Riches and Bitches: I have a gate to an isekai and leveling-up system!

Chapter 160: Breaking the stalemate

'The third?!'

In a single moment, my mood went from relatively satisfied one to an extremely bad one.

Was this just a normal shot? But it was close enough to consider it a signal!

And were all three shots combined in one, successive series? Or were the last two separate from the third one?

In the safety and height of her position on the hill, Fay had much better outlook at the situation than anyone anywhere near the camp did. And that's what made our ability to somewhat communicate so valuable…

Or so it would, if I wasn't desperate to figure out whether Fay was trying to tell me something or if she was simply helping with the fight.

'Was this a warning about a new threat? Or the order for a general retreat? Or maybe it was nothing at all?'

Unable to decide, I had to do something.

My troops continued to press their advantage, reinforcing and then widening the gap in the middle of the human formations. And as more and more of celestials got to the other side, the desperate defense of their backs that the humans mounted quickly collapsed.

Right now, all that was left was to divide and conquer the enemy tropps, focusing on each smaller unit at once while simply holding back the others. And with each repeat of this cycle, the our ability to crush an individual unit would grow as more and more troops would join the effort instead of just stalling their respective human formation.

But that's how things would go if not for Fay's shooting.

'What is it, Fay?' retreating a few steps and pulling my guards along, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on the soul thread that connected me with my girl. 'What are you trying to tell me?'

BOOM!

A new shoot exploded right above the heads of the biggest unit out of all the individual ones we managed to separate.

A shot far closer to me than any of the ones before. And after a mere moment of pause.

Boom…

A distant echo of explosion above the far end of the camp brought me to a full alert. Because with the added bonus of Fay's faint emotions I sensed through our bond, her shoots suddenly gained a new meaning.

'Shit!'

The first shot served both to alert me of Fay's intentions… and to serve as a message. The second one, however, Fay released with a sense of distant yet relaxed importance. A far-away shot, aimed at the part of the camp furthest away from the forest. One that was likely to be now fully cleared out from all the stragglers and possible threats.

I forced my eyes open and took a quick look around to gather as much as I could of the current situation.

The celestials successfully broke through the desperate resistance at the back of the human unit. And while part of them went off to fight off the reinforcements the human headquarters sent what seemed like ages ago, the rest…

To say it shortly, the sight of them unleashing their bloodlust at the back of the thin line of humans was one that was bound to cause me nightmares. In the next few moments, the first of the separated human units would fully collapse, falling prey to the vengeful protectors of the forest, eager to exact punishement for stepping into the proximity of the holy forest.

To my left, the other half of my unit made similar progress… only to stall when what looked like a group of human elites joined the fray and stalled the progress of the dissolution of their army. Up ahead, first few of Loraz's celestials broke past the defenses, rushing to pay the debt of blood they incurred during the charge.

All in all, humans held just by the strands of the courage of the selected individuals. Their ranks held just by the sheer force of necessity. If not for the encirclement, some if not most of them would long since started to break. But with nowhere to run…

'And let's not forget the threat to our backs…' I took a quick look over my shoulder, already sensing the heavy breath of whatever danger awaited in the dark expanses of the burned-down parts of the camp… or maybe even in the darkness beyond it.

I turned my head back to the ongoing battle, throwing one last look at the whole picture. And upon seeing that human forces dwindled to an acceptable level for the next phase of my plan, I raised my shottie, aiming the gun at the sky.

Then, after waiting just three more beats of my heart, I pulled the trigger, cutting all the noise and clatter of the battle with the explosion of the gunpowder that spewed out flames from the complicated muzzle at the end of the gun, covering the entire camp with the sound akin to a thunder.

The last of the limited few signs and signals I've managed to come up with.

A loud noise with flames momentairly raising from where the noise came from. And now, all that was left… was to see whether Fay's kin would stupidly lose itself in their bloodlust and the heat of the battle and sign their termination agreement by doing so, or…

Or to prove they were not as stupid as I was worried they were, noticing and then following the order hidden behind the signal I unleashed.

And this order was the simplest of all the ones the celestials and divines had to remember.

Retreat but keep the humans locked.

And like one man, the elites I came with started to retreat, ignoring the perfect tactical position they were in to cut scores upon scores of humans.

First, the celestials that made it to the other side of the human formation made their hastily retreat, clogging the gaps their companions held for a moment.

Then, one after one, celestials and divines at the gaps started to retreat, gradually allowing the humans to mend their lines and present an united, although much thinner than before, front.

And in a matter of three minutes at the very most, all of the fighting ceased, with my alleys retreating to roughly fifty steps away from the human lines all across the battlefield.

The humans… didn't try to pursue or to capitalize on the retreat. They no longer had the forces to do anything but to dig their feet and defend their positions with all their might.

'If you throw everyone in one direction, you will expose yourself on two sides. If you stay and do nothing, there's a chance, albeit small, the reinforcements will arive,' I thought, guessing what could be going through the head of the human leader.

And then, with a sigh, I gestured at my guards before moving ahead.

It was time to let the last phase of this battle, and my strategy, to play out. It lasted long enough for mere warm-up, after all. And ultimately, it was nothing more but the apetiser before the main course that could arrive at every moment.

'Let's just hope that's not the case,' I thought as I made my way through the scattered crowd of the celestials and divines, quickly reaching the front of the line… and actually stepping out.

The humans aimed their weapons at me… but seeing how I approached with just a few celestial, all the while strolling peacefully and with no sharp piece of metal on me, they didn't fire any arrows.

Throw everyone to one side in hopes that at least some of them will make it out. Dig their feet into the ground and leave it in my hands to decide what to do with them.

Those were the only two realistic options the enemy leader had.

And it was now my turn to offer him another way.