The distance between Scorching Wind and the Orcs gradually shrank.

Having stepped out in front of the other Orcs, the Orc General led the ordinary Orcs. Ready to provide cover at a moment’s notice, the Orc Archer and Orc Mage readied their bow and staff. The Orc King, who had established the settlement, calmly watched from the rear.

「Milein, how many Orcs can the three of you fight?」

Rei asked Milein, who had readied her long sword, as he raised his Death Scythe, prepared to swing downward.

「Let’s see. If you leave out the higher-tier variants, we can take three Orcs. If it’s just holding them off, we can even handle five. But it’s a bit tough if a higher-tier variant is mixed in.」

「I see. Then I’ll take care of all the higher-tier variants, including the Orc King. Scorching Wind can handle the other five Orcs.」

“I’ll take care of all the higher-tier variants, including the Orc King.” After saying that to Milein, Rei turned away as if he had already moved on, fixing his glare on the Orcs.

「Wait, seriously? Are you out of your mind?」

「Well, we’ll manage. Set, you’re responsible for the Orc Archer and Orc Mage. You have permission to use all your skills. I’ll fight the Orc King after I deal with the Orc General.」

「Guru~」

Set gave a cry, acknowledging Rei’s instructions.

Though Milein twitched at Rei permitting the use of all skills, she judged that it was the last resort he had mentioned earlier, aiming her gripped sword toward the Orcs.

「Sulunin, Ekril, you heard him. Looks like our opponents are the five Orcs.」

「Seriously, having to rely on a G rank adventurer……I’m ashamed of our weakness.」

「Sulunin, our top priority right now is to survive.」

Ekril encouraged Sulunin, who, as the oldest member, felt dejected over leaving everything to a boy in his mid-teens.

Rei showed a faint smile as he saw this, readying his Death Scythe.

「Don’t worry. I can have Set help you right away if things go according to plan. ……Set!」

「Gururu~!」

At Rei’s signal, Set gave a sharp cry. At the same time, a mass of water appeared before Set. It was the Water Ball skill that Set had acquired after absorbing the magic stone of the Water Bear.

「Eh? What is that Griffon……」

Sulunin, who was knowledgeable about magic and monsters, froze for a moment upon seeing that. Paying it no mind, Set launched the water ball anyway. His aim was not at the Orcs in the vanguard……instead, it was directed at the higher-tier Orc variants who could provide ranged support from the rear. Specifically, at the higher-threat Orc Mage.

Although the Orc Archer had already drawn its bow and shot an arrow at the approaching sphere of water, the water ball controlled by Set could be guided to a certain extent. While it would likely have been shot down had it flown straight, the water ball curved through the air, dodging the arrow……and blew apart the head of the targeted Orc Mage.

Although the Orc Mage attempted to block the attack with magic, it required an incantation to cast a spell. It was no match for Set, who could freely direct the water ball with mere thought, and collapsed to the ground with its head shattered, scattering blood and brains across the area.

Orcs were generally foolish, making the spellcasting Orc Mage an unusual presence. It commanded potent magic power that set it far apart from those around it. Aside from the Orc Archer and Orc General, who were also higher-tier variants, the ordinary Orcs slowed in their movements upon witnessing a higher-tier variant brought down right at the start of combat.

By the time that happened, Rei was already sprinting across the ground toward the Orcs. He chanted an incantation as he closed the distance.

『Flame, you are a snake. Therefore, burn my enemy as I desire.』

Flames gathered around the Death Scythe, which served as his casting medium. He leaped from the ground straight toward the Orcs ahead. Activating the Shoes of Sleipnir, he stepped off the air to leap even higher above the Orcs. Passing cleanly over the five ordinary Orcs, he landed on the other side. The only one left before him was the Orc General, clad in crude armour. Aiming for its torso, he swung the Death Scythe in a sweeping horizontal strike.

「Bumoo~!」

As expected of a higher-tier variant, the Orc General sensed the danger of the incoming attack. However, despite noticing the threat, its attempt to block the Death Scythe by raising its sword proved to be its undoing. The strike from the Death Scythe sheared straight through the sword without resistance, and the tip of the blade bit deep into the Orc General’s flank.

