Things weren't peaceful in Immorra.

A storm was brewing.

"Whoo!" "Whoo!"

Clank. Clank.

The blaring of horns mixed with the clanging of metal echoed throughout the air.

Thousands of brutish creatures prepared to march through a swirling ball of energy that was slowly expanding at the center of a flattened piece of land. It was a portal, a gateway to a world beyond their own.

The orcs were decked out in full battle gear, with crude weapons and shields strapped to their massive frames.

Clank. Clank. Clank.

Their armor clinked and clanked as they moved, and the ground beneath them shook with each step they took.

The air crackled with demonic energy, and the portal itself shimmered with a sickly blue light pulsing with an otherworldly power.

At the head of the army stood a certain orc, Silug, his massive frame covered in scars and adorned with trophies from battles won.

He was completely different from how he was many years back, and his strength received a massive boost due to the resources he managed to plunder from the demons.

It wasn't just him that had changed.

So had the majority of the orcs in Immorra, with their population rapidly rising and their environment slowly recovering.

They had been able to significantly increase their overall force, and it was all thanks to something that had occurred a few years back.

"Stop!"

Silug's eyes shone with a ferocious fervor as he barked orders to his troops and urged them to refrain from entering the unknown world that was located on the other side of the portal.

"Get into positions!"

He roared, his voice carrying over the din of the army.

The orcs scrambled to obey, arranging themselves into formation as the portal grew wider, revealing glimpses of the other side—a barren wasteland of twisted, blackened trees and jagged mountains.

"Why have you gathered all of our forces? Has something happened?"

Asked Omgolung, the previous Orcen Chief.

He stood beside Silug, confusion etched into his face.

"You'll know soon enough."

Silug replied, his answer as cryptic as ever.

"Get ready to charge the moment we step into the portal!"

He bellowed, his voice ringing out across the army.

Rumble! Rumble!

The ground shook beneath their feet as the portal grew wider.

"Karum!"

Silug raised his greatsword high, letting out a deafening roar that echoed across the army. Omgolung, who was beside him, similarly raised his weapon and chanted.

"Karum!"

The orcs responded with a mighty shout, their voices blending into a thunderous war cry. With one final surge of energy, the portal burst open, engulfing the army in a blinding flash of blue light.

"Karum! Karum! Karum!"

With another roar, the orcs charged forward, their weapons held aloft as they stepped into the swirling blue portal. Right behind them, massive artillery that towered over hundreds of meters followed them from behind, making its way toward the portal.

Rumble―! Rumble―!

The ground shook beneath their feet as they made the journey to the other side, their bodies jolted by the sudden displacement.

When they emerged on the other side, they found themselves in a world unlike any they had ever seen.

The air was thick with the stench of brimstone, and the ground writhed beneath their feet. In the distance, they could see a towering black city, surrounded by thick and tall walls, each guarded by legions of demons and monsters.

"Yes, this is it..."

Silug grinned savagely, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

This was the moment he had been waiting for—the chance to prove his worth to the human that had granted him what he currently had. And with his army at his back, he was ready to conquer them all.

"Karum!"

He shouted once more, raising his greatsword high and pointing it toward the distant city. His eyes gleamed with a dangerous light, and a powerful force erupted from his body.

"Get ready to charge!"

"Karum! Karum! Karum!"

Not wanting to be outdone by Silug, the other orcs chanted, clashing their weapons against the ground.

Rumble―!

The world around them shook, and Silug's voice echoed once more.

"Charge!"

The orcs charged forward, brandishing their weapons in a threatening manner as they approached the far-off city. The ground shook violently beneath them, and the thunderous sound of their footsteps filled the air around them.

On this day, the previously unknown forces of Immorra made their long-awaited debut before the eyes of the entire world.

***

Rumble―! Rumble―!

The ground shook ferociously.

"What's going on?"

"What's happening?"

"That… why is the ground shaking?"

When I looked around and saw the bewildered expressions on the demons' faces, I couldn't help but smile to myself in private.

