“Huh, seems like some of Rouclier's 3rd years show some promise this time.”, Fortescue mentioned derisively, but Calros ignored his snide remark and decided to counter with a taunt of his own.

  “Oh, is that so? Well, the next round will be between your students and mine, right? Let's see if your trainees can deliver after all that boasting of yours!”

  However, Fortescue just smugly leaned back in his seat before answering:

  “We will see indeed, won't we?”

  Corvo, Mira, and Crevier moved the front-rows of the viewer-ranks, as those among the cadets of Rouclier who did not participate in the tournament had managed to reserve some seats for those waiting for their next fight. After they were congratulated for their first win, they sat down, with Mira making sure that she was sitting next to Corvo, but not next to Crevier, as though she did appreciate his help until now, she was still not able to completely forgive him for trying to hurt her friends. Crevier noticed this, but chose not to comment on it, but Corvo was too focused on the two groups entering the arena.

  “Imperial Majesties and Her Holiness, Ladies and Gentleman! The Quarter-Finals go into the 3rd round! From the East-Gate, once more, a team from Rouclier! Give it up for Team Riddar!”, yelled the announcer, as Sean, Brom, and Eleonora stepped onto the platform.

  The crowd around Corvo erupted in applause and cheers, to which Mira, Crevier, and he himself joined in.

  “And from the West-Gate, coming from the Lanceur Academy, give it up for Team Piaget!”

  This time, however, the students of Rouclier did not join in on the thundering applause of the other viewers, as was to be expected. Unlike Corvo's and Sean's team, Team Piaget seemed to consist only of damage dealers, which confused Corvo.

  “Huh. What do you think about those guys from Lanceur?”, Corvo asked his friends, and Mira was the first to answer him.

  “Eh, they don't look like much, especially since they neither have a tank, nor a healer. This is probably going to be over rather quickly!”

  Corvo knew what she meant, as it looked like the team consisted of a mage, which seemed to be the one named Piaget, some sort of rouge, and a warrior who was only equipped with a rapier.

  “I am afraid so, though maybe not how you think.”, Crevier added as he looked at the team.

  “What do you mean? Do you really think that Sean and Eleonora wouldn't be able to deal with them with Brom's help?”, Mira asked him angrily, as she felt that his comment had insulted her friends.

  “I did not imply that our friends were lacking in skill, though I admit that I fear they lack in preparation for such an opponent. Not all teams need to be balanced in such a way as ours, and if Riddar and the others are not careful, we may see the living proof of this today. However, I saw Riddar's ability to adapt on the fly first-hand, so I am optimistic to meet him in the half-finals later today.”

  “Eh, you worry too much, I'm sure they got this.”, Mira replied dismissively, though no longer angry, as Crevier's correction of his previous words had calmed her down.

  However, Corvo could hear him add, almost inaudibly, that he would still prepare a strategy for the other team as well, just in case.

  As both teams had stepped on the arena, the announcer spoke up again:

  “Team-Captains, you know the deal! Step forward and shake hands!”

  Sean took the hand of Piaget, who seemed to whisper something to him, which seemed to cause Sean to become slightly irritated as he stepped back.

  “GET READY! 3...2...1! FIGHT!”

  As soon as the fight started, Sean's team began to move towards their opponents, as Sean started to buff his team. However, before they managed to make contact with the other team, their team captain aimed a spell at the floor right before their feet, which caused an enormous dust cloud to expand outwards from where it had hit. Within seconds, the entire arena was shrouded in a thick dust cloud, which made it impossible to see what happened within.

  However, the announcer immediately managed to appease the disgruntled spectators.

  “Dear viewers, worry not, despite the visibility issues caused by the spell which was cast by Cadet Piaget, my eyes are still able to follow every move done by the contestants, and I will relay them to you as soon as they happen! The dust definitely managed to fulfil its purpose, as Team Riddar no longer knows where their opponents are!”

  Meanwhile, in the spectator seats, Mira, among other cadets of Rouclier, began to loudly question the fairness of such a spell. However, their cries were ignored, and the clashing of metal could be heard from within the dust-cloud.

