
Everyone at the scene, especially Shiori, was shocked by what Sukuna did. The ogres were ashamed to see the old man speak on their behalf.
"Old man..." Shiori murmurs.
While everyone was silent, Reika noticed Sukuna's appearance. With silver hair due to the old age and ash-gray skin full of wrinkles, it is evident that he's the oldest amongst the group. She also noticed an unusual sword on his waist, whose design was familiar to her.
Reika looks around and senses uneasiness in the atmosphere. To lift their moods, Reika smiles at Sukuna.
"It's alright. I harbor no ill will towards you or any of your people."
Sukuna looked into her eyes for a moment. The old ogre realized that her eyes weren't filled with hatred towards them.
She's telling the truth...
Just then, Sukuna closed his droopy eyes and smiled.
"Thank you for your benevolence, kind human."
"You're welcome!" Reika replies and smiles widely.
Sukuna touched his beard while still looking at Reika. His face was filled with wonder and curiosity.
"May I ask what our benefactor's name was? I forgot that I should address you formally."
"Oh yes, I forgot to mention earlier."
Reika extends her hand at Sukuna with a smile.
"My name is Reika. Reika Mitsuha. What about you, sir?"
One of Sukuna's eyes opened after hearing her name. Seeing that Reika attempts to shake hands with him, Sukuna reaches his hand too.
"This humble old man's name is Sukuna."
Sukuna noticed how warm her smile was. The old ogre was surprised by her friendly demeanor. Contradicting her behavior earlier, Sukuna finally saw the real Reika.
She's an innocent and pure human. And humble to the boot...
Meanwhile, Shiori was looking in her direction with a sour mood. Despite experiencing defeat, her attitude towards Reika remains unchanged.
Hmph! Even though she helped my kin tend their injuries, how dare she show hostility in front of me?!
Shiori looked at her palm and remembered her fight with Reika earlier.
Earlier, I was going easy on her. I restrained myself from using any kind of active ability and solely relied on my swordsmanship. But to think she'd resort to using her racial abilities...
If I used my full power earlier, the possibility of defeating her was clear as a day!
Shiori snapped from her deep thoughts upon seeing a familiar figure running in their direction. There, she saw a dwarf approaching Reika and Sukuna. The identity of that dwarf was none other than Alguis himself.
"Miss Reika! I felt an immense aura earlier and ran all the way to this direction. Could you explain what happened?"
Reika heard Alguis and looked at his direction.
"Uh, there was a teensy conflict between us and... mistakenly released my aura..."
Hearing that the immense aura came from Reika, Alguis was shocked.
T-That heavy aura came from her?! I could feel it even though I was a hundred meters away from here!
"I-Is that so... I thought we were besieged by some powerful monsters or something..."
Alguis looked around and saw the ogres.
"Uh... could these people be..."
"I guess the dryad wasn't talking nonsense that some dwarves are coexisting with humans, huh? Not to mention, amongst them was a dwarf of nobility..."
Alguis heard a voice behibd him and looked in its direction. There, he saw a tall but fair woman standing with dignity. At that moment, Alguis instantly recognized the individual.
"You're Shiori from the Ogre Tribe that resides near the Great Lake...?"
Shiori didn't respond right away to exercise her standing amongst them. Alguis faced her and raised his hand.
"To think that the chief of the Ogre Tribe agreed on our proposal to let your kin seek shelter in our settlement, it was my great pleasure to join hands with you on this fight..."
Shiori simply looked in his hand, as if she were hesitant to accept the handshake. In the end, she accepted it without changing her expression.
"Hm. I acknowledge your efforts, Sir Alguis. However..."
Shiori let go of his hand forcibly. Alguis wondered about her unusual actions towards him.
"The fact that you, being a leader of your own kingdom, can't even exercise your ideals to your own subjects. Yes, you allowed other races to enter your kingdom without discrimination, but is it really that effective?"
Alguis was puzzled by her statement and decided to confront her.
