Chapter 210: War of the Gods (8)

"Kyul kyul kyul kyul kyul!"

A hearty laugh, one that was of a different class from Wallachwi's unpleasant chuckle resounded!

The God of Radiance looked back.

There stood another orc shaman. However, with broken molars and a smaller stature, he appeared rather pitiful.

But instinctively, the god knew.

This shaman was no ordinary being.

The trajectories of power emanating from him wove intricate orbits around the shaman. If Wallachwi was a master of dark sorcery intoxicated by the abyss, this orc was a traditionalist who had earnestly ascended the realms of shamanism. And such power was at its zenith.

He was the most fearsome kind of enemy.

"It's been a long time thince I've theen thomeone like you!" the orc shaman spoke with a heavy lisp.

Without hesitation, the god unleashed his power, which immediately pierced through the orc. He was hoping that the orc would crumble instantly.

But nothing happened.

The orc was already standing by Wallachwi's side.

"The abyth, huh? You wield a dangerous power! How imprethive! Kyul kyul kyul kyul kyul!"

He was an orc who couldn’t even pronounce words correctly due to missing some teeth, but he was dangerous regardless.

"Since it's come to this, why don't you lend me your strength!"

He reached his hand out to Wallachwi. Then, magical power flowed from the limp Wallachwi into the unknown orc, being absorbed immediately.

Compared to his high realm, the orc had very little magical power. His body which contained magic must have been shattered in the past due to the aftermath of battles or an overload of sorcery. However, as the orc absorbed magical power from Wallachwi, even that sole weakness was overcome.

Magical power surged within him.

The same tool can produce entirely different outcomes depending on how it's used.

In the hands of the unknown orc, the same magic became a far more formidable force.

"It's been a while! Kyul kyul kyul kyul kyul!"

As if savoring a fragrance, he wrapped the magical power around his hands and closed his eyes.

"I think this is the first time since that time I killed the 'Demon King'!"

The god tried to obliterate the orc before he could use his sorcery, but the attacks dissipated into thin air as if they were hitting a wall.

One.

Two.

Three.

And countless more.

Numerous spells had already surrounded him, forming a defensive stance. The spells encircled him, blocking all attacks.

"You...!"

The god unleashed the remainder of his power in a mighty blow toward the orc out of the fear of not knowing what to expect from his new opponent.

But instead of hitting the orc, the power vanished before reaching the orc and returned to the god.

As his own power was wielded against himself, the god had to hastily dodge. His power had always been his tool for overpowering others, but for the first time, it threatened him. A chill ran down his spine.

" Kyul kyul kyul kyul kyul! How ridiculouth you look!"

The god was enraged by his mockery but had no power left to attack.

"How dare you...!"

Fury made lights burst from his eyes.

"If we were to use our full power, creatures like you would stand no chance!"

" Kyul kyul kyul! Take it easy!"

The orc shaman shook his head.

"You gods are busy with other matters, aren't you? I understand!"

"....!"

"I realized that long ago. If you gods decided to truly use all of your powers against us, how could we, mere mortals, withstand it?"

Now Wallachwi, too, seemed to regain his senses. He staggered to his feet sluggishly.

"Kehe... heh!"

His unpleasant laughter also returned.

And as if that wasn’t enough,

"This has been plenty, don't you think?"

There was a voice out of nowhere.

An elf in a noble garment and elegant demeanor appeared. His arrival instantly brought silence to the battlefield. All fighting ceased.

The scent of fresh grass spread, and it calmed the hearts of those fighting. Anger, combativeness, hatred, fear, and terror—all dissipated. Wounds and pains were healed.

The gods knew who the elf was.

"You!”

He was the avatar of the World Tree.

He was the one watching over the World Trees and thus, tenderly caring for the elves. He, the one who had refused to join this war right before it began, had made a surprise appearance.

"What nonsense is this now?"

He was of a high rank among the gods, so the tone of the other god who asked was polite.

"I’m saying that we should just stop this."

"It's a battle that has already begun. Someone has to lose."

Whether it was them or the orcs, an outcome had to be reached.

"But it seems like both sides are drained of power."

"..."

"Exerting any more power might cause problems."

As he was saying, the battlefield had now entered a stalemate, and other gods were also beginning to lose ground.

The resilience of the orcs was remarkable. Although the gods had a restriction on their power, the orcs were still managing to fight against them and give them a difficult time. And with the arrival of the northern army, they even began to push the gods back. If this continued, the war could very well end in mutual destruction.

Many gods agreed with his words, and a few were nodding, starting to withdraw their power.

"Are you saying we should retreat just like this? We cannot do that."

However, a few gods, including Tarthatot, were determined to see the war through.

The avatar of the World Tree offered a suggestion.

"Then how about this."

He pointed to a place right in the middle of the battlefield.

A place where the fight never once ceased ever since the war began.

“They cannot be stopped. So, let the outcome of that duel decide the victors of this war."

It was Crockta and the War God.

They were still fighting their fierce battle as if they were completely oblivious to their surroundings. Every swing tore apart the interior of the Colosseum. The earth scattered, and the air was ripped apart in a series of relentless attacks.

"So it’s up to them..."

The World Tree's suggestion wasn't directed just at Tarthatot.

It was conveyed to all gods present on the battlefield.

"..."

The expedition force was also suffering significant losses and didn't want to continue the war. The World Tree’s proposal strongly tempted them.

"There’s no way the War God loses."

"Crockta will win."

At that moment, both sides burst out simultaneously.

Tired of fighting, they nodded to the World Tree's proposal. This sentiment spread throughout the battlefield.

Even the gods discussed among themselves in their language had eventually agreed to the proposal.

