We left the village five days ago, and Leight says we’ve come pretty deep into the forest.
“We haven’t been here before either.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Nell stops us… I guess…?”
Says Leight while tilting his head.
We’ve encountered monsters twice at this point. Three red ogres and two minotaurs, but there was something odd about them. They were wounded like they fought something and ran away.
After talking it over, we decided we should keep going and check what happened.
“If things get bad, we will buy enough time for Argo and the others to escape.”
Says Leight, and the other beast people nod. They all have a strong sense of responsibility.
In fact, at first they threw around the idea that only they should go. I guess it would’ve been best to do as they said and leave, but I’d have a bad taste in my mouth if something did happen.
Worst case scenario, Naoto’s and Rurika’s parties should be the ones to escape.
Guilford and Orga are good scouts, so they lead the way as we advance, but I feel like there’s something increasingly suffocating as we move on.
All I hear is the sound of the wind rustling the branches and leaves, very loudly. I get it, there’s danger ahead.
Still, we keep going. No one says we should turn back. It’s almost like something is drawing us closer.
“Let’s take a break.”
Says Leight with a big exhale.
“Do you feel it?”
“Yes.”
I say to Argo.
My throat is dry, so I drink some water.
Leight looks like he’s indecisive, but doesn’t say anything about turning back. Me neither, because we’ve come so far.
I feel like something’s up ahead, and we need to see what it is.
We keep going, and we start to hear a noise that gets gradually louder. And eventually, we see something.
“Giants?”
Whispers Rurika.
Giants… They’re definitely not human.
Humanoids that are close to three meters tall are fighting orcs, but unlike the giant monsters, these ones don’t look like monsters. It just feels different when these giants are facing monsters, I can’t really describe it.
“Hey hey, is that an orclord?”
Argo is right, it is. And I see other superior species like generals and mages.
And yet… The orcs that are over two meters tall look small. But they fight heartily. Their movements are dull, but each attack looks heavy.
An orc holding a shield is blown back, and crashes into several orcs. This one sided slaughter is making me shiver.
Apparently the orcs feel the same way, but still bravely fight.
As for the result… It’s a pile of dead orcs. Watching this fight makes my heart rumble. I can’t look away, but I feel anger rising inside me.
Am I mad about monsters being killed? Yes, that’s how I feel watching this, and when I realize this, I feel shaken.
I ask myself why I’m feeling this way, but I don’t have an answer.
Meanwhile, the battle is still going, with the orcs being whittled down. There were over five times more orcs than giants at first, but now there are fewer orcs than giants.
Then a question pops into my mind.
There are superior species of orc here, including the lord. Superior species are more intelligent than regular orcs, but they’re just attacking, without even trying to formulate a strategy. They’re not trying to retreat from this obviously bad situation either.
Not all superior species are the same, and it’s not like they would always run when they’re at a disadvantage, but the way they’re fighting still feels off.
I keep watching, until I notice something. Their eyes.
It makes sense to focus on the enemy in front of you, but it’s like they can’t see anything else.
Also, those stern eyes are filled with anger, but it doesn’t feel like it’s from their friends being killed.
In the end, the orcs fight to the last, and are wiped out.
Could this be why there are fewer monsters in the forest? I’m also feeling like the monsters we encountered were running from the giants after losing to them.
“Leight, what do we do?”
I ask, but then I notice that Leight and the other beast people, but also some of Argo’s party members, Jin, and Orga seem strange. In fact, they feel a lot like the orcs that we just saw.
“H-hey, are you oka…”
Before I can finish, Leight and the others suddenly move out with weapons in hand.
They’re going straight for the giants. I look at Naoto and the others, and then my eyes meet Geitz’s
“Let’s stop them.”
I say, and Geitz taps his shield.
We chase Leight and the others, hoping no one gets hurt.
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