Ketovan was casting his spells one after the other, killing few normal and soldier rank orcs with each cast. His racial skill, rage, was one of the rarest racial skills for humans. When this skill is active, his anger fuels his power.
They were fairytales saying that once a soldier ranker with this skill could defeat a divine ranker. No one believed it, but the skill was mostly useful.
"We are losing numbers." Reina said, looking into her tablet.
"Losses?" Hakon asked.
His katana was now complete, bright. So bright that people can mistake it for having a blade made of pure light. The group was facing a new group of orcs.
They had already slaughtered a horde of 25,000, but that was just a warmup and everyone there knew it. In the history of humankind, there was no such instance where an orc army of such magnitude was defeated without the help of a royal ranker or above.
"60% of soldier rankers. 26% of commander rankers and all the noble rankers except for you both and 4 others." Reina read out.
"Any idea about the imperial army?" Hakon asked Franklin.
"Not until another hour." Franklin said, killing off another group of orcs with his split shadow skill.
He was wearing a freer armor, only covering his heart and neck. His claymore was now wider; a stream of white flowed across its blade.
Hakon's eyes started to glow yellow, and everyone in his group ducked down. In one complete gaze, every orc that faced him was dead. Their heads burnt off and their body at the brink of breakdown.
Franklin moved to his feet as Hakon completed his strike. His hands were now covered in black armor as he channeled his attack.
*BANG*
Franklin lost his balance as he flew few kilometers away from the place he stood just a second ago. His nose was bleeding, and his chest has a dent it. All his ribs were broken except for one or two, but he was still standing. His arms never left his claymore. His chest started to heal as he moved his eyes towards his group. There it was — an orc on a pale green gecko, which was nearly as big as an elephant. The orc was holding the trunk of a tree as a club. Its eyes were now settled on Hakon.
"Royal rank!" Franklin shouted his warning.
Hakon nodded as he took up a stance. He knew it was stranger, faster and maybe more experienced than him. A golden light came out of his body. He was releasing his aura beast. He sheathed his sword for less than a second, and the orc lifted his hand to land its first blow.
Hakon unsheathed his blade. Along with it came his aura beast. A Chimera, its skin glowing the same light as his eyes and sword. Hakon ducked.
The orc missed its first attack. The first step to its death. Hakon beheaded the gecko and moved on to its club holding hand.
The orc was trying to hold its balance when Hakon slashed off its hand. It roared in pain but did not lose its will. It jumped back a few meters, its hand already regenerating.
Hakon did not waste time, he followed the orc for a killing blow, but he was too late. The orc, its hands already regenerated, held Hakon's legs and lifted him up. The 9-foot man was just dangling out of its arms. His legs were mostly in its grip.
The orc slammed Hakon to the ground repeatedly. Hakon, being a noble ranker, was not taking much damage from the ground. He thanked the gods for giving the orcs The Intelligence of a just born. With its strength, the orc could have easily ripped him in two pieces.
A dark slash came out of nowhere, cutting off the arms of the orc, leaving Hakon to escape. Hakon got out of his enormous arms and moved away.
The orc was casting an enormous shadow as it menacingly walked towards Hakon, its arms regenerating at alarming rates. A claymore came out of its shadow and embedded in its left eye. It let out a sharp shrill. Franklin came out of its own shadow, slowly gripping his claymore and pulling it out. He nearly chopped the orc's head in half while pulling his claymore.
The orc's hand regenerated, and it tried its earlier move again. Franklin jumped up high enough to escape the attack. He cast an incantation,
"I command the darkness in your core. NOBLE RANK SKILL – DARKEST NIGHT."
A dark liquid started flowing out of the orc, forming leaf type patterns over its skin.
"What does it do?" Ketovan asked Hakon.
"Darkest night. It pulls the corruption that was built up in one's core all at once. It deadly when casted on beings of monsters of same rank but on a royal ranking one, not sure it could finish it." Hakon said healing from his own encounter with the orc.
"it's not using its core abilities?" reina pointed out the abnormality.
Hakon's eyes went wide as he realized what was going to happen.
"Ketovan, cast your teleportation incantation on Hakon, fast!"
Ketovan nodded as he let out his incantation.
