The omen began abruptly.
The orc banner, which had been lying in wait beyond the hills, began to sway.
Then, the entire horizon seemed to rise.
"…My god."
The scout watching the orcs from the watchtower raised his telescope.
What was rising wasn't the ground—but the orc army.
"There's more than one. Look over there."
Just as his comrade said, the horizons in every direction were shaking all at once.
Before they realized it, they had been surrounded.
"There are that many?"
The orcs had been losing troops constantly until now.
The Allied Army had responded calmly, and thanks to that, they'd been able to kill many orcs while minimizing their own casualties.
Yet such a massive force still remained.
"Report it quickly!"
A nimble-footed soldier hurried down from the watchtower.
The remaining scout continued to observe the vicinity from above.
"What's the state of the orcs?"
A sentry waiting below the tower asked.
"Well…"
"Well?"
"I think we're in trouble."
His hand holding the telescope trembled.
Among the increasingly visible orc soldiers were Orcbals carrying flags. There were so many, it was impossible to count them one by one.
And that wasn't all.
An orc cavalry unit mounted on Komodo dragons burst out from the front lines and charged forward.
A thick cloud of dust rose.
One of the orc cavalry raised a weapon and shouted something. At once, all the orc riders raised their weapons and roared.
"This is bad, really bad…"
So fixated on that scene, he didn't notice the looming shadow above his head.
Suddenly, his vision blurred.
He didn't even register his death.
The moment the scout collapsed, an alarm was raised.
"Above! Look up!"
"Ring the bell, quickly!"
"It's war!"
The bell began to ring.
As the main orc force closed in on the Allied Army's encampment from all sides, arrows rained down from the sky.
"It's a wyvern!"
They had once controlled an Ancient Wyrm—and now, orcs were riding wyverns.
The Allied Army's attention turned to the sky.
Wyverns spread their wings and moved, blocking out the sun. From above, arrows poured down.
"Target the wings!"
A sentry countered.
Soon, the entire Allied Army began moving in preparation for battle. After enduring so many ambushes, they were used to jumping into combat immediately.
"Return fire!"
A storm of arrows fired by the Allied Army soared into the sky.
The wyverns climbed higher.
The arrows, missing their targets, traced steep arcs as they fell back down.
"It's fine even if you don't hit them!"
A senior soldier shouted.
"Force them higher! That way, they can't aim properly!"
There weren't many wyverns.
"Keep suppressing them!"
Thanks to the sentries' efforts, casualties were minimal.
Soon, Ragna appeared.
"So it begins."
He summoned messengers and divided the defensive regions among the nations.
After issuing his orders, Ragna looked up at the sky.
"What a nuisance. How did they tame them?"
He had come to fight orcs, yet now they had to deal with Ancient Wyrms and wyverns—monsters everywhere.
"Wayne."
When he called out the name, a knight in black armor stepped forward.
"Yes."
Wayne was the commander of the 3rd Knight Order.
"Take down those things flying up there."
"Understood."
Wayne received a bow from a soldier.
He immediately drew and loosed an arrow into the sky.
The mana-infused arrow flew in a straight line without wavering.
The wyvern took a direct hit to the head and crashed into the Allied Army's camp. The orc riding it squirmed on the ground.
Soldiers rushed in and drove their spears and swords into it.
The orc foamed at the mouth and died.
Wayne continued to shoot down the wyverns.
Eventually, the remaining wyverns retreated from the Allied Army's camp and circled at a distance.
Once the battle resumed, they would strike again.
"Now the real fight begins."
Ragna's lips curled into a smile.
It was the most excited expression he'd worn since joining the Allied Army.
"Any other reports?"
"No. Everything is fully prepared. We're just waiting for the attack."
"Sound the drum. Get their hearts pounding."
He hadn't expected Okua to move first, but Ragna wasn't worried.
They had already repelled countless ambushes. They had plenty of experience in defensive warfare.
"What about the dispels?"
"Holding steady. Neither side will be able to use magic until the war ends."
"And Okua?"
"No sightings."
"Keep monitoring."
Though Okua hadn't appeared yet, Ragna and the rest of the Empire's leadership all gazed in the same direction.
Beyond the horizon, a massive presence could be felt.
It was overwhelming.
From the dust clouds stirred by the orc army, it felt as if a giant that could shake the earth would emerge at any moment.
What kind of monster was Okua?
"Haven't felt something like this in ages. It's tingling."
Ragna chuckled low.
Amid the pressure of the battlefield, he was regaining his vitality.
A thrill he could never feel within the Imperial Palace wrapped around him.
"What about Graham?"
"He's forming a defense formation with the soldiers."
"Reinstate him."
"Shall we assign him to the 3rd Knight Order for now?"
"He's not the type to fit in there. Just let him fight freely. He's not someone who needs command."
"Understood."
"Tell Aizen to prepare that."
"It hasn't been fully tested yet, though."
"We'll test it today. Where else would we find a better stage?"
"Yes, sir."
The orcs were drawing closer.
Everyone present knew that a brutal fight was about to unfold.
While envisioning that scene, Ragna suddenly furrowed his brow.
"That guy…"
"Sir?"
"Yuri Briol. Send this to him."
He pulled out a piece of paper from his coat, scribbled something briefly, folded it roughly, and handed it to his adjutant.
It wasn't a long message.
The adjutant tilted his head.
"May I ask what the message is about?"
"If you're curious, take a look."
"Yes, sir."
After reading it, the adjutant's head tilted subtly.
He glanced sideways at Ragna's face, then passed the note to a messenger.
"To the third prince of Briol."
"Yes, sir."
The messenger ran off the moment he received the order. It was a familiar task to him.
