Chapter 26: Horde

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Without wasting another second, they split up. John charged toward Grugnak and Gor, while Muwi darted toward Rekka and Slog.

Grugnak swung his massive axe at John, the force of the blow enough to crush a normal man. But John was ready. He sidestepped the attack, his body a blur as he activated Eclipse Series: Parallel. Three afterimages of John appeared around Grugnak, each one launching an attack at different angles. Grugnak growled in frustration as he swung wildly at the afterimages, but John was already behind him, striking at his back.

Gor, seeing his ally struggling, rushed at John, swinging his spiked mace. John barely had time to dodge as the weapon came crashing down, missing him by inches. "You're fast," Gor growled, "but not fast enough!"

John gritted his teeth, his body already showing signs of wear from the repeated clashes. He could feel the strain from using the *Parallel* technique, but he couldn't let up. He summoned his strength and continued to trade blows with the two orc generals, the battlefield around them becoming a blur of steel and fire.

Meanwhile, Muwi was holding his own against Rekka and Slog. Rekka moved with precision, her twin swords flashing in the dim light as she attacked relentlessly. Muwi dodged and countered, his blue flames clashing with her blades. "You're fast," Rekka hissed, "but let's see how long you can keep up!"

Muwi growled, his four tails lashing out like whips as he circled her, striking at every opportunity. But it was Slog who was the real threat. The slim orc moved like a shadow, his daggers flashing as he struck from unexpected angles. Muwi barely managed to deflect a few of the strikes, the sharp blades grazing his fur.

"You'll have to do better than that," Muwi taunted, but he knew he had to be careful. Slog was quick, and any mistake could be deadly.

The battle raged on, spanning hundreds of meters. The goblins, empowered by John's flames, were pushing the orc horde back, but the four generals were proving to be a challenge. The fight had moved away from the city, deep into the forest. Trees splintered and fell as John and Muwi fought, their enemies relentless.

John blocked another swing from Grugnak's axe, his arms shaking from the impact. His parallel technique allowed him to keep pace, but it wasn't enough to end the fight. He needed more. "Muwi!" he called out between breaths, his voice strained. "We need to finish this!"

Muwi, locked in his own struggle with Rekka and Slog, nodded. "Got it!"

With their agreement, they prepared for their final moves. John gathered the last of his essence, ready to push his *Eclipse Series* to its limit. Muwi's flames flared even brighter, his tails whipping around as he prepared to go all out.

The time had come to end this battle.

Muwi let out a fierce roar, his body glowing with a powerful aura as he began to grow in size. His fur, already bright with the blue glow of the Biwu flames, shone even more intensely, and his body expanded until he stood at four meters tall. His four tails grew longer and thicker, each one crackling with energy.

The tips of his tails glowed before releasing beams of blue fire, raining down destruction onto the orcs below. His claws, now even sharper, cut through the air with deadly precision, while flames poured from his mouth in a devastating attack.

John, seeing Muwi's transformation, threw his spear into the inventory and clapped his hands together. "HAAAAAAHHHH!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the battlefield. His body ignited in flames, and the fire coalesced around him, forming a samurai armor made entirely of Biwu flames. A katana appeared in his hand, the blade glowing with intense heat, while the scar on his eye began to burn even brighter.

John's speed, strength, and durability shot up, reaching the high A rank, matching Muwi's power. He could feel the immense energy coursing through his body as the flames fueled him, his movements becoming faster and more precise.

The two launched themselves at the orcs, who had powered up in response, but they were no match for the duo's enhanced abilities. Muwi's energy beams tore through the ranks of the orcs, while John's flaming katana sliced through their defenses. The battlefield became a sea of flames as the goblins, empowered by the Biwu fire armor John had given them, began to decimate the orc horde. The smaller goblins moved like shadows, darting between the orcs' legs and taking them down with coordinated strikes.

John clashed with Grugnak, their weapons meeting in a powerful explosion of energy. Grugnak, the Iron Fist, roared as he swung his massive axe, but John was faster. He dodged the attack and slashed at Grugnak's side, the flames from his katana searing through the orc's armor.

Grugnak, the Iron Fist, roared as he swung his axe, but John's afterimages swarmed him from all angles, confusing the orc. With each swing of the massive axe, Grugnak left himself open, and John seized those opportunities, landing strike after strike with his katana.

"Your time's up," John muttered as he dashed past Grugnak, delivering a powerful slash across the orc's torso. The flames from his sword seared into the wound, causing the orc general to bellow in pain. Grugnak stumbled, his movements growing sluggish, but he wasn't down yet.

Just as John was about to land another blow, Gor charged in from the side, swinging his spiked mace with devastating force. John barely managed to dodge, feeling the wind from the mace as it passed dangerously close. Gor snarled, his eyes locked on John with murderous intent.

"You're not getting away that easily," Gor growled, his muscles bulging as he prepared for another strike.

But John wasn't planning on running. He tightened his grip on his katana, ready to end this fight. "Bring it," he taunted, his eyes narrowing as Gor lunged forward.

Meanwhile, Muwi had his hands full with Rekka and Slog. Rekka's twin swords moved like a blur, each slash coming faster than the last, while Slog darted around like a shadow, his daggers always aiming for Muwi's blind spots.

"You're quick, but I'm quicker!" Muwi roared, his massive form moving with surprising agility as he dodged Rekka's attacks and lashed out with his tails. Blue flames shot from the tips, forcing Rekka to retreat.

Slog, however, wasn't backing down. The slim orc appeared behind Muwi in a flash, his daggers aimed at the fox's vital spots. But Muwi was ready.