They were also tired of this war. They knew that they were at risk of incurring wounds from mortals that they could not recover from.

"Understood."

The great war that began with the clash between the expedition forces and the orcs was ultimately going to be decided by Crockta and the War God.

The fight came to a halt.

As the acts of killing and being killed ceased, silence took over the battlefield.

Boom! Bang!

Craaaaaash!

There were only the sounds of Crockta and the War God clashing.

All eyes were on them.

One by one, the soldiers and orcs gathered toward the Colosseum.

In a brutal space where one of them had to die before anyone could leave, they exchanged attacks without rest. Everyone watched.

" Kyul kyul kyul kyul kyul!"

The shaman, Kaburak, laughed out loud.

"Our great chief is indeed strong. Where else would you find a warrior who stands against the War God and does not falter!"

His words prompted the northern orcs to raise their weapons in tribute to Crockta.

The expedition supported the War God.

And the ones battling, Crockta and the War God, were having their own dialogue inside the Colosseum.

"Not bad, War God."

"Such insolent talk."

They were completely focused on their opponent, oblivious to their surroundings.

* * *

Crockta's attack did not reach the War God. It barely managed to graze his shield.

The War God's combat skills, fully unveiled since the activation of the Colosseum, were of an unbelievable level. Truly, he was the god of all wars. There was no superfluous movement in his actions; each was purposeful and precise.

Craaash!

The War God struck Crockta with his shield and thrust his sword down on the staggering Crockta. Struggling to maintain his stance due to the aftermath of the shield strike, Crockta managed to block with God Slayer held horizontally. Sparks flew as the two blades collided.

"That's a fine sword. And quite ominous at the same time," the War God remarked.

The God Slayer was a generational legendary sword forged by the blacksmith Jakiro of the Golden Anvil Tribe using the ‘Eternal Fire.' It was comparable to any other legendary weaponry in history.

Its most terrifying aspect was the power of the sun imbued within it, capable of vanquishing even gods.

A cut from this sword could deal a significant blow to a god, even potentially damaging their divinity. In the worst case, it could also lead to their demise. The War God, engaging in combat with this blade, could feel its threat.

He must not be cut by it.

Thus, he shielded himself more robustly, using his shield for protection and launching attacks on Crockta from behind it.

"How long will you only defend, War God!"

Crockta’s body had surpassed its limits and was now in a state beyond causality. It was uncertain how effective this would be against gods, yet...

"Ugh!"

A sudden attack beyond causality sliced through one of the War God's arms, igniting flames at the site of the wound.

Enraged, the War God erupted in flames, furious.

"How insolent!"

Though he was certain that he had blocked the attack, the reversal of causality meant he was struck cleanly by Crockta’s God Slayer.

The War God already had his body surrounded by flames due to his powers, but God Slayer inverted even that and damaged his divine power.

It was a disgrace.

He was not a being meant to suffer such humiliation at the hands of a mere mortal.

"Crocktaaa!"

He yelled, throwing his shield. Although Crockta managed to deflect it with his greatsword, the immense force behind it threw off his balance.

Seizing the moment, the War God advanced, swinging his sword.

Crockta was slashed, and blood spurted.

"Ugh!"

Retreating, Crockta faced the advancing War God who declared,

"I made a mistake."

“...”

"Attempting to defeat you without being harmed myself was arrogance on my part. Now, I acknowledge you as a true adversary."

Picking up his fallen shield, the War God did not hide behind it as before. Instead, he prepared the shield as another means of attack and pointed it at Crockta.

"The real Colosseum has begun."

The War God gestured around them with his chin, and Crockta finally looked around.

The war had stopped.

For some reason, not only the orcs and the expedition force, but the northern orcs were also on the battlefield. All of their eyes were on the duel between Crockta and the War God.

“Kekeke...”

Crockta chuckled.

He didn’t know the details, but he knew that the northern orcs must have come to rescue them from this war.

He also saw some familiar faces. There was Shireuga, who silently held his fist against his chest. Kaburak, who was laughing as heartily as ever. Driden, glaring at him with fierce eyes, and even the old warrior Hammerchwi was here. They all had their eyes on Crockta.

"So the outcome of this war is up to us?"

Crockta and the War God were the only ones with weapons in their hands.

The War God, aflame with rage, spoke,

"The gods have reached a consensus. The outcome of this war will be decided by our duel. If you win, we will withdraw."

“Kekeke, you’re really good at making things sound better than they really are. All I’m hearing is that you and your gods are scared of us.”

"Enough with the insolence."

The War God's flames intensified.

"We could have erased this place and Orcrox from the map had we used our full power."

But Crockta was unfazed by the War God’s rage. Instead, he closed his eyes.

A chilling breeze cooled the layer of sweat covering his body.

“A fight that I mustn’t lose...”

Once again, everything hinged on his shoulders.

The fate of thousands of lives depended on him. His defeat meant their loss, his victory, their triumph.

And the eyes of the world were upon them.

He could feel every single one of the gazes that were fixed on him.

It was too many to count. The orcs, the gods, and even the people of Earth watching him on their screens.

He had all of them on their back. He grinned.

"Not bad."

His opponent was the War God.

The being that was born for wars, was trained by wars and was to look over all wars to come. The war itself.

The most honorable foe.

"Hey."

Crockta called out with his greatsword swung over his shoulder.

But the War God stayed silent. Unperturbed, Crockta continued.

"Are you alive?"

“... truly insolent, you are.”

The War God chuckled. He was familiar with the orcs’ common sayings.

"Yes, I am."

"Good."

No more words were necessary as they circled each other.

The final act of the war was unfolding.