"What do you mean by that—"
"I experienced it firsthand. Just when I was about to enter your gates, those dwarven guards of yours halted me and questioned me for an hour. Not just me, but other races as well."
"T-That's..."
"Although the citizens welcomed us with open arms, there are few others who blatantly show their prejudices on us, the so-called "lesser races." We bought things that we want in your kingdom, but the scar of discrimination against your people won't be erased..."
Alguis was left speechless after Shiori bombarded her with several words. Seeing that the ogre was hurting Alguis's pride, Reika decided to step up.
"Hey, why are you provoking people out of the blue? Don't you think what you did earlier was enough?"
Alguis stopped Reika by touching her arm.
"It's okay, Miss Reika. Miss Shiori's words were right..."
Seeing that Alguis went gloomy, Shiori decided to stop and sighed.
"You are a good king, Sir Alguis Fellad. I mean it..."
Shiori turned around and stood for a moment before walking in Shiki's direction. Sukuna tries to stop her.
"Miss Shiori—"
"But none of it matters anyway, since your leniency got overshadowed by your incompetence..."
Seeing that Shiori wouldn't stop her provocations, Reika couldn't take it anymore and decided to face the ogre.
"You...!"
Just when she was about to confront her, an echoing crackling sound was heard from the trees afar. Everyone was surprised as several thuds trembled the ground. They looked at the direction where the sound originated from and saw several trees falling. Suddenly, Alguis saw a person running in their direction.
"S-Sir Alguis, bad news! The next wave has arrived!"
Upon hearing the news, they immediately set aside their grudges and prepared themselves. Without any hesitation, they picked up their battered-up weapons.
"Everyone! I will defend the southern front with Miss Reika. Chief Shiori and the ogres will defend the southwestern front, while the rest of the group will defend the west and northwestern front!" Alguis commanded them.
Although Shiori was doubtful of Alguis's command, she had no choice but to oblige. Since those who lived in that place have knowledge of the terrain, it is best to follow their strategy. In times of war, disobeying commands would lead to defeat.
"My fellow kin! Those who can stand and hold their weapons, follow me to the southwestern part of the settlement! Assist those who couldn't will seek refuge at the settlement!"
"Yes, chief!"
The female ogres, with their children behind them, followed the man back to the settlement. Along with several goblins and orcs that couldn't fight, they were hidden at the large house to seek shelter.
Meanwhile, everyone went to their respective positions and waited for the monsters to arrive. Their anticipation grew everytime they feel the ground shakes violently.
"H-Here they come!"
The monsters came altogether in every front with incredible speed. Without sparing any moment, everyone intercepted those monsters and started killing them.
"Hyahh!"
"<Aura Energy Conversion!>"
A sudden change in atmosphere was felt by everyone when Shiori raised her greatsword. By using all of her might, she unleashed her power in order to fend those monsters off.
BOOM!!
A loud explosion could be heard as the immense aura covered the entire area. The aural energy that was converted from aeon was so strong that all the monsters that were seen at the southwestern front were wiped out in an instant. Reika saw it and was surprised at how terrifying Shiori was.
What the...?! Was that her actual strength?
Reika looked forward and tried to fixate her focus.
"I need to concentrate..."
Reika raised her spear, and several flame orbs appeared on its tip.
"Come forth, Flame Blitz!"
The orbs began to revolve around the tip, increasing its speed as seconds went by. Just then, each one of them flew towards the monsters.
"Creaaakkkk! Gragghhh!!"
Those that were hit by the Flame Blitz's ability were incinerated and died in a slow, painful death. Their burnt corpses could be smelled by others.
"That's some nasty ability!" Alguis exclaimed.
Reika simply stood in the distance, navigating the trajectory of the fireballs in order to hit the monsters as precisely as she could.
This ability is good when it comes to quantity. Since I could replenish the lost fireball in quick succession, I could bombard those monsters without stopping!
