Clouds rolled in, blotting out the sun.
A shadow fell over the battlefield.
“Ugh…”
Yuri clenched his teeth.
The mysterious orc shaman radiated a strange power. He couldn’t shake off the black grasp that held him tight.
The tide of battle was turning against them.
Kuruui had knocked down Hose, and the orc troops were pushing the knights back.
“Ah…”
Strength drained from Yuri’s body.
Beyond his blurring vision, a knight’s head flew through the air.
It felt as if their eyes met.
Though his body was dead, his spirit lingered on the battlefield, still glaring at the enemy.
Yuri gripped Guilty tightly.
[Do not resist.]
The orc shaman’s voice was like a chilling wind.
[There is nothing you can do. Just accept your fate.]
His will was being eroded.
A ringing filled his ears.
Yuri could no longer feel his body. Only a faint thread of consciousness remained, lingering in the darkness.
He tried to move, but there was no response.
No—something twitched.
Guilty.
It felt like an extension of his limbs, connected to his very being.
In fact, Guilty seemed to urge him on.
Yuri opened his eyes.
Or rather, he summoned the will to open them.
Then, the energy of the Soul Severing Blade within him became a second eye, piercing through the black smoke that clouded his vision.
Colors faded away like vapor.
In this monochrome world, where only shades of black and white remained, Yuri could clearly see a pitch-black figure.
The silhouette of the orc shaman, his eyes covered with cloth.
He was holding something, from which black energy writhed like tentacles.
The darkness that had engulfed the battlefield originated from this orc shaman.
Had the allied forces fallen victim to such trickery in their past lives?
Yuri had come to change fate.
He would not let things unfold as they had before.
He raised Guilty.
The voice he had heard in the ancestral dungeon echoed in his mind.
The hollow eye sockets of the knight who had died without even leaving a name filled Yuri’s imagination.
Soul Severing Blade.
He finally understood why it had come into his hands.
Yuri swung Guilty.
His body was dying, and he was already drained from the fight, so his attack lacked strength.
But it was enough.
He sliced through the enemy’s soul.
Like a piece of cloth caught on a blade, the black figure fluttered, entangled in Yuri’s sword.
The orc shaman panicked and flailed his arms. Only then did Yuri manage to plant his feet firmly on the ground.
His senses returned.
The noise of battle surged back.
He couldn’t afford to lose this moment.
Gathering his remaining strength, Yuri struck out with Guilty again.
The orc shaman’s faint form was cleaved in two.
“How…!”
The black shape split into two, wavering in midair before dissipating like smoke.
The laws of the world had been restored.
The madness vanished from the orcs’ eyes, and the black smoke that had rendered the allied forces powerless disappeared without a trace.
For a moment, both humans and orcs stood bewildered, halting their fight.
A brief calm settled over the battlefield.
Yuri seized the opportunity.
He stabbed the back of a nearby orc.
The orc arched backward in pain, its scream signaling the resumption of battle.
“Get a grip!”
Yuri glanced at Hose.
Hose was fighting again, but his movements were slower than before, still reeling from the earlier blow. If the fight continued, Kuruui would likely win.
“Damn it…”
Yuri wanted to help, but the battle was too intense. Intervening recklessly would only put Hose in more danger.
Meanwhile, Kuruui pressed Hose hard.
Their weapons clashed. Kuruui’s foot jabbed Hose’s solar plexus.
Hose staggered and sank to his knees.
The axe was raised high.
Then, Kuruui turned his gaze toward Yuri, smiling.
It was a lure.
He was signaling Yuri to come and stop him if he wanted to save Hose.
Yuri knew it was a trap, but he couldn’t stop.
This was the same as in his past life.
Knowing it would go wrong, he charged forward.
That was the kind of man he was.
“Kuruui!”
Yuri leapt.
The distance closed in an instant. The angle of the axe blade shifted.
Yuri approached straight to save Hose, and Kuruui intercepted him as if waiting for this moment.
