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…"

When he turned his head, his

"What is it… strategist."

"About that…"

glanced at the walls in

he realized how serious the circumstance was, he turned his attention back to Brutus

could you

"That's impossible."

refused before he even had a chance to state the nature of his request. The face of the strategist turned pale, and

"But why!? If you-"

"I said that's impossible."

head once

the gaze and hastily lowered

knew that he was out of

I want to stand here and

all of a sudden, and the strategist raised

"Yes?"

you really think I'm someone who would just stand idly and do

"N,no."

his head, processing

you should know that if I'm not acting, it's not because I don't want to,

"Preventing you?"

comprehended something, and he hurriedly turned his head to look at the city off in the

something that's preventing you

the strategist, and

"That's correct."

himself as he nodded his head, content that the strategist had finally grasped

Kuzma. If that were to happen, and the two of us were

of their battle reach the entire battlefield, but the losses that would be sustained because of it would be immense.

I didn't think

hung his head in

was given the title of strategist for this conflict; however, in reality, he was not nearly as intelligent as the strategist who represented the other races. He was head and shoulders above those of

this… he should've seen

had failed as a

"It's alright."

he maintained a fierce expression, the

situation is still not impossible for us to

"You mean…"

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

for us to win the war. It's

mind of the strategist, and he immediately began running through all of the various possibilities

while, he raised

noticeable shock and

"Commander!"

out? If you did, go ahead and carry out the

looked at him with a knowing look, the strategist's expression

the end, he

"…I understand."

in the direction of

expression underwent a change immediately after the strategist

inhaled deeply before murmuring something to himself in a low

the only