◆ Negesta Territory, Maden Wasteland ◆
The Dirty Core, with its black mane and fur, and its eerie, pale blue eyes, exuded an unsettling aura. It was a mystery why the Detect Ring couldn’t read it. Normally, a ferocious beast would bare its teeth and drool, but from that black lion, I felt no trace of primal instinct. Anyone with battle experience would be on high alert, and I doubted it would dare to approach like Balbus did, getting right in its face.
【Balbus the Beast King attacks!】
Suddenly, he landed a punch squarely on its snout, the force overwhelming the nearby soldiers with sheer pressure. Even those ferocious Servants were completely intimidated, leaping back as if repelled by the Beast King’s strike. I didn’t even want to imagine how many humans could be killed by just that one punch. Yet, as if it were merely a greeting, Balbus laughed without pursuing the attack. He twisted his neck as if to say he was waiting for the Dirty Core to regain its stance and counterattack.
“Strange.”
【The Dirty Core takes no damage!】
Despite being struck with such force, the Dirty Core showed no signs of bleeding. Normally, a creature would go into a frenzy and retaliate immediately, but that black beast merely turned its head slowly toward Balbus.
“It seems that simple power alone cannot inflict damage.”
“Hah! To reach that conclusion with just that one strike is impressive. It seems you are a somewhat intelligent beast.”
“Are you just going to watch while your Servant fights? What a contemptible man you are.”
“In Noibranz, possessing a Servant is a mark of excellence. Thus, the strength of the Servant reflects my own prowess as a Master.”
“…Is that so?”
“What?!”
Balbus chuckled derisively, as if he had noticed something. I too had been slightly concerned about that. He was trying to appear relaxed with his arms crossed, but I could see beads of sweat trickling down Gaster’s forehead.
“Th-This is bad! Lua-chan, we should definitely help…”
“But if we do that, Balbus will surely get angry. Unlike before, he wants to fight that monster alone now.”
“That’s right, I need no help. Stop with your strange antics.”
Look, the scary cat is glaring with shining eyes and claws. He must have faith in Balbus’s abilities, but if he can’t inflict damage, there’s nothing that can be done. Eventually, he would wear out, and Balbus would be the one to succumb. Nice, the calmest among the Beastkin, must be feeling something different now.
“Go! Dirty Core!”
【The Dirty Core unleashes Dark Mist! Balbus the Beast King has fallen into darkness!】
“Ugh…!”
Black mist erupted from the Dirty Core, enveloping Balbus in an instant. Immediately after, the Dirty Core charged at the dazed Balbus, sinking its fangs into his shoulder. Its gaze had completely transformed from before, now glinting with a blood-red intensity, intent on tearing Balbus apart.
【Balbus the Beast King takes 431 damage! HP 30614/31045】
“How dare you!”
【Balbus the Beast King’s Beast Rush!】
I couldn’t let the Dirty Core escape after it released its grip due to the shock of Balbus’s powerful blow to its belly. Extending his claws, sharper and thicker than Nice’s, he aimed to tear through the beast, from its head to its toes.
【Cannot inflict damage on the Dirty Core!】
It was as if Balbus’s claws had turned invisible, slipping right through the Dirty Core. No, they made contact, but it was as if the creature had regenerated. I couldn’t understand it, but this truly felt hopeless. I couldn’t fight without knowing the monster’s traits, and in situations like this, I would usually escape. Yet Balbus was smiling even now. Somehow, he seemed to be enjoying himself much more than before.
“Hehehe, truly seems immortal.”
“A beast with only a charge in its mind. Why not give up already?”
“Give up? Me?”
“Yes, no one can defeat the Dirty Core.”
“I see, it seems you’ve only faced weaklings.”
He didn’t appear to be bluffing. Gaster seemed to pick up on this too, as Balbus snapped his claws with even more delight than before.
“Nice, does Balbus have some sort of plan?”