  “And the sound of the first attack rings throughout the arena, as Cadet Riddar masterfully blocks the blade of Cadet Rodier, the duelist from Lanceur, who had aimed for his throat before vanishing in the dust once more!”

  More sounds of metal against metal began to fill the arena, before the announcer called out again.

  “Three flying daggers make their way towards Squire Galahad, the aspiring paladin of Team Riddar, courtesy of Lanceur's assassin, Cadet Gallois. All three were blocked, though a fourth one, which was secretly thrown from a different angle, found its target, cracking the pendant of Spire Galahad, though he is not yet out of the fight!”

  Shouts could be heard from within the cloud, which Corvo recognised as coming from Sean. Shortly after, the sound of spells being activated followed.

  “Cadet Riddar tries to get his team to meet up in the middle of the arena, though only Cadet Boreas, the Ranger and third member of Rouclier's team manages to reach him, as Squire Galahad gets hit by a barrage of Arcane Missiles, which despite him managing to block some of them, boot him out of the competition, as his pendant was turned to dust.”

  “WHAT!”, Mira shouted, as the three watched Brom appear outside of the arena, next to one of the combat-medics standing-by outside of the combat zone, as he was probably the one who removed him from the arena.

  “Cadet Rodier tries to take advantage of the confusion and goes in for the kill on Cadet Boreas, though he is not only anticipated, but taken out himself, as Cadet Riddar managed to increase her visibility with the help of his bard-skills! With 1 team-member out on each side, it is anybody's guess who will manage to win this fight!”

  Mira started to cheer, and Crevier nodded approvingly, before adding:

  “As I said, he is quick in his decision making.”

  However, before anything else could be said, the sound of metal rang out once more, as did the sound of spells being cast. Then, there was silence.

  “AND WE HAVE A WINNER! Medics, please clear the area!”

  One of the medics started to cast a spell, and the dust began to settle, revealing Eleonora and Sean sitting defeated on the floor with their pendants shattered, and Piaget and Gallois standing a few steps away from them, raising their weapons in victory.

  “In a display of perfect cooperation, Cadet Piaget and Cadet Gallois managed to take out both of their opponents at the same time. Though only a few of you may have been able to see what happened, I hope my commentary managed to paint you a proper picture of this rather unusual fight. Now, give it up for the winners of the 3rd round: TEAM PIAGET!”

  “DAMN IT ALL!”, Sean yelled as he punched the wall of the waiting room with his fist, only to quickly regret his action as he had hurt his knuckles.

  “Calm yerself, Sean. There's nothing tah be done about it.”, Brom called out to him as he inspected his damaged hand. Seeing a nothing was broken, he decided to leave it be, as though he could heal it, using miracles to heal minor injuries went against his believes.

  “How can I calm down after this? First that prick mocks us, then they wipe the floor with us with underhanded tactics. It's not fair!”, Sean said as he leaned on the wall with his back and sunk slowly to the floor.

  Eleonora knelt next to him and laid her hand on his shoulder.

  “Come on, it's not over yet. Corvo and Mira are going to go against them next, and since they now know what they will be dealing with, there's no chance that they'll lose.”

  Sean sighed deeply, before rising back to his feet.

  “Yeah, you're right. Let's go upstairs and meet up with them.”

  After joining with the others, the 6 started to rant about how unfair the fight had been, and what Corvo, Mira, and Crevier should do once they got their chance to deal out revenge. Their plotting lasted only for a minute, as the final round of the quarterfinals finished much sooner than anticipated, and they were interrupted by the words of the announcer.

  “INCREDIBLE! THIS HAS TO BE A NEW RECORD! Winners of the 4th and final round of the Quarterfinals: GIVE IT UP FOR TEAM MARTINET FROM JAUNPéE!”

  The three unarmed fighters raised their right fist into the air in victory, before lowering them to their heart, turning their gesture of triumph into a polite bow, before leaving the arena.

  “Damn, we became too occupied with our fight ahead, so we missed the opportunity to see what our potential opponents for tomorrow had up their sleeves.”, Crevier cursed.

