Category: Homeless Tensei: Isekai De Jiyuu Sugiru Majutsu Jisoku Seikatsu

I felt thirsty when I woke up. I lifted my heavy body and looked around the tent. Nobody else is here. It was dimly lit and I could hear the soldiers drinking from outside. Apparently, it hasn’t been long since the sun went down.

“Water…”

I took out a barrel of water from the bangle and gulped it down. As always, after evolution, I get very hungry and thirsty. If I don’t prepare properly and then just evolve, I will probably die due to starvation. That’s what I think.

“I’m hungry…”

When I got out of the tent, I saw two people eating in front of the campfire. One is Freya. The other one seemed to be Pero but his aura was somehow different. He has this air of sacredness around him that makes it difficult to approach. The color of his fur varies from white to pale silver and I can somehow feel something like a cool cold air from him. I was confused as to whether I should call out to Pero.

“Ah, Father!”

Just then, Pero turned around and smiled as he greeted me. His aura has changed but I am relieved to know that he is the usual Pero. Maybe I can understand a little bit about the feelings of parents who have children that reached a rebellious stage.

I then sat down in front of the bonfire, takes a frying pan out of the bangle, and begins to cook the meat. I’m tempted to bite into the raw meat, but I hold back and wait for the meat to cook. When it was done, I took out a piece of freshly cooked rice from the bangle and scooped it into my mouth along with the meat. Rice and grilled meat are great for an empty stomach.

Yeah-, too delicious!

By the way, I usually store freshly cooked rice in the bangle. I decided to cook a lot of it in my spare time and take it out only when I needed it. I am very grateful for these times.

“Father, look at my evolution! I’ve become stronger!”

Pero stood up, called out to me and asked me to look at him. I was so absorbed in eating that I completely forgot about Pero. When I looked at him again, I get the impression that Pero has become even more muscular after evolving. His white fur was smooth, and there was fluffy fur growing around his chest. The fingernails on his hands and feet have changed from organic metal to metallic luster, it also look like bluish steel.

I wonder if the same thing happened to his fangs?

But when I took a look, it seemed to be different, there were pure white sharp fangs growing in his mouth. I could say that he is a werewolf that specializes in attack.

“It looks like you’ve made a good progress.”

“Yes. Now I can protect Father too.”

I feel like crying. This child wanted to become stronger as he think about me. I feel touched by my son’s heart. I then resumed eating my food. I ate a lot of rice until I felt full. Before I knew it, I finished 20 cups of rice. Well, being satisfied is also a kind of happiness.

“Speaking of which, where did Erna go?”

“She went over there to take a walk.”

There was a large tree growing in the direction Pero was pointing at. I start walking there to see how Erna has evolved.

“Erna… Is that-?”

When I came to the foot of the tree, I saw a woman standing a little further away. She looks up at the night sky and stares at the brilliance of hundreds of millions of stars. I found this scene mesmerizing. Like an oil painting painted by a master craftsman, or like a piece of music played by a master musician, there was such a beauty that could not be put into words that shook my soul.

“Ei!”

I heard Erna’s voice then large wings appeared from her back. It looks a lot like the wings of a butterfly that shines golden. The sudden event left me at a loss for words. Erna soars high into the air, scattering particles of light as she ascends into the starry sky. Her appearance is that of a night fairy. Uh-, No, I don’t mean it in a strange way. It’s just my wordings for it.

I calls out to her, “Erna”.

“Shinichi? You’re up huh.”

Erna, who was flying in the sky, swoops down beside me and with her glowing wings disappearing, she lands on the ground. She has long silk-like golden hair that reflects light and her eyes are big, like jewels. Her pink lips are glossy and attractive, and her sweet floral scent tickles my nostrils. It can be said that she is a surreal beauty. If there is a fairy in this world, it is her.

“You got more beautiful again.”

“Fufu~, isn’t it? Girls will become beautiful as soon as you leave them alone.”

“I see. That’s certainly true.”

Erna and I smiled at each other. It seems that she has also made a wonderful evolution. Suddenly, I was curious about my changes.

“I… has something changed in my appearance?”

