The entrance to the tunnel collapsed, and flames spread rapidly. Even without any obvious fuel to ignite, the magical fire scorched the ground and consumed the orcs.
The orc forces that had charged out boldly were now trapped deep within the stronghold.
“Akuaakkai! Ko Ometun!”
An orc bearing a flag on his back shouted something. Instantly, the entire orc army’s gaze shifted toward Yuri, who stood between them.
It was as if they intended to kill Yuri, who had somehow broken into the heart of their formation.
“Hey, cut me some slack…”
Yuri’s muttered plea went unheard.
The orc horde surged forward. Even the orcs holding the line outside turned their backs and retreated.
Briol’s troops, realizing the danger, shouted out.
“Save the prince!”
But the orc flag-bearer had forgotten one thing.
Though their dispels had prevented magic use until now, on a battlefield where magic was possible, anything could happen.
The flames that had collapsed the tunnel crept along the ground toward Yuri, encircling him.
A few orcs were trapped within the wall of fire, but that was no problem. Yuri stabbed them with his sword and tossed them outside, where they writhed in the flames.
“Phew, still alive.”
This was the power of a skilled mage.
Usually, he just dispelled magic, but when he could actually use it, it was a reassuring advantage.
Protected by the fire, Yuri waited for the allied forces to finish off the orcs.
Then, suddenly, a gust of wind blew.
Yuri turned around.
The orc flag-bearer stood within the flames—he had leapt over the wall of fire.
“Akuaakkai.”
The orc called out Yuri’s nickname, ripped the flag from his back, and threw it.
It was swallowed by the flames and vanished.
“Okumma Kurutu Akamaiku.”
Yuri didn’t know what it meant exactly, but it was probably something like, “You’re dead meat.”
“Okudoku.”
Yuri spat back an orc curse he’d learned from Kori and raised his sword, Guilty.
The orc flag-bearer smirked and loosened his halberd.
He was a calm one for an orc. Yuri had never met an opponent who didn’t show anger after hearing “Okudoku.”
“Come to think of it, what does that mean?”
Every curse had its origin.
Yuri promised himself to ask Kori for the full meaning later and focused on the orc.
The spear and axe blades at the end of the halberd shifted back and forth, alternately aiming at Yuri.
A difficult weapon to handle.
If he wielded something like that in battle, he must have reached a high level.
Yuri summoned his mana method, lightening his entire body, and extended mana into Guilty.
A faint glow coated the blade.
Yuri had grown steadily while fighting alongside the allied forces.
Who would believe an eighteen-year-old had reached this level?
“Come on.”
The orc flag-bearer grinned again, baring his tusks as he eyed Yuri’s sword.
His muscles bulged.
Yuri could feel the mana flowing inside the orc.
This orc was a mana user too.
A strong species to begin with, and with mana, their strength was multiplied.
“Kuaaak!”
The orc charged with a roar, swinging his halberd the moment they closed the distance.
A straightforward strike, but the power behind it was beyond what Yuri could face head-on.
He blocked with Guilty, redirecting the force.
The orc’s stance wavered briefly, then recovered.
“Khuhuhuhu…”
Unlike most orcs, his laughter sounded almost human.
Yuri glanced around.
Trapped within the flames, the space was tight—disadvantageous against such a physically strong foe.
But asking to put out the fire was impossible; orcs surrounded him on all sides.
“At times like this…”
Yuri gripped his sword tighter and narrowed his eyes.
He tuned his senses, immersing himself in the memories of an ancient orc hunter passed down through the ruins.
The seemingly hopeless fight shifted direction.
Yuri realized what he had to do.
“Hoo…”
He advanced toward the orc flag-bearer.
The orc pulled his halberd back, his muscles contracting visibly.
Yuri pressed forward.
Just as the halberd began to swing, before the full force was behind it, Yuri struck first.
Meeting the blow at a favorable angle, the orc was pushed backward.
“Kraak!”
