Redrum pushed air out of his nose, holding the handles of his shattered blades, "You were holding out on me, were you? That makes two of us."
With a flick of all four wrists, the destroyed weapons were discarded. The quick motion made Noah react preemptively, defending his neck with his axe, yet–the orc dashed. Not for him, but right past him, like a fleeting hare.
"Huh?--" Noah let out, quickly turning around.
His heart sank into the deepest depths of his gut as he realized the aim of the monster. Right towards the defenseless village, he watched the hulking figure rush. Not a moment was wasted as he flexed his legs with their utmost strength, kicking off the muddy ground as he gave chase.
[Swiftness] [C-Rank Agility Skill]
The speed of the towering brute was nothing to scoff at as he found himself struggling to keep up, even with his enhanced legs.
"I'm right here! Are you scared?!" Noah shouted, throwing his axe.
As he launched his weapon towards the back of the monster, it was deflected by the metal trinket around one of Redrum's wrists, who didn't even bother glancing back.
"No, but you should be! Consider the choices you've made tonight, little hero!" Redrum shouted back, arriving at the wall of the foremost village home.
Noah didn't understand what the orc's plan was before witnessing the savage rush shoulder-first into the wooden planks supporting the back of the house. In a single push, the hulking figure crashed through the home, invading the safe place of the villagers.
The first sound that reached his ears haunted him, pushing him to move faster–a scream; straight from a frightened child. In that moment, time felt as though it was brought to a halt; the orc stood in the main room, at an arm's reach from a young boy, with his parents a few feet away.
Noah found himself still a dozen steps displaced from intervening, yet held out his hand in desperation, calling upon anything at his disposal.
His body tingled, feeling an expulsion like that of mana, but faintly different; a spiritual essence, given form.
[Fragment of Oshal] [Soul Rending | B-Rank Spirit]
From his will, the fragmented phantom took shape as the raging, oversized wolverine, manifesting right behind the orc. It roared with its translucent self, lunging right for the savage.
"Hrk?!" Redrum turned around.
The orc and fur-clad spirit collided as the brute grabbed the wrists of the wolverine, stopping its claws before they could tear into him.
"What sort of magic is this?!" Redrum growled, pushing the summoned spirit back with his overwhelming strength.
While even the one who brought it forth didn't have an answer, Noah used the opening to close the distance. He raced across the muddy soil, gripping the wooden handle in his hand.
The wolverine spirit was tossed aside by the orc, shattering into ethereal shards. Just as it was cast aside, Noah lunged through the open wall, having a clear view on the monster's neck with his axe.
With the proximity of the people in the home, using any of his skills was too much of a risk. He swung his axe and hoped for the best—
"That is weakness!" Redrum roared.
The edge of the woodcutting-steel was stopped just short of the scarlet neck. Both the handle of the axe and his forearm were grabbed, being squeezed tightly by the vice grip of the orc.
In that moment, without knowing what would come next, he shouted to the people in the invaded home, "--Get out of here, now! Run!"
While the children were frozen in fear, it was their parents that heeded his advice as the dad frantically nodded. With the kids scooped up and quickly making an escape, he found himself being thrown back as the orc huffed.
"You think it'll be that easy?!" Redrum shouted.
The axe was kept in the monster's grip, who turned his attention towards the fleeing villagers.
With the air briefly knocked out of him as his back hit the wall, he reached his hand out, intent on his axe that was now being wielded so callously by the savage.
[Recall] [A-Rank Axe-Wielding Skill]
"Hrm?--" Redrum glanced at the axe as it shuddered in his grip.
To the axe, the man's hand was the strongest magnetic force in the world. It sought him out desperately, dragging the orc along with it as the four-armed warrior stumbled back. There was no chance for the red-skinned fiend to let go of the weapon as it pulled the orc along with it, right to the man who called it.
"What?!--" Redrum shouted.
[Strengthen]
[Enhance]
He clenched his fist, empowering it as he amplified his own knuckles with the density of steel. As the orc was pulled into range, he shot his arm forth, plunging his fist into the monster's gut.
Saliva left Redrum's mouth from the shocking blow, releasing the axe as it instantly found itself within Noah's grasp.
The moment he squeezed the wooden handle, he swung it for the orc's neck—
"Rrrgh!" Redrum gritted, stomping his foot down to catch himself from stumbling back.
