Outskirts of Kashiram Royal Capital – North Side
“Wow! Even though we warped here, look at that defense! I should have just warped directly to the Royal Capital!”
“That’s why we can’t do that. My abilities aren’t omnipotent either.”
Before the Royal Capital of Kashiram stands an overwhelming number of soldiers. It’s as if they anticipated our arrival. Well, the Beastkin over there have already been taken down, so I guess that’s the reason for their vigilance. Just how many are there? It’s definitely more than double our numbers. It seems even Getou’s spatial magic has its limits, so it looks like we have no choice but to fight. I mean, can that group riding those ugly horse-like creatures really be that strong? I can’t believe the Beastkin lost to them.
“Ah, you’ve arrived, Phantom! I am Jisphamt, the King of Kashiram! Where is your leader? Step forward and introduce yourself!”
“What’s with that old man? He’s the king, yet he’s right in the front line. What if an arrow hits him in the head? Is he out of his mind?”
“What’s the matter? Are you not going to introduce yourself?”
That dark-skinned, savage-looking old man is the king? This country must have a terrible system. If that’s the case, it would be kind of nice to wipe them out and take over ourselves. We’re clearly superior to humans, after all. Who does he think he is, demanding an introduction? What a fool.
“Yes, yes! I am Elmera, the leader of the Phantom! From now on, this country will be under the Phantom’s command, so let’s get along!”
“So, you intend to fight us no matter what?”
“That means you have no intention of submitting to us!”
“Your Majesty, I can hardly believe that is the leader.”
A silver-haired handsome man is whispering to the king. Don’t underestimate an elf’s hearing; even at a distance, I can hear everything.
In Front of the North Gate of Kashiram Royal Capital
The broom-like, radiating green hair stands out strangely even in the night’s darkness. Her skin is almost pearlescent, and though she’s small for a human girl, she looks to be around sixteen at most. Yet, this girl leads such a grotesque army without a hint of shame. The world truly is unpredictable.
The squad we repelled the other day was strong. The Beastkin possess physical abilities that humans lack. For instance, cat-people can see well at night, and dog-people have an extraordinary sense of smell. They are not easy opponents in battle. That’s just a general observation, though.
“Elmera, what is your objective?”
The king and the girl named Elmera stand in a straight line facing each other. The distance between them is close enough to see clearly. Even an untrained adult could reach them in about twenty seconds at full sprint. Allowing such close proximity was a miscalculation. However, if it’s due to some skill, then it could be considered a stroke of luck. Depending on the circumstances, they might have already invaded the Royal Capital.
“The Phantom has been persecuted by you humans for so long. We are stronger and smarter than you, yet we are treated terribly just because we look different. Isn’t that ridiculous? It’s infuriating!”
“I see, you have quite the fighting spirit.”
“Naturally, in an ecosystem, the strongest should be at the top, right? It’s infuriating to see the weak take our sisters and act like rulers while turning into monsters… I want to kill them.”
The girl’s smile carries a certain eerie shadow. I can’t tell if this is her true nature or not. It feels as if she’s forgotten something important somewhere.
“I don’t know what kind of treatment you’ve received or when, but that has nothing to do with us. You see all humans as evil and are willing to trample on the lives of our good citizens. Think again: is this something that must be achieved at the cost of our mutual sacrifices?”
“Is that a provocation, saying that if we fight, you won’t come out unscathed? Ahaha!”
“…Do you know about the Demon Continent War?”
It was a bloody war that occurred several hundred years ago. There has hardly been a time in history without war. And if one were to speak of its horrors, there is no better example than the Demon Continent War. The more I learn about it through documents, the more it makes my skin crawl. Once you realize that the war started due to one king’s selfish desires, no one could help but grit their teeth.
The final number of casualties is still unknown, but it is said to be at least in the hundreds of thousands. Noibranz boasted tremendous military power on this continent at that time. Soldiers mounted on Servants could easily overturn a numerical disadvantage. Even seasoned soldiers from other nations, equipped with weapons crafted by excellent blacksmiths, would come to terms with their own powerlessness.
However, conversely, no matter how great their power, they could not unify this continent. Why? It’s simple. As long as the ones fighting are humans, they get hungry. Resources are limited. Especially in war, securing supply lines is the lifeline. If the fighting drags on, that becomes increasingly difficult. Ultimately, Noibranz was worn down little by little against the coalition forces of other nations. In other words, such overwhelming military power is only that much; a foolish king who does not understand this can challenge invasion wars. That is what the king passionately speaks of as true power.
“Fighting spirit.”
“Huh?”
“Fighting spirit is the will to confront. But Noibranz foolishly misunderstood that. They misjudged who they were confronting. For hundreds of years, the royal family has passed down their ambitions without fail, making them a despised foolish race.”
