Sousetsuka

613 No Good Response to Their Response

The Manticore leaped about five meter ahead before sliding on the ground and plopping down just like that.
The face I cut splatted down the ground like a mask.
The cross-section looks gross. After a slight pause, blood spurted out of it splattering everywhere.
The cut face remained in the screaming expression. Seemingly not realizing its own demise.
The beast has been sliced right in the middle of its head. Not even a magic beast could survive getting its brain diced off like this. The spurting blood saw no sign of stopping too.
Its enraged contracted muscles must be pumping all that blood.

And thus the Manticore hunt ended in but a moment. All that's left is to drain the blood away, store this thing in a magic bag and go home.

"Is this your doing...?"

Berume asked like she couldn't believe it.
Of course, to her I did nothing between the time I entered Acceleration and now.
It can't be seen or recognized, moreso with my Max State Acceleration. There's simply no way for anyone to perceive me.
She cannot not ask that. I mean, I am the only individual capable of slaughtering Manticore here.
And yet, to Berume it must look like I simply changed spots instantaneously. She couldn't see what I did during Acceleration.
Hence, she couldn't help herself asking. 'Did you do it.'

<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >

"I couldn't see anything... what's going on?"

Contact guy spoke. He must be still trying to process 'what and how did he did that beast in'.
I'm the only personnel who got dispatched here to kill the beast. He's taking that into account.
But even if he managed to process that fact, he couldn't fathom how it was done. It's only natural.
He couldn't have possibly perceived me moving.
The only objective fact he can confirm is that the beast was cut by a katana, an unusual weapon. That's the only trued and tried information he got.
And that I somehow changed spot from where I was originally before he realized it.

"Ah, there's no more need for prepwork is there. Err, maybe go contact the other guys? The beast is dead and all, we're done here right?"

That's the only thing I could utter.

Three days to get here, and then several more days to prepare, hunt, collect, retreat and return.
They must have thought it would take around ten days or so. Since everything just happened to luckily falls into places, I guess that's ten day shortened? I didn't think we'd be that lucky though.

Yet we were and finished the business on the second day. Impossible yet that just happened.
That's supposed to be a very good thing.
Yet, there's no shred of joy on Berume's and Contact guy's faces. They're looking terrified instead. At me.

(Aw, gotta change the mood. How do I go about it?）

"C'mon! Get to it, chop chop! I dunno what I'm supposed to do here. We'll have nothing done if you two don't get a move on!"

My voice pulled them back to reality, as they resumed moving with conflicted looks on their faces.

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Misting Effort

This chapter starts from Reina's POV

『You darned lasssssssss!! Don't think you're gonna die easy, puny humaaan!!』


The dragons got mad after watching one of them dying.
Their roars almost made me stop in my track, but like I'd let them get the better of me.

I'm the one angry here!


『Die in agony!!』

"You will!"


They all shot breaths my way.
Fashioned like giant balls of flames. These breaths look similar to Alma-san's Offensive Magic but the firepower is on a whole other level.
I could have used my dagger to absorb lightning elemental breaths but against flame, my only choice is dodging.

Or so it was before my dagger evolved.


I swung my dagger at the giant flaming balls.
Once, twice, thrice, the balls turned smaller each time before vanishing entirely.


『...What!?』

『Our breaths, disap--』

"Haa!!"


As the dragons were all dumbfounded by the phenomenon, I shot 'Mana Blade Farslash'.
The dragon hit by it got cut in two just like that.


『B-bastaaaard!! What have you dooone!?』

"Figure it out yourself with that needlessly big head of yours!"


...This dagger's evolved ability is terrifyingly powerful.
Which is just an ability to absorb ranged elemental attacks other than lightning.

It's kinda like Hiyoko-chan's Eat Beak, but this dagger then converts the absorbed attack into lightning element.
Its only weakness is that it loses the added attack power if I don't attack within 10 seconds after absorbing an attack.

This ability should let me take on these dragons.
The more breaths they shoot the more I can absorb, simply perfect in this situation.


『Y'all, gather rouuuuuund!! Gang up on this darned braaaat!!』

『Gugaaaaa!!』

『Gegyaaaa!!』

"U, uwaaa...!"


...Yet there's only so much I can do by myself with this huge difference in number.
Hundreds of dragons have gathered here. This is the result of me coming to save a scared blond mage girl without thinking first.

Looking back, opting to abandon her and escape with the people I saved before regrouping would have been the sensible action.
It may sound heartless but this is war. You can't let your emotion overtake your decision.

And yet look at me now.
Plunging myself in this situation for the sake of someone I don't even know, so stupid.


"Well, I'll just do what I can. Mage onee-san, please cling to me if you don't wanna die."

"E, eh...?"

"Just do it!"


I Ground Shrink with the mage-san toward the building wreckage in order to Shadow Dive.
Dammit...! The buildings are all wrecked beyond belief I can't find a good shadow to hide into.


『You ain't goin' anywheeeeeere!!』

"Wappu!?"

"Hiyi!?"


The roaring dragon shot breaths all around us instead of directly at us.
Oh no, that blew away all the nearby wreckage.

I do know an ability, 'Ground Escape no Jutsu' that lets me slip underground but it only works on me. No no, where'd that put mage-san then.
I can't just abandon her after coming this far, what do I do.
Wait, mage-san seems to have fallen from that breath, and won't get up.


"Stand up! Go and run!"

"I-I can't do it...! Please just leave me be and run by yourself...!"

"What are you saying now! You're gonna die for real if you keep dawdling!"


She wouldn't budge despite me urging.
Show me your guts onee-san! ...Wait, is it just me or the ground around her seems wet?
A, aah... Yeah of course, she won't get up. Un... My back's gonna be a mess if I tried to piggyback her...


『Oho, you done running?』

『Time to die!』

"Shut up! You stupid lizards can kick the bucket yourself!"

『Bark all you want you lass bogohaa!!?』


Just before the angry dragon could shoot a breath at us, someone punched it hard from the side.



"Agreed. That was a nice bark ya let out, young lady."


I almost mistook him for Kajikawa-san for a moment.
A musclebound man with red fluttering hair and lion-like facial hair is standing there.

...W, who? The fact that he saved us and all, must be an ally at least.
Heck, I can feel incredible power from him. Kinda like Alma-san's parents.


"Ha, how could I keep sneaking around when these little ladies gave it their all out there. Nah that ain't me."

"Err, who might you be?"

"Hm, yer' askin me? I'm 'Jurou', just yer' average brawler. Lemme have at 'em now. You ladies can go find safety somewhere."

"T-that's absurd! I can tell you're strong but they've got the number on them!"

"Hahaha! Man, when was the last time anyone got worried over me. But you don't hafta help me or worry no more."


He looks fearless even in the faces of so many powerful dragons. Like this scene is nothing new to him.
That seemed to hit a nerve on the dragons as they changed their target to him.


『More moth to flame, annoying...!』

"Come at me. I'mma play with ya."

『Drop dead!!』


As Juurou-san beckoned the dragons with his fingers, they responded by swinging their claws at him.
Dragon claws have enough power to tear up mithril and adamantite lumps like a piece of paper. Human body can't take them on.

Yet, he did head-on, grabbed the dragons and supplexed them hard.


『Gohaa!!』

"Ooraaa!!"

『Gabyoo!!?』


He headbutted a dragon and crushed their face open.
What a battle of brute force. Kinda like Kajikawa-san when he snapped.


"Oy oy, that all ya got? What a letdown."

『Kuh... This guy's pretty good...!』

『No choice, call Leader!!』


Is this 'Leader' like the boss that rules over this dragon swarm?
...! Uwah, yeah there is one individual with much stronger mana than other dragons. It's at least 2-3 times as strong.
This strong mana seems to perceive its subordinates' trouble and started heading here.


『Hwo, I see someone worth a salt here.』


The owner of that presence is a white dragon several times larger than other dragons.
It's so clearly on a whole different level. Way above Black Dragon-san before he switched over to Demon King's side!
...I, I think not even Juurou-san can handle that...!


『Leader! We need your help with this one!』

『Please lend us your claws, White-aniki!』

『Say no more, he is a dead man walking. Prepare yourself, o red-haired male.』

"Ha, quit yapping and bring it on!"

『You guys clean up this area with breaths in the meantime. Do not miss a grass.』

『『『Ha!』』』


Oh no, oh no no!
Even if that white dragon got beaten, the people I saved would get killed by these dragons!


『Let's do... th?』

"...Eh?"

"...There he goes."


Just as the dragons were about to shoot out breaths, they started falling down in quick succession.
Upon a closer inspection, their heads have been cut off.

Someone is flying in the sky and reaping those necks...!?
I was sure it's Kajikawa-san for sure, but nope.


Checking the person flying in the air with Clairvoyance, it's a small yet boing boing girl with a mix of red and silver colored bangs and blond long back hair. She's swinging around a weirdly shaped sword.
Feels like I've seen that face somewhere before... Kinda look like Neora-san...?

Ah, maybe that's...



