C766
'That woman...'
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the woman standing in front of the monster army.
'Is she the mastermind behind this?'
Her tall stature and well-trained physique rivaled that of a man. She wore a black orc helmet on her head, with two horns protruding from her forehead, curiously.
-She's a swordsman.
Wrath licked his lips as he looked at the woman wearing the black orc helmet.
—Indeed. She's been wielding a sword for a long time.
Her posture exuded an aura of refined swordsmanship. She was clearly a swordsman who used the sword as her primary weapon. However, it was impossible to predict what kind of swordsmanship she used. Raon discreetly extended his aura perception.
'As I thought, her martial prowess is similar to mine.'
The woman wearing the black orc helmet was advancing towards the peak of Grand Master, just like him. Unlike Tugui or the White Demon Swordsman, she was an opponent he would have to fight with all his strength.
"I think I can win, but..."
Why did he feel a chill down his spine? Curiously, as he looked at that woman, a sinister feeling enveloped his shoulders. It was a feeling completely different from victory or defeat.
"She might be hiding some unique skill."
His intuition had never betrayed him. It seemed best to be cautious for now.
-Mmm.
Wrath turned his head from side to side before licking his lips.
-That girl, there's something strange about her.
He frowned and said that the woman's temperament was peculiar.
'More like weird, I'd say...'
Raon gritted his teeth tightly without taking his eyes off the woman wearing the black orc helmet.
"She seems familiar."
Although he had trouble seeing her eyes because of the helmet, he felt as if he had seen her before somewhere. If she took off the helmet, he felt he might see a face he knew.
"Is that bitch the monster king?"
Martha asked as she looked towards the plain below, stroking the hilt of her sword.
"Her fighting spirit is fierce. Just looking at her makes me break out in a cold sweat."
Despite her words about ferocity, her black eyes shone as if she wanted to fight.
"That woman isn't the only problem."
Burren sighed deeply as he looked at the monster army filling the plain.
"We must have killed hundreds, but it doesn't seem like we've made a dent. Did they bring all the monsters from the continent?"
He said that it seemed like it would be a long war, clenching his jaw tightly.
"..."
Runaan silently raised her killing intent, without taking her hand off her Snow Flower sword. When the normally dazed and gentle Runaan showed her anger, a creepy aura emerged that was more chilling than anyone else's.
"There's no need to be afraid. The moment we retreat from here, hell will begin!"
Wendy faced this nightmarish situation head-on, without looking back. In the time they hadn't seen her, she had become someone worthy of the Head of House.
"S-Squad Leader."
Dorian cautiously approached from the side and bowed his head.
"Should we stop the repair work for now?"
He trembled as he looked at the monsters breathing heavily, as if they were about to attack at any moment.
"Continue."
Raon shook his head calmly.
"What?"
"The side that endures will be the victor of this war. We have to alternate between maintenance and fighting. If you have a spare second, fix the walls."
Even with his full use of aura perception and Snow Flower Perception, there were too many monsters to count. This would be a long and arduous war, leaving no time for rest.
"But, uh..."
Kerin frowned as he grabbed the cracked wall.
"Why don't they come?"
He bit his lip anxiously as he looked at the monsters who had stopped just out of range of the arrows and magic.
"That's..."
Just as Raon was about to answer, the woman wearing the black orc helmet plunged her lion sword into the ground. A crimson fighting spirit glowed over her shoulders. The monster army, as if inspired by the Green King's fighting spirit, let out a ferocious roar with their eyes tinged red.
However, instead of attacking the fortress, they sank their yellow teeth into the flesh of their fallen comrades on the plain. It was cannibalism, eating the flesh and drinking the blood of their own kind to fill their stomachs.
"Puaj..."
"A-are they eating other orcs?"
"Cannibalism..."
"Damn bastards!"
The martial artists of the Light Wind division and House Arianne began to sweat cold at the grotesque sight they had never imagined. Raon brushed his bangs as he watched the monsters engage in their bloody feast.
'It could be...'
Are they getting stronger by devouring those of their own kind? Curiously, every time the monsters tore the flesh of their comrades, their fighting spirit grew stronger. The aura that had been like embers now burned like a wildfire.
"..."