“I don’t get it, can I attack now?”
“Deck! Bring those guys over!”
“Yes!”
Captain Deck gives orders to his subordinates, bringing over a certain group. Seeing this, that girl can no longer act carefree. The cheerful expression on her youthful face transforms into one of shock, as if a Cave Rabbit had just breathed fire at her.
What stands before her are none other than the Beastkin who invaded Kashiram. Additionally, a group of Dwarfs is also present. Another factor that must have shocked the girl is that they are not restrained by any bindings.
“W-What are you all doing? Why are you alive?!”
“I honestly thought we were dead. But we were treated. Is that Igul who flew over there safe?”
“Huh?! What?!”
“We were helpless against the king here and that human named Weiss. It was humiliating; I never thought I would lose to a human.”
A Beastkin dressed like a wolf speaks quietly, his low voice contrasting with his fierce appearance. The bloodthirsty beasts that had charged in are no longer present. They have realized something.
“I’ve heard that in the human world, the losing side in a war is kept alive, called ‘Horyo.’ That’s unthinkable in our world.”
“We were prepared to be eaten, yet the humans ordered us around. It was infuriating, but there was no chance of winning if we rebelled… We had no choice but to comply.”
“So, you were used well, huh?”
The girl who had just been smiling condescendingly is nowhere to be found. Her eyes have turned into a frozen lake, devoid of light. It wasn’t just me who felt the illusion of being shown a world detached from this one. The faint sound of metal clinking from the soldiers’ armor can be heard. The spare quivers attached to their backs and the soldiers’ gear are making subtle contact. A quiet fear, the most silent in the world, spreads throughout the entire unit in an instant.
Just moments ago, I could only feel shame for doubting that girl was the leader. Now, I can only accept that it is precisely because of her that these strong and proud Beastkin are being subdued.
“So, what now?”
“W-Well, we just worked hard… But of course, our basic needs were met, and the humans didn’t discriminate against us.”
“On the contrary, they were pleased! They envied us for our strength and praised us for how much work we accomplished in a few days! At first, I thought it was all fake, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought…”
“I guess it feels good to be needed… Ah, of course, the humans looked down on us, thinking we couldn’t even do this!”
The Beastkin’s extraordinary fear is palpable. Every word they speak shows their desperate effort to avoid touching Elmera’s temper. The girl, with her cold, dark eyes, is sizing up the Beastkin while brushing her hair back. The hesitation of whether to exercise the power of life and death over them sends a chill down my spine.
“So, what are you trying to say?”
“What I mean is, even in this era, we have a place to live… And if we can understand each other with humans… then that would be better.”
“I never expected a human to come,” he said with a hint of disbelief.
“Not really,” she replied, her tone indifferent.
“Take this!” she shouted fiercely.
There was no room for negotiation now. With the oncoming horde of Beastkin and Giants, we had to act quickly; otherwise, the Royal Capital would fall by nightfall. If we were to be breached here, countless lives would be lost. We had trained tirelessly for this moment, and despite the inevitability of battle, none of us would falter.
“All units, charge!”
Every squad united to face the wave of Phantoms. The Beastkin on our side had been instructed to retreat swiftly; if a fight broke out, they would not take sides. This arrangement had been the basis for their treatment until now.
“Damn it! What are we supposed to do?”
“We can’t just sit here and watch…”
“It can’t be helped. We’ll step back.”
“Are you giving up, Dwarves?!”
“What can we do?”
It was impossible to blame the Dwarf who voiced such a painfully accurate reality. The Beastkin walked away, heads down, towards the Royal Capital.
“I am Aslat, the chief of the Giant Race! If you don’t want to be crushed, you better run back to your doghouse and tremble!” His laughter boomed like thunder.
“Follow Lord Aslat!”
Men clad in armor that dwarfed even the largest of us charged forward, shaking the earth with their might. According to the Beastkin, those were the Giants. Their size was intimidating, but it was said that their combat instincts surpassed even those of the Beastkin. The scars on their arms told a tale of battles fought, where their skin had been wounded, but never deeply enough to be truly harmed.
【Giant Giga has appeared! HP 7439】
【Giant Krop has appeared! HP 8102】
【Giant Dold has appeared! HP 6750】
“They’re huge! For now, scatter and create some distance!”
This battle depended heavily on the leadership of each unit’s captain. It was clear that we were vastly outmatched in individual capabilities. If one of their fists so much as grazed a soldier, it would incapacitate them, rendering them effectively dead. But we all understood this. Our strength lay in our mobility and coordination. When a Giant struck the ground, it screamed in agony, creating a crater large enough to swallow two or three adults. It was a cliché, but there was no way to defeat such monsters head-on.
