A sudden bell rang throughout Járnheimr. Ashley Orochi woke up, startled. She checked the time as the moonlight crept toward three in the morning.
"What is going on now..." she muttered, half dazed, her voice dry with sleep as she pushed herself up, strands of hair clinging to her face.
Before she could gather her thoughts, a violent explosion tore through Járnheimr. The ground trembled beneath her, the shockwave rattling windows and sending distant echoes roaring across the stone halls. It woke half of the kingdom, dragging its people from their beds into chaos.
From the streets below, a horrifying sight unfolded. A massive group of demons surged into the kingdom like a living tide.
At their front stood one of the Ten Commandments, Akka, the red demon orc. Her towering frame loomed over the others, her skin glowing faintly under the moonlight, her presence alone suffocating the air.
"You all know what to do," Akka said calmly, her voice low but carrying effortlessly across the battlefield.
The demons strode forward without hesitation, their heavy footsteps shaking the streets as they began to terrorize the town.
Claws tore through doors, flames licked across rooftops, and steel clashed against whatever resistance dared to stand.
The dwarves froze for a moment in sheer disbelief. Their eyes widened as the realization struck like a hammer.
The demons... sealed a hundred years ago... had returned.
"Demons!!!"
"Run for your life!!!"
Panic erupted instantly. Civilians scattered in all directions, their screams piercing the night as they shoved past one another, desperate to escape.
Yet not all fled.
The dwarven battalion moved with discipline despite the chaos. Boots slammed against stone as they rushed into formation, shields locking together with practiced precision.
Their weapons, forged with the ingenuity of their kind, gleamed under the dim light as they launched their counterattack.
Bolts of engineered weaponry fired, mechanisms whirring and clanking as they unleashed bursts of power toward the advancing demons.
Some demons fell, their bodies crashing heavily onto the ground, while others roared and pushed forward relentlessly.
Akka watched from the side, her arms relaxed, her expression unreadable at first. Then, slowly, a crooked grin stretched across her face.
"Heh... since when did these little ants get balls of steel, huh?" she mocked, her tone dripping with amusement.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she observed the battlefield more closely. The dwarves' weapons were different. More refined. More dangerous.
For a brief moment, something flickered across her expression.
Interest.
"A hundred years... and still arrogant," she muttered, though there was a trace of respect hidden beneath her words.
Akka stepped forward, her presence alone causing nearby demons to instinctively part. She reached for her blade and unsheathed it in one smooth motion. The metal sang softly as it slid free, catching the moonlight with a deadly gleam.
She took a single breath.
Then she swung.
The motion was effortless, almost lazy, yet the force behind it was monstrous. The air itself split apart, a violent gust erupting from the arc of her blade. The wind howled like a beast unleashed, tearing through the dwarven machinery.
Metal twisted and shattered. Towers of invention crumbled as if made of paper. The blast ripped across the kingdom, carving a path of destruction through anything in its way.
"Heh... such a glorious scene. Isn't that right, Orochi...?"
Akka looked over her shoulder with a smirk, her eyes gleaming with amusement as she sensed the presence behind her.
There stood the Queen of the Dwarves, Ashley Orochi, fully armed and clad in battle gear. Her armor reflected the dim moonlight, scratched and worn from past wars, yet unyielding.
Weapons lined her form, each one ready, each one deadly. Her stance was firm, unwavering, her gaze locked onto Akka with cold resolve.
"Like father, like daughter. Pity... you two are nothing but—!"
Clang!
Ashley moved first.
In a burst of speed, she closed the distance in a heartbeat, her blade cutting through the air with lethal precision.
Akka reacted instantly, raising her weapon just in time. Steel collided with a sharp, ringing impact that echoed across the rooftop.
Sparks scattered between them.
The force of the clash pushed both warriors back half a step, boots grinding against the stone tiles.
For a split second, they remained locked, their blades pressed against each other, eyes meeting with unspoken challenge.
Then they broke apart.
Ashley pivoted, her movements fluid yet aggressive, following through with a second strike aimed at Akka's flank.
Akka twisted her body, deflecting the blow with a casual flick before countering with a swift slash aimed at Ashley's neck.
Ashley ducked just in time, feeling the wind of the blade graze past her as strands of her hair were cut loose.
The two squared off atop the castle rooftop, the night wind whipping around them as distant screams and explosions filled the air below.
Ashley steadied her breath, tightening her grip on her weapon, her expression hardened with determination.
Akka, in contrast, looked almost entertained, her smirk never fading as she rolled her shoulder slightly, loosening herself for the fight ahead.
The rooftop became their battlefield.
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Chapter 53 — End.