Karina Dragonia is a different kind of Holy Knight.
Compared to Leon and Vulcanus, she became a Holy Knight later in life but that doesn't mean she was any less powerful than the Holy Knights of her time.
She is the daughter of the Grand Duke of Dragonia, and was implanted with a dragon's heart that is passed down from generation to generation.
Though she was not trained as a Holy Knight and thus has only a rudimentary knowledge of holy law, her immense magical power was not lacking compared to the other Holy Knights.
The advantages the Dragon's Heart grants its host are simple: overwhelming magic power and dragon blood.
-Squeak---!
The beasts halt. The orc boars that comprised the core of the Orc Boar Riders were large enough and ferocious enough to carry orcs, but they could not withstand the pressure coming from the higher-ranked creatures.
"It's stopped."
Karina didn't miss that opportunity and Black Dragon's breath burned the halted boars.
"K---!"
Skira, the champion of Skunik, called out again to the boars, who refused to listen to the orc hunters, but they were overpowered by Karina's energy.
'If it was just a young dragon, it would be no problem. But---!'
The problem is the dragon in human form. Unlike the young dragons born through the World Tree, this one is different.
The vessel that has contained the dragon's heart for over 200 years is a being with a fragment of Dragonia, the great progenitor dragon in mythology.
[Go, wipe out those who dare to injure the body of a dragon!]
As an agent of the dragon god, backed by the unlimited power of Dragonia, the god of gold and covenants, the Holy Knight has the favor of all the dragons of the land and unleashes her mighty magic.
Not even Skira's old comrade-in-arms Dothraki, king of the boars, can stand against the dragon's agent.
And most of all──
-Crack, crack, crack!
The dragons are on the rampage. Four dragons, including the fallen Black Dragon, breathe as they fly through the sky, and each of them is an innate master of magic.
'We're going to lose this battle! We have to do something!'
Skira wondered if he should back off and head for Skunik's great javelin.
The only people who can throw it are the champion of the Orc hunting god Skunik, himself, and Murka.
The javelin is so powerful that the champion himself must throw it, and now that Skira is gone, it is little more than an ornament that spreads divine protection.
'Stand down! Let's go to where the javelins are-─'
"I challenge you to a duel!"
"------?!"
"------?!"
At Karina's declaration, Skira, the orcs, and even the dragons stare at her. Karina sheathes her sword and announces her intention to duel.
"Bullshit!"
Skira grits her teeth at Karina's challenge.
Among the Orcs, the Great Duel is a sacred ritual. It is the rightful means of proving strength to the orcs who seek only the strongest.
It is well known that the Orc High Khan Murka has defeated thousands of orcs in duels to secure his position as High Khan.
But those Lionheart tin men have no respect for orc discipline and tradition.
They'd kill an orc if they saw one, and now they're challenging him to a great war duel?
"If you don't believe me, I'll get the dragons to step aside."
Karina gestured, and the dragons retreated as if taking the unspoken signal. Black Dragon also flapped its torn wings and slowly retreated into the air.
As the dragons watched from their respective buildings, Karina shrugged.
"I'm disappointed that a great orc champion would refuse a one-on-one duel."
"You------"
Skira's teeth clenched, but he couldn't help but be intrigued by the idea of this epic duel.
Ever since they'd crossed over to the Demon Realm, Murka had banned duels to reduce the pointless consumption of his people.
While this was a rationalization, it meant that there was no hierarchy among the orcs for a long time.
This was a grievance for the other orcs, even for Skira.
Fighting the stronger was their favorite pastime.
'This is a trick! I must not fall for it!'
Skira's rational mind rejected it, but his instincts drew him in.
The strength of the Lionheart's tin knights has spread to orcs across the continent.
To the orcs, Lionheart is the enemy of their race. Among them, the Holy Knights are the greatest warriors, the equal of any Orc Champion.
What chance does he have to fight them one-on-one?
Especially in the current era, when the original Lionheart Knights have been wiped out, this may be Skira's last chance.
"Great! I accept the great warrior duel!"
In the end, he could not overcome his orc instincts.
Something he would never have been able to do if the Great Khan, Murka Balak, had been staring at him.
But if he was one of the men on this chaotic battlefield------
"Indeed, a great orc champion."
Karina twisted the corner of her mouth as if she'd gotten the last laugh.
"Then let us unabashedly---!"
Karina stomped the pavement with her magic sword. In response, Skira raised his javelin and leapt off Dothraki.
-Bam!
Skira started throwing his javelin at Karina.
While explosive javelins are the mainstay of orc hunters' arsenal for killing large beasts, they are not the only javelins available.
There are also guided javelins and piercing javelins. The ability to incorporate a variety of functions into a javelin is what makes an orc hunter great.
"Hmmm---?!"
Karina deflects the flying javelin, but it's about to change its trajectory and come hurtling back at her. And that's not all.
-Quack, quack, quack!
The javelin disintegrates, splitting into three short pikes. Split javelins for killing multiple small prey.
"It's so cliché…!"
Karina's magic sword pulses with dark energy. The darkness rushes forward, shattering the javelins into thousands of pieces.
No small pike can stand against the dark holy law that applies the concept of dismemberment.