I don’t see any major changes in my body. I already had my third eye and the tribal arabesque tattoo on my body so I think nothing is new. In the meantime, I look into my crotch, but my man’s jungle is still clean.

“Hmm, I don’t think there’s much difference but I can kind of tell that you are stronger than before…”

“I see. So I guess there wasn’t much change this time huh.”

I lightly scratched my head with my right hand. Then Erna’s eyes widened and her mouth drops open.  

What? Was there something strange?

“That!”

“What?”

“Look at your arms!”

I looked at my arm as Erna says, but there is nothing unnatural about it. It’s the usual arms.

 ……Huh? If my arms are here, what is the one scratching my head?

“I didn’t see it clearly, but Shinichi, you got another pair of arms!”

Through sensation, I checked my arms. First, my original arms are there. Next, I felt a pair of arms extending from around my upper back. I now have a total of four arms.

“My arms… Is there really one? It’s my own arm but I can’t touch it you see.”

If I try to touch the arm that I can’t see with my original arms, I can’t feel it. I know it is there but can’t touch it though.

What’s going on?

For the meantime, let’s call the invisible arm as “sub arm”.

“What did you evolve into Shinichi?”

“Oh-, right. I haven’t checked it yet.”

【Status】 Name: Shinichi Tanaka Age: 17 years old (56 years old) Race: Homeless (Emperor) <Emperor Dragoneut | Vampire | High Elf  | High Dwarf  | High Beastman  | High Winged Man> Occupation: Adventurer Magic Attribute: No Attribute Magic:  Restoration Space, Isolation Space Skills: Familiar Creation, Familiar Summoning, Dragon Transformation, Skill Picking, Race Picking, King’s Vessel, Emperor’s Vessel ▹Special: Danger Detection, Sense of Touch Enhancement, Taste Enhancement, Eyesight Enhancement, Hearing Enhancement, Smell Enhancement, Digestion Enhancement, Super Sensation, Shock Absorption, Hardening, Leadership, Indomitable Spirit, Small Dragon Breath, Separation, Intimidation, Division, Sand Walking, Enemy Search, Digestion Strengthening, Flight, Familiar Strengthening, Analysis, Life or Death Technique, Dragon Beheading Slash ▹Advanced: Theft, Stealth, Paralyzing Eye, Limit Breakthrough, Sand Walking, Flight, Hardening, Plant Manipulation, Dragon Breath, Master of War, Danger Prediction,Nerve Strengthening,Limit Breakthrough, Self-recovery, Dictatorship, King Dragon Breath, Plant manipulation(Improved) ▹Intermediate: Underwater Adaptation, Fist King Technique, Metal Manipulation,  Self-recovery, Universal Thread, Dual Blade Magnate Technique, Awakening, Impact Nullification, Oppression, High-Speed Flight ▹Beginner: Slash Impact Resistance

As expected, I have evolved into an Emperor specie. It was the same when he I got the King’s vessel so I wasn’t too surprised. A line of text then appears in my field of vision.

【Evolution has been changed by the skill, Emperor’s Vessel.】

As soon as I thought about it, new text message appeared in my field of vision.

【Report: New skill has been added.】

 When I checked my status, a new skill called “Path to Relentless Evolution” has been added. I tilted my head at the skill I don’t understand. 

What does the Path to Relentless Evolution mean?

【Report: The limit on evolution has been removed by the skill, Path to Relentless Evolution.】

 Limit? Could it be that originally, my evolution should have ended with Homeless (Emperor)?

If that’s the case, it means that the current me is now qualified to evolve further. Hoo-, I’m now quite curious to see how strong I can be.

“Hey, what did you evolve into?”

“Ah, it’s the Homeless (Emperor) race, I don’t know how strong I have become though.”

“Mmm-, you’re one step ahead of me again.”

Erna pouted as she said that. Maybe she wants to catch up with me. I’m not competing in evolution, but I guess it’s frustrating for her that she can’t reach my ability as a team member.

 I smiled at Erna.

“I’m jealous of your wings though, or, are you better off with these invisible arms?”

“Really?”

Erna suddenly smiled brightly. She may have been in a good mood because of my words.

