**Chapter Six: Raid②**
It was overwhelmingly powerful. In less than a second, three men were sent flying by its colossal strength. Their fates were uncertain, but the three lay motionless on the ground. With that single strike, half of the mercenaries surrounding it lost their resolve.
It wasn’t due to exceptional skill. What was present was the raw power of a beast. Each of its movements was so swift that the humans could barely respond. What happens when a beast in human form wields its strength with human cunning?
One man readied his sword at his waist and, with a scream that resembled a roar, lunged at the massive Werewolf. The blade pierced its dark brown fur-covered torso, only to be effortlessly deflected. The man was sent flying several meters, as if he were a mere ball.
It was the weapon’s fault. A standard weapon had little effect on a Werewolf.
A mercenary, sword raised as if to shield the children, shouted loudly. He was a large man, yet compared to the Werewolf before him, he seemed almost childlike.
“Is there anyone with a silver weapon!?”
“N/A… Yes, N/A! A knife—”
A lightly armored huntress drew a tiny silver knife from her waist. It was likely a trinket she carried for protection. Silver, being much softer than iron, was not suitable for weapons. This equipment was entirely meant for dealing with dark familiars, and it was not something even a professional like a Master Beast would typically carry. A sword made of holy silver, like the one Senri wielded, would be practical, but holy silver was exceedingly rare.
Oliver squinted and laughed at the sight of the knife.
“Fool… what do you plan to do with such a tiny knife, N/A?”
Arrows shot from the mercenaries were deflected by its fur. Ignoring the swords that rained down from all directions, Oliver lunged at the target before him.
Despite the presence of a mage and the knife-wielder, the one targeted was the mercenary who had stepped forward. The massive claw sliced through him along with his sword. The man fell without even a scream. The children’s cries echoed in the air.
“On a night so close to the Full Moon, to resist the third-ranked Oliver Alvor with such meager equipment is N/A!”
There was no need for a priority list. Swatting away fire magic with his arm, he turned and crushed the huntress who had bravely attacked from the blind spot with her silver knife. The sheer violence of the beast was overwhelming.
In terms of size, the transformed Albatross was superior. Its pure combat ability was likely greater. However, that single strike carried a strength unique to humans.
Oliver did not roar. Perhaps he feared that a roar would alert Senri and the others. While the children’s screams might not reach far, Oliver’s roar would undoubtedly catch Senri’s attention.
One merchant—Oliver’s employer—had collapsed, retreating in fear while shouting loudly.
“Oliver, w-what is your goal!? The cargo, N/A!? If it’s the cargo—”
“Everything, human. I will kill everyone. And the cargo… I will take it.”
With each passing second, their numbers dwindled. Of the nearly thirty guards, barely half remained. One mercenary, seemingly panicked, turned and fled. Oliver felt no particular emotion as he skillfully picked up a fallen sword with his clawed hand and hurled it at the man’s back.
The sword pierced through the skull, and the man fell. There was no escape. No human could outrun the speed of a beast.
“I will take the cargo, the horses, the carts, and the people. All that is permitted to you is to kneel and beg for mercy.”
Such arrogance. Such power. While Werewolves were said to be born from Vampires, Oliver might be even stronger…
I calculated the demon’s status and made my resolve. There was no choice but to fight. Perhaps with the status of a dog, I might escape, but this caravan would undoubtedly be annihilated.
This caravan had cared for me; I felt a bond. Though I could not trade my life for theirs, if I abandoned them here, even if I survived, I would lose Senri. Senri would never forgive me for abandoning the caravan. Even if she understood rationally, emotionally, she would never accept it.
Then, I had no choice but to fight. To gain something, I must take the risk. This was nothing extraordinary. The odds were not zero. I had escaped from that Epe and managed to defeat Albatross.
I wagged my tail at Katerina, then dashed toward Oliver, barking fiercely.
They had shown me kindness, and I would help them.
If I returned to my original form, my identity would be exposed, but… it couldn’t be helped. That form was already known to Albatross.
I transformed my surging power into a roar.
“Yip yip, N/A!”
“Baron N/A!?”
Katerina screamed in a voice that resembled a cry. Oliver looked down at me, barking at his feet, his eyes widening in surprise.
“!? Hehe… what a brave puppy this is. Much more valiant than those mercenaries who turned tail and fled… Now that I think about it, it was this dog that recognized Monica… Yes, this must be fate. I’ll spare you; you might make a fine gift for Lord Rainer.”
Huh!? Really!? I wouldn’t say that out loud.
