Akhil couldn't hide the surprised look on his face, and neither could any of the entire civilian crowd as they watched the news screen display its contents.

Right in front of them was a graphic, unedited recording of Akhil's infiltration into the human settlement.

The footage started right from the point when he had met the group standing outside the administrative block. It showed him diving straight in, slaughtering them all without hesitation.

In the video, Akhil appeared like a demon. And truly, he couldn't deny the fact that at that moment, he genuinely was a demon. He wasn't sure he would have accepted any amount of begging, no matter how desperately they tried to plead with him.

The gruesome sight left many of the watching civilians visibly shaking in fear, bile churning in their stomachs, feeling the urge to throw up as they saw the flying limbs and the ruthless, precise slashes from Akhil. They watched the soldiers scrambling, panicking as they shot, terrified for their lives.

But none escaped without a missing limb or a fatal wound.

The blood of all the soldiers bathed the earth, painting him in complete red, making him look menacing, like a spawn of the devil himself. Even with the countless people Akhil killed, his gaze remained red with cold, calculated rage. The people watching, even though it was only a video, could feel the sweat covering their faces, their throats going dry, and their eyes shaking in fright.

Just then, they saw Samxon appear, and they watched the ensuing fight. Some watched with a mixture of awe and surprise, while others watched with naked terror. They saw the might of their former leader firsthand, but then saw that power being treated like child's play by the orc leader.

And seeing the way Samxon had died, hearing his tormented, final screams... Even the crowd could almost instinctively tell how painful the experience was. The Non-Characters and Gamers alike all looked at the orc who stood before them now with a mix of visceral fear and burning disdain.

"How could they be so ruthless?"

"Just look how he killed every one of them! Is this what our new leader wants us to work with?"

"This is ridiculous, we can't work with those monsters! If they could do that to those guys, we're no different. It could be us in that situation someday!" A man cried out, his voice shaking with fear.

With a mix of fear and anxiety, doubt immediately sprouted within the supporters of Ben and the new administration. Those who had always been against them had wicked smiles on their faces as they added more fuel to the fire.

"We don't want to work with the orcs!"

"Kill the orcs!"

"Kill the orcs!"

Their screams of protest filled the air, and the media quickly returned the cameras to the group.

Soon, the civilians joined them in their chant. Ben and Larry stood at the small podium with dire expressions on their faces.

Larry panicked, waving his hands frantically at the media to call their attention.

"That is not the case! This is all a one-sided video!" Larry explained, trying desperately to keep a confident gaze as he stared back at the triumphant Ronald.

"We were the ones who attacked the orcs in the first place, which brought about the retaliation of their leader!"

Ronald let out a loud, mocking voice. "And where is your proof? Do you have proof to back your claims? If you did, then it would be believable! Are you making up claims to prove your cowardice?"

"...."

"Working together with the orcs? Just because you're scared doesn't mean the rest of humanity is! If we're going to be threatened by these orcs, we'll eliminate them before they eliminate us!" Ronald shot at Larry even before the assistant could formulate a defense.

Ronald then turned to face the media properly, straightening his suit and keeping a stern expression on his face. "My people, this is what I and my team have been trying to show you all! The incompetence of these children whom you have allowed to rule you! This is what their stupidity has led us to... A point where we are now forcefully made to side with our enemies and even work hand-in-hand with them, leaving them with daggers in our own land. Since when have we been known to be so weak?!"

All over the Coast City, the people stared at Ronald, seeing his courageous posture, his bold voice, and the air of charisma around him. It all sparked something primal within them. A feeling of superiority, indeed.

They were humans after all! The most powerful race to ever exist in the world, with brains that pushed technology to its greatest height. Predators that fought with terrifying might and crushed their enemies completely. It was so before the apocalypse, and they believed it had to be the same now as well!

With newfound confidence, steeled by Ronald's words, their eyes lit up with predatory flames.

"We should come together and show these low-life orcs the difference between us and them!" Ronald stated calmly.

