Thud!
As the paladins swung their shields and swords with mad fervor, the Orks ended up flustered.
"Th-These crazy humans!"
"Fall back for now!"
It was impossible to tell who the Orks were and who the humans were in the ferocious holy war that unfolded.
Thanks to the paladins' all-out efforts in atonement, the area before Vadoka's ramparts was piled high with the corpses of countless Orks.
In response to the unexpected defeat, the Ork chieftains leading the Iron Legion held a meeting.
An Ork meeting was simple.
They followed the words of whichever chieftain won the fight.
Since the chieftains were all of roughly equal skill, the outcomes often depended on their physical condition on the day of the meeting.
After a brutal duel, the victorious Ork chieftain voiced his opinion.
"When morale is low, nothing boosts it like a one-on-one duel. Let's pit our mighty special forces against their feeble warriors and crush their spirits."
The other chieftains agreed with him, raising no objections.
The Orks sent a captured human—kept as both food and prisoner—to express their desire for a one-on-one duel to the Vadoka side.
Soon after, the gates opened, and a knight emerged for the duel.
It was Zeke, clad in Hercion.
The Orks, judging by their own standards, found Zeke utterly unthreatening as the duelist, so they bared their fangs and clutched their bellies in laughter.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
As the Orks stomped the ground with their feet, it felt like the earth itself was shaking.
The Ork chieftain who had suggested the one-on-one duel shouted.
"Special forces! Abuka! Come out and smash that human!"
Abuka was the strongest special forces warrior among the thousands under his command.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A massive Ork with a head several sizes larger than the others stood before Zeke, clad in heavy armor.
Abuka wore thick armor and wielded a gigantic axe, exuding an intimidating presence just by standing there.
Abuka let out a battle cry toward Zeke.
"Kraaaaaah!"
It was a deafening roar that could burst eardrums, but Zeke showed no reaction.
Zeke looked at Abuka and said.
"Have you finished yelling?"
The system automatically translated into Orkish, so Abuka understood Zeke's words. "You human scum! I'll rip that arrogant mouth right off your jaw!" Abuka bellowed and gripped his axe as he stood before Zeke.
Soon, the Orks sounded the gong signaling the start of the duel.
Ziiing—
The moment the gong rang, Abuka charged at Zeke with his axe raised.
"Haaaaah!"
At first glance from his massive build, it seemed like he would just bulldoze with brute force, but surprisingly, his axe swing was precise.
Boom! Boom!
Abuka skillfully swung his axe and pressed Zeke relentlessly.
Zeke used illusion step to dodge Abuka's axe.
The axe blade, as large as Zeke's torso, narrowly grazed past.
Whoosh!
The experienced special forces warrior Abuka immediately sensed from Zeke's movements that he was no ordinary fighter.
He did not rush recklessly but fell back, gripped his axe, and gathered his energy. Seeing Abuka's composed fighting style, Zeke shed his prejudices about Orks.
'It was not just mindless thrusting. It was simple, but a ferocious axe art. Was this something all Ork legions learned in common?'
Orks enjoyed destruction and pillage, but they had once been a species that prospered more than humans in the phenomenal world.
They were an intelligent race with their own culture and way of life.
In ancient times, Ork fortification and metallurgy far surpassed that of humans.
Endowed with immense strength and instinctive senses, they excelled at building fortresses and crafting weapons.
Underestimating Orks as mere monster hordes in battle often led to getting caught in their solid organization and calm responses, losing the advantage.
At that moment, a familiar energy emanated from Abuka's body.
'That energy was...?'
Surprisingly, Abuka used demonic qi art, something typically wielded by demons or war god clans.
Zeke's face showed surprise at the wave-like energy flowing from Abuka's body.
He summoned Arataso, whom he had stored in his inventory for a long time.
'Arataso, can Orks originally use demonic qi art?'
To Zeke's question, the sleepy Arataso replied in a groggy voice.