Her Flame Blitz was proven effective in cleaning the monsters with minimal effort. With its great functionality, it works like a gatling gun that could hit multiple targets at once.
Hours had passed since their intense fight began. Slowly, everyone noticed that the number of monsters didn't dwindle despite killing many of them. Eventually, their fatigue began to catch up.
"Ahhhh!! H-Help me...!"
One by one, warriors began to lose their strength and were overwhelmed by a multitude of monsters. Others starts retreating to the settlement. Alguis witnessed it and was bothered by it.
"T-This is bad..."
"Sir Alguis! The monsters began to move around and went to the other side. T-They're planning to surround us!"
Reika and Alguis heard the news and got surprised.
"Damn it!" Aguis exclaimed.
"Relay this order to all fronts. The west and northwestern front..."
While Alguis was relaying orders, Veylir noticed the ground's feeble shaking. Unlike the previous ones, the intensity was getting stronger each moment. The dragon suddenly got a bad premonition about it.
"This...!"
At the western front, Aeden and Geruldo were keeping the monsters from entering the settlement. Other orcs and goblins followed Völun to defend the northwestern front.
"T-This is bad, Miss Aeden. The monsters didn't show signs of dwindling!"
"Y-Yes... This wave was even worse compared to previous ones!"
Aeden saw the number of injured individuals and realized that they're getting overwhelmed by the monsters.
Damn it! This is bad if this continues!
While Aeden was stuck to her thoughts, she didn't realize that a Rabid Wolf was approaching in her direction. It was too late when she noticed its presence.
"Ah...!"
"Kirikata: Sen-giri!"
Suddenly, the Rabid Wolf was severed into fine, thin strips. Aeden was shocked to see an old ogre doing it effortlessly.
"Miss Aeden, I presume?" The old ogre, which is Sukuna, asked her.
"Y-Yes... I am."
Who's this old ogre? He's strong!
"By the orders of Sir Alguis, you will go to the east and northeastern front and defend it from monsters that dared to surround the entire settlement. Make haste before it's too late!"
Aeden was shocked by the monster's attack pattern. She realized that since they couldn't push the main front that easily, they decided to surround the settlement.
Damn... They're getting smart..!
"Alright! Sir Geruldo—"
Aeden paused when the ground trembled violently. At that moment, their attention was shifted upon seeing a gigantic creature appear in the distance.
That creature has six elongated legs clad in an exoskeleton, with two long arms and clamps on both ends. It closely resembles a crab, except that it was an overgrown one.
"N-Not good... Gargantua's already here!" Sukuna exclaimed.
"Hurry! Miss Aeden! Surround the settlement and defend all fronts as you could! Now that that bastard's here, the density of monster waves will increase!"
"Roger!" Aeden exclaimed and left in a hurry.
Meanwhile, Reika saw Gargantua ahead. Although the monster was a few kilometers away from them, its sheer size could be seen clearly.
"T-This is bad... Someone should intercept that monster before it reaches the settlement...!"
Suddenly, a figure rushed in Gargantua's direction. It was Shiori, jumping between the monster's heads in quick succession.
"Eh? She reacted that fast?!" Reika exclaimed.
Worried that Shiori wouldn't be able to handle the monster alone, she decided to follow her.
"Sir Alguis, could you handle here this point forward? Shiori left her post to face Gargantua alone, and I plan to do as well..."
Alguis slashed the monster's head before he looked at her.
"Alright, Miss Reika. With you together, dealing with that monster might work. Ending that monster's life will put an end to this endless wave of monsters!"
Reika simply nodded and left as well. Veylir saw her heading to the woods and plans to follow her, but her hands were full on dealing with the monsters.
"Tch! These stupid monsters won't end! If I only hadn't weakened to this extent, maybe I could...!"
Veylir unleashed a barrage of Gale Cleaves to vent her frustrations. In just a matter of seconds, several heads of monsters flew up in the air.
"Oraaaah! Take these you annoying bunch!"
