Hundred Body Clones.
Ten Shinbu sliced through a massive dragon or bird, reducing it to a pile of flesh in an instant.
They were defeating the monsters in the Coliseum with far greater efficiency than when the A-Rank party had fought together.
As I watched in admiration, Seigel, who had managed to stand after receiving treatment, was next to me.
“Isn’t it amazing? That’s one of the A-Rank Top Five.”
“A-Rank Top Five?”
“They’re referred to as that, the A-Rankers from first to fifth place. Their ranks fluctuate a bit, but the top five never change. There’s a world of difference between them and anyone below.”
“Wow…”
“Though, considering you’ve already taken down three of the executives, it might not hit home for you. You’ve done quite well. You’ll probably be summoned by the king himself later.”
“Oh, right! What about Roel?”
This wasn’t the time to chat leisurely with Seigel. Even if Shinbu had ensured no further damage would occur, I was worried about Roel. I couldn’t care less about where the other four Top Five were and what they were doing at a time like this.
“Ugh! Ugh!”
While I was distracted by the battle in the sky, Roel was suddenly grabbed from behind and choked unconscious.
Inoro, watching her limp body, gazed down with a twisted smile.
“I never expected those three to be taken down. The Beast Master is here too, but where could he be… Well, either way, that monster of a girl is unbeatable. So, if that’s the case…”
Inoro’s eyes fell on Roel, who lay helpless. He gripped a sharp knife in his hand.
“Oh, how I want to touch her… But I can’t. If that’s the case, then I’ll just…”
“What the hell are you doing?!”
By the time my shout reached Inoro, his hand holding the knife had already been kicked away. The knife flew far from him, and the girl who had appeared wouldn’t let him retrieve it.
She approached with a speed that had gone unnoticed.
“…That was too fast.”
“I’m well-trained.”
I stood in front of Inoro, protecting the unconscious Roel. Inoro stepped back, wary of me.
He rubbed his hand where I had kicked him, looking frustrated.
“You held back just now, didn’t you? If you wanted to, you could have obliterated my hand.”
“If you promise not to do anything to Roel again, I won’t do anything further.”
Whether he had gauged my strength from that kick or had been observing the battles, it was clear he understood I had held back.
Inoro, with a knowing look, took a step closer.
“You’ve fallen for that girl, haven’t you? Hand her over.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Did she say she hated me? What are you to her?”
“You dare to force her into unconsciousness and then ask that?”
“If you get any closer, I won’t hold back.”
“But you can’t kill me. You hesitated to finish Baltz, didn’t you? You’re probably not used to killing people. On the other hand, Vito and Chiruchiru, who have lost their humanity, showed no hesitation. Am I wrong?”
I fell silent. Had he been watching me all along? Despite my comrades being taken down, he had only focused on me.
The three I had defeated had at least shared a sense of camaraderie. But he was different.
His cold eyes, gray skin, and the robe he wore seemed to conceal something. Could he be one of the Twelve Demon Generals?
He was the one who had splattered blood on Tiferia. Because of that, Tiferia had collapsed.
What on earth was he?
“Hey, hey, I’m coming closer, okay?”
Inoro stepped closer to me, and feeling a chill, I cradled Roel and moved away from him.
As soon as I did, he halted his advance.
“…You’re perceptive. Have you figured it out?”
“What do you mean?”
“Good thing you were wearing shoes during that kick.”
“So what?”
“Don’t worry, that girl is fine.”
I was irritated by the vague exchange. But I couldn’t ignore him, and I was at a loss for what to do. Looking closely, he was still just a child.
It was hard to tell because of the dark robe, but he was shorter than me and might even be younger.
“Well then, I suppose it’s time for my performance.”
With that, Inoro raised both hands and began to chant something resembling a spell.
I thought I needed to stop him, but by the time I realized it, he had already completed the incantation.
“Fallen ones, who have perished before your time!
Return once more from the realm of the dead!”
—The sky darkened as if shadows were consuming the world.