Again, the blade failed to cut into that thick neck. It was as though the muscles around the orc's throat presented a grip like thumbs, catching the axe in its path.
'Seriously? What kind of body does this guy have?' Noah questioned.
As he pulled the axe away, a surge of heat in front of him guided him to protect himself, conjuring the ethereal shield in front of his body:
[Minor Shield]
"Furonus!"
Before he could steady his footing, a wave of dark-purple fire erupted against him, pushing him out of the house. The meager barrier was the only thing between him and a bath in the inferno.
'That's real hot…!' He thought, feeling himself perspire.
With a bit of vigor, he kept his boots planted against the soil as the fire finally ceased, leaving sizzling embers in the rain. Ahead, he saw no sign of the orc, making his stomach sink as he could only imagine where the savage went–
"Losing sight of the goal here?!"
The monstrous voice coaxed his vision to the right, discovering the four-armed warrior somehow having gotten around. In that moment, his mind hesitated; either to defend or attack, he froze on that pivotal decision.
Even a single fraction of a second was enough to lead him into a compromised position as the orc's palm carried with it a heaping brand of fire. As the flame-carrying hand swept towards his face, the wind whistled–
"Grrh?!" Redrum gasped.
Right into the left eye of the callous savage, an arrow plunged itself mercilessly. Blood squirted out as the orc stumbled back, reeling from the pinpoint strike.
Noah knew right away, glancing back as he saw the keen archer through the heavy rain, who certainly celebrated without any restraint.
"Even you'd say that was a nice assist, right, Noah?!!" Otto shouted with an ear-to-ear smile as the downpour brought his blonde tufts down over his face. "--Sis, you're up!"
There was no hesitation from the four-armed monster as with a single tug, the orc ripped the arrow out, leaving a bloodied mess in place of its eye, "Ruuuagh!--"
A faint glow appeared behind the enraged warrior as Noah squinted before finding it clear as day now; the elven girl held her staff forward, guiding a mystical wind. It swirled in the air, causing the rain around it to spiral before being unleashed.
Astrid calmly invoked, "Luft!"
Before Redrum could perceive the presence of the mage, the wind revealed itself like a dozen blades against his back. The lack of a chance to protect himself led the orc to a heaping amount of pain, as the savage growled and nearly keeled over, though remained on his feet.
Despite the assault launched by the twins, the ire of the bloodied warrior remained fixated on the man wielding the axe.
"You're done," Noah calmly observed, looking upon the lacerated, bruised form of the monster.
"This is nothing," Redrum gritted, straightening himself out as his blood was meddled by the nightfallen droplets. "My comrades were cut to pieces, as I have been! From no more than a torso, I've lived! I've fought–as I will continue to do!"
The reddened form of the former General only seemed to glisten now, glimmering beneath the moonlight. It was a strange feeling, more than the words that were shouted, Noah felt a distinct sensation in the presence of the orc:
A being that lived for nothing else than one purpose; be it violence or vengeance, it fueled the entirety of the orc's being.
Without warning, Redrum lifted all four hands towards the sky, "Vanunalu! Give me a blade and I shall bring you blood!"
The action was desperate, almost nonsensical, from the orc that teetered on death's door, yet Noah felt it strange.
Across the rainy field, atop a slope nearing the border of the village, Otto readied another arrow, "I don't know what he's doing, but–!"
"Don't let him–!" Noah shouted desperately, pressing his boots off the mud to dash for the wounded monster.
Astrid conjured a wind, while an arrow flew from the heightened point, and Noah's axe was set for the orc's neck, yet–they were all intercepted. A pulse emitted from the orc's position, like a miraculous tremor; the heartbeat of a second wind.
A yelp left the elven girl's mouth as she was thrown back; Noah felt much the same as his body was forcibly pushed back as though the wind itself was turned against him.
"I thank you," Redrum whispered in gratitude to the sky. "A storm of red, it shall be."
An accursed gift descended from the sky; scarlet rainfall catered to the monster's position, coalescing into physical formations into each hand. The cloudfallen blood sharpened itself into reddened steel, taking the form of blades all too large to be wielded by men.
[Identification] [C-Rank Close-Quarters Combat Skill]
["Eighth General of The Dark Armies, Blessed of The God of Orcish Combat, Redrum"] [Designated Level: Appx. 10]