As more bug monsters swarmed from the distance, Damien hesitated.
Sure, these were characters from the anime, and the Ogre Tribe was known for its bold, straightforward nature. Saving them would likely bring more benefits than drawbacks.
But letting Ogerpon jump into the fray... would that be too risky?
Suddenly, Damien felt a tug at his sleeve. Looking down, he saw Ogerpon's eyes burning with determination.
"You want to fight, Ogerpon?"
Ogerpon sensed a kindred spirit in the Ogre Tribe.
Damien understood. After being transformed in the Cardinal World, Ogerpon had become a Elemental Spirit, likely a variant of the Ogre Tribe.
Finding others with a similar aura, the little creature naturally wanted to help.
Damien quickly devised a plan. "Don't get bogged down in the fight. Get them out of the encirclement as fast as you can. I'll provide support from the rear."
Ogerpon nodded vigorously, then darted out from the tree.
Meanwhile, the Ogre Tribe, trapped in the bugs' encirclement, was in dire straits.
"These disgusting bugs must have something commanding them from behind!"
The red-haired ogre, Benimaru, cleaved a centipede-like bug's head with his blade and swiftly retreated to his comrades before it could thrash wildly.
"That thing's hiding underground. We can't force it out."
The blue-skinned ogre, Souei, moved with agility, covering gaps and preventing further losses.
Their team of 40 had dwindled to 28.
Twelve of their kin had already perished.
For an Ogre Tribe village of only 300, losing twelve able-bodied warriors was a devastating blow.
While the entire tribe could fight, only about 200 reached B-rank combat strength.
Children and elders typically capped at C+-rank.
Of course, rankings were just that... rankings.
Magicules marked a monster's evolutionary leap, but a high magicule count didn't always mean superior combat power.
Take Ogerpon, for example.
With just over 8,000 magicules, she was at the upper end of B-rank.
The ogres... Benimaru, Souei, Shion, and Shuna... had magicule counts 1,000 to 2,000 lower than Ogerpon's.
But the gap in combat ability?
Against the current Ogerpon, this team of 40 B-rank ogres would likely face a one-sided slaughter.
That was the difference in skill depth.
Ogerpon wielded at least 30 magic abilities derived from Pokémon moves.
She had melee, ranged, defensive, restorative, supportive, and transformative skills.
And that didn't even include her Unique Skill, Destroyer.
In a real fight, one Seed Bomb from Ogerpon would force the ogres to dodge or be crippled... if not killed... on impact.
Monsters with Unique Skills had the potential to reach Special A-rank.
That was the weight of a Unique Skill... the mark of a Demon Lord Seed!
The purple-haired, one-horned female ogre, Shion, shielded the pink-haired ogre princess while slashing a beetle-like bug with her greatsword.
Seeing this, Shuna unleashed a fire magic spell, turning the bug into a massive fireball.
"Onii-sama, I have enough magic left for one large-scale illusion."
As the village's shaman, Shuna was one of the few ogres with spellcasting abilities, staying in the rear to provide support and healing.
"There are too many."
Shion gritted her teeth. "These bugs are endless, coming in wave after wave!"
"We can't keep this up…"
Despite the frustration, Benimaru knew their current numbers couldn't break through the bug nest's defenses.
They needed to return to the village, report the situation, and bring more tribesmen to eradicate this threat near their home.
At that moment, Shion yanked Shuna to her side.
In that brief moment, a grotesque, mosquito-like bug had slipped through their defenses, closing in on Shuna.
If Shion hadn't acted in time, the giant mosquito's stinger would have pierced Shuna's heart.
Without hesitation, Shion swung her greatsword, cleaving the mosquito in two.
But she hadn't anticipated another bug breaking through.
As she dispatched the mosquito, her strength momentarily spent, a mantis-like bug slashed through several comrades and charged at the two women.
Seeing Shuna in danger again, Shion made a snap decision, shielding the girl with her body.
A razor-sharp blade struck, tearing through flesh and exposing white bone.
Shion felt a searing pain.
She tried to counterattack, but the injury to her spine left her limbs weak, nearly dropping her greatsword.
"I'll heal you right now!"
Shuna pressed her hands over Shion's wound, pale green healing magic glowing from her palms.
But the mantis bug was already too close, and Benimaru and the others couldn't reach them before its blades descended.
As the green insect blades loomed larger, Shuna's only option was to push her friend away with all her strength.
At least one of them could survive.
Shion, sprawled on the ground, could only watch as Shuna faced death.
Despair overwhelmed the ogre girl.
Shuna felt death's breath, but she wasn't afraid.
Her only fear was for her brother and best friend, dreading their annihilation here.
Yet, the expected agony of a pierced heart never came.
Instead, a clear, melodious sound, like a nightingale's song, rang out.
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
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