“Okay. Let’s go back?”

“Yes!”

 We decided to go back to Pero and Freya.

◇◇◇

“So, the Empire admits defeat?”

“Yes. The previous battle was a senseless war that was caused by former Emperor Dragnil’s selfish desires. The current Emperor, Scathach-sama, is deeply distressed by this fact.”

“I see…”

I leaned back in my chair whilst facing the messenger from the Empire standing in front of me. Two weeks have passed since the emperor was killed. From then on, the empire must have urgently enthroned the next emperor and began preparations for the end of the war. This means that Scathach has come up with a policy in a short period of time. This was much faster than I expected. It seems like that girl was also quite clever, especially when she casually blamed the former emperor.

“The Empire promises to pay reparations to the five kingdom, and in the future, we vow not to touch the kingdom where Shinichi Tanaka is located.”

The messenger placed a piece of parchment in front of me. The content is as he had just explained. It’s written there that the empire only admitted defeat to me, but did not lose to the other kingdom. In other words, they would like to imply that they did not really surrender. I guess it was the pride of the dragoneuts that made them do that.

I then turned my gaze to the Beast King who is sitting nearby.

“What do you think, Beast King?”

“I have no complaints or whatsoever. If the Empire wants to go to war again, it’s fine with me. That’s what I want anyways.”

I was an idiot for asking. If anything, I think the Beast King seems to be enjoying himself, he even looks forward for another war. By the way, the empire seems to be issuing parchment with the same content to the other kingdom. In other words, what I have in my hands is addressed to the kingdom of Mana. I’m not sure if I should decide on the post-war process on my own, but it would now be too late to ask King Logas for instructions.

“Should I sign here?”

“Yes.”

I lightly picked up the pen and wrote my name smoothly.

I also heard from the messenger that the previous emperor had suddenly died. It seems that Scathach has decided not to publicize our conversation. The death of the sacred beast, the invasion on the Imperial City and the death of the Emperor, she was trying to hide all of that in darkness.

I think that was better though. The skeleton army is not something to be exposed to the public. They have the power to blindly frighten people after all. If the Empress says she’s going to keep everything a secret, it’s convenient for me.

As I thought of that, I suddenly had doubts.

“You crossed Fort Marsei right? Didn’t you see anything?”

“Uh-……..I-, I haven’t seen anything. All I can say is that I went through safely.”

The messenger stiffened his face and squeezed out a reply. He must have been surprised by the skeleton army guarding the fort. Well, I ordered them not to do anything unnecessarily so there should have been no problem. It seems that the skeletons frightened him more than necessary though.

Looks like I have to get my army back to the dungeon soon huh.

“Then take this. And as for the reparations to the kingdom, send it to King Logas. I don’t need it.”

“I understand.”

The messenger received the parchment and bowed deeply before leaving the tent.

The war is now truly over. My three-fold repayment has been completed. I should be freed from troublesome things and now be able to live with peace of mind.

Shortly after, the Beast King asked me,

“Does this mean that the allied forces will be disbanded?”

“Well, yes. We will be leaving here in the next few days. Please tell that to the Naji army as well.”

“Understood. Haaa-, It’s lonely after the festival though.”

“You are the only one who thinks so you know.”

After casually giving him a nudge, I went out of the tent.

The allied forces were disbanded and three days later, each army returned to their respective kingdom.

◇◇◇

 (A week before the dissolution of the Allied Forces.)

In the throne room of the royal castle of the kingdom of Logas, two figures bowed their heads to the king sitting on the throne.

“So, that head belongs to the Empires’ Supreme Commander?”

“There is no doubt that it is the head of Gaen Dragnil, the first heir to the throne of the Estent Empire.”

The head of the man placed in front of King Logas is cut in half, and only the face of his terrible death can be seen. The ministers and dignitaries watching on the side were buzzing. It was a man and a woman who delivered the head to the king.

One is Arvish Gloris. The other is Feria Benesse.

They used their stealth skills on the battlefield to successfully collect Gaen’s head. Everyone in the room mistakenly thought that the two had killed Gaen. Of course, that’s what the two of them are aiming for. They wanted to mislead them and defraud a reward from the king.

