Black Hatching
This chapter starts from Goddess of Victory, I mean the hero's POV.
<<Alrighty, raise your hand now~.>>
<<Uh, why?>>
<<You just gotta. Do it now~.>>
<<Kay, kay.>>
Kajikawa-san kept making me do some baffling actions.
Every time I did, something incredible happened and a lot of magic beasts got blown away.
...Why am I even here?
<<Yay, now hands down.>>
After following his instruction, giant flaming balls rained down from above.
Meteor? Is this Meteor? You can even use this move, Kajikawa-san?
<<No, apparently he simply let out a mixture of lava and rocks from Item Screen, dropping them off the sky. A tactic only usable to those who can fly, like him.>>
How'd he even store those things in Item Screen...? His actions are always so puzzling.
"M-meteorites fell from the sky!? Hero-sama can even cast such a spell!"
"Only around a thousand magic beasts are left, down from so many...! What tremendous strength!"
"That Soarer guy's been doing great killing one beast after another from the sky too. He's an excellent support to Hero-sama."
"...Why am I even here?"
That's my line. Can I go home now?
This person kept making all those flashy moves look like they're my doing.
...Well, I get that he doesn't want to stand out but all he does is drawing all the attentions to me.
<<What's so bad about that. Neora-kun's stock keeps rising just by standing around.>>
I'm not happy piggybacking on someone's feats like this.
All these people are gonna be disappointed once they find out about my actual capability. How much of a monster will they think of me.
<<...You'll be about as strong once you've Job Changed and get more party members though~.>>
Eh, what did you say?
<<Neora-kun, think it's time to fight normally. I'm just about out of tricks now.>>
<<Ah, I gotcha... Oh man, there's still quite a lot of magic beasts left but it feels so few compared to earlier.>>
<<I mean that number was abnormal. Sure leveled up a lot thanks to 'em.>>
<<Uwaah, you went up to Lv65! Heck, aren't your Attributes rising way too much? They're reaching 2150s...>>
<<Yup. Apparently they're increased by my Level numbers. I was barely a match to goblins up to around Lv10 initially...>>
How does that even work...
Dunno if he's a mutant or bugged, he's just weird. I'll say it over and over again, he's weird. Strange. Abnormal.
<<...Aren't you thinking something real rude right now?>>
<<It's just you.>>
Now that there's not many of these beasts left, things should be manageable.
Though uh, going up against a thousand beasts is quite an ordeal still.
But this is nothing compared to fighting those two instructors. Come at me!
...Huh?
What, the hell is that...!?
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
~~~~~~~~~~Abnormally weird guy's POV~~~~~~~~~~
『Hi!? Hibyaaaaaaa!!』
『Gabobugabobubu...!!』
A vortex of black shadowy tentacles started coiling on and swallowing the remaining magic beasts all of a sudden.
There's a person in the core of those tentacles.
No wait, that's a demon!
It must the demon that perpetrated this attack on the capital.
It's looking real mad at having its effort wasted. Serves you right.
"How dare you, get in the way...! Unforgivable...! Unforgivable, unforgivable, unforgivableeeee!!"
The tentacled demon shouting like it had gone insane.
The tentacles twirled around the demon asl well and gradually melted it down.
"Gyaaaaaaa!! Guuuu...!! T, this, pain, is nothiiing...!! Kill!! I'll kill all of you traaaaaash!!"
It keeps glaring hard at me despite suffering from having its body melting. Scary.
...Menu-san, what's it doing?
<<Forbidden Magic [Melt Fusion], a Spell that produces a powerful magic beast by absorbing the lives of its user as well as nearby magic beasts. This spell will fail or produce a weak beast if it does not absorb a certain number of magic beats. On the other hand, absorbing too many beasts may risk the casting to misfire altogether.>>
So like, 'I'mma sacrifice all the magic beasts here and my life to summon a real toughie!' huh?
<<...That perception is mostly apt. In this particular case, the success rate is extremely high due to the ideal amount of magic beasts present near the user. The produced magic beast is estimated to be above Rank S.>>
For real. Any way to stop it from activating?
<<There is no stopping the activation once it has been cast.>>
You mean we can only shut up and watch huh. Dammit.
