Underground Ruins (5)
Kalakyr couldn't hold back after hearing such words from Karaku.
His nostrils flared, and the veins in his neck bulged.
Crunch!
He had to grind his teeth just to calm his rage enough to speak.
"You filthy old wretch! If you thought I'd refuse, you were mistaken! I won't feel satisfied until I beat you to death right here in front of everyone! Karaku!"
He'd tried to avoid turning it into a duel if possible, but now even he couldn't restrain himself.
Before the fight began, Karaku laid out one condition.
"This duel follows our customs. No using demon power."
The watching orcs voiced their agreement.
"Right!"
"Do it as Karaku says!"
Great Chieftain Kaladashyr accepted it.
"As if that condition will make you win! Do whatever you want!"
He tossed aside the staff he was holding.
To a mage, it was like a swordsman laying down his blade.
Of course, a great chieftain like him could still cast some spells without it, but with severe limitations.
True to his word, he intended to settle this duel with raw physical power.
"Hey, you! Bring me my flail!"
At the great chieftain's shout, his subordinates scrambled into action.
Soon, three orcs came flying in, grunting as they hauled a single weapon.
It was a monstrous two-handed flail over three meters long.
"Haven't used this in ages!"
The great chieftain smirked as he took the weapon.
The flail was made entirely of iron except for the leather-wrapped handle.
Its head was studded with sharp iron spikes, fearsome just to look at.
The spikes were arranged haphazardly, pointed every which way, making it look even more vicious.
The great chieftain slung the flail over his shoulder and strode toward Karaku.
"You wretched old fool. Even at your peak, you couldn't beat this body."
He sneered at the weapons in Karaku's hands.
"Kuhahaha! Fitting for an old bag like you. But behold this magnificent flail. Compared to it, yours is fit only for sweeping dust!"
"Not bad. Since you're the kind of dusty trash our orc society needs to sweep away."
"What? I won't listen to another word! I'll snap your legs and yank out every whisker! Grraaaargh!"
The great chieftain charged with a thunderous roar.
Thud! Thud! Boom!
The entire cavern seemed to shake as the massive figure barreled forward.
Karaku stood at 2.5 meters tall, but Great Chieftain Kaladashyr was a full 3.5 meters.
True to his ogre bloodline, he boasted a frame on another level from ordinary orcs.
"Die!"
He swung as if to pulverize his foe in one blow.
But it was actually a cunning feint.
He released his left hand from the flail, swiftly unwrapping the bearskin at his waist and hurling it forward.
Whoosh!
The broad hide unfurled, instantly blinding Karaku's vision.
In that gap, the great chieftain brought down the massive flail.
"Crush!"
It had the force to flatten a mountain.
But the flail head struck nothing.
Just the ground. And in that moment, pain shot through the great chieftain's thigh, staggering him.
"Guh!"
Karaku had ducked low and raked the scythe's blade across it as he passed.
He'd already read his opponent's intent.
"Quite the drama queen."
"Shut up!"
The great chieftain whirled toward the voice, swinging the flail, but Karaku had already retreated.
"I knew you'd pull a dirty trick from the start, Kaladashyr."
"Scurrying like a rat."
"No, that cunning brain of yours is more rat-like."
Karaku tapped his forehead with the sword in his left hand and sneered, driving the great chieftain to the brink of madness.
Now he attacked with full fury.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The two-handed flail whipped through the air with terrifying whooshes.
The sound was so vicious that the spectating orcs flinched like turtles pulling in their heads.
Boom!
The flail smashed where Karaku had just been.
Karaku glanced at the cratered floor and felt a chill down his spine.
One solid hit and it's over. That ogre blood makes him a monster of strength.
Even as it struck, shattered stones flew up and pelted his thigh.
"Rat! Rat! You old rat! How long do you plan to run?!"
The great chieftain swung the long weapon with all his might, making it hard for Karaku even to approach.
But this way, nothing would get done.
He forced his way in, only for the great chieftain to anticipate it.
"You bastard!"
"Kuh!"
Sensing danger, Karaku barely dodged.
Whoosh!
He avoided being crushed, but the mace in his right hand took the hit.
Clang!
A sharp clash of metal rang out, and Karaku's mace flew far away.
It bounced several times before embedding in a spectator orc's head and stopping.
Impossible to retrieve now.
"Kuh!"
The shock left Karaku's right hand numb and useless.
Before he could brace for the next attack, the great chieftain's backhand caught him across the face, sending him flying.
"Gwaaak!"
He rolled several times before stopping, the world spinning around him.
Ptui.
He spat, and a few broken teeth came out with it.
Unbelievable.
Not even hit by the flail, just a backhand—and he'd nearly blacked out.
Ogre strength and magic inherited... Is he really a superior species? Something orcs can't overcome?
For a moment, he even doubted the duel itself.
His opponent felt insurmountably distant.
But he chose to trust the truth he'd seen on battlefields his whole life.
No. Every fight has a path to victory.
Karaku rose again with indomitable will.
Bloody, sticky saliva dangled from his chin.
Seeing this, the great chieftain finally approached with a satisfied grin.
"You filthy old wretch. Fear fills your eyes! Kuhahaha! You'll die here—a pathetic death!"
"I don't care."
"What?"
"Now everyone will know there was one who resisted demon power. It's an important step! To purge that evil from the orcs!"
The answer grated on him, so the great chieftain scowled.
"What can one step achieve? The tide has already turned!"
He decided to make Karaku's death as miserable as possible.
To ensure no one else dared rise up.
He swung the flail furiously with both hands.
Whoosh! Clang!
After several exchanges, Karaku was cornered again.
But by then, he'd grasped one crucial fact.