The entire camp was in chaos. The messenger passed soldiers firing arrows into the sky. He ran against the flow of knights walking in their helmets. He passed by the voice of someone praying to God.
Soon, he reached the Briol camp.
And there, he was met with a strange sight.
Now familiar even to the messenger, the third prince of Briol was sitting atop a box, saying something to the soldiers.
"So, what I'm saying is…"
"Why are you suddenly acting all serious!"
"There's a time to be serious."
"Did you get scared or something?"
"You wanna die?"
The atmosphere was oddly lively.
"You, I've got my eye on you. When this Allied Army business is over and you go home, you're dead meat."
"That's exactly what I want."
"We'll see if you're still saying that then."
The third prince noticed the messenger and motioned for him to wait a moment.
"Anyway, the real battle is about to begin."
"Yes, sir!"
"Scared?"
"No, sir…"
"Really not scared?"
"A l-little, yes."
"Me too."
The third prince jumped down from the box.
"It's only natural."
He grinned.
"So think of what you saw when you fought Kurui. Keep in your head what those bastards did. What do you think, still scared? If anyone is, they don't need to fight. Go hide in the barracks."
At those words, the messenger recalled what he'd seen in the last battle.
It wasn't just savagery—it was madness.
Orcs were, quite literally, cursed beings.
The third prince rested his sword on his shoulder.
"We now stand where we truly should, against an enemy that truly deserves to be killed. We might not get a war as honorable as this ever again. And we're from Briol. Not some soft noble-bloods from other countries, but the real deal from Briol."
Then he gestured toward the messenger.
"Look at that, even His Highness sent us a letter asking us to do well."
The soldiers laughed.
It might have been a rude comment, but the battle was right in front of them. If you could survive, anything was forgivable.
The third prince received the letter from the messenger, checked the contents, and let out a small snort.
"What do you think His Highness said?"
"That you should meet with the princess…"
"Shut it."
"Yes, sir."
"He's telling me not to take the lead."
The third prince folded the letter roughly and tossed it onto the box. Then, with a grin, he spoke.
"You all know what my answer is, right?"
The soldiers chuckled quietly.
"Rather than live hiding behind you lot, I'll die standing at the front. That's me, Yuri Briol!"
Though his mission was complete, the messenger didn't leave. He stood there, watching the scene. The third prince had a certain pull, something that drew people's attention.
The third prince kept shouting.
"So that's an order! Don't die—kill! Then go back to Briol, and take pride in having fought alongside Yuri Briol!"
"Yes, sir!"
"And me as well! I'll take pride in having fought with such fine men!"
The soldiers cheered.
The third prince raised his sword high.
"For Briol!"
"For Briol!"
Then, with the sword still on his shoulder, he walked toward the soldiers.
A path opened up.
The third prince passed through them, heading for the front line. The soldiers followed in turn.
His easy stride looked less like a prince and more like the alpha of a wolf pack.
The flag of Briol was raised high with pride, fluttering in the wind.
The messenger, watching that sight, was momentarily entranced.
Somehow, just for today, he didn't want to deliver letters—he wanted to pick up a sword and fight.
***
The area Briol had to defend was slightly off from the orcs' main front.
Yuri stood by a barricade made of carved wood.
They were now close enough to see the faces of the front-line orcs.
"Jared."
"Yes, sir."
"How is it?"
The wind from the plains blew through, ruffling Yuri's black hair.
He turned to Jared with a grin.
"Aren't you glad you followed me?"
"Who knows."
Jared suddenly felt an old memory stir.
One day, Yuri had barged into the royal guard and picked him as a sparring partner. He'd faced him without thinking much of it.
That was the beginning.
If it hadn't been for the prince, where would he be standing now?
Would he have even come to the Allied Army?
He'd probably still be standing like a statue in the palace as one of the royal guards. It would've been easy and comfortable, but compared to now, his life would've been dull and colorless.
"Why do you think that?"
"You don't realize what kind of face you're making right now, do you?"
"My face?"
Only then did Jared realize he was smiling.
"You can look forward to more. The Allied Army is just the start."
"Are you serious?"
"You think I'm not?"
"Well…"
With this prince, it wouldn't be surprising if he pulled off something even bigger than the Allied Army.
"What exactly are you planning to do next?"
At some point, he'd started thinking that way.
The prince seemed to act on a whim, but in truth, he wasn't. It was as if he were preparing something.
Yuri let out a quiet chuckle and gestured.
"Alright. Feeling generous. I'll give you a hint today. Come closer."
"Well…"
"If you don't want to, forget it."
For some reason, Jared felt like Yuri would pull a prank—so he hesitated at the idea of getting close. But he held back and leaned in.
Yuri whispered.
"..."
Upon hearing it, Jared tilted his head.
The meaning was clear, but the weight of it was too great. For a moment, his brain couldn't process it.
He had to chew on the words a few times before he finally jerked back in shock.
"Wait, what do you mean…?"
"You're an accomplice now."
"Pardon?"
"You're the only one I told. So if something happens to me, it's your fault."
"I'm good at keeping secrets."
"I know. That's why I told you. You really are a talent I chose."
"That's not what's important right now…"
"Enough."
Yuri shook his head.
"Let's kill those orcs first, then think."
"Understood."
While they were talking, the orcs had truly drawn close.
Yuri, gripping Guilty, waited for their charge.
"Uh…"
At that moment.
Yuri turned his gaze.
And not just him—every knight standing on the plain suddenly looked in one direction.
The immense presence they'd only vaguely sensed was now unmistakably showing itself.
Behind the orc army, a massive shadow moved.
It was like a mountain was shifting.
Yuri murmured the name.
"Okua."
The creature was finally revealing itself.
[T/L: Read more chapters on Ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]