Then, the corpses scattered throughout the Coliseum began to twitch.
Insects, dragons, birds, and humans.
A soldier, covered with a shroud, rose to his feet.
A dragon attempted to flap its wings once more.
An insect began to stir, moving unsteadily.
All of them moved without regard for their bleeding wounds.
Panic erupted among the other soldiers who had been treating the injured.
“D-dead people… have come back to life…”
A former comrade swung a blade down on a soldier who had been caught off guard.
Before the soldier could resist, he was struck down.
Inoro chuckled softly at the sight of the dead rising one after another.
【Dragon Zombie has appeared! HP 3500】
【Scissor Dead has appeared! HP 1300】
【Living Hawk has appeared! HP 1650】
They moved slower and felt weaker than when they were alive.
But the sheer terror of corpses rising to attack was enough.
Even when slashed, they showed no signs of pain, charging forward without flinching.
I couldn’t afford to dawdle; I needed to do something quickly.
But I couldn’t leave Roel behind in this chaos.
“Ugh, Lua-chan… Good morning… huh?”
As Roel began to grasp the situation, she let out a small scream.
I took her in my arms and rushed to deal with the zombies scattered throughout the Coliseum.
“D-don’t! What can we do?! Aaaahhh!”
I barely saved a soldier who was about to be crushed under a dragon’s foot.
I severed its leg, leaving it writhing on the ground, unable to walk.
Roel, who I had set down, clung to me, unsure of what to do.
“Get away from me!”
【Lua’s attack!
Dealt 331983 damage to Dragon Zombie!
Dragon Zombie defeated! HP 0/3500】
I minced it and then burned the remains with fire magic.
If they were corpses, that was all I could think of.
Inoro lounged in the audience, watching the disaster unfold with amusement.
“Ku ku ku! Amazing, isn’t it?
With this, even the Twelve Demon Generals are nothing.
But with this many, I need to pick up the pace, or the casualties will keep rising.”
“Inoro! You won’t get away with this!”
“Inoro? Oh right, I used a fake name.
That didn’t mean much, did it?
I’m Juo, the Necromancer, one of the Twelve Demon Generals of the Neo Demon Lord Army.
By the way, how’s Tiferia doing?”
I suddenly remembered Tiferia and became concerned.
The living soldiers were forming a wall to protect the severely injured among them.
Among them were injured spectators and Tiferia, who lay bedridden.
From here, I couldn’t see well, but I could tell she was still in pain.
“Lua-chan, I’m going to check on Tiferia!”
Roel dashed toward Tiferia.
As I watched her go, Juo laughed heartily, genuinely enjoying the chaos.
“Ah ha ha ha! What a sight!
I had planted my minions everywhere, but I never expected to run into you at the Combat Tournament.
The odds of that happening were the lowest!”
“What did you do to Tiferia?!”
“She’s finished.
She’s contracted an incurable disease after being splattered with my blood.
It was a letdown; what happened to the Master Knight?”
Tiferia had completely forgotten to be cautious.
From the way she spoke during our fight, it was clear she hadn’t feared anyone for a long time.
That’s why it had come to this.
She was strong, but it wasn’t just that.
Amane and the others had worked hard to become stronger.
I realized that during this tournament.
So, there was no way I would let someone like him mock us.
I tightened my grip on my sword.
“You…!”
【Lua unleashed Sonic Ripper!】
The slash I unleashed flew toward Juo, tearing through his black robe.
His torso was severed in half, and he collapsed to the ground.
I had killed him. I had gone too far.
Snapping back to reality, I rushed toward where Juo had fallen.
But all that remained was the black robe and the corpse of a stranger.
The armor of an Avangarde soldier—this person was a soldier.
A soldier had been wearing the black robe, severed in two, lying there.
Could it be that I had mistaken my target?
No, that couldn’t be.
No way, I had killed someone?
“Ah ha ha ha! To fall for such a simple trick!
I have no interest in a serious duel with you.
