◆ Outside the Avangarde Royal Capital ◆
One of the Ten Destroyers of Noibranz, Maternya. A girl clad in something resembling a fur bikini, her messy brown hair forming cat ears, yet she is undeniably human. She excels in combat techniques that mimic the power of beasts and can even fly. Her physical abilities rival those of the beastkin Nice, and if potential alone is considered, she boasts the highest among the Ten Destroyers.
Her level is unpredictable, and her wild upbringing reminds me somewhat of myself. While she may not compare to me after spending ten years in the Abyss Cave, judging by her physical prowess, she might very well be the strongest among the Ten Destroyers.
“You really can do anything, huh… Can you even turn into sea creatures?”
“I can become fish and birds too, meow!”
“That’s pretty insane…”
No matter how I struggle, a direct confrontation is out of the question. However, I haven’t given up on the fight; by engaging her with curiosity, she eagerly responds. This means I can buy myself some time. Thanks to that, I’ve managed to regain some use of my legs. I’m also an A-Rank, though not as strong as her, I still stand on the side of being called a monster.
“Hey, why are you serving Noibranz? Not all the Ten Destroyers have sworn loyalty to the King, right?”
“The King gives me delicious food, meow. He picked me up, so if you mock me, I won’t forgive you, meow!”
“Sorry, sorry, that wasn’t my intention.”
“Hey! How long are you going to drag out this small talk? Maternya! That one is stalling for time! You must have recovered enough to stand by now, right?!”
Tch, that old hag. But it’s enough; my preparations are complete. Now, it’s time to finish this.
“That’s right, I need to kill this one quickly, meow!”
“Heh… I get that you’re strong. But there’s one thing you definitely can’t do, right?”
“What? There’s no way I can’t do anything, meow!”
Her stubborn retort shows her mental fortitude. That’s why it’s worth a shot.
“No, I can confidently say you can’t. Because you haven’t turned into a dragon yet, have you?”
Maternya pouted, falling silent. Oh? Am I off the mark? But then, she trembled slightly before looking down at me with a broad smile.
“I can become a dragon, meow!”
“No way, that’s impossible.”
“You’re a fool, meow! You mocked me because you thought I couldn’t do it! I’m very angry now, so I’ll show you, meow!”
She lunged at me, her claws poised to strike. Despite being just a small girl, I could see horns, tough scales, and fangs—all the traits of a dragon. Whether it was her skill that allowed this or the sheer power of her imagination, I couldn’t tell. A massive dragon, many times larger than the small girl, loomed before me, its claws raised menacingly.
If I’m to win, this is the moment. Natchu’s old hag let slip that Maternya likely doesn’t think I can move yet. That’s why I baited her into letting her guard down. I sharpened all my senses for that instant.
I envisioned it too. The movements of the hundreds of dragons I’ve hunted were etched into my body. Maternya’s initial motion perfectly mirrored that of a dragon. Though her swing was wide, it was undoubtedly the strike of the strongest creature on land. When her massive arm slammed into the ground, my body would be nothing but a meat pile. Just before that happened, I twisted my body to evade her immense strength. As her colossal arm sliced through the air beside me, my great sword ended everything.
“Meow, gyahh…”
I barely registered it; my body instinctively remembered the movement. Naturally, a dragon is many times larger than us humans. Hundreds, thousands of times stronger. Simply relying on brute strength wouldn’t pierce its tough scales; it requires skill as well. My father, Kirius, grew up watching dragons from a young age. He studied their habits, movements, and weaknesses, pouring his heart and soul into the singular goal of dragon hunting. After generations of effort, the class of Dragon Hunter was finally perfected. Thus, no matter how high the opponent’s level, if it’s a dragon, victory is always within reach.
“Hah… Hah… I did it, damn it.”
“Ma-Maternyaaa!”
As I pulled out my great sword, Maternya staggered and fell onto her back. Given the copious amount of blood, I hoped it was a fatal wound. But my role ends here. Even if I defeat Maternya, I would soon be killed by the enraged Natchu. Moreover, she wields the power of Virus; I couldn’t even imagine the brutal methods she might employ to end my life. Or perhaps if Maternya still had a breath left, she might resurrect her.
“You foolish girl! If you hadn’t let your guard down, you would have been the strongest among the Ten Destroyers! Hurry and stop the bleeding… Ugh, enough already! This is taking too long!”
“Seems like you’re not good at healing… How about it? Do you understand the value of recovery magic a little better now?”
“I’ll shut that mouth of yours up soon enough…”
Natchu busied herself with makeshift first aid, trying to stop the bleeding. Just as she said, I was a dying man. In the midst of the battle, Sergeant Klein had fled to the small airship; I wondered if he had called for reinforcements. Honestly, I wouldn’t be too shocked if I was left behind. It would be better than losing my life driven by a sense of justice.
“A virus that destroys the semicircular canals… A virus that rapidly increases white blood cells… With your current state, you could kill with delayed effects, right?”