<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >



~~~~~~~~~Boing boing TS Hero's POV~~~~~~~~








『Wh, whaggoha!?』

『Too fast! The hell's her deal!?』

『Darn it! Take this gyabaa!』


These dragons are full of openings whenever they're charging for Breath. I wouldn't miss the chance to cut them with my Katana.
Slow, too slow. I can get five, to six slashes in the time span they're charging.

These dragons are way weak. Wait no, my Brave Fusion self is just too strong.
...Fufufu, I'm finally experiencing this sense of OP-ness like a hero should for once.

I don't feel like losing to anyone now.
Most of my Attributes are around 6000-7000 since it's a combination of my, Levia's and Olivie's Status.
I can double that with Energy Control Buff, and Kajikawa-san has taught me Mana Flight which makes me way more agile than these dragons.

Eh, am I getting ahead of myself?
My life here has been nothing but deaths and barely any feat worth mentioning. At least let me have this one...


...But man, I like being strong and all but I can never get used to this body.
They keep swaying everywhere whenever I make any move and my body's got a weird balance to boot.
There's nothing fun about groping my own breasts too.

...Rather, Levia would beat me up once I undo our Fusion if I tried to even touch it once. Yep.
It'd be like I'm groping Levia and Olivie too after all, understandable...


I responded Kajikawa-san chat message asking for my help to save Reina who was in a dire strait since I was close by and all.
Thankfully I managed to reunite with Levia and Olivie pretty early. Would have been a toughie to deal with this many dragons at my base spec.


『Don't let her get close! Shoot 'em down with breaths!』

『Haha, dunno how strong you are, ain't no way you survive us all!』


Oops, I guess swords won't reach them now.
Well, nothin' to it tho'.


"【Saint Laser】!!"


An Advanced Spell of Light Elemental magic shot out of my finger.
A super heated laser mowed down the dragons one after another.
My magic saw a huge firepower boost too. I'm not just about close quarter combat.

Heck, dragon slaying sure nets you lotsa exp.
I'm Lv80 now. Ah, got a new Feature. Fast Travel's Expansion? Looks pretty handy, but I'm gonna save it for later.

Kajikawa-san told me to level up as much as I could during the war and all. Might as well exterminate every last dragon here.


『Oh crap, gal's real bad news! She must be the so-called humans trump card, hero or somethin', ain't no way!』

『How the hell she's so strong...!』


Fuhahaha, these dragons are akin to garbage!
I fear no one besides Kajikawa-san and instructors now! Also, Levia when she's mad and drunk Olivie.

<<...So like, the whole gang.>>

Chut up. I mean can you blame me? Those people aren't normal in all senses of the word.
Now then, time to beat the pulp outta the remaining dragons--


"U, uooooooooo!! Hero-chaaaaaaaaaaaan!! It's meeeeeeeee!! Marry meeeeeee!!"


....

Oh darn, I must've gotten hit with a mind attack. I'm hearing things.
Menu, fetch me a Status Abnormal Cure from Item Screen.


"You kept saying you were a man, but you really were a woman all along!! No, that's good too!! I love you either waaaaay!!"


Menu, what are you doing! Get to it, now! The symptoms' getting worse!

<<The cure will do nothing. Let's look at reality... I do wonder how come that bald old man is here...>>


"L.O.V.E!! HE.RO!! Hero-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!"

"Shut the hell uuuuuuuuuuuup!!! Get lost you baldieeee!!


I don't want this. I don't wanna be here anymore. I wanna go home.
Oy, you dragons, feel free to burn that one down. Actually, do it. Right here, right now!

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612 Busted! There's No Escape!

But sometimes you just can't avoid accidental encounter no matter how prepared you are.
Like right now.

"Wha! How come that magic beast is heading straight here!? Dammit! We haven't finished all the preps yet! ...No, it can't be!? Did it shake them off? Are our watchers safe!?"

This seems to be one clever magic beast, it's shaken off the annoying men tailing it and now making a beeline here.
It must have inferred from its watchers' movement that this spot is where they're gonna bait it to.
Which tells how smart this magic beast. This is no accident. It was all precalculated.

"Is that thing far in the distance, our target? Ah, that's a..."

(The head of a red-colored monkey, the body of a... tiger I think? And the tail... Ah, must be a scorpion. It's a...)

Manticore me think? The creature is making an earsplitting 'Gyaa' voice while running this way at tremendous speed.
It looks real repulsive. The mismatched parts make it all the more terrifying. And it gets more and more clear just how big it is as it gets closer.

"Oh crap! We gotta run for it! Hey!? What the hell are you tryina pull! Get to it!"

I think it's about as big as an elephant? No wait, maybe a bit smaller but it's still huge all the same.
I fetched my katana from magic bag. Berume told me to run but that's probably impossible now.
Running here is a bad move. No humans can outrun a magic beast capable of outputting that kinda of speed.
I can, but then what's even the point of me coming all the way here.
Besides, the contact guy and Berume would fall to this magic beast if I didn't take care of it here.
Its bloodshot eyes are showing anger toward the contact guy.
It must know that he belongs to the same group of people who have been prowling around it.

Despite looking deadly pale, the contact guy seemed to have steeled his resolve as he held his ground with a round ball like thing in his hand.

(Something like, 'Who's gonna do it if not me!')
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
"You two stay behind me. You're in the way. Get back to that tree over there, and don't move you hear me?"

The beast that looked so far away just earlier is only around 20 meter away now.
I've already entered Acceleration by this point. You can't make light of a wild beast's explosive power. Gotta secure a huge safety margin.
A strike to my vital is probably still gonna kill me, this power notwithstanding. There's also a chance of me surviving considering my monstrous body, but I absolutely am not gonna test it out.

(Ah, guess I could just cut its neck off? Or maybe split its face? What's the best way to reap this thing's life anyway?)

Since I never checked for it, I ended up having a weird thing to contemplate on at a weird timing.
No answer would come up regardless. Left with no choice, I decided to do it in a way that minimize the wound best.
I don't know how you're supposed to use a Manticore's materials.
What if it turned out that the neck skin is the most valuable part and I cut it off. It'd be unusable because I didn't think it through.
I could also stab it in the heart but what if the opening was on the most valuable part and I damaged it.

There's no end to 'what ifs'. As such I decided to cut off its face.
I sliced its forehead down, from the side, not ahead.
I had focused into Max State Acceleration. My katana made a clean cut of the time stopped-like Manticore and its evil face.

Not wanting to collide with the Manticore, I first took some good distance away before undoing Acceleration.

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War Where Lives Fall

Hm, I sense lots of massive life forces popping up where Reina is.
What are those anyway?

<<Demons have summoned hundreds of dragons via Forbidden Magic. Virtually all of which equals to over S-ranked magic beasts in term of Status.>>

Hundreds, and pretty much all of them is Rank S? To hell with that.
Where'd you find that many dragons anyway. Were they breeding them?

<<Negative. It can be assumed that they have been summoned from a continent ruled by dragons and magic beasts in this world. Such continents are not an object of invasion to demons however neither are they safe for humans.>>

...New information after all this time. I thought there were only five continents in total.
Can't we ask for those dragons' cooperation in our quest to defeat Demon King?

<<Dragons are a fundamentally neutral party. They do not ally themselves with humans or demons, exceptions being individuals with personal circumstances such as Black Dragon.>>

<<However, in case of forced summoning such as this, there is a high chance of them deeming it as a hostile action and laying waste on the surrounding area.>>

Those demons summoned them! Take it to them, dangit!
Ah geez, I'm busy dealing with these giants too.

Should I fetch Reina here with Fast Travel? No, out of question. It's more dangerous here.
I can't afford to go there either. This entire continent could very well perish if I did.

Eh, what am I fighting against you ask?


『Shaaa...!』

『Gyafushururu...』

『Gegyababababa...!!』


Oh just some venomous serpentine magic beasts like  『Jormungand』, 『Yamata-no-Orochi』, and 『Hydra』, what about it.


...These world-ending monsters ended up here summoned by demons who got so cornered from me slaughtering them they resorted to that usual Forbidden summoning magic.
They sacrificed so many strong beasts the magic called forth some stupidly powerful magic beasts. All of three of them are over Lv90.

Their size and Status are bad news enough as is, they also keep spreading powerful lethal venom all over the place.
...I got hit directly by those venom a few times too. Don't wanna imagine what's gonna happen to me if I didn't have Abnormal Status Resistant earring on me.

<<The venom will be detoxified in a few seconds even without earrings due to Kajikawa Hikaru's current RES.>>

Ah, it's all swell... Or is it? I'm kinda scared of myself.
But these enemies must be hopeless to most people.
Or rather, only me or Fusion Hero-kun can handle these beasts.


No choice, I'd take Reina to another continent if things get real dicey.
I'm gonna focus massacring these snakes up until that point.


『Shagyaaaaaaa!!』

『Varuaaaaaa!!』

『Gojavaaaaaaaa!!』


The mountain-sized snakes hissed hysterically as they came at me.


"Bring it oooooooooooooooooooon!!!"


I screamed with enough volume to drown out their hisses as I bit off a Hydra's head, grabbed a Jormungand's head and slammed it down the ground, and broke open a Yamata-no-Orochi's snake face with High-powered Pile Bunker.
Every one of them got way too many heads. It's gonna take a while dealing with them all.

Guys, please survive till I'm done beating all of these.


Reina is  Shadow Diving here and there while protecting people from the dragons attack, but she can't hold out for too long.
...That was when I noticed 'them' heading there which put me at ease.
There's also a Special Job holder nearby, they should manage okay now.


Speaking of which, what about Hiyoko. A whale swallowed her up right?

<<Hiyoko escaped by breaking through the whale magic beast's stomach. Hiyoko has also evolved from leveling up. To a Unique Magic Beast after clearing the prerequisite condition.>>


Oh, I did hope she'd get the job done from the insides when I found out about it. Well done.
Gotta say, I didn't expect evolution to a Unique Magic Beast though. Wonder if this particular evolution is strong enough to deal with the rest of the whales.


Hmm, Alma seems to have arrived at the resistance's hideout.
...It's supposed to be the safest place, yet I have the worst premonition about it.
I'll go join up with Alma after taking care of these snakes.




<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >


~~~~~~~~~~Alma's POV~~~~~~~~~~~~







I have arrived at the Resistance hideout but I don't see other adventurers or Anti-Demon Army members here.
Demons must have ambushed them too.


"Incoming magic beasts, get ready to fight back!"

"Dammit, those demons gonna notice flashy moves but we got no choice."


The hideout doesn't seem to be a perfectly safe zone as they have to deal with raiding magic beasts sometimes.
I have to give them a hand.


I shot down bird magic beasts with magic.
And disposed of orc-type beasts running on land with Magic Sword.

We managed to finish eliminating all hostiles in about ten minutes.
Those raiding magic beasts were neither high leveled or had numbers with them so it wasn't much work.


"O, ooh, you were the one who did those cover fires. You were a great help."

"Yer' dang good for such a cutie. You an adventurer?"

"Yup. Adventurer, Almatina. I've come to help from Continent 4. Nice to meet you."

"Ah, right, we were getting reinforcement from Continent 4... Ain't there nobody else?"