  “Eh, it doesn't matter, we still get to see them at least once, right?”, Corvo reassured him.

  “Hm...true, I guess.”

  Before anyone else could at to their conversation, the announcer called out to the spectators once more.

  “Imperial Majesties and Her Holiness, Ladies and Gentleman! Today we got the opportunity to get a glimpse of what the next generation of our Empire's guardians have to offer, but we are not done yet! After a two hour break, we will return with the first round of the Semifinals, where Team Crevier from Rouclier will face off against Team Piaget of Lanceur! I hope to see you then! Peace!”, the announcer concluded and raised his right hand, his index- and middle-finger forming a V, before vanishing with the help of the spell.

  “HAAAHAHAHA!”, Oliver Fortescue bellowed with laughter, while Calros angrily grumbled into his beard. The 5 headmasters were currently heading outside of the arena, and Fortescue could not help but egg on his colleague, who had believed his words only to be empty brags.

  “Come on, don't be like that, Calros! You still got one more fight to lose, don't ya? HAAAHAHAHA!”

  “Tch, you'll choke on your laughter soon enough. Anyway, if you would excuse me, my wife and daughters are waiting for me.”, he added with an emphasis on the word daughters, as Fortescue and his wife had been trying to conceive for 5 years without success, therefore leaving behind a seething Fortescue, who had to be restrained by the other headmasters before he could try and rip Calros' head off.

  After the break, the announcer stepped into the ring once more to welcome the spectators back into the arena.

  “Imperial Majesties and Her Holiness, Ladies and Gentleman! Welcome back to the Cloud-Festival's Semifinals! Today was filled with multiple memorable bouts, and this one will be no different! Today, Team Crevier of Rouclier will have to face off against Team Piaget of Lanceur, the very team which kicked their comrades out of the tournament in the Quarterfinals! Will they be able to take revenge, or will Team Piaget's unusual approach be able to land them a place in tomorrow's Finals? Only one way to find out! Give it up for TEAM CREVIER!”

  The three enter from the east, and are greeted by thunderous applause, most of which was coming from their fellow cadets from Rouclier.

  “And from the west! Team Piaget!”

  This time, a lot of jeering could be picked up from the crowd, especially since more than half of all spectators felt themselves scammed as they were not able to see their previous fight.

  In the VIP-area, sitting on a wooden throne next to his wife, Emperor Godrick started to chuckle and spoke to no one in particular.

  “Heh, looks like the crowd already picked their winner. To be fair, it is hard to appreciate a well executed plan if you are unable to see what is actually happening.”

  Despite knowing that Godrick was talking to himself, Erik Denholm, who stood behind him to his left, still decided to answer.

  “True, though to be fair, this tournament had been quite lacklustre, no? I mean, do not get me wrong, I know they are still young, but still...”

  “Oh, I forgot that this was the first time you actually followed me to watch the tournament. Don't you worry, Erik. I believe that they were just holding back in the Quarterfinals to not reveal their cards. They will not be able to continue to do so, at least not if they want to advance to the Finals.”

  “If you say so.”, Erik answered, unsure of what to expect, and looked back into the arena.

  “Captains, shake hands!”

  Crevier stepped forward, as did Piaget, and just like last time, Piaget seemed to whisper something, though unlike last time, Crevier suddenly broke out into laughter, much to Piaget's dismay and to the announcer's confusion. Once Crevier rejoined the rest of his team, Corvo decided to ask him what happened.

  “Well? What did he say?”

  “Oh, nothing important. Do not worry, I will tell you once we have taken care of them. Remember the plan?”

  Both Corvo and Mira nodded.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “Very well, let us give them a show then!”

  Seeing as both teams were in position, the announcer took the word once more.

  “Ready or not, the first round of the Semifinals starts on my signal! 3...2...1...GO!”

  Just like when Sean's team went against them, Crevier began the round by using his bard-skills to buff Corvo and Mira, and just like before, Piaget aimed his staff at the floor to use the spell .

