'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's helmet on her head, with two
horns protruding from the forehead, oddly enough.
-She's a swordsman.
Wrath licked his lips as he looked down at the woman
wearing the black orc's helmet.
'Indeed. She's held a sword for a long time.'
Her stance exuded a refined sword aura. She was clearly a
swordsman who used the sword as her main 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's helmet was advancing
towards the pinnacle of Grandmaster, 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? Strangely, as he
looked at that woman, an ominous sensation wrapped
around his shoulders. It was a completely different feeling
from victory or defeat.
'She might be hiding some unique ability.'
His intuition had never betrayed him. It seemed best to be
cautious for now.
-Hmm.
Wrath turned his head this way and that before licking his
lips.
-That wench, there's something strange about her.
He frowned, saying that the woman's temperament was
peculiar.
'Rather than strange, I'd say...'
Raon clenched his molars tightly without averting his gaze
from the woman wearing the black orc's helmet.
'She feels familiar.'
Although her eyes were hard to see because of the helmet,
he felt as if he had seen her somewhere before. If he were
to remove her helmet, he felt he might see a face he knew.
"Is that bitch the king of the monsters?"
Martha asked as she looked down at the plain below,
stroking her sword hilt.
"Her fighting spirit is fierce. Just looking at it makes me
break out in a cold sweat."
Despite her words about the ferocity, her black eyes
sparkled 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 even seem to
have made a dent. Did they bring all the monsters from the
continent?"
He said it looked like it would be a long war, setting his jaw
firmly.
"..."
Runaan silently raised her killing intent, not taking her hand
off her Snow Flower sword. As the usually dazed and gentle
Runaan showed her anger, an eerie aura more chilling than
anyone else's emerged.
"There's no need to be afraid. The moment we retreat from
here is when hell begins!"
Wendy faced this nightmarish situation head-on, without
turning away. In the time they hadn't seen her, she had
become a person befitting the head of house.
"L-Lord Division 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 pounce at any moment.
"Continue."
Raon calmly shook his head.
"What?"
"The side that endures will be the victor in this war. We need
to alternate between maintenance and fighting. If you have
even a second to spare, fix the walls."
Even with his full use of aura perception and the perception
of the Snow Flower, there were too many monsters to count.
This would be a long and arduous war, leaving no time for
rest.
"But, um..."
Krein furrowed his brow as he gripped the cracked wall.
"Why aren't they coming?"
He bit his lip anxiously as he looked at the monsters that
had stopped just out of range of arrows and magic.
"That's..."
As Raon was about to answer, the woman wearing the black
orc's helmet plunged her lion sword into the ground. A
crimson fighting spirit blazed over her shoulders. The
monster army, as if inspired by the Green King's fighting
spirit, let out a fierce roar with their eyes dyed red.
However, instead of charging at 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 bellies.
"Ugh..."
"Th-they're eating other orcs?"
"Cannibalism..."
"Filthy bastards!"
The martial artists of the Light Wind division and House
Arianne broke out in a cold sweat at the grotesque sight
they had never imagined. Raon brushed up his bangs as he
watched the monsters engage in their bloody feast.
'Could it be...'
Are they getting stronger by eating their own kind?
Strangely, every time the monsters tore into the flesh of
their comrades, their fighting spirit grew stronger. The aura
that had been like embers was now blazing like a forest fire.
"..."
The woman wearing the black orc's helmet watched the
monsters' banquet without moving, as if she had been
waiting for this situation.
"Wait..."
Rimmer frowned as he looked down at the woman wearing
the black orc's helmet.
"Was that the Green King?"
"G-Green King? What's that?"
Dorian asked, swallowing hard.
"It's the monarch who rules over green-skinned monsters
like goblins, orcs, trolls, and ogres."
Rimmer continued, narrowing his brow.
"It's an extremely rare talent, and to think it's been passed
down to the king of the Black Orcs, said to be the strongest
among orcs..."
He bit his lip as if he couldn't believe it.
"That's why top-tier monsters like ettins and cyclopes, and
even griffons and gargoyles follow that woman."
"Th-then the gradually strengthening fighting spirit is also..."
"Yes. That's also an ability of the Green King."
Rimmer exhaled shortly, saying it wasn't a good situation.
-How dare an orc use the title of king!
Wrath thundered, clearly displeased.
-A true king should possess nobility and elegance, like
myself!
He waved his hand, demanding the revocation of the royal
title.
"..."
Raon recalled the image of Wrath eating bead ice cream
with drool running down his chin, then turned his gaze to
Rimmer.
"Is there no other ability besides that?"
"I've heard their martial prowess itself isn't usually that
strong. But this one seems different."
Rimmer sighed, saying this Green King seemed strong in
martial prowess as well.
"Th-then shouldn't we do something about this now?"
Dorian raised his hand high.
"That's right! Even now more monsters are gathering, we
should eliminate them before they get stronger!"
Krein nodded quickly, as if frightened.
"That's bait."
Raon calmly shook his head.
"Bait?"
Runaan quickly turned her gaze, as if asking what he meant.
"There are two more monsters hiding in that forest, no less
formidable than the Green King."
Raon looked down at the calmly rippling forest.
"They'll ambush us the moment we target the Green King."
The Green King was the bait on a dangling fishing rod. There
was no need to bite the hook according to their ploy.
"B-but they keep gathering..."
Dorian bit his lip, seeming more worried about others than
himself.
"We've sent reports, so reinforcements should be coming on
our side too. And..."
Raon snorted as he looked at the increasing number of
monsters.
"No matter how many monsters there are, it's better than
an ambush by supreme masters."
Eden's movements resembled those of monsters, making
them unpredictable. It was best to receive them from the
fortress walls, as they couldn't know what kind of ambush
they might face during battle.