The orc swung again, but Yuri struck first once more, just before the halberd gained momentum.
The same back-and-forth continued.
The orc staggered and retreated several times.
It looked easy, but this was a high-level technique requiring boldness to approach a vastly stronger opponent, exceptional eyesight, and animal-like reflexes.
Yuri smirked.
“Is that all you’ve got? Hah, Okudoku, you bastard.”
After overpowering him, Yuri taunted, and the orc’s face twisted in anger. His strength was clearly his pride.
Yuri locked eyes with him, gauging the size of the fury burning there, and read every movement.
The orc bent his knees, preparing to spin his whole body again.
Excited, the orc couldn’t hide his intent—he only wanted to split Yuri’s head open.
He pulled the halberd back and slammed it down.
Yuri dodged sideways, and the orc immediately reached out to grab his neck.
Yuri thrust Guilty into the orc’s abdomen.
The blade sliced through skin and sank in.
He thought he’d won.
But the orc didn’t care and closed his grip tighter.
Yuri blocked with his arm, but the orc’s massive hand clamped down on his neck and forearm.
“Ugh…”
The grip was crushing.
The orc shook Yuri violently.
Guilty was pulled free.
Because of the size difference, Yuri couldn’t get into a stabbing position again.
His breath was cut off.
He gritted his teeth and held on.
Swinging Guilty, he slashed the orc’s wrist.
But hanging in midair, with no support, his strike lacked power.
He struck again and again but couldn’t cut through the thick hide. The orc must have been hardening his skin with mana.
“Ugh…”
Yuri recalled a butchering technique hunters used.
If you can’t cut it, saw through it.
He placed the blade of Guilty on the orc’s wrist.
Holding on with his neck and trapped arm, he sawed the blade up and down.
At first, nothing happened, but soon the mana-coated blade began to bite into the orc’s wrist.
The orc’s eyes bloodshot.
“Kuaooo!”
He didn’t release his grip but squeezed Yuri’s neck even harder.
Yuri clenched his teeth and continued sawing.
The tense struggle went on.
“Kraak…!”
Yuri emerged victorious.
The orc screamed and threw Yuri aside.
Then he tried to pull back his hand caught on Guilty.
But Yuri didn’t let go.
Grabbing the retreating hand, he landed on the ground, raised Guilty high, and drove it down.
His target was the very spot he’d sawed through.
Without a fraction of error, the blade pierced the same place.
The orc’s wrist was severed.
“Kraaaak!”
The orc clutched the stump and fell backward.
Yuri waved the severed hand.
It looked like he’d hastily clasped it.
“Gripping hands with an orc… disgusting.”
Still, it helped him hold on tighter.
Yuri grinned and slapped the orc’s face with his free hand.
The orc thrashed wildly.
It sounded like he was cursing.
“Akuaakkai! Akumetu! Yukukama…”
Guilty pierced the orc’s brow.
The orc lost all will to fight, making no attempt to dodge.
His eyes trembled, then went limp.
“Okudoku.”
Yuri withdrew his sword from the limp orc.
“Phew…”
He’d taken damage too.
His neck and arm, where the orc had grabbed him, were badly bruised. Movement was uncomfortable.
Kneeling and bent low, Yuri peered through the flames to assess the outside.
“What the…?”
But the situation hadn’t improved. Orcs still filled the area.
Suddenly, the flames surrounding him vanished.
“Huh?”
As if by magic, the fiery barrier lifted, exposing him once more to the orc horde.
Dozens of eyes turned toward Yuri at once.
A chill ran down his spine.
“Damn it…”
Yuri realized.
It wasn’t Hernando who had withdrawn the magic—another shaman had appeared.
That meant there was more than one tunnel.
Orcs kept pouring out inside the allied stronghold like ants.
Yuri gripped Guilty and scanned his surroundings.
A mixed group of orc flag-bearers and orcs approached.
Breaking through was tricky.
Seeing Yuri’s swift movements, the orcs formed multiple tight rings of encirclement.
