The Fall of Red-Eye Fortress

Outside, the fighting was in full swing, but the fortress interior was eerily quiet. Only hurried footsteps occasionally echoed through the darkness before quickly fading away.

The bottom level, where the Snotlings had once gathered, was now completely empty. Every living thing had been thrown into battle; nobody wanted to sit idle indoors...

A furtive figure appeared there. Bent low, he crept inside and kept feeling around the ground with both hands, as if searching for something.

"This one."

Before long, he found his target. Though it was somewhat hot, he still lay flat on the ground and pressed his ear against it.

"It was... three knocks."

After confirming that he had found the right spot, the Ork took a hammer from his belt and struck the ground heavily three times.

But after a long while, there was no response. Just as he thought he had found the wrong place—

Thud~!

Suddenly, the filthy ground gave off a dull rumble. Tiny stones bounced up from the floor before falling back down.

Thud, thud~!

The sound grew heavier and heavier. The rubble on the ground began hopping like it was dancing, rising and falling, rising and falling, each jump higher than the last. The Ork immediately backed away from where he had been standing.

Soon, the solid floor collapsed with a deafening crash at the loudest impact, revealing a pitch-black hole. Only then did everything fall quiet again.

Plop~

Two slightly reddish hands reached out from the hole and pressed against the ground. Then a bald head emerged from the opening. After looking around for a moment, its owner suddenly pushed hard with both hands and leaped out.

"Grak, you're late!"

"Quit yer yapping, Truf."

Grak, clad in red armor, replied impatiently. Then he turned toward the hole and growled:

"Boyz, what are you dawdling for?! Get yer asses out here!"

The second Ork immediately crawled out, followed by the third, the fourth... The black opening was like a giant mouth, continuously spewing out heavily armed Ork warriors. They could hear the battle cries outside, and their intense lust for battle made their eyes bloodshot and steam pour from their nostrils.

"The plan changed. Red-Eye has a new weapon that beat us bad. We need to take those things first."

Truf, who had been hiding inside the fortress all along, had realized his mistake after the battle began. He had never expected Red-Eye to possess human cannons. Agugu had simply hidden them too well.

"Where?!"

Grak had long been unable to restrain himself. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his huge eyes were filled with bloodlust. If not for the last scraps of reason holding him back, he would have already charged out alone for a good slaughter.

"Up there! Fourth floor!"

"Follow me!"

Beyond the word "follow," Grak could no longer hear anything. Carrying his red battle-axe, he charged out with roaring cries, followed by a group of murderous underlings. Even more Orks were pouring out of the hole.

"Quick! Load it! No, wait! Clean the barrel first! Faster, faster! Water! Cool it down!"

Long Tongue was one of the Red Eye Tribe's Mekboyz. He was obsessed with all kinds of human weapons, especially these powerful cannons. They were strong, long-ranged, and full of raw force—perfectly Orky weapons. The only problem was that humans made them too small. By his reckoning, they needed to be at least ten times bigger to have any real punch. Of course, gunpowder was a huge problem. He still had not figured it out.

Cold water was poured over the scorching bronze barrel, raising a cloud of white steam. Snotlings busily scrubbed out the bore while Orks carried ammunition from behind. The wooden gun carriage had loosened somewhat from the repeated firing.

This was a 117-millimeter smoothbore field gun, one of the Benedict Empire's standard artillery pieces. It fired 2.5-kilogram solid cannonballs and could accurately strike targets over a thousand meters away. It was also currently one of Aswan Fortress's main guns.

"Idiots! Powder first! Then the cannonball!"

Snatching the cannonball from the hands of a dim-witted Ork, Long Tongue had another one stuff the bagged gunpowder into the barrel, followed by the cannonball. They rammed it down with a wooden rod, pierced the powder bag through the touch hole with a sharp nail, fitted a stolen ignition tube, and tied on a cord.

Only Mekboyz could perform this series of complicated operations. Once Long Tongue had finished, he adjusted the barrel's elevation and gave the cord a sharp pull.

