But even if he has a painful experience, he's Sion, so it might not help..."
He sighed.
As for the plan...
A few could communicate with Raphael through the mental link.
They were likely chosen by Raphael, who governed their abilities, to better protect their master, Rimuru.
Currently, they could consult and receive advice from Raphael.
If it wasn't necessary, there would be no response, but this time, he gave an answer.
Thus, the battle with the Holy Knights continued as planned. It seemed Gobta and the others would level up.
However,
"Gabir is too easy. I'll have to deal with him after this."