The supposedly flawless great chieftain had a weakness.
Yes, you bastard. You're not perfect.
To Karaku, Great Chieftain Kaladashyr lacked balance.
Undoubtedly due to his mixed blood.
No matter the ogre strength, half his body was orc.
Unable to fully support that immense power like a pure ogre.
Thus, every swing of that huge, heavy flail caused his body to tilt subtly to one side.
Almost dragged by the weapon's centrifugal force.
Such a massive flail was wieldable only by one with ogre blood like the great chieftain—but it also exposed his flaw.
Karaku didn't miss it.
The seasoned warrior timed his strike perfectly in the razor-thin window.
Slash!
The scythe's sharp blade gashed across the great chieftain's chest.
Thick pectoral muscles split, and a scream erupted.
"Graaaaaah!"
Shock and terror flooded the eyes that had burned with rage.
How?
The great chieftain couldn't believe the blow he'd taken.
As Karaku moved for a second strike, he recoiled in fear.
His mind flashed with an image of the blade plunging deep into his gut.
No! I can't go down like this!
In the end, he resorted to foul play.
Using a spell, despite his earlier vow.
"Huuuuh!"
He exhaled fiercely from his mouth.
Whoosh!
Fierce embers sprayed out.
Without his staff, full incantations were impossible, but this much he could do anytime.
The embers engulfed Karaku's eyes.
"Aaaagh!"
Blinded by the sparks and thick smoke, Karaku lost his sight.
No matter how he tried to open them, they only burned; he saw nothing.
Some orcs noticed and groaned in dismay, but the great chieftain ignored them.
"Only victory matters!"
He shouted it as if to himself and swung the flail with all his might.
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Karaku couldn't dodge; he had to block with the scythe.
Right hand on the handle, left on the blade.
Clang!
A deafening crash, and the scythe's blade crumpled completely.
Crack.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the shaft.
My arms feel like they'll fall off from the shock.
The great chieftain raised the flail for a second blow.
A do-or-die moment.
But Karaku focused.
His opponent's breath.
The sound of footfalls.
The prickling killing intent on his skin.
He attuned to it all.
If I block the next one, the blade breaks.
Whoosh!
As the whoosh rang out again, Karaku gripped the scythe with both hands and stepped forward with his left foot.
Just one step.
Enough to close in for defense.
Clang!
The crash was even louder than before.
Like metal screaming, the scythe snapped in two.
But that was within Karaku's expectations.
He instantly swung the broken scythe, severing the great chieftain's left wrist.
Splat!
A dull thud as the blade bit halfway through the thick wrist bone.
"Grraaaaaah!"
The great chieftain's scream echoed through the cavern.
This was possible only because Karaku had stepped forward during the block.
The weapon length difference made counterattacking the wrist hard after blocking—especially with a half-broken blade.
So he'd closed the gap with that one step.
One step.
It changed everything.
The great chieftain realized it too.
"You wretched thing!"
Karaku wiped his eyes and replied to the snarling chieftain.
"Hope that's answer enough."
"...What?"
"What that 'useless' step of yours can achieve."
"Shut up!"
Fortunately, Karaku's vision was half-restored, letting him see his enraged foe clearly.
Quite the sight.
Snort.
Karaku's chuckle made the great chieftain lose all reason, flailing the flail wildly.
But his left hand was pinned by the broken scythe; he couldn't use it.
Forced to wield the long, heavy two-handed flail with one hand, it lacked speed.
Slow, poor centrifugal force.
Dangerous still, but Karaku, who'd seen his attacks before, dodged easily.
"You old bastard!"
The great chieftain grew frantic and fatigued.
His swings inevitably slowed. And at the critical opening—
Karaku leaped up, smashing his left fist into Great Chieftain Kaladashyr's face.
His full-powered strike.
Splat!
A dull impact; teeth shattered and flew, the chieftain's helmet ripped off.
"Grgh...!"
He couldn't even scream properly, staggering back to drop to one knee.
Blood poured from his mouth.
A tooth had broken wrong, mangling his gums and ripping out nerve clusters.
He stared at his blood-dripping palm in disbelief.
"I can't accept this...."
The surrounding orcs cheered wildly.
"Woooaaargh!"
They'd rooted for Karaku inwardly after the chieftain's ember cheat.
Dazed, the great chieftain heard the cheers as distant echoes.
Cheers that had been for him moments ago now felt alien.
"It's not over yet."
He reached out; his magic staff flew to his palm.
Smack!
The onlookers hurled abuse.
"Stop this!"
"Does the great chieftain know no honor?!"
"Will you break your own promise?!"
Amid the jeers, he chuckled lowly.
"Kuhuhuhu... Doesn't matter. Orcs are just consumables to me."
The orcs were stunned.
"How can you say that?!"
"Great Chieftain! Have you lost your mind?!"
Even Karaku was shocked.
He hadn't expected the chieftain to admit it so brazenly.
"After today, you'll lose all support, Kaladashyr."
"Heh heh heh, doesn't matter. Everyone here dies anyway. Truth can be buried in silence."
Consumed by madness, the great chieftain raised his arms and bellowed.
"This petty duel means nothing! Compared to what I do now!"
Owen realized it was time to intervene.
He'd stayed out knowing the nature of orc trial-by-combat.
But the chieftain clearly had no intention of fighting fair anymore.
Karaku's already won. Just look at the orcs' reaction.
Strike now, and victory was assured.
But the great chieftain's next words froze Owen in shock.
"Rejoice! I'll show you here today—the resurrection of the Empire's greatest True Dragon, Tanares!"
An utterly unbelievable claim.
Owen forgot everything, his hands trembling.
"What? Tanares's resurrection...?"
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