Sword Art Online Volume 16 – Alicization Exploding Chapter 18 – War of the Underworld 64 And their owner, Shibori the chief of the plains goblins, skipped through the usual processes of combustion, immediately turning into black charcoal— He crumbled into pieces right after and vanished without a trace. Having witnessed their general’s horrifying death, the goblin soldiers turned around at once and began fleeing. However, over three hundred soldiers could not escape the phoenix’s inferno and disappeared into cinders. * * * The distress both Fanatio in the first unit, middle, and Deusolbert in the right flank went through. Instructing the second unit in the rear, the commander of the Human Empire Defense Army, Bercouli Synthesis One, clearly knew of those as well as the chaos the left flank under Eldrie’s command experienced from that smokescreen. However, he did not take even a single step. The first reason was his trust in the knights and guards brought up under his personal care. The second reason was how the Human Empire could not send out its second unit either, with the main force of the enemy’s ground troops, the Order of the Dark Knights and the Pugilists’ Guild, yet to make a move. And the third reason was the possibility of a surprise attack, something he could not help but worry for, with his knowledge of the Dark Territory beyond everyone’s. Or in other words, the enemy’s might in aerial warfare.