As the three adventurers departed with the two rescued women, Rei watched them go before turning to the corpses nearby. He moved to store the Orc General he had slain and the one Set had decapitated into his Misty Ring. Two other Orc corpses, killed by the trio, lay on the ground, but he had no intention of touching their spoils. He believed everyone should manage their own prey, and since those three would likely return shortly, he saw no reason to interfere.
"Guruu."
Watching the fires spreading across the settlement, Set let out a low, cautious rumble from deep in its throat.
Rei gave its back a reassuring pat, then cast a sharp look toward the shadows. Without a word, he swung his Death Scythe with effortless precision.
"Bumo!?"
The Orc Archer hiding in the darkness let out a cry of confusion as its arrow was sliced out of the air. Before it could react, Rei closed the distance and brought the handle of the Death Scythe down hard. The impact crushed the creature's skull, killing it instantly.
"Did it get separated from the others?" Rei wondered aloud as he tucked the Orc Archer's corpse into his Misty Ring.
Rei and Set were currently on the northern edge of the settlement. Aside from the shack where the human women had been kept for breeding, the only other structures were a few buildings that looked like watchtowers. Those towers were silent now, their occupants likely sent to the eastern side to deal with the chaos caused by the Axe of the Thunder God. As for the captive women’s shack, Rei had assumed even an Orc wouldn't prioritize lust while their village was under a night raid, but...
"Did I underestimate their drives? Or..."
Perhaps Orc Archers were granted more autonomy than common Orcs. Since it was a high-ranking species, Rei considered that it might have been acting on its own.
(At any rate, I've secured the magic stones from an Archer and a General. Still, considering I need stones for both Set and the Death Scythe, I’d like to find at least one more General if possible... not to mention an Orc Mage, the real prize among the high-ranking species. And, of course, the stone from whoever is leading this bunch.)
He muttered to himself, ears pricked for the sounds of the settlement—the clash of steel, angry shouts, curses, and the occasional explosion. Fortunately, it seemed the Archer he just killed had been an outlier. No other Orcs were currently heading toward the northern sector; they were all drawn to the main battle in the east.
About ten minutes passed before the trio of adventurers finally returned.
"Sorry, did we keep you waiting?" the leader asked, sword in hand.
Rei shook his head. "No, you were faster than I expected. What about the women?"
"We left them at the command post with Bobbs. Normally, having a female adventurer there would help put them at ease, but... it’s frustrating."
Even though Bobbs had retired from active duty, he was still more than capable. He was holding down the command post for the night raid without a personal guard. Initially, several adventurers were supposed to stay behind to protect him, but because the number of Orcs far exceeded their estimates, Bobbs had insisted they maximize their frontline strength.
"Anyway, the northern advance is in your hands. Set and I are going back into the air to focus on support."
"Yeah, that’s a big help."
Acknowledging the thanks, Rei swung himself onto Set's back. He paused for a moment and turned to the leader.
"I forgot to mention: those two Orcs you killed are over there. I took the General and the one Set killed, but I left yours."
The leader glanced at the two corpses and gave a small nod. "Yeah, no problem. Is that where the corpses go? Into that item box?"
"That’s right. I'm leaving the rest to you then. Set!"
"Gurururuuu!"
With a sharp cry, Set took a short running start, beat its wings, and soared into the sky. The three adventurers watched them go before turning toward the heart of the settlement, heading for where the fighting was thickest and leaving the corpses behind.
"The battle looks about even for now," Rei noted.
From his vantage point on Set, he looked down at the burning village. Large sections were engulfed in flames, yet swarms of Orcs were still surging toward the east. Since that was where the initial assault had hit, the enemy’s attention was naturally fixed there.
Rei spotted Elk swinging his massive battle axe, cleaving through the torsos of multiple Orcs in a single sweep. Nearby, Min was raining down Ice Arrows from her staff, the area-of-effect spell steadily wearing down the horde.
Rhodos was positioned to protect Min. Several Orcs tried to lunge at her, recognizing her as a vulnerable long-range mage, but Rhodos intercepted them. He parried, deflected, and dodged their strikes with precision, then countered with swift swordplay that left the Orcs in a pool of their own blood.
"Not bad. He’s a C-rank for a reason," Rei murmured, impressed. However, his eyes quickly shifted to a point further out. A group of Orcs was detouring around the settlement, clearly intending to flank the Axe of the Thunder God.
And, as luck would have it, they were led by an Orc carrying a staff.
"Finally found an Orc Mage. I suppose they are smarter than the average Orc."
Even an A-rank party like the Axe of the Thunder God would be in serious trouble if they were hit from behind by a magic-using detachment while distracted by the front line. Min, as a mage, was particularly vulnerable to a rear assault.
"Set!"
"Guruu!"
Responding to Rei’s command, Set initiated a Triple Dive.
The Orc Mage proved its status as a high-ranking species, however. It noticed the sound of Set's wings—something the General and Archer had missed—and pointed its staff skyward, beginning a chant.
"Don't stop, charge straight through!"
"Guruu!"
Rei didn't hesitate. Set let out a sharp cry and plunged toward the flanking unit.
