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…"

he turned his head, his eyes focused on

"What is it… strategist."

"About that…"

strategist caressed his hands and glanced at

circumstance was, he turned

possible, could you

"That's impossible."

The face of the strategist turned pale, and just as he was about to continue speaking, he

"But why!? If you-"

"I said that's impossible."

shook his head once more, his

the gaze and hastily lowered

he

I want to stand here and do

of a sudden,

"Yes?"

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

"N,no."

head, processing

not acting, it's not because I don't want to, but because

"Preventing you?"

the impression of having comprehended something, and he hurriedly turned his head to look at the

you

the strategist,

"That's correct."

nodded his head, content that the strategist

to happen, and the two of us were

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

I didn't think

hung his head in

as the strategist who represented the

he should've seen through

had failed as a

"It's alright."

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

is still not impossible for

"You mean…"

he quickly raised his head. He

a way for us to win the war.

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

short while, he raised his head in

also a noticeable shock and unwillingness to

"Commander!"

figured it out? If you did, go ahead

at him with a knowing look, the

end, he

"…I understand."

shoulders hunched and walked briskly in the direction of one of

expression underwent a change immediately after the

something to himself in a low

the only