The misfortune of the Orc General lay in not knowing that the Death Scythe was a magic weapon. Although Rei swung the Death Scythe with ease, its weight exceeded 100kg. Thanks to its special properties, Rei could wield it freely across its full reach without feeling its heft. With only an Orc General’s physical strength, parrying even a basic strike from Rei was utterly impossible.

『Dancing Fire Snakes!』

The spell triggered at the same instant. A serpent of flame burst forth from the tip of the blade embedded in the Orc General, surging forward to engulf its entire body in fire.

「Bumooooooo~!」

Burned alive, the Orc General let out a dying shriek from the agonizing pain racking its body. Its roar echoed across the surroundings, completely shattering any pretence of a stealthy escape.

Inflicting excruciating torment, the fiery serpent bored through the pierced flank and tore upward through the ribs, shoulder, throat, face, and finally into the brain, extinguishing its flame of life.

It was such a gruesome sight that the other Orcs stood frozen in silence, staring blankly at Rei after he instantly slew their commanding Orc General. The members of Scorching Wind were no different, the three of them staring at Rei in stunned disbelief.

The moment everything came to a standstill, Set beat his wings and soared into the sky.

「……Ah! Sulunin, Ekril, cover me! We’re taking down the five Orcs we were assigned. Rei is a G rank adventurer and killed an Orc General in an instant, so as a C rank party, we can’t make excuses about not being able to handle five ordinary Orcs!」

「Understood. What’s the formation?」

「Standard formation. However, since safety is our top priority, Sulunin will focus on support and healing magic. The offensive will be handled by me and Ekril’s bow.」

「Understood.」

Having swiftly issued her tactical orders, Milein charged toward the Orcs before they could recover from their confusion. At the same time, Sulunin finished his incantation and cast support magic, causing Milein’s long sword to gleam brightly.

「Haah!」

With a spirited cry, she slashed her sword outward. Empowered by Sulunin’s support magic, the blade cleaved through the neck with barely any resistance, sending the Orc’s head flying.

With the support magic reinforcing her blade, Milein felt confident she could cleave straight through an Orc’s torso, despite the thick muscle and fat that provided them greater defence than ordinary armour. Even so, given the number of foes, she deliberately targeted the neck to secure an immediate kill despite the smaller surface area.

A moment after its head went flying, the Orc’s body collapsed to the ground, spurting blood.

「That’s one!」

「Bumoo~!」

Seeing that, the remaining four Orcs finally regained their senses. Flanking the fallen Orc on either side, two of them thrust their spears at Milein.

「Ekril!」

「I won’t let you!」

Milein shouted sharply as she parried the spear thrust from the Orc on her right. Responding to the call, Ekril fired several arrows in rapid succession at the Orc on the left who was thrusting with its spear.

「Bumo~!?」

Several arrows struck the Orc, forcibly checking its spear’s momentum. Although the arrows did minimal damage and were caught in its thick layer of fat, their impact disrupted the thrust and halted the weapon. An instant later, several razor-sharp blades of wind tore into the Orc, slicing into its flesh repeatedly.

「Bumoo~!?」

Sulunin’s wind magic severed the Orc’s right hand and left foot, sending the monster crashing to the ground riddled with deep lacerations.

「Die!」

Dodging the thrust of the spear from the Orc on her right, Milein shouted as she brought her sword down in a sharp cleave, severing its neck.

「That’s two!」

Even as she shouted, she stole a quick glance at her surroundings. Set was circling through the air, pressing his attack against the Orc Archer. In response, the Orc Archer was desperately loosing arrows toward Set.

However……

「Gururu~!」

Opening the beak of his eagle head, Set gave a cry. A blast of flame erupted from his maw, tearing through the surrounding darkness. The arrows caught in Set’s fiery breath were incinerated instantly, leaving behind only the bone arrowheads, which were sent scattering in all directions from the blast.

「Fire Breath? He used water just a moment ago. What on earth is that Griffon……a rare species?」

Witnessing the spectacle, Sulunin muttered reflexively.

Beside the battlefield where Set and Scorching Wind were engaged, Rei’s clash with the Orc King was also underway.

Although Rei had overwhelmed the Orc General through raw power and the sheer mass of the Death Scythe, the general was like a newborn child compared to the Orc King commanding the settlement. In the king’s hands rested a massive weapon, a magic sword that could parry the Death Scythe and would be considered a great sword in the hands of an ordinary human.