Yuri raised Guilty to block the axe, but the massive impact crashed into him. His insides churned, and he spat blood.
“Prince…”
Hose looked at him with a twisted expression, as if blaming himself.
Yuri gave Hose a weak smile.
Kuruui’s axe cast a shadow over Yuri’s head.
It was a moment he had experienced before.
When Laurent had killed him in his past life, time had seemed to slow like this.
Not wanting to die disgracefully, Yuri forced a smile.
Then, instead of the axe, something else poured down onto his head.
Crimson blood.
Yuri lifted his head.
He couldn’t believe his eyes.
Kuruui’s arm had been severed.
The arm holding the axe spun through the air.
Instead of Kuruui’s grotesque face, a stranger looked down at him.
A face he had never seen before.
Dark brown hair, clad in tattered rags.
He grasped Kuruui’s head like handling a child.
“You.”
The man spoke.
“You’re one cool bastard.”
Yuri realized who he was.
Among Kuruui’s ranks was a hidden absolute powerhouse. And his continental language was poor.
One of the Ten Strong, a swordsman from the East.
Known simply as The Foreigner.
“That bastard didn’t even feed me properly.”
He spoke broken continental tongue as he struck Kuruui.
Kuruui struggled, but with his arm gone, he couldn’t fight back.
In the end, Kuruui’s neck was snapped.
Even Yuri frowned at the sight of his spine and nerve bundles being torn out.
With Kuruui dead, the orc troops lost their will to fight. The knights seized the advantage and wiped out the orcs.
But the tension on the battlefield remained thick.
The Foreigner who had killed Kuruui in an instant now faced Yuri.
The knights approached to protect Yuri, but he motioned for them to stand down.
“You.”
The Foreigner pointed at Yuri. Even Yuri swallowed nervously.
“You’re a cool bastard, but you’ve messed things up for me.”
Then he strode forward.
Yuri spread his palms, signaling the knights to stay put.
Recalling his past life, Yuri knew the Foreigner wasn’t cruel. In fact, he leaned more toward justice.
“Could it be…”
Yuri widened his eyes, feigning surprise.
“A manly presence!”
“What?”
“A handsome face. Broad shoulders. Exceptional skill. I think I know who you are.”
“What are you saying?”
“May I dare speak your title here?”
“You know me?”
“You’re one of the famed Ten Strong of the continent, the Foreigner, aren’t you?”
Yuri’s words stirred murmurs around them.
The Foreigner frowned.
“That name was given by these guys here.”
“That’s right. It’s quite arbitrary. They call the Eastern Sea ‘Dongdo,’ but ‘Foreigner’ is a cold nickname. Could you please tell us your proper name?”
The Foreigner’s real name was unknown.
He tilted his head slightly, studying Yuri for a moment before speaking.
“Alright. I’ll tell you.”
“It’s an honor.”
“My name is Moyong Chani.”
“Yes, Moyong Chani.”
“Moyong Chan!”
“Yes, yes, Moyong Chan.”
The conversation flowed smoothly.
Yuri rubbed his hands together and lowered his body respectfully.
“Moyong Chan, we are currently at war with the orcs.”
“I see them.”
“Oh, you do?”
His tone was rough, but what use was a prince’s status to a man from the distant East? Especially one of the Ten Strong, who even royalty respected.
Yuri endured and bowed deeply.
“I would like to have you on our side. Once this war is over, we can discuss things properly…”
“You.”
But Moyong Chan wasn’t a patient man.
“How did you do it?”
“Huh?”
“How did you cut down the shaman?”
He placed a hand on Yuri’s neck.
Yuri felt the pressure.
He took a breath.
“That is…”
“That is…?”
Yuri smiled defiantly.
“Let’s kill all the orcs first, then we’ll talk.”
With Kuruui dead, the tide of battle shifted completely.
The allied forces easily wiped out the orcs. Ragna hung Kuruui’s head on his spear to celebrate.
