Long Live Her Majesty the Queen (7)
Bargulgu was furious.
It was one thing to have ashes scattered over a perfectly cooked meal, but this was utterly intolerable.
'We went through hell crossing the Arcane Mountains just to have it all ruined!'
Bargulgu always reminded himself that a commander needed endless patience, but right now, he decided to forget all about it.
He wouldn't be able to stand it unless he smashed that dragon and boy to pieces.
"You bastards!"
Bargulgu gripped his weapons in both hands and charged like a raging bull.
"Chief!"
"No, you can't!"
His lieutenants tried to stop him in alarm, but it was no use.
Bargulgu had eyes only for pulverizing Owen and Grenville.
"Grenville! Bite!"
Owen, having taken out the explosive wagon, kept darting in to kill orcs and pulling back.
Small dragons, especially Tokay dragons, excelled at this kind of hit-and-run.
They'd shred an orc with their massive jaws, then zip away before retaliation—pure agony for the orcs.
"Cowardly beast!"
"Stand and fight!"
The orcs howled in rage.
A ten-meter dragon shouldn't have been that fast; their weapons kept slicing empty air.
Over twenty orc corpses already littered the ground around them.
No matter how brave the orcs, this was enough to wear anyone down.
"It's coming again! Fight back!"
One orc still showed spirit, but Grenville chomped him first.
It clamped down tight and shook its head wildly.
The dragon's teeth pierced armor and scraped the orc's spine.
"Gaaargh!"
The bitten orc screamed in terror.
But soon enough, he went as quiet as his fallen comrades on the ground.
Grenville spat out the corpse, realizing it was dead, then stuck out its long tongue to wipe blood from its eyes.
That's when Owen jolted in surprise.
'What the hell!'
A massive orc had lunged at them from the left like a predator.
Plowing through the others, it burst out like a tiger from the brush.
Owen yanked the reins right.
The instant Grenville reacted, the orc swung the axe in its left hand.
Boom!
They dodged by a hair's breadth.
Had Owen not pulled the reins, that axe would've crushed Grenville's skull.
'Insane power!'
Normal orc axes couldn't faze Grenville, but this one was different.
It looked like it could split boulders, leaving Owen shaken.
He fired his crossbow on instinct.
Clang!
The charging orc blocked with the sword in its right hand, but Owen had timed it perfectly—Grenville's tail whipped in.
Thud!
A dull impact sent the hulking orc skidding back.
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"Heh... not bad, your coordination with the dragon."
The orc let out an admiring grunt in fluent Common.
He'd seen right away that the crossbow shot was bait for the tail strike.
"Impressive. They say humans have lost their dragon-handling skills these days, but that must be a lie. Makes me want to kill you even more!"
The massive orc approached with murderous intent, weapons gripped in both hands.
But Owen recognized him and froze.
"Bargulgu? The Human Reaper?"
Owen hadn't seen the charge from his ambush spot.
Spotting him now made his eyes widen.
"You know me, whelp? Heh heh heh."
"How could I forget a scum like you... grind."
Owen ground his teeth.
This Bargulgu was a lackey of the current Great Chieftain, his mortal enemy.
That enemy had been one of those who attacked Owen twenty years ago.
Unable to hold back, Owen shouted.
"Kaladashyr! Where's the Lord of Hybrids!"
Lord of Hybrids.
Kaladashyr.
The Great Chieftain who united the Eastern Plains orcs—Owen's longtime foe.
In the incident twenty years ago, Kaladashyr had dealt a fatal wound to Owen's partner, Tanares.
Tanares died because of that hybrid lord; no wonder Owen's vision blurred with rage.
"What? How dare a punk like you utter the Great Chieftain's noble name!"
"The hybrid lord's hunting dog acting all high and mighty."
"What? Insolent whelp. Can't let you live."
Bargulgu spun his weapons threateningly.
This human was odd.
