(Attendance… plz…)
….
That Evening:-
The decision to confront the Orc Lord immediately had sent a ripple of restless energy through the village. It wasn't panic, exactly, but a frantic need to prepare. To mobilize an entire war party in a single night was a monumental task.
The usual cheerful atmosphere of the village had evaporated, replaced by the grim reality of impending future.
To an outsider, it would sound insane. The ogres, their village was destroyed and their numbers decimated just days ago, and now they were preparing to march against an army of two hundred thousand when they couldn't even do anything against ten thousand.
Even at their peak, the entire ogre clan wouldn't have stood a chance against such numbers. And there was no shame in admitting that. Honor and a warrior's spirit didn't mean being stupid. It didn't mean throwing your life away in a battle you couldn't possibly win just to make a point or something useless.
But this time, the situation was different.
If the ogres were fighting alone, they would have needed weeks to prepare, to gather weapons, armor, and rations.
And even then, it would have been a suicide mission. But they weren't alone.
They were marching behind an anomaly. Their willingness to face such overwhelming odds, to challenge an Orc Lord and his horde, came from a single source: their faith in Reinhard.
They didn't doubt him. They had seen what he could do. So when he said he was going, there was no question in their minds. They were going with him. Or more likely that was the inly option for them if they wanted to avenge. And Rimuru, refusing to be left behind, was joining the fray as well.
The usual sounds of laughter and children playing were gone, replaced by the rhythmic shhhk-shhhk of whetstones on steel and the low murmurs.
Rigurd was beside himself with worry. His lord, Rimuru, was going into battle alone, without his goblin riders. And against an army of that size… Rigurd trusted Rimuru's strength implicitly, but no amount of faith could completely ease the mind of someone who cared so deeply. Unless, of course, they were a fanatical demon, but Rigurd was just a loyal and caring hobgoblin.
The goblins moved with a nervous energy, sensing the shift in the air. Their new guests, the powerful, evolved Kijin, radiated a grim intensity that dampened the usually cheerful mood.
Even the dwarven brothers, Kaijin and his siblings, worked silently in the forge, their hammers ringing out with a somber cadence as they checked and double-checked every weapon, sharpening katana blades and reinforcing armor in the limited time they had.
Benimaru sat by a small fire, his newly sharpened katana resting across his knees. He looked like a statue, deep in contemplation, readying himself for the revenge he so desperately craved. To avenge his clan. To avenge his father. To avenge his mother.
His eyes stared deep into the flames, the orange light reflecting in his pupils. He hadn't thought it would come this early. He hadn't expected to be named by Reinhard, his savior.
He hadn't expected to feel this surge of power, this unexplained strength coursing through his veins. The evolution had changed him in an instant, in ways he couldn't even begin to articulate.
"Mother… Father…" he muttered to the fire. "I don't know what to say. Everything is happening so fast."
"Young master," a raspy voice spoke from beside him.
Benimaru didn't look up. "Old man."
The old, white-haired ogre sat down next to him, his movements fluid and precise despite his age. "Your magicules and your aura are leaking."
Benimaru took a deep breath, pulling his aura back in, reigning in the power that threatened to spill over.
"Every time I close my eyes, I see them," he whispered, his voice tight. "Those pig bastards. My father. My mother… my sister." His grip on his scabbard tightened until the wood groaned in protest. "I want to burn them all. Every last one of them. To ashes."
"And I suppose you will have that chance soon," the old ogre said calmly. "But, young master, without control, revenge is just a wildfire inside you. It destroys everything, including ypurself. You are our clan leader now. You must guide not only yourself but others, too. The princess included. I hope you haven't forgotten that."
Benimaru looked at the old ogre, seeing the wisdom and the warning in his eyes. He nodded slowly. "I know. I won't forget. I just… I don't want to fail them again. Or my sister."
"You haven't failed anyone, young master," the old ogre said firmly. "Not your father. Not your mother. Not the princess. It wasn't your fault. No one could have predicted, even in their worst nightmares, that something like this would happen."
Benimaru didn't said anything to follow up on that.
….
Rimuru was having a crisis of his own. He sat alone in his hut, staring blankly at the wall, his mind reeling with the numbers Reinhard had dropped on them. One hundred and ninety thousand orcs.
Great Sage, he thought for the tenth time that hour, are we absolutely sure about those numbers?
[Answer. Based on the data provided by the individual Reinhard and the Ogre survivors, the estimate is accurate. Further analysis requires more data which is currently unavailable.]
