The Author's POV

[Demon Domain, Kuzma City]

"Attack!"

"Charge forward!"

"Raise your shields and charge!"

The orcs charged forward, their roars echoing through the air as they attempted to breach the demon city.

Rumble! Rumble!

The sound of their footsteps reverberated across the ground as they ran toward the towering walls. The walls themselves were fortified with layers of thick stone, with towers and battlements dotting the top, bristling with weapons and soldiers.

The orcs brandished their weapons - crude axes, spears, and swords - and began pounding against the walls with all their might.

Clank! Clank!

The sound of metal on stone rang out as they smashed their weapons against the unyielding surface, hoping to make a crack in the demon's defenses.

The demons atop the wall retaliated with volleys of different spells and arrows, raining down on the orcs like a deadly hailstorm. The twang of bowstrings mixed with the screams of dying orcs as they fell to the ground below, their bodies broken and lifeless.

"Argh!"

"Akh!"

"Continue to charge!"

But the orcs were undeterred, their sheer numbers giving them unrelenting momentum as they continued to throw themselves against the walls, stepping over their fallen comrades.

"Charge!"

They had no regard for their own safety, only a fierce determination to break through the defenses and conquer the city.

As the battle raged on, the orcs tried everything in their power to breach the city's walls.

They brought forward battering rams, hoping to smash through the gates, but the demons were ready for them.

The rams were met with a rain of flaming arrows, igniting the wooden frames and sending them crashing to the ground.

Boom―! Boom―! The walls of the city shook every time the orcs rammed against them, but as if they were made out of the sturdiest of materials, they didn't budge an inch.

"Continu-ahgh!"

The orcs continued to ram the walls, but it proved to be a futile endeavor.

Not only were they unable to break through the walls, but with each passing second, they suffered an increasing number of casualties as well.

"Khhh…khhh… This is not good."

Brutus muttered, overlooking the entire battlefield from afar.

He wielded a massive war axe in the palm of his hand. Because it was so heavy, the ground beneath the axe began to slope downward.

Brutus took his time as he brought the axe up to rest on his shoulders, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on the walls off in the distance.

"Commander…"

then, a voice rang next to his ears. When he turned his

"What is it… strategist."

"About that…"

strategist caressed his hands and glanced at the walls in

turned his attention back to Brutus and shared his

you

"That's impossible."

chance to state the nature of his request. The face of the strategist turned pale, and just as he was about to continue speaking, he was abruptly cut off in the middle of

"But why!? If you-"

"I said that's impossible."

his head once

the gaze

he

you think I want to stand here and

all of a sudden, and the

"Yes?"

me better than anyone by now. Do you really think I'm someone who would just stand idly and do nothing while my brethren

"N,no."

head, processing those

should know that if I'm not acting, it's not because

"Preventing you?"

having comprehended something, and he hurriedly

preventing you from moving?

occurred to the strategist, and his

"That's correct."

as he nodded his head, content that

Kuzma. If that were to happen, and the two of us were to fight, what do you think would happen

the entire battlefield, but the losses that would be sustained because of it would be immense. Far

I didn't think of

his head

strategist who represented the other races. He was head and shoulders above those of his own race, but when measured against the

like this… he should've seen through it from the

failed

"It's alright."

Brutus patted him on the shoulder. Although he maintained a fierce expression, the level of

not impossible for

"You mean…"

eyes of the strategist lit up with excitement, and he quickly raised his head. He was met with Brutus's

us to

by Brutus stoked the fire that was already present in the mind of the strategist, and he

while, he

noticeable shock and unwillingness to

"Commander!"

figured it out? If you did,

a knowing look, the strategist's

he let out a

"…I understand."

around with his shoulders hunched and walked briskly in the direction of

change immediately after the strategist turned around

murmuring something to

the