Aghanim's Rubick Chapter 10:

Chapter 10:

A knock sounded out, breaking me out of my thoughts. I had been sitting on the chair of my lab, staring up at the ceiling and considering what spell to create next. The day after tomorrow, the Orcs would finally reach the Lizardmen, meaning that early in the morning we would have to march out to meet them.

I had just finished perfecting and streamlining the spell that I had been working on, ready to deploy it against the Orc Lord and likely Gelmud too if he interfered. Thankfully, my magical battery from eating Veldora was still going strong. I doubted I would finish digesting him anytime soon, to be honest. The Dragon possessed a truly tremendous amount of Magic, not even considering the ridiculous barrier that had surrounded him.

So running out of Juice was not a problem I had to worry about in the upcoming battle.

Still, I had a visitor to attend to, “Come in.”

The door opened, revealing an awkward looking Susuru. He walked in and paused, taking in the destroyed dummy on the far side of the room. The reinforced and enchanted piece of wood had shattered into multiple pieces, the majority of it existing as mere ash. Considering how tough I had requested the things to be, the force required to leave it in such a state was considerable.

As one in charge of working with the various craftsmen in the town, he would know that better than anyone.

“So you figured it out then?” He asked, staring at the exploded facsimile.

“I did. Whatever the Orc Lord’s durability is, it should be able to punch through it.” I replied, causing him to shake his head.

“And if it doesn’t? If he somehow adapted or regenerated back from it?” He was obviously talking around the issue, but I let him have his distraction.

“Then I torture him until he stops.’’ At his shocked look, I explained, “The ability to survive is only useful so long as you have the will to live. I should be durable enough to take whatever surprises he has while whittling him down.”

“You are kind of terrifying, you know that?” His voice was low.

“I hope it’s a good thing. You can be the friendly face that everyone trusts, the diplomat. I will be the one that makes sure that those that mistake politeness for weakness learn their lesson.” My answer did not seem to reassure him.

“Why…” He trailed off, obviously thinking about how to phrase what he wanted to say, “Why do you always do that? Portray yourself as a villain, or uncaring? I’ve seen how you interact with the others, you aren’t as cold as you like to say. So why the pretence?”

“Because I’m strong.” I replied, causing him to furrow his brow, “Susuru, ever since I came to this world, I have not once been hurt by someone attacking me. The only time I experienced pain was when I used a skill that had a limit I did not realise it had. The first time I met another magic user, despite the fact that I had never seen this world’s magic system in use before, I made him look like a toddler fighting a boxer.”

“I’m not dumb.” I continued, “That’s not normal. Neither is my ability to Name so many monsters, or facilitate their Naming through you. Nor is the strength such monsters gain from the process, an increase that vastly outpaces what I’ve been able to gather from hearsay. Even if the hearsay is inaccurate, the sheer number of Named Monsters in one area, a number that is only increasing, leads to one inevitable conclusion.”

I leaned forward, locking eyes with him as I spoke seriously, “We are building a Superpower. I know that’s not the actual goal, I just want a place to mess around with Magic while you just want a place to live in peace, but whether we intended it or not it’s the result of our actions regardless.”

“What does that have to do with the way you are acting?” He tilted his head.

“A Superpower upsets the status quo. The current movers and shakers around us will not look kindly upon our success and when they see the society you want to create, built on prosperity, compassion and equality, do you know what they will see?”

“They will see a treasure they want to possess.” He sighed, “And with the soft approach, they will view us as weak, like you said.”

“Wrongly. They will mistake our kindness for vulnerability. But I will be the deterrent, our big button that assures that if anyone wants to wipe us out, they must be prepared for the same treatment.” I spoke solemnly.

“You would do it too.” He seemed surprised as he took in my expression, “You would wipe out an entire Kingdom of Humans if you needed to.”

“I would. I don’t operate off of principles. I operate off of practicality. A threat is only as effective as its believability. If I act kind, if I show that I am at all hesitant about my actions… then the threat becomes less believable. That will just invite more people to try their luck.” I nodded, not denying his assertion.

“But would you hesitate? You wouldn't just... destroy them all without caring?” He pressed, causing me to sigh tiredly.

Realpolitik, the Great Game. Whatever you called it, this world was still solidly in that mindset. As a modern Human, at least before I became whatever I was when I came here, of course killing other humans would give me pause. Especially in the numbers I was talking about. I even felt bad for the orcs I had already killed after getting to know the Oni and other Monsters of this world.

Everything that I have tested has led me to the conclusion that so long as my Core was not directly targeted, I could not die. The Core that no-one knew about. So, I could personally afford to make mistakes, to be merciful to the wrong person. As long as they did not get lucky, even if they took me by surprise I would be able to retaliate.

However, when it came to what I was talking about with Susuru, there was absolutely no room for such mistakes. I was not gambling with my life, but those that have been entrusted to me, by the monsters that accepted my Name and leadership. I cared more about the companions I have around me now than a hypothetical ally in the future. If I started to take those that showed such faith in me for granted…

Then I would truly become a Monster.