"I was teleported here with some other people but then I found myself stranded alone here before a group of demons ambushed me. I believe the others were under the same circumstances."

"What...!?"

"Oy, bad news! I just got a message from Continent 4's Royal Capital. Things ain't looking good!"


Looks like these people were feeling pressured from the reinforcement that never came. Wonder if they never got the message.
That message came just after I told them which solidified my story.
Neora probably passed it over with Fast Travel.


"I believe there's many more people getting ambushed out there. Please lend them your hands."

"Hmm... They were supposed to help us though. I'm gonna work y'all to your bone once we're done."

"But man, can't believe those demons resorted to teleport jamming forbidden magic. We never got so much as a hint on that stuff as late as yesterday..."

"It's like they knew help was teleporting in from other continents...!?"

"No way, we got leaks...?"


...Looks like there's a demon spy lurking in this hideout.
But I don't feel a single demonic mana.

Do those demons have magic tools that can intercept communication or perhaps


The spy, isn't a demon, human...?







~~~~~~~~~Reina's POV~~~~~~~~~~~







『Guruaaaaaa!!』

『Eff you for ruining my beauty sleep, you piece of tuuuuuuuurd!!』

『How dare ya summon me willy nilly, you dregs! Gimme 100 human sacrifices dangitall!』


The dragons are running wild while shooting breaths everywhere.
Contrary to my imagination, some of them don't just growl like ordinary magic beasts, they also talk. Guess they turned smart after enough growing.
All of them seem like the rough type though. Like petty thugs.

But there's no comparing their strength to mere thugs.
Every single one is a Rank S-tier magic beast complete with Dragon species inherent skill set.
They don't seem as strong as the Black Dragon Kajikawa-san fought earlier, but this is already way more than I can chew.

The town is getting destroyed further and further with every breath.
Demons, humans, they're all getting indiscriminately burned down.
...Wonder if the town where our orphanage was turned into this too after the Stampede.

Wait no, this is no time to space out!
I've got to retrieve our folk with Shadow Dive and get away from here!

...Saving the people detained underground, probably this town's original populace, will have to wait.
They might get even more debilitated if they have to wait more, but I really can't afford to just yet.
...I'm sorry. I promise I'll be back to save you all, so please hang in there just for a little bit more.


"U, uaaa...!"

『Hyahahaha, burn, burn you trash! My flame's gonna get rid of y'all!』

"Stop, save me...!"

『Ain't no one's coming! Die!!』


Another person burned.
These dragons are enjoying their time killing humans like children crushing ants.

...Calm down me. Acting impulsively here is only going to create more victims.
What I need to do now is collect as many as I could and take them to safety.


I've been pulling people into shadows created from the wreckage, but I couldn't make it in time for a few.
People's lives are so cheap. I had no idea how easily people die.


"A, aaa..."

『Oho, are you lost, little lady.』


A silver haired mage-like girl is surrounded by dragons.
Oh no, the shadow there isn't connected, I can't pull her in.


"N, no...! Fifra-chan, Shiuru-chan, save me...!"

『What did I tell ya, ain't nobody coming!』

『Ya got nothing to worry about. It's only gonna be a lil' hot for a teensy bit!』

『Hyahaha! Curse those dumbarse who summoned here if ya gotta!』



"Screw that."


『...Eh?』


I closed in on them while using Stealth Skill 'Invisibility' to avoid detection.
I then stabbed my lightning-charged dagger on the forehead of a dragon that surrounded the girl.

My dagger changed shape while emitting light.
Looks like it met the Evolution conditions.
I can feel an enormous power incomparable to what it was before.


"Those demons were in the fault, sure. But you guys are no better for going on a blind rampage while blaming everybody else."

『T-the hell are ya!!』

"Right back at you! I absolutely won't forgive you!"


I'm sorry, Kajikawa-san.
I realize that I'm a huge moron.

But there's no way I could stay calm and watch those dragons taking delight in reaping human lives.
I've brought the people I gathered somewhere safe. Next up, I'm gonna take down many dragons as I could down to my last breath!

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611 How Shortened Can it Be?

Now that the situation is clear, I asked to get a move on but the contact man told me to wait.
Aren't we in a hurry? If they want to minimize damage, getting me there asap is preferable.

"We need some preparations. We cannot afford to have that beast run wild and escape our monitoring. The more wounded a beast the trickier they become. Some will go on a rampage even if it means risking their life. It's not contradictory. Their chance of actually surviving is better when their enemies are dead. It's fierce like nothing you've ever seen."

"Ah, you're saying we gotta encircle it and keep it from running away?"

I quickly digested the contact's explanation. They're currently making prepwork to ensure the magic beast doesn't escape their watch.

"We're setting up traps in the forest. We must be thorough to account for unforeseen circumstances. The village needs to be evacuated if it comes down to that as well."

He's saying that there's no telling what might happen.
Despite being told that the person tasked to kill the magic beast is strong, they're not willing to cut corners with their jobs.
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
"Moving out early is not a bad thing. We should go now and do a rehearsal for the decisive battle now. I'll lead the way. Come along."

He said he'd tell me the rest later and left the hut.
We're going on foot while another personnel will take care of our grudoses.

We were in the forest when the contact guy demanded to give me a 'trial'.
It's always like this whenever I go. I'm used to it by now. Probably shouldn't though.

"Sure, feel free to go all out as you 'lead' me to the site. I'll follow you along."

Saying no here will get me nowhere, might as well just accept and get it over and done with.
Better to make him recognize me now than opening up a possibility of him dragging me down later.
Do what I can now, it's important. No matter how trivial the things seem.

After running for about an hour, we arrived at an open space.
The clearing is around 10m in diameter. This place is the only spot with no trees inside this vast forest.
It's similar to Griffon's turf.

"This place is? ...Are you guys planning to lure that beast and let it settle down here?"

They're luring the magic beast here to keep it in check. Surrounded in all directions, it'll be like a trapped rat on the d-day.
The magic beast must have wandered for a long time. Thus it must grow attached to this place, lowering the chance of it running away.

"You're sharp. Our personnel also carry all sorts of magic tools with them. If, I hope it doesn't come to it, you fail and get yourself killed, we have ways to deal with it. Beasts that fought and won against humans are more dangerous, though not quite at the level of a wounded beast. If we don't kill it right there and then no matter what, it could lead to a sharp increase in casualty."

(Well it's gonna be just fine though. I won't get killed unless it's a perfect ambush that gives me no time to enter Acceleration.)

I believe in my power. I'm probably gonna Accelerate the moment I catch a sight of the magic beast and kill it in one hit.

"I ran with all my might. Forget getting shaken off, you're not even losing a breath following me at that speed. I expect great things from you now. That's how it got to be. What was it again? That proverb from Hinomoto country? 'Failing to prepare is preparing to fail'."

Previous Chapter 

Next Chapter

Little Girl Running Wild and High Spirited Chicken

>This chapter starts from headhunting little girl, Reina's POV.

"Ka, hyu...?"

"Gaha..."

"Gya...!"


Head cut, heart stabbed and twisted, forehead thrust with a blade. These demons kept dying one after another.
I raised my level a whole lot just from killing a few dozens or so. Demons really make for good experience points.


"W-what the hell's going on!? Arms grew out of nowhere and then, their heads..."

"Get away from the shadoooow! The enemy must have a Skill to assassinate and move around in the shadow!"

"Staying indoors makes you an easy prey! To the sun, escape outside!"


Hm, guess that's it for Shadow Dive-style assassination.
It was a piece of cake at first, those demons relaxing indoors were easy picks but they finally noticed after so many attempts and separated themselves from shadows.

Well, I was never under the impression this would work forever though.
Most of those demons seem to have gone outside. Time to get it going.

Welp, and push.


Sounds of explosions could be heard all over the town once I pushed the button on a magic device.
Remote controlled Mana Mines made by Julian-san. One of the outrageous weapons he hastily developed per Kajikawa-san's request.

With the addition of my 'Trap' Skill Ability, these mines got some real nasty firepower and range.
These explosions mercilessly turned the demons who evacuated outside into minced meat.
Those who lucked out, or rather unlucked out, didn't die right away, missing parts of their bodies.


"Ugaaaaaa!!"

"Higyaaaa!! Arm, my arm, u, uaaaa....!!"

"W-what just happened...!?"


...Prolonging their suffering is not right. Let's put them to peace stat.
I'm aware the sheer cruelty of this all, but I won't shed a single tear to the demons who did 'those things' to the town's populace underground. They all can go to hell for all I care.
I can tell my mind is turning murky. I wanna end this war quickly.

Ah, speaking of which, that muscle baldie (old man) was running around the town, wasn't he. Wonder if he got caught up in the...


"Ooo!? U, uwawawawaa! What the, what's this, you guys shot up fireworks to accompany my dynamic beautiful running forms or what!? Well ain't y'all charmers zeeehahahahaha!!"


...He's still in one piece. (Tch)
I feel like he's gonna survive anything. Like a roach.
Indestructible in a different way than Kajikawa-san...


"Signal confirmed! Chaaaaaaaarge!!"

"Get rid of those demons asap and liberate the town!"

"Our enemies can use both magic and attack, keep your guard up! Move in a pair formation of vanguards and rear guards!"


Now that the traps were set off, all the people I had saved so far marched ahead and went on to rout the scattered demons.
These demons are barely hanging by after all the shadow assassination and the mines popping off.
Our group may consist of an impromptu gathering of people, but they should manage dealing with this much at least.

...That's if nothing unexpected crops up.


"...No choice, we have to unleash 'that'...!"

"I wish it didn't come to that, but we are left with no other option."

"H-however, we all might end up as collateral...?"

"We're done for either way. Might as well send them all to the afterlife with us!"

"...Fair point, my mind is set...!"


These demons are talking about something ominous.
Let's get them dead before they bring trouble.

I dived in shadows, closed in on them and went for the neck like usual---


!?


A flash of light popped off near the demons as I closed in.
This light, Spark Wolf's Horn?


"That assassin might be lurking in the shadows! Keep shining on them as we proceed!"

"We'll be your shields until you're done unleashing that! Just focus on the unsealing!"

"Forget about us! We'll defend you to our death!"

"...Forgive me!"


...Uh, they're kinda. Like making a needless showing of camaraderie, but they're definitely up to no good.
How do I go about this. The other demons kept shielding their friend whenever I made a move.


"! Something's flying over here!"

"Shoot them down! We must stop them no matter what!"


I threw shuriken and kunai which I enlarged to kill those defenders, but they're so persistent.
This can't go on, can't be helped, I'll use my trump card!


"Dammit! The barrage just won't' stop! Show yourself up dammit!"

"Oy, aren't you done with the seal yet!?"

"Ah, it's... Kah---!?"

"...Eh?"


I cut off the demon who was busy trying to unleash something.
I had slipped past the demons' meat wall without either Shadow Dive or Ground Shrink.

I retrieved the 'Golden Kunai' on the ground next to the demon I just head hunted and threw 'Silver Shuriken' at the other demons.


"Gwu!?"

"D-dagger!? But this is nothing...!?

"...Ah?"


The demon who got hit by the shuriken made a dumbfounded voice as its head plopped down the ground.


"When, did... it...?"

"Alright, that's that. Sheesh, and I wasn't planning to use these cuz replenishing the mana is a pain."


I pierced the last demon's heart with my dagger, instantly killing it.


My instantaneous movement without Shadow Dive was made possible with 'Golden Silver Wolf Ninja Gear'.
A special ability of the shuriken and kunai pairs made from the materials of the Unique Magic Beasts Kajikawa-san and Alma-san killed at the Monster Prairie.

Their effect being 'Swap place of the thrown kunai/shuriken with the person holding the paired shuriken/kunai'
That is to say you can warp yourself to the place where the shuriken is thrown, up to 20 meter away, as long as you hold the kunai.

It doesn't work when it's too far away but anywhere my eyes can see is basically warpable.
Easily covers this whole town... You need to refill them with mana before they're usable again though.

I've only got three pairs left too. But well, not like there's many situations I can use them, guess this one is passable.
I mean, at least I managed to foil their evil plan before it came to fruition, it's acceptable----


"....Oh?"


I, I'm sensing some weird mana flow from the center of the town.
...Like it's, calling, something...?

Heck, some sort of flock is gathering in the sky...?



"...No way?"



I see a flock of hundreds dragons in the sky.
Each and every one of them is about Rank S.


...Were those demons trying to cast a spell to summon these dragons...!?


This might be more than I bargained for...!
Kajikawa-san seems to be exchanging fires with a huge presence too. I can't expect him coming... What do I do.



<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >



~~~~~~~Hiyoko's POV~~~~~~~~







I can't go on anymore. I'm gonna dieee.
It's so stinky, dirty and sticky inside the whale's belly. I don't wanna stay a second longer here.

I wish I had a full stomach of mom's cooked meal if I had to die here anyway...
Wonder what would mom do if he got eaten by a whale.


...Oh no, I could only see him eating out of the stomach all bloodied up. Way scary lol.
I can't do something like that. Breaking out from the inside is way too hard when the creature is this huge.

I might manage something with 'Eat Beak' Mana Cannon...


"Wooooo!! Get me outta heeeeere!!"

"C-calm down! Don't you shoot Farslash, it's gonna bounce baaack!"


On top of it, the inner lining of this magic beast's stomach seems to bounce magical and physical attacks, ordinary attacks do nothing.
Attacking randomly will only get you killed by your own attacks.


"Uwaaa! I, it got bounced back...!?"

"You moron! What did I tell you! Diffuse it or it's gonna keep bouncing everywhere until it hits something!"


The humans here almost got hit by their own magic and farslashes.
...Geez, they're so helpless. Here, let me take care of it.


『Cluuuuu...!』

"T-the chicken sucked in those magic and farslashes...?"

"H-hold it! If you spit that out here!"


Ah, crap.
Now that I think about it, it's gonna get reflected back again.
But I can't stop it anymore.


『Cluuuuuuuuuuuck!!』


The mana cannon I shot, hit the stomach lining.
And got bounced back to me of course.

Once more!


『Cluuuuuuu...!!』


"I-it's sucking in that reflected mana bullet again!?"

"It's gotten even bigger!"


『Cluuuuuuuuuck!!!』


I returned the reflected mana cannon at twice its original power.
'Eat Beak' is a Skill that sucks in mana-based attacks and returns them with my own mana added, so its firepower will only grow with each return fires.
If I keep doing this, then maybe...!

A crack formed on the whale's stomach lining but it still bounced my attack back.
One more shot then!


『Cluuuuuuuuu...!!!』


"U, uwaaa... The chicken's swelled up like a balloon!"

"O, oh crap, get away guys!!"


『Clluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuckkkkk!!!!』



My biggest mana cannon yet.
I can't raise its power anymore.

It's over for me if this also doesn't work...!


The mana cannon I returned tore apart the whale's stomach, forming a huge hole on its body.


"H-hell yeah, time to get outta here!"

"You did amazing, chicken! You're too awesome!"

"I'll feed you beans later."


Don't wanna. Gimme normal meals.
Ah, the whale's up and died. Sheesh, all whale's that ends well.

My level shot up to Lv62 after killing this whale and a selection for my next evolution came up in my mind.


I'll pick the safe choice and go for 'Mithril Cock' here... Oh?


There's a ★ on another evolution option, what this?

Previous Chapter 

Next Chapter

610 Messy Situation

The magic beast was in a mountainous region and before it moved away from its last known location.
That was the last known intel we got before we departed.

"Not that way. Over here. We gotta see our contact. Let's hurry."

Berume picked a path at a fork.

I'm fine with upping the pace up, but I don't feel comfortable with the travelers we pass by along the way. They all got this look of surprise.
I guess they can't help but stare at someone who run alongside Grudos on foot.
Their eyes keep following me as we make our way at a heightened pace.

"Over there. It should be further deeper into that rest area. Let's stop there."

We've arrived it seems. Berume left the Grudos with me and looked around all over the place.

"...Oy, you. Are you Selram's messengers? Show me your tag if you are."

A suspicious man with cloth wrapped around his head showed up out of nowhere from behind a tree.

"Ah, got it. Oy, take it out."

I fetched Berume's luggage from my magic bag as instructed.
She rummaged her bag and handed over a weirdly shaped jagged card to the man.
The man then fetched his own jagged card and pieced them together to form a perfect fit.
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
"Confirmed. Follow me. The matter requires prompt responses."

Berume gulped, seemingly getting tense from the man's grave tone.

We followed the man into a hut where we made the final preparations.

"You're here much earlier than scheduled, though I suppose that's better than running late. And, is this person who looks like a kid no matter how you slice it, really it?"

"Ah, this guy's a monster despite his looks. He gonna do just fine."

The both of them are curt. I get that it's hard to imagine my strength from how I look but I wish they had the sensibility to choose their words better.

"You want my help, don't you? Is that a way to talk about me? Hey? Can I just go home?"

"Ah! You, my bad, it's our bad, don't be like that! Not after coming all the way here!"

Berume quickly apologized in a panic. Not sure if it's because she's nervous from the tension or she's done some thinking on her own.
But I can obviously tell the contact is squinting at me dubiously like, 'Are they for real with this guy?'
Yet he seemed to refrain from making unnecessary remarks and resumed talking about this urgent matter.

"The magic beast has left the mountain and is now prowling a nearby forest. It seems to prefer the forest over the mountain. We were deciding whether to evacuate the nearby village or wait for you."

Here I thought.

"Why'd they leave something that dangerous alone? What's the national army doing? Like dispatch the troops why don't they. Are they really valuing money over people lives?"

My mood worsened here. If this thing is dangerous, why won't they take care of it asap.

"Haa~, it's cause the federation's domestic affairs were highly unstable until very recently. There was little chances they actually did anything even if we reported. S'why civilians, aka Selram used her own capital to monitor the beast. All this time."

This all sounds familiar to me. Sure enough, it's Kanedor's matter.

"The political strife may be over now but it's still not in a state they can dispatch a real number. Half baked measures are akin to sending those soldiers to their death. Selram figured that out. She concluded she had to take the matter into her own hands. Of course, she's still a merchant at heart. Ain't no way she didn't calculate how to profit off this. It been a balancing act between profiting and keeping people safe, a real delicate one at that. She probably gonna be barely in the black even if everything went well."

My bad mood got blown away after hearing all that.

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

To Kill Eat Killed Eaten Kill Eat

"There, one's hiding behind that building, don't let it escape. Alright, move the reflect turtle forward to block magic attack... Hey youuu! Don't you dare trying to run away you eagles! If even one of you got away before we eliminated all the demons here, I'mma serve y'all on the dining table!"

『Ki, kiyii...』

"...Never seen someone control magic beasts not through tames or domestication, but threats..."

"Nah, I'm seriously gonna eat them if they don't comply. I mean look at those pig beasts, don't they just look delectable to you?"

『Bugyaaaaa!?』

"You're making them scream, quit it..."


I'm giving orders to these beasts riding on top of a S-ranked magic beast tamed by Ranaia Souma.
This all started a bit after I crash landed, I mean, made an emergency landing at a magic beast ranch.





Hit by Black Dragon's attack, I got thrown in the middle of a magic beast ranch managed by demons.
What await there was a cordial, I mean, a rough welcome by demons.

As usual they debuffed me by way of Support Magic, but I quickly undid it by removing a 'mana that weakens its target' which had found its way inside my body. Mana Control is really a cheat.
Well, it would have been a cinch even if the debuff stayed though. There were only Lv40-60 small fry after all.

I annihilated all but one demons that encircled me. Demons must die, no mercy.
I think there were around a hundred of them. Got my level raised to 82 thanks to it.


Menu has unlocked a new feature now that I'm over Lv80. Quite a thorough feature.
It's an update to Fast Travel feature that combines it with Marking feature.

It lets me Fast Travel anyone who has been Marked even if I'm not in physical contact with them and even if they're on a whole other content.
Of course this works for multiple people which lets us converge no matter where we are. It's especially useful in this kind of situation with everybody split apart.

