"Sleep… when you awaken again, you will be young and strong once more… Shizu."
Arthur carefully removed the mask from Shizu's face. His movements were gentle, as if he were handling something extremely precious. Then, he retrieved a senzu bean from the Gate of Babylon and delicately placed it between the woman's lips, helping her chew and swallow.
With her body completely relaxed, as if the weight she had carried for years had finally been lifted, Shizue slowly revealed a smile of pure relief. A serene, sincere smile, free of pain or regret. Her eyes gradually closed, and it wasn't long before she drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.
A sleep without suffering.
---
The battlefield.
If there were a single way to describe the current situation, it would be simple and brutal: an absolute massacre.
Benimaru and the Onis advanced like unstoppable forces, their blows devastating everything in their path.
The Orcs were exterminated with frightening ease.
Watching everything in secret through a crystal ball, Gelmud and Laplace were completely stunned. Their faces—once always filled with arrogance and confidence—were now pale and rigid, almost expressionless.
Where had that group come from?
How was it possible that all of them were so absurdly strong?
And if those subordinates were already capable of such terrifying feats… just how powerful must their leader be?
A chill ran down Gelmud's spine.
He knew, with absolute certainty, that the Jura Forest had never seen majins of that level.
Never.
That could only mean one thing.
They were all named monsters.
Gelmud knew well the impact a name could have on a monster. Even so, even among named monsters, that group stood on an entirely different level.
And then, an even more terrifying thought arose.
If that blond-haired man was capable of creating such powerful "toys" with such ease… how monstrous must he himself be?
A shiver ran through Gelmud's entire body.
Could he be a Demon Lord?
As soon as that possibility surfaced, Gelmud shook his head violently, trying to dispel the thought.
No… it couldn't be. If he were, he would have recognized him.
Still, one thing was certain.
They needed to leave.
Immediately.
Gelmud and Laplace were gripped by terror. Remaining there any longer would be pure suicide. Fortunately, they managed to escape successfully—the unknown being simply ignored them completely, as if they were not even worthy of attention.
But the joy of escape was short-lived.
It was quickly swallowed by a deep, corrosive frustration.
They had always been presumptuous. They had always acted from the shadows, manipulating events from afar, treating the entire world like a giant chessboard.
But this time…
This time, they hadn't even had the courage to face that unknown being.
What humiliation.
What an intolerable absurdity.
---
As for Treyni and the other dryads who had been secretly observing everything, their feelings were different: complete bewilderment.
The dryads were the guardians of the forest.
For ages, they had been responsible for maintaining balance and peace, rarely involving themselves directly in the battles fought within the Jura Forest.
The ability of a few rare dryads to foresee the future had helped them maintain the forest's "peace."
But they had never imagined that a battle meant to defeat the Orc Lord could escalate to such an absurd level.
Arthur hadn't even moved.
And yet, an entire third of the Orc Lord's army had already been completely annihilated.
It was simply unbelievable.
Not even the dryads could remain indifferent in the face of such an overwhelming display of power.
None of them would oppose joining Arthur's ranks.
Quite the opposite.
---
As for the lizardmen who had been rescued, the prevailing feeling was pure euphoria.
Their faces were radiant, illuminated by newly found hope.
Of course, along with salvation, they had also received a harsh and vivid lesson in reality—a clear reminder of the crushing difference between ordinary forces and true monsters.
And as for the Orc Lord himself…
Angélica was the one who defeated him.
As soon as Arthur granted her permission to "have fun," she immediately set out in search of the strongest individuals in the Orc army, like a predator savoring the hunt.
It didn't take long.
Before long, the Orc Lord himself had been annihilated in an overwhelming fashion.
---xXx---
A few minutes earlier.
The Orc Lord roared as dark energy condensed around him, regenerating his two arms, one leg, and the massive hole in his chest.
"Okay, that's more than enough. You should feel honored by this, you filthy pig," she said, extending her right hand. "You will have the honor of tasting the power of one of my dear father's favorite swords."
The space beneath her began to distort violently.
A golden rift appeared, and from within it, a sword slowly emerged.
It possessed an abnormal form, one that did not correspond to what would normally be classified as something specialized like a sword.
It was something born before the emergence of the concept the world calls a "sword," and therefore it could not truly be called a sword, nor did it possess the shape of any known blade.