After giving it some thought, I came to the conclusion that there was no better time to demonstrate the power of the force that was contained within Immorra than right now.

Rumble―! Rumble―!

The ground shook, and the chants coming from the orcs in the distance grew louder and louder with each passing second. This time, when I turned my head to look in the direction from which the orcs were approaching, I found that I couldn't help but break into a genuine smile.

Right before my very eyes was what I had been working hard for.

What I had been trying to achieve for a very long time.

It was a beautiful sight.

"Orcs?!"

"What's going on?"

"There was another army?"

Hearing the baffled cries of the demons, I suppressed my smile and turned around. However, just as I did so, I caught a fleeting glimpse of Brutus's expression, which was nothing short of shocked.

… It was the first time that I had seen his expression change to such a great degree, and if the circumstances hadn't been as they were, I would have paid more attention to the changes he was showing.

Swooosh!

An intense whistling sound appeared out of nowhere in the air, and at the same time, an enormous boulder that was roughly the size of a truck crashed into the distant barrier surrounding Kuzma City.

BOOOOM―!

The barrier began to ripple, and a number of demons were forced to retreat.

"Akh!"

"Haiik!"

If that wasn't all…

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! A number of boulders took to the air and flew through the air before plowing into the barriers with an incredible amount of force, producing additional ripples along the side of the barrier.

Cr…Crack―!

Following the collision of the boulders with the barrier, the boulders shattered, releasing a green substance that spread throughout the surrounding area and melted everything that was beneath it.

"Arghhh!"

"Ukkahh!"

From where I was standing, I was able to hear the agonized screams of the demons as the orcs took advantage of the opportunity to exact their revenge on them, who, in contrast to the demons, were completely unaffected by the substance that was splattering from the boulders.

"Attack!"

"Attack!!"

Rumble―! Rumble―!

The entire battle began to shift as soon as the unexpected reinforcements arrived, and it was now the turn of the demons to suffer heavy casualties as dark blood spilled all over the ground and the cries began to come from the demons.

"Karum!" "Karum!" "Karum!"

While the boulders continued to smash into the barrier, the orc army had already made its way beneath the city's walls.

Waving their weapons above their heads, they joined the fight and immediately began slicing their way through the thousands of demons that were standing outside the barrier.

From how things were before for the orcs, it had now suddenly turned into a one-sided slaughter for them.

Slicing and killing tens of demons every second.

"Damn! Damn, it! Damn, you!"

Just then, I heard a high pitched voice echo in the air as I heard the flap of a wing. Immediately, Prince Kuzma's figure disappeared from the spot, reappearing right above where the battle was most intense.

As he extended his hand, the demonic energy in the air began to congregate toward his palm.

WOOOM―! The air began to twist, and a terrifying pressure forced its way out of his body. Everyone on the battlefield stopped what they were doing and looked up as the battle that had been going on at full force suddenly stopped.

Everyone turned their attention to Prince Kuzma as his gaze traveled across the land to where the orcs had taken control.

"How… How…"

He was having trouble finding the words to express how he felt as his chest began to heave. It was as plain as the nose on my face that he was fuming with rage at that very moment.

"…How dare you!?"

When he finally managed to spit out his words, an enormous sphere appeared at the end of his palm, and my expression changed.

'Not good… He's completely lost it.'

The power that the sphere held was beyond what the barrier could possibly hold.

When I looked at the city, I knew that it wouldn't be able to resist the attack, and it became clear to me that he no longer cared about his forces.

…What he wanted was to kill everyone present.

"It's best if I inte―"

"Allow me."

A hand pressed against my shoulder, and when I turned my head, I was surprised to see Brutus standing next to me. With his gaze directed toward the Prince, he closed his eyes and looked at me once more.

"Let me handle this matter…"

I prepared to respond, but just as I was about to do so, he opened his mouth again, this time in a pleasing tone, and I quickly closed my mouth again.

"…Please."