The woman wearing the black orc helmet watched the monsters' banquet without moving, as if she had been waiting for this situation.
"Wait..."
Rimmer frowned as he looked at the woman wearing the black orc helmet.
"Was that the Green King?"
"Green King? What's that?"
—Dorian asked, swallowing hard.
"He's the monarch who rules over green-skinned monsters like goblins, orcs, trolls, and ogres."
Rimmer continued, frowning.
"It's an extremely rare talent, and to think it has been passed down to the Black Orc King, who is said to be the strongest among the orcs..."
He bit his lip as if he couldn't believe it.
"That's why first-tier monsters like ettins and cyclopes, and even griffins and gargoyles, follow that woman."
"S-so the gradually strengthening fighting spirit is also..."
"Yes. That's also a skill of the Green King."
Rimmer exhaled briefly, saying that it wasn't a good situation.
-How dare an orc use the title of king!
Wrath thundered, clearly disgusted.
-A true king must possess nobility and elegance, like me!
He gestured with his hand, demanding the revocation of the royal title.
"..."
Raon remembered the image of Wrath eating bead ice cream with drool running down his chin, then turned his gaze to Rimmer.
"Isn't there another skill besides that?"
"I've heard that his martial prowess isn't usually very strong, but this one seems different."
Rimmer sighed and said that this Green King also seemed strong in martial prowess.
"S-so shouldn't we do something about it now?"
Dorian raised his hand high.
"That's right! Even now, more monsters are gathering, we should eliminate them before they get stronger!"
Kerin nodded quickly, as if he were scared.
"That's bait."
Raon shook his head calmly.
"Bait?"
Runaan quickly turned his gaze, as if asking what he meant.
"There are two more monsters hidden in that forest, no less formidable than the Green King."
Raon looked towards the forest that was swaying peacefully.
"They'll ambush us the moment we target the Green King."
The Green King was the bait on a fishing rod that was dangling. There was no need to bite the hook according to their ploy.
"B-but they're still gathering..."
Dorian bit his lip, seeming more worried about others than himself.
"We've sent reports, so reinforcements should be arriving from our side as well. And..."
Raon snorted as he looked at the growing number of monsters.
"No matter how many monsters there are, it's better than an ambush by supreme masters."
Eden's movements were similar to those of the monsters, making them unpredictable. It was best to receive them from the walls of the fortress, as they couldn't know what kind of ambush they might face during the battle.
"The division leader is right."
Rimmer nodded, unusually addressing Raon as Division Leader.
"We have excellent defenses, so there's no need to go out. All of you should replenish your depleted aura."
He stood behind Raon with his hands behind his back, as if he sincerely wanted to act as the division's deputy leader.
"What's the occasion?"
Raon turned to look at Rimmer and chuckled.
"It's natural for the deputy to help the division leader, isn't it?"
He smiled broadly, as if telling us to trust him.
"Doing things you're not used to can get you killed. Just relax like you always do."
"I won't die, so worry about yourself."
Raon and Rimmer exchanged jokes as if they had returned to the fifth training ground.
"He's going to ask for money. He's very predictable."
Martha shook her head as she looked at Rimmer.
"I heard all the casinos have been closed for a while, where the hell is he spending money?"
Burren narrowed his eyes, as if he couldn't understand.
"Bead ice cream."
Runaan nodded and said that Rimmer probably bought bead ice cream wholesale.
"That can't be..."
Dorian shook his head and said that wouldn't happen.
"I saw him at the ice cream shop."
Runaan tilted her head and said she had seen Rimmer at the ice cream shop. As the squad leaders began to chat following Raon and Rimmer, the sinister atmosphere on the fortress walls began to calm down. Anxiety also began to disappear from the eyes of the swordsmen and soldiers.
Raon realized it was time to raise everyone's morale and raised his Heavenly Drive sword.
A flame so red it seemed sacred burned through the silver-white sword.
"There's no need to be afraid."
He lifted his chin proudly, dyeing the dark night sky red.
"I'm here."
As Raon's bold voice spread throughout the fortress, the soldiers' spirits ignited, burning no less fiercely than the monsters' fighting spirit.
***
"Mmm..."
The Two-Headed Demon twisted his lips as he watched Raon, who hadn't moved for a whole day.
"So he's not a fool after all."
