The Sovereign-class Pale Cherubim [Oh yeah btw important stuff but I forgot to introduce it, yeah monster have classes, there are many, I will cover up them later]
remained completely frozen, its colossal porcelain fist hovering a mere three inches from Shin'ya's deadpan face, entirely locked in place by the sharp, vine-like shadow tendrils pinning its shadow to the earth.
Shin'ya didn't move an inch. To the surrounding vanguard, he looked like a god-tier executioner delivering a cold, silent judgment. Internally, his imaginary stamina bar was practically crying in a corner.
Someone hit it! Please! I am literally running on one single percent of physical battery life! If this thing breaks out, I am going to become a flat pancake! "Do not let Sir Arata's divine tactical opening go to waste!" a familiar, incredibly high-pitched voice suddenly pierced through the howling battlefield wind.
Shin'ya's left eyebrow faintly twitched. He rolled his eyes downward slightly and spotted Seraphina. She had somehow sprinted past the defensive perimeter, clutching her notebook to her chest, her face flushed with frantic, unadulterated adoration as she pointed dramatically at the bound monster.
"Look at his flawless calculation!" Sera screamed to the backline. "He intentionally drew the beast into point-blank range just to seal its spatial coordinates! Captains, execute the strike now!"
Wait, why the heck is Sera down here in the active combat zone?! Shin'ya's inner voice completely short-circuited in pure, unadulterated bewilderment. Did my hype woman seriously risk her life and bypass an imperial vanguard just to yell lore commentary from the sidelines?! There is absolutely no reason for her to be here! What is this, a budget seasonal Isekai anime?! Please go back to the carriage, I do not have the stamina to handle a sudden escort mission right now!
"For Oakhaven! Strike!"
Thankfully, the A-rank captains took the bait. Three veteran battle-mages and a heavy-armored vanguard commander charged forward. The mages unleashed a synchronized Tier-6 Ignis Tempest[And Spells have Tiers obviously and powers increase the higher the number is], enveloping the immobilized mannequin in a roaring vortex of superheated blue fire, while the commander leaped into the air, bringing a massive, aura-coated battleaxe directly down onto the beast's neck.
CRACK-SHATTER!
Without its absorption mechanic active due to the shadow vines disrupting its core, the pristine white porcelain structure finally hit its threshold. The Hollow Cherubim shattered into a million glittering pieces, dissolving into static mana dust.
Shin'ya casually dropped his left hand, letting the shadow vines sink back into the earth. He took a slow, deliberate breath, making sure his face remained entirely emotionless as he hid his violently trembling fingers inside his pockets.
"A flawless execution," Shin'ya lied smoothly, his low whisper dripping with an intentional edgelord cadence. "You handled the cleanup well."
"We are honored to fight alongside you, Lord Arata!" the vanguard commander roared, wiping sweat from his brow.
But the celebratory moment lasted for exactly two seconds.
GROOOOOOOOAAAAAN!
A sound like the earth itself tearing in half echoed across the entire valley. Shin'ya's head snapped up. The reality fracture wasn't closing—it was expanding. And it wasn't just one monster anymore. From the pitch-black void of the tear, a literal flood of pristine white shapes began pouring out, ten... twenty... thirty more White Cherubims sliding into the valley.
And they weren't alone.
A shadow fell over the front lines as a massive, entirely new nightmare crawled out of the fracture. It was a monstrous, fifty-foot-long, multi-limbed arachnid made of jagged, light-absorbing obsidian armor. It possessed no face, only a gaping vertical maw lined with thousands of vibrating, needle-like teeth.
"DREAD STALKERS!" a high-tier scout screamed in pure, unbridled horror from the ridge. "S-RANK SOVEREIGN-CLASS DREAD STALKERS ARE BREACHING THE FIRST GATE! SHIELDS UP! SHIELDS UP!"
The obsidian beast slammed its massive, scythe-like legs into the dirt, instantly impaling three armored knights and shattering a defensive magical barrier like cheap glass. The valley was turning into a literal meat grinder.
Shin'ya's inner gamer took one look at the incoming horde and instantly checked out of the frontline meta.
Nope. Absolutely not. I am out, his inner voice stated with supreme panic. My imaginary stamina bar is still flashing red. If I try to do another Shadow Slash, my character model is literally going to pass out from exhaustion.
But he couldn't run away. Thousands of soldiers were watching him, and the S-rank monsters were aggressively pushing forward. If the line collapsed, he would die anyway. He needed a strategy that allowed him to look like a high-level mastermind while exerting zero physical movement.
Think, nerd, think... his brain raced. Wait. I just unlocked Shadow Bind. It's a ranged utility crowd-control skill. I don't need to swing a sword to use it... I can just play backseat support!
Shin'ya slowly took several steps backward, positioning himself safely behind a squad of heavy tower-shield knights. He casually crossed his arms over his chest—perfectly concealing the fact that his muscles were shaking like jelly—and tilted his head slightly down, letting his messy black hair shadow his eyes.
A fast-moving Hollow Cherubim suddenly blurred through the defensive line, raising its porcelain blade-arms to decapitate a battle-mage who was mid-incantation.
Shin'ya's deadpan eyes locked onto the beast's shadow from thirty yards away.
"Bind,"
Shin'ya muttered under his breath.
CRACK!
Sharp, vine-like shadow tendrils violently erupted from the dirt directly beneath the charging Cherubim, wrapping tightly around its legs and slamming its momentum to an absolute, screeching halt mid-dash.
"Huh?!" the battle-mage blinked, realizing the monster was suddenly a sitting duck. "It's sealed! Flame burst!" BOOM! The monster was obliterated.
Fifty yards to the left, an obsidian Dread Stalker raised its massive scythe-leg to crush a vanguard captain.
Shin'ya didn't even turn his head. He just flicked his finger slightly from inside his crossed arms. "Bind."
SHRWEED! A massive cluster of dark shadow vines shot up, weaving around the arachnid's giant legs, anchoring its fifty-foot frame completely to the valley floor. The captain gasped, looking back at Shin'ya, who was just standing there, completely relaxed, effortlessly managing the battlefield with microscopic hand gestures.
"Look at the Shadow Master!" a captain shouted in absolute awe. "He isn't even moving his body! He's predicting every single vector of attack and sealing them from the backline! He's playing the entire S-rank horde like a game of chess!"
Internally, Shin'ya was aggressively sweating, his inner voice panting heavily as he precisely timed his skill cooldowns.
Yes! Exactly! Keep looking at me like I'm a tactical genius! his inner voice wheezed in desperate exhaustion. Just keep swinging your swords and clearing my kills while I stand back here doing absolutely nothing! This backseat support meta is the greatest thing to ever happen to my fraud career!