Boom!

Thick smoke blocked his vision. Long Tongue hurried to the front and took a look.

"This is good!"

He saw the iron ball arc through the air and crash into several clustered White Hand Orks. Flying chunks of flesh and severed limbs thrilled him beyond measure.

It was the first time Long Tongue had used these things on the battlefield, and he was extremely satisfied with the results. In the future, he would make more of them, then smash that damned fortress to pieces, seize all those truly gigantic cannons, and then...

"Killllllllll!!"

Just as he was fantasizing about his beautiful future, a thunderous roar scared the wits out of him. When he turned around, a blood-red battle-axe was already coming straight at him.

"Huh?"

That was the last thought to remain in his mind before everything vanished amid the splattering brain matter.

"Kill them all!"

Grak kicked the corpse off the fortress and let out a wild roar. In the blink of an eye, he slaughtered every living thing present, then rushed toward another exit.

"Hey!"

By the time Truf caught up, the entire space contained nothing but blood and mangled flesh. He walked to the lookout platform and glanced down. The fighting below was still ongoing. He bent over to pick up an iron ball, then looked at the metal tube.

"This... how's it work?"

He was instantly lost, his head full of questions.

One cannon after another fell silent, yet Agugu below did not notice, because he was about to launch his final charge.

Bucktooth had ultimately failed to withstand the pressure. One of his arms had been torn off, and savage wounds covered his body and face. When Mangul carried him back from the front line, he had already lost consciousness, and the blade in his hand had become twisted, shattered scrap metal.

Guk glanced at the fortress. He noticed that the cannons had stopped firing, and he knew what that meant. Victory was already in his grasp, though the price had been enormous.

"Boyz!"

He raised Dragon Tooth and let out a mighty roar. Agugu was already leading a large force of vicious bosses and Big 'Uns toward them. The left flank had collapsed, while Orks from the rear were flooding this way.

But he was not afraid. If anything, he was excited.

"Let's go!!"

Amid the deep blare of horns, the blood-red banner that had stood still began to move. It seemed to be a signal. The routed Orks on the left flank quickly regrouped, forming a new formation around the banner.

"Let's go! Let's go!"

The elite guards in white helmets marched shoulder to shoulder with heavy steps. The steel weapons in their hands gleamed beneath the blazing sun. Their expressions were proud, their eyes filled with contempt for the enemy before them. They were the strongest boyz.

"Charge, charge, charge!!!"

Agugu also felt victory was within reach. Riding at the front, he led his vast army straight toward Guk's banner. They outnumbered Guk's forces two to one. He would personally cut off that bastard's head. He would be the victor!

Strong against strong, king against king!

The enormous crash seemed to make the earth spin. Like two iron hammers smashing together, the two vastly unequal forces charged fiercely into one another. The sharp clang of metal and rough howls intertwined into a distinctive melody, and this song of war soared into the sky.

Two massive Squiggoths collided violently. Their tusks locked together as their limbs clawed at the ground, roaring as they struggled against each other.

"Guk!!"

Agugu leaped from the beast's back and issued his challenge.

"Agugu!!"

Guk answered the challenge. Taking three strides, he sprang up and brought Dragon Tooth down toward Agugu's head.

Agugu raised his axe and knocked aside the blow, then swung it fiercely several times, forcing the unsteady Guk back again and again.

"You've got some strength!"

Guk used his shield to block a heavy strike, shook his slightly numb arm, and bared his teeth in a savage grin. Then he lunged forward several steps, Dragon Tooth flickering in a blur of light that sent sparks flying from Agugu's thick iron armor. If Agugu had not swept the massive blade away in time, his arm would already have been gone.

The two giant Ork bosses, each over four meters tall, began a bloody and brutal contest atop the backs of two Squiggoths. Around them, the elite warriors fought in a savage melee.

