"Fang, Bastion, take them out." The goblin whispered not much louder than the winds.

Once he gave the order, the flying beasts dove at lightning speed.

Catching the three horsemen in the open was the best he could hope for.

Their jobs would become much more difficult if they allowed them to retreat into the woods.

They still attempted it, a blue-haired petite fighter wearing full armor in the last place.

She put on a helmet, unsheathing her sword, ensuring the other two got into safety first.

Of course, he anticipated this. Good thing, the wyverns didn't have to attack the same target, so her efforts were in vain.

They split, approaching from two sides, while the third beast remained airborne.

He was much smaller than the others, so he stayed as a backup and coordinated the rest.

His job wasn't to fight, it was to ensure everyone else fought to the best of their abilities.

These beasts were a devastating force, not bred for precision.

He had to make it obvious who the real target was.

The two aimed for the paladin and the wizard, ensuring the other girl remained unharmed.

The wizard summoned a barrier, but the wyvern swept it away without breaking its momentum.

The silver-maned Fang jumped off, leaving the rest for his monster, and ran after the third.

She had purple hair and a fanciful dress, not something a sane person would wear to ride a horse for a long distance.

It was all the better for them. So far, he found what he expected, the report was accurate.

That was until the paladin swung her falchion.

She waited for the last second before the wyvern bared its teeth. She didn't try to run or ride away, murmuring something he could hear in the strong winds.

His eyes widened as the enormous blade became a blur, moving faster than physics should allow. The monster's outstretched neck got cut clean off, smashing into the ground.

The rider fell off too, its massive body missing the mark.

Even in death, the wyvern still knocked the poor horse over, but the paladin was ready to take the fall.

Considering its size, it was inevitable, but she landed on her feet, rushing to deal with the other monster.

She ignored the ogre for now, he must have broken a few bones from that landing.

It was clear even from this distance that her priority was the safety of the Princess.

She didn't care about the Court Wizard, rushing past him, still motionless on the ground.

Well, it was only fair. Without the Princess, nothing would matter for those traitorous humans.

They had no future if the Demon Lord took her.

The speed at which she jumped the monster surprised the goblin observing the battle.

Even if he dove in now, it would have been too late.

This woman took out half of his forces in less than ten seconds.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

It was even worse if he counted Bastion, lying motionless after that nasty fall. How could he underestimate the humans this much?

Did the world transform in the decade they got sealed away?

These wyverns were the fiercest monsters the dungeon could provide. They spared no expense to tame them. And this was all they could do?

This petite knight cut them down like they were chicken.

The Demon Lord would gut him for this tactical mistake. Splitting his forces only so Omerta wouldn't get in his way cost him everything.

He had to turn things around, retreat was no longer an option, so he kicked the wyvern into a dive anyway.

They'd win if Fang secured the Princess while he distracted that blue-haired woman.

And he had a healing potion he could shove down the Ogre's throat.

This was his only chance. It was a slim one, but a chance nonetheless.

He watched in horror as the paladin sliced up the second wyvern, flying his own to meet the same fate soon.

At least the wizard was out of action, even though he couldn't suffer serious injuries.

The woman was ready for him, so he jumped off ahead of time, pulling back the reins.

It prompted the beast to reapproach and make a pass before striking.

It didn't make his chances any better, after seeing what that sword was capable of, but it gave him a few extra moments.

He landed on his feet, far enough from that blue devil to feel safe.

It wasn't an easy landing though, his tiny body wasn't made for such things.

Still, as long as he could reach the Ogre and wake him up, it was all worth it.

He was a force on his own, and Fang finally caught up with the purple-haired girl too. They still had a chance to win.

The scream of the wyvern marked the beginning of its fight, but he didn't have the luxury to watch it unfold.

Even in a best-case scenario, the potion needed a few moments to affect its user, and the girl moved fast so far. They'd die together if he didn't fix that brute in time.

Reaching him, he ripped out the cork with his teeth, using his free hand to open the Ogre's mouth. He didn't dare look up before pouring the green liquid into it.

When he noticed that Fang dragged the Princess off her mount, he felt relieved, but it didn't last long. The blue devil chose the wolfman as her target and he only had enough time to warn him.

"Watch out." It was a lucky matchup.

The strongest of the Champions might have been the Ogre, but Fang was faster.

Bastion couldn't turn around in time to block that strike if it was the other way around.

But the Beastman did way more than that. He took hold of the Princess, using her as a meat shield.

The blue devil had to redirect her swing and avoid harming their priced possession.

And that's when Bastion finally opened his eyes.