“Killing those that can think is always a difficult thing to do. I would be worried if it was easy. I already have the blood of thousands on my hands, Susuru. I killed the Orcs that were going to invade this village. It was war and before I realised just how sentient they were, but those are merely excuses. I still carried out the deed. In the coming days, I will do so again.” I explained, hopefully convincing him that my reasoning was solid and I was not just some insane psychopath.

“Rubick…” He spoke softly, “All of this is just a hypothetical. What if none of this happened, if we never have a war with another Kingdom?”

Naive.

“If so, great.” My scepticism was clear, “But I would rather be prepared for the worst than hoping for the best and being blind sided.”

“I think that’s a sad way of living life.” He squared his shoulders, standing to his full height as she looked at me seriously, “I’ll prove it to you. In fact, I will make another goal! I will prove to you that Humans and Monsters can get along peacefully with each other, without war!”

I believed that already. However, seeing how fired up he was about this, how motivated he seemed, I merely smiled.

“Then do so. I look forward to the results.”

Motivation like that should be encouraged, after all.

---RRR---

“What in the actual fuck,” Lord Rubick’s voice was steady, but Hattori could feel the anger simmering under the surface, “Are they doing?”

“It appears that they are relying on the swamp to hamper the Orcs enough for them to conduct hit and run tactics.” Oda spoke, his Skill for battlefield comprehension working perfectly.

“I can see that. The Lizard men would have the advantage on the swamp if it was just them, but why are they attacking with the Goblins? They will only slow each other down and interfere with their manoeuvres. More importantly,” His voice lowered, becoming as cold as ice, “Why are they attacking? Did they not agree to our plan of baiting the Orcs into committing to the siege?”

“They did, My Lord. However, the leader I spoke to is not the one apparently in command of this force.” Hattori spoke, ensuring that his Lord had the information he needed.

“Really? Oh I see, the one currently in command is that idiot that tried to subjugate us.” His lord was unimpressed, even more so as his frown deepened watching his prediction come to pass.

One of the Lizardmen was too slow in retreating, covering for the Goblin Allies as he did so, causing him to be caught and promptly consumed by the Orcs. Lord Rubick sighed as the Lizardmen were swiftly encircled by the newly adapted Orcs, stealing the ability to walk atop the swampy terrain with Starved.

“I am sorely tempted.” Lord Rubick mused, “To merely let them reap the rewards they have sown for themselves.”

“Rubick…” Susuru, his Lord’s companion from his previous world, lightly chided.

“Don’t pout. I’m not that petty.”

He turned to regard the newly grown Guard of the Oni, although they would have to change how they referred to themselves soon seeing as they had integrated the Goblin forces into their number.

One thousand Named monsters stood before their Ruler. The gift bestowed upon them by him made them an incredibly deadly force, but they knew better than to treat this battle lightly. Lord Rubick had been very clear, even a single death would not be tolerated. All were desperate to not disappoint their benefactor.

This was merely half of their number, the rest having been instructed to protect the Town in case the Orcs decided to flank them with a smaller force. Hanako had been most put out to have been given command of that force, but Shingen had volunteered to stay behind with her as her Aide. Besides, the glory to be gained upon this battlefield was rather meagre. After all, victory was never in doubt.

They were with their Lord.

“My friends.” The Grand Magus spoke, “My faithful companions. I would ask that you ensure that the Lizardmen and Goblin forces down there are protected from the Orcs that are outside the barrier I will erect. Keep yourselves safe and once this is after, we shall gladly celebrate back home. I trust you all, make yourselves proud.”

His voice held a calm surety in it, an unshakable confidence in each of them. How could it not? He had Named each of them, or been present for their Naming through Susuru. His faith in them had become the source of their strength.

“Now Go! Show them that this forest is not theirs for the taking!” His orders were greeted by a salute and a raucous agreement from each and everyone present.

The Goblin Wolf-riders shadow melded, moving ahead of the main force to support the beleaguered Lizardmen forces. This blunted the Orc’s momentum for a brief period, more than long enough for the rest of the force to arrive and smash the encirclement completely.

The Orcs were taken completely by surprise, every single scout they sent out to ensure such a thing did not happen easily taken out beforehand by Susuru and Hattori.

Speaking of…

“Hattori, Susuru. Go into the Cave system, make sure the Chieftain and the civilians are still safe.’ Lord Rubick ordered, causing Hattori to nod and turn to Susuru, the slime looking at their Lord with a complicated expression.

“Now, Susuru.” He was ordered, causing the Slime to nod and look to Hattori, who began to lead him swiftly into the cave system. As they left, they heard the final set of orders Rubick gave out.

“Lanaya, Musashi… Go have fun.”

“Gladly, Lord Rubick!” Was the enthusiastic response.

---RRR---

“You! You really arrived!” Gabiru shouted out, surprised at Gobta’s sudden appearance.

The Goblin had jumped out of his shadow and intercepted a blow from the Orc General in front of him just time, causing both combatants to pause in surprise at the interruption.