Clang~ Clang~ Clang~

They fought from Agugu's mount to Guk's, then from Guk's mount back to Agugu's. When they separated once more, both were covered in wounds. But Guk's superior armor meant he had suffered no serious injuries.

Agugu, however, was beginning to fail. Not only was he covered in blood, but a deep gash had appeared on his face, exposing bone, while a wound at his waist continued to bleed.

Roaaar~~~~~~

The brutal battle had not only injured the two Orks. The two struggling beasts had also reached their limits. After letting out mournful cries at the same time, they both collapsed.

"Gushet! Mog!"

After landing on the ground, Agugu watched Guk warily as he slowly pulled away and called for his attendants.

It was the first time he had encountered someone so good at fighting. They were roughly the same size, so why was Guk so much stronger? He regretted underestimating his opponent. Win or lose, he had already lost enough face this time.

"Boss!"

"Kill him!"

Knowing he was probably no match for Guk, Agugu was not foolish enough to keep fighting one-on-one. Upon receiving the order, the bosses immediately led several hundred Orks charging at the white freak. Cutting off a boss's head was an especially great honor!

"Scared? Coward! Hahahaha!!"

Guk laughed wildly and hurled the shield from his left hand with all his strength, sending the leading boss flying more than ten meters.

"Lemme have some fun!!"

Gripping his weapon with both hands, Guk's eyes crackling with arcs of electricity, he charged headlong into the crowd of Orks.

"Waaagh!!"

"Mine!"

Only then did the Orks realize what kind of monster they had encountered. Every sweep of that massive blade brought devastating destruction. Sturdy Orks were as fragile as Snotlings. Blood, severed limbs, heads... Wherever Guk went, he stirred up a raging tide. No Ork could keep his footing before him. He swept away everything in his path as if clearing trash.

They trembled. Every Ork of the Red Eye Tribe was trembling. Their courage was draining away, and if not for their numbers, many would have already fled.

"Kill him! Surround him!!!!"

Agugu roared madly. Retreating several steps, he grabbed an Ork and bellowed:

"Go! Get Long Tongue! Gather all the Big Bang-Bangs! Blow him to bits!!"

"Y-yes!"

The Ork had just turned to run back toward the fortress when he suddenly froze. His expression was like that of someone who had seen a ghost.

"Why aren't you going?!"

"B-boss! Look!"

Following the trembling hand, Agugu nearly fell to the ground. The original flag atop the fortress had been replaced by the hateful White Hand banner. A group of red-armored figures was pouring out of the fortress, slaughtering their way toward his rear.

"What the hell is going on!!!!!!"

Agugu grabbed the Ork, his words turning crazed. His face twisted as horribly as that of the dead Squiggoth.

"I-I don't know, Boss!"

"Useless trash!!"

Agugu snapped his neck with one hand. He stared blankly as the fortress's war machines began turning their fire toward their former allies. He could not understand what had happened. Why were those damned White Hand Orks pouring out of his fortress?

His mind had completely shut down, and he had utterly lost the ability to think, until a scream dragged him back to reality.

"B-Boss! Aaaah!!!!"

That was the voice of his attendant, Mog. He turned around and discovered that a huge shadow had somehow fallen over him. He could not clearly make out the shadow's form. Only those eyes—those eyes that made him feel something called fear. He had forgotten the last time he had been afraid.

Probably when he had still been a boy.

"Agugu."

The shadow spoke in a deep voice, hard as stone. Agugu noticed its hand holding a large head.

It was Mog's head.

"I..."

He tried to open his mouth, wanting to say something, but when the cold blade swept across his neck, he realized he probably would not be saying anything after all.

Agugu died. He died that easily. His head was raised upon the blade's tip as the victor's trophy.

Blood and grime had left his armor filthy and mottled. Guk swept his gaze over the Red Eye Orks surrounding him. They had lost all will to fight and could only stare blankly at the head on his blade. That had once been their boss.

Waaagh!!!!!!

Guk raised his head and unleashed one final roar, declaring the end of the war.

He had become the victor!