Chapter 159: Battling the Corrupted Beasts
The Demon Lion Sabnock has reigned as the apex predator of the ecosystem in the Demon Realm’s Plain for over a century. Its minions, the Corrupted Beasts, while not as formidable as Sabnock, are still undeniably strong. About five of these beasts have appeared, matching our numbers, excluding the healing Priest Rail. Perhaps it was the loss of their kin or the burning of their home in the Plain that fueled their rage, as they let out a furious roar and charged at us.
“Everyone, be careful!”
Rest called out to his companions, urging them to stay vigilant. For the four of them, excluding Lübesse, this was their first encounter with such foes.
“Their saliva is laced with corrosive poison! Even a small amount can be fatal. Don’t approach carelessly!”
“Understood!”
Despite the warning, Lübesse kicked off the ground and leaped forward. Ignoring the caution, he closed in on one of the Corrupted Beasts.
“GYAO!”
“Too slow.”
As the Corrupted Beast prepared to retaliate, Lübesse had already completed his attack. With a speed that was almost imperceptible, he sliced through the beast’s long tongue, followed by a clean severing of its front leg.
“GYA…”
“End of the line.”
And then, as the beast lost its balance, Lübesse delivered a final, decisive strike. The head of the Corrupted Beast fell to the ground, marking an overwhelming victory for him, even though it was only his second battle.
“Ha!”
“GYAAAO!?”
Meanwhile, Yuri kicked a stone at another Corrupted Beast, sending it hurtling forward at bullet-like speed, embedding itself into the beast’s skull.
“Take that!”
“GY…!”
As the Corrupted Beast staggered, Yuri closed the distance in an instant. With a kick reminiscent of a reaper’s scythe, she cleaved the beast in two, ending its life. Despite not using any Body Enhancement Magic, her strength was astounding. If that had been a soccer ball, it surely would have burst upon impact.
“【Thunder Bolt】!”
Isis employed the fundamental tactics of a magician, launching powerful long-range magical attacks. Keeping her distance, she fired spells at the enemy, ensuring they couldn’t close in. Choosing to unleash electric attacks was likely to paralyze the beasts and slow their movements. While one strike might be endured, the second and third would inevitably bring them down.
“OOOHHHHHHHHHH!”
The Corrupted Beast that approached was met by the veteran knight, Argil, who had thus far remained in the background. Rest felt a twinge of concern for him, but Argil deftly dodged the corrosive saliva the beast spat and unleashed a magical slash infused with his power.
“【Sky Slash】!”
“GYAO!”
The wind magic carried with his slash tore into the Corrupted Beast’s face. Though it still lived, the second and third strikes landed with precision.
“Hah!”
And then, as the beast weakened, Argil delivered the finishing blow. Closing the distance, he thrust his weapon into the back of the beast’s neck, piercing its medulla oblongata and extinguishing its life completely. Despite having no prior opportunity to shine in their investigations, he proved to be exceptionally strong in battle. The title of veteran knight was certainly not a lie.
“GYAO!”
The last remaining Corrupted Beast turned tail and attempted to flee. It seemed to realize that, with its comrades defeated, it stood no chance of victory.
“…Well, that’s not a bad judgment call.”
It was a wise decision for a beast. Naturally, however, Rest had no intention of letting it escape.
“【Amaterasu】”
“GYA…!”
He fired a beam of light at the fleeing Corrupted Beast’s rear. Rest had not merely stood by, observing his allies’ battles. During the skirmish, he had been absorbing light into the Dark Star, gathering energy.
(This time, I decided to change my approach and conserve the amount of light I absorb… but it seems I can easily take down foes of this caliber.)
The beam he unleashed pierced straight through the Corrupted Beast, from its rear to its head, claiming its life in a single strike. To avoid plunging the area into complete darkness and causing trouble for his allies, he had intentionally limited the absorption of light to a dim glow. While this reduced the energy gathered, it was still sufficient to defeat the enemy with a bit of time.
“Alright, no problems here. Battle concluded.”
There were no signs of reinforcements from the enemy. It seemed that the final battle of the day had ended without incident. Rest, Lübesse, Yuri, Isis, and even Argil had demonstrated their combat prowess. Unless they were exceedingly careless, they should be able to carry out their future investigations without any trouble.
“…G-Good job, everyone.”
The only one who seemed uncomfortable was Priest Rail, but given that no one had been injured in the fight, Rest hoped he would be forgiven for his unease.