【Giant Krop’s attack! The Kashiram soldier dodged nimbly!】
“Ugh! So nimble!”
Despite their massive size, they were anything but slow. In fact, their muscle mass allowed for surprising speed. What could counteract that? Terrain advantage and tactical knowledge. Yes, we had the wisdom to utilize our mobility effectively. We sensed the subtle changes in the terrain and adjusted our movements accordingly. Only someone like the Flash Strike Girl could achieve results through sheer brute force. We trained for this almost daily, and this was our home turf. The Giants lacked the knowledge and adaptability that led to their current predicament.
【Giant Giga took 328 damage! HP 7111/7439】
“Ugh! My eyes… you wretched beings!”
【Giant Giga took 214 damage! HP 6897/7439】
“Now my legs… you filthy insects!”
The agile units leaping through the air must have been a mystery to them. For us humans, it was akin to swarms of unpredictable insects bouncing around. And these insects moved with intent and purpose. If someone who despised bugs were to encounter such a situation, their heart rate would surely skyrocket. While anger and humiliation drove the Giants, it also clouded their judgment.
【Weiss’s attack! Dealt 1295 damage to Giant Giga! HP 5602/7439】
【Weiss’s attack! Dealt 1302 damage to Giant Giga! HP 4300/7439】
【Weiss’s Flash Strike! Dealt 2410 damage to Giant Giga! HP 1890/7439】
【Weiss’s Flash Strike, Second Form! Dealt 4003 damage to Giant Giga!
Giant Giga has been defeated! HP 0/7439】
“Ugh…!”
My leaps, powered by my passive skills, were beyond what an ordinary soldier could achieve. Taking them down without them even noticing was hardly a challenge. This was the essence of the Centaur Knight’s ultimate technique, the Infinite Combo Attack. Only His Majesty could question such a name. But if I hit at maximum capacity, I could surpass even His Majesty’s secret arts.
“Giga! Stop fooling around and get back up!”
“Well done, Weiss! We can’t afford to fall behind!”
It seemed the fall of one of their comrades had taken them by surprise. As Giga succumbed to the pull of gravity, their movements slowed significantly. With one of their strongest fighters down, both the Giants and Beastkin had no choice but to view the Centaur Knights as a formidable threat.
“Is this some kind of joke? This can’t be the strength of humans!”
“This is the strength of humans, my comrades. We too fell before that strange technique.”
One of the Beastkin had somehow made it to the front lines. Amidst the chaos, he stood quietly, showing no sign of fear as he spoke to his allies. I had no intention of telling him to retreat now; they were free to act as they pleased, as long as they didn’t interfere with us.
“W-what is this?!”
Elmera, panicking like a girl visiting the city for the first time, was witnessing an unbelievable scene. The Giants were being toyed with by our cavalry, and the Beastkin were already beginning to fall. While we had suffered casualties, we were clearly gaining the upper hand on this battlefield. The Giants and Beastkin wielded terrifying physical abilities, but they were just shy of reaching us. Why was that? From their movements, it was clear they were lacking something.
“Why?! Why is this happening?!”
“Hehehe… If it were one-on-one or in small numbers, the cavalry would have likely lost. The Beastkin and Giants have that much potential.”
“Ah! The foolish king’s voice! Where are you?! Where are you?!”
“Right here!”
“Pigyaaaaaaa!”
Elmera rolled away from His Majesty, who had descended from the sky. It was understandable to lose sight of him in the chaos, but I felt a flicker of doubt at her utter lack of defense. I had no intention of questioning her leadership qualities at this point.
“Hah! Hah! That surprised me! Don’t just drop in like that!”
“You should have been more alert. Look, I’m already at the Phantom’s throat!”
“Protect Lady Elmera!”
“Kaah!”
【King of Kashiram’s Great War Axe Wind!】
The wind pressure from the Great War Axe kept the approaching Beastkin at bay. Not only did the force of the wind demonstrate our superiority, but it also allowed me to create a space to speak with Elmera.
“Now, let’s talk slowly. Continuing from earlier…”
“Ah, I’ll be throwing punches, but is that okay with you? You look like the type to say you don’t hit girls.”
“I will hit you!”
To anyone unaware, it would seem unthinkable for His Majesty to strike first, even against a girl. Yet, Elmera’s impressive combat skills allowed her to dodge His Majesty’s fist with ease, leaving me in awe.
“Damn old man, I’ll smash you!”
With a flick of her green bangs, Elmera clenched her fists, and His Majesty merely smirked in response.
◆ Shin Report ◆
I’m sleepy.