Takeru's group also encountered a squad of six orcs.
Seeing the seemingly young and slender Takeru and the others, the orcs revealed cruel smiles, raising their greatswords and swinging them toward the group.
However, facing their attacks, Takeru didn't even need to lift a finger.
Tsumugi, clad in full armor, stepped forward, wielding a longsword confiscated from Dead Spot and reforged, directly meeting the assault.
A metallic clang rang out. Surprisingly, it was the larger-bodied orc that was forced back by the seemingly delicate Tsumugi.
"Fireball! Shadow Bind!" Almost simultaneously, Yui and Mio, who had been charging their spells, unleashed their skills.
The Fireball struck one orc, causing significant damage and immediately incapacitating it.
Mio similarly used Shadow Bind to firmly restrain the movements of the remaining five orcs.
Feeling themselves bound, the orcs struggled fiercely, but Mio exerted effort to maintain the Shadow Bind, preventing them from breaking free too quickly.
"Vengeful Slash!" At this moment, Tsumugi didn't hesitate. While Mio restrained the orcs, she executed a killing blow on the orc she had initially engaged.
Meanwhile, Yui didn't pause either, launching another Fireball that took down a second orc.
Ui's figure then suddenly appeared behind the three remaining orcs. Three swift strikes of her dagger finished them off...
Finally, they delivered finishing blows to any orcs not completely dead. The entire combat lasted less than three minutes. Without Takeru lifting a hand, his group had secured their first victory.
Then, with a thought from Takeru, six pouches levitated from the orc bodies, floating directly into his possession...
The display of exceptional combat prowess from Takeru's group was noticed by the orc commander observing from a distance.
Under his direction, an even more elite orc squad charged directly towards Takeru's position.
Facing the naked killing intent of the elite orc squad, Takeru and the others naturally noticed and began to prepare as the squad rapidly approached.
In less than three minutes, the elite orc squad arrived near Takeru. They initiated the attack with several Magic Missiles flying straight at Takeru's group.
Seeing this, Tsumugi swiftly swung her longsword, deflecting two of the missiles. Mio also launched several Magic Missiles of her own, colliding with the incoming ones and neutralizing them.
Besides the missiles, two arrows were concealed behind them, shooting towards Takeru's group. Just as they were about to hit a momentarily distracted Mio, Yui's Fireball blasted out, destroying the arrows mid-flight.
"Thank you, Yui!" Looking at the destroyed arrows, Mio felt a surge of fear. She hadn't expected arrows to be hidden among the magic.
While this trick could fool Mio and Tsumugi, against Takeru and the others with Observation Haki, the hidden arrows were no different from being out in the open.
At that moment, the orc warrior from the opposing squad, wielding a greatsword, reached Takeru's group.
Without a word, Tsumugi met the charge. A loud crash sounded, and both combatants were forced back a step.
This surprised the orc warrior. It hadn't expected Tsumugi's strength to match its own.
In fact, she should be stronger. After all, the orc had charged and put its weight into that strike, while Tsumugi had only hastily blocked.
Though shocked by Tsumugi's strength, the orc warrior didn't retreat. It revealed a ferocious expression and attacked Tsumugi again.
Meanwhile, Ui encountered a minor problem. Two figures intercepted her… one an assassin like herself, the other an orc knight.
With the knight engaging her head-on, the assassin constantly harassed and ambushed her.
Facing this situation, Ui became locked in combat. Yui initially wanted to quickly support Ui, but unfortunately, she and Mio were being pinned down by the enemy mage and hunter.
Takeru's side only had five people, while the elite enemy squad had nine members.
Takeru himself was also surrounded by two individuals.
"Hmph, you're their leader, right? Too bad your teammates are all tied up. No one can protect you now!" Looking at the seemingly isolated Takeru, one of the orcs showed a cold smile.
Orcs possessed intelligence comparable to humans, so Takeru wasn't surprised they could speak the human tongue. Britney had briefed everyone on this before departure.
"Is that so? Let me give you some unfortunate news: me not acting earlier doesn't mean I lack strength. It just means my intervention wasn't necessary." Looking at the cold orc, Takeru responded with a gentle smile of his own.
Noticing Takeru's smile, the orc was startled, an ominous premonition flashing in its heart. But it quickly recovered, looking at Takeru with anger. Regardless, Takeru was just a priest.
And what did a priest represent? It knew very well. While crucial in a team, they were the weakest in terms of combat power...
Thinking this, the orc grew even more furious at Takeru. It felt ashamed for having felt a moment of fear from his words.
"Bluffing brat!" Having convinced itself, the orc wasted no more words. It swung its longsword down at Takeru with all its might.
Facing the orc's full-power strike, Takeru's expression remained placid. He simply raised his staff lightly and blocked the attack.
The sound of metal clashing rang out. Contrary to the orc's expectations, Takeru wasn't knocked down by its force. Instead, he steadily held it off with his staff.
"What a pity. Is this all the strength you have?" Takeru looked down at the orc, whose veins were bulging from exertion. Clearly, it was using its full power, yet it couldn't bring its blade an inch closer to Takeru...
The orc rogue, who had been observing from the side, noticed something was wrong. It stopped idly watching and drew its dagger, swiftly lunging at Takeru.
However, just as it was about to strike, Takeru's figure vanished from its sight. Before it could react, it felt a sudden chill on its neck. When it came to its senses, it realized a torrent of blood was gushing from its throat.
Feeling its life force draining, it desperately tried to clamp its hand over its neck to stop the bleeding, but it was a futile effort.
Takeru, meanwhile, flicked the blood from his fingers and once again turned his smiling gaze towards the orc knight who had attacked first.
Seeing the harmless smile on Takeru's face, the battle-hardened orc knight felt as if its heart had been suddenly seized. It began pounding violently, and its breathing grew rapid.
"Damn it... damn demon!" After fear came boundless rage. To mask its terror, the orc knight launched a frenzied assault at Takeru.
Facing its attacks, Takeru simply moved his arms, parrying each and every blow.
After the orc unleashed countless strikes, Takeru finally grew somewhat bored.
This time, he caught the orc's right arm, then effortlessly moved behind it, easily snapping its arm. In the moment of its pained cry, Takeru leaped lightly, pressed down on its head, and gave a sharp twist. Its cries ceased entirely, and it collapsed to the ground, eyes vacant.
Having easily dealt with the two orcs, Takeru turned his attention to Yui and Mio's battle. They were currently facing two enemy mages and two hunters.
Through continuous coordination, one mage and one hunter had already been defeated by Yui and Mio. The remaining two were clearly only a matter of time.
Next was Tsumugi's side. Although the orc warrior wasn't dead yet, under Tsumugi's fierce attacks and overwhelming strength, it had sustained heavy injuries. Its death was merely a question of time.
Finally, there was Ui's situation. Faced with the assaults of the orc knight and rogue, Ui had no choice but to confront both head-on. Relying on her exceptional abilities, she now held the absolute upper hand.
The orc rogue had been instantly eliminated by a burst from Ui. In the direct confrontation, Ui completely suppressed the orc knight with continuous attacks. Judging by the situation, it seemed likely Ui would defeat her opponent first.