  “Looks like we got a repeat from last time we saw Team Piaget! No worries, just like before, I will be your eyes that pierce through the fog!”, the announcer commented, and the crowd answered in agitated murmurs and loud sighs. However, the crowd's displeasure of Piaget's tactics would prove unwarranted.

  “Mira, NOW!”, Crevier yelled out, and with a loud crashing, Mira parted the dust-cloud in the middle, revealing the startled members of Team Piaget. Her spear was noticeably emitting a faint, white aura, which though it seemed unrefined and far form perfect, was still the successful activation of the [Weapon-Aura] skill, which increased the durability of the weapon and reduced its air-resistance.

  “What a twist! Team Piaget's tactic of covering their opponent's vision is thwarted by Cadet Adelaide's attack, boosted by [Weapon-Aura]! A tremendous feat for someone still in their teens, considering the amount of control needed to maintain it during a combat situation!”

  As their vision had now cleared up, Crevier and Mira were able to close in on their opponents, who tried to protect their team leader, as he had began to cast another spell.

  Gallois is charged by Crevier, though his attacks are intercepted by Gallois' daggers. Meanwhile, Rodier struggled against Mira's seemingly endless barrage of stabs and swings, as one hit by the enhanced weapon was likely enough to eliminate him from the tournament.

  “It seems like Team Piaget is struggling to protect their spellcaster from their opponents! Will they be able to protect Cadet Piaget until he finishes to cast his spell?”

  “Zack, hurry up!”, Gallois called out to his teammate behind him as he kept trying to find an opening in Crevier's defences, who just smiled at him before he started to whistle another arcanum-charged melody.

  “Oh no, you won't!”, Gallois yelled before charging at Crevier to stop him from using his bard-skill. However, Crevier did not buff himself this time, but his opponent, causing his movements to abruptly increase in speed, which led to Gallois missing his mark and being intercepted by Crevier's sword.

  “Incredible! By using the [Haste] buff on his opponent, Cadet Crevier manages to throw his movements off and therefore securing his victory in this duel!”, the announcer explained, as Gallois was teleported out of the arena.

  However, Crevier was not able to close in on Piaget, as he was now confronted with a barrage of arcane projectiles which he could not escape from.

  “Cadet Crevier's small victory is short lived, as Cadet Piaget finishes casting his spell.”

  “I got your back, Pierre! Let's win this!” Piaget assured his comrade, but before he could join him in his fight against Mira, his eyes fell on Corvo, who had finished casting a spell on his own.

  “Guess you forgot it's a 3 on 3, right?”, Corvo asked with a grin, as the golden spell circle before his staff began to glow, and a ball of spinning, golden flames started to manifest in the air.

  “ARDEAT!”, Corvo called out as he released the spell, and the made its way towards Piaget.

  “What the-!”, Piaget exclaimed, before the ball of radiance exploded with a loud bang in front of him, shattering his pendant and flinging him outside of the arena, where he was caught in mid air by one of the medics standing by. The force of the explosion was strong enough to cause Redier, who was standing at least a yard away from Piaget, to stumble, making him easy prey for Mira's next attack, who shattered his pendant with a single hit.

  The entire arena fell silent at what they had just witnessed, and even the announcer seemed at a loss of words. However, he quickly managed to recover from the shock and continued with his job.

  “LADIES AND GENTLEMAN! I CAN'T BELIEVE MY OWN EYES! Distracted by having eliminated their opponent's team leader, Team Piaget completely forgot about Cadet Rhedi, who managed to finish casting a spell I have never before seen in my life! The brunt force of the explosion it caused was enough to shatter Cadet Piaget's pendant and throw him outside of the arena, as well as causing Cadet Redier to stumble, making him easy pickings for Cadet Adelaide. GIVE IT UP FOR THE WINNERS OF THE FIRST ROUND OF THE SEMI-FINALS: TEAM CREVIER OF ROUCLIER!”

  The entire arena erupted into thundering applause, as Mira took Corvo's hand and raised it together with hers in victory.

  “Well, what do you say now, Erik?”, the emperor asked his retainer, who had risen from his chair to join in on the applause.