'Orks using demonic qi art? What nonsense is that—like a Cerberus gnawing on bones.' 'Then what is this?'
Arataso fully awoke, collected himself, and read the energy from Abuka, who stood before Zeke.
"Huh? It's real."
Even Arataso, a high-rank demon, saw an Ork use demonic qi art for the first time and found it intriguing.
Arataso looked at Abuka and said.
'I've heard that Orks are a lower branch of the Tuma Tribe. So, if they've undergone atavism, it might be possible. Though it's laughably inferior compared to the resonance of strong waves and empty vibration that I know.'
Even if it was just an imitation, demonic qi art was demonic qi art.
If it had been an ordinary aura-using knight, he might have been overwhelmed by Abuka's demonic qi art without even mustering his full strength.
After Zeke confirmed through Arataso that it was indeed demonic qi art, Abuka raised his wave-infused axe and charged at Zeke.
"Kraaaaaah!"
With a mighty battle cry, Abuka unleashed an overwhelming pressure as he swung his axe at Zeke.
Whoosh!
Zeke unleashed Infinite Sword Art against the wave-infused axe.
Since Infinite Sword Art incorporated the technique of resonance of strong waves and empty vibration, it could neutralize the waves of the demonic qi art.
Crack!
As Zeke's sword deflected Abuka's axe, Abuka was startled.
"How can a human handle demonic qi?"
Unlike ordinary knights, his demonic qi art was not working, and he seemed flustered.
Zeke did not miss the opening and slipped into the gap with illusionary footwork.
Swoosh!
Positioning himself at Abuka's blind spot on the side, Zeke swung his sword infused with the chamber of metal power.
Crunch!
Abuka's thick armor crumpled and shattered on one side from Zeke's sword strike.
"Urk!"
Abuka recoiled, feeling the weight of over ten thousand catties in Zeke's strike.
'A human with such power...'
Humans could not match Orks in raw strength.
But the human before him shattered even that basic common sense.
Abuka gripped his axe again and steadied his breathing.
"Kraaaah!"
With a fierce cry, waves emanated from his body.
Zeke realized it resembled the wave barrier Arataso had used against him before.
'Though Arataso's barrier is incomparable to this.'
Moreover, it posed no real threat to Zeke, who was now twice as strong as back then.
Zeke charged straight into Abuka's barrier.
Abuka bared his fangs and shouted.
"You human fool! You've fallen for it!"
Thinking Zeke had stepped into his trap, Abuka charged without hesitation.
The waves of demonic qi art sealed aura, so he believed Zeke could not use his full power.
He leaped into the air and swung his massive battle axe down at Zeke.
He intended to cleave him in two, armor and all, in one stroke.
"Kraaaah!"
As Abuka descended with his axe toward Zeke, he suddenly sensed something off.
Zeke's eyes, holding his sword, were too calm.
Woooong!
Vibrations hummed from Zeke's sword.
Abuka felt something was wrong, but his axe was already falling toward Zeke's head.
"Die!"
The moment Abuka's axe was about to strike, Zeke's form blurred.
In an instant, Zeke dodged with footwork and swung his sword.
Full power technique
Double spell
Will of severance (cut)
Zeke's sword, infused with the will of severance (cut), surged from below, slicing through Abuka's body.
Thud!
Abuka landed on the ground and slowly turned to face Zeke.
"Human... strong..."
In that instant, Abuka's body split vertically along with his armor and collapsed to the ground.
Thud!
As the special forces warrior Abuka fell to a human's hand, the Ork ranks plunged into shock.
"M-My god, Abuka's down!"
"Impossible!"
"That human must have used some cowardly trick! Filthy human scum!"
The Orks glared at Zeke, baring their sharp fangs and growling.
Zeke then shouted at the Orks.
"The warrior you sent has fallen to my sword! If you value your honor as warriors, withdraw from the Holy Kingdom's territory at once!"
