Chapter 122: The War Between Monsters

The first horn heralded the sunrise. The second one sounded from Varkesh. With that, the battle field erupted.

Thousands of monsters poured out towards the border of Eldoris and Varkesh shouting battle cries and screaming, sending the earth into vibrations from the sheer force of their advance. The black banners waved above the Varkesh army while the banners of Eldoris flew opposite.

For a moment, the two sides stood off. Then the first wave came crashing in. Tanaka watched from the command position of Eldoris. The front line of the enemy consisted of various types of creatures which were evidently weaker than the warriors in the back lines.

Lesser wolves.

Horned beasts.

Large reptile-like monsters.

Tusked scavengers.

Scarred feral things.

They were nothing compared to the warriors of Varkesh. Tanaka immediately sensed one thing.

"He’s testing us."

Raishin stood beside him. "With his weakest soldiers?" "No," Tanaka said. "With what he can afford to lose." Tanaka surveyed the battlefield. "Don’t chase them." Raishin nodded. Tanaka turned to the commanders.

"Remember the formation." Raizen raised his hand. The Star Wolves shifted. Raxolf went to the front of the Western flank while several Star Wolf Warriors and Crimson Fanged Wolves formed the vanguard at his back. Razer did the same at the East. Sartel and Grok vanished towards the woods. The main body of the Eldoris forces stood firm around Raishin.

Then Tanaka ordered the first strike. "First formation. Advance." A band of the Orcs and Greater Ogres came forward. They did not charge. They marched. Their shields formed a barrier which the Varkesh monstrosities rammed against with all their might. A cacophony of impacts of claws against shields and fangs ripping through wood echoed across the battlefield.

One of the Orcs lost his shield, but another quickly took its place. A horned creature of Varkesh jammed its snout into the belly of an Ogre sending him flying, but an Orcish axe severed the beast’s neck with ease. The first wave of the enemy fell. Tanaka raised his hand.

"Second formation."

The next band of warriors moved forward, weaving through the first line, not to replace them, but to take their place. The fresh warriors now engaged the Varkesh creatures, pushing the wounded ones back.

Tanaka observed the change. "Third formation. Wait." The enemy reformed, trying to regroup. It was the signal for Raizen to strike.

"Now."

He ordered.

With that order, the Star Wolves and Crimson Fanged Wolves of the western flank burst forth. They did not engage the largest group. They targeted the back. Raxolf led the group through the narrow space between two formations of the enemy and struck their backs, scattering them like chaff before the wind.

One of the wolves of Raxolf’s pack took down one of the horned creatures and another leapt at the one behind it. Raxolf rammed into one of the commanders of the enemy, who barely had time to lift his weapon before Raxolf’s jaws closed around its appendage, making it scream in agony.

The Wolves withdrew before the remaining creatures could surround them. Raizen immediately ordered the next group forward. The western forces were now turning like a blade, cutting through the enemy ranks. There was no way for them to follow. On the Eastern front, Razer took a different approach.

"Hold."

The Orcs stood their ground. The enemy came to meet them. "Wait." They neared.

"Now."

The first wave of the Orcs surged forward, axes chopping into the nearest Varkesh creatures. The enemy was pushed back, but it was not enough. The Orcs pressed the attack, their heavy frames crashing into the enemy. They did not stop upon the first strike, but drove on, forcing the enemy back with every step until their very own blood soaked the battlefield. Razer grabbed an injured Orc by the shoulders and threw him backwards.

"Healer!"

A Moonhare caught him.

"Next!"

Another Orc stepped forward. Tanaka observed the two flanks. Raizen was quick.

Razer was firm. Raishin was the center. That was the way it was supposed to be. It did not matter if the forces of different races fought differently. It only mattered that they did not abandon the front. Then the forest trembled. Sartel’s warriors engaged first. A group of Varkesh creatures which had entered the woods suddenly found themselves surrounded by a ring of poison on the forest floor, making several of them writhe in agony before the Lizardmen of Grok drove them back.

"Push them back," said Grok, raising his spear.