  “You did not oversell it, that's for sure. Not only did we get to see someone exploit the effects of a badly timed buff-effect, something which takes exceptional situational awareness to pull off, we also got to see someone still in their teens using the [Weapon-Aura] skill, as well as a young mage who managed to use the golden flames of radiance without needing to rely on miracles!”, Erik answered enthusiastically.

  “The future of our nation looks bright indeed, does it not?”

  “Well, well, well. Look who's laughing now, Fortescue.”, Calros taunted his colleague, whose face had become red, either because of anger or out of strain, as he desperately tried to keep a straight face.

  “...It matters not, there will always be next year. If you excuse me, my friends, I think my wife has called for me.”, he hissed through gritted teeth as he slowly rose from his feet and left the other headmasters behind.

  Lucas Benett just shook his head, before looking at Calros with apparent disappointment.

  “...What? It's not like I started it?”

  This caused Achila and Rochefort to snicker.

  “You are already in your late fifties, aren't you a bit old to be chewed out by the bishop?”, Achila commented, and Benett could not help but smirk at that as well.

  “Whatever, isn't your team up next, Rochefort?”

  “Indeed! And believe me, you are not the only ones who managed to find some exceptional talent this year!”

  Corvo, Mira, and Crevier slowly climbed the stairs towards Rouclier's area within the spectator stands.

  “Knew you could do it. Well done guys!”, Sean called out to them and motioned them towards him and the others.

  “We would not have been able to win if it was not for our main players!”, Crevier announced and motioned towards Mira and Corvo.

  “Yeah, well, you weren't so bad either. Without your strategy, we probably would have had a harder time to get this far.”, Mira mumbled, thus officially acknowledging Crevier's place in their team, which did not go unnoticed by him.

  “Does this mean that you have forgiven me for my prior transgressions?”

  “...Sure.”

  “My sincerest thanks. I ensure you all, your trust in me will not be misplaced.”

  Before the anyone else could add something to the conversation, they were interrupted by the voice of the announcer.

  “WHAT A FOLLOW-UP TO THE PREVIOUS FIGHT! Team Lock fought hard and showed near perfect execution in all of their attacks, but the quick reflexes of Team Martinet turned out to be too hard to overcome. GIVE IT UP FOR THE SECOND TEAM TO ENTER THE FINALS: TEAM MARTINET OF JAUNPéE!”

  Thunderous applause could be heard throughout the arena, and Corvo looked at Crevier with a worried expression.

  “We missed their fight again. Do you think this will become a problem tomorrow?”

  “Hm...I don't think so. I heard they were a team comprised of three melee-fighters: two Brawlers and a Monk. If we can hold them at a distance, they should not be too hard to handle for us.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Most definitely.”

  On the next day, Crevier's predictions turned out to be false.

  The two brawlers immediately went for Mira, who was disarmed and thrown out of the arena before anyone could react. Corvo managed to hit one of them with one of his spells and eliminate him from the tournament, but the other one quickly closed in on him as well. He tried to defend himself by hitting the brawler with his staff, though he too was quickly removed from the arena. In a desperate attempt to salvage the situation, Crevier tried to attack the monk, but his opponent's quick reflexes were too much for Crevier to handle, and he was eliminated as well.

  “AND WE HAVE A WINNER! 1ST PLACE OF THIS YEAR'S CLOUD FESTIVAL: TEAM MARTINET OF JAUNPéE!”

  Mira aggressively poked the dirt in front of her with her spear to vent her anger as the victory ceremony began in the arena, before she was approached by Corvo.

  “Come now, there's nothing we could do this time. They simply caught us by surprise. We just have to be more vigilant in the future.”, he told her and laid a hand on her shoulder, which visible calmed her down.

  “Yeah, you are right...Thanks Corvo.”

  “No need. Let's go join Crevier and get our price!”

  The two joined Crevier and stepped into the arena for the final time to receive their price-money for placing second in the tournament.

  A week after the Cloud Festival had concluded, the emperor's carriage arrived at the largest military camp of the front-lines, which was situated about 50 miles away from the city of Espoir, the second largest city of the éclat.

