*** Gruga
The five of us materialize together: me, Jess, Fie, Val, and Mika.
"So this is the Bloody Valley?" Jess says, taking in the surprisingly flowery landscape. "It's… prettier than I imagined."
"Yeah," Val adds, sounding almost disappointed.
Did she want the place to be drenched in blood? Seriously, the stuff that goes through that girl's head is concerning. Who would want a valley soaked in gore? All that wet ground would make fighting a nightmare.
Speaking of fighting—
"So… where exactly are we supposed to find this new orc variant?" I ask.
Everyone turns to stare at me like I just asked what color the sky is.
"Violet, did you not listen to the briefing?" Mika asks.
"Briefing?" Val echoes.
"The one you slept through," Fie clarifies.
Jess says nothing, but the way she rubs her temples says plenty.
Hey! At least I didn't sleep through it. I just wasn't paying attention because three different people were shoving makeup to my face for the interviews. Ugh. Those interviews. I still have nightmares.
"According to the reports," Mika steps in. "They're located in the fortresses."
"Right! Fortresses."
And with that, I take to the skies.
From above, I spot an orc stronghold not too far away.
Perfect.
I land back beside the group and relay what I saw.
"There's a fortress over there," I say, pointing it out.
"Any orc scouts?" Jess asks.
"Two groups, but we won't cross paths," I answer, ignoring Mika's intense stare burning into my back.
What was up with her? It's like she had never seen—
Oh. Right. The wings. I forget sometimes that they're still a shock to people. I've gotten so used to them I barely register it anymore. Oh well. Better she gets over it now.
We advance toward the fortress, Jess and I taking point while the rest of the team follows at a safe distance—just in case we walk into an ambush.
"She can fly?" I hear Mika whisper from behind me. Succubi have some pretty sharp hearing.
"I know, right? Totally unfair," Val murmurs back.
I stifle a laugh. Hey, it's not my fault I get wings. Still… I get the jealousy. Flying is amazing. The freedom alone—
"I see it," Jess says, pointing ahead.
The fortress looms in the distance—a massive wooden structure rising out of the valley.
"How do we get inside?" Fie asks.
"I could blow up the gate!" Val offers instantly, already sounding excited.
"No!" Jess and Fie reply in unison. "That would alert the entire orc garrison."
"Then what do you suggest?" Val snaps.
"Actually…" I speak up. "Mind if I handle this one?"
All eyes turn to me.
"You do have the most experience with orcs," Jess says after a moment. The others nod in agreement.
Perfect.
I activate overpower at fifty percent and stride toward the fortress.
"So what's your plan?" Jess asks, falling in behind me with the rest of the group. "You do have a plan, right?" she insists, eyeing the orc lookouts posted along the walls.
A plan? Sure. Something like one.
I reach the gates and bellow, "Grundaha!"
"That's your plan?!" Jess blurts out. "Just announce yourself to the orcs?"
Val bursts into hysterical laughter. "Now that's a plan I can—"
She shuts up when the gates swing open. Inside, rows of orcs pound their chests in a ritual display of welcome, their roars shaking the ground.
"W—what did you do?" Mika asks, staring at the sea of green. To her credit, she stays upright, even though her legs are visibly trembling.
"I issued them a challenge," I say, stepping straight into the camp.
"A challenge?" Fie asks. "Like… a duel? Is that really a good idea?"
"It got us inside, didn't it?" I reply.
Honestly, though, this is more of a welcome than I expected. Dozens of elite warriors shouting "Gruga" in unison. No idea what it means, but they chant it with fervor.
The crowd parts, revealing a towering orc standing before a hut. Body etched with old scars, and gripping a massive battle axe that could double as a staff. A warlock—and the leader of this group, judging by his imposing build.
That must be my opponent. Perfect. He looks like a—
Another orc steps out of the hut.
Massive doesn't even come close to describing him. With tattoos of… Winged figures? And his hands are wrapped tight in bandages, like some warrior monk.
The warlock steps aside for the new arrival.
Ah. I guess that means he's the actual leader.
"T—that's the variant," Mika squeaks.
Yeah. I figured. And it looks like he's my opponent.
The massive orc steps forward, and the way he moves… Steady, light on his feet. The mark of a seasoned fighter.
Oh! He hasn't even taken a fighting stance, yet I'm already liking him.
The big guy raises both fists high and bellows, "Grundaha!" in a thunderous voice.
The surrounding orcs erupt into a roar of excitement.
"W—what's happening?" Mika asks.
"My challenge has been accepted," I say, stepping forward. "Don't interfere."
"Right," Jess agrees. "We don't want to anger the rest of the orcs."
…Sure. Let's go with that.
The crowd forms a wide ring around me and the giant orc, every eye fixed on the coming clash. I lock onto him. Even with overpower active, he still looms over me.
Okay, big guy. Let's see what you've got.
I lift my fists into my usual boxing stance. He mirrors me.
