saiki

49

"From this point forward, I will be commanding you all!"

I spun around.

"Jupiter, Damien!"

Jupiter was already conjuring magic within her palms, but Damien seemed rooted in shock.

Two hulking golems had suddenly appeared, driving our stalwart knights to the brink, inflicting chaos from every direction.

His stunned reaction was understandable given the circumstances, but he needed to snap back to reality! I grabbed Damien's face and gave him a quick shake.

"Ow, ow, ow! That stings, Your Highness!"

Tears welled in Damien's wide brown eyes. Good, he had shaken off his daze.

"Listen up! We'll target the golem engaging Lucas first."

Lucas and Evangeline were both resilient knights, but they each had a unique role.

Lucas was a hybrid - a balanced character skilled in both offense and defense.

He was adept at both roles but couldn't fully commit to either.

Evangeline, on the other hand, was a pure tank, a specialist built to endure onslaughts.

"Evangeline! Go full defense and stall that beast. Lucas! You're assisting now!"

As Evangeline single-handedly thwarted one golem, the rest of the party could concentrate on taking down the other - a tried-and-true strategy.

As expected, Evangeline skillfully blocked attacks with her sturdy shield.

"Jupiter, focus your attack on the golem's chest plate!"

"On it."

"Damien, are you ready?"

"Yes, yes!"

"When Jupiter shatters the plate, target the exposed magic core. Can you manage that?"

"I can handle it!"

Damien nodded, gripping his magic gun tight. I returned his nod.

Clang! Clash!

By now, Lucas had been driven back, dangerously close to my position.

Gwoar! Gwoooar!

The golem hammered its giant fists incessantly. Lucas parried with his sword, but the onslaught relentlessly forced him back.

Large foes like golems were few in number, but each packed a powerful punch.

Especially those boasting an elite title; a direct confrontation was a formidable challenge.

"That's why we're a team!"

I bellowed, extending my arm forward,

Flash-!

A bolt of lightning erupted.

Jupiter's electric shock targeted the upper body of the golem. Its armor blackened, showing signs of fracture.

But the armor was extraordinarily resilient, merely singed with a few cracks despite Jupiter's magical assault.

"Damn, it's not enough!"

Jupiter grumbled, but I quickly dismissed her concerns.

"No! It's sufficient!"

Creak!

Damien had already positioned his magic gun, taking aim.

A substantial gap wasn't required for Damien. Even a minuscule crack was enough.