  Of the 12 Zodiacs, Duke Anton Basile Alizac of Ardena, who occupied the Ox-seat, and Duke Joel Rodrigo Miguel de Salvador of Corazón, who had earned the Horse-seat, had already arrived, and greeted Godrick as he exited his carriage together with Erik Denholm, the occupant of the Dragon-seat.

  Together with the emperor, though not in the same carriage, were the 8 Zodiac Knights who lived in Caelum:

  Irene Karm, the Tiger

  Kassandra Lambert, the Dog

  Alexander Cheldric Calros, the Snake

  Leroy Cameron Montel, the Rabbit

  Salazar Blanche, the Goat

  Lucas Benett, the Rooster

  Oliver Doré Fortescue, the Pig

  and Vincent Gerald Achila, the Rat.

  Calros looked at Fortescue, who had a massive smile on his face, and asked him why he was in such a good mood, seeing as his team had lost the Cloud-Festival.

  “Oh, nothing Calros. Just that I found out that my wife was expecting prior to our departure.”

  “...Well, congratulations are in order, right? I will make sure to send you and your wife some gifts.”, Calros answered, as even though he was not particularly fond of Fortescue, the two were not exactly on bad enough terms to ignore such a happy occasion either, despite Calros having continuously poked fun at Fortescue for not being able to produce an heir. The main reason for this, though, was that their wives had been best friends since long before they had even met either Calros or Fortescue.

  “Just don't send any chocolate.”

  “I know, I know. My wife has been in my ears for long enough about how it does not become her well. I'll figure something out.”

  Last to arrive was Countess Theresa Fyndinn Levander of Utstraling, the eastern-most dukedom of Merdelum, who inherited the seat of the Monkey Zodiac. Since she was late, she earned herself a disapproving snort from Duke Alizac.

  “Tch, late as always, Levander.”, the giant of a man with frazzled black hair and long full-beard snarled at her angrily.

  “Why thank you, Anton, a good day to you as well.”, the short yet muscular woman with dark brown hair retorted in a sickly sweet voice, but before Alizac could respond, Godrick decided to intervene.

  “Enough, you two. Let us begin with the briefing right away. Erik, go and find out if there been any-”, he started, but was interrupted by a man clad in black suddenly appearing before them, who knealed on the floor in greeting. He recognized the man as a member of the Eclipse Order.

  “Your Imperial Highness! My apologies, but I have an urgent message from master Kain!”, he said, presenting a letter sealed with red wax, which Godrick snatched out of his hands.

  After going through the contents, he quickly dismissed the man, who vanished as quickly as he had appeared, before addressing the other zodiacs.

  “It seems like the orc mercenaries are on the move. According to the report, they are approaching the camp from the east. Erik, find the commander and sound the alarms, the rest of you, prepare for battle immediately.”, he commanded.

  Moments later, all 10.000 Knights of the White-Sun-Order stationed at the camp now awaited the arrival of the orc-mercenaries, with 11 of the 12 zodiacs now standing among the regular soldiers, and Erik and Godrick waiting in the back. They did not have to wait for long, as soon, an army of about 9.000 orcs approached on the horizon, closing the distance between them and Merdelum's army in less than 10 minutes, staying just far enough out of reach for most magic and projectiles. However, there were neither war-machines, nor soldiers of Domitor's army among them, making it likely that they moved of their own accord.

  Before Godrick could make any assumptions as to why, a war-drum sounded out, with each beat of the drums being followed by some loud exclamation in the language of orcs. The drums started to beat faster, and the orcs started to yell louder, until one last hit of the drums, which was followed by silence. The soldiers of Merdelum already expected the orcs to charge them right away, but, to their surprise, only 3 orcs started to walk forward in a rather slow pace. As they reached the half-way point between the armies, they stopped and one of them started to yell towards Merdelum's army. This time though, his words were in the Common Language, and Godrick recognized the orc as being the one who attended the conference between the Three Thrones prior to the start of the war.

