Emperor's Reckoning

The strongest orc frowned. He had his arms crossed the whole time while watching what unfold before him. Their numbers were significantly overpowering Nostria's side, yet the latter were relentless in their craft.

"Where is the woman that you seek of," he uttered.

"She just gave you a warm welcome with her palm before, remember?" Nora smirked a smile.

"Are you serious? That blonde woman is what you're after?" The chief raised his brows with disbelief. She was within grasp all along, yet the person that had been standing by his side spouted no word. He darted a glare against Nora, "What are you planning?"

"Haha, don't be so solemn now, it's not like I could snatch her away with my illusion magic, you know it yourself that she has the same source as you," answered Nora, though his effort in lighting up the tension between them failed miserably.

"Then? Do you want me to act or not?"

(At least you're smart enough not to act on your own) thought Nora. "My friends are on the other side of the world, holding those eleven guardians down— never thought that they are having a hard time fighting them despite their overwhelming numbers."

"Do I look like I care?" the orc answered. "Enough of this nonsense, I'll kidnap her."

"Oh? Aren't you going to wreak havoc inside the kingdom first?" asked Nora as he tilted his head. "After all what they did to your ki—! Gah!" His neck was being crushed by the unstoppable grip. 

The orc brought his eyes closer to his as his breath suffocated his nostrils. The glare from the experienced warrior was scrolling against the soul. "You think I don't know what you're planning?"

"Kh?!" Nora's eyes opened wide.

"You think I wouldn't know that if I spend my time wrecking the kingdom apart, that you would use me as a scapegoat?! Pinning me against the monster that even you yourself feared?!"

(D-Don't tell me?!) Nora gulped before he was thrown against a tree and coughed out blood upon impact. His knees immediately dropped to the ground before one hand tended his neck as he was racing for breath. He looked up as he saw the orc give him his back. (You... you too are afraid of him... even when he is a mana user!!)

The chief locked his eyes against the blonde woman who immediately caught the gust of his battle intent. 

"So it's time," Karina uttered.

"Our numbers are falling down at a rapid rate, tch!" muttered Charlie as he swung his hammers. 

"We are losing the battle at any moment now," said Crux. "But, hehe, to die with glory in my name, nothing can be better than this."

"Karina, you are our strongest defense now, don't get caught by his invitation," Zitian frowned. "We can't afford to lose you, and you know that."

"Tch! Do I have a choice? He is coming at me!" Karina gritted her teeth before she swing her heel against the unsuspecting orc nearby.

*Roar!!

"Huh?" Jugen frowned, "That's not you, right? Fenrir."

"Ah!" One guard raised his visor. "That's the Phantera Kingdom!"

"Reinforcements have come!" one guard grinned.

"That's!" Karina looked over before noticing who was at the frontmost of the league of the army. Strong horses were marching at their location with one man bearing the name of the Phanter Kingdom on his back, leading them. "King Anskar!"

(Orcs!) thought Anskar as he furrowed his brows. He recognized that massive green skin from miles away. "What are you doing orcs! Why are you attacking a neutral kingdom?! We didn't mistreat your kin!"

"Talk to me when you can actually stand by your own feet!"

"What?"

The chief immediately grabbed his underling's head.

"Eh? W-W-What are you doing, chief?! AAAAHHHH!"

The leader of the orc mercilessly threw his own kin before the marching horses.

"What the?!" Anskar and Argeon immediately jumped out of their horses in time, but some of their subordinates were not so lucky.

Shrieking horses adorned the sky under the sun as blood spurted out from the war animals. The brutal view of intestines was upon them, however, under the pile of corpses, something was moving.

"Guh! That one hurt my spine."

With blood basking his face, the subordinate of the orc survived the impact.

Anskar and Argeon had their eyes shrinking at a frightening speed. Their vision trembled as he saw how the orc's tough skin handled the impact that render their fellows into a bloody mist, perfectly. The exemplar of their toughness was as spoken as the legends surrounding them.