In his mind, Arvish was full of laughter while thinking, “If I am lucky, I will be able to reconnect with the Gloris family.”

“Very well. Then, let us honor Arvish Gloris for his exploits and allow him to be a hero of this kingdom. You are a living legend of this kingdom from today onwards.”

Arvish looked up in surprise after hearing the king’s words. He was overjoyed by the reward that was beyond his imagination. Hero. It is a testament to the fact that the person involved was able to make his mark on history. It was the strongest title in the kingdom that anyone who fights would dream of at least once.

“Your Majesty! That can’t be done! It’s ridiculous to bestow such title to someone who we are not even sure where they got that head from!”

Duke Medil raised his voice to King Logas. The fat king, who sits deep on the throne, just gave the duke a side glance and waves his hand lightly.  It was a signal to “get out of here”.

“I-, yes, pardon me…”

The Duke bowed and walked out of the throne room. The ministers and high-ranking officials who were watching the situation were silent. King Logas, who was in a good mood when the Duke left, picked up a fruit resembling an apple from a nearby bowl. With a crunch, he took a bite at the red fruit and tosses it towards Arvish.

“I gave you something special. I reward you the leftover fruit that I have bitten. Go ahead, eat it.”

“Thank you very much Your Majesty.”

Without any hesitation, Arvish picks up the fruit thrown at him and sets his teeth on the part where the king had just bitten. His mouth is filled with just the right amount of acidity and a refreshing scent that passes through his nose.

“While you eat, I’ll assign you one more request.”

“Anything for Your Majesty.”

“Actually, during this recent battle with the Empire, there is a person who has smeared dirt on my face. Although he has the appearance of an adventurer, he has stolen the soldiers of the other kingdom that I have gathered. I want that thief to be punished by God. If there’s anything you need, say it. I’ll provide you with whatever you need. What do you think? Will you do it?”

“Of course Your Majesty. I’ll make sure that I, Arvish, will put an end to that great sinner.”

“You are indeed a hero. Then, I guess I’ll just wait for that stupid man’s head to arrive. Guhihi.”

King Logas let out a vulgar laugh and looked at Gaen’s head with a smirk. In his mind, an image of a man he didn’t even know was begging for his life.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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After returning from the Imperial City, I decided to hide the skeleton army in a suitable place and then join the Allied forces.

“Listen, don’t harm people unnecessarily, understood?”

“Katakata”  

Suketarou nods. Even though their numbers have been reduced to 400,000, a large army of skeletons still look like a threat to everyone. Moreover, when such a group of scary homeless skeletons gather, it’s possible that not only children but even adults may be so frightened that they could wet their pants. 

Thus I decided to temporarily hide the skeleton army in Fort Marsei, the easternmost part of the empire. It’s a big fort and if I cram the skeletons inside, they’ll manage to fit in. Following that, I made 10,000 skeletons stand guard as a defense. Of course, there’s a reason as to why I chose Fort Marsei as the hiding place for the skeletons. In order for the empire to reach the kingdom, they must pass through this fort. In other words, if I control this area, I will be able to stop them even if they try to invade again. Well, I’m not sure if the empire that has just lost an emperor has that kind of guts though.

“Alright, let’s just say we are renting this place. The Empire probably won’t charge right away but they may plan to expedite the schedule as the war is over, so let’s stay put here first. Oh-, and don’t make weird stuff, okay?”

“Katakata”

I reminded Suketarou and Sukejiro many times. I’m worried about these guys because even though they are now just skeletons, they still have strange personalities.

While I had to do this with painful reluctance, I decided to return to the Allied headquarters alone.

◇◇◇

“Guhahahaha! Your kicks are still weak!”

“Gii-, P-Please give me a break. I can’t move any more!”

When I returned to the main camp, I found the Beast King and several soldiers fighting. In addition to that, a pile of unconscious soldiers was built around them. The ears of the dog-type beastman soldiers he is currently facing were drooping with fear and their legs are even shaking.

“Hey, Beast King! What on earth are you doing?”

“Ooh-, It’s you Shinichi! I’m glad that you’re finally back! I’m training the soldiers right now, wait a minute!”