  “Rénlèi of Merdelum! I am Shāyú-Yá Xiōng Jiàn, greatest chief and leader of the warriors of Shāyú-Yá! I hereby challenge your leader to a duel of life and death in accordance with the laws of the heavens! If they lose, no harm shall befall your army, as long as you throw your weapons to the ground and kowtow before us! If I lose, we will lay down our arms and kowtow before you, who has proven himself as the stronger leader, as is dictated by our faith! If you refuse, we shall show you and your kin no mercy, as you have disrespected the very gods themselves!”

  The declaration of the orc-chief caused unrest among the soldiers of Merdelum, as they did not know what to think of this proposal. However, Godrick just started to laugh, causing all eyes to divert to him. As he composed himself, he motioned for Denholm and Karm to accompany him as he made his way towards the orc who challenged him, whispering a few words to his entourage as he did so.

  The aura of the three humans who now slowly approached them caused the two bodyguards of Xiōng Jiàn to tremble, as their presence was unmatched by anything they had ever encountered in their lives, even surpassing that of their own leader. It was as if three tyrant-dragons were slowly making their way towards them. Xiōng Jiàn, however, could not help but grin in anticipation of the legendary fight that was about to commence, which surely would go down in history as the greatest victory of the Shāyú-Yá clan.

  “Very well. State your name, leader of Merdelum's warriors, and let us engage in holy combat!”

  However, his grin started to fade as he noticed the disgruntled look on the face of Godrick.

  “You trespass on our lands, you burn down our homes, you kill our families and friends, and then you dare to claim it to be the will of the gods? It truly is no mystery as to why your clan was banished from ever returning to the lands of your people."

  The remarks of Godrick stung more than the orc-chief would have liked to admit, as though he did not want to believe them, he knew that there was some truth to them. Before he could retort, however, Godrick reached for something in the left inner pocket of his jacket, and his two bodyguards for their swords.

  "Putting you down like the ravenous dogs you are is more courtesy than you deserve! May the fires of Gehenna cleanse your corrupted souls.”, Godrick exclaimed as he pulled out a silver revolver engraved with intricate detail, which he aimed at the orc-chief's head before pulling the trigger.

  Enraged about the three humans spitting on his traditions, just as the other generals of the imperial army had done before, Xiōng Jiàn unsheathed his blade, the traditional sword of orcs which his parents had named him after, which had been crafted of the purest adamantite by a blacksmith master of Guan, and reinforced it with his aura, intending to harmlessly deflect the bullet now hurtling towards him, as he had done so many times before, before cutting down the emperor and his two bodyguards in one swing. However, as the bullet made contact with his aura-infused blade, it punched through effortlessly, shattering the blade and hitting him straight in the head.

  As his mind began to slip and he dropped to his knees, he was barely able to perceive his two most trusted subordinates and sworn brothers being cut down in a single swing by Godrick's bodyguards.

  “Húndàn…yuàn nǐ sǐ yīqiān cì”, were his last words, before he joined them on the ground.

  The shock of their leader having been struck down in mere seconds caused the remaining orcs into a state of confusion, as they were at a loss of what to do. However a single orc managed to break the others out of their stupor as he drew his sword and started to run at the emperor and his two bodyguards while screaming a battle-cry, with the others soon following him to avenge their fallen leader.

  Unphased by the charging army, Godrick turned around and gave his own soldiers the signal to commence battle as well, before putting his gun back into his pocket.

  “Take out their commanders, then regroup at the camp. The thought of sharing the same air as these savages sickens me, so let's finish this quickly.”, he commanded Denholm and Karm before moving back towards the camp, as he was no longer needed on the battlefield.

  “Aye, captain!”, Erik responded with a mock-salute, and Karm nodded, before the two jumped into action, cleaving a path into the army of orcs and taking out their remaining generals.

  “To think I used one of the last bullets of my family's heirloom just to put my worries to rest... Though they were not only my own worries, were they now? I guess I was really not needed, and my gut-feeling was wrong all along. Maybe I'm really just getting old...”, Godrick could not help but chuckle as he slowly walked away from the one-sided carnage behind him, as his army decimated the remaining orcs without mercy.

  Aura-Skills