The explosion tore through the battlefield like a wrathful god's judgment, a blinding pillar of light and energy that scorched everything in its path.
The ground trembled violently, and the air itself seemed to ignite as the spell's power radiated outward, consuming everything in a 200-meter radius.
Trees were reduced to ash, rocks melted into molten slag, and the bodies of fallen goblins and humans alike were vaporized in an instant.
The sheer force of the blast sent shockwaves rippling through the air, knocking Lucas and the others off their feet.
When the light finally faded, the battlefield was unrecognizable.
A massive crater stretched out before them, the ground blackened and smoldering. The air was thick with smoke and the acrid stench of burnt earth.
Lucas coughed, his vision blurry as he struggled to his feet. His ears rang, and his body ached from the force of the explosion, but he was alive. For now.
"Is it… is it over?" Katherine whispered, her voice trembling as she clutched her bow. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear and exhaustion.
Lucas didn't answer immediately. He scanned the devastation, his heart heavy with the weight of what they had just witnessed.
The loss of life—both human and goblin—was staggering.
Bodies lay scattered across the battlefield, some charred beyond recognition, others reduced to nothing but ash.
The high orc had brought nothing but death and destruction, and now, finally, it seemed to be over.
"Grant…" Lucas turned to his friend, who was kneeling on the ground, his hands still glowing faintly with residual mana.
Grant's face was streaked with tears, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed quietly. "You did it. It's over."
But Grant didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on Jessica's lifeless body, his grief overwhelming.
Viona knelt beside him, her great sword lying forgotten on the ground. She cradled Jessica's hand in her own, her tears falling onto the cold, lifeless skin.
"She… she didn't deserve this," Viona choked out, her voice breaking. "None of this…"
Joseph was on his knees a few feet away, his head bowed, his body trembling.
His remaining arm hung limply at his side, his sword lying discarded in the dirt. "Jessica…" he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
Lucas felt a lump form in his throat as he watched his comrades mourn.
They had lost so much—friends, allies, even parts of themselves. But at least the high orc was dead. At least it was over.
Or so he thought.
A low, guttural laugh echoed through the smoke, sending a chill down Lucas's spine. His heart skipped a beat, and he turned sharply toward the source of the sound.
The others froze, their grief momentarily forgotten as the laughter grew louder, more mocking.
"No…" Katherine whispered, her voice filled with dread. "It can't be…"
The smoke began to clear, revealing a massive, hulking figure stepping out of the crater.
The high orc was barely recognizable. Its armor was shattered, its body covered in deep, searing wounds.
One of its arms was missing, torn off by the force of the explosion, and its chest heaved with labored breaths. But it was alive. And it was smiling.
"Did you really think…" the orc growled, its voice ragged but filled with malice, "that something like that… could kill me?"
Before anyone could react, the orc moved. Its remaining hand shot forward with terrifying speed, grabbing Joseph by the head.
Joseph barely had time to let out a strangled cry before the orc's fingers tightened, crushing his skull with a sickening crunch.
Blood and brain matter splattered across the ground as the orc lifted Joseph's lifeless body, its laughter echoing across the battlefield.
"JOSEPH!" Viona screamed, her voice filled with raw anguish.
She lunged forward, her great sword in hand, but the orc casually tossed Joseph's body aside, sending it crashing to the ground like a broken doll.
Grant stared in horror, his face pale, his hands trembling. "No… no, no, no…" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "Not him too… not him too…"
Katherine stumbled back, her bow slipping from her hands as she stared at Joseph's mangled body.
Her legs gave out, and she fell to her knees, her hands covering her mouth as she let out a choked sob. "This… this can't be happening…"
Lucas felt a wave of despair wash over him, his mind struggling to process what had just happened.
Joseph was gone. Jessica was gone. And the high orc was still standing, its laughter ringing in his ears like a death knell.
The orc turned its gaze to the group, its bloodied face twisted into a grotesque grin.
"You humans… so fragile. So weak. And yet… you keep fighting. Why? What's the point?"
Lucas clenched his fists, his body trembling with a mixture of fear and rage. He didn't have an answer.
Not for the orc, and not for himself. All he knew was that they couldn't give up. Not now. Not ever.
But as he looked at the broken, grieving faces of his comrades, he couldn't help but wonder if it was already too late.