The Beast King knocked down the soldiers with a single blow and then he walked briskly towards me. The sharpness of his technique is as frightening as ever. If we are to fight to death instead of just testing our strength, maybe I will lose.

“So, where have you been?”

“A little towards the Empire. There was no problem with the army, right?”

“Yeah, nothing in particular. If I’m to say, it’s more of the soldiers’ fighting spirit, it’s declining because they have so much free time.”

“Then that’s fine. The war should be over soon you see.”

“?”

The Beast King was puzzled at my words. I could tell him about the past week’s event but then I will have to explain the skeleton army from the scratch. I could see that it was going to be troublesome, so I didn’t. 

If you think about it normally, it is unusual for an individual to have a force of 400,000. On top of that, it would also be a problem to have such number of magical beasts. Considering that I am an adventurer that lives in the kingdom of Mana, it is not hard to imagine that I will get into a big trouble. Too much force creates friction after all. That is why I want to keep the skeleton army a secret.

“The Allied Forces will wait for another month and then decide to disband.”

“What? It’s already over? It would be nice if I could fight for another year.”

I smiled bitterly at the Beast King’s words. We would have gotten to that point if it lasted a long time, but I don’t have that much free time either.  I think it’s best to finish it when you can. If it’s shorter, the scars that will remain for future generations will be smaller.

I said goodbye to the Beast King and decided to go to the tent where the members of Homeless are staying.

“I’m back.”

 In front of the tent, Freya and Pero were grilling meat on a bonfire. Freya didn’t change much but Pero’s body has grown considerably. He’s now a full-fledged werewolf. His face is completely that of an adult wolf.

“Father!”

When Pero noticed that I had returned, he immediately runs up to me and hugs me with his big body. His white fur is so fluffy and it feels nice. I feel excited like Freya.

“I’m sorry I was away. Was there a problem?”

“No. There’s nothing special except that I’ve gotten bigger.”

“I see. But Pero, you’ve become quite an adult huh.”

 When I said that, Pero shakes his head heavily.

“I’m still a kid, I want to be stronger like Father.”

“Then, we need to train together again.”

I gently pat Pero’s head. I am happy that the kobold child I picked up had grown up to this point. I’m sure that one day, he’ll be on his own. But when that happens, as a father, I want to send him off in a grand way. It was Pero who gave me a life to live as a father again after all.

 Let’s first take a look at Pero’s status.

【Analysis Results: Pero Tanaka: Werewolf sacred beast. While he is saddened by the killing of people in war, he hopes for further growth. He loves his Father a lot. Rarity: S, Overall Ability: S】

【Status】 Name: Pero Tanaka Age: 5 years old Race: Saint Werewolf Occupation: Adventurer Magic Attribute: Wind, Holy Magic:  Air Ball, Air Arrow, Holy Roar Skills:  ▹Special: Fist King Technique(↑),Intelligence, Body Strengthening, Fang Strengthening ▹Advanced: Claw Strengthening, Intimidation, Devil Nose(↑), Self-Recovery(↑) ▹Intermediate: King Claw(New) ▹Beginner: Acceleration(New), Gale Storm(New), Body Strengthening Z(New), Prodigy(New), King Fang(New)  Evolution: Conditions have been met.  < Evolution Condition: Fist King Technique(Special Grade), Body Strengthening(Special Grade), Fang Strengthening(Special Grade), Intelligence (Special Grade) >

It seems that the ones who have risen in the ranks are Fist King Technique, Devil Nose, and Self-Recovery. The skills gained through skill upgrade are Acceleration, Body Strengthening Z, King Fang, King Claw, and Prodigy.

He had been practicing with me for about a month and the degree of growth was considerable. Suddenly, discovering an unfamiliar skill, I asked Pero a question.

“What does acceleration skill do?”

“This is my guess, but I think it’s a skill that accelerates my time. And unlike extra sensory perception that Father had mentioned, I can move quickly even if everything around me seem to be slow.”

It’s a tremendous skill. Eventually, I won’t be able to beat Pero huh. As I think about that, series of words appears in my field of vision.

