Arthur's eyes snapped open at the urgency of Benimaru's telepathic report.
The command center, while safe, now buzzed with the stark reality of the battlefield.
Shion and Shuna felt the shift in atmosphere instantly.
Benimaru (Telepathic, strained):
"Arthur-sama, the order to incinerate the fallen is failing! The Orc Lord has deployed heavy counter-units—massive Orc Captains are forming human shields over every body. They are fighting only to protect the corpses, preventing us from using the Black Flames! We can't advance, and the Orcs' regenerative ability is already making the Hobgoblins falter!"
The Orc Lord was displaying a terrifying degree of tactical cunning, countering Arthur's most critical strategic move instantly.
The front line was becoming a meat grinder where the allied forces fought to burn, and the Orcs fought to consume.
The evolution of the Orc army was accelerating.
"Damn their speed,"
Arthur muttered, looking at the tactical map.
He needed a solution that would dislodge the elite Orc units without committing himself and leaving Rimuru unprotected.
"Shuna!"
Arthur commanded, his tone sharp.
"I need you to confirm the Orc Lord's exact position. Focus every ounce of your analytical magic on tracking the largest single source of Starved magicules—the epicenter of their hunger."
Shuna nodded, her concentration absolute.
She knelt over the communication crystal, channeling her energy to peer past the magical chaos of the battlefield.
Shion, standing resolute with her immense nodachi (Ogre Sword), had been patiently waiting for her assignment.
Benimaru, the natural commander, was on the front line; Shuna, the mage, was working the intelligence. Now, with the front line completely stalled and threatening to break, Shion saw her opportunity.
"Arthur-sama,"
Shion declared, stepping closer, her voice low and compelling.
"Benimaru needs a shockwave, a distraction that breaks their formation. Send me. I will not leave the battlefield until the Orc Captains are scattered and the incineration order can be carried out."
Arthur looked at her.
He was reluctant to send his most powerful guardian away from the vulnerable Rimuru, but Shion's raw physical strength was the perfect answer to the Orc Lord's immovable defense.
Benimaru's Black Flames were great, but they couldn't penetrate a wall of determined, regenerative Orcs.
"Your strength is needed, Shion, but Rimuru's safety is absolute,"
Arthur countered.
Shion's determined eyes locked onto his, the intensity of her loyalty—and her desire to prove her worth to the strong male leader—palpable.
"I will be fast. I will cleave their line, and I will be back before the second wave hits this village. Trust my strength, Arthur-sama. I will not fail Rimuru-sama, or you."
Arthur made the decision. He trusted Shion's speed and power, and he knew Benimaru couldn't hold the line without a swift intervention.
And if it was too much for them. He could intervene anytime.
"Very well, Shion,"
Arthur said, handing her a small, enchanted communication crystal.
"This is a direct-link to Benimaru. Your mission is to bypass the main fighting and strike the very center of the Orc Captains' formation where the largest concentration of bodies lies."
Arthur rapidly drew a simple vector on the tactical map.
"Hit this point with maximum force. Your objective is not to win the battle, but to scatter the protection detail and create a 30-second window for Benimaru's forces to cleanse the area with fire. Go now, and return immediately."
"It will be done,"
Shion affirmed, a savage, confident smile gracing her lips.
She gave a single, respectful nod to Arthur—a recognition of his command and her eagerness to prove her strength to him—before vanishing from the command center in a blur of motion, her great sword ready.
Arthur immediately resumed his focus, joining Shuna over the communication crystal.
"Shuna, track Shion's progress. And do not stop searching for the Orc Lord. We have committed our fastest asset; now we must prepare the final strike."
The command center, already tense, now pulsed with a mixture of fear from the front lines and the raw, focused anticipation of the impending counter-strike.
The fate of the battle rested on the speed of an Oni warrior and the strategic depth of his plan.
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