Chapter 25: The Coming Storm

The sky above Grimfang was no longer blue—or even gray. Nature's colors had collapsed, replaced by a pitch-black void not born of clouds, but of emptiness itself. Like a living fog, the atmosphere rolled in from the north, carrying the scent of metal, blood, and… destruction.

Kenji stood atop the highest rocky cliff overlooking the village. The wind pierced his skin, but that wasn't what made him shiver. It was what he saw on the horizon: a crumbling mountain. The sacred mountain, once believed by the Orcs to house ancestral spirits, now exploded from within. Dust billowed like shattered bone—and from that ashen cloud… something emerged.

A colossal silhouette.

A giant shadow.

The Herald of the Devourer.

Each of its steps shook the earth for miles. With every footfall, new fissures cracked the land as if the world refused to bear its weight. The creature's body was not flesh but a fusion of steel, bone, and smoke. Its arms ended not in hands, but in broken sword blades jutting from rotting flesh and mismatched bone.

From its chest emanated a dark crimson glow… not mere light, but a command. And from its gaping mouth came a sound—not a roar or words—but an echo that assaulted the souls of those who heard it.

"⁂̤͇̘̄͟҉̢̢̡̬̞̦͖̻̻͍̼̝̎҉̶̨..."(Not meant to be understood—meant to shatter comprehension itself.)

Orcs of Grimfang halted their work. Some dropped their weapons. Others vomited blood. The weaker ones fainted on the spot.

Sannr—the glowing belt now wrapped around Kenji—pulsed like never before. A blood-red aura enveloped Kenji—like anger ignited from deep within bones.

"Your choice has changed destiny.""Now… they will hunt you. All of them."

Doubt in the Fortress

Inside Grimfang Hall, elders and elite warriors gathered. Some clad in full armor, others anxious—eyeing Kenji as though he were a puzzle they feared to solve.

Goragh, the gray-skinned elder who once backed Grommash, spoke first:

"Look at him! Two-colored eyes! He's no Orc!""He's a human sorcery creature! A demon reborn! See what pursues us!"

Waves of murmured agreement followed.

Kenji stood calmly. His two-tone eyes—blue and red—scanned the hall. He didn't need to shout or fight; his words alone would speak truth.

"You fear me. Not because I am weak, but because I have changed.""But ask yourselves—who planted crops on this barren land first?""Who united 30% of this clan without bloodshed?""Who saved children from the human villages when Grommash wanted them slaughtered?"

Silence fell.

"If you wish to return to surviving in mud and living off spoil… be my guest. But don't call yourselves GRIMFANG."

Some stood up. Kree—the half-human guardian—raised his axe high:

"I stand with Kenji. Who else?"

One by one, others joined:

Varis, the hidden Sh'valaar, oppressed minor clans, and several powerful Orcs who had been silent before.

But many remained doubtful. Fear had not yet lifted. And their time was nearly gone.

A Double Threat

Not far south of Grimfang, a human army marched. Their sacred armor gleamed beneath royal banners. At the center, a priestess in white robes stood atop a war chariot pulled by phantom horses.

"Kenji the Twice-Born carries a demonic soul," she cried."He is not just a threat to Orcs, but to all living beings!"

A thousand-strong holy army marched—not to negotiate.

They came to erase his existence.

Sannr Speaks

Amid the chaotic night, Kenji ascended the stone watchtower. He gazed upon both sides of the world—north, where the Herald smashed ancient forests; south, where the human army advanced like waves of hatred.

Sannr spoke once more—no longer only in his mind, but through its blade, which had reshaped itself: elongated, sharpened, glowing like molten lava.

"The Soul War is over.""The Real War… has only just begun.""Blood will flow. But your decision—will decide the world born from that blood."

Kenji closed his eyes. In his mind, his two souls spoke in unison:

"We will not retreat. We will not be shaped by gods. We will reshape the world."

Clash at Grimfang

At the valley's base, the Herald paused and roared. Its arms split apart—fracturing into dozens of bone swords dancing in the air.

On the other side, human banners could be seen from the tower. War horns sounded. Illusionary magic enveloped archers and winged knights.

Inside Grimfang, some Orcs prepared for battle. Others quietly withdrew. Whispers spread:

"He's too human…""Perhaps it's time to return to a true leader…""Kenji… he brings a curse…"

Kenji opened his eyes.

They glowed.

Blue and red.

"If you want a curse…" he said quietly,"…then let's show them how deadly that curse can be to those who wield it."