【Do you want to evolve Pero Tanaka?】  【YES/NO】 【Evolution destination option:】  ・Saint Werewolf → Saint Silver Werewolf  ・Saint Werewolf → Saint Ice Werewolf

When I looked closely, I can see that the conditions for Pero’s evolution have been achieved. Even though he just leveled up, he is up for evolution already huh. I informed Pero of the evolution options.

“I’d like to choose the Saint Ice Werewolf.”

“Alright, if you say so, let’s do that.”

As Pero said, I chose to evolve him into a Saint Ice Werewolf. Pero immediately gets inside the tent, curls up like a puppy and begins to sleep. I’m looking forward to seeing how he evolves.

“Huh? Shinichi!? You’re back?”

Erna, who was sleeping in the tent, wakes up. She had drowsy eyes and she looked at me dazedly, it looked as if she’s going to fall asleep again.

“I just came back. Was there a problem?”

“Hn?, I don’t think so. But I want you to look at my status instead.”

“Status?”

 I checked Erna’s status.

【Analysis Results: Erna Frederia: The second daughter of the Frederia family. She thinks that magic is what she is best at, but she is rumored to be a mage martial artist by the soldiers who know how she fights. Rarity: S, Overall Ability: B】

【Status】 Name: Erna Frederia Age: 19 years old Race: Founder Elf Occupation: Adventurer Magic Attributes: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Light, Darkness, Lightning Magic: Fireball, Fire Arrow, Flame Bomb, Flame Chain, Flame Wall, Flame Burst, Flare Zone, Aqua Ball, Aqua Arrow, Aqua Wall, Aqua Cure, Spear Rain, Aquarius Recovery, Rock Arrow, Rock Wall, Rock Bullet, Rock Armor, Metal Wall, Ground Hammer, Air Ball, Air Arrow, Air Cutter, Air Wall, Lightning, Thunder Ball, Break Tornado, Light, Stun Light, Camouflage, Shadow, Shadow Field, Shadow Bind, Laser, Mind Break Skills:  Indomitable Spirit ▹Special: Essence of Magic, Extrasensory Perception, Spearmanship(↑), ▹Advanced: Bow King Technique(↑), Fist King Technique(↑), ▹Intermediate: Hell Ear Z(↑) ▹Beginner:  Awakening(New), Attack Prediction(New) Evolution: Conditions are met <Evolution Condition: Attack Prediction (Beginner), Indomitable Spirit, Essence of Magic (Special)>

Spearmanship, Bow King Technique, Fist King Technique, Hell Ear Z, and Essence of Magic had ranked up. Through skill upgrade, she gained Awakening and Attack Prediction. Erna is also practicing with me for a month now so the level of her growth was considerable. And for the magic she mastered, Laser and Mind Break was added.

“There’s nothing wrong with your status.”

“I want you to look at the evolution part.”

“Evolution?”

When I checked her status again, I found that the conditions for evolution has been met. Following Pero, it seems that Erna can also evolve. Then before long, lines of text appeared in my field of vision.

【Do you want to evolve Erna Frederia?】【YES/NO】 【Evolution destination option:】  ・Founder Elf → Ancient Elf  ・Founder Elf → Primordial Man  ・Founder Elf → Superior Elf

“What is primordial man?”

“Primordial Man? I don’t really know either. Is that the only track for me to evolve to?”

“No, there are Ancient Elf, Primordial Man and Superior Elf. The only choice I can kind of foresee is the Ancient Elf though.”

“Hmmm, the safe bet is Ancient Elf huh…”

Erna begins to think. I’m curious about the primordial man, but for me, Superior Elf is the most interesting one. Superior means of higher order or the top one. If that’s the case, compared to now, her rapid progress can be made further.

“Hey Shinichi, which one do you think is better?”

“Do I decide?”

“Well, even if I evolve strangely, Shinichi will take responsibility.”

“Responsibility huh…”

I don’t really understand what she meant by responsibility but I’m not going to abandon Erna no matter what she becomes. Besides, if she thinks about it that way, she might not have a problem with which one I choose. Judging from the trend so far, she has never deviated from the form of a human. I should be bold here. My intuition also says that I should do so.

