Chapter 21 - Chapter 21 – The King of Orcs

The air thrummed with raw power, tense and crackling like a brewing storm. The crystal embedded in the Orc King's chest pulsed like a second heart, each beat sending ripples of dark energy washing over the shattered battlefield. Beside him, the Orc Queen rose from her knees, her body mended and swollen with a newfound strength, her aura blazing fierce and wild.Veer gripped his blade tight, heart hammering with a mixture of fear and resolve. This was no longer a skirmish—it was the true reckoning.Jiya's eyes were sharp, calm as she weaved protective symbols in the air. "Stay close," she warned. "Together they will crush us."The King's voice rolled like distant thunder through the clearing."You humans have clawed your way far enough. Now you will be broken."Without warning, the giant surged forward, his massive greataxe cleaving the earth and sending sharp tremors through stone and soil. Veer barely twisted aside, feeling the shockwave knock him off balance.Before he could steady, the Queen pounced, her mace descending with the dreadful weight of a mountain. Ashish slammed his sword against it, the impact jolting bones and shaking limbs. "She's heavier… stronger," he grunted."Hold steady!" Anika shouted, slamming a hand into Ashish's back and flaring his blade with kinetic energy. The explosion sent the Queen staggering back, fire licking her edges.But the King moved without pause, hammering the earth to summon jagged spikes of black crystal that blasted upward, forcing Jiya to raise a shimmering barrier. Cracks spider-webbed across her shield, a fragile defense against the relentless assault."They move as one," Jiya gritted through clenched teeth. "Two storms crashing at once."Veer lunged, blade flashing, aiming for the King's glowing crystal. The Orc King anticipated, swinging his axe with brutal precision. Their blades clashed, sparks flying, muscles burning from raw force."Veer!" Jiya's voice cut through the roar. Her glowing arrows rained behind Veer, forcing the King to break contact.Veer stumbled, breath ragged. Even united, the enemy's strength loomed colossal. Doubt crept—a question unspoken but loud: How could they possibly win?The Queen roared, charging once more. But Ashish met her fury head-on, fists blazing as he hammered through foes with relentless power. Anika stood shielded behind him, weaving threads of light that bolstered each strike.Yet as Ashish advanced, the King brought his devastating axe around in a killing arc—"Not today!" Veer intercepted, steel meeting massive weapon in a shower of sparks. He held the strike just long enough for Jiya to raise binding chains of radiant light, snaring the King's leg.The King snarled, shattering the chains with overwhelming force, but the momentary reprieve allowed Veer's group to pull back and regroup.Breath ragged, bodies bloodied but unbowed, they circled, eyes burning with fierce calculation."They're too strong together," Ashish growled. "We must separate them.""Anika," Jiya said, hardened resolve gleaming. "Can you build a massive kinetic blast? You'll need time."Anika's gaze flickered with exhaustion and fierce determination. "I can, but it must charge.""We'll buy you that time," Jiya vowed.The glowing crystal embedded in the King's chest flared ominously as the royal pair advanced once more.Veer raised his blade, teeth clenched tight."Then let's fight like hell. No holding back."Steel, magic, and rage collided anew, shaking the very ground beneath them as the battle reached its painstaking crescendo.