He had planned to attack from behind with the Severing Sword if they charged recklessly as before, but the Light Wind division showed no intention of moving.
'He must have felt my presence and the Severing Sword's.'
Even if they hadn't completely concealed their presence, detecting their existence from that distance... indeed, he wasn't an ordinary person. It was hard to believe that he possessed such martial prowess at that age, without even borrowing the power of the helmet.
'Well, even The Fallen was tricked by him.'
The one who had shattered The Fallen's perfect plan was none other than Raon Zieghart. If it weren't for him, the balance of the Five Kings and Five Demons would have already been severely disrupted.
"Well, leaving all that aside, it's a splendid scene."
The Two-Headed Demon licked his lips as he watched Raon and the Green King face each other.
“If a play had a script like this, they'd criticize it for going too far, wouldn't you think?”
"..."
The Severing Sword still didn't speak. However, his fingers resting on the sword trembled slightly.
"Humans really are interesting, I tell you."
The Two-Headed Demon laughed as he saw the Severing Sword's trembling hand.
"But it's boring to just watch like this."
He pulled a branch with three bells from his bosom.
"We have enough soldiers on our side, and their reinforcements haven't arrived yet. Let's give them a little help."
The Two-Headed Demon raised the bells above his head and shook them. The three bells clanged against each other, producing a sound smaller than an insect's cry. However, that sound didn't decrease, but grew louder and spread towards the fortress walls.
Raon and Rimmer quickly realized and struck with swords, but they couldn't block all the sound.
At the ends of the right and left walls of the fortress, struck by the sound of the bell, huge cracks appeared that seemed about to collapse at any moment. The impact seemed even greater because the materials used for the repairs hadn't yet dried.
The Two-Headed Demon curled his lips as he tossed the bells that had turned black after completing their task.
"Now, let's play."
***
"Puaj..."
Raon bit his lip as he looked at his hand, still feeling the impact.
'What was that now?'
Something he couldn't see or feel suddenly appeared with an aura that traveled through sound. If Yua hadn't heard it before and warned them, the entire fortress wall could have collapsed.
"I-I'm sorry. I should have noticed sooner..."
Yua's lips trembled as she said it was her fault for being late.
—No, you did well. Thanks to you, no one died.
Raon patted Yua on the head and turned his gaze. The monsters that had dyed the plain green let out a huge roar, realizing that the war was about to begin again. The fighting spirit of the monsters who had filled their stomachs with the blood and flesh of their comrades burned fiercely.
"Everyone, prepare for battle."
“Prepare for battle!”
At Raon's command, the swordsmen of the Light Wind division and House Arianne scattered to their positions, echoing his words. The Green King also pulled out his lion sword that had been stuck in the ground, inhaling the air of the battlefield. He stepped forward with his left knee and raised the sword he held with both hands. The lion attacks the earth.
The moment he moved his lips and lowered his sword, a massive attack that seemed capable of splitting Fortress Arianne in half came rushing.
Raon stepped forward at a right angle with his left foot and drew his Heavenly Drive sword that was tilted backward. A fire dragon that had risen above the reddened blade spat out a fiery breath that seemed about to incinerate the monster army. Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, Flame Dragon Strike. Curiously, Raon's aura and the Green King's fighting spirit were the same red color.
When the red sword strikes collided, the sky and earth were stained with blood red.
The moment the confrontation between the two Grand Masters ended, the monsters charged towards Fortress Arianne with demonic screams.
"Fire!"
The rangers and soldiers drew their bows and crossbows, while the swordsmen unleashed sword auras and astral energy to block the monsters' advance. However, too many monsters were charging to block them all. In no time, the monsters began to gather at the base of the fortress walls, one by one.
The moment the war erupted, the Green King moved. He advanced alongside the monsters and launched his second sword attack.
Raon deflected the Green King's attack aimed at the fortress gate while standing on the wall. The flames that pushed back the darkness burned on his sword. The moment Raon and the Green King met eyes again, they both kicked the ground simultaneously and plunged their swords into each other's vital organs.
-Now I understand the feeling of discomfort I felt. From that bitch...
Wrath exhaled a turbid breath as he watched Raon's back advance towards the Green King.
-She gives off a smell similar to yours.
-
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