Good posture—
He suddenly stomps forward and snaps out a jab in one fluid motion. I barely get my guard up in time. A cheap shot? Nice! I answer with a jab of my own. He blocks and fires back.
We start trading blows, and I can't help but feel impressed. He's strong—far stronger than me at 50% overpower—but it's his skills that get me. For the first time, I'm facing someone who might actually rival my technique—
Wham!
A massive green fist slams straight into my face.
I stagger back, quickly regaining my footing.
Oh? Blood in my mouth. That was a solid hit.
"Violet, are you okay—"
Fie's worried voice reaches me, but—
"Hahaha!" I laugh, pushing overpower to 100%. My muscles surge, growing larger. "Let's see you keep up with this!"
I charge back in.
The exchange explodes into something brutal. Defense goes out the window as we hammer each other relentlessly, each strike thrown with everything we have, both of us trying to drop the other first.
It's glorious.
Another punch snaps my head to the side. I grit my teeth, power through the pain, and answer with a blow of my own. We both stagger back—bruised, bleeding, exhausted—but neither of us even considers backing down.
What a fight! I'm at 100% overpower, and he's still matching me. No… not just matching me. He's winning. And damn it, I'm proud of him. But I'm not done yet.
I push overpower harder. 110… 130… 150%! My muscles swell further, expanding until I rival his massive build.
"You should be proud," I tell him, smashing my fists together in the universal sign for come at me. "You're the first orc who's ever pushed me this far."
He looks at me—and grins. Actually grins. Hah. What a guy. Let's see how long that smile lasts.
I charge. He answers in kind.
The crowd erupts as we trade blow after blow. The orc champion refuses to yield, but I can feel it—his strikes are losing their edge, growing frantic. And desperation always leads to—
He overcommits on a punch and loses his balance. I slip past it and press the advantage, letting muscle memory take over. Left, right—my fists blur as they hammer into his head with crushing force.
One more swing, but I hit nothing. Damn, he dodged. I need to quickly—no wait… He didn't dodge. He crashes to the ground.
That's it. He's down.
I stand over the fallen champion, chest heaving, sweat and blood dripping to the dirt.
What a fight. It's been far too long since I've had that much fun.
"Violet, now's your chance! Finish him!" Jess shouts from behind me.
Ah… right. I'd almost forgotten they were here.
I look down at the big guy. He's still struggling, trying to push himself back up. Still refusing to quit. Admirable—but enough.
I step forward and thump my fist against my chest in the orcish gesture of respect.
His eyes widen, then he drops to his knees and rumbles, "Gruga," again and again, like a prayer. One by one, the other orcs follow suit, kneeling and chanting the same word while pounding their chests in unison.
"W—what's happening?" Mika asks.
"They've acknowledged my victory," I say—though I've never seen orcs kneel like this before. And that chant…
"Wow," Val says, eyes sparkling with mischief. "It's like they're worshiping you!"
They're not—
The orc champion barks an order to the warlock, who brings forth a box and presents it to me. A reward?
"Whoa! He's giving you boss loot! That's so game-like!" Val cheers.
I ignore her and open the box.
…
"Wow," Fie says slowly, peering inside. "They really are worshiping you."
Ugh. I can't even argue with that.
Inside is a small statue—of me. A muscular, winged version. And… Did they really need to be this precise? It's like staring at a miniature of my own avatar.
The chanting grows louder. "Gruga! Gruga!"
…Great. That's my orc name now, isn't it?
"I guess you weren't lying about that achievement," Jess mutters. "The orcs are really worshiping you."
"Wait—what achievement?" Mika blurts out.
"Oh, she got this notification not too long ago!" Val says with a grin. "Saying the orcs treat her as a goddess."
"You know," I say flatly, "I could just fly out of here and leave you all to deal with them."
The girls glance at each other, then at the kneeling horde chanting my new orcish title before, slowly, their eyes drift to Val.
"Okay, okay!" she says quickly. "No more teasing. I promise."
I sigh. Knowing Val, that promise will last maybe a few minutes. Still—better than nothing.
"So, what does mini-you do?" Val asks, eyes fixed on the statue.
"How about we figure that out after we leave?" Fie suggests.
Leave? Yeah, probably a good idea. Though, weren't we supposed to wrap something up first?
"I've recorded more than enough," Mika adds, answering the unspoken question.
"Alright, let's go then." I grab the statue and lift it high, making it clear to the orcs that I'm accepting their… gift.
They erupt in cheers and allow us to leave.
The moment we're clear—
"So!" Val says, practically bouncing. "What does the boss loot do?"
Fie rolls her eyes and motions for me to hand it over so she can appraise it.
I pass her the statue while Val hovers nearby, barely containing herself.
"Wow… This is actually really good," Fie says after activating her magic.
Turns out the figurine boosts EXP gain—for the entire party.
"People are going to lose their minds when they hear about this," Jess adds.
They will? I mean… Is it really that amazing?
I glance at the others. Judging by their expressions…
Yeah. It really is.
"We need to report this immediately," Mika says, urgency creeping into her voice.