"The Division Leader is right."
Rimmer nodded, unusually addressing Raon as Division
Leader.
"We have the excellent means of defense, so there's no
need to go out. You all should replenish your depleted aura."
He stood behind Raon with his hands behind his back, as if
sincerely intending to act as the deputy division leader.
"What's the occasion?"
Raon turned to look at Rimmer and chuckled.
"It's only natural for the deputy to assist the Division Leader,
isn't it?"
He smiled broadly, as if saying to trust him.
"Doing things you're not used to can get you killed. Just
slack off as usual."
"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. So predictable."
Martha shook her head as she looked at Rimmer.
"I heard all the gambling dens have been closed for a while,
where on earth is he spending money?"
Burren narrowed his eyes, as if he couldn't understand.
"Bead ice cream."
Runaan nodded, saying Rimmer probably bought bead ice
cream in bulk.
"That can't be..."
Dorian shook his head, saying that wouldn't happen.
"I saw him at the ice cream shop."
Runaan tilted her head, saying she saw Rimmer at the ice
cream shop. As the squad leaders started chatting following
Raon and Rimmer, the ominous atmosphere on the fortress
walls began to settle down. The anxiety also started to
disappear from the eyes of the swordsmen and soldiers.
Raon realized this was the moment to raise everyone's
morale and raised his Heavenly Drive sword.
A flame so red it seemed holy blazed up the silver-white
blade.
"There's no need to be afraid."
He lifted his chin proudly, dyeing the dark night sky red.
"I am here."
As Raon's bold voice spread throughout the fortress, the
soldiers' spirits blazed up, burning no less fiercely than the
monsters' fighting spirit.
***
"Hmm..."
The Twin-Headed Demon twisted his lips as he watched
Raon, who hadn't moved for a full day.
"So he's not a fool after all."
He had planned to attack from behind with the Severing
Sword if they charged recklessly like before, but the Light
Wind division showed no intention of moving at all.
'He must have sensed my and the Severing Sword's
presence.'
Even if they hadn't completely hidden their presence, to
detect their existence from that distance... he was indeed
no ordinary person. It was hard to believe he possessed
such martial prowess at that age, without even borrowing
the helmet's power.
'Well, even The Fallen was deceived by him.'
The one who had torn apart The Fallen's flawless plan was
none other than that Raon Zieghart. If it weren't for him, the
balance of the Five Kings and Five Demons would have
already been greatly disrupted.
"Well, putting all that aside. It's a splendid scene."
The Twin-Headed Demon licked his lips as he watched Raon
and the Green King facing each other.
"If a play were scripted this way, it would be criticized for
going too far. Don't you think?"
"..."
The Severing Sword still didn't speak. However, his fingers
resting on the sword trembled faintly.
"Humans really are interesting, I tell you."
The Twin-Headed Demon giggled as he saw the Severing
Sword's trembling hand.
"But it's boring just watching like this."
He pulled out a branch with three bells attached 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 Twin-Headed Demon raised the bells above his head
and shook them. The three bells collided with each other,
producing a sound smaller than an insect's cry. However,
that sound didn't diminish but grew louder and stretched
towards the fortress walls.
Raon and Rimmer quickly noticed and launched sword
strikes, but they couldn't block all the sound.
Massive cracks that seemed about to collapse at any
moment appeared on the ends of the right and left fortress
walls hit by the bell's sound. The impact seemed even
greater because the materials applied for repairs hadn't
dried yet.
The Twin-Headed Demon curled his lips as he threw away
the bells that had turned black after completing their task.
"Now, let's play."
***
"Ugh..."
Raon bit his lip as he looked at his hand, still feeling the
impact.
'What was that just now?'
Something he couldn't see or feel suddenly pushed through
with aura riding on sound. If Yua hadn't heard it first and
warned them, the entire fortress wall might 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's head and turned his gaze. The monsters
that had dyed the plain green let out a massive roar,
realizing that the war was about to start again. The fighting
spirit of the monsters who had filled their bellies with the
blood and flesh of their comrades blazed 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 her lion
sword that had been stuck in the ground, inhaling the air of
the battlefield. She stepped forward with her left knee and
raised her sword held in both hands upward. Lion Strikes the
Earth.
The moment she moved her lips and swung down her
sword, a massive sword strike that seemed capable of
splitting Arianne Fortress in half came rushing in.
Raon stepped forward at a right angle with his left foot and
thrust out his Heavenly Drive sword that had been tilted
back. A fire dragon that had risen over the reddened blade
spewed out a fiery breath that seemed about to incinerate
the monster army. Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, Flame
Dragon Strike. Strangely, Raon's aura and the Green King's
fighting spirit were the same red color.
As the red sword strikes collided, the sky and earth were
dyed blood-red.
The moment the clash between the two Grandmasters
ended, the monsters charged towards Arianne Fortress with
demonic screams.
"Fire!"
The rangers and soldiers drew their bows and crossbows,
while the swordsmen launched sword auras and astral
energy to block the monsters' approach. However, too many
monsters were charging in to block them all. Before long,
monsters began to gather at the base of the fortress walls
one by one.
In the instant this war broke out, the Green King moved. She
advanced along with the monsters and launched her second
sword strike.
Raon deflected the Green King's slash aimed at the fortress
gate while standing atop the wall. Flames that pushed back
the darkness blazed up his blade. The moment Raon and
the Green King locked eyes again, they both kicked off the
ground simultaneously and thrust their swords towards each
other's vitals.
-Now I understand the sense of discomfort I felt. From that
wench...
Wrath exhaled a turbid breath as he watched Raon's back
advancing towards the Green King.
-She gives off a scent similar to yours.