I can call Marked targets to where I am. The reverse works too.
My range has now seen an explosive increase... There's no more need for carriages or beast carriages.


The maximum amount of people I can mark is equal to my base level. That is to say 82 people at most currently.
That's why I can't just gather the entire army back together.

As of now, I've only marked my party members, Alma's parents, the training members, old man Spadia, and also the Commander-in-Chief of Anti Demon Army.
Also Julian, Reina Mama, three guildmasters, that old Master Appraiser, and that material shop's granny. Then there's also Kanakmatt-san, the orphanage kids and director... Ah, Oni-sensei too.
There's some non combatants here and there but they're all mostly key person who'd be a great help.

I'd love to Mark Ranaia Souma too, but didn't go through with it due to possibility of Demon King sensing it through Black Dragon or something.

The number of powerful people I can mark in this war depends on the changing tides.
My Map has been greatly expanded thanks to those I've marked beforehand, so getting in touch with them is easy peasy. Guess I'll go and proactively seek out more powerful people to mark.

...This war would likely be over in a jiffy if I just summoned Oni-sensei but so would humanity in all likelihood so I'm gonna save that as the final last resort.



Getting back on track, after eliminating most demons at the ranch, I went to negotiate with the magic beasts kept there.
What I asked was super simple. 『Change your targets from mankind to demons』.

Or so I tried asking but the magic beasts' responses were like, 'The heck this guy's on about', 'Those demons keep us well fed hassle-free', 'Heck, ain't humans weaklings. If you ask me to choose between them and demons, it's gotta be the latter.'
Then they went for my neck right afterward, so I made them took the 'sit' position by force using a giant hand made of mana control to pin them down.

While the magic beasts were bound, I intimidated them with Energy Control buffed eyes and they all turned obedient.
It was a super smooth sailing after.
I used some real nasty negotiation technique though.


I did a performance where I ate the demon I left alive in front of all the magic beasts.
Of course I didn't eat the demon for real. I am not that desperate.


I fashioned my mana to look like a giant mouth that bit on the demon and put away the bitten part into Item Screen while I moved the jaws to make it look like it was chewing.
It didn't make for an appetizing show but it had to be done for the chilling effect.
It was an absolutely nasty way to die but since I broke the neck with the first bite, the demon didn't actually suffer much.

The magic beasts were all looking at me like I was a monster as I played the part.
Once the demon's whole body was chewed to bits... I mean fully stored in Item Screen, I did a little persuasion to change these beasts' target from humans to demons.


『I've still got room left in my stomach. Enough to fill you all in.』

『For your information, there's plenty of humans stronger than me out there. Going up against those guys is a death wish. I'm saying, y'all have been deceived by demons to be their sacrificial pawns.』

『You have a much higher chance of survival if you ally yourselves with us instead. Don't worry, I'm gonna send you back to your original territories once the demons are no more.』


『Also, those who still want to side with demons will be eaten alive like I just demonstrated, here and now.』


...That last warning prompted every single magic beast to take a submissive pose. With teary eyes.
Oh man, I'm just glad I managed to persuade them. I don't have it in me to butcher sinless magic beasts. Forgetting all the leveling I usually do.

I only realized after all said and done, that I'd be better off going wild all over the place on my own than marching together with these beasts.
But then, I can't let these beasts run rampant and harm our people either.
...This is what happens when you act on impulses. Dumb me.

As I was at my wit's end internally, Menu suggested to look for someone with Tame Skill and have them take command of these beasts.
But I dunno anyone like that, or so I thought, then I remembered about Ranaia Souma.

So I went and fetched him with Fast Travel.
The hawk he was riding on looked utterly confused when I teleported it with him.
Is it a hawk or an eagle when it's this big anyway? Guess it doesn't matter.

The man himself was still knocked out from my slap so I healed him back with Life Force Control.
...Watching his broken teeth growing back was honestly gross.

I roused him up and got him to work as a commander for the magic beasts I tamed (threatened).
He was absolutely befuddled at first, and only complied when I told him 'Just shut up and tame them.'

That said, not like he could tame a hundred beasts so I limited it to some random S-ranked magic beasts, 3 of them.
Afterward, we marched together. I'm only staying with them during the initial run. Would be a disaster if they staged a rebellion against Souma, so I'm gonna make an example of those who tried anything funny first.



And so, here we are.
Around a hundred demons went from cornering human army to getting pulverized by the magic beasts.

Oh, found Baredo and Rasfin.
They're making a minced meat out of the demons using the equipment I gave them.
...Julian's new weapons are seriously nasty. Scary~.


Now that we've taken care of all demons here, I'm gonna go join up with Alma's group.


"Alright, I'll be off. These beasts are in your hands."

"Wha? Oy, hold it, I can't possibly hold the reins alone----"


I flew away with Mana Flight before Souma could finish his piece.
Now then, I'm gonna beat all the remaining demons before starting our march.

I could have reunited us all in one go using Fast Travel but it seems like we'd be better off acting separately for now.
So many mess cropping up all over place, let's tackle them one by one and improve the situation.




<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >


~~~~~~~~Hiyoko's POV~~~~~~~~~








"Do iiiiiiiiiit!! Crush those humans underfooooooooot!!"


『Gyaaaaaoooaaaaaaaaa!!!』


A giant whale walking on land is following a demon's commands. It's got limbs and all, look kinda gross.
It's like that creature mom told me about, 'Salamander'.

It's not just one or two too.
Nope, there's five of them just as big. Wonder if they're getting fed everyday?


"H, how is this magic beast so big...!"

"Dammit, this thing refuses to budge no matter how much we attack!"

"Can anyone here cast Advanced Magic!? Ordinary attacks won't do a thing against it!"


Oh no, oh no.
They're bigger than the whales I saw at the sea. Heck, bigger than that giant crab even.
They don't move quickly but their size means non area of effect attacks don't work at all on them.

My size doesn't measure up at all.
Maybe I should have picked the big Rage Cock as my evolution if I knew this was gonna happen.


Oh what do I do.
Should I aim for the vitals and destroy it from insides? No, that won't do. It's gonna take too long and use up too much mana.
Those humans would all die before I could finish off one.

Maybe destroying its vital with one finishing strike?
My mana should go back to full if I level up after defeating it. I think this is my best chance.

...And now the question is, how do I hit its head or belly.
I'd get crushed for sure if I tried to get close.
It may be slow but every move it makes cover a whole range. Make the slightest mistake and I'll die.


...I feel bad for these humans but I have no choice but to run away.


『Goooooooooooo!!!』


!?

My body and other humans started floating up after the whale opened its mouth wide and breathed in.


"W, what, I'm, floating...!?"

"Hiiiiie! W, we're getting sucked in!!"

"Save meee! I don't wanna get eaten aliiiiive!!"


Is that whale trying to eat us...!?
Air Step, no, dammit! The sucking force is too powerful!
There's no escape. No, I'm going to get eaten.

Save me, mom. I don't wanna die, here.


I got sucked inside the whale's belly together with nearby humans who fought alongside me.

It's over. I'm going to get digested and die.



I wonder what would mom do in this situation.

Previous Chapter 

Next Chapter

609 Harmonious Running

Now that we're not pressed on time and distance, Berume is running Grudos at a light jog pace to maintain their stamina.
But these animals are still riding steeds. Even Light jog is still quite fast. Not sure how fast concretely though.

(Hmm? Well it's that. Like speeding road racers you see at the edge of the road?)

Those racing bicycles you sometimes see on the road. With fit and athletic looking riders, these grudos' speed is around that.
They may not be quite at car level, but they're fast enough that no mom in their scooter can catch up.

"Hmm? Why am I recalling all that weird stuff."

Here I am matching that speed on foot. Easily at that, I can't really deny getting called a monster in this world.

"What have you been muttering to yourself all this time. Creep."

Aside from that little act, our trip was a smooth sailing.
However, this trip is supposed to take three days, there's still no finishing it in one day.
Our destination is just that far.

Grudos keep running. Berume rides them by alternating between two Grudos, so we're keeping a good pace.
It would have taken longer if I had to take the rein on one.
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
We're arriving in the evening of the second day and will be staying at a village overnight.

"This can't be... No, I mean, you know... But how is that possible? Uh..."

Berume still looks like she can't accept it. I gave two bottles of potion I had to the Grudos during a break.
Berume tried to stop me at first, I told her I wanted to see if potions could help alleviate Grudos' fatigue and then she looked at me weird.

After which. Our Grudos ran even faster. They didn't show any sign of slowing down at all even after we made them run as fast they initially did.
Forget fatigue, the potion seemed to work like a doping even. Keep it a secret that I got a bit nonplussed watching those Grudos panting heavily.

"We're arriving faster than scheduled... Much faster... Heck, even beyond that. We're gonna set off early tomorrow. This oughta shorten the schedule by a day. You go and get a rest. Gotta rise early tomorrow."

Thus Berume said to me after we booked our rooms at an inn in this village.
I felt a bit tired after a marathon in a long while. That was a good exercise. I'm gonna sleep like a log.
I'm not against sleeping early. Lying down in bed with just the right amount of fatigue is a bliss in itself.
But I made sure to wipe every inch of my body first before diving in my bed.

I was anticipating a simple hard village bed but it was unexpectedly fluffy which helped deliver me to the dream world without resistance.

The following morning, I felt refreshed and woke up on sunrise. No drowsiness at all.
I'm relishing on it since I can count on one hands how many times I get such a good morning in a year.
Someone knocked on my room's door as I was about done.

"Hey you good in there? Up already? Let's get a move on. We gotta beat that beast's arse and bring peace back to that land asap."

"Ah, hold on. Be right there."

Thus our first day of magic beast slaying mission began as the sun rose.

Previous Chapter 

Next Chapter

Fangs Bared at Demons

Hi, hello there.
I'm currently enjoying an air trip.

Eh, what about my fight versus Black Dragon, you ask?
I took a breath head on and is in the middle of being blown away right about now, what of it.


Uh, I mean, I didn't expect that darned lizard to be that darned strong.
I feel like every single powerful opponent I fought always turned out tougher than anticipated, but this one is seriously a real tough nut.

Not only did he got those ATK and DEF values at 17000, he kept using so many Skills he must have honed for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years. Not to mention the seven Master Skills under his belt.
He got even more monstrous and almost reached 20000 values with Qi Clad. I'm not one to talk, but the lizard was apparently more fuel efficient than me. Gununu.

I thought my advantage in Agility would be my saving grace, but that proved to be a naive thinking.
By enveloping himself in wind created by Dragon Wing Skill, he not only greatly enhanced his mobility, it also served to hamper mine. It didn't feel like a weak point at all.
Heck, his mobility was his greatest forte from what I could tell. I'm kinda at a disadvantage fighting in the air.
Yet there's no way to drag him down the ground. He'd just bombard me with breaths from above.

I shouted 'Not even Floor 21 got a monster like this, you darned lizard!' in the heat of the moment.
Must sound like nonsense to him.


...If only I had a weapon to finish him off or allies to support me. Me by myself was asking too much.
Well whatever, the war is only starting. The situation will fluctuate for better or worse over time.
Let's not be hasty and plan it all out while observing from the sidelines. I'm gonna beat him to a pulp for real fufufufufu.

The lizard seemed to have retreated the same time I got blown away.
I countered and cut his stomach open with a gigantic Mana Blade Rev as I took that breath, Demon King probably called him back to heal that wound.
Wonder if Demon King will found out about my survival. Not finishing Black Dragon off right then might have been a misstep.


...By the by, I should be touching down soon, what is this place anyway?

<<It is a Magic Beast Ranch under demons' management.>>

Huh. Are they playing ranchers or what? Like 'The Idyllic Life of a Demon Rancher' or something.

<<The magic beasts are not raised as livestock but as combat forces to be used against humanity. Only B-S ranked untamed magic beasts are in these ranches but they present sufficient enough danger to bring about untold destruction.>>

How'd they raise those beasts without taming them?

<<They are perusing magic tools that allow a simple form of communication with magic beasts. It's only functionally similar to Menu's Translation feature. The magic beasts have been made to agree to oppose humanity by feeding them.>>

Hou. Hohou. I see, I see~.


...I might have come up with a good idea. No, bad idea?
Tremble in your sleep, demons. You too, magic beasts.




<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >



