◆ Avangarde Royal Capital – In Front of the Castle Gate ◆
A man was nailed to a post, his limbs pinned down, while two women clung desperately to his legs. A stick-like appendage extended from their waists, connecting to the back of a giant centipede-like creature. I couldn’t find the words to describe it; it was beyond expression. The more I looked at this grotesque monster, the more unsettling it became. It seemed to resemble Ganoas, perhaps transformed like the Twelve Demon Generals we had defeated before, but I didn’t even want to call it a monster. It was the very definition of repulsive.
“I need to show off a bit, or I won’t get my paycheck,” Tiferia, the Master Knight, said.
Even during the Combat Tournament, she hadn’t shown her true strength. In fact, the battles had ended before she even had a chance to go all out. So, it was hard to believe that this person was said to wield over a hundred sword techniques. During the Garden of Beasts, she had fought primarily with just one skill, and while it was a cliché to say, she was a person whose depths I couldn’t fathom.
“Well then… here I go!”
【Tiferia unleashed One Tempo Kill!】
【Tiferia’s Sword Waltz!】
【Tiferia unleashed Thousand Slice!】
【Tiferia unleashed Splash Sword!】
【Tiferia unleashed Mad Crimson Moon!】
【Tiferia unleashed Dead or Dead!】
【Tiferia unleashed Plasma Wave Slash!】
【Tiferia unleashed Prominence Trust!】
【Tiferia unleashed Great Splitting Slash!】
【Tiferia unleashed Panic Crack!】
【Tiferia unleashed Screwed Drive!】
Everything happened at once. Lava spears, spinning swords, and water-splashing blades danced around Tiferia. Her skills multiplied as she moved. That incomprehensible creature was larger than three adults combined, yet Tiferia’s skills seemed to overwhelm it. The lava spears crackled with electricity, encircling the monster in a mesmerizing dance. It was a full-scale assault from all directions. As I watched her graceful swordplay, I was completely entranced.
【Dealt 16,169 damage to Ganoas, Chaos from the Abyss! HP 50,497/66,666】
“Oh my, it’s so tough. Hey, Rua and Roel, can you help me out? I can’t handle this alone!”
“N-No, it’s not like I was slacking off or anything…”
“Rua, you can take it down easily, right?”
A chill ran down my spine. This wasn’t the usual laid-back tone from Tiferia; her voice was fast and cold, yet perfectly clear. Her mouth twisted slightly, as if mocking me. Her eyes were sharp and unyielding, making her seem like a completely different person.
“…Tiferia?”
“Yes?”
“Never mind…”
Even if I confirmed it, there was nothing I could do. Maybe I was just misinterpreting her tone, and when I thought about it, I realized I hardly knew her at all. Perhaps this was just one of her facets, and worrying about it was pointless.
“Rua-chan, can you take that down…? I really don’t want to touch it…”
“You don’t have to touch it; Kurinka has her flame on her staff… Well, I’ll handle it.”
【Rua’s Attack!】
If I used Sonic Ripper carelessly, it could cause damage all the way to the main street. I didn’t want to destroy the beautiful tree-lined avenue, and fighting in town meant I couldn’t afford to be reckless. So, I lightly jumped, turning my body halfway as I sliced through slowly. A grotesque scream, neither male nor female, erupted from the monster as it was cut diagonally in half.
【Dealt 4,396,480 damage to Ganoas, Chaos from the Abyss!】
Defeated Ganoas, Chaos from the Abyss! HP 0/66,666】
“AAAHHHHH!”
I sliced it to pieces, leaving no trace behind. If it could regenerate, it would be troublesome; I had seen monsters in the Abyss Cave that completely regenerated from a single piece of flesh, and this one felt like it could do the same. If I completely obliterated it, no matter what it was, it wouldn’t be able to regenerate.
“I was going to support you with a speed-up spell, but it seems that’s unnecessary. I really want to help you, Rua-chan…”
“You don’t need to worry about that. Kurinka helps me all the time.”
“R-Really?”
“Yeah, if I started listing examples, it would never end.”
“Eh, ehehe…”
Kurinka often does a half-turn with her staff when she’s happy. When she’s in a bad mood, she pouts. She hasn’t changed a bit since childhood. I should have noticed when we first met, but I didn’t. Ten years have passed since then, so I suppose it’s understandable, but I feel a bit regretful now.
Just as I was feeling relieved, Shin poked me in the back. No, it was more like he was stabbing me. This kid really had no mercy towards me.
“What are you so relaxed about?! That thing… no, those things are still not dead!”
Looking over, I saw the grotesque monster I thought I had completely obliterated, its form flickering like a heat haze. I gasped. In that moment, I sensed it. This wasn’t just any monster. No, it was questionable whether it was even a monster at all.
【Ganoas, Chaos from the Abyss has reappeared! HP 66,666】
“Whaaat?! Why?!”
“Well, you see, with these kinds of monsters, the main body might be somewhere else, but I don’t think that’s the case here.”
“Oh dear… if Rua can’t take it down, then I can’t handle it either. This is troublesome.”
With her elongated tone that suggested she wasn’t really troubled, it was clear she felt no sense of urgency. The evidence was in her relaxed stance, completely leaving it up to me.
I hoped it was just my imagination, but I felt like I was being watched. I sensed a sharp gaze from her narrowed eyes as she smiled mischievously. Suddenly, I recalled the murderous intent from Kirkton and Mugen. I wanted to believe I was just overthinking it.
“Shin, what’s going on with that thing?”
“Ganoas… has touched the forbidden.”
“Forbidden?”