“A plan? I have none.”
“Then how…”
“That man cannot possibly lose to such a creature, can he?”
The clash between beasts resumed. Biting, tearing, every form of violence assaulted Balbus. He fought back, but naturally, he couldn’t inflict damage on that monster. Still, Balbus didn’t give up, again and again and again.
“Why don’t you give up already…?”
“You seem to be struggling quite a bit. What’s wrong for someone who hasn’t even fought?”
“Ah, it’s you who should give up… Look, the Dirty Core is completely unscathed…”
【The Dirty Core is observing!】
Despite being covered in blood, Balbus showed no signs of distress, standing as he had at the start of the battle. Meanwhile, the Dirty Core seemed to be losing its initial vigor. Though it summoned black mist, enlarged black fangs, and created dark duplicates to launch a full assault on Balbus, it was beginning to feel fear in the face of his unwavering stance.
“Dirty Core! What are you doing?”
“If you lack fighting spirit, then retreat, master.”
“Why on earth! If you push now, victory is yours! Dirty Core!”
“What a contemptible man you are.”
“Y-You! Don’t come any closer! You all, stop watching and kill this thing!”
As Balbus approached Gaster with large strides, the soldiers mounted on Servants surrounded him. They knew that Balbus, who couldn’t even defeat the Dirty Core, wouldn’t back down now.
“If you don’t understand why, let me tell you. It was I who was overwhelming.”
“That’s not it! The Dirty Core…”
“How many days do you plan to keep fighting?”
“…H-How many days?”
“Or perhaps half a month?”
“Once, Lord Balbus fought for days without food or water. If you lack even that level of fighting spirit, you have no right to be on the battlefield. I myself could only last two days…”
Fighting spirit? That sounds like something out of a story from King Kashiram. Nice spoke as if it were her own tale, but if that were true, it was utterly monstrous. Even I couldn’t go without food or water. I was reminded once again of the stark difference between Beastkin and humans.
“Protect Captain Gaster!”
“Shut up!”
【Balbus the Beast King’s Beast Rush!
Dealt 3401 damage to the Red Salamanders! HP 0/1374
Dealt 4018 damage to the Scary Dogs! HP 0/973
Dealt 3699 damage to the Reptiles! HP 0/752】
With a flurry of punches, Balbus obliterated the Servants, leaving no trace behind. Most of the soldiers lost their mounts in that attack. Those who weren’t incapacitated by the impact still clutched their weapons, determined to approach Balbus.
“You useless fools! Is this how you represent the esteemed Noibranz?”
“You are not even a little elegant. I can’t watch this.”
A vertical line of light split Gaster from head to groin, as if a fruit had been sliced open. His body, split in two without a drop of blood, was enveloped in particles of light, floating like fireflies before gradually vanishing. Standing behind him was a young man with long, white hair and a golden collar, dressed in oversized pants from which a duck’s head protruded. Frankly, I couldn’t make sense of it. All I understood was that it was this man’s hand that had killed Gaster. He grinned at us, his lips curling into a disturbingly wide smile.
“GRRRROOOOAAARRR!”
【The Dirty Core has been defeated! HP 0/?????】
As the Dirty Core let out a roar, its body dispersed into black mist and vanished. The moment Gaster was killed, that monster disappeared too. What did this mean?
“G-G-Gaster Captain?! Lord Schwelm! Why has this happened?!”
“You’ve lost most of your forces and shown a miserable display without knowing when to retreat. You are no longer useful as a soldier, are you? If you return to the homeland like this, you’ll only be executed.”
“B-But still!”
“What? Do you have any complaints?”
Contrary to his bizarre appearance with a duck attached to his lower half, the killing intent he radiated could easily threaten the lives of every soldier present. Those who met his gaze seemed to struggle to breathe, gasping as air rushed through their throats. Soldiers clad in sturdy armor trembled like children who had seen a ghost. After looking down at those who had fallen and were unable to move, the duck man turned his smile back toward us.