The curse I bore was the same one that Albatross had. It was the source of that ridiculous power. I leaped, kicking off the ground, and sank my teeth into Oliver’s thick arm. The small fangs dug into his flesh, and my claws scratched at his thick skin.
Oliver remained calm. He looked down at me, much smaller than him, with narrowed eyes, a hint of human expression in his gaze.
“Does it… hurt? Impossible. You’re just a dog, aren’t you? Is it because you were raised by the former End Knight? …How bothersome.”
With a powerful swing, Oliver slammed me into the ground. The tremendous impact sent pain coursing through my bones and flesh. I involuntarily let out a small whimper, like a mere puppy. The notorious Werewolf showed no mercy, crushing my small body beneath his weight. The pressure forced a cry from my lips.
Albatross had been cursed after being bitten by a Vampire. Yet, even so, he retained his reason. He had the will to side with humans and continue hunting Vampires. Oliver had none of that. The man before me, in Werewolf form, appeared to maintain his composure, but in truth, his mind had completely succumbed to the darkness of the familiar.
I had failed. I thought I could lure him into underestimating me in my dog form.
I could return to my original form in three seconds. If I could attach myself and revert before being noticed, I might have had a chance to rip out his heart. Perhaps I could deal with him without showing Katerina and the others my human form.
But now, I was immobilized.
The only reason my body wasn’t crushed was that Oliver was holding back. I could feel my bones creaking, but my regeneration abilities seemed to be working. He was miscalculating his strength. If I were just a dog, it would have been a fatal injury.
While keeping me pinned down, Oliver surveyed the paralyzed mercenaries. His sharp gaze instilled fear in everyone.
“Those who are weaker do not resist those stronger than themselves. Indeed, humans are… fragile. There was no need to infiltrate from within, but… that End Knight is quite a handful. It can’t be helped.”
At this point, there was only one chance to win. I had to steal his curse. I hated the thought, but if I returned to my original form and drank his blood, I could absorb the curse like Albatross… I hoped. The issue was timing. If I transformed now, I would likely be attacked before I could drink his blood. I needed an opening.
Desperately, I racked my brain for a chance.
Just then, Katerina, who had been trembling in her mother’s embrace, broke free and stepped forward. Her face was a mess of tears and fear. Yet, she threw a dish and shouted in a trembling voice.
The bowl filled with soup, whether by luck or misfortune, spun and struck Oliver on the head.
“L-Let Baron N/A go! You monster!”
“W-Wait, Katerina N/A!”
I was the most surprised by Katerina’s actions, which should have been intelligent. Drawing the monster’s attention here was a foolish act. It was outright insane to do something so reckless for a single dog, no matter how adorable I was. Even if she didn’t draw his attention, it was highly likely that I would be a corpse in a few minutes. She should have stayed quiet. Bravery in a hopeless situation was to be avoided.
Oliver looked at Katerina with the gaze of a predator eyeing its prey. A large, flame-like red tongue flicked out.
“Oh my, it seems there’s still a brave little girl here… If you don’t want to see Baron N/A die, I suppose I’ll have to eat you first.”
A small scream escaped, and Katerina collapsed in fear.
Though it had drawn attention, the Werewolf still held I down with its foot. It was surprisingly cautious.
Senri was with me. Even if it was because it didn’t know my true form, I couldn’t abandon someone who was trying to help me. Despite it being a major crisis, Lord was nowhere to be found at such a critical moment. I desperately flailed my limbs, pouring strength into my body.
My mind was ablaze with fierce fighting spirit. My body felt as if it were being scorched.
“Yip! Yip!”
“What a noisy little dog—!?”
—And then, I awakened.
My perspective gradually rose. I took deep breaths to release the heat within me. In sync with that, my body began to make sounds, creaking and stretching. My form was expanding. The image of Alba-tos growing larger flashed through my mind.
My once long, white fur grew even longer. My small, adorable front paws transformed into large, charming limbs. Oliver, who had been standing on me, widened his eyes and took a large step back. I stood up, using my now massive limbs.
“W-What is this…? Impossible…!?”
I was now at a height comparable to the tallest mercenary.
I had evolved. Was this the world that Alba-tos had seen?
With each step I took, the ground trembled slightly beneath me. At this height, I must have appeared as a towering monster from a human’s perspective.
As I turned my gaze, Oliver exhaled sharply and stepped back. Though my gaze was lower than his, it was only because he walked on two legs; if I got down on all fours, I would likely be taller.
I could win. I could win! I looked up at the moon and howled.
“Yip! Yip!”
“B-Baro has… gotten so big!?”