“Well then, I’m going to go with the Superior Elf.”

“Yes, it’s not bad. It’s ten times better than that primordial man one.”

What the heck…, it’s her choice in the end, isn’t it?

As expected, I really can’t understand the words and actions of women.

After selecting the Superior Elf, Erna’s body began to glow dimly. She lay down again and wrapped herself in a blanket beside Pero. I then left the tent and came to check Freya’s status just in case.

 With this trend, she also has the potential to evolve.

【Analysis Results: Freya Label: Former Knight of the Duke’s Imperial Guard. A fur control, famous not only among Mana, but also among the Allied forces’s soldiers. Can no longer live without Pero’s fluffy fur. Rarity: S, Overall Ability: A】

【Status】 Name:  Freya Label Age:  18 years old Race:  Neohuman Occupation:  Adventurer Magic attribute:  Fire Magic:  Fire ball, Fire Arrow Skills:   ▹Special: Arm Strength Enhancement(↑) ▹Advanced: Telekinesis(↑), Swordsmanship,Cooking ▹Intermediate: Meteor Thrust(↑), Shield, Extrasensory Perception(↑),Spear King Technique(New), Physical Strengthening(↑) ▹Beginner:  Fist King Technique(New), Attack Prediction(New) Evolution: Conditions are not met <Evolution Condition: Telekinesis (Special), Spear King Technique(Beginner), Physical Strengthening(Beginner)>

Her skills such as, telekinesis, meteor thrust, arm strength enhancement, physical strengthening, and Extrasensory Perception had leveled up. What she gained from skill upgrade was the Spear King Technique and the Fist King Technique. Freya has also grown considerably after a month of training. It seems that she has become even stronger after this battle. However, she has not met the condition to evolve yet.

“Is there something on my face?”

Freya, who is eating meat in front of the bonfire, asked me while showing a curious expression. I sat down next to her and picked up the skewers that were still grilling.

“The war will be over soon. I’m sorry that you had to fight a hard battle.”

“What are you saying? I am one of the Homeless now you know? It is natural for the leader to give instructions and for the members to follow them. Besides, I’m proud to be able to defend my kingdom.”

Freya laughs happily with a piece of meat on her lips. She has lived as a knight. That’s probably why she doesn’t feel hesitation or guilt about fighting. That is something I am grateful for. I’m also glad that she came back and did not die on this battle.

 At that moment, series of words appeared in my field of vision.

【Evolution will begin soon. Once the evolution is complete, there is no going back. Will you evolve?】 【YES/NO】

“Eh!?”

 I’m surprised, but when I think about it, I too, meet the conditions for evolution. It is amazing that three out of the four members will evolve.

“Freya, it looks like I’m evolving so I’ll take a rest in the tent as well. Do report the important matters to the Beast King.”

“Understood. Good luck on your evolution.”

“Yeah.”

I then entered the tent and decided to lay next to Pero. Immediately after, my consciousness became distant and then I sank into slumber.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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I dodged the Emperor’s attack by rolling on the floor and then I also retrieve my sword that had fallen. The invisible slash shattered the place where I had been earlier.

“You don’t know how to give up huh.”

The Emperor’s sword once again sliced in the air. Even though it is an invisible blade, if you trace the source, you can see that it extends from the sword. Thus it is possible to predict the trajectory by watching the movement of his hand. With the sword I held in my left hand, I managed to block his slash.

“Are you planning to fight with only one arm?”

“Of course!”

I managed to block the slashes he swung at me with one hand. Honestly, losing my right arm hurts a lot. Since it was a sudden incident, I haven’t retrieve my arm yet. But now, I should stick it back right away.  I want to pick up my right arm somehow.

“Then, you don’t need that. Flame Bomb!”

The Emperor used his magic to blow up my right arm which had fallen to the floor. I couldn’t help but contort my expression.

“Kuhahaha! That was a pity. Now you really have to fight with only one arm!”

“Ku!”

This situation, in which I have lost my dominant arm, is very unpleasant. If I don’t fix my arm back somehow, I won’t have a chance. But first, I need to buy time.