Rimuru slumped forward, burying his face in his hands. Two hundred thousand. Even if they killed one every single second, without stopping to eat or sleep, it would take days. Weeks.
He looked at his own hands, his new, human-form hands. He knew he was strong. He had powerful skills, he had magic, he had devoured Ifrit. But against a tide like that? It felt like trying to stop a tsunami with a bucket.
Great Sage, what are our odds?
[Answer. Insufficient data for further analysis. The variable 'Reinhard van Astrea' possesses skills that cannot be analyzed or observed. Thus, there is not enough data to predict a reliable outcome.]
Right. Reinhard. Rimuru sighed heavily. It all came down to him. The guy was a walking cheat code, a collection of "mommy's boy" skills that somehow added up to god-like power. But still, relying on one person to fight an entire war felt wrong. It felt dangerous.
What if we remove Reinhard from the equation then? Rimuru asked. What are our odds without him?
[Answer. The outcome would be a decisive loss. The ogres were already overwhelmed by merely 5% of the army. Without Reinhard's intervention, they would have been annihilated. The only way to secure a victory against such overwhelming numbers would be to challenge the leader directly. However, there is no guarantee that you or the ogres possess the strength to defeat the Orc Lord. Furthermore, challenging the leader would likely require fighting alone, further decreasing the probability of victory. Yet, a decapitation strike remains the only viable option to prevent total annihilation.]
"Damn," Rimuru muttered to the empty room. "You really went full death-battle commentary on me, huh?"
He stood up and paced the small room. But you're right. Reinhard is strong. But we also don't know how strong the Orc Lord is. If he can command an army of two hundred thousand, he has to be powerful enough to crush any opposition within his own ranks. Or maybe it's a skill controlling them.
Great Sage?
[Answer. Based on the statements from Reinhard, the ogres, and the dryad, it is highly likely that the Orc Lord possesses a Unique Skill related to mind control or starvation, an ability that compels his followers to consume their own dead, solving the logistical issue of feeding such a massive force.]
Rimuru stopped pacing. He needed fresh air. He walked outside, trying to clear his head. He thought about Benimaru, the red-haired ogre who was now named. He had said he needed time to think about Rimuru's offer, but Reinhard had apparently just gone ahead and named him.
How did he even do that? Rimuru wondered. Reinhard can't store magicules. Nor can he use magic. How can he give a name, which requires a massive transfer of magicules? Even Great Sage couldn't analyze it, only spitting out errors. It seemed that understanding Reinhard's limits, or lack thereof, was beyond even his "Eminence in Shadow" partner aka Great Sage.
He saw Rigurd approaching and called out to him. "Hmm… Rigurd. Make sure the patrols are doubled while I'm gone. And don't worry about me. I can see it on your face."
The hobgoblin chief stopped and bowed deeply. "Of course, Lord Rimuru. Whatever you say. But it isn't just me. Everyone is worried about you. Of course, I do not doubt your strength, my lord! But… an army of that size… it worries me. And to think of you going without even goblin riders…"
Rimuru chuckled, trying to project confidence. "I'm not going alone, Rigurd. I have the ogres and Reinhard with me. Not to mention Ranga. I'm sure we will… somehow… handle it." He placed a hand on Rigurd's shoulder. "But you have to take care of the village while I'm gone. Protect everyone. I trust you, Rigurd. You know that, right?"
Rigurd's eyes instantly filled with tears. "Yes, Lord Rimuru! I will protect Lord Rimuru's village with my life if necessary!"
"Hahaha, please don't go that far," Rimuru laughed awkwardly. "Just keep everyone safe."
….
A/N: i know. i know chapters are late and all. But j was distracted by some other reinhard crossovers that i wrote them: like:
Reinhard x overlord
Reinhard x solo leveling
There are few chapters available at my discord if anyone wanna read them.
Now onto the next question. Many readers ask me in comments when will daily uploads happen. Well you know how it is. But lets do it. But on the condition of if we hit 500 power stones in one day.
So i will upload a chapter on sunday when rankings gets reset. And if we get 500 power stones in 24 hours. I will do a daily upload for the whole week. Of this fic.
Thats all. Good night.
Melatonin, spawn and many more on my discord … thanks for beta reading this fic and not to mention suggestions too.
Hoped you all liked the chapter and all.
And if you want to read ahead you can do it by just joining my discord server.
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