Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Coiling Around Urk's Body, Sweeping Down, and Cleaving
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The serpents coiled around Urk's body, swept downward, and slashed.
Chiriririririt!
The two snakes, having thoroughly shredded their master's foe, coiled back up and returned to sword form.
All that remained where they had rampaged was a single orc, blood pooling around it.
Spuuurt!
Blood flowers finally bloomed late from Urk's wounds, soaking the valley floor.
Thud!
"Not bad at all,"
Ian, landing on the ground, was satisfied with the devastating power of the Twin-Headed Blood Serpent now revealed in actual combat.
It didn't match the destructive force of his cherished weapon from his past life, the Golden Heaven Chain, but it was sharp and vicious enough—no shortcomings for use in the meantime.
Of course, treating a weapon on the level of the Twin-Headed Blood Serpent as a mere substitute was absurd to begin with.
Watching Ian like this, the blood-soaked Urk urgently shouted to the orcs.
"Everyone, kill him! If he's left alive, he'll surely bring ruin to our tribe!!"
"Chwi... Guuaaah!!"
"Kill the human!!"
Perhaps sensing the desperation in Urk's cry.
The surviving orcs charged at Ian like mad.
"Uwaaaah!!"
Then, amid the orcs' advance, an unexpected cheer pierced through—from the sky above.
Ralph, who had leaped down from the cliff above before anyone knew it, was plummeting vertically while swinging his halberd.
Shwaaaack!
The strike carried the acceleration of his fall plus the halberd's immense weight.
One orc charging forward was bisected diagonally by Ralph's downward slash.
"Grease!!"
⟨ Grease ⟩
"Chwi, chwiik!"
The orcs charging forward couldn't adapt to the suddenly slippery ground from Dane's incantation—carried on Ryu An Pallkion's back—and tumbled down in a heap.
"Heal!"
⟨ Heal ⟩
Helena, cradled in Sylvia Clonen's arms, cast a healing spell toward Ian, who had fought the chieftain. Vitality began surging through his weary body.
"Humans, annoying!"
"K-Kill them!"
The orcs, frenzied further by the sight of their kin's blood, went berserk.
The Latent Dragon Squad members who had leaped down to face them gritted their teeth.
Ian's exploits had thinned their numbers greatly, but over twenty orcs still remained.
Though poisoned by Sylvia's toxins and not in perfect condition, they were still a formidable force for the squad to handle.
"Damn it, this might be my grave today."
"Tch, like we've been possessed. Why the hell did we jump in here..."
All the Latent Dragon Squad members grumbled, but they knew better than anyone why they had leaped in.
Ian had stood tall against nearly a hundred orcs.
Not content with that, he had boldly pressed the chieftain in their duel.
If such a sight didn't make their blood boil, they would be unfit as members of a martial clan.
Even if they were the clan's troublemakers, they were still proud members of the clan.
The great calamity, archenemy of Aslan Kingdom and scourge of the southern continent.
They weren't the type to stand by idly or flee like cowards at the sight of their leader battling alone against its monsters.
Shwaaaack!
Ryu An slashed short the arm of an orc lunging at him with his sword and shouted toward Ian.
"Captain! Leave this to us and go! The chieftain's fleeing!"
At Ryu An's cry, Ian—who was receiving Helena's healing—turned his gaze to the rear of the orcs.
The chieftain Urk, who had ordered a full assault, had already turned tail and chosen flight.
An orc who prided itself on being an honorable warrior—a chieftain, no less—fleeing ahead of its subordinates.
They even spoke the common tongue, but to think they'd embraced the darker side of humanity too.
'Golden Eye...'
The pinnacle of the orcs, the hegemon who had forged a major force encompassing multiple races within the great calamity.
The prodigy of the calamity, actively embracing human culture and thought.
Ian suddenly felt curiosity toward this Golden Eye orc, but now was not the time to dwell on it.
"I'll leave this to you. Don't push too hard—use Sylvia's poison and fall back slowly."
Taat!
Ian raced after Urk, severing the ankle muscles of orcs in his path without pause.
His movements were so natural, it was as if the orcs were offering their ankles to his weapon of their own accord.
"...Huh. He actually left when told."
Ralph pouted and grumbled, and the squad members chimed in.
"He went that far for us and left—if we complain, we'd be unfit not just as martial clan members, but as men."
"Rookie."
"R-Ralph... you seem kinda lame..."
"Tsk tsk, what a waste of that build."
As everyone jabbed sharply, Ralph's face flushed red, and he bellowed.
"...I know! I was just saying it for the hell of it!"
Bwoooong!
His embarrassment soon turned into stamina for swinging his halberd.
"Fall back? Hell no, we're taking them all here! Come on, you pig bastards! I'm Ralph Kalia of the Kalia Warrior School!!"
"Damn it all...!!"
Urk gnashed his teeth as he fled without even staunching the flowing blood.
There were too many wounds; he couldn't tighten his muscles enough to stop the bleeding.
'How the hell did it come to this?'
The humans they had faced over the Fire Mountains until now were all nobodies.
So he assumed these newcomers were the same.
To him, this was punishment, not a battle.
But when the results unfolded, it was utterly different from what Urk expected.
A handful of worthless humans had nearly annihilated the mighty Red Fang Orc Tribe.
Not even sturdy humans clashing against Karakthus the Earth Dragon's great desert forces in the northern calamity.
Just mere children, not yet come of age.
This disaster had befallen them in battle against such whelps.