“Ho, another force? No matter, you will become food for us soon enough.” The General rumbled, swinging his massive weapon rapidly at the nimbly dodging Goblin.

“Lord Rubick told you to hole up in your defences, what are you idiots doing in open ground?” Gobta launched a tirade at the Lizardman, causing him to blink.

“My father’s plan was cowardly, unfit for the Chieftain of our great people! So I took command and fought as we should!” Gabiru spoke proudly, still confident in his strength.

That fluke with that ‘Grand Magus’ was merely him being taken by surprise. Footman and Tear even explained to him how as a Named monster he was one of the strongest in the forest, more capable and worthy of leadership than his old and weak sire.

“Gabiru-sama! You’re so cool!” his friend shouted from behind him, causing him to swell further in pride.

“You what?!” Gobta exclaimed, before performing a flip to jump over a swing, “Never mind, not worth it. Are you going to help me anytime soon?!”

"Of course! With your help, the tide will surely turn!” Gabiru raised the spear of his people, preparing to strike at this looming leader of the invaders once again.

His prepared strike was unrealised, however, as the earth shook. A massive explosion sounded, a ball of black flames engulfing a significant portion of the surrounding Orc army. Soon the gap was filled by extremely powerful Monsters, each taking out an orc with a single swing of their weapon or two, easily dodging any retaliatory strikes.

“Are you the leader of this division?” A confident, commanding voice called out.

Stepping out from the quickly widening gap was an Oni wearing a red haori, with bright crimson hair.

“I am. Who are you?” The Orc General spoke, switching his attention to this newcomer and allowing Gobta to retreat to Gabiru’s side with a muttered exclamation of relief.

“I am Oda, the Commander of Lord Rubick’s Army.” The Red Oni replied, “But it’s good to hear you are the strongest one present. I have been ordered by my Lord to protect the Lizardmen here, so taking you out is a priority.”

“Oh? You seem confident in your strength. I hope you do not believe I will be as easy to dispatch as my brethren were.” Menace dripped off of the Orc’s words.

“From your perspective, perhaps.” Oda said nonchalantly, “But to the boot, every ant is the same.”

“You dare-!” The Orc's eyes widened, his shout cut off by the Oni suddenly appearing within his guard, sword wreathed in black flames punching through his neck.

“I do.” Oda retorted before, with a vicious slice, he decapitated his foe.

“Oda…” Gabiru spoke, admiration filling his voice, “You must truly be one of the mightiest beings within Jura! I, Gabiru, Chieftain of the Lizardman Tribe, acknowledge your strength!”

He was promptly ignored.

“Second Division, shore up the opposite side. We will create a cordon around the rescued force and then expand once our Lord makes his move.” Oda ordered, causing a section of his armoured warriors to carry out his instructions.

“Ahem. Sir Oda?” The Oni finally turned to regard him, eyes staring at his very being and finding him unworthy, “What is Lord Rubick’s plan? I was not informed that he had a-”

“After ruining his original one, I was expecting him to leave you to die and deciding to merely raze the area from a distance.” Oda rebuked, causing Gabiru to blink, “Truly Lord Rubick is very kind. Even to the undeserving.”

Gabiru’s pride bristled at the insult, but something else the Oni had said was more pressing, “I’m sorry, level the area? And in the whole thing, at once?”

The commander sighed, drawing a hand through his hair and raising his voice to be heard by as many of the Lizardmen and Allied Goblins present as possible. “I believe this lesson would be wasted on you all, but listen. I may seem strong, someone that is on an almost different level from those you are used to.”

Gabiru found himself nodding, this single monster easily dispatching the Orc that had almost killed him with ease being proof of that. Oda turned, looking up to the sky, causing Gabiru to follow his gaze. There, silhouetted against the grey clouds, was a single figure robed in white, floating in the air without wings or any visible effort.

“However, there is someone who exists, that should I be given a thousand lifetimes, I do not believe I could even glimpse a fraction of. We hear the Voice of the World, the one who guides us and gives us our wondrous gifts. But Lord Rubick...”

Shimmering emerald blankets suddenly arouse around the majority of the Orc Army. They roared in confusion and charged the barriers, being rebuffed. They stretched for hundreds of metres, but there was not a single blemish, not a single weakness. They were uniform, strong and resolute throughout their entire expanse.

Dozens of Thousands of Orcs started to attack the shimmering walls of green light, physically and with magic, to no effect. Gabiru stopped gawking at the incredible feat of Magic however, when he noticed that Oda’s gaze was still locked skyward. Looking at the robed figure again, Gabiru felt his scales itch at the dangerous green glow that was shining from the position he had been occupying.

“When Lord Rubick acts,” Oda finished, his voice reverent, “It is the World that listens.”

The glow intensified, shining a noticeable light upon the ground below.

Its power was unmistakable.

The green glow flashed, streaming down at extreme speeds, becoming for a single instant a solitary, shining column of energy.

The World buckled.