Bermuda

If Sigals were indeed following behind, it would explain why the horde of Drocs had kept pushing forward despite facing the water they abhorred.

I was wondering why the Drocs were here in the first place... If the Southern Branch went east and lured them from their habitat during an operation, only to lose control, then everything adds up.

The Drocs’ habitat lay somewhat deeper past the peninsula’s entrance—it was unusual to encounter them so early.

And if they’d been drawn out by the Southern Branch's maneuvers, then the Sigals—their superior predators—must have been the decisive force driving them this far.

No sooner had Leonardo arrived at that conclusion than a heavy thud echoed through the cliffs, accompanied by the feeling that something massive was approaching from nearby.

Delua, who had been conversing with him, instantly shifted into a heightened state of alert and watched the battlefield. But Leonardo looked instead to the fog-covered path they had marched down earlier and muttered in a low voice:

“It’s time.”

“What?”

Delua, startled by his remark, also turned to peer into the mist behind them.

Moments later, a deep rumbling echoed through the gorge, growing steadily louder. And through the fog, crimson-skinned Sigals began to emerge one by one.

Sigals were monsters over five meters tall, walking upright on two legs. Although their intelligence was low, their hands possessed articulated joints like a human's, and they primarily fought with powerful, limb-based attacks.

Moreover, once provoked, they became savagely violent and relentless. Victims caught in their grip were often crushed to death—the Sigals would not release them until life was fully extinguished. That was one of their terrifying traits.

As the massive silhouettes of the creatures filled the already eerie valley, the members—upon seeing them—stopped fighting the Drocs and instinctively began backing away.

The Sigals’ white eyeballs, their pupils clouded and indistinct, locked onto the human ranks and let out deafening roars. Leonardo immediately recognized the sound as a signal—a call to their kin that prey had been spotted.

With that fierce cry, the Drocs suddenly screamed and scrambled up the cliffs, fleeing in desperation.

The same Drocs that had recklessly charged the humans moments ago were now running for their lives. The members, stunned by the shift, stared at the approaching Sigals with pale faces, unable to look away.

Normally, spotting even one or two Sigals was a serious threat—but now, there were clearly four of them in plain sight.

And judging by the ground still rumbling beneath their feet, there was no telling how many more lurked within the fog.

Noticing fear creeping into the troops’ eyes, Delua quickly shouted,

“Maintain 50 meters of distance from the targets! Reorganize the formation!”

The retreating members rapidly fell back into alignment and formed a defensive stance at her command.

Once they had spaced themselves evenly, Delua placed her hand to the ground. A massive magic circle unfurled between the unit and the Sigals. The earth shuddered violently as if an earthquake had struck, and moments later, the ground surged like waves as enormous golems began rising from below.

The golems that emerged were similar in size to the Sigals—and bore a somewhat humanoid shape. Judging by their bodies, they appeared to be constructed from the local rocks and soil.

One golem, rising to its full height, charged straight at a Sigal and collided head-on with its torso. The impact was powerful enough to push the Sigal back. The creature hesitated briefly, then bellowed in rage—its roar echoing through the cliffs. Leonardo, watching, muttered with admiration,

“You control golems?”

“No—technically, I control inanimate objects.”

“Inanimate objects?”

He looked at her in surprise, and Delua responded with a proud smile.

“I animate naturally occurring inanimate objects—anything except gases—and use them as my golems. That one was made from the bedrock right here.”

Hearing that, Leonardo returned his gaze to the golem with renewed interest. That it could push back a Sigal—whose jaws alone likely weighed tons—was impressive.

As the golem held its ground, the members, now rallied, charged back into the fray and attacked the creature together. The Sigal roared as blades pierced its flesh and swung its arms wildly in retaliation.

KWAANG–!

The golem fighting the Sigal was struck hard by its flailing arm—its head smashed clean off. The crushing blow left Delua looking a little sheepish as she summoned another golem from beneath the earth.

“The bedrock here is basalt. It fractures easily.”

Her ability to freely manipulate inanimate matter was astounding. Though not a close-range fighter herself, it meant she could engage in both long-range and melee combat, so long as she remained in a safe location.

Leonardo studied her and the golems for a moment, thoughtful.

Is this similar to Mirail’s power...? No, if she can animate inanimate matter directly, it’s an even higher-tier ability.

He took a few steps back, choosing not to intervene just yet so he could continue observing how the Council members fought.

Delua’s multiple golems now filled the space between the cliffs. At the forefront, two were locked in a constant cycle of damage and regeneration, blocking the Sigals’ advance.

The members, moving with precision, avoided the massive collisions and drew the monsters’ attention, steadily inflicting light but persistent damage. Their coordination and positioning were sharp enough that Leonardo saw no need to interfere.

“Aaaargh—!”

Suddenly, a scream rang out. Leonardo turned just in time to see a member hoisted into the air by a Sigal’s massive hand—the soldier had been fighting a Droc that failed to escape in time.

The Sigal opened its massive jaws, preparing to tear the man apart. Members of the 6th Battalion instantly changed direction and rushed in to save him.

The Sigals’ hides were as tough and thick as their massive size suggested—far too difficult to cut through with a single strike. But the members, already familiar with that fact, coordinated their efforts and focused their attacks on the joint of the creature’s arm.

With a final scream, the joint was severed. The trapped member fell headfirst, still clenched in the amputated limb.

Even with the arm detached, its sheer mass gouged the earth on impact. The soldier struggled within the severed hand—though the nerves were cut, the fingers, as hard as stone, continued to contract, threatening to crush him.

“Ugh—gah!”

“Morgan!”

“Help him—everyone!”

His ribs creaked under the pressure, and he gasped for breath. Comrades rushed to free him, but the Sigal’s flesh, once separated, hardened rapidly like rock—prying the fingers open wasn’t easy.

Then, another Sigal approached.

Its enormous shadow fell over the group. The members slowly looked up, tense. At that moment, the monster lunged for the tightly clustered humans.

Nearby members dashed forward to protect their comrade, but the Sigal, moving with surprising agility for its size, swatted them away midair.

As the flung soldiers hurtled toward the rock walls, both Marlen and Leonardo cast protective barriers across either side of the valley. Thanks to their timely actions, the troops avoided serious injury.

In the same instant, Leonardo caught a flying member gently in his arms.

“Gather around me!”

Once she confirmed the soldiers were safe, Marlen rushed to the restrained member and took up a stance in front of him. At # Nоvеlight # her command, the other troops regrouped, forming up quickly around her.

Meanwhile, another of Delua’s golems was struck and shattered again, sending sharp fragments flying toward the soldiers. Seeing this, Marlen swung her sword forcefully—her sword aura deflected the debris and skimmed across the arm of the nearby Sigal.

The energy tore into the beast’s thick hide, nearly severing the limb. The dangling flesh enraged the creature further.

Its roar triggered a chain reaction. The other Sigals joined in, howling furiously. The combined cries swept through the valley like a storm, and the wind pressure alone made the soldiers stagger.

Still, they gritted their teeth and held their ground. None broke ranks. They stood firm in front of their imperiled comrade.

Leonardo, observing silently, decided the moment had come.

It was time to step in.