I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

Chapter 123: The King’s Guards (2)

The silence in the clearing lasted for a single second. Then the world exploded into motion.

The eight Royal Guards vanished at the same time. Their speed was absurd. The two-headed rat appeared before Clavor in a dark blur, its two mouths lunging in different directions. One tried to tear off his right arm, while the other went for his throat.

’Clang!’

Clavor’s sword deflected both bites in a single motion. Sparks flew as the massive fangs struck the mana-coated blade.

Without giving it time to recover, the warrior spun on his heel. His sword traced a perfect arc. A silver blade of mana tore through the air. The creature tried to retreat, but it was too late. The strike carved a deep gash from its shoulder to its abdomen. Black blood splattered across the ground. Both necks let out agonized screeches.

"Fall!" Clavor lunged in to finish it. But a shadow appeared from the side. The completely black, eyeless rat threw itself at its wounded companion, shoving it away at the last instant.

The sword struck nothing but the ground.

’BOOOM!’

Earth and rocks were blasted in every direction.

On the other side of the clearing, Hark faced the gigantic rat covered in bony plates.

The creature charged like a battering ram. Hark did not dodge. He planted his feet firmly. His spear shone with golden light.

The two collided head-on. The impact unleashed a shockwave powerful enough to make even the soldiers lose their footing. The spear pierced through two of the monster’s bony chest plates.

The beast roared in pain. Even wounded, it raised both forelegs and struck at Hark. The Count crossed the shaft of his spear before his body. The claws scraped against the metal. Sparks lit up the battlefield.

Hark smiled.

"Is that all?" His mana erupted once more. With a powerful twist, he ripped the spear from the creature’s chest, tearing away an entire section of its shell.

Before he could deliver the finishing blow... The massive four-legged Guard charged in from the left. Its low body shot across the clearing like an arrow. It slammed into Hark from the side.

The impact hurled the Count several meters backward. Hark slid across the ground but drove his spear into the earth and regained his balance before falling.

Meanwhile, the rest of the clearing descended into chaos. The twenty soldiers had formed a broad defensive line.

The Guard covered in bone spikes charged toward them. Spears struck it simultaneously. None managed to pierce its hide. The monster retaliated by spinning its body. Its spikes shot out in every direction. The soldiers raised their shields. The projectiles hammered against the steel like a rain of arrows.

Beside it, the rat with the purplish tails lashed the air. The long tails left trails of venom that burned the grass and melted wood. Not a single soldier dared allow themselves to be struck.

The third Guard, impossibly fast, simply vanished. One instant it stood before the formation. The next, it was behind it. The soldiers were forced to fight in every direction.

Even so, they maintained their discipline.

"Shields together!"

"Close the left flank!"

"Don’t leave any openings!"

The orders were short. Precise. Every man trusted the comrade beside him completely.

Behind them, the wind mage raised both hands.

"Glacial Wall!"

Gigantic pillars of ice erupted before the formation. The swift Guard dodged them effortlessly. But dozens of ordinary rats were skewered. Moments later, powerful gusts of wind pushed another portion of the horde away.

The support mage kept the green circle active. Superficial wounds disappeared almost immediately. The soldiers’ mana was constantly replenished.

Even so... The pressure continued to mount. The Royal Guards were vastly superior to the ordinary monsters.

At the front of the battlefield, Clavor once again exchanged blows with the two-headed rat. The two combatants moved so quickly that Lukas could barely follow them. Sword. Fangs. Sword. Claws. Every collision made the air tremble.

Clavor found an opening. He slipped beneath the first head. Spun. His sword flashed. Both throats were severed almost simultaneously. The heads began to fall.

But before they touched the ground... The white Guard covered in bony plates threw itself in front of its ally. Its body took the next strike aimed at the neck. The sword cut through part of its natural armor. Even wounded, it managed to shove its companion backward.

The two retreated together.

Clavor narrowed his eyes.

"They’re protecting each other..."

Hark realized exactly the same thing. His primary opponent was already breathing heavily. The plates covering its chest had been shattered. One more strike would be enough.

The Count gathered mana at the tip of his spear. The golden light intensified. He charged forward. But once again, another Guard intervened. This time, the monster with the two venomous tails unleashed a stream of purple poison directly at Hark.

The Count was forced to interrupt his attack and dodge. The venom struck a tree behind him. The trunk simply melted away.

The very next instant, the enormous four-legged rat charged again. Hark was forced to retreat once more.

The King watched everything in silence. None of his countless eyes blinked. He analyzed every movement. Every exchange of blows. Every wound. Then, slowly... One of his hundreds of long tails struck the enormous root upon which he rested.

The eight Guards halted their attacks for a brief moment. They seemed to receive an order impossible for the humans to perceive. Lukas, however, noticed. Every one of the King’s eyes had shifted direction. He was commanding the battle.

The very next moment, the Guards completely reorganized their positions. The white rat is covered in bony plates. The monstrous four-legged one. And the one with the two venomous tails. The three of them charged at Hark together.

The Count let out a short laugh.

"Three against one?" He tightened his grip on the spear.

"Even better."

On the other side, the two-headed rat charged once more, having recovered slightly. Beside it appeared the completely black, eyeless Guard. The two surrounded Clavor simultaneously. The swordsman spun his blade before him.

"Come."

Meanwhile, the remaining three Guards turned toward the main formation. The speedster. The one covered in spikes. And the gigantic rat nearly three meters tall.

Behind them... The entire horde began moving once more. Thousands of screeches echoed throughout the clearing. The black tide advanced again. This time, directly toward the twenty soldiers. The ground trembled once more. The first rats leaped over their own companions. Then came hundreds. Then thousands. The entire clearing seemed to disappear beneath an ocean of bodies.

One soldier took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his sword. Another raised his shield. No one retreated.

Hark would face three Royal Guards. Clavor would battle two. And the twenty soldiers... Would have to stop three Royal Guards and an entire horde from reaching Lukas, the two mages, and their companions.

The battle had finally entered its most brutal phase.