“This is a punishment for deceiving the Demon Lord’s gaze and summoning that thing… that thing…”
Shin’s trembling grew more pronounced. I still didn’t understand what he knew. What did he mean by summoning that thing?
【Ganoas, Chaos from the Abyss unleashed Stompy Wire!】
Just when I thought I could relax, thin, iron wires shot out from the mouths of the grotesque figures, male and female alike. Were they planning to attack indiscriminately? This was something I couldn’t ignore.
Even as I swiftly surrounded the area to cut the wires, their movements didn’t stop. At this point, I had no choice but to defeat it once more.
“Please, just go down this time!”
【Rua’s Attack!】
I swung Disballade with all my might. I realized while using it that the explosion I thought was an added effect had disappeared. It turned out it was just unstable, and I was grateful to Hans for that. Thanks to him, I could slice through even a foe of that caliber without any sensation. I remembered helping Kurinka with cooking once, cutting some incredibly tender meat, but this was even easier to slice through. I had been told to cut it into chunks, but when I sliced it to dust as usual, I was scolded like a raging fire. Because of that, I hadn’t been allowed to help again since.
【Dealt 46,004,914 damage to Ganoas, Chaos from the Abyss!】
Defeated Ganoas, Chaos from the Abyss! HP 0/66,666】
“This time for sure…!”
“AAAAAAAHHHHH!”
The grotesque monster slithered back into existence from the empty space, as if nothing had happened. This time, it looked like naked men and women intertwined, with beasts gnawing at them. I had no words to describe such a sight.
“…It might be Undead. I’ll give it a try.”
Kurinka’s body began to glow softly, and a scene reminiscent of the Ghost Ship unfolded. But there was no change in that grotesque monster. In other words, it wasn’t even Undead. At this point, I had no choice but to keep attacking until it stopped reviving. I wondered if my stamina would hold out.
“That thing is… that thing is…”
“Shin, what is that thing?”
“Ganoas has been consumed by it… I saw it by chance. Ganoas was engrossed in a ritual to summon something from the Demon Realm… The Demon Realm… is not just a fictional world in the human realm. It exists. It exists!”
“Demon Realm?”
“Ganoas has touched something he shouldn’t have! What kind of thing did he bring here?! Just like how a human wouldn’t bother to crush an anthill… if we don’t touch the Demon Realm, there won’t be any problems! Rua! What should we do?! I’m… I’m scared!”
Shin slipped around from behind me and began to sob softly. I could feel the depth of his fear for the Demon Realm and the terror he held for that being. In moments like this, I wondered if it would be better to just embrace him.
“The Demon Realm is a place even the Demon Lord fears… That being came from there… They say he is the King of Six-Six, possessing the lives of six hundred sixty-six thousand… It’s likely known as a fictional entity even in the human world…”
“Wow! I remember reading about that in a picture book when I was little! The story of a hero defeating the king with six hundred sixty thousand lives! I was on the edge of my seat reading it back then… but to think it actually exists…”
“Six hundred sixty thousand?! So that means there are six hundred sixty thousand of him?!”
“That’s a rather foolish interpretation, but yes, that’s how it is…”
Why does he always have to mock me like that? Honestly, I won’t help him anymore.
“The King of Six-Six… That guy has possessed Ganoas…”
“What a foolish being… Even without that, he was already among the top-tier of the Twelve Demon Generals… though he was rather overshadowed…”
“Kurinka, how did they defeat him in that picture book?”
“If I remember correctly, there was only one true soul of the King of Six-Six, and they struck that to defeat him… and then…”
“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!”
【Chaos from the Abyss, Ganoas, is transforming!】
Something black erupted from the peak of Ganoas like smoke. It took mere seconds to engulf the entire Avangarde Royal Capital.
“Whoa! It was clear just a moment ago…”
The darkness felt as if night had suddenly fallen. With that grotesque presence spreading across the sky, things were getting dire. If even the Five Elites, seasoned Adventurers, and soldiers were in such a state, what would happen to the ordinary people witnessing this?
“AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
“AHHHHHHH! NOOOOOO!”
“AH, AH, AH! AAAAAAH!”
The central street was filled with people who fainted from looking up at the sky, those in a daze, and others convulsing. What was I doing in such a situation? We were the only ones who could do something about this right now.
『The human world… Delicious… I shall feast…』
A voice lower and more muffled than anyone I had ever heard echoed through the air. The sky, filled with faces and various creatures, was enough to make even me feel nauseous just by looking at it.
“I wonder if there’s a real soul in there…”
“In the picture book, the hero could distinguish the voice of the King of Six-Six and identify the real one. That’s not very realistic, is it?”
“That’s fine, though.”
Ignoring the bewildered expressions of Kurinka and Tiferia, I tightened my grip on Disballade with determination.
“That’s fine? Did you come up with a good plan?!”
“It’s impossible! By striking Ganoas, the vessel, that thing emerged! Rua… you’ve only made things worse! It’s all over! It’s over! WAAAAAH!”
His panicked cries were annoying. Right now, Ganoas had summoned that monster for his own sake, plunging us into this terrible situation. I was getting angry—no, I was already furious. I couldn’t forgive that foolish Ganoas, nor could I stand the fact that we were at the mercy of that emotionless monster.
“Lua-chan, what are you going to do?! There’s no way to deal with that!”
“It’s just six hundred thousand, right?”
Yes, just six hundred thousand.
『I AM THE KING, I AM THE KING, I AM THE KING, I AM THE KING, I AM THE KING, I AM THE KING, I AM THE KING, I AM THE KING…』
【The King of Six-Six × 666666 has appeared! HP 666666】
“I’ll cut it six hundred thousand times.”
Before the other three could say anything, I sprang into action.