"Admirable courage—but~, if you insist on this, I can’t guarantee the safety of your blood relatives......"

  "What?! "

  Tanoklian’s words sent a chill through the Federation’s kings.

  Sylvia glanced solemnly toward the Grand Arena, then demanded angrily: "What have you done to the Grand Arena, you monsters!?"

  "Hehe~, want to know?"

  "......"

  The Federation’s kings fell silent.

  "Everyone——"

  At that moment, Bars suddenly shouted loudly,

  "Don’t be fooled by him! Remember where we stand! Don’t forget the countless people of the Federation we carry on our shoulders——!!!"

  "Bars......"

  "......You’re right!""Bars is correct!""How dare we submit to threats from such evil beings!?""That’s right! Orcs only die standing—we never beg for our lives!""......"

  In an instant, the Federation’s kings regained their clarity, their eyes filled with unprecedented resolve.

  "Hmph!" Sargas snapped impatiently. "I told you these people would never compromise. Why waste your breath with them!"

  "Sigh——"

  Tanoklian let out a seemingly regretful sigh.

  "Looks like we’ll have to do this the hard way. Oh well...... Installing new puppets will be a hassle, but not impossible."

  "Then, lords of the Federation—"

  "Die here!"

  Boom——!

  In the blink of an eye, the battle erupted.

  Nine Rank A powerhouses soared into the sky, each seeking out their opponent.

  "Leonagnus, prepare to die——!"

  Sargas roared as he charged at Leonagnus, who met him head-on without hesitation.

  "Tanoklian Sion——!"

  Queen Sylvia stepped in front of the Great Demon Mercenary Corps’ Deputy Commander.

  "Hehe, Sylvia Tian. Very well...... You shall be my opponent."

  Boom!

  Snoke "Starmaker" smashed the iceberg created by Ice General Kina Lel with a single punch, cracking his knuckles.

  "Let’s continue our fight from earlier."

  "I hate men who don’t know when to quit...... Looks like I’ll have to kill you."

  "Go ahead and try!"

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  Bang!

  The street crumbled beneath King Sandor Gunze’s feet. Facing him were two Rank A powerhouses.

  "I’ll handle him for now," Morby rumbled. "Bodis, go deal with the others first."

  "Understood."

  Bodis nodded, then charged toward the remaining Federation kings.

  "Not so fast——!"

  Sandor raised his massive palm to stop him.

  But Bodis’s figure suddenly blurred, dissolving into a shadow and disappearing into the ground. Just as Sandor prepared to chase, Earth General Morby blocked his path.

  "You’ll have to get through me first."

  Sandor flew into a rage.

  "I’ll tear you apart——!!!"

  As the Rank A powerhouses clashed, their armies joined the fray as well.

  Compared to the Federation’s kings and elite troops, the mercenary forces were clearly no match for their Rank A leaders.

  But the Federation’s advantage was short-lived.

  A tidal wave of shadows surged from the ground, solidifying into countless shadow spikes that pierced through the bodies of Federation soldiers one after another.

  "Damn the Great Demon Mercenary Corps——!!!"

  The Federation’s kings were furious but powerless. A single Rank A powerhouse joining the regular troops was nothing short of a massacre.

  Even with multiple Rank B powerhouses like Bars joining forces to resist, the situation continued to spiral toward disaster.

  "What a bunch of nuisances."

  Bodis grew impatient with the Federation kings’ resistance. He waved his hand casually.

  "Just die quietly!"

  Whoosh——!

  Dozens of shadow lances shot toward Bars at high speed.

  Bars tried to dodge, but his feet wouldn’t move. Before he knew it, a patch of solidified shadow had trapped his ankles.

  With the attack imminent, Bars had no choice but to defend himself with his sword.

  Clang! Clang! Clang......

  After a flurry of blocks,

  Ding!

  The sword was knocked out of Bars’s hand.

  A new shadow lance materialized, hurtling toward the now unarmed king.

  "Bars——!"

  Keller, King of the Black Dog Tribe, shouted in alarm, but could only watch as the shadow lance raced toward his friend.

  Is this where it ends......

  Bars closed his eyes in despair.

  I’m sorry, Miko, Mirei. I hope you can survive......

  Clang——!!!

  Just as the shadow lance was about to strike Bars,

  a massive sword slash tore through the sky, cutting straight through the chaotic battlefield. It split Federal Avenue and numerous nearby buildings in two in an instant.

  Even the shadow lance in front of Bars,

  was erased completely by the blade’s light......

  For a moment, the entire battlefield fell silent.

  All the Rank A powerhouses paused simultaneously, turning their gaze toward the sudden intruder......

  "I... I’m alive?"

  Bars opened his eyes in disbelief. Fearing it was a dream, he touched his face, feeling the firm sensation before confirming he was truly unharmed.

  "I really survived! But what was that......"

  Staring at the ground, split cleanly in two by an unknown force, Bars felt a deep sense of shock.

  ......

  "......Who are you?"

  Tanoklian Sion narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the unexpected visitor. His gaze was so cold it seemed capable of freezing ice.

  "Me?"

  The man—looking slovenly, covered in dirt, with an extremely ordinary face—stood on a rooftop, casually slinging an iron sword over his shoulder. He raised his left pinky to pick his nose, then flicked it away.

  "The name’s Monroe. As you can see, I’m a swordsman——"

  ......

  A short while earlier,

  Boom! Boom! Boom......

  Explosions echoed across Haelinx.

  From a pile of garbage on an unnoticed street corner, a hand emerged, followed by a head popping up.

  "So noisy this early in the morning! Can a guy get any sleep around here——!"

  "??? Huh?"

  Staring at the scene before him, Monroe’s head filled with question marks.

  "Wait, where am I?"

  Crash!

  He jumped to his feet suddenly, sending garbage scattered all over the ground.

  "What the hell! Why am I sleeping in a garbage heap!? "

  He quickly climbed out of the pile,

  brushing off the trash from his clothes while muttering angrily.

  "Which bastard threw me in the garbage! Once I find out, I’ll teach them a lesson!"

  "Uh, wait a second......"

  As he ranted, Monroe suddenly froze. Fragmented memories from his drunken stupor began to resurface.

  "Last night, I was drunk...... and then......"

  "......"

  "That bastard——"

  "It was me all along——!!!"

  After mocking himself for a moment, he suddenly paused again.

  "Wait——! What time is it now?"

  "......Has that Luigi guy’s match already started?"

  Panicked by the thought, Monroe quickly brushed off the most obvious garbage.

  "No time to waste here! I have to hurry!"

  He took off running, deciding to ignore his dirty clothes for the time being.

  But he’d barely taken two steps when he came to an abrupt stop.

  "What the hell is going on......"

  Before him lay a chaotic scene shrouded in smoke. The peaceful, prosperous Haelinx from yesterday was gone without a trace......