**Chapter 19: The Devourer of Souls IV**
—
“Damnable N/A… ‘Living Dead (LiビN/Aグ-デN/ADoro)!’”
The Devourer of Souls roared, as if to intimidate us. Even after having its trump card, the Poison Needle, deflected, its fighting spirit remained unshaken.
No, it wasn’t that it was unshaken. I could clearly understand what it was thinking. It couldn’t afford to waver.
In this army of the Demon King, the cowardly Devourer of Souls had been able to bear the weight of the N/Aba-2 because of its strength. The Devourer was timid, but it could not retreat into the realm of the deceased. If it backed down here, it would lose its authority.
On the other hand, I wasn’t exactly in a position of comfort either. However, with my arm transformed into a blade, I had the upper hand, and my high regeneration ability gave me a bit more leeway.
The Devourer charged, crushing the ground beneath it. Its massive body possessed strength that was likely equal to or greater than mine. With its weight bearing down, it was difficult to withstand its impact. It had sharp claws and a tail that could be considered a third limb. Yet, its charge was inferior to that of the Alba-tos, which had no regard for its own safety.
I stepped back and swung my blade. The thick, sharp edge extending from my right arm was only one, unlike the ‘Sharp Claw,’ but it was incredibly sturdy. It could surely pierce even the tough hide of a Matikora.
The Devourer drew closer. In its crimson eyes, hatred and a hint of fear surged. Its slightly parted jaws revealed sharp fangs that could easily crush human bones. The clash of bone and claw echoed violently. A heavy shock reverberated through my arm as the Devourer opened its mouth wide before me.
In the next moment, the black flames that had scorched my body in the initial strike surged into my vision. The cursed flames licked at my body, and the Devourer’s figure was completely obscured by the pitch-black fire that evoked the essence of darkness. A meaningless roar shook the world.
“Is I truly that terrifying?”
—But at that moment, I had already leaped to the side.
The cursed flames merely grazed past my nose, causing no damage.
Until just recently, I had lived for a long time in the form of a dog. I could feel the weaknesses of a four-legged beast.
Before me stood the unguarded torso of the Devourer.
The Devourer’s weakness lay in its lack of agility. Its field of vision was also considerably narrower compared to that of a human. Its charge was powerful, but if evaded, it would expose a significant opening. If it had charged with intent, it could have done so, but it needed to act with that intention in mind.
It seemed the Devourer had no intention of crushing me. Or perhaps the cursed flames posed a danger to itself as well? I dashed in before it could recognize my evasion. Skillfully, I deflected the tail and Poison Needle that swung down from above with my right-hand blade, and I kicked its torso with all my might.
The massive body of the Devourer soared through the air. The sensation of kicking a hard object coursed through my foot, sending a heavy shock up my spine. I felt an indescribable thrill, but I ignored it and kicked off the ground for a follow-up attack.
The Devourer’s eyes locked onto me mid-air. It shifted its stance dramatically, preparing to land on the ground.
It was sturdy. My regeneration ability surpassed its own, but its defensive power was greater. A kick that would have shattered the body of an ordinary magical beast had not dealt a significant blow to it. Its skin, flesh, and bones were all different.
However, the damage was not zero. As a living being, it must have vital points… I aimed for its head. If the head was no good, then the neck. If the neck was no good—then I would kill it until it died.
I aimed for its landing. Power surged through me like heat. My body temperature was surely as hot as that of a human.
The Poison Needles came flying. I firmly deflected the thick, long needles scattered over a wide area with my right-hand sword. It was a typical pattern. If I were human, I might have been affected, but with a vampire’s reflexes, I wouldn’t miss them if I knew they were coming.
That’s right. As I declared a moment ago, I would first cut off that troublesome tail.
With all my strength, I swung my blade high—only to suddenly feel all my strength drain away.
It was an abrupt change. My limbs lost their strength, and I stumbled forward. It was a sensation I had experienced before. I looked at the ground, and at that moment, a shock coursed through my entire body as if it were being torn apart.
My body flew through the air, crashing headfirst into the ground. My neck snapped, and my vision twisted in an odd direction. The Devourer’s voice echoed through the sky.
“Ah… Did you think you could defeat me, a mere dead thing, after consuming ten thousand souls?”
The damage was not a problem. However, it was a nuisance of a beast. Strong, clever, and cowardly, yet cautious. I could not allow it to face Senri under any circumstances. My desire to kill it had intensified even more than a moment ago.
I had already understood the sudden loss of strength. In fact, I had considered it might be possible all along.
What entered my vision just before I was flung away was—flowing water trickling across the ground.
Vampires cannot cross flowing water. On flowing water, their strength wanes, and all of their abilities become nullified.
My neck had already regenerated. I stood up, transforming my right arm back into a blade.
“Still… still planning to fight? You must not be so foolish as to not understand the difference in our abilities… pitiful dead thing.”
The place where the Devourer stood was shimmering. In the darkness, a small amount of flowing water was barely visible, gradually spreading over a wider area.
It was magic. It was creating flowing water through magic. It was considerably easier than shaping water into arrows and shooting them.
I had expected that someone would show up once I experienced its weakness, and indeed, it was an effective tactic against a vampire.
