That Time Rimuru Got a Daughter!

Chapter 15: Checkmate

(3rd Person Perspective)

The lizardmen Chief shuddered in terror when he heard the news about the orc army. The lizardmen he'd sent to investigate and evaluate the menace had returned with a report that came down as a bucket of cold water.

The orcs had gathered an army in the six digits of strength. Even without considering the individual strength of each orc, the sheer difference in numbers was overwhelming. The violence of numbers was truly terrifying. Not only that, but the recognizance squad had already confirmed the fact that the ogre village, considered a powerhouse in the forest, had been taken down by a group of orcs separated from the main army. That was even more dangerous than the sheer violence of numbers. A single group of orcs had taken down one of the races considered to be among the strongest in the forest. If that was the strength of a small group of orcs, then the power of the main army had to be completely devastating.

It would be one thing if that wasn't the case, as they could at the very least find a way to fend off the orcs' numbers with their own army, as the D-ranked orcs were supposed to be weaker than the C-plus-ranked lizardmen. That being said, even such a plan was already hard enough to pull off. Now that the ogre village had fallen by the orcs' hands, it was no longer a realistic possibility.

At this rate, the lizardmen would have to end up launching themselves against the orcs in mere hopes of defeating them. That, or they could count on the support the lizardmen Chief's son could gather throughout the forest, but even that was nothing more than wishful thinking.

*Whooosh* Just then, as the Chief was pondering his options, a black whirlwind appeared in the center of the throne room. It swelled and swelled until it reached the ceiling. "P-Protec the chief!" All of the soldiers present in the room readied their weapons, pointing them at the mysterious vortex that had formed in the room.

The chief, bewildered, just remained on his throne as he waited for the responsible of this phenomenon to reveal himself. He had judged from this seemingly inoffensive event that whoever was behind it had no ill intentions toward the lizardmen. And more than that... this magic is at least at the level of a magic-born... In the worst case scenario, not even all the soldiers present right now could be able to stop them. That was his judgment as the representative of his race. If there was no hostility from the side of the other party, then there was no way for their group to be hostile in any way, as doing so could mean many lives lost on their side. That was something the Chief would not permit.

After a few couple seconds, the whirlwind began to fade, and a silhouette began to appear from within its vortex. The black winds rose through the air and eventually dissipated before reaching the ceiling. In the ground, the wind began moving horizontally through the room like mist. In the center of the phenomenon, a figure with long hair stood with its hands on its hips. The lizardmen all tightened their hold on their lances as they watched the revelation. They all gulped in front of the surprising majesticness of the figure.

After the entirety of the black winds disappeared, the figure's full appearance came into view. Its silver-bluish hair was flying around due to the air currents; its determined eyes stared directly at the Chief without flinching; there was a devilish smile accompanying those eyes, similar to that of a kid who had successfully pulled off his prank. The figure was wearing a black leather jacket with fur around the part of the neck; on his hip, an ominous jet-black sword found its rest.

"Who are you?" The first to open his mouth was the lizardmen's chief. He raised his voice in an attempt at sounding imposing. Despite the marvelous entrance mere seconds ago, he still had to maintain his pride as the leader of the lizardman. It does not matter if he had already deemed this being in front of him as someone that should not be taken lightly. In response, the figure relaxed his pose slightly, and his smile widened.