"I feel a little underhanded doing this." My complaint echoes toward the people around me, though my face betrays none of it.
"At least change your expression a little if you want your act to be believable." Edupe tosses a small pebble from the ground at me after speaking. I don't bother dodging it. The stone simply shatters against my body. He never intended to hurt me.
"I really don't like this plan, but I can't complain from the bottom of my heart because my side benefits the most." I look at the monster standing before me. It was surprising that he was the one who chose this plan over all the others.
His army will charge straight into the ogres, crushing every monster that stands in their way. They'll be the spearhead of this assault. Once the battle between both sides erupts, that's when we'll strike from the flank and catch them completely off guard.
Our small army will remain hidden until Joaki decides it's time to move in and drive a blade straight into the ogres' formation. By then, the enemy won't have the slightest chance to resist. They'll fall like flies.
I'm glad our side will benefit the most from this plan. Edupe doesn't have much affection for the weaker monsters of his own race. He sees them as replaceable pieces. He also knows that humans grow far more attached to one another, and this is his way of showing how much he values our alliance.
Edupe will face the ogre leader head-on. My role in the plan is to stay hidden elsewhere and step in once they're separated from the chaos of the battlefield. There's no way Edupe and I could lose if we fight together.
In the end, we're the ones who gain the most no matter how you look at it, so I can't really be upset. It's just not my style to lurk in the shadows and wait. I'd rather walk straight to the front door, knock—or break it down if no one answers—and create even more chaos.
"I just hope you don't stay hidden once you see how strong that ugly ogre really is." Edupe mocks me.
"You think I'd be afraid of him? I could go over there by myself right now and show him exactly who I am." I grin. "Although... now that I think about it, watching you get beaten up from the front row does sound entertaining." I look mischievously at the monster sitting on the ground.
"As if I'd lose to him. Maybe I should remind you just how strong I really am." A terrifying grin spreads across his face. It's just part of his species. He looks amused, but his eyes remain serious. If I accepted, he'd gladly spar with me right here.
Before I can answer, someone cuts us off. "You two children can stop provoking each other. This is important." Brendu's voice echoes throughout the room.
The words die in my throat the moment I hear her speak. She can be incredibly intimidating. What amuses me a little is seeing Edupe fall silent in the corner as well, like he'd just been scolded.
I walk over and sit beside him. "We'll settle this when I get back." I whisper jokingly.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." He glances at Brendu before looking back at me. "That woman is incredibly imposing. From the first moment I saw her, I could tell her bloodline was extraordinary. Life at home must be difficult for you... especially with four of them." I can tell he's speaking honestly, though there's definitely a bit of teasing mixed in.
"Not all of them have a personality as strong as hers... but I can't exactly say they make things easier whenever they're all together." I simply accept his comment. Just remembering all the times they teamed up to tease me is enough to drain my energy.
"I'd bet you'd rather fight me every day until you collapsed than battle them mentally." Edupe comments, and I can't quite hold back my laughter.
Brendu shoots me an irritated look. I simply shrug, and she goes back to reviewing the plan with everyone else. "Without a doubt. That sounds like a vacation to me." I answer the imposing monster beside me.
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"My monsters told me about her. I thought they were exaggerating. Her personality is every bit as strong as she is. Her children will be extraordinary." Edupe's words make me think. Even he has acknowledged Brendu's strength.
"I'll be nearby. The moment you create an opening, I'll jump in to help. At least give me a good show while I'm waiting." I tell Edupe as he prepares to leave with his Escamus army.
"Keep an eye on your surroundings. Remember, we're monsters. I don't know if that ugly, cunning ogre has something planned. His movements have been rather strange over the past few weeks." Edupe sounds genuinely serious.
"Leave it to me. I'll cover your scaly back." I reply as I turn around to head toward my own position.
"That's actually a little reassuring." Edupe says while walking toward the enormous army waiting for him.