Katerina gasped, her voice trembling.
…Could it be that I had merely changed size while still resembling that dog?
Oliver, who had been dumbfounded, suddenly kicked off the ground and lunged at me. I had never fought on all fours before, so I didn’t know what to do. His massive claw swung down and slashed at my thick front leg, causing me to cry out in pain. Instinctively, I raised my other front leg to swipe at Oliver, but he easily caught my strike with one arm.
“Ha… so it’s just for show. A strange dog, indeed.”
Blood splattered, staining my proud white fur. It seemed I hadn’t become that strong after all. Even with a bit of extra weight, I couldn’t compete with Oliver. I had merely become a larger target. It hurt just as much, and even in this form, I was still just a big white dog.
Yet, I still held onto a glimmer of hope and launched an attack. Oliver simply sidestepped my full-force strike, evading it effortlessly. I leaped forward, but he slipped into my guard and delivered a heavy blow. My body was sent flying, crashing down on a mercenary below. I quickly rolled and scrambled back to my feet.
He was strong. Despite his massive size, he was incredibly fast. I opened my jaws wide to bite down on him, but Oliver caught my jaw with both hands.
“You’re not used to this, are you?”
His sharp claws dug painfully into my jaw, causing tears to well up. I couldn’t even close my mouth completely. I was met with a kick and rolled across the ground again. Alba-tos had been so strong, yet here I was, in such a pitiful state. My once lovingly stroked white fur was quickly becoming dirty. I felt like crying.
Nothing worked—my strikes, my body, my bites—none of it had any effect.
I needed to stop his movements first. I could hear voices cheering for Baro from behind. I steeled myself against the pain. Rising to my feet, I slammed my front paws against the ground.
The tremors that erupted were far greater than when I was in human form. However, at that moment, Oliver was on my back. He had jumped before the ground shook.
His sharp, knife-like claws were at my throat, and I heard his voice whisper in my ear.
“Sorry, but you’re going to die. If you’re going to blame someone, blame your master and your weak companions.”
That voice made my blood boil.
If this continued, those claws would slice through my soft throat. No good. I had no choice but to return to my original form.
He was trying to kill me. To survive, I had to kill him. Now was not the time to think. Forget about what I needed to protect—forget it all.
Kill him. My instincts whispered to me. The night monster was the king of solitude. When alone… it was the strongest.
Oliver’s claws swung wide. My body shrank. My white fur fell away, and I slipped free from Oliver’s grasp. The voices cheering for Baro faded away. But that was fine. That was good.
Forget the ambush. Don’t think about what comes next. Miracles were impossible. I would kill him from the shadows. This man who sought to take my freedom.
The moon shone brightly. I knelt as if offering a prayer to it.
I slowly raised my body. My gaze was neither high nor low.
No screams erupted. What remained was silence. Everyone was too stunned to speak, staring at me.
And then, for the first time in a long while, I returned to my original form outside.
The first to speak was Katerina.
“Baro… this time, you’re a human!”
I’m sorry, but my true form… is not a dog.
However, there was no time for apologies now. I shook my head vigorously.
I had just received blood, but whether I could defeat Oliver in my vampire form was uncertain. According to Senri, Werewolves were said to rival or even surpass Vampires in sheer physical strength. For the deceased and the End Knights, Werewolves could be more of a nuisance than Vampires.
“Well then… it’s the third round…”
I extended my claws and glared at Oliver.
Oliver was dumbfounded. His eyes widened, and he trembled as he stared at me. The surprise in his expression was far greater than when I had grown larger.
Was it that rare for me to take on a humanoid form? He himself shifted between human and beast forms.
Our eyes met. Looking again, I felt an overwhelming sense of intimidation. If only I could pierce through his fur with my claws. At the very least, I needed to buy time until Senri returned.
I had regenerative abilities, so it shouldn’t be too difficult. As I advanced, Oliver let out a dry voice.
“Y-You… you can’t be serious… a Vampire…!? No wonder… my body has… wounds… no, that ability is—n-no, no way…”
The emotion laced in his voice was pure fear. White foam dribbled from his mouth. His irises shrank in excitement.
His arms, which should have easily crushed me, trembled as the tips of his claws shook. As I stepped forward, he took a few steps back. The arrogance and bravery he had just moments ago were nowhere to be found.
His trembling voice echoed through the night. Then, Oliver knelt, bowing as if to offer his neck.
“‘Ancestor’… ‘King of the Dead.’ I didn’t know, I didn’t know! I am but a loyal, powerless, mere dog!”
What is this…? This is bad. Very bad.