At first, a strange sound reached his ears.
Buzzz-
The sound was faint, like mosquitoes beating their wings on a summer afternoon. But within seconds, it grew deep and resonant, sounding less and less like birdsong.
Romon raised his head and narrowed his eyes, trying to see through the dazzling glare.
Against the pale daylight, countless black specks appeared, looking at first like a flock of migrating birds. But he soon realized something was wrong.
They were too fast.
The speed at which those black specks grew larger defied all reason. With their wings spread wide, they plunged straight down like meteors-their target was his formation!
The black specks in his vision soon blotted out the sun, revealing their fearsome true forms.
Dark red wings stretched taut in the airflow, and armor covered their bodies. On the monsters' backs were not only human riders, but mounted mechanical devices-their black muzzles pointed straight at him.
A chill shot up Romon's spine to the crown of his head. His scalp prickled as he was forced to accept the worst possible explanation.
These were not birds.
These were a fucking flock of Flying Knights that could kill him!
"Scatter! Shields up!"
The moment Romon's roar left his mouth, it was drowned out by the tremendous roar of air overhead.
A hundred meters above them, the diving monsters abruptly pulled up, and the racks beneath their bellies sprang open.
Alchemical Bombs came whistling down.
Boom!
Deafening explosions erupted throughout the center of the formation.
Empowered by magic, the explosions swept countless fragments into a terrifying metal storm. Many unarmored auxiliaries had their suffering ended in the first instant.
Gelatinous fuel also sprayed outward with the shock waves. It clung like a curse to Tower Shields, armor, and even the soldiers' exposed skin, burning wherever