「Haah!」

Sweeping upward from below, the Death Scythe clashed against the Orc King’s great sword with a high-pitched metallic clang.

Rei had initially wanted to strike downward, but standing at only 165cm, he was shorter than even an ordinary Orc. If executing an overhead strike was difficult against an Orc General, it was outright impossible against the far larger Orc King.

Possessing inhuman muscular strength that could clash on equal terms with the Death Scythe weighing over 100kg, that was the Orc King.

(Tch, should I have used 『Dancing Fire Snakes』 on this guy instead of the Orc General? ……No, that wouldn’t have worked. If I had targeted the Orc King from that angle, the Orc General would have intercepted me. Then what should I do? My attacks aren’t landing because of his weapon. In other words, I need to strip him of it. Which means……)

『Corrosion』

It was the Death Scythe’s weapon skill acquired from the Queen Ant’s magic stone: Corrosion Lv.1. It was an ability that gradually corroded an enemy’s weapons and armour upon impact. To trigger it, Rei clashed repeatedly against the Orc King’s sword.

However, the effect of Corrosion only deepened slightly with each individual clash. It was therefore necessary to trigger Corrosion every single time he struck the Orc King’s great sword.

『Corrosion』

The Orc King blocked the sweeping horizontal strike with his great sword.

『Corrosion』

The Orc King parried the blade of the Death Scythe, which swept upward in a reverse diagonal slash.

This clash repeated for several minutes. Normally, because weapon skills drain the user’s magic power, using them consecutively was virtually unthinkable. However, Rei had been described by Zephyr as possessing an extraordinary reservoir of magic power. He continued to activate Corrosion over and over without showing the slightest trace of exhaustion.

Sweeping from below, striking from the flank, evading counterattacks, and using his momentum to thrust the butt of the Death Scythe toward the Orc King’s throat.

The sequence resembled a magnificent dance. While sword dances were known throughout Elgin, this could only be described as a dance of the scythe.

「……」

Ekril, who had drawn her bow to provide support, caught sight of Rei locked in fierce combat and stood mesmerized, captivated by his movements.

「Ekril!」

In the next instant, Milein’s shout pulled her back to reality as the swordswoman cut down another Orc.

At the same moment Ekril aimed her bow at an Orc, the decisive moment arrived.

『Corrosion』

Blade clashed against scythe once more. The Orc King’s great sword had gradually discoloured under the relentless corrosive effect……and the moment it collided with the Death Scythe, the blade snapped cleanly in two.

「……」

The Orc King silently lowered his gaze toward the Death Scythe, which had triggered Corrosion dozens of times before cleaving his prized weapon apart.

The Orc King had realised that his blade was suffering catastrophic damage. Even so, he had believed it was not yet impossible to contend with the youth possessed of vast magic power before him.

Rather, he had judged that his weapon could endure his enemy’s onslaught precisely because it was a magic weapon.

「Bumoooooo~!」

Unleashing a roar that echoed through the settlement, the king hurled the hilt of the broken great sword straight at Rei. Using the projectile to obscure Rei’s vision, he drove forward a fist backed by physical strength that far surpassed an Orc General’s, aiming to crush him in a single blow.

「Truly worthy of sitting on a throne. But……」

Deflecting the flying hilt with the shaft of his Death Scythe, Rei rode the momentum to slip past the Orc King’s incoming fist. As they crossed paths……he swept the blade of the Death Scythe across the massive king’s abdomen.

「Bumooooooooooo!」

It was a cry that could only be called a death knell. Yet even while letting out that horrific bellow, the Orc King remained on his feet without collapsing.

Even though his torso was severed and held together by only a strip of skin, the Orc King remained upright. It was, in every sense, the pride of a king.

「……I see. I understand.」

The king had neither fallen nor perished. When a king was defeated by a foe upon the battlefield, he was to be beheaded. Sensing that unspoken resolve radiating from the Orc King, Rei stepped forward, gripping the Death Scythe.

「Farewell, proud king of the Orcs.」

「Bumoooooo~!」

Slash!

It was Rei’s swiftest strike of the day. To any onlooker, it appeared only as a flash of light as the Orc King’s neck was severed cleanly.

Almost simultaneously, Set executed a steep dive from the sky, crushing the Orc Archer’s head with his eagle-like claws just as Milein split the skull of the final Orc.

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