"Kahhhhh!"
Skira thrusts his spear in a fierce manner but Karina parries the spear with ease and swings her sword.
With a clang, the sharp magic sword struck the hilt of the javelin and Karina grinned.
"You're too quick, orc but this latest skirmish is my domain. Even His Majesty is outclassed by me in close combat."
"------!?"
One fierce sword strike after another overwhelmed Skira as he tries to close the distance with his javelin, but Karina never lets up.
"Chit---!"
Skira is a javelin-wielding hunter, but he is also a master spearman. Melee skills are fundamental to orcs and in a spear vs. sword match, Skira would naturally have the advantage.
He tries to use his tactical advantage to force a mid-range fight, but his opponent is too fast and skilled.
Skira's javelin slashes past Karina, and just as she's about to dig in, the javelin shines.
"------!"
The javelin explodes at a short distance. The explosion, and the smoke from it, obscured her vision.
'Coming!'
Her opponent's purpose is predictable. He'll use the explosions to build up damage, then increase the distance to engage in ranged combat.
Karina braced herself for the javelins that would soon pierce the black mist.
-Sasak!
She recognizes the javelins even with her vision obscured, but the sound is different.
Karina swung her sword, calculating the weight and speed of the invisible javelins.
-Kang!
The first javelin bounced off,
-Bang!
The second javelin bounces back.
"------!"
In that instant, a sensation of unusual speed and weight assaulted her senses and Karina parried it with her blade.
-Kang!
Karina's body scraped the pavement and was pushed back by the heavy javelin with a piercing spell.
"But it's not meant for humans!"
Unlike the dull beasts, she is a Holy Knight and deflects the heavy javelin with her skill.
"Chit---!"
Skira and Karina are now in a natural standoff. Karina, who still has some time to spare, and Skira, whose javelins are being used up.
The psychological gap between them was about to be decided.
-Kwaaaah!
"------?!"
"------?!"
The orcs, including Skira, turn their attention to one side, where Skunik's great javelin is. That's where the dragons were raining down their breath.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Dragons attacking the great javelin during the duel!"
"You and I are the only ones dueling. I see no reason to interfere with their behavior."
Karina shrugged shamelessly. She chuckled with the two dragons that remained on the building for camouflage.
"But you've already lost the tactical battle, Champion of Skunik. You orcs should have protected that."
"ARRGHH---!"
Skira roared, channeling all of Skunik's divine power into his remaining spear. At this point, he needs to kill at least one Holy Knight.
"A one-hit wonder, I'll take it."
Karina gripped her sword with both hands as the power of Ventasis concentrated in the magic sword surges with fierce energy.
Piercing Javelin──-
Fiery Magic Sword──
At the moment of impact, the terrain cracks and splits. The moment the two clashed, the aftermath of the vast power collision tore down buildings and structures in all directions.
"Holy shit--this much difference------"
He looked back at Karina's blade, which had sliced him in half and left a burning darkness in his wound.
"I'm the one who killed the old champion of the hunting god. It's arrogant to think that a technique you've shown me twice will work."
"That---"
Having defeated Skira's champion, Karina felt the fierce gazes of the Black Orc focused on her from all sides.
The Black Orcs' teeth chattered as they watched their leader lose the duel. But------
"Get lost, human."
"You win."
The winner of a great warrior duel is untouchable. That was the orc tradition, even if it is ineffectual and stupidly righteous.
"My father hates you, but I suppose this much is worthy of respect."
These orcs are warriors worthy of respect, then and now.
The only problem was, since they shared the same territory as humans, one or the other would have to submit.
* * * * *
Cold.
Although Beatrice suffered from the harsh cold on the glacier continent in the past, she felt that the winter in this land was not lacking.
The Frost Queen's Palace, an erosion field that has a powerful influence over the entire city and is expanding its territory.
She brought, Ha-ri the Flame Goddess, and two dragons as backup. But------
"Not good enough, Magician Queen."
Beatrice stared at the great orc shaman looking down at her from the huge ice castle wall.
"My queen, this is dangerous."
"I know, Miss Ha-ri."
Beatrice looked at the frozen dragons stuffed in midair. Ha-ri's flames were clinging to the ice and melting it, but because of the Frost Queen's field she could not melt the ice properly.
"You're much more powerful than the Frost Queen in the data, so maybe it's because you're different."
"Ugh------"
Kran, Orc Great Shaman, second in command of the Orc Continental Confederation after Murka, acquired the Heart of the Frost Queen, resurrected from the Siberian snowfields, and wielded it to full power.
All but Beatrice and Ha-ri were frozen and sealed by Kran.
"I can't use the Holy Law of Waves, it's used against me------"
[You must use your power even more, Ha-ri]
At the advice of Petos, the god of war and flame, Ha-ri steeled herself. The battlefield stretched out before her, with countless Ice Soldiers and Frost Giants approaching.
Beatrice is a magician who specializes in ranged combat, so she is the only one who can lead the charge.
"Forward."
Her blade sparkles with flame as Ha-ri prayed to the gods before the battle of a lifetime.
"Please give me victory."
"I'll cover you, Miss Ha-ri."
Beatrice's magic pulses and with a resounding crackle the Flame Goddess started running.