It was shame not just for the tribe, but for the orc race itself.
If word of this spread to the calamity, monsters from the other three great powers—not to mention lone powerhouses—would target the Fire Mountains region.
Even under Golden Heaven's protection, it would mean nothing.
The foundation of the calamity was survival of the fittest.
The weak simply perished before the strong.
A force crumbling to mere human children wouldn't catch anyone's eye, protection or no.
No— if Golden Eye learned of this, he'd discard the Red Fang Orc Tribe first.
No one wanted a pathetic force tarnishing their name under their banner.
'...In that case, there's only one option left.'
The 'guest' dispatched from Golden Heaven to the tribe's village.
He'd have to borrow that one's power to resolve this crisis.
After all, the enemy was fewer than ten humans.
With the 'guest's' help, it could be cleaned up in an instant.
...Rustle!
Ahead of Urk, dragging his battered body toward the tribe's village.
The bushes twitched, someone revealing their presence.
"!"
Urk, startled by the sudden appearance, raised his guard.
Normally, no monsters in the Fire Mountains could threaten him, but now he was covered in wounds.
One of the other powers, lying in wait, might have targeted his position.
Gripping his axe tightly in tense anticipation, Urk relaxed upon seeing who emerged from the bushes.
"Huh? What, it's already over? Damn, I was on my way to watch."
It was none other than the 'guest' scratching the back of his head.
"Hmm... But hey, Chieftain. You look kinda off? Your condition's trashed."
The guest tossed the question laced with faint mockery.
His appearance was peculiar.
As evident from Urk, who towered a full head above average orcs—among orcs, size symbolized strength.
Yet the guest was far smaller than even average orcs.
If you saw only his shadow without his orcish features, you'd swear he was a burly human.
His small stature as an orc was odd enough, but his face was stranger still.
Unlike typical orcs' green skin, the guest's head was pitch-gray.
As if it had been grafted on separately.
The sight exuded an eerie aura.
"...Iron Mask. Shamefully, we've suffered heavy losses to human schemes. At this rate, the tribe may be annihilated. I need your help."
"Wheeeeeew!!"
At Urk's desperate plea, the one called Iron Mask merely whistled—a mix of admiration or ridicule.
"Whoa, the martial clan came prepared this time, huh? These humans must be pretty tough. Even Urk of the Fire Mountains looks like shredded rags."
Kukuku!
Iron Mask covered his mouth with one hand, bursting into laughter. Urk urged him on again.
"No time, Iron Mask! We must hurry to save the tribesmen! If we delay, the Fire Mountains will fall to humans!"
Iron Mask's eyes widened at Urk's frantic words.
"Huh? What nonsense is that?"
He countered as if truly baffled by Urk's words.
"Must be some misunderstanding. The Fire Mountains only matter to us as a foothold to push into human lands. To them, it's worthless dirt they'd refuse even if given. Can't farm it, hard to defend, crawling with monsters like us. Why would they want a hassle like that?"
Urk grew irritated at Iron Mask's endless irrelevant chatter.
"...Aren't humans actually attacking our tribe right now?!"
Even now, his tribe was weakening, dwindling.
"No, no. You're seriously misunderstanding something."
Iron Mask dug at his ear with his pinky, grinning at the wax on his fingertip.
"Ooh, a big one... Anyway, back to it. They pushed this far because you rampaged too much, Urk."
"W-What?"
"You think humans are crazy enough to eye this useless land? It's not the Fire Mountains they want. You got cocky just because you're under the boss."
Fuu!
Iron Mask flicked away the earwax and brushed his fingers.
"Well, you've held off humans decently so far. I was planning to officially recognize the Red Fang Orc Tribe as Golden Heaven's subordinate after one more success... Oh right, I was the examiner. This flunks you. Sorry, Red Fang Orc Tribe—disposed of here!"
Wink!
Iron Mask winked at Urk.
Despite the words, his attitude showed no regret whatsoever, and Urk's pent-up rage finally exploded.
"Chwiiiik! Shut your bullshit up!!!"
So furious that even his practiced common tongue mixed with orcish snorts.
Urk swung his axe murderously at Iron Mask.
Kwaaaaang!
"...Huh?"
In Iron Mask's hand—before Urk—suddenly appeared the massive greatsword from his back.
The moment Urk registered the greatsword, the weight of the axe in his grip vanished.
No, it wasn't just the weight.
...Thud!
Below the elbow.
Urk's entire arm gripping the axe had been severed and fallen to the ground.
"Chwi, chwiieeeek!!!"
Still blood left to spill; it fountained from the stump like a spring. Urk collapsed to his knees, screaming in agony.
"Ah, shut up. Jeez. Still can't drop the snorts? Extra fail!"
Shing!
Iron Mask swung his greatsword playfully, and Urk's screams ceased.
Spuuurt!
Unable to scream, bisected and crumpling.
As blood rained from the cleaved cross-section of Urk's body, some splattered on Iron Mask's shoulder. His face twisted.
"Ugh, gross."
Swish, swish!
Iron Mask pulled a cloth from his bosom and wiped his shoulder.
His demeanor was no different from a human cleaning mud.
"So, what about you?"
The space was clearly empty, yet he spoke casually as if to someone beside him.
"If you don't come out, I'm gonna get in a bad mood. Better just show yourself, no?"
...Sss...
At Iron Mask's threatening invitation, a figure emerged from the bushes behind.
It was Ian, who had pursued Urk.