Up ahead, Reika managed to catch up to Shiori and saw her intercept Gargantua by attacking its elongated legs. By unleashing an immense amount of Aura Energy, she sliced its legs like butter.
"Miss Shiori! Let me help you!"
Shiori heard a familiar voice and found out that it was Reika. Suddenly, her mood changed.
"What are you doing here?! You shouldn't leave your post!"
"H-Hey, didn't you do it as well? I simply followed here because I'm worried for your reckless actions!"
"You dare call this reckless? Only I could harm the monster like I did earlier, yet you question my strength?"
"I-It's not like that—"
Their conversation was interrupted when an unknown monster attacked Shiori from her right. She was knocked several feet and landed on a tree.
"Damn it! What was that?!"
Shiori saw a giant Rabid Wolf ahead, growling at her with the intent to kill. Just then, it vanished from her eyesight and jumped from a tree to another in quick succession.
"A Lycann?! That giant crab managed to control a Casualty-grade monster?!"
Lycann is a mutated species of Rabid Wolves that was exposed to thick aeon concentration. Not only was its size larger than a normal Rabid Wolf, but it possessed immense speed and strength.
"This is troublesome..."
Shiori looked around, trying to figure out Lycann's trajectory. The monster was so fast that all she could see were several mirages on the trees and footprints it left behind, forming dents on the trunks. Suddenly, she heard a loud boom behind her.
Here it comes!
Shiori swung her greatsword and tried to inflict damage on Lycann. However, the mutated wolf managed to avoid it and almost grazed Shiori.
"Ghk!"
That was close!
Shiori saw Lycann jumping back and forth, trying to confuse its opponent with its speed.
Damn it! Not to mention its speed, Lycann's reaction speed was almost the same as mine! This would be hard...!
In the distance, Reika saw Shiori fighting Lycann. Now that she's occupied with that monster, no one was interfering with Gargantua's march. Reika looked at its injured leg and noticed that it was already regenerated.
"The heck? That was some insane regeneration!"
Looking around, there are no other monsters beside Gargantua itself. Knowing that there are no other variables to worry with, Reika decided to confront the monster herself.
"I need to deal it with my own strength. Draconic Transformation!"
Reika quickly transformed and flew above to have a clear view of Gargantua. She now had a clear picture of its size.
"Damn. That is way beyond overgrown!"
Reika looked behind and saw the settlement ahead. The monster wave was now surrounding the settlement, trying to push through all fronts.
"There's too many of them! We need to deal with Gargantua before it's too late!"
Right after she turned around, Reika paused for a moment. A sense of doubt filled her heart.
Will I be able to pull this off? This was my third fight, and yet...
Reika snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head.
"Why are you hesitating now, Reika? There's no time for this!"
I need to win this for the sake of everyone that I cared for!
Reika looked directly at Gargantua and opens her mouth. A purple light emerged within, fluctuating in each second.
Since that bastard's exoskeleton is tough for sure, using conventional abilities would be useless. I need to use an attack that can pierce through its armor. And this ability suits best...!
The light was growing inside her mouth, illuminating the sky with its brilliance. Gargantua noticed it and diverted its attention to her.
Urk... Why is this thing so bright?
Reika saw Gargantua's gigantic clam approaching her. Without a time to spare, she aimed right to the pivot of its arm to disable its movement.
Now! Dragon's Breath!
A beam of purple light flew straight to Gargantua's arm and pierced through it. Its arm was severed instantly and fell to the ground. The blast from the attack followed, blowing one of its legs to bits.
Shiori saw the attack and didn't manage to react on time, causing her and Lycann to be knocked away by the shockwave caused by the Dragon's Breath.
"T-The hell was that?!" Shiori exclaimed while struggling to stand.
Meanwhile, Reika saw how devastating the Dragon's Breath was. In just a single attack, she managed to severe Gargantua's arm and blow the base of one of its legs.
"I... I did it!"