Although it had a hilt, a guard, and the length of a longsword, the section that should have contained the blade deviated from the normal form of a bladed weapon.
The very "blade" and tip of the sword, twisted into a spiral shape, were blunt.
It had the form of a cylindrical, drill-like pillar, composed of three segments that rotated independently, engraved with crimson letters, slowly spinning in alternating directions like millstones—the middle segment rotating clockwise, and the upper and lower segments rotating counterclockwise.
The Orc Lord's eyes widened as he felt the pressure emanating from that weapon.
"W-What… is that…?!"
Angélica smiled.
"I'm glad you still have enough intellect to enjoy this," she said as she raised the sword toward the sky.
Each of the three segments of the sword began to rotate in opposite directions.
Everything around it was drawn toward the center of that distortion, as if the very fabric of reality were being torn apart.
"Feel honored to experience the power of the Sword of Rupture!"
Angélica pointed the sword directly at the Orc Lord.
"ENUMA ELISH!!"
A crimson beam was fired from Ea toward the Orc Lord, who roared and tried to evade the attack—but it was futile.
The Orc Lord's roar was instantly silenced, his body disintegrating before he could even comprehend what had struck him.
When the attack ended, all that remained was a colossal crater.
The Orc Lord had been completely erased from existence.
Angélica landed softly on the ground, the weapon vanishing as if it had never been there.
She stretched her arms, yawning lightly.
"Hm… that was kind of fun."
From afar, Benimaru, Shuna, Shion, Hakurou, Souei, the lizardmen, and even the dryads watched in absolute silence.
Arthur, now close to her with Shizue in his arms, merely sighed.
"…I told you not to overdo it."
Angélica tilted her head, feigning innocence.
"Huh? But I held back a lot…"
---xXx---
After the Orc Lord's death, the skill [Starved] that sustained and controlled him finally lost all of its effect.
As if an invisible chain had been broken, all the Orcs who had been under the control of that ability began, little by little, to regain their senses. Their eyes, once dominated solely by animalistic desire, once again showed awareness.
However, as soon as they regained lucidity, each of them fell into a deep state of panic and endless confusion.
Panic at the inevitable judgment that seemed to be approaching.
Confusion about what the future of the entire Orc race would be from that moment on.
After so long living only to devour and survive, their thoughts were incredibly simple and desperate.
"Master, we have completed our mission of defeating the Orc Lord."
Benimaru's voice echoed, full of pride and relief.
Arthur couldn't help but smile when he saw Benimaru, Shion, Souei, and the others gathered before him. There was a palpable sense of relief on their faces.
It was as if they had all finally lifted a tremendous weight from their shoulders.
"Well done," Arthur said with a slight nod. "Each of you will receive an appropriate reward when we return."
Upon hearing those words, the heavy atmosphere that still lingered in the air dissipated considerably. Spontaneous laughter arose among the group, mixed with expressions of satisfaction and anticipation.
"Master…" Shion stepped forward, crossing her arms. "What should we do with the surviving Orcs?"
As soon as Shion spoke, the surroundings fell silent once more.
All eyes, without exception, turned to Arthur.
The Orcs had already surrendered completely. None of them dared to raise a weapon or show any sign of hostility.
Even so… there were still nearly one hundred thousand Orcs.
How to deal with such an absurd number of survivors was, without a doubt, a colossal problem.
Not only for Arthur's allies, but even for the Orcs themselves. Confused and almost without the will to go on living, they still slowly raised their heads and looked toward Arthur.
At that moment, he was the only figure capable of deciding the fate of all of them.
Arthur did not answer immediately.
He brought a hand to his chin and remained silent for a few seconds, lost in deep thought.
"Souei," Arthur finally called.
"Yes, my lord," Souei appeared at his side instantly.
"You've already freed the lizardmen's leader, correct?" Arthur asked, without taking his eyes off the scene before him.
"Yes," Souei replied promptly.
"Very well," Arthur nodded. "We'll hold a meeting to deal with this situation. Summon the lizardmen's leader, the Orcs' leader, and…"
He paused briefly, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
"Treyni. I know you're listening. I want you at this meeting as well."
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, as if summoned by the very wind of the forest, Treyni appeared before him, materializing with a serene and elegant smile on her face.
"I am at your disposal, my lord," Treyni said calmly, bowing her head slightly.
(End of Chapter)