Praise the Orc!
Praise the Orc! - Chapter 122: Secondary Round (2)

Chapter 122 – Secondary Round (2)

Calmahart wielded his axe like crazy. His gestures grew larger. Crockta smiled as he penetrated through a gap. Ogre Slayer headed towards the great chieftain’s abdomen.

“Bul’tarrrrrrrrr────!”

The greatsword and double edged axe hit each other. Each hit caused the flow of the battle to reverse. The contest of strength continued.

Around them, the orcs were fighting while the dark elf arrows rained from above. The rocks flew high in the sky. The orcs, who became fiercer thanks to the power of the shaman, ran along the walls.

It was a gory battlefield field with death. However, the eyes of the two people didn’t shake. One moment of weakness meant death. The two of them stared into each other’s eyes. The axe and greatsword descended again. Blood flowed and sparks flew as the weapons collided.

“You can’t win against me.”

Calmahart laughed. Crockta moved the blade instead of answering. Ogre Slayer slashed Calmahart’s chest. Blood flowed down. The wound became smaller. It healed at a visible speed.

“Did you give up everything to become strong?”

Calmahart smiled. “I did.”

His wound became clean. It was a fearsome recovery ability.

“You! You can’t win against me!” Calmahart screamed. At the same time, he became even faster. Crockta focused and entered the realm of the Pinnacle.

The world slowed. An infinitely accelerated world where the arrows in the sky seemed to have stopped. In that realm, Crockta wielded Ogre Slayer. But Calmahart had already entered that world. The both of them accelerated in the still world. Avoidance, hit, block and swing.

Whenever they hit each other, sparks flew in the air. The sparks grew bigger as the axe and greatsword hit again, scattering red light in the air like firecrackers.

The one who was thrown back first was Crockta.

“Cough!”

Calmahart’s kick had penetrated through a gap and hit Crockta’s abdomen. Crockta rolled across the wall. It was hard to breathe. He relied on the greatsword to raise his body, but his legs were trembling.

Calmahart used the momentum and rushed forward. Instead of retreating, Crockta charged and slammed into the great chieftain’s chest. Calmahart fell down. Crockta also staggered from the impact. Their eyes clashed. Crockta once again swung his greatsword.

It was at that moment. The rock from a trebuchet struck right in the middle of the wall where they were standing. The walls shook violently.

The orcs shouted. The floor started to slowly tilt.

“……!”

Crockta and Calmahart fell along with the wall. Crockta’s vision reversed as he was caught in the collapse. Heaven and earth were flipped. Dust obscured his vision.

“Cough, cough!”

As soon as he got up and looked around, he saw the great chieftain and orcs staring at him.

Calmahart smiled as he said, “It is the end of Spinoa.”

This time, Crockta couldn’t open his mouth. The wall collapsed, opening a path for the orcs. The crowd of orcs was just waiting for Calmahart’s order. As soon as they passed through the walls, Spinoa would be painted with blood.

Crockta looked around and saw that the orcs had already occupied the walls on the other sides. The bodies of dark elves who lost their heads were thrown from the walls. Despite the desperate resistance, Spinoa would soon be broken completely.

However, he couldn’t give up obediently. Buy as much time as possible. He could do it.

Crockta raised his greatsword. The great chieftain Calmahart and an army of orcs were in front of him. They would soon extend like a swarm of rats towards Spinoa.

At that moment.

“Don’t take on the weight alone.”

“……!”

Crockta turned around as he heard a voice. They were familiar faces. Orcheim’s leader Gorit as well as the warriors of Orcheim. They stood side-by-side behind Crockta. Their numbers seemed pathetic compared to the great army in front of them.

“The dark elves’ spirits have become very poor.”

Gorit grinned. Crockta also smiled. Calmahart shouted.

“Kill them and enter Spinoa! Charge!”

“Kuaaahhhh!”

The orcs rushed. Crockta and the Orcheim warriors raised their weapons. They yelled at the same time.

“Bul’tarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr───!”