Yuri stood beside Ragna, watching the aftermath.
“The Foreigner, huh…”
“I’ll try to persuade him to help the allied forces.”
“Good. I trust you.”
Moyong Chan ignored everyone but Yuri. Ragna entrusted the matter to Yuri.
It was a sign of trust.
“By the way… really…”
The allied forces were searching the orc encampment.
As the grim truth emerged, Ragna spoke.
“Orcs are truly disgusting creatures.”
Yuri nodded.
One horrific scene after another unfolded.
In one tent, the bodies of slaughtered humans were found. Alongside animal carcasses, they hung on hooks with their skin intact. The flesh was sliced and ground, no different from a butcher’s shop.
Several soldiers vomited.
“Burn everything.”
“Yes, sir.”
The dead humans might have been the lucky ones.
In another tent, a prison made of iron bars was discovered. It resembled the orc cages from Count Saidor’s territory.
Inside were only women.
Some were already bloated from overeating. Most were barely coherent, unable to tell whether the approaching soldiers were human or orc.
“Filthy creatures…”
Elsewhere in the encampment, a group of half-orcs and men, once enslaved, were found. More groups of imprisoned humans kept emerging as well.
Ragna’s lieutenant spoke up.
“What should we do with them?”
Ragna closed his eyes.
Yuri watched him closely, waiting for his decision.
Knowing Ragna’s temperament, he could have simply ordered them all killed, claiming it was to preserve dignity. But instead, unexpected words came from his mouth.
“Graham.”
“Yes?”
“Tell him to handle it however he sees fit.”
“But he’s—”
The lieutenant faltered, then snapped back to attention.
Ragna hated objections. Once an order was given, it was to be followed without question.
“Understood.”
As the lieutenant left, Ragna placed a hand on Yuri’s shoulder.
“You seem to get along well with Graham.”
“I’ve heard of his reputation. He’s a true knight.”
“Maybe he fits better with Briol than the Empire.”
Ragna smiled and started walking.
“Come with me.”
He led Yuri to where the orcs were gathered.
In a corner of the camp, dozens of surviving orcs knelt, heads bowed low.
The soldiers’ gazes followed Ragna and Yuri.
Hatred for the orcs ran deep through the ranks. The entire allied army was watching closely how the orc prisoners would be treated.
“Yuri,” Ragna asked.
“What do you want to do with these?”
Listening to Ragna’s voice, Yuri scanned the orcs.
Sensing the mood, one orc trembled as it lay prostrate before him, instinctively begging for mercy.
“I’m entrusting this to you.”
“Yes.”
“Does it feel like a burden?”
“Not at all.”
What did Ragna expect from him? Was this a test?
Whatever his intentions, this moment was a gift to Yuri.
“Truly…”
Yuri echoed Ragna’s words.
“Disgusting creatures.”
Ragna burst out laughing.
Yuri drew his guilty blade.
The allied forces would both admire and fear him.
Opportunities to earn trust and inspire terror at the same time were rare.
Yuri stepped forward.
One of the orcs slowly lifted its head.
It mimicked a human gesture, bowing its head and pressing its forehead to the ground.
Was it begging for mercy?
Yuri coldly brought down his guilty blade.
Blood splattered.
He cut again and again.
The orc couldn’t resist, lying there as it was hacked dozens, maybe hundreds of times.
Flesh tore open, guts spilled out.
Yuri dismembered it alive, ensuring it writhed in agony until the very end.
The other orcs moaned in terror.
Being a figure of fear to the enemy wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, it felt good.
Even the knights of the Empire, clad in black armor, watched Yuri with wide, unsettled eyes.
Yuri smirked.
Would this fate be reserved only for orcs? If they met as enemies in the future, they wouldn’t be spared either.
He glanced back.
All eyes of the allied army were fixed on him.
Absorbing the countless emotions swirling within that gaze, Yuri asked instead,
“Any volunteers?”
In his past life, the allied forces had never won such a decisive victory.
History was changing.