---

Orc Road had a dream for Darius.

To make orcs great again!

In the past, around 500 years ago.

Orcs ruled the continent.

To be precise, they were active as subordinates of the Great Demon Lord Bel Phegor, but looking back at the history of the orc race, there has never been a time as glorious as that.

Everything that stood in the way of the orcs was crushed. Humanity knelt before the might of powerful warriors, and the orcs took over the continent, shouting the name of the Great Demon Lord Bel Phegor.

After the death of the Great Demon Lord.

The orcs could not unite as one.

They fought amongst themselves over who would claim Orc Road, clustering together with orcs from the same regions and dividing into dozens of factions.

“For the Great Demon Lord Bel Phegor!!”

Those orcs who had shouted for honorable battles ended up dead. All those who sought to fight turned to dust in the struggle against the remaining Human Alliance, and the orcs that survived chose to hide in the darkness, becoming mere pests and monsters.

500 years passed.

The orcs have fallen to become slightly better than goblins, or rather, they are no different from the ugly and filthy beasts that they were.

The orcs, who originally committed slaughter against the Human Alliance and were part of the Demon King Satan’s main force, could never hope to easily survive against humanity.

The only reason the orcs have not been exterminated is due to their breeding and growth rate that rivals that of a rabbit.

However, among them, all the warlike orcs died fighting. The blood of orcs who honed their muscles and strength through struggle did not continue, and only the blood of those who fled into caves and considered themselves losers remained, shaping the orcs of today over the centuries.

Orcs are weak.

The current orcs can’t be considered as a proud race that once commanded the continent 500 years ago.

With the help of Demon King Satan, orcs can once again grow powerful.

Just like the Great Demon Lord Bel Phegor did, orcs can be great again.

And the orcs will topple humanity to become the masters of the new world.

“Lord! We are beginning to approach the Anari Principality! What should we do?!”

“Are there no reports from the scouts yet?”

“No. Not yet.”

“Tsk. Slowpokes. Ah, what would our ancestors think if they saw us? Unable to ride our Spirit Wolves due to this blubber! Wobbling and hopping to scout!”

Spirit Wolf.

A summoning magic that the Great Demon Lord Bel Phegor taught to all orcs.

It’s a magic that transforms the caster’s mana into a giant wolf, allowing any orc to summon their own Spirit Wolf to ride.

But right now, the Spirit Wolves can’t bear the weight of the orcs themselves.

If only our flabby flesh could serve as a mana reservoir, that might be one thing, but the fat laid across the orc’s belly is just thick skin that covers a slight stab wound and provides only a marginal shield against cold and heat.

“Lord! The scout’s report has arrived! A massive steel weapon is approaching from the Anari Principality!”

“Tsk. Their weapons are nothing but toilets. We can crush those weapons with our strength. Raise your weapons! We will convey victory to the Demon Lord and reclaim the golden age of our orcs!”

“Waaaah—!!”

As Darius raised his hammer high, the orcs behind him began to run, weapons raised in each hand.

None rode on their Spirit Wolves—but they didn’t care—charging into battle alongside them toward the enemy.

“Phew…”

Darius gripped his hammer.

The legendary magic weapon said to have been used by a great orc from 500 years ago.

This legendary weapon, said to be made from the teeth of a Black Dragon, is evidence that orcs can once again become great.

“Victory or death!!”

Though he shouted, would he truly not run away when faced with death?

That remains to be seen.

He had never encountered anything that could be called death.

“Octar, Rogar!”

Chanting the ancient incantation passed down for 500 years, Darius stepped forward with his hammer.

No human has ever defeated his hammer.

So surely, they would win, and humanity would kneel before the greatness of the orcs.

“…What is that?”

He thought.

Darius almost dropped his hammer at the sight of the steel spider casually walking toward him.

It moved its eight legs back and forth, and something began to emerge from the front part of its body.

Whoosh!

A golden wind burst forth from beneath the spider’s body.

The thick layer of golden wind swirling around the ground fogged up between his legs.

And then.

From what appeared to be the mouth of the steel spider, a red-haired witch—

Jumped down.

*

<10 minutes earlier.>

“I thought we were going to practice sparring, not have a real battle. It’s sudden, but is everyone okay? Just lightly against the orc army… 10,000 of them.”

Lightly.