Orcs rushed towards each other. There was a shock as the two sides came into conflict. Crockta ran through the orc warriors towards Calmahart. Calmahart also wielded his double edged axe towards Crockta.

“Let’s finish this!”

Both weapons hit each other.

***

Surka clung to a ladder.

On the western wall, Crockta and the great chieftain were fighting each other. Sparks flew whenever both of them wielded their weapons. Orcs on the ground shouted for Crockta’s defeat and the great chieftain’s victory. There were constant, dazzling attacks.

Surka turned his gaze away. There was no time to be distracted. His fight was right in front of him. The head of the orc above him fell off. The ladder rattled. Surka closed his eyes and held onto the ladder. He once again endured the shock. The orc that first climbed the ladder hit his shoulder as he fell. Surka gritted his teeth and persisted.

Surka was now at the top of the ladder.

Surka shouted. “The Great Clan’s victory!”

Then he frantically climbed the ladder. Directly below, the great warriors were climbing the ladder along with Surka. Surka used his momentum to grab the wall railing. At that moment, he made eye contact with a dark elf swinging his sword at Surka. Surka brandished his axe and cut the dark elf’s head.

“Kuaaaah!”

Blood poured out. Surka’s spirit became elevated. The orcs hanging on the ladder were also excited to see the blood. They instantly climbed onto the wall. In the end, the dark elves retreated from the invasion of the orcs with flustered expressions. Their faces were weak.

The wall shook as a rock hit it. Behind him, his brethren were marching while striking at arrows. There was no time to delay. Surka brandished his axe and opened a path. Orcs came flooding up from the ladders.

It transformed into a melee. It became an exchange of weapons on the walls. The dark elves couldn’t stop the momentum of the orcs. Surka was about to swing an axe towards a dark elf.

However, he instinctively felt a threat and stepped back. Two sword trajectories were waving in front of him. He had seen these swords before.

The dark elf who used double swords, Driden. He stared at Surka.

“Kulkulkul…”

Surka started laughing.

This dark elf was strong. However, Surka had also experienced many battles and reached this place today.

“This time I’ll deal with you properly.”

Surka’s body was already soaked with the madness of the battlefield. The adrenaline rushing through his head meant he didn’t feel any fear. He wielded his axe at the border of life and death, on the battlefield where death and killing felt enchanted.

Orcs continued climbing up the walls. There was impatience on Driden’s face. Surka didn’t miss this gap and moved his axe. The double swords flashed at him but Surka didn’t retreat, instead pressing his opponent with the power of an orc.

Time was his. Anyone seeking to protect the walls couldn’t help feeling nervous. Surka blocked Driden’s attacks while looking around. The fighting had stagnated.

The first change occurred at the place where Chieftain Calmahart was.

Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!

The wall collapsed due to the rock attack and the accumulated damage from Crockta and Calmahart’s intense fighting. Dozens of orcs waiting to climb up were thrown back by the impact. Within the rubble of the collapsed wall, Crockta and Calmahart stood.

Then the orcs began to advance. The orcs swarmed over the collapsed wall like ants.

Surka brandished his axe at Driden and laughed happily. “Kuhahahahahat! Look!”

Driden defended by crossing his double swords. Surka used the momentum of the deflection to swing it downwards again.

“Spinoa will be trampled!”

As soon as the walls broke, one thing would happen.

A massacre!

The other walls were already occupied by orcs. The numerical advantage and battle experience weren’t obstacles that could be easily overcome. Furthermore, the weapons devised by the great chieftain’s shaman were effective.

Now cracks would spread along the collapsed wall. Then…

Strangely, the heat inside him stopped. Surka looked back at the place. At that moment, Driden’s swords surged towards Surka. Surka missed blocking it due to his momentary anxiety.

“Ugh!”

A blade aimed at his neck. Surka couldn’t move, but another orc on the warrior appeared and attacked Driden.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay.”

Surka took deep breaths as he was barely saved. Now Driden was dealing with many warriors. Surka stepped back. He wasn’t proud of it, but this was a war. Surka picked up the axe he had dropped and looked at the collapsed wall. Calmahart and Crockta were standing there.