~~~~~~~~~Black Dragon's POV~~~~~~~~










"Quite a state you got yourself in, Black Dragon."

『Gwuu...!』


I glare hard at the long black haired man before me.
I would love nothing more than to bite his head off right this instant, but I could only grind my teeth in vexation.

Every issue will be settled once this Demon King is dead, why won't my body move...!!


"Fumu, someone managed to deal such grievous wounds even after you deployed Arcane Dragonize. They must be quite a strong human, nay, this is beyond human's reaches."

『....』

"I ask thee, who were you fighting against. Was it the hero, or somebody else?"


No, I mustn't utter a word about that guy here.
From what the Sword King mentioned last time, I surmised he must be 'Kajikawa Hikaru'.

Demon King's most feared threat. He said he has him eliminated already. The one factor that could turn everything upside down.
If he found out about his survival, Demon King would definitely seek out and kill him once that Menu Function thing is back up.


"『Answer me』."

『Guh...!』


Enforced Submission by Tame Skill.
I cannot go against Demon King.
I cannot utter any falsehood.

Then...!


"Black, haired, man..."

"What are his other traits? Anything he said that could lead to a clue about his identity?"

"H, he said 『Not even Floor 21 got a monster like this』..."

"Floor 21, is it. I see, that Sword King I clashed blades with on Continent 5. That does explain your deep gashing wound."


I did not tell a lie. He's also a 'Black haired man who's gone to Floor 21'.
I'll have that Sword King act as a cover.


"Everything is progressing according as planned. All the best combatants in the world shall converge on Continent 3."

『Why, do, you, want, humanity...! You, who loved, people more than, anyone, why...』

"...Go to sleep, Black Dragon. Your wound may have been healed with magic, yet time is required to replenish loss blood."


My eyes feel heavy right after. Blast it, even sleep can be enforced.
Just how high is his level to enable this high degree of enforced commands...!



"I am aware you wish to go wild, worry not. You will fight to your last breath on your next battlefield."



....

....Ou. Bring it on.

I'm looking forward to your presence there, Demon King.


Brace yourself.

My fangs my not reach you, but his mouth should open wide enough to fit your neck in there.


....


...Ryota...



~~~~~~~Baredorai's POV~~~~~~~~~







"Dammitaaaaaall!! Rasfi! Can you fight still!?"

"O-of course. But, this huge gap in number is a bit much...!"


We were fortunate enough.
The two of us got teleported somewhere close by chance and managed to reunite quickly.

And yet, it's still a distressing situation we found ourselves in.
It's demons all around us. Rasfi and me are the only two people capable of fighting back.

We've got several other people here, but they've been too weakened by demon's Support Magic to be of any use in combat.
The two of us would have met the same fate if we never learned Energy Control.


"Kihihi, die die!"

"Uwaaaaa! S, save meee!"

"Dammit, ain't no fighting properly while getting dragged down left and right like this!"

"They should be able to fight with us once the debuff is gone! We have to protect them no matter what!"

"Kihihi! Light, your attack's too light, lil' ladygobehea!?"


Rasfi swung her twin swords at a demon.
The demon blocked them only to get blown away into bits.

Those are apparently the new weapons she got from Kajikawa guy. Swords that explode upon contact carry a huge risk of injuring its user. Can't believe she's even on board.
Apparently the effect activates when the twin swords hit each other, wonder what other functions are hidden... What a dangerous and quirky weapon.
...Well, my new spear's got a similar mechanism too though.

I threw this new spear at the demons.


"Ooraaa!!"

"Hehe, where'd ya think yer' aimin'!"


"Pop off!!"


I pointed my palm at the thrown spear and turned on its internal mechanic using Mana Control.
And then, light bullets of mana rained down from the spear.


"Uwaaaaaaa!?"

"Something flew outta the speaaar!?"

"E-each one of those got a stupid amount of power! Don't get hit gahaa!"


...All the demons who was hit by the light bullets turned into minced meat.
What the heck, that's one nasty spear!? Is there even a point to it shaped like a spear!?
Guess I shoulda expected this from a weapon supplied by that monster purveyor... I'm scared of testing out other features now...


"Baredo, don't you dare use that spear near allies! Ain't nobody surviving that!"

"Yeah, I get it! ...Hm? Is it just me, or the ground is shaking?"

"...A, ah, yeah, I'm feeling it too, what the...?"


I can feel a tremor. It doesn't seem to be a quake, just what...?
This tremor feels familiar somehow, where did I...?

Ah, right, it's exactly like the tremor caused by a herd of monsters during that Stampede.


Eh wait. Something's approaching from behind...!?


"W-what the hell are those!?"

"A herd of, magic beasts...!?"


Demons sneered and spoke to the bewildered us.


"Fu, fuhaha! Magic beasts from our ranches are coming, I see!"

"Magic beast, ranches?"

"They are magic beasts we specifically raise to attack mankind! Each ranch houses more than a hundred beasts, and they're all powerful!"

"Not even a bone is gonna left in their wake! Hahaha!! You're all done foooor!"


S, seriously...!
Upon a closer inspection, each of those beasts is around B to A ranked, heck I'm seeing S-ranked ones here and there.

Not good, there's no way we can fend off that many powerful beasts!
We gotta run, no, these folks will die if we do.

No choice but to get on it...!?


...Wait, huh?


Those magic beasts just passed by us and went for the demons...?


"W-why're they ignoring those humans gyaaaaa!!"

"Y, you beaaasts!? Why won't you attack humans! We're your keepers!"

"N, no, there's no stopping 'em! The hell's going oooon!"


The magic beasts attacked demons instead of us (humanity)...?
W, what's going on here?



"Alright there, they're hiding in the grass, go kill and eat 'em~ Ah, you better chase down that fleeing demon!"

"...What are you making me do...?"

"Oy ya there! The hell yer' dawdling around for! Do it right or get ready to get served on a dining table!"

『Pi, pigyaaaaa!!』


I see two figures riding on top of a giant elephant magic beast's head.


One is looking confused as they direct the elephant beast to trample down on the demons.


Another is a black haired monster who keeps yelling at all kinds of magic beasts, giving commands all while complaining and threatening them.

...What the hell's that guy up to...?

Previous Chapter 

Next Chapter

608 What's Not Normal Like? This

As it turns out we covered way more distance than scheduled.
And so we're taking a slightly longer break.

"Hey? You're strong, yeah? Why don'tcha show off a bit. I wanna see it for myself before the real thing... My bad. I just wanna be super sure 'bout it."

Now this is troubling. I'm not sure just how far should I go to convince Berume. It's all trees everywhere as far as eyes can see around these parts.

"Hm~? Well since we're gonna camp out longer than scheduled, how about I turn this place into a campground?"

"...Wha? What are you spouting? That's not what I'm... Eh?"

This place is a bit cramped. I thought it'd be better to expand it a bit.
I took my katana and cut down a nearby tree cleanly. Then I noticed something.

"Ah! Don't tell me I can't do this without permission? But it's a done deal... Oh crap..."

I grabbed the tree I cut and slowly put it down the ground.

"Ah man, a blunder after all this time. What do?"

Nobody responded to me. Or more like Berume is flapping her mouth open and close without a word.
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
"What the heck, did you just do? That huge tree got cut down in an instant..."

"Ah, so it was no good? Hmm. Can you consider this an accident and keep quiet?"

"...You seriously don't get it? ...Yeah sure my mouth's zipped, forget it. Just stay still will ya."

Berume looks like she's at her wits' end for some reason. When you think about it, expanding this place as way to show off strength is weird in itself.
What a blunder. She probably thinks I'm a weirdo.

There's nothing of note around here. Doing something out of ordinary should be a good indicator of my strength.
This place is cramped. I'll enlarge it in no time.

That was my thought process but thinking about it, cutting a tree that's thicker than an adult arms circumference in one slash is not normal.
Neither is lifting a tree that heavy with one hand and then putting it down slowly.

(Ah, I went and did it... Why didn't that cross my mind? Just how dumb am I sometimes?)

I put away my katana and sat down on the stump. Berume is staring dagger at me in the meantime.

"Hey? I see you got a magic bag. Wouldn't hurt if ya told me sooner..."

"Ah, for your luggage I take it. Eh, I mean, it's a woman's belonging and all, no? I thought you'd hate having them all jumbled up with mine."

"...You know how I'm like don'tcha. I ain't got interest in that crap. I got nothing of that sort on me. We clear? Put them in now will you. All good, yeah?"

"What a waste. You're a beauty, you'll be popular if you put in some effort I'm sure of it."

"Ha! Who wanna deal with that crap. That's the second strike with ya. Quit poking your nose in my business. I'll introduce my fist to yer' face the next time."

"Ah, how scary~, Okay okay. I'll get out of your face."

Now that we're lighter with Berume's luggage in my magic bag, we departed right after.

Previous Chapter 

Next Chapter

Over and Over

This chapter starts from Ranaia Souma's POV

I lost count how many times I wanted to quit staying with this dragon.
A problem child who keeps dragging me into a huge mess every single day. He was barely manageable even with my Skill, the stress was too much I thought it'd open a hole on my stomach someday.


"U, aaaaaaaaa...!!"

『Gaaaaaaaaaa!!!』


My War Cries kept getting erased by Black Dragon's roars no matter how many times I did it.
Naturally. Dragons are built different from humans. Nothing I do can compare at all to Black Dragon.

He's reliable in battles regardless of everything, and he's been protecting our kingdom from so many threats he's pretty much our main force.
Keeping his word to hero Ryota, he had been acting as our kingdom's guardian for hundreds of years.

He's kind enough to worry about my health despite his free spirited nature being the cause.
Having the culprit himself worry over me only served to ache my stomach further.

Many days I thought of resigning as his keeper.
Yet our relationship seemed like it was fated to stay unsevered, and I could tell I had already resigned myself to it deep down.

I never thought he would really up and gone.
I was so sure I'd keep him company until the day I passed him over to the next keeper.


I cannot sense my link with Black Dragon anymore.
My Tame on him seems to have been overwritten. Watching him spreading destruction while doing nothing but roaring endlessly chagrins me to no end.


"You've gotten even stronger than when you were with me... Maybe I really am unfit to be your keeper..."

『Gaaa!!』


Black Dragon shot a breath.
'Homing Dragon Breath'. An innate dragon Skill that shoots out multiple bullets of mana that home in on their targets.
He often uses it against a flock of bird magic beasts... Just like my tamed bird beasts.

Each and every single shot is enough to kill me.
I can't dodge, or run...!


『Kigaaaaaaaaaaa!!』

『Gyaiaaaaaaaaaa!!』

"! Y, you guys...!?"


The bird magic beasts under my control covered me even though I didn't order them to.
...Forgive me, this is no time to be sentimental. I showed an opening and let you die...!


I'm, done for.
Perhaps, a part of me was hoping for him to come back to my side.
He'd be a huge liability for our side at this rate.

...I know it won't be enough to kill him, but I'll deal enough damage and pray the rest will take care of him for me.


"Forgive me, this is as far as I can go... Will you keep me company to the very end?"

『Kii...』


I patted the Silver Hawk I'm riding while kindly asked it to go to its death.
Silver Hawk gave its understanding even while making a dissatisfied face... Forgive me.


Tame Skill Lv9 Ability [Exploding Beast Bullet].
It turns your tamed magic beast into a bomb that causes an extraordinarily powerful explosion.


I have never used this Ability even once, but this is the only way I could think of to damage Black Dragon.
I'll close in on Black Dragon's head and make it explode.

...Along with me.


"Black Dragon, brace yourself!!"


I used my Skills to radically raise Silver Hawk's flight ability and make it fly in a disorderly pattern.
We may lose in Attribute values, but our smaller size enables trickier flights.
We should be able to zero in so long as we avoid the barrage of breaths.


"...!? This is...!!"


Silver Hawk and I got hit by gales of wind after we go through the breaths.
'Dragon Wing'! Can't believe he could use his Skill Abilities so cleverly!
So Black Dragon is not merely being controlled, it can also makes full use of its combat experience...?

N, no, I can't get a read on his moves!
We're a sitting duck at this rate!


Light is converging in Black Dragon's mouth, it's a sign of incoming breath.
Think, think! What can I do now...!?

...It's no use, I can't think of anything.
How am I so powerless and worthless without Black Dragon...!


One second before he unleashed the breath---



Black Dragon suddenly suspended his breath charging.
And


A loud shrill sound of metal clashing resounded.


I saw 'Dragon Scales' enveloping Black Dragon's neck.
Did he stop the breath to activate the Skill.

I saw a humanoid figure right next to the scales.
They're pushing their hand fashioned like a sword onto Black Dragon's neck.


"Tch, that got blocked huh. I was gonna cut that neck off. Those are some tough scales."

『...!?』

"Well, I just gotta power up more!"


The humanoid figure let out a barrage of punch on Black Dragon's face.
He easily broke 'Dragon Scales', which should be sturdier than anything in this world, before punching Black Dragon hard in the face.
Bare handed, just like that


Is that, the person I saw at the capital... Soarer?




<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >


~~~~~~~~Soarer's POV~~~~~~~~~







The moment I finally caught up to Alma, the first thing she said was 'Please save Ranaia Souma'.
Apparently, guy came to her rescue and helped her escape Black Dragon.

I was hesitant considering he was Black Dragon's keeper and the things he did previously, but Alma said, 'He personally apologized and even saved me. I don't want to leave him to his death here'.
...Can't be helped, it's not my place to complain if she's got none herself.

But that doesn't extend to you bastard, Black Dragon.
The hell you're doing shooting breaths to your former keeper.

What, did you fall so low into Demon King's dog. I ain't gonna show any mercy, okay?
I'm gonna dissect you and waste no edible meat.

But before that, I gotta remove the hindrance.
I flew at high speed next to Ranaia Souma and told him to get away.


"You're in the way. Get lost from my sight."

"Soarer-dono..."

"Gonna be honest with you. I still can't forgive what you did to Alma at the Monster Prairie."

"...I apologize for that. However, please pay no heed to me and focus on leaving this place instead."

"...But Alma asked me to rescue you. So----"


"Sooi!!"

"Buhwaa?!!"


I slapped Souma hard in the face.
I was holding back but it seemed that broke a tooth or three... Guess I put in too much strength.
The silver hawk is looking at the knocked out Souma worryingly.


"Quit idling and get lost. What did I tell you again. Oy, you silver hawk. Fly as far away as hawkly possible with him on your back."

『Ku, kukii...!』

"I got no choice. We don't got time to waste squabbling. Just go already!"


I get that it's mad at me for hitting its keeper, but it's an emergency. Forgive me.
I soothed and urged the glaring hawk to go.
Which worked as it hesitantly flew away with Souma on its back.


Now then, all that's left is to do is beat that lizard into submission.


!


『Guruu... Kaaaa...!!』


I could sense Black Dragon powering up higher and bigger. No wait, his body actually grows bigger for real...!?
This sensation. Is this like the Skill Ability high level demons and magic beasts have, the one that doubles their Attributes?


<<Dragon Skill Lv10 Ability 'Arcane Dragonize'. Raises all but select Attributes by 2-3 times as well as user's size. Black Dragon acquired this Ability after a forced level up by way of Demon King's 'Resource' transfer.>>


...2-3 times? For realsies?
Let's check out its Stats.



Dragon: Black Dragon

Lv81

State: 'Arcane Dragonized' Tame (Demon King (Souma Ryota))

【Attributes】

ＨＰ：１０３４０/１１４８９
ＭＰ：４２１４/６７８３
ＳＰ：３６５５/４１３０

ＳＴＲ：１７０６７
ＡＴＫ：１７０６７
ＤＥＦ：１６４５３
ＡＧＩ：８７９５
ＩＮＴ：３４１２
ＤＥＸ：１９８３
ＰＥＲ：５８４７
ＲＥＳ：８４２５
ＬＵＫ：５１２

【Skills】
Dragon Lv10 - Martial Arts Lv10 - Ultimate Martial Arts Lv10 - Fang Arts Lv10 - Piercing Fang Arts Lv10 - Claw Arts lv10 - Sharp Claw Arts Lv10

【Master Skills】
Dragonic Emperor
Aura Mitigation
Aura Heal
Vital Tusk
Diamond Fang
Melting Flaming Claw Strike
Disaster Claw



...Oh crap.
Even though it's not quite at Demon King's level, those are some broken Attributes and Skills. What do you mean he got seven Master Skills.
Ain't no way anybody could beat him. Asides from me or Hero-kun.


And he's only used as a sacrificial pawn at that.


Well, it doesn't change what I oughta do tho'.


"Bring it on, you darned lizard."

『Gwuooooaaaaaaaaa...!』


I'm gonna buff my Attributes to around 20000 and make a short work out of this lizard.
That's all I need to do.


『Gaaaaaaaaaa!!!』

"Dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!"


We zeroed in on each other and clashed breaths and high powered pile bunkers together.
The sky kept getting painted with dark red explosions over and over again like they were fireworks.
Nearby mountains got blown to bits, countless craters formed on the ground as if a cataclysm took place here.

...I feel like I'm being too environmentally destructive.
There won't be a grass left growing around these parts at the end of this fight...

Previous  Chapter

Next Chapter

607 Original Goal

I ran for quite some time. Let's take a break around here. Berume doesn't have a magic bag like me so she's got Grudos carry her luggage which slows them down.
I dunno how much distance we've covered, but I can tell we've hit the limit today.
I slow down and speak to Berume.

"Let's get some break here. Those Grudos look like they need it. We're stopping the next time we see an open area."

"Y, you, how are you looking all perked up still... Monster..."

Riding a Grudos eats up your stamina, Berume's response is clearly not as bitey as before.

Now then, let's recall everything she said to me from our departure to this point.

