Shadow Monarch Hero: Viridian (SMH: Deku rewrite)

Flanking Maneuvers

On a random intersection in the middle of a Tokyo that was burning to the ground, a High-Orc made of shadows roared with all of his might.

[High-Orc is using Skill: Aggravate]

Aggravate was an A-Rank Taunt Skill that literally every single Orc had. That on its own would've made an S-Rank's jaw drop. Taunt Skills, unlike most other Skills, worked on anything that was one Rank above them. So an A-Rank Taunt could affect an S-Rank.

It made the Orc army a ridiculously effective front line, and that was exactly what this Orc was doing for his liege.

The few Tenebris in the area began to flock, heading towards the Orc. He stood proud, like a general staring down an army, leading his troops not as a weak man who stood on the backlines and sent others to die, but a truly brave...

He started sprinting in the opposite direction with everything he had in himself.

It wasn't because he was actually scared. The jury was still out on whether or not the Shadows even felt fear. It was simply following its lieges' instructions. He knew that his two masters would never let him truly die. Not only was he immortal as long as they had Mana, but they could recall him in an instant and save him if they did run out of Mana.

He wanted desperately to turn on his heel and act on his aggression, as all Orcs did, but he knew his masters were depending on him. Their only command was to Taunt the Tenebris and run for as long as possible. That was what he was going to do.

As they closed in on the Orc, he got a better look at their shape. They were like Arcka, a humanoid shape whose skin looked charred by fire. But without the magical crystals peeking out of their skin, it seemed that the darkness within their bodies was free to rampage. Clouds of black, like a sandstorm made of dark particles swirled around them. It appeared to be similar to their Skill, Particle Storm, but the Orc couldn't sense any magic from it. It was likely that it was just part of their aesthetic, a passive cloud waiting to storm.

"Just keep running straight. We'll have line of sight in five seconds."

The Orc listened to the voice in his head. His liege's orders were comparable to that of God speaking to a priest.

5...4...3...2...1...

Like a hurricane pelting the world with hail, dozens upon dozens of bullets and arrows rained down on the hellish flock behind the Orc.

*******

[You have gained 6 Levels!]

"Well, they're certainly good food!" Momo shouted over the blast of her rifle.

"This is gonna take forever though! Five-thousand?! We've barely made a dent!"

The two were aiming at the flock directly behind the Orc they had just spoken to telepathically. With their attention forcibly drawn to the Orc they couldn't cover themselves from the hail of projectiles.

In a fit of panic, they activated their Particle Storm ability, but because Momo and Izuku had planned out multiple paths for the Orcs to take, they would always have flanking views. With the Skill only facing forwards, and unable to turn away, they were - scientifically speaking - fucked.

[You have gained 3 Levels!]

"Time to switch out!" Izuku said aloud, passing the order to the running Orc as it was gained on.

The Orc fell to the ground, like a snowman instantly melting into a puddle. The Shadow moved along the streets of the city at the speed of dark, slinking back into Izuku's Shadow as another Orc, somewhere else in the city roared, activating their own Taunt Skill.