Are other sides gonna be okay?
<<...Other battlefields are seeing similar magic beasts being born.>>
That's bad.
We gotta head there asap.
...!
The vortex of black tentacles gradually shrunk yet its density condensed rapidly.
It eventually formed into a black humanoid shape and then a single magic beast cracked open its black husk like it was hatching.
"...W, what?"
The surviving demon that had half of its body melted gasped in shock.
Small stature, green skin. Thin limbs.
It's, a goblin.
It looks exactly like your average ordinary goblin outwardly.
『...Gii.』
"It, cannot be... How could taking in so many magic beasts result in a mere goblin...!?"
"T-that's a weak looking beast after all that flashy showing."
"I'll take this one over going up against that swarm of beasts, hahaha."
The soldiers jeered at the goblin.
Thinking they could easily take on such a small fry.
No.
No, no.
That thing is absolutely not a mere goblin...!!
"All hands, run inside the gate!!"
"E, eh...!?"
"Hurry up! That thing is a monster wearing a goblin skin!"
Hero-kun and I shouted at the soldiers virtually at the same time.
『Giru...!』
"!"
The goblin ran up toward Hero-kun. It's moving as fast as a supercar racing in F1.
Fast...! How is it so fast just from running normally without Quick Step or Ground Shrink!
"Neora-kun!!"
"Uoooo!!?"
Hero-kun reflexively used Ground Shrink to get away.
Can't believe he managed to dodge that. Must be the result of Alma parents' spartan training regime.
『Gi!!』
"Eh, wha!?"
The goblin went after him using Ground Shrink.
Way fast!? What the heck is that, it's almost twice as fast as Hero's Ground Shrink.
『Gyaaaa!!』
"Uwaap!?"
He immediately raised a shield and blocked the goblin's fist but that one attack broke his shield into pieces.
...The way it swung its fist was super rough compared to Oni-sensei. Raw strength-wise, they're on par though.
Is it attacking bare handed without Kempo Skill? Let's have a Status Check.
Magic Beast: ★ Mimic Goblin
Lv90
State: Normal
【Attributes】
HP:5124/5124
MP:1978/1978
SP:1121/1140
STR:3140
ATK:3140
DEF:3000
AGI:2715
INT:2479
DEX:2785
PER:1494
RES:1503
LUK:412
【Skills】
Magic Beast Lv10
【Master Skills】
Goblin Bone Gear
【Unique Skill】
Skill Copy
(Ultimate Martial Arts Lv4 - Shield Arts Lv9)
<<Master Skill [Goblin Bone Gear], a Skill that transforms user's bones into a variety of gear such as weapons and protectors.>>
<<Unique Skill [Skill Copy] an ability that allows its user to learn and use any Skill they have seen once. There is no limit to the copy-able Skills. However, the copied Skills will be erased in one hour and only Magic Beast Skills can be copied.>>
Oh crap, it's the worst possible match up to Hero-kun.
That thing's only gonna copy every Skill he uses in their fight.
Not to mention those sky high Attributes. It's only gonna get stronger if we don't swap places right away.
"Kaji... Soarer-san! You've seen its Stats right!? Swap with me!"
"Ou, on it!"
Hero-kun must have arrived at the same conclusion.
If the goblin is a natural enemy of Hero-kun and his multitudes of Skills. Then me and my lack of any Skills is its natural enemy.
The copied Ultimate Martial Arts might be a trouble somewhat but I should manage at its current state.
<<Warning: This individual has reached Lv 10 of Magic Beast Skill. As such it can deploy the Ability [True Beast Release] that doubles its Attributes.>>
So like 'True Demon Release', the magic beast version.
A battle between this thing and Oni-sensei would be quite something. Won't let that happen tho'.
Just as it was about to charge at Hero-kun again, I flew at full speed to grab and throw it as far away as possible.
『Giiii!?』
It was only confused for a moment before immediately changing its target and rushed at me.
It's moving far sharper than previously, likely due to Ultimate Martial Arts it copied.
But its punches are still as poor as ever.
The way it's swinging around its fists solely relying on brute force, almost like watching a mirror me... I kinda sympathize somewhat.