His combat prowess, and his knowledge of the Great Chieftain and himself—it all felt off.
Letting him go might breed future trouble.
"Grenville."
Owen glared at Bargulgu and lightly tugged the reins.
He had no intention of facing him head-on.
He knew exactly how strong this Bargulgu was.
'With Grenville and me as we are now, it's impossible. And no more breath left.'
Bargulgu was a renowned orc hero.
Called the Human Reaper, but he'd slain countless dragons with those hands.
Owen figured even evolving Grenville with a Dragon Core might only let them scrap evenly.
'Fighting like this is suicide.'
Best to bolt.
Owen decided to lure Bargulgu away while fleeing.
'He's a commander, right? If he breaks off to chase me, the orcs will panic.'
Fleeing alone was a win.
Owen yanked the reins.
"Run!"
"Eung!"
Grenville whipped around and bolted. Bargulgu gave chase.
"Coward!"
He pursued in a fury.
His speed was monstrous; Owen couldn't shake him.
"What kind of monster is this!"
Normal orcs couldn't match Grenville's pace.
This one kept up effortlessly, horrifying Owen.
"Damn it!"
Owen weaved to avoid blocking orcs.
But Bargulgu closed in beside them—an unbelievable sight, running neck-and-neck with Grenville.
"Die!"
Bargulgu swung his right-hand sword mid-stride.
Owen twisted left at the waist, blocking two-handed with his sword.
Kaaang!
Sparks flew spectacularly.
He'd gripped half-swording style for the impact, but his arms screamed like they might snap.
Worse, the fine sword he'd taken from Magnus cracked.
"Crazy bastard!"
"Scared now? Kra ha ha ha!"
Bargulgu laughed gleefully and struck again.
Kaaang!
A deafening clang, and Magnus's sword shattered.
But he didn't stop—using his running momentum, he shouldered Grenville's body.
Thump!
The impact shoved the running Grenville sideways.
Owen couldn't believe it.
One orc had rammed a ten-meter dragon with his shoulder.
"Ha!"
It hit Owen anew how absurd orc heroes were.
They breathed like humans, but were living weapons beyond common sense.
In the end, Owen realized fleeing was tough and halted Grenville.
Bargulgu bellowed a laugh.
"Kra ha ha ha! Given up already!"
Worst-case scenario.
The chase had pulled them from the battlefield.
No allies to help against this monster.
But Owen didn't surrender.
Instead, he whispered to Grenville.
"Sorry. Looks like we have to sacrifice a tail."
"Eung..."
Grenville understood immediately.
It was a maneuver they'd practiced.
Grenville tensed, glaring at the foe.
Bargulgu arrogantly spread his arms, raising his weapons high.
"Wise choice to charge! No need to die ugly—make it clean."
"We'll see about that."
Owen tugged the reins to flee again.
Bargulgu roared.
"You pest!"
He lunged like lightning, grabbing Grenville's tail with one hand.
"Euuung!"
Grenville wailed as if the tail might rip off.
Grenville strained forward, turning it into a tug-of-war.
Monstrous strength.
Bargulgu pulled a ten-meter dragon with one arm.
"Kra ha ha ha! Thrash more! See if you can budge this hand!"
With power like that, no wonder he'd slain so many dragons.
But he didn't know one thing.
The tail grab was Owen's clever bait.
During the chase earlier, he'd missed because Grenville kept whipping it.
Now, it was offered up easily.
Like fishing bait—and Bargulgu had bitten.
"Euung!"
Grenville's pitiful cry was acting.
Tokay dragons could autotomize their tails.
For escaping predators like medium dragons in the wild.
The wriggling stump distracted them for getaway.
"Grenville!"
Owen triggered it now.
Snap!
Bargulgu tumbled backward spectacularly as the tail tore free.
"Grahk!"
He'd never dreamed a dragon tail could sever mid-way.
Dazed, he staggered up.
But Grenville had wheeled and headbutted his gut.
