Thud!Rumble!
"...We're here."
The center of the marshlands.
The battlefield between the [Lizardmen] and the [Orc].
"......"
Using the [Extra Skill], [Shadow Movement], Rimuru transferred to the area near the battlefield. The moment the stench of blood, mingling with the swamp's fog, hit him, he frowned slightly.
"So this is... a battlefield of monsters..."
He had thought he'd be somewhat used to the smell of blood thanks to memories from his previous life, but blood soaked in the magic of war was foul in a completely different way.
The thoughts released at the brink of death—hatred, pain, rage, fear—and [Starved], the source of the magicules behind them, kept tainting the monsters' blood.
"...I need to deal with the [Orc Lord] as fast as possible."
Rimuru closed his eyes for a moment and took a short breath, then turned to Adelio, who had transferred beside him.
"I promised in front of Treyni, so as planned, Shizue and I will take on the [Orc Lord]. So while we do that, Adelio, you—"
"'Protect the [Lizardmen], and if Gelmud or the clowns show up, handle them,' right?"
"...Yeah."
Rimuru nodded with difficulty at Adelio, who had smilingly guessed what he was about to say, his face full of concern.
He knew by now that Adelio was humanity's greatest fighting force, but his opponents were subordinates of a Demon Lord. There was no way he could help worrying.
But after seeing that expression on Rimuru's face, Adelio let out a dry laugh, as if to say he was worrying over nothing.
"You don't need to worry that much. There's no chance I'll lose, and to begin with, there's always the possibility those majin won't even show up here."
With that, Adelio wrapped himself in magicules again and rose into the air alongside Ria. Wearing a calm expression, he looked at his disciple, Shizue.
"Shiz. I shouldn't even need to say it, but go wild and do whatever you want."
Her master added that the stars of this subjugation would be Rimuru and herself, so there was no need for her to hold back. Then, with those final words, he soared high into the sky.
Fwoooosh!
Toward the [Lizardmen], who were surrounded as if they might be devoured by the [Orc] at any moment.
"...L-Lord Gabiru...!!"
Rimuru's group had arrived just in time, but the war had already been escalating before they got there, and the [Lizardmen]'s defeat had become painfully obvious.
They were outmatched in numbers, outmatched in stronger individuals, and even outmatched in the fighting spirit of ordinary soldiers. From the start, it had been a battle they had no chance of winning.
"......"
But the only ones who hadn't realized that obvious fact were the [Lizardmen] themselves.
"......Lord Gabiru... we can't maintain this tight formation any longer..."
"...Because of the [Goblin], we can't bunch together any more than this."
"If it were only us, we might be able to escape, but if we do that, the thousands of [Goblin] will..."
Once the [Orc] that had eaten [Lizardmen] and stolen their traits began moving faster, they had hurriedly gathered into a dense formation. But against the overwhelming numbers filling every direction, it had been little better than a fatal mistake.
"Lord Gabiru!"
"Please, give us another order...!"
"If we don't move now..."
'...Damn it. Bringing the [Goblin] with us only ended up shackling us instead...'
The [Lizardmen], now desperate, begged Gabiru for his next command. But he had no plan at all, and so he remained silent, giving none of the answers his subordinates wanted.
Thud!
Meanwhile, the [Orc]'s encirclement drew tighter and tighter, and even the commanders who had been using ordinary soldiers as shields abandoned their escorts and stepped forward themselves.
"Hmph. Just as pathetic as you'd expect from lizards that crawl on the ground."
"So this is all the one who calls himself the leader of the [Lizardmen] amounts to?"
The two commanders of the assault force, [Orc General] clad in heavy jet-black full-body armor, mocked Gabiru as they raised their axes overhead.
As higher-ranking individuals second only to the [Orc Lord], both were generals with more magicules than Gabiru.
"......Kh...!"
Half-provoked by the [Orc]'s taunts, Gabiru gripped the [Vortex Spear] so hard it seemed his hand might break. But after the continuous fighting and under the pressure of the two generals' magicules, he was in no condition to properly control even his own body.
"Even with death right in front of you, you still won't get rid of that arrogant look in your eyes."
"Well, it doesn't matter. You're going to die... right here!"
With cruel grins, the two generals moved to bring their axes down on Gabiru, who was still trying to resist to the very end.
Whoosh!!
They never doubted their victory. They fully intended to end this war here and now.
Clang!!
Their full-powered axes were stopped cold by a single slender longsword.
"......?!"
"...!! What the hell are y—Gghhk?!"
And in the same instant, their necks were severed.
Even in that final moment, just as the tide of battle was about to turn.
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