I wanted to take Roel, but it seems taking her from you will be a bit tricky.
I’ll have to save that for another time. See you!”
Juo was in the audience, looking down at me from an angle.
As Juo shed his black robe, the gray skin beneath was adorned with black patterns that slithered like worms. With his youthful features, he waved goodbye to me.
“By the way, the one you just cut down was already a corpse. I was controlling it, so don’t worry! Hahaha!”
And then he vanished. The moment he did, the dark sky suddenly brightened. The zombies left in the Coliseum, despite their agony, still clung to their will to attack.
“It’s a pity, but… here goes!”
Gantetsu swung his axe, cleaving through what was once a soldier. A-Rank members like Benkei and Baste showed no hesitation in eliminating them. Unable to bear the sight, I turned my gaze away and headed towards Roel.
“Roel, how’s Tiferia?”
“She has a high fever… I knew it, but there’s nothing I can do.”
“We’re doing everything we can… but one thing we know is that this is a viral disease. That’s about all we understand for now.”
The medical team was also at their wits’ end. They had tried every method within the realms of magic and medicine, but nothing seemed to work. Eventually, it appeared that all the monsters in the Coliseum had been dealt with, and the injured began to be brought in one after another.
“It hurts… it hurts so much… please… just kill me… I beg you…”
It was unbearable to watch. People with burns all over their bodies, clearly beyond saving, were among those groaning for death. I felt utterly powerless. Why couldn’t I use healing magic? Right before my eyes, the medical team and Roel were desperately trying to treat the injured, while I could do nothing. My experiences in the Abyss Cave felt utterly useless. The more I thought about it, the more tears threatened to spill.
“Don’t dwell on it too much. The lives you’ve saved far outnumber those lost.”
Gantetsu placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. Seigel, who had managed to survive, was receiving healing magic and was wrapped in bandages. Despite groaning in pain, he stood up and approached me.
“What a spectacle. I never thought I’d be saved twice. Let me help you out once in a while, okay? This is Seigel speaking.”
“But so many people died…”
“You’ll have plenty of regrets from here on out. It’s fine to stop for a moment, but don’t stay stopped. You must keep moving forward.”
Gantetsu said no more.
“Hey! Are you okay?!”
From a distance, Cynthia waved and ran towards us. I felt relieved to see she was safe and welcomed her. Breathless, Cynthia seemed to have already grasped the situation and showed little surprise.
“Ah, Rua, you’re just fine, as expected. And Roel too, thank goodness…”
“I’m glad you’re okay too, Cynthia… I was more surprised by that.”
“Yeah, those people came to help us. Thanks to them, the monsters rampaging in the town were completely wiped out.”
“Those people? Who else is there besides us…?”
“Oh, those guys?! They came back!”
A few figures followed Cynthia, and Gantetsu gasped in astonishment as they quietly surveyed the scene.
A little while earlier—
The spear I had wielded as a weapon was now serving as a makeshift staff. Despite the pain coursing through my body, Ritta did not flee from the ferocious boar. The Beast Master, Pansard, watched her with an air of boredom. This Great Boar was not a particularly strong monster. Yet, the soldiers of this country were shockingly weak. With that expression, he approached the girl.
“How pathetic. You’re supposed to be a soldier of this country, yet you can’t even handle such a monster. Aren’t you embarrassed?”
With that, Pansard delivered a body blow to Ritta. Finally, she let go of her spear and fell to her knees, clutching her stomach.
“Ugh… ugh…”
“Are you crying? So, you do feel some regret. But it seems the shortage of talent in this country is quite severe. At this rate, that girl from the Avangarde Cave is far more impressive. Short blue hair, a bit boyish…”
She struggled to pick up the spear that had rolled away. Ritta’s fighting spirit had completely vanished. She was merely trying to retrieve her weapon, not to fight. It was hopeless, terrifying, and she wanted help. Pansard continued to taunt her, as if to drive the point home.
