The Company Commander has returned

Chapter 22 - You Fight to Survive

"Bell, we'll be the decoy. You keep looking for the leader. When you find them, don't charge in blindly. Let me know first."

"Well, I'll think about it."

She shoved the flask into the inner pocket of her uniform and sprinted off.

A moment later, I picked up a fallen pair of hand axes.

"Using them for close combat is too much, but throwing them once should be fine..."

I bent my back, winding up as far as I could.

Then, like a spring released, I hurled the axe forward with all my might.

The axe flew through the air and split the forehead of an orc.

In an instant, all their eyes turned to me.

"Over here!"

I used the opportunity to lure them in.

"One, two, three... six."

Kinjo counted their numbers.

"Kinjo, is it just six?"

"For now. I'll keep an eye out to see if more are coming."

With deft movements, he climbed up a tree.

"Mago, listen carefully. From now on, I'll conserve my magic, so I'm going to move quickly."

He ascended higher and sharpened his focus.

His eyes darted back and forth before he started speaking in a low, deliberate tone.

"First orc, dual-wielding swords, but there's a dagger hidden under their clothes. Be cautious of it."

He quickly listed off details for each one.

"Sixth orc, lucky for us, already injured. Fractured left femur. Focus on the left leg."

I nodded and advanced.

"But the biggest problem is their armor. I don't see any openings for a blade to get through."

"I can see that, too."

Still, it wasn't hopeless.

I flipped my sword around.

"Mago, what are you—"

Not the handle, but the blade itself.

I had already wrapped my dog tags around both hands.

The thin chain prevented the blade from cutting into my skin.

The pommel at the base of the sword handle—meant for balance—was now a makeshift mace.

"Is that even swordsmanship...?"

I nodded.

I had never practiced it without gloves before, but...

"Where did you even learn that weird technique? Was it Amon?"

"Someone else."

"You sure you learned it properly?"

"If I couldn't do it right, I wouldn't be using it."

"Fair enough. Let's go."

I nodded again.

A sword technique designed for when a blunt weapon was needed—though its original purpose was different.

For someone like me, who couldn't properly wield a sword the conventional way, it fit perfectly.

"I didn't spend eight years running away for nothing..."

Murmuring softly, I adjusted my stance.

First target: the closest one.

It was holding a pair of short axes in both hands.

I darted inside its range.

Swinging my sword upward, the pommel struck its armor.

The impact made the armor rattle and crack at the bottom.

Its durability was weaker than I had expected.

"A rushed job on a strangely designed armor..."

Kicking the orc in the gut, I struck again.

With each hit from the pommel, the breastplate chipped away.

A gap opened, revealing the soft, vulnerable spot underneath.

The left side of its chest.

I swiftly reversed my grip on the sword and plunged it in.

Then, even faster than the thrust, I withdrew it.

Foul blood gushed out.

The orc staggered backward before collapsing.

"Mago, next is the dual-wielder I mentioned earlier—the one hiding a dagger inside their clothes."

"I remember," I replied.

Kinjo enveloped the orc's sword with flames.

Meanwhile, I relentlessly hammered at the orc's armor.

After each strike, I stepped back to widen the gap between us.

I repeated the process, offering the orc a barely reachable distance.

It was enough to provoke their impatience.

As expected, the orc threw one of their swords.

I deflected the first with ease.

The second sword came flying at me. I dodged it by twisting my shoulder back.

"Just as I thought," I muttered.

Clearly, the orc had been willing to discard their swords, knowing they had a hidden dagger.

The orc drew the concealed weapon and charged at me, aiming for my neck.

Exactly what I was waiting for.

With my right hand, I grabbed their wrist.

With my left, I caught my sword as I tossed it into the air.

The spinning blade reversed, its edge revealed.

I thrust it upward into the orc's throat.

The orc clutched at their impaled neck before crumpling to the ground.

I stomped on their face and yanked my sword free.

The once-green hillside began to stain red with their blood.

"Four left," I counted.

They charged at me all at once, letting out deafening roars.

Leading the charge was the one with the fractured left femur.

I leapt high, planting my foot on their injured leg to propel myself further upward.

In a single bound, I reached the last orc in the line.

"Kinjo!"

Before I even finished calling his name, flames erupted along my blade.

I slashed through the orc's eyes.

Next.

The screaming orc fell silent as I pierced its throat.

Only the sound of wheezing breath remained.

I turned to check behind me.

The orc with the injured leg had collapsed entirely, unable to stand.

The rest fell the same way.

I used my reverse grip to smash through their armor and stabbed into the gaps.

Just as I thought the fight was over, I noticed one crawling along the ground.

I struck the back of its head with the pommel of my sword.

The sound of its skull caving in signaled the end of its life.

"Mago, more are coming!"

The sound of orc war cries came from close by.

They barreled through the underbrush, snapping branches in their path.

"How many?"

"Eleven. Can you handle it?"

"Tell me about them again, starting with the ones on the left."

"I don't think there's time... I'm barely keeping up with the reinforcement spells!"

"We need to finish quickly and regroup with Bell."

I closed my eyes.

For the first time today, I used the lake.

The rustling of leaves carried by the wind.

The sharp, distinct sounds of branches clashing together.

My sweat-soaked hair swayed against the nape of my neck.

I could hear every single footstep of the orcs.

The vibrations of the ground.

I could pinpoint exactly who had just stepped forward.

Everything became crisp and weightless.

I charged into the black-and-white battlefield.

"I am ready. Just call them out one by one, like before."

***

"Why are you coming down...?"

The chief instructor stared blankly at the trainees.

"Why are you retreating...?"

He glared at Amon, who had taken on the role of the attack squad leader.

"We had no weapons, so we had no choice but to retreat."

"Amon."

"I judged it was impossible to continue fighting with wooden swords."

"Amon Coster...!"

The instructor shouted at him.

"Who decided to descend? You are soldiers who pledged your lives to the Empire! Whether with a wooden sword or, if that's not available, with your fists, you should be fighting—"

"To survive!" Amon interrupted.

It was an attitude unimaginable just the day before.

"Survival comes first!"

"You left the entire escort squad behind, didn't you? Go back up and cooperate immediately!"

"You trained those soldiers yourself! They're not weaklings!" Amon shouted, veins bulging from his neck, facing the instructor head-on.

After taking a deep breath, he spoke again.

"We're going down to get weapons...!"

"What did you say...?"

"We don't have time!" Amon's eyes shook fiercely.

He bit down hard on his lower lip.

"All trainees of the 66th batch. Go up and rejoin."

In contrast, the chief instructor remained unwavering, not stepping back.

"I'm descending...!"

"Amon Coster!"

At that moment, a calm voice cut through the shouts of the two men.

"You're only looking for a pointless death. Instructor, sometimes there are things that cannot be done. It's not about making it happen."

With his shining blonde hair and golden eyes, Louis joined Amon's side.

"We're not running away. With proper weapons, we'll fight as trained."

"Disobeying orders will be met with severe punishment! You have no right to...!"

"Instructor, we're going down. And we'll give it our all to come back up. We don't have time to stand around here!"

Amon signaled the entire assassination squad, giving the order to descend.

"We're going down to get weapons."

"The armory is already open, Instructor."

"What?"

"I'll see you shortly."

A little later.

The attack squad poured into the armory.

Each grabbed a weapon of their choice and rushed out to the training grounds.

Amon raised his sword and shouted.

"Thank you all for coming back alive, and for following my orders until now."

As he looked over the lined-up trainees, his comrades nodded one by one.

"We came down to survive, but we don't have time to catch our breath. We're going back up!"

The murmur grew louder, quickly turning into a roar.

***

They found it.

Though "found" might be an awkward term.

They knew the location and had come here themselves.

It might be closer to saying they arrived than finding it.

"It's here."

Kinjo said softly.

He lifted his head.

To make eye contact with the creature, he had to raise his gaze.

Even Kinjo, who stood at 187 cm, had to crane his neck upward.

Around their necks were dog tags.

Around the creature's neck, there was a necklace made of animal bones and teeth.

It was crude and grotesque.

A pig's neck adorned with pearls.

Bell's words from earlier echoed in his mind.

The orc leader stood on the hilltop.

With blue eyes, it glared at him.

"Kinjo, just in case, don't mention Bell's name if the leader gets close. We shouldn't provoke Bell by chasing after him. Either way, we found them first, so it's our responsibility to deal with them."

"Simple enough."

"Simple indeed."

He was still using his clairvoyance magic.

"Mago, twenty of them."

"What?"

"Twenty goblins."

Soon after, the sound of a horn echoed widely.

Even if the sound was broken by the thick trees, it spread far.

They looked down the hill.

The heavy footsteps of the goblin group piled up.

Another horn blared.

It grew louder, coming closer.

Down below, the goblin horde began to take shape.

They watched from the hill.

This had happened before in their past lives.

"The difference this time is the numbers."

The goblin horde consisted of twenty creatures.

But after facing nineteen orcs one after another, their current condition made this no easy task.

The goblins were quick, climbing the hill.

The orc leader, holding an axe with both hands, descended.

Above, an orc.

The most powerful leader among them.

Below, twenty goblins climbing the hill.

The first target had to be dealt with.

The ones holding bows.

Four of them were gathered together.

Although it was similar to the past, there were no throwable items or ranged weapons at hand.

Not immediately available, at least.

"Kinjo, do you remember this place?"

"This place?"

"This is where we camped. During the first trial."

The ground beneath them hid something.