"You seriously finna run... Sure ya right on the head?"
"I'mma leave you behind if ya can't keep up to this speed, you hear me?"
"Ha! Okay sure you run fast with those legs, but there ain't no point if ya don't got stamina."
"Oy, are you for real, how the heck you keeping up? Fine then, I'mma go even faster. Lemme see you do yer' worst!"
"...Still ain't gonna throw in the towel huh? Bring it on, I'mma speed up! We ain't got time to waste!"
"Keh! You actually keep up for real. So what, I ain't seen the finish line yet!"
"...Oy, how the hell yer' still so peppy. Why you don't look tired at all..."
"Oy, no way... You, try to get serious."
"Are you for real... You sayin' that ain't even your max speed? You been holding back all this time? Eff that crap!"
"Why don'tcha go all out if yer' gonna do it... Wait you can still go faster?"
"Oy, you dumbarse, straight ahead, keep goin' straight! Why'd you lap your guide, dangit!"

Afterward, she maintained near max Grudos speed and focused on riding them silently.
Berume's mental state must have gotten worn down from maintaining that relatively dangerous speed all this time.
She looks absolutely worn out. As for me, I don't actually know my maximum speed.
We stopped at the edge of the road to rest the Grudos. Berume spoke to me while sprawling on the ground.

"Oy, you, don't tell me... I  really don't wanna ask but I feel like I just gotta. You can't be tellin' me you still can run even faster, can you? Ain't no way... Amirite? Tell me no... no for real..."

Berume's voice gradually shrunk. But reality is merciless.
Dunno how she felt when she asked that but I wasn't even actually trying. I can raise my speed whenever I want.
I gave water and food to Grudos as well as massaged their legs in place of the sprawled Berume. I gave my answer while I took care of the two steeds.

"Ah, sure can if I feel like it. Is there... a problem?"
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
"What the hell, are you a new type of monster or what... Here I thought you were just a teensy weird brat still wet behind his ears...."

And now she's doubting my status as a human after I demonstrated my inhuman power.
But I won't respond to it. In fact, this is no time for her to fret over that stuff.
It's clear from her behavior that this magic beast hunting escapade is a race against time. She's so obviously fidgety about it.
Hence the reason I ran at that speed. Who could've thought it put a toil on Berume's mental state instead.

"Err? The magic beast in question is strong right? So uh, it's only right to pit it against another monster, don't you think? I mean, sending someone with half-baked strength is only going to cause more damage. I'm pretty much the right man for the job. Literally why I'm here."

I tried to remind Berume our original goal and get her to understand.

"Oh right. I'm supposed to bring someone with monstrous strength to this magic beast and let them fight. Almost forgot. No wonder you got picked... Yeah, I see it now at last."

Berume shrugged as she pulled herself together.

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

What Ought to be Done, Respectively

This chapter starts from Reina's POV

I get that I should join up with Alma-san quickly.
There's this huge presence near her, probably that Black Dragon. I could sense her getting away from it.

Yet the situation is still critical and me being there would help raise her chances.
But I just can't bring myself to abandon this city after seeing what's going on here.

I went around and grabbed everybody I could find. There's around a hundred of them.
I'm also aware that there's a group of skilled people peeking at city over there. I'm gonna ask their help when it comes down to it.


"Phew, that's one hilt roll taken care off. Next up... Is...?"


I poked my arm out of shadow and lopped off the head of a clueless demon doing weapon maintenance.
He didn't seem to realize his death as he spoke with his head on the ground.

...I thought I was going to feel bad killing these demons cause they've started living like humans with all the stores and goods they sell yet I felt near zero remorse.
In fact, I'm hit with the urge to exterminate them as quickly as I could... Wonder if the demons who attack human towns feel this way too.


I quickly reaped the heads of all nearby demons who noticed what was happening as well.
I can't let them find me out just yet. I'll thin out their number as stealthily as possible until then.


There's only so many situations I could lop heads off with Shadow Dive so I've also been trying all kinds of things including shooting a blowgun with Master Skill-infused poison.
Stealth Master Skill 'One Second Left to Your Life' grants the effect of 'Gradually yet assuredly saps down life force painlessly'.

While it takes some time for the poison to run its course, the target eventually dies without feeling any pain. Quite a nasty skill.
The fact that it only works on lower level targets is a bottleneck, but it's more than sufficient for small fry.

Also, I've set up traps all over the place.
It's sure to bring even more chaos if I activate them when these demons finally make a racket.
...Those new Magic Stone Mines apparently have gotten more powerful too. I'm kinda scared to find out though.


Welp I've done all I can, I should get ready to start the surprise attack.
Think I can leave detailed plans like positioning to that Kyoukuhalt (uncle).


The city's alarm bell started blaring just when I was about done.
...Busted? No, I immediately dumped the bodies of all the demons I killed in the shadow, they couldn't have found any...


"We found a suspicious human! All hands, get in position!"

"How many of them!?"

"Only one discovered so far, but there might be more lurking! This one must be a diversion with how blatant he's acting!"

"How blatant are we talking... about...?"


"Uhohahahahaaaa!! You can find this great me here! Come and get me if you can, folksies! Wish it was Hero-chan though haaa!!"


....
The musclebound bald old man I saved earlier has cast away the last remaining fabric he had on (underpants) and is now running around throughout the whole town.


"Weirdo aleert!!"

"What is that... thing...?"

"I-it's a buck naked pervert... D-don't let his eccentric attire bewilder you! All hands, shoot, shoot it with magic!!"

"Fuhohahahaai! You won't hit moii!!"

"W-we're not hitting! The guy moved so fast he dodged everything!"

"What nonsensically agile and nimble moves...!"


What do I do.
That baldie went and started things on his own even though we hadn't decided on how to do the ambush.

...Maybe I shouldn't have helped him.
No but, his super, super maddening movements do make for a good diversion against the demons, maybe I could make good use of that...?


I mean, can't you at least put something on below! Like, have you no shame!?



<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >



~~~~~~~~~Hero's POV~~~~~~~~~~






...I feel a familiar chill running down my spine... Maybe it's the wind...?


I went back to Continent 4 with Fast Travel and told the folks there to stop teleporting more people to Continent 3 to prevent more damage.
Darn it, not only do those demons split us up they even gang up on us, that's some cunning trick.

Fast Travel works differently from Teleport so the jamming doesn't work on it fortunately.
With it, I can gather and send people back, have them regroup on Continent and send them back again for real this time.
...We could have avoided this if only we used Fast Travel from the start, but neither me or Kajikawa-san had ever been to Continent 3 so it wasn't an option.


Once we were done regrouping, I sent hundreds of reinforcements in one go.
That should be large enough forces to rescue stranded people.

Sheesh, wish Kajikawa-san was also here to help with the Fast Travel but Alma is in danger so I can't get ahold of him.
...I'm not sure if it's alright for him to act selfishly when we're fighting as a group but he's also saving everybody along the way so I guess I'm not qualified to criticize him.

Now then, I guess I'll join up with Levia and the girls.
Average demons are no match for me now but there's no harm getting the team back together asap.

This continent has pretty much transformed into a continent of demons full of them prowling everywhere.
Even that Black Dragon I last saw at Firie Kingdom is hostile now. That's on top of his huge power up.
I've sensed other presences as large as Black Dragon here and there. Defeating them all by myself is gonna be some back breaking work.


But man, here I had high hopes about running into cute girls on Continent 3.
But it's all demons as far as eyes can see. Some of those demons were quite the beauts but I draw the line on murderous ladies. Scary.

<<I've detected some surviving people but it seems they're only left alive as sacrifices for Forbidden Magic.>>

...You mean the teleportation jamming magic that covers this entire continent?

<<Yes. It's the only applicable ability that could work on such a massive area over a long period of time. Human life is the best fuel of magic after all.>>

Meaning, there's gonna be more casualty if we don't go and rescue them quick.
Those demons really picked the nastiest trick the book. I'mma exterminate them all.
Then I'll show off my gallant figure at the end to some cute girls and--

<<Okay okay, just get on to it and eliminate those demons please.>>

Aren't you too cold?
Serious talk, meeting cute girls is important to bolster my motivation you know.
If I had a say on the matter, I'd like a bright cheerful girl this time. Her hair should be pink. I'm OK with flatboard or dreadnought. She should be on the short side.


...Oy, why'd you close the window?
You pop it up whenever even when I'm not asking yet you're just gonna look away when I'm talking about harem? Hey. Look here. Oy. Listen to me.







~~~~~~~~~Radiasta's POV~~~~~~~~~






I've come across many facilities used to breed magic beasts. I bet they're magic beast ranches.
These facilities were probably used for livestock originally but those demons must have repurposed them in their quest to antagonize humans.

Judging from the mana I sense, there's around 100 A-ranked beasts and 2-3 S-ranked beasts in each of these facilities.
Our eventual clash would be pretty dire if I don't crush these ranches.


That said, I can't do it alone.
Probably doable if I used the tools and equipment Kajikawa-san gave me but the risk is too high.

Would be much safer if only I had at least ten Advanced Job or higher people with me.
...I should prioritize joining up with others for now.


As I made my way out of the ranches, I sensed a row of demons walking in from the direction I was heading.
I hurriedly hid myself in a haystack.
...They didn't seem to notice, thank goodness.

Guess I'll lay low here until these demons pass.
I should also listen in for any important info they have.


"Those human army stand no chance against all of these powerful magic beasts."

"Would have been nice if we could raise five or six more S-ranked magic beasts. But that's unrealistic given the situation."

"Umu, making them obedient like slaves carries a considerable risk after all."

"Speaking of slaves, what of that green haired human (trash)?"

"Ah, we're having him join and spy the liberation army hiding in the eastern town to make up for his last blunder."

"Look how easily they betray their kind. Humans are ripe for extinction after... all...?"

"Agreed there...!?"


By the time I noticed. I have decapitated one of the demons and hold my dagger on the other demon's neckline.
My body moved before my minds could process.


"Y-you, bastard, what are...!?"

"Tell me more."


I ain't gonna let him do as he pleases anymore.


...I ain't gonna leave him alive any longer.

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