"Bumora!"
The Orc Mage unleashed a spell, its voice heavy with magic power. Rei didn't understand Orcish, but he smirked when a fireball the size of a human head manifested in front of the creature.
"Gururururururururuuuuu!"
Set roared as it plummeted. The other Orcs were beginning to panic, but the Mage’s sharp bark kept them in line as it launched the fireball.
The projectile streaked toward the diving griffon at high speed. It looked like a direct hit, but an instant before impact, the fireball hit an invisible barrier and exploded harmlessly in mid-air.
"Bumo!?"
The Orc Mage gaped in shock. The Bracelet of Wind Manipulation on Set's ankle had the power to deflect a single projectile or spell—an effect that was a total surprise to the creature.
Unable to react in time, the Mage was defenseless against the collision.
"Bumoooo!"
The full weight of Set’s two-meter frame, combined with the terminal velocity of its dive and the power of its wings, slammed into the Orc Mage. The creature was sent flying ten meters, skipping across the ground like a stone across water. By the time it stopped tumbling, its neck and limbs were twisted in directions that made it clear it was dead.
And then...
"O flames, dance and dance. Illuminate the surroundings with your magnificent choreography, and charm all beings with your beautiful dance until they are scorched."
As Rei chanted, fifty human-sized pillars of fire manifested. The spell was smaller in scale than when he had used it in the Forest of Magic, tailored to the smaller number of enemies.
"Dancing Flames."
The moment the magic was triggered, the fifty flames moved as if possessed by a collective will, swarming the remaining Orcs.
The creatures were thrown into a panic by the unprecedented sight. Seeing their comrades burned alive, they tried to flee in every direction. But the flames pursued them, locking them in a Scorching Embrace that incinerated their lives in seconds.
"Bumooo!?"
"Bumomo!?"
Screams filled the air, but none could escape the heat. Within moments, every Orc in the unit was dead.
The scent of charred meat filled the air, and Set cast a hungry glance at the bodies. The night raid had been going for an hour, and it was clearly feeling a bit peckish.
"Set, we don't have time to eat now. No treats until this is over."
"Guruu..." Set gave a submissive, somewhat dejected nod.
"I'll store these Orcs in the Misty Ring for now. I'll let you eat once the battle is done, so just endure a little longer... Hm?"
Rei caught the sound of approaching footsteps. It sounded like a single person running toward them.
"Is there another unit nearby? Or a survivor?"
He briefly recalled the Orc Archer from the north and readied his Death Scythe, prepared for a fight.
However, the shadow that emerged from the firelight was human.
Rei lowered his weapon slightly, though he didn't fully relax. Set followed his lead, maintaining its guard. They both remained wary, especially with the Stars of the Night lurking somewhere in the shadows.
When the figure got close enough for Rei to identify his face, he realized who it was.
"Rhodos?"
"You... Rei?"
"Yeah. Who else would be walking around with a griffon?"
"...Right. Did you do all this to these Orcs?" Rhodos asked, staring at the charred and mangled bodies scattered around.
Rei didn't waste time. He began storing the Orc corpses into his Misty Ring one by one.
He moved toward the Orc Mage Set had taken down. "Yeah. Though Set was the one who handled the Mage."
He tucked the Mage's body away as well.
"You... to have the skill to wipe out this many Orcs alone... No, wait. Why are they burned? Your weapon is that ridiculous oversized scythe, isn't it?"
"Ridiculous? That’s a bit rude." Rei picked up the Death Scythe with a wry smile. "This is my weapon, yes. But it's a magic item... and a magic catalyst."
"A magic catalyst? You mean like..."
"Yeah. Like the staff your mother uses. It’s the same principle, just shaped like a scythe."
"So you’re a mage?"
Rei stroked Set's back and shook his head slightly. "I fight up close too, so I’m more of a magic warrior. Anyway, what are you doing here?"
"A magic warrior... Oh, right. I was fighting on the eastern side with my parents when we saw a massive surge of fire behind us. My mom told me to come check it out."
"Makes sense. It’s natural to worry about a mage’s blind spot, especially since those Orcs were actually trying to flank you."
"...So it seems. And you spotted them from above and hit them first."
Rei stared at Rhodos's face for a moment.
"What?"
"Nothing. I’m just impressed you could actually make a rational judgment for once."
"Hey, keep talking like that and I'll give you the fight you're looking for!"
"You should probably reflect on how you've treated me so far before you say things like that. Set."
"Guruu."
Rei climbed onto Set's back.
"Hey!"
"We’ll talk later. You should probably get back to Elk and Min. The battle isn't over yet."
"I know that! Listen, we’re going to settle this properly once the fighting is done! Don't you forget it! And don't you dare go and die!"
Rei gave a wry smile at Rhodos's shouting as Set carried him back into the sky.
On the way, however, he felt a sharp gaze fixed on him.
(This feeling... I see. The Stars of the Night. I wondered when they’d show themselves. It’ll be a pain if they jump me while I’m busy with Orcs, so I might as well deal with them now.)
He surveyed the settlement from above and picked out a quiet corner where the fires hadn't reached and no other adventurers or Orcs were in sight.