“Let’s play something a bit more special. I don’t dislike hurting the weak you see.”

His Dragon Beheading Slash was about to attack me again. In that case, it is Dragon Beheading Slash for a Dragon Beheading Slash . I caught his invisible blade with my invisible blade.

“Hoh-, you could use it too huh. This is unexpected.”

“Don’t underestimate me. It hasn’t been decided who will lose yet.”

I and the Emperor strike at each other with invisible blades. The length of each of our blades is about fifteen meters, which is barely enough to fight in this throne room. Repeatedly fighting with only one arm in this unfamiliar environment really pushes me into a corner.

“What’s wrong? Your strength is getting weaker and weaker you know?”

“Damn it!”

My left arm was numb from the intense impact. Even though the blade has become longer, it is barely enough to block his attacks. I have to get a little closer.

“Now!”

I released my Dragon Beheading Slash in accordance with the emperor’s strike. When I caught the invisible blade with my sword, I let it slide as it is and then I closed the distance between me and the emperor. With a screeching sound, sparks flew between the two swords.

“So that’s your move huh.”

He quickly released a Dragon Beheading Slash and blocked my attack with his sword. With our swords crossed, we pushed against each other. I was slightly pushed back though.

“It’s inconvenient not to have a right arm, right? Ah-, now that I think about it, I was the one who cut it. Kuhahaha!”

“My left hand is enough to fight you. If I got to beat you, I’ll laugh heartily then.”

“Fine with me. That is, if you could defeat me!”

The Emperor put his strength into the sword and he pushed me away in one fell swoop. I rolled backwards, regained my position and fired a thread bomb from the fingertips of my left hand. The bomb explodes over the Emperor’s head and a large number of threads rain down on him.

“What the heck is this!?”

The sticky threads that clings to his body restricted his movements. Meanwhile, I took out a rainbow mushroom from the bangle and throw it into my mouth and chewed it quickly.

“Uh-, Uggghh…”

The moment I swallowed the rainbow mushroom, my right arm, which should have been cut, grew back. It was like a planaria that’s regenerating the part that had been lost. And like the green man in a certain comics, my arm was completely regenerated. I couldn’t help but feel that my arm was disgusting. However, now I can fight the Emperor on an equal footing again.

“Tsk! What a hindrance! Fireball!”

Struggling with the tangled threads, the emperor finally began to use magic against himself. The threads were then burned down by the fire.

“What an impudent behaviour!”

“I told you not to take me lightly. Also, I’m retracting my previous statement. I’ll stop fighting with one hand.”

When the Emperor noticed that my right arm was restored, his expressionless face contorted slightly. Well, I returned to my original state after all.

“How did you get it back? I’m sure I destroyed your right arm.”

“If you want to know, think about it yourself.  There is no reason for me to tell that to my enemy you see.”

“Heh-, then I’ll cut it off again and observe how you do it.”

The emperor and I crossed swords again. The regenerated arm was moving without any problems. With this, it seems that I can find a way out.

Every time our swords crossed, a high-pitched sound echoed throughout the room. Our sword skill is almost evenly matched. If there is any concern, it is the length of reach due to our physical difference.

In that case…, I took advantage of our height difference and jumps under his feet.

“Foolish! Don’t you know that it is suicidal to come to my feet?”

Without any hesitation, he tried to trample me down. However, I lightly caught the approaching foot with my left hand.

“U-uwah!? What the hell!? Why can’t I crush you!?”

No matter how hard he tries, he can’t trample on me. The reason for that is my Impact Nullification skill. I don’t understand the logic but the skill is nullifying the power that weighs on me. In other words, in hand-to-hand combat, I am almost invincible.

“Yaaa!”

When I pushed back his leg, the emperor loses his balance and falls to the floor. I immediately jumped on his chest and thrust my sword into his heart. I am confident of my victory.

“With this— uguuh!?”

I was grabbed by a large hand and was thrown violently against the wall. I banged my back against the hard wall, but thanks to impact nullification, there was no pain at all. More than that, I was surprised that the emperor, who should have been stabbed in the heart, was slowly standing up. His wound closed quickly and it disappeared without a trace. It