"Graaaargh!"
His armor cracked wide; he flew back over ten meters.
Even this tough brute couldn't recover.
"Guhk...!"
He could barely breathe.
Yet he had to swing his left-hand axe without rising.
Grenville charged jaws agape.
Clang!
The axe blade struck teeth with a racket.
Some shattered; gums bled profusely.
But Grenville shoved its muzzle closer.
Bargulgu instinctively thrust his right hand—but it was empty.
"Ah..."
He'd tossed the sword to grab the tail.
Now, bare-handed against dragon jaws.
His entire right hand vanished into the maw.
Crunch!
Bones and flesh tore.
Bargulgu screamed in agony.
"Gwaaaargh!"
His prized right arm was gone.
The arm that had terrified foes with countless swings.
His eyes rolled back in rage.
"I won't forgive you! Never!"
With that, his tattoos blazed across his body.
Owen yanked Grenville back hastily.
'The monster's unleashing his true power.'
From his past life, he'd clashed with Bargulgu enough to know.
Those tattoos glowing meant divine power beyond compare.
The orc god granting strength.
Owen knew he couldn't handle it now.
Fleeing wouldn't be easy either.
"Grenville, you run at least."
Owen tried dismounting to buy time.
But Grenville shook to refuse.
"Eung!"
No words, but firm resolve.
It wouldn't abandon Owen.
"You damn fool."
Owen was touched, but they couldn't die together.
He racked his brain desperately.
'Think. There has to be a way.'
Then, unexpected saviors arrived—not allies, but the orc horde.
"Chief! We must hurry!"
"Fall back! Now!"
A group of orcs grabbed Bargulgu outright.
His lieutenants, who'd followed their reckless chief.
"Let go! Release me!"
Bargulgu raged, but they held firm.
"The tide has turned!"
"Yes. We must retreat."
"Warriors are scattered. Who rallies them if not you!"
They were right.
The explosive wagon had blown; the battle was lost.
Humans and dark elves from behind the stockade swarmed, attacking.
The massive Chek-walla dragon stood strong; small-dragon riders harried fleeing orcs from behind.
Seeing it crushed Bargulgu's spirit.
"Damn it all!"
Ahead, Owen had mounted up and opened distance.
Ready to bolt if attacked.
Bargulgu wasn't sure he could catch him past his lieutenants.
"Chief, now!"
"The dark elf queen might come!"
Finally, he relented with bloodshot eyes.
Chasing Owen while subordinates died wasn't commander work.
"Krrgh! Raaargh!"
He swallowed his rage and turned with his men.
But he paused, asking one thing.
"You! What's your name!"
Owen replied calmly.
"Owen. Tell your master Owen demands revenge."
"What?"
Bargulgu felt an indescribable chill.
This human who'd humiliated him shared a name with the empire's terror from twenty years ago.
He sensed fate.
Looking closer, the boy radiated the old Duke Glendower's aura.
Strange.
The empire's guardian was dead.
And this was just a youth.
'Why does that Glendower bastard come to mind?'
A massive unease gripped him.
Then, the item in his bosom vibrated faintly.
Vrrr!
A gift from the Great Chieftain.
'What's this?'
Bargulgu startled.
He couldn't fathom why it trembled now.
Too many unanswered questions here.
But no time.
Enemies closed in; delay meant encirclement.
Even at full strength, killing Owen seemed tough.
Bargulgu turned with a heavy sigh.
"Killing you today will haunt me!"
He had to report this to the Great Chieftain.
Soon, he vanished into the shadows with his lieutenants.
Owen looked a decade older.
"...That was close."
"Euung."
Grenville seemed to agree.
Dismounting to check wounds, Owen spotted something on the ground.
"What's this?"
Bargulgu's severed right arm.
The skull tattoo stood out vividly.
Owen decided to take it to the Surpuk Duke.
"Come to think, the Duke has beef with Bargulgu. He'll love this arm."
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