Hearing Zeke, the Orks grew even more agitated, roaring battle cries and causing a commotion.
They were so excited they did not even register that he was speaking Orkish.
An Ork chieftain stepped forward and said to Zeke.
"We owe no warrior's honor to human scum. I'll kill that one, chew his heart, and raze that castle!"
At the chieftain's words, the waiting special forces advanced.
They believed warrior's honor applied only to duels among Ork warriors, not to sly and cunning humans.
Hundreds of special forces stood before Zeke, axes in hand.
Their massive builds, rivaling ogres, radiated a threatening pressure.
They raised their axes and cried out.
"The harbinger of blood and madness watches us!"
"Let us offer the blood and flesh of humans to the god!"
The Orks bellowed with all their might, but for some time now, the harbinger of blood and madness had not responded to their calls.
Originally, the special forces were special beings who could borrow the harbinger of blood and madness's power.
With their sturdy bodies infused with the constellation's strength, they could charge any foe without resistance.
But the harbinger of blood and madness could no longer lend its power to the Orks.
After attacking Zeke, part of its source had been sealed in the ring of Solomon, preventing further intervention in the phenomenal world.
Unaware of this, the Orks simply cried out as usual, hoping for the power that day.
Zeke pointed his sword at the Orks amid their cries.
"Are you just going to keep yelling?" An aura blade surged from his sword.
The Orks charged at Zeke.
"Kraaaah!"
None among them could use demonic qi art like Abuka.
They relied solely on their physical prowess to rush forward.
'That earlier Ork must have been an exception.'
Zeke swung his sword at the foremost charging Ork.
Slash—
The Ork's head flew into the sky and fell to the ground.
He had severed both the axe and the head in one stroke.
The Orks ignored their comrade's death and charged Zeke ferociously.
Even as hundreds of special forces bore down, Zeke showed no panic.
Instead, he advanced and cleaved an Ork with full force.
Crunch!
The Ork struck by Zeke's sword had its head crushed and armor shattered.
Zeke's sword, unleashing the chamber of metal power, carried the weight of ten thousand catties, rendering the thick armor meaningless.
As the special forces were massacred one-sidedly without even touching Zeke, the three watching Ork chieftains panicked.
"Everyone, charge and kill that human!"
But then, hundreds of knights on horseback charged at the Ork legion's flank.
Thud thud thud thud!
"Sweep away the Orks!"
It was the White Silver Knight Order, led by Luno, attacking the Ork legion with aurainfused swords.
The White Silver Knight Order, which had been guarding the port, had joined up with the reinforcements and rushed to the Principality of Vadoka.
Zeke had positioned them nearby and instructed Luno in advance to strike the flank when the Orks were off guard.
The Orks, attacked from the side, fell into chaos.
Moreover, their powerful special forces were pinned by Zeke and could not move.
At that moment, the firmly shut gates opened, revealing the paladin unit and the Black Sword Knight Order.
Leading the paladins was Arch Paladin Baord.
He drew his sword and shouted.
"For the glory of God!"
As Baord charged, the paladins followed, leaping into the Ork legion.
The Black Sword Knight Order trailed behind.
Captain Decker led the order, and surprisingly, Andrei and Aul—Red Knights of Draker— were with them.
Andrei and Aul surged ahead first, heading toward Zeke, who was facing the special forces.
"Haaah!"
Aul's and Andrei's swords flashed, felling the charging Orks in an instant.
Zeke turned and spotted the two.
"Sir Aul! Sir Andrei!"
With the two Red Knights joining the fray, the special forces unit crumbled rapidly.
With Baord's paladin unit striking from the front and the White Silver Knight Order from the flank, even the Iron Legion of Orks could not hold.
"Retreat! Fall back!"
As the Orks sounded the gong and tried to withdraw, something blocked their rear.
Crackle crackle crackle!
Heavenly thunder, Arina's wide-area attack spell, rained down on the Ork legion.