The number of 10,000 is indeed enormous, but we are not afraid of 10,000 orcs.

“Don’t think that the hero will wipe them all out with his holy sword. You are expected to eliminate the enemy orcs one by one, and that’s why you are here. The enemies won’t be able to injure you, and you will be safe from any threat as long as the shielding holds.”

They might be a bit tired from the strength training competition, but having had a brief rest, everyone is in ample shape to fight.

“Feel free to knock down the orcs. And if the five squares in front of your Manhood Protection Unit turn yellow or red, quickly capture an orc to secure a magic stone. Because once the mana runs out from the shield, you’ll just be a pervert running onto the battlefield in your underwear.”

Whoosh.

In the center of the Manhood Protection Unit.

Looking from above, you can quickly see five green mana bars sparkling at an angle.

A device linked to the helmet that shows the remaining mana of the magic stone.

Yellow signifies caution, and red is a warning, allowing both individuals and those around them to be aware.

“Always keep an eye on the mana of your protective gear. The state of your equipment is directly tied to your life.”

No matter how much the emergency protective device pulls mana from the body, if mana management isn’t done properly, death is inevitable.

“You’ve probably seen many female adventurers blessed by the Goddess of the Spear Moon. Some of you may have encountered a nasty woman who abuses her power at night due to that blessing. Now, it’s your turn to feel a power like that… Looks like they are showing up.”

The enemies.

“Well then, shall we descend in style? As heroes saving humanity.”

Before long, the party members donned in battle gear joined behind Lucius.

In their usual battle uniforms…

“Saintess?”

“Yes.”

“Are we going all out from the start?”

“Absolutely.”

What should I say about Saintess Yan? Wrapped in divine power, she looked as though she and Lucius were matching outfits.

“Ahem, cough…”

The warriors turned their heads awkwardly or cleared their throats, sitting up straight.

Fortunately, the Manhood Protection Unit was made with enough leeway based on when their confidence was at its peak, and the underwear worn inside was also made of a stretchy material provided by Endymion, so there shouldn’t be any major issues.

“Well… if the Saintess is fine with it, then it should be okay. Anyway, I will show you. Lucius! ‘Land!’”

Boom!

As soon as my command was given, Lucius lightly jumped and landed in perfect form.

“Listen well. This is the ‘Hero’s Leap’. You need to maintain this position when landing on the ground.”

Depending on the weapon, but fundamentally, they are all the same.

[Can we open the hatch soon?]

“Yes. Magic King, please handle the main force!”

Creeeak.

Endymion opened the entrance of the mobile fortress.

When the legs were folded, it was a path directed toward the ground, but now it became a way for freefalling from a great height.

“Lucius.”

“Wind!”

As Lucius stood up and swung his holy sword, a golden storm burst out and flowed down from the exit.

Boom.

The mobile fortress stopped, and I pointed downward while standing ahead of others.

“You won’t die. If anyone dies or is injured from this, I will be responsible for it for life. So jump down obediently. …When else will you have the chance to jump down like this in your lifetime? Right?”

“F-fall… from this height for real?”

“Of course. Below is now protected by the wind of the holy sword. It’s going to be more cushy than throwing yourself onto a bed. Hah. Those muscles look pretty solid.”

After signaling Lucius, I positioned my feet toward the edge of the hatch and turned my head back.

“Whoops!”

Wooosh.

In one leap.

In the blink of an eye, I landed on the ground, holding my posture perfectly.

“Phew.”

The distance between the floor and me was only about 10 cm.

That 10 cm was protected by the wind of the holy sword, so I would be safe even from much higher jumps.

Boom.

Lucius landed.

Just as I demonstrated, he plunged his holy sword into the ground while he landed.

And then.

Kugugugu!

One by one, they landed perfectly in posture.

Initially, they sat still, heads bowed.

Then, as if they had a promise, each of them grabbed their weapons and stood up.

‘This is it.’

It reminded me of the past.

Back then, we had training like this too.

“…Hah.”

Then.

“All right, hero.”

“…Yes?”

“What are you so blankly staring at?”

I took a small step back behind Lucius.

“Vanguard.”

“……Hmph.”

Lucius smiled slightly.

“For peace——!!”

My life for peace———!!!!

With a roar, 300 warriors charged toward the orcs.

 

---