“By now, those three—no, four—are probably finishing things up. The Kingdom of Avangarde is powerless against us, the Neo Demon Lord Army.”
“Why are you doing this…?”
“Hmm, let’s see. If I had to say… it’s because it annoys me?”
“What kind of reason is that…?”
Pansard crouched down to Ritta’s level, then stood up and petted the Great Boar.
“What benefit is there in explaining this to you, who is about to die? If you could at least kill this beast and land a hit on me, I might have considered talking.”
The Great Boar snorted, still eager for more. Without Pansard’s command, it would have certainly killed Ritta. He controlled such a ferocious monster as if it were an extension of himself. That was the essence of being a Beast Master. However, unlike the three rampaging in the Coliseum, Pansard could summon monsters at will. That fact alone demonstrated the vast difference in their capabilities.
“Cough… ugh…”
Ritta, having coughed up blood, could no longer endure the pain and was unable to even kneel.
“Don’t you want to live? Then try begging for your life.”
“Help…”
“Make it louder.”
“Help me…”
“Your voice is too quiet!”
As Pansard prepared to kick the fallen Ritta, he sensed danger and quickly moved away. A meteor spear narrowly missed him, and he turned to see its wielder.
“Get away from Ritta. Next time, I’ll hit you for real.”
“Hah, you say that like it was a real attack.”
Nikka, with a serious expression, was bandaged all over. It was clear to anyone that he had not yet healed from his battle with Hecaton.
“An injured person came to save another injured person! What are you to this girl? A lover?”
“She’s my sister. If you touch her, I’ll kill you.”
“Oh, a sister, huh? Quite the pair of siblings…”
Pansard chuckled softly. When he snapped his fingers, the Great Boar charged at Nikka. The spear shot forth like a meteor, colliding head-on with the boar, piercing it through.
【Nikka’s Meteor Spear!
Dealt 951 damage to the Great Boar!
Defeated the Great Boar! HP 0/933】
“You clearly lack training. And your discipline is nonexistent.”
“Sorry to burst your bubble, but that was just a warm-up.”
“Do you have any excuses ready for your next loss?”
Pansard took off his cap, provoked by Nikka’s taunt. Nikka, too, had his spear trained on Pansard. Whistling, Pansard feigned nonchalance.
“I wonder what face Ritta will make when I present her brother’s head before her.”
—The games end here.
From the depths of the corridor, a figure clad in black armor appeared silently. Standing behind Nikka, this figure spoke to Pansard.
“Huh? Why are you here too?”
“Retreat orders have been issued. The Insect Master, Bird Master, and Dragon Master have been defeated.”
“What?! What did you just say?!”
“Retreat orders. I won’t repeat myself.”
Overwhelmed by the armored figure, Pansard ceased his questioning. Nikka trembled, not wanting to confirm who stood behind him, gripping his spear tightly. A chilling sensation ran down his spine, and he could only pray for this figure to leave.
It wasn’t just a difference in rank.
—It was a difference in dimension.
On the verge of hyperventilating, Nikka found tears welling up in his eyes. He didn’t even realize he was more concerned for his own safety than for his sister’s, consumed only by a desperate will to survive.
“That girl—interesting.”
The armored figure murmured, ignoring both Nikka and Ritta, and quietly vanished from the scene. Without a sound, like a ghost. Left behind, Nikka trembled uncontrollably, finally managing to utter a word.
“Help me…”
It was some time later that he was able to tend to his injured sister.
Monster Compendium
Wind Dragon HP 4339
A dragon with wings imbued with wind magic. Approaching it carelessly will result in being sliced by wind blades.
Red Scissor HP 1775
A giant insect covered in red armor. Its entire body is said to be stained with the blood it has shed, making it ferocious. No half-hearted armor will protect you from its pincers.
Kaiser Eagle HP 3210
In some regions, it is said that when its shadow spreads across the ground, one should brace for death, for it is the hunter of the skies.
However, most prey targeted from above are consumed without even recognizing the shadow looming over them.