Larry and Ben stood with cold sweat rolling down their faces as Ronald continued to spout the garbage coming from his throat. But it wasn't even because of Ronald's words; it was due to the person standing right by their side.

As Ronald said each of his words, the two could feel an invisible pressure slowly building up from Akhil, pressing down on them relentlessly.

Larry stared at Ronald, pale with fright, his skin soaked with sweat, his eyes wide with fear. 'This idiot, keep quiet!' he thought to himself, catching the sight of Akhil's darkening expression.

But then, Larry saw Akhil move his hand, and he quickly overcame his fright. 'You won't kill me today because of your stupidity!'

"Sir Ronald! Enough of this nonsense!" Larry couldn't take it anymore; he had heard enough. As someone who had worked side-by-side with Samxon, he knew that all these were just allegations being pushed by Ronald to overthrow them from their leadership positions. And he also couldn't blame Akhil for getting angry—in fact, his anger was highly valid.

They had constantly been causing trouble for the orcs from the start, and even now, after proposing peace and inviting the orcs over for an official statement, Akhil only had to endure this sort of treatment.

Hearing Larry raise his voice, Ronald turned to look at him, raising a brow with a smug grin. "Are you still trying to protect that orc? He has to pay for what he has done! Killing these innocent hu—"

Before Ronald could complete his words, he felt a crushing force slam right into his jaw.

Crack!

Dislocating his mouth in an instant, his body was flung straight into the air. His neck cracked audibly from trying to pull his body away from the impact of the punch.

All the protesters who had been behind him instantly jolted in panic, terrified as they moved away from Akhil, eyes wide with fear. The reporters flinched,

everyone instinctively giving Akhil a wide, safe berth.

Akhil slowly cleaned his fist, which was smeared with Ronald's blood, as he turned toward the cameras, fury burning in his eyes. A harsh, chilling laugh tore from his throat.

"Well, I won't lie, I'm quite impressed," he said with an annoyed voice, the sound dangerously low. "You think that video proves something about me?" he demanded.

"All it proves is that I got tired of watching the orcs die quietly!"

"You replay that footage like it's some kind of revelation, but you never once showed what came before it!"

His voice rose, raw with rage. "You hunted the orcs! You dragged them out of hiding! You murdered them—then acted shocked when they finally bled back!"

He stepped forward, fists clenched, leaning into the camera. "The orcs didn't come together because they wanted war! They came together because you gave them no choice but to survive!"

His chest heaved as he glared at the stunned crowd.

"And now you stand there and call them monsters?!"

Then he shouted, his voice cracking with exhaustion and desperation: "They were once humans like you too! We all were!"

The plaza fell into a stunned, absolute silence as his voice dropped into something cold and menacing. "If the orcs were truly what you claim… there wouldn't be a single camera left standing in this room."

He straightened, reclaiming his commanding height. "I didn't come here to beg for them. I came here to end this."

Staring straight into the lenses, he growled, "So don't parade my worst moment as if it excuses your hatred! You didn't forget what the orcs were. You simply decided it didn't matter."

He paused, his fists slowly unclenching.

"And listen to me now," he said, his voice no longer shouting, but carrying more weight than before. "This is exactly how everything falls apart. While you point at the orcs… while you isolate them… while you pretend this is about justice—"

He shook his head slowly, sadly. "It's all of us who are bleeding. It's all of us who are breaking. We shouldn't be fighting among ourselves just to survive through this hell."

He took a slow, deliberate breath.

"Fighting each other is not the way. We'll only destroy what little is left of us."

His eyes burned into the crowd, holding their gaze captive.

"And in the end… we won't be fighting monsters."

His voice dropped into something quiet and terrible.

"We'll just be killing each other."

Akhil took a final, long, deep breath. "Don't ask for peace if you're still clinging to hatred. And don't talk about the future if you're still living in fear."

And while the world paid attention to him, a masked figure slowly walked towards Ronald, "Nexus, always trying to end the fun on time... Well, I can't let that happen"

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