“……!”

At that moment, the high Surka received from the battle disappeared in an instant. The ecstasy he felt after capturing the wall and slaying the enemy cooled down. The blood lust filling his body drained out like a change caused by magic.

The sight wasn’t what he expected. The orcs were supposed to be advancing inside Spinoa. It was natural. Then…

It wasn’t a large number of orcs guarding the collapsed wall, but Crockta with his greatsword. Now he was a new wall. The orcs of Orcheim were supporting Crockta.

There was a scene where orcs and orcs confronted each other, with Calmahart and Crockta at the center. The two sides hit each other. Each one cried out their slogan as they became tangled together.

“The Great Clan’s victory!”

“Bul’tarrrr!”

The Great Clan was clearly overwhelming in numbers. However, Crockta and the Orcheim orcs blocked the enemies. The unstoppable march that was similar to a tsunami was blocked by their defense line.

They were the Great Clan, a force that was always stronger than the enemy. But in the present fight, they were being pushed back despite their numbers. The enemies were a small number, but they fought as warriors.

Surka turned his head and saw Driden cutting down the Great Clan’s warriors.

“Dammit.”

The warriors of the Great Clan had proved themselves in battle. But as the battle continued, the dark elves and their allies showed their true worth. Rather, it was the Great Clan assaulting and being destroyed by the enemies without any meaning.

Countless orcs had already died. This wasn’t what any warrior of the Great Clan wished for.

‘Where is your honor as a warrior?’

Crockta’s shout towards the great chieftain was revived.

Honor. They had their honor. The honor of Crockta from the continent and the honor of the Great Clan in the north were clearly different. Nevertheless, Surka didn’t feel like he had honor right now.

The cries from the people on the walls, the sound of killing and dying, the rain of scattered blood, the feeling surging inside Surka. There was no sense of reality. This entire war felt like a dream, except it wasn’t.

Surka looked back. All of the northern orcs of the Great Clan were madly rushing with red eyes. There was no willpower or pride as they were caught up in the great chieftain’s madness.

It wasn’t a dream.

How could he wield his weapon on this shameful battlefield?

***

“Full army retreat!”

The dark elves started to retreat. In the end, the walls were deserted. The walls were worn down by the continuing siege. One side had already collapsed. The gate was also breached. Orcs were pushing in. The orcs of Orcheim started slowly retreating.

“Hah, hah…” Crockta took deep breaths. His body was a wreck.

However, Calmahart showed no signs of tiredness at all. Rather, he seemed to become stronger as the fight continued and the wounds on his body increased. He raised his arms and roared, “For the Great Clan’s victory──────!”

The orcs of the Great Clan responded to the cry, “Death to the enemies of the Great Clan!”

Calmahart rushed and brought his double edged axe down towards Crockta. Crockta threw himself down and rolled to avoid the damage.

“Are you tired now?”

Crockta looked around. All of the soldiers had abandoned the walls and were rushing towards the center of Spinoa. The orcs aimed their axes at any dark elves in the rear. Nevertheless, everyone ran towards the centre of Spinoa.

To the heart of Spinoa. The world tree.

Crockta slowly backed away. Calmahart didn’t chase him. He just stood in his place and laughed at Crockta.

“Are you going to retreat to the world tree?”

“……!”

Crockta looked up at him. A vivid red pattern appeared on Calmahart’s forehead. The bizarrely inverted cross looked like a terrible scar. A red aura emerged from his body.

Calmahart’s body started to mutate.

“The world tree will burn by my hands today. The same goes for you, Crockta.”

Crockta didn’t answer. Instead of Calmahart the orc, he saw a monster of an entirely different species. Then he ran back with the orcs of Orcheim.

Crockta looked up at the world tree. The sun was still bright. Except for around the world tree, all of Spinoa had been occupied by the orcs.

The world tree would burn or Calmahart would die. Today, it would be settled before the sun set.