The Lizardmen surged forward while the creatures of Varkesh pulled back only to be caught by another group of Sartel’s Serpentkin. Grok had lured the enemy into the trap prepared by Sartel and now he was pushing them back. Instead of trying to crush the entire enemy force at once, he had made a narrow killing field, through which he kept driving the enemy. Tanaka observed the battlefield, now fully appreciating the work of every commander.

But then Rhazek moved.

The Demon Lord stood at the command post of the Varkesh forces, watching the battlefield unfold before his eyes. Malthen approached his master. "They are rotating their forces." Rhazek nodded. "They are avoiding prolonged engagements."

Malthen continued. "They’re using fresh fighters to replace the tired ones." Rhazek said with a wide smile. He continued. "Tanaka doesn’t want a battle of endurance." Malthen turned to look at him. "What will you do?"

Rhazek pointed at the center of the battlefield. "Break his rhythm." A commander came to him. "Your Majesty."

He bowed. "What should we do?" Rhazek smiled still watching the war. ’’Pull the fourth and fifth formations from the eastern flank.’’

The commander hesitated. ’’It will weaken the eastern attack.’’ ’’I know,’’ said Rhazek. ’’Where will you send them?’’ Malthen asked. Rhazek pointed at one of the formations of Eldoris. ’’There.’’ The commander looked at the battlefield. One of the groups of warriors of Eldoris had just replaced the other, meaning that they were fresh, well protected and organized. Rhazek smiled. ’’Everything against them.’’ The order was given. At first Tanaka did not notice anything, but soon he saw it. The Varkesh creatures were abandoning their prey. One of the groups which had attacked Razer’s Orcs suddenly withdrew, as well as another one which attacked the forest. The warriors of Varkesh were withdrawing in favor of the other flanks.

Tanaka narrowed his eyes. Something was wrong. Something unexpected was happening. "Raishin." He called. "I see it."

Raishin replied. The army of Varkesh was amassing at a point. Not at one of the flanks or commanders, but at the formation.

Thousands of creatures were converging on a single point of Eldoris’s forces. Tanaka’s gaze darkened. "He’s concentrating his forces towards one spot but where." Raishin looked at the formation. "They’ll be crushed if they are successful."

Tanaka glared at the Varkesh warriors. "Unless we move first," said Tanaka, raising his hand. "Third formation." The reserves moved, the Greater Ogres at the vanguard, led by Raveana whose very aura sent the creatures of Varkesh flying.

Rogan and Ryuken followed her, slicing through the enemy ranks while Relia stood at the rearguard, curing the wounded and protecting her allies from death as much as she could. The Varkesh advance slowed. Tanaka exhaled. Then Zephyr’s voice echoed in his head. "Lord Tanaka. I’ve found another movement."

"What?" Tanaka was shocked. "Where?" "The northern side."

Zephyr replied Tanaka paused. Zephyr’s voice became tense. "Varkesh is moving around the main battlefield." Tanaka grated his teeth. (Note he’s in human form) "How many?" "Too many to count from here."

Zephyr replied. Tanaka turned to the back of the battlefield. There they were. The creatures of Varkesh were no longer attacking the front of Eldoris’s forces, but the flanks, avoiding the strong points such as the warriors, the walls and the main formations. Tanaka followed their movement. He saw where they were headed. The healing tents. His expression turned to ice.

So that was Rhazek’s plan. The ammassing was a distraction. Just how battle intelligent was this monster. "Rhazek."

He was visibly angry. His face was red and steam leaked out of his head. Sora looked at him. "What?" Tanaka’s expression was one of silent warning.

"He figured out the weakness. Another horn sounded from behind the battlefield. The Moonhare healers looked up to see a group of Varkesh monsters charging at them. The healers screamed in horror as Relia turned to face them. Sylva raised her hand. "Protect the wounded!" The female Ogres stormed forth. Tanaka clenched his fist.

It was all a test and Tanaka had failed the test. Tanaka had tested Rhazek, Rhazek had tested Tanaka, and now Rhazek had found the weakness which Tanaka had ordered everyone to protect. Tanaka had unknowningly fallen to Rhazek’s trap. He had exposed the location of his most vulnerable people. The healers, the wounded, the lifeblood of the army. Tanaka looked over the battlefield. Rhazek was watching him. The Demon Lord smiled. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

It was Tanaka’s turn to make the move.