"You dare!" Anskar had his eyes turned blue as he darted back.

"No! It's useless don't waste your mana!" shouted Karina, but it was too late.

The chief had stood towering against the king of the Phantera Kingdom with his arms crossed. He looked down at the king with disgust. "It made my skin crawl how someone as weak as you, can become a king."

"Anskar!" Argeon shouted out at his brother as he leaped forward.

"Heh," the chief smirked as he leered at Argeon.

Anskar immediately felt cold rushing his spine as his ears perked up. His toes curled as his shoulders stiffened at the sight. He knew that look that the orc gave. The scenario was all in his motion. 

"Argeon stop!!" he shouted his throat.

"Huh?!" Argeon raised his brows. "Shit!" he saw his target opening his fist, a capture was certain.

"My target is... you," the chief coldly said.

Argeon and Anskar froze at the sight. The orc did not prepare for Argeon, he was preparing to catch someone else's attack. Someone that was targeting his open back.

"Karina!"

The battlefield shooked.

"He got her," the king of the elf grinned.

"Older sister!" Jugen rushed his trembling hands to his quiver. Grabbing an arrow and notched it, his aim was in disarray. "Shit shit shit! C'mon!!"

"Tch! That was fast," Nora chuckled as he saw the chief orc grab Karina's wrist. "Look's like we are going to be on the run now."

"Huh?!" Karina immediately used swung her leg upward before it was caught once more.

The chief grinned. "Foolish woman, don't you realize that our target all along, is you!"

"What?!" Karina had her pupils shrunk.

The orc swirl her limbs before he smashed her abdomen down.

"Guha!" her blood spurted out even before she was smacked against the ground. Her pupils faded in and out as her consciousness was on the brink of collapse from the shock.

"YOU BASTARD!" Jugen glared as he released his arrow.

"Heh, that puny thing can't even scratch a meat," said the orc before he replied to the incoming arrow with a devastating throw of a pebble.

"Kh?!" his eyes opened wide as he saw his arrow shattered in midair before reaching his eyes. "Tch!" blood spurted out as he narrowly looked away from the incoming shot. The pebble managed to zip open his cheeks before blood coursed to his jaw.

Anskar had his eyes trembling as he slowly buried his fingers against his palm.

"And what you're going to do? Do you want to die because of this woman? Don't you want to be there with your family? After all, your poor wife might die of sadness if you die..."

"Huh?!" Anskar snapped his consciousness away before he fell a thud with his eyes opened. His lips were jittering to Argeon's confusion.

"What? What the hell happened?" Argeon exclaimed before he heard a chuckle from nearby. He immediately darted over, "It was you? Who are you?"

"It's not important who I am for we will not see each other again," answered Nora with laughter. "Our objective has been met."

"You bastard!"

"Not so fast there human," the orc from before laughed as he stood between them. "You're fighting me, now! Hahaha!"

"Tch!" Argeon clicked his tongue before he stole a glimpse at Karina. "Huh?" (She is gone?)

"Huh?" the chief darted his eyes to the ground before he frowned. "What the?! Where is she?!"

An arrow suddenly zipped the sky before being embedded on his shoulder. "Tch! You fucking elf, with your bows."

"Hehe," Jugen smirked. "There is more coming!"

"What the fuck?" Nora turned and didn't see a hint of his target. "How in the hell did she vanish!?"

The chief snorted before he took a loud step forward-facing Jugen. "Where did you hide her?!"

Few more arrows zipped the sky before the chief slapped it away with his giant arm. "Pesky twerp! Tell me where she is or I shall flip the kingdom upside down!"

"Then you shall face us!" said the old trio and Zitian.

"Our mightiest steed is taking her to safety!" Jugen crossed his arms and smirked. (Now is all up to you Fenrir! Go and find him!)

Inside the forest near the kingdom of Nostria. Fenrir was clutching Karina's cloth with his teeth as she dragged her away with his little feet. His eyes were looking at the kingdom of Luderia at the far end of his sight before a group of little beasts appeared before him.