Chapter 9 - Simple Request(3)

Jogug let out a deafening roar, his anger fueling his charge as he hurtled toward the nearest human—Arc. The ground seemed to tremble beneath the Orc's relentless speed.

Arc narrowly sidestepped the attack, the edge of the axe grazing just past him. 'That was too close' Arc thought, his heart pounding. Without wasting a moment, he countered with a series of swift strikes, his blade cutting into Jogug's thick hide.

The Orc staggered back slightly, growling as blood trickled from several fresh wounds. Instead of faltering, Jogug's fury only intensified. His eyes gleamed a dangerous crimson as his rage consumed him, his movements becoming more erratic but no less deadly.

"You'll regret that, human!" Jogug bellowed, swinging his axe with reckless abandon, each strike fueled by his uncontrollable wrath.

Jogug's powerful swings kept Arc on the defensive, forcing him to backpedal with each blow. The Orc's laughter rang out, filled with arrogance and malice.

"HAHAHA! HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT, HUMAN?" Jogug roared, his confidence growing as he pressed his relentless assault.

Arc gritted his teeth, parrying strike after strike while searching for an opening. The force of each blow sent vibrations up his arms, but he held firm. Timing his move carefully, he saw the Orc overextend on his next swing.

Arc ducked low, narrowly dodging the massive axe. The momentum of the missed attack left Jogug momentarily off balance. Seizing the opportunity, Arc surged forward and unleashed a powerful horizontal slash aimed at the Orc's abdomen.

The blade bit into Jogug's flesh, cutting a deep line across his torso. Blood spilled, and the Orc stumbled back, snarling in pain.

However, while the wound was wide, it lacked the depth needed to bring the massive creature down. Jogug clutched his bleeding abdomen, his furious eyes locking onto Arc. "You'll pay for that!" he growled, his rage boiling over.

As Jogug prepared to charge at Arc once more, a sudden sluggishness overcame his body. His movements faltered, and a trickle of blood escaped his lips.

"Tsk, HUMAN SCUM! HOW DARE YOU USE POISON!" the Orc bellowed, his voice filled with both anger and desperation. Despite his body's growing weakness, Jogug pushed himself forward, attempting a relentless series of attacks.

However, his once-powerful strikes were noticeably slower and weaker. Arc observed the change, his mind racing. 'The poison must have come from Serene's vines… she timed it perfectly,' he thought, a small flicker of confidence igniting within him.

Taking advantage of Jogug's impaired state, Arc shifted from defense to offense. With calculated precision, he parried each sluggish blow and launched a counterattack at every opening. His blade danced, slicing through the Orc's flesh in quick, deliberate strikes.

Jogug roared in pain and frustration as Arc's relentless assault chipped away at his strength. The once-mighty Orc warrior was now struggling to keep up, each step and swing leaving him more vulnerable.

As Arc continued landing blow after blow, Jogug's battered body finally gave out, collapsing to the ground with a thunderous thud. Arc raised his sword, ready to deliver the final strike to the Orc's head.

But before he could act, a blur of motion caught his attention. Out of nowhere, Serene came hurtling toward him at high speed, crashing into him with enough force to knock them both to the ground. The impact sent a jolt of pain through Arc's body as he realized what had happened.

While he was engrossed in his fight with Jogug, he had failed to notice Serene's battle with Urulg. Now, lying sprawled on the ground with Serene, it was clear she had been overwhelmed. Her bruised and bloodied form trembled as she gasped, "Sorry, Arc… I lost…" before succumbing to unconsciousness.

Arc's heart sank as he glanced at Serene, then at the furious figure of Urulg looming over them. The larger Orc's enraged eyes shifted between his fallen brother and the humans. "LIFE FOR A LIFE, HUMAN!" Urulg roared, his booming voice echoing across the field.

Gripping his weapon tightly, the Orc stepped forward, his anger burning brighter than ever as he prepared to avenge Jogug.

Arc staggered to his feet, his legs shaky as he assumed a defensive stance. Urulg, fueled by rage, roared and charged at Arc with incredible speed, slamming his massive body into him like a battering ram. Arc barely managed to raise his sword in time to absorb the impact, but the force of the collision sent him flying several meters before he crashed onto the ground, skidding to a painful halt.

Gasping for air, Arc's mind raced. 'If I hadn't blocked that with my sword, I'd be dead' he thought, his trembling hands gripping his weapon tightly. His body screamed in protest as he forced himself back to his feet, blood trickling down his lip. Again, he raised his sword, settling into a defensive stance.

Urulg snarled, his frustration boiling over. 'Why won't this human just die?' the Orc thought as he sprinted forward, his massive Cleaver raised high for a devastating swing. Arc braced himself, watching for the moment to act. The Cleaver came crashing down with enough force to split stone, but Arc twisted his body at the last second, angling his blade to deflect the strike.

The clash of steel echoed as Arc successfully parried, but the sheer power of the blow sent a jarring vibration up his arms, almost forcing him to drop his weapon. Staggering back, Arc clenched his teeth, eyes locked on Urulg as he prepared for the next onslaught.

Arc desperately maintained his defensive stance, hoping the poison in Urulg's veins would weaken the raging Orc enough to give him a chance. But as the relentless attacks came closer and harder, it became painfully clear that Urulg's ferocity would likely end him before the poison did its work.

'Think, Arc, think!' he urged himself, his mind racing through every possible strategy to survive. 

Urulg's blows were unyielding, each strike pushing Arc closer to the breaking point. "DIE, HUMAN!" Urulg roared as he raised his cleaver high, readying a devastating heavy attack. Arc's heart pounded as he stepped back, narrowly dodging the incoming strike, his mind latching onto a desperate idea. Gritting his teeth, Arc shifted his stance, his feet steady and his grip firm. 

He pointed the tip of his blade directly at Urulg, adopting a stance that felt instinctual—a stance he had trained with. The air around Arc seemed to shift, and mana coursed through his body. 

His sword began to emit a faint white glow, growing brighter with each passing second. The steel transformed before their eyes, radiating a blinding white light. 

Urulg hesitated for a moment, his rage flickering into confusion as he observed the gleaming blade. The ground beneath them felt charged with mana as Arc steadied his breath preparing to strike.