However… at this scale, it was merely a stopgap measure.
The reason I sought to learn magic was for moments like this. After all, I lacked an affinity for any element, but it was still sufficient.
The Devourer was waiting for me to step into the trap. Without hesitation, I kicked off the ground while chanting a spell I was still unaccustomed to.
The only magic I could use was the basic life magic written in the rudimentary spellbook that Senri had obtained for me. It was not suited for attack; it could only produce a small amount of drinking water, create sparks, or dry wet objects… Originally, it was meant to make life a bit more convenient, but everything is about how you use it.
Perhaps it had been caught off guard, as the Devourer’s eyes widened. But it was already too late. I dashed through the Kill Zone without hesitation and swung my blade down with all my might. The Devourer instinctively lifted its body and defended with its forelegs, but the elongated bone blade pierced deep into the middle of its leg without being hindered by its claws.
I felt the sensation of slicing through a hard object. The Devourer thrashed and twisted its body, retreating, but a small, dark red pool of blood formed on the ground.
It was a shallow wound, but I had managed to injure it. I swung my sword wide, splattering blood.
What I had used was one of the basic life magics, ‘Drying (Doroライ).’ Originally, it was a spell used to dry wet laundry. The target was myself. The magic, infused with a vampire’s immense magical power, activated extremely inefficiently, instantly evaporating the small amount of water flowing at my feet. It was my first time testing it in actual combat, but it seemed to have worked well.
From now on, it might be wise to keep using it during battle to avoid similar situations.
The fear reflected in the Devourer’s expression had grown to a level that was evident even from a distance. Its face, resembling that of a person, made it all the more apparent.
“Now, do you still have a strategy? Shall I show you some magic to bring forth your demise?”
With a self-satisfied smile, I lunged at the Devourer.
—
In this one-sided battle, everyone was left speechless. The fight had completely turned around without anyone realizing it.
The Devourer of Souls, regardless of its nature, possessed combat abilities befitting a mythical beast. Its physical prowess was formidable, and it had numerous extraordinary abilities, rivaling an entire army.
Yet, the fearsome Matikora, known for its terror, was now being completely overwhelmed.
The cursed flames that would not extinguish until their target was consumed surged through the air, and my transformed right arm carved shallow wounds into the Devourer’s crimson body. Its once-arrogant visage was now twisted in fear and despair. The Devourer had been a despised creature, yet no one laughed at its pitiful state.
The lethal Poison Needles had indeed melted its flesh, and the cursed flames had burned its body. They had even broken its neck. Yet, none of those strikes had dealt a decisive blow.
Oliver shrank his massive body, trembling. However, Monica felt no dissatisfaction with that.
She should have swiftly delivered the final blow. Once the Devourer had begun to melt, it should have displayed its power and pursued an attack.
Now’s End was exhibiting a power unlike the Object that Monica had been observing all along. It was unclear whether this was an Object that End had originally concealed or one that had evolved during the battle.
The Person Eater was intelligent, but that very intelligence caused it to falter when faced with an opponent that exceeded its expectations. Its needles had already proven ineffective, and flames had no effect either. While it wasn’t gravely injured, its body bore numerous wounds that were only growing worse. Unlike a Vampire, these injuries would not heal quickly. The Person Eater had little chance of victory left.
Yet, there was no sign that End’s assault would cease. Those blood-red eyes sparkled with excitement as it relentlessly pursued the Person Eater, delighting in carving into its body. Each strike was infused with overwhelming, lethal intent.
Monica had suspected something was amiss. She couldn’t deny that she had let her guard down. But this was a Vampire… a terrifying monster beyond her imagination. She should never have engaged with the Person Eater. Even if a confrontation with it was unavoidable, she should have done everything possible to prolong the battle.
The Person Eater was a key figure among the ranks of the Rainer army, indispensable in terms of combat capability. It could not be allowed to perish so needlessly.
However, the current End seemed poised to kill anyone who dared to intervene.
“Oliver, stop this!”
“N/A… You fool, what are you saying… I did stop. I stopped, didn’t I, N/A! If I step in… I’ll be killed… If I intervene now, I’ll be killed…”
Oliver shook his head vigorously at her desperate words. He was a man who proved useless in critical moments.
At this point, Monica had no choice but to intervene herself. It was she who had suggested this battle in the first place.
Resolving herself, she waited for the right moment. Unlike the Person Eater, Monica’s flesh was soft, and unlike a Vampire, she lacked high regenerative abilities. If she acted carelessly, she could easily become collateral damage before she could stop the fight.
Finally, the Person Eater staggered and fell to one knee. End, without boasting of its power, silently advanced toward the Person Eater, raising its blade high.
Now’s the time! Just as Monica was about to charge forward and raise her voice, an unexpected voice rang out from above.
“That’s enough. Victory has been decided. Both sides, cease your actions.”
Her heart skipped a beat. The majestic voice, which seemed to command reverence, silenced the commotion. The blade of End, poised to slice through the Person Eater’s neck, halted just shy of its target.
A dark mass swept across the moonless sky in an instant. The one and only, the greatest warrior of this army, the King of Magic himself—Rainer. Overwhelmed with relief at the sight of her King, Monica’s legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground.