J stood there, his body transformed by some desperate surge of power, golden fire dancing across his skin. His eyes blazed with the same color, and behind him, the other orcs from the settlement were emerging from the shadows—Aria's original companions, along with dozens of other orc warriors.
"You want to kill our king?" J's voice thundered across the battlefield, raw emotion making it crack and waver. "You want to wear his face while destroying everything he fought for?"
The flames around him intensified, growing hotter, brighter.
"Then you're going to have to go through ALL of us first!"
The orcs roared as one, a sound of fury and loyalty that shook the very air. They charged forward, weapons raised, ready to die for the leader who'd given them hope.
The Blood Monarch's smile widened into something truly terrible.
"Yes," it purred, anticipation dripping from every syllable. "Now this... this is interesting."
The orcs hit the Blood Monarch like a tidal wave.