"Be careful. I know you're strong and almost as immortal as a cockroach, but we're talking about Grade 5 monsters. A single mistake could cost you dearly." Brendu wraps her arms around my neck.
I came to see her one last time before each of us headed toward our assigned positions. "I'll be as careful as possible. You need to be careful too. Don't push yourself beyond your limits." I'm worried about her, even though the princess carries several treasures given to her by her father and brother that can keep her alive in countless situations.
"Don't worry. I'll stay with her." Glia says through our mental link. She's lying on the ground a few meters away from us.
"If anything happens, tell me. I'll be with you in a second." I answer through the connection.
"Trust us. We've trained alongside you for a long time. We can handle it." Glia rises from the ground and stretches.
In the end, I decided to send Glia with Brendu. At first she opposed my decision, but my little sister eventually agreed once she realized I'd be much more at ease if she stayed by Brendu's side. Glia is incredibly strong, and she can also keep me informed in real time if anything happens.
I say goodbye to both of them before heading toward my assigned position. Edupe will do everything he can to lure the ogre leader close to where I'll be waiting. One way or another, he'll make it happen. I'll remain high above the battlefield, watching everything unfold. Once they get close enough, I'll descend and lend him a hand.
I take my time reaching the designated location. Along the way, I avoid as many monsters as possible, only intervening when I spot groups of ogres hurrying toward the battlefield where the war must have already begun.
I kill them instantly before they have any chance to react. That way they won't be able to relay any information, assuming they have some method of communication. I wipe out a little over a hundred of them along the way. Hopefully that'll ease some of the pressure on both our forces and Edupe's.
Once I reach my position, I have a clear view of everything happening below. I'm far enough from the chaos that I can only make it out by focusing carefully, aided by my Ruby Rank body.
Edupe's side is advancing with overwhelming momentum. They're slaughtering ogres as though they were nothing more than helpless saplings. That relentless advance is entirely due to Edupe standing at the front, annihilating anyone foolish enough to block his path.
Several minutes later, the other leading actor in this performance finally makes his entrance. Even from this distance, the ogre looks enormous. He's nearly two heads taller than Edupe, with a massive body packed with muscle. His arrival immediately throws the Escamus forces into disarray, and several of them are killed.
The two leaders gradually move away from the chaos. Everywhere they clash is reduced to ruins. Neither of them is holding back in the slightest. Both are fighting at full strength from the very beginning, leaving devastation in their wake. The only good news is that they're slowly drawing closer to my position.
Once they've moved far enough away, something else catches my attention. A large group of humans appears from the weakest flank of the ogre army, which still hasn't managed to organize itself properly. The ogres suffer tremendous losses the instant the humans attack. Their already fragile formation collapses completely.
"They're like ants... they just keep coming." I already knew the ogres had overwhelming numbers. Their weakness is that most of them are only Grade 3.
I can see our Ruby Ranks wreaking havoc across the battlefield. Every one of them is positioned so they can support each other without getting in one another's way. The strongest among them are Cokue, Brendu, and Joaki. They're truly monsters in their own right.
They'll succeed. I can't picture them losing this battle. It doesn't matter how many ogres there are. Their terrible organization will become their greatest enemy.
I observe for a few more minutes. Once I'm convinced everything is under control, I decide to descend and help Edupe. They've already reached my position. Once we kill their leader, I can immediately turn my attention to wiping out the rest of the ogres.
I continue observing while concealing my mana and Imra as thoroughly as possible. There's no chance anyone can detect me while I'm carrying the artifact Brendu gave me. The moment I spot an opening in both of their stances, I teleport beside them. Edupe executed his part perfectly.
"Now this is a surprise." I speak the instant I arrive. I couldn't attack the ogre. Instead, I had to protect Edupe from a spear thrown by another human. It seems I wasn't the only one lying in wait for the perfect opportunity. I can see the surprise in the eyes of the dark-skinned, bald man. His killing intent is incredibly powerful.