Even if he slipped through one gap, another line would close in.
“Hoo…”
Yuri took a deep breath.
It had been a mistake to come in thinking he could kill the shaman.
There was more than one tunnel.
He’d underestimated the orcs.
He’d grown complacent, thinking his achievements in the past would carry him through.
Just like the orc flag-bearer who died without doubting defeat, arrogantly pierced through the brow by Yuri, Yuri himself had never doubted himself.
Now, he would pay the price.
He set his jaw and stared down the orcs.
He’d died once before.
Now he knew what pain worse than death felt like.
“Yuri Briol. Even if I die today, I won’t die in shame.”
He muttered to himself.
As he summoned the Soul Slash, his mana surged more violently than usual.
Then he shouted out.
“Come forth, vermin! For Briol!”
Someone answered back.
“Good resolve.”
Yuri’s eyes widened.
“It’s the way of doing all one can and leaving the rest to fate—fight as if your life depends on it, because to fight with such resolve is to live, and to live is to fight.”
“Ohhh…!”
Yuri felt the solemn determination that had filled his chest suddenly fade away.
Moyongchan was walking toward him with his hands clasped behind his back, as if strolling through thin air.
He looked like an immortal wandering the heavens.
Yuri muttered to himself.
“Of course. There’s no way I’d die so easily.”
The deadly glare in his eyes vanished, his lips relaxed into a faint smile, and he casually shifted his weight onto one leg.
He had returned to his usual, confident self—the Yuri Briol who exuded ease and composure.
“Welcome back. Heh heh heh…”
“You…” Moyongchan’s expression twisted with disdain at Yuri’s sudden change.
“Your spirit crumbles so quickly. You’re hopeless. Tch…”
“Hahaha, I was counting on you to come save me, Master.”
“Your resolve is fading.”
“What nonsense. I’m the only disciple you have, aren’t I? We have to fight this evil together. Let’s kill off these corrupted fiends! Ha ha ha ha!”
“Tsk tsk…”
Moyongchan walked over to stand beside Yuri, clicking his tongue.
Yuri just smiled wider, unfazed.
Just having someone by his side gave him strength—and that someone was none other than Moyongchan.
“Half,” Moyongchan said.
“I’ll help you halfway. No more than that. Got it?”
“Yes, of course.”
With that, the two stood back to back, ready to face the orcs.
Taking on dozens of orcs at once was no easy task. But Yuri had the memories of an old hunter.
The hunter would gather the orcs with a red gem, then slaughter them in an instant.
Recalling that scene, Yuri activated his mana method.
The sensation returned to his grip.
Soul Slash was both a mana method and a sword technique.
This meant Yuri’s swordsmanship had no fixed form—it could easily shift into any style.
He overlaid the old hunter’s sword style onto Soul Slash.
Yuri felt his swordplay transform completely.
It became swifter, more cunning, guiding him in a new way.
“Hoo…”
Moyongchan tilted his head, watching Yuri’s movements.
He already knew the boy’s mana method was unique, but to change the sword’s spirit so suddenly?
It was like watching someone else entirely.
Experienced and practical.
Strange.
In the fleeting shapes of his movements, Moyongchan sensed the aura of someone who had already mastered their path.
Something must have happened.
Otherwise, there was no way he could have grown like this.
“Ahem…”
Moyongchan cleared his throat and looked away.
His disciple had returned wielding a mysterious sword style he’d never seen before—and it was impressive.
He didn’t like it.
“Today, I’ll show you the Sword of Pure Clarity myself.”
Drawing his sword, Moyongchan summoned his inner energy.
The serene aura of the Clear Mind Technique swirled around his entire body.
A pale blue energy began to shimmer over his rough blade.
“Watch closely!”
He swung his sword in a perfect half-circle.
The Azure Cloud and Crimson Glow Sword Technique.
Half-Moon Stance.
A sunset glow radiated outward from Moyongchan.
Blood splattered across the light.