Franklin teleported near them as a wooden spike came out of the orc's hands. Pushing the air aside with such force that it created a sonic boom. If not for Hakon and Ketovan, Franklin would have been minced meat by now.
"thanks' Franklin said. Moving back a little to regain his composure.
Hakon patted Ketovan on the shoulder.
"Buffs, boosts everything," he said
Reina cast her frost burst skill on the orc, but it was not enough to turn the orc into a statue of ice. It surely lost some speed but was not affected in any other aspect.
"I am still not sure how my commander rank teleportation skill worked on Franklin," Ketovan said.
"Worry afterwards, now try to help me." Hakon said.
Ketovan nodded and started casting all of his boost areas over Hakon and Franklin.
Hakon's aura beast let out a roar, its lion and serpentine heads were trying to pounce on the orc. The orc was walking towards them. Each step heavy enough to shake the ground a little.
Franklin regained his composure and joined Hakon facing the orc. His claymore was not back to its original size, smaller if not. His body started to get engulfed in black armor. Hakon's sword radiated with the energy of the sun. They both glided towards the orc at sonic speed.
Hakon tried to break the spike on the orc's arm but failed. Franklin slashed at its neck, which was now protected with an exoskeleton made up of bark. They both were moving in suck coordination as if they were teammates for most of their lives.
*Duck left; left, jump, jump; right, duck; jump, left, right, duck; backward, left, left, jump; duck, duck.*
Blocking, parrying, evading. Both noble rankers could not land even a hit on the orc. Nonetheless, they carried on.
After few tries, Hakon could break the spike and leave the arm open for attack. Not wasting a second, he trusted his katana into the opening and manifested a spear made of pure sunlight and shoved it into the same spot. On the other side, Franklin was about to use his trump card, his skill red night, when his control over his aura beast got loose and it pushed itself out of him.
A dark wave came out of his body as he lost his conscience, letting his aura beast take control. Shadows engulfed Franklin as he started to resemble his aura beast. He became a caribou-like figure. Completely incorporeal.
"Take care of its limbs, human," Franklin spoke, not his usual voice but not completely different.
"Fine. But beware, Tariaksuq, if you try to consume my friend. You shall face the Aurelian, not Hakon Kelin." Hakon said, moving towards its other arm, manifesting a katana made of light.
"You have my word." The voice came.
As Hakon started working on the other arm of the orc, the shadowy figure moved across the orc's upper half and held its head. The orc tried to move its dominant hand, which was nothing but a cloth stuffed with weapons. It tried his other hand but was stopped by Hakon.
The shadowy figure let out a stream of black gooey material out of what seemed to be its head. The liquid flowed into the mouth of the orc. The orc let out a sharp scream as the liquid burned through everything it touched.
The orc ran senselessly. Just hoping to get the shadow off its face but Hakon sliced its leg and immobilized it. The orc's eyes went blank. It still breathed, but it lost its will to fight.
The shadowy figure turned its hand into a blade a decapitated the orc. The orc burst as its soul moved out of its body. Its blood, green with streaks of black in it. It rotted away as soon as it touched the ground. Only things that were left were its core, Hakon's katana and a green color coin.
Hakon moved away, evading the blood and flesh of the orc. He stretched out his arms, and his katana flew back to him, surprisingly neat. Hakon stood looking at the showy figure with cold eyes.
"now" he said
"Thought I could keep this body for a little while more, but I gave you my word. Farewell human." The voice came out, and the shadows dispersed, leaving Franklin out and unconscious. Hakon to felt tiered and fell to the ground. Reina ran towards both of them and cast her healing spell.
Ketovan was shocked. This was not the first time he saw a noble ranker fight, but this was the first time he saw a royal ranker die. The visuals of their attacks, movements, everything were perfect till the last second.
Ketovan heard some footsteps. He turned to face an orc larger than the one Hakon and whatever Franklin became killed. It was holding the upper half of a man, his blood flowing out. It took a bite out of the man looking at Ketovan with greedy eyes.
"you bastard!" Ketovan said, pulling his great sword up, taking a stance.
His eyes were crimson red. His body began to grow big. Not much, but at least 2 feet. Still Ketovan was toddler when compared to the orc.
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