The vial wrapped around her body likely contained that virus. With her syringe-like weapon, the stronger the foe, the more pronounced their unique traits. As the faces of the monsters I had encountered flashed through my mind like a slideshow, Natchu wobbled her round body, aiming the syringe at me.
“I don’t know how long it took you to become that strong… But the virus is invincible! Even heroes who left their names in history often end their lives from illness! No matter how strong you are! No matter how brave you are! No one can resist biological weapons!”
As Natchu passionately lectured, the tip of the syringe pulled back, gathering momentum. It paused for just a few seconds, as if to build suspense. Is this it? I wondered if the women I left behind in the Royal Capital were doing well. I was supposed to meet with Roni-chan tomorrow. I had thought survival was hopeless due to the Vandalsia army’s attack, but I was genuinely glad they were alive. Farewell, I hoped they would find happiness with a good man, even if he wasn’t as good as me.
“…What is it?”
“What is it…?”
Natchu’s syringe had stopped, and her gaze was not directed at me. It was hot, incredibly hot. I felt a sudden urge to break into a sweat. Natchu’s eyes were glued to the source of that heat.
“W-What…?”
“You! State your name!”
It was a humanoid figure clad in red armor, resembling a full suit of armor. It floated slightly above the ground, emitting a gentle flame from wings that were white and silver. The grand land of Avangarde warped behind the shimmering heat. I couldn’t tell how long it had been there; the embodiment of flames felt devoid of any biological breath.
“Target confirmed as the Ten Destroyers of Noibranz. Mad Scientist Natchu, combat patterns and countermeasures downloaded, along with all data on Noibranz received. Commencing extermination.”
The tone was unmistakably human. There was a slight inflection, but it sounded as if it were reading lines from a script. And above all, that was a girl. A small one at that; I quickly grasped the situation. Her target was Natchu, for some reason focusing on Noibranz. It was likely that Metallica had created something new. I wouldn’t be surprised by anything that country did, but it felt like they had crossed a line. Why would a girl be involved?
“Extermination, you say? It’s probably a new type of weapon from Metallica, but just now! It was just proven that such things can’t stand against the Ten Destroyers! No matter how strong the equipment, inside, it’s still human! In other words, viruses are ultimately powerless!”
Just because the target was Noibranz didn’t mean I could relax. It meant I would be caught up in the fight too, likely suffering collateral damage from Natchu’s dangerously reckless virus.
“Choeeeeeee!”
Natchu smashed the vial against the ground, shattering it and releasing a demonic weapon. I instinctively held my breath, uncertain if I could handle the situation. If the effects reached my skin, there would be no escape. I wanted to run, desperately, but I couldn’t abandon that girl. I understood; she had almost no sense of self. It was as if that weapon was controlling her movements. The armament created by the Kingdom of Metallica was merely using her as a vessel. It was a vague delusion, but in this dire moment, I felt a surge of indignation.
“That Virus hag and the Kingdom of Metallica… they’re insane. Is there no sense of humanity left?”
Somewhere deep down, I had resigned myself to the situation, ignoring Natchu’s maniacal laughter as I pitied the nameless girl who had become a weapon. “If you won’t run, then help!” I told myself, but what could I possibly do?
“Heat Wave deployed, malignant virus disinfected.”
The pillar of flames that engulfed the girl and Natchu lasted less than a second. Clothing vanished, and the middle-aged woman, her skin charred and blistered, was about to collapse. The battle had already been decided the moment we faced each other. What was I even trying to save? It was absurd to feel a fleeting sense of justice.
“U, virus, what…?”
She barely managed to utter something resembling words, but it wouldn’t be long now. That girl had unleashed a heat so intense it could incinerate even a Level 100 human in an instant. Natchu might not have realized, but the Virus was weak against heat. The virus never reached the impenetrable armor. I didn’t want to commend the Kingdom of Metallica, but…
“Ugh… ugh…”
Natchu, who had blindly believed in the Virus’s malevolence, had little time left to despair. With a final groan, she fell silent.
“Target confirmed deceased.”
What was I supposed to do? First, there was this heat—an intensity that could turn winter into summer. I had no means to advance against such overwhelming heat. The ethics of a young girl committing murder were utterly useless in this situation.
“Hey…”
“Next target: Noibranz homeland.”
The weapon that had spewed forth high heat shot away in a straight line. It vanished into the sky with such speed that it seemed to disappear entirely. All I could do was call out with a vague voice.
“Meow…”
“Y-you… you’re still alive…”
“I’m scared, it’s cold, I heard screams…”
“What did you say?”
“The screams of that armored girl…”
Perhaps it was the instincts of a wild child. But I had a faint understanding of it too. Just moments ago, I had watched that girl head toward Noibranz, helpless to do anything. There was nothing I could do, except for one thing.
“Lua… you can save her, right?”
Here I was, a grown man clinging to a girl more than a decade younger than me. I realized that the great sword I had been gripping tightly had slipped from my hands.
◆ Shin Report ◆
I understand, I understand.
I’ve made my decision.
I will journey to Noibranz with Lua.
Following the path to Noibranz, I will go.
I just need to go, right?