“Ah, elegant young lady. How delightful to see you!”
The duck-like man, Schwelm, spread his arms wide as if welcoming us, completely ignoring Balbus standing right in front of him. It was impossible for Balbus not to feel anger at such a blatant disregard. In an instant, a massive hand shot out towards Schwelm, as if to grab him and crush him in one swift motion. However, by the time Balbus’s arm swung through the air, Schwelm had already appeared right before us, smiling cheerfully as if he had teleported from his previous position. Before I could even voice my surprise, Kurinka instinctively clutched my arm.
“W-what was that…?”
“I apologize for the inconvenience caused by my rather unsightly troops. I am Schwelm, one of the Ten Destroyers of Noibranz. Honestly, these barbarians have no sense of elegance whatsoever.”
“The Ten Destroyers… so you’re S-rank…”
“I hope you can forgive us for this incident. Of course, I understand that a mere apology won’t suffice. We will take full responsibility for any damages incurred during this advance.”
“This isn’t something we should discuss here.”
Baran interjected, but Schwelm merely glanced at him as if he were something filthy. Balbus, realizing he had been ignored, was already brimming with rage, his claws poised for battle. Wait a moment, we might have been able to resolve this peacefully.
“Now, as a gesture of apology…”
“That should be discussed formally with your king.”
“Shut up! I don’t need to hear your nonsense, you bald fool!”
Schwelm turned to Baran, his demeanor shifting dramatically, veins bulging on his forehead. The calmness he had displayed moments before vanished, replaced by the roughness of a bandit. Yet, Baran, being the adult in this situation, remained unfazed, glaring at Schwelm without flinching.
“…So, about the trouble we’ve caused you. As a token of gratitude, I would like to make you my mistress.”
“Mistress…?”
“Wait, what?!”
It was only natural for us to respond in unison. Was he joking or serious? And what even is a mistress? From Baran’s tense expression, it was clear he knew exactly what that meant. Nice, on the other hand, had never let go of her murderous intent from the start, ready to strike down both Balbus and Schwelm at any moment.
“There’s no need to hold back. Despite my appearance, I am only interested in elegant women, particularly the Flash Strike Girl and the Flame Princess. You two would be perfect as my eighty-third mistress.”
Balbus the Beast King’s Attack!
“By the way, my eighty-second mistress is a woman from this country, named…”
Schwelm deftly dodged!
Once again, he easily evaded Balbus’s punch, all while boasting and not even bothering to turn around.
“…Incredible speed.”
Yes, even Nice hesitated to attack due to his overwhelming swiftness.
“Right, I should have introduced myself properly. I am the ‘Shining Prince.’ Please call me that with elegance.”
“I-I’ve heard the rumors… the one who manipulates light and resolves matters with equal speed and time, an S-rank…”
Baran spoke, cold sweat dripping down his face, completely overwhelmed. I could sense that both Nice and Balbus were feeling a hint of fear towards this strong individual they were meeting for the first time, aside from me. Their reluctance to attack indicated their hesitation.
“The Ten Destroyers of Noibranz… they might just be a gathering of calamity…”
Indeed, this duck-like man spoke of mistresses and other nonsensical things, but he certainly seemed powerful.
“Lua-chan, I don’t like this person…”
Yeah, I don’t like him either. By the way, is light really that fast?
◆ Shin Report ◆
A clash of beasts, a messy brawl
Normally, the black one would have won
What a shameful display
But truly, even after days of fighting
Silence would be troubling
It troubles others too
Hmm, others?
By the way, what is this mistress thing?
Well, I can somewhat understand Kurinka
From Shin’s perspective, she’s just a smelly brat
But, well, Rux isn’t bad
And Lua?
Is she wandering around tasting the world’s delicacies?
Ah, this is why the wealthy are…
By the way, is light faster than Lua?
Shin is curious about this age-old question.