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…"

his ears. When he turned his head,

"What is it… strategist."

"About that…"

glanced at

realized how serious the circumstance was, he turned his

could you do something

"That's impossible."

he even had a 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

"But why!? If you-"

"I said that's impossible."

shook his head once more, his

strategist immediately flinched at the

he

think I want to

a sudden, and the strategist

"Yes?"

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

"N,no."

his head, processing those words

that if I'm not acting, it's not because I don't want

"Preventing you?"

he hurriedly turned his head to look at the city

that's preventing you

the strategist, and his expression

"That's correct."

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

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

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

didn't

hung his head in

not nearly as intelligent as the strategist who represented the other races. He

seen through it from

had failed as

"It's alright."

maintained a fierce expression, the level of ferocity in it was noticeably less

not impossible for

"You mean…"

up with excitement, and he quickly raised his head. He was met

us to win the

mind of the strategist, and he immediately began

a short while, he

noticeable shock and

"Commander!"

figured it out? If you did,

Brutus looked at him with a knowing

the end, he let out a

"…I understand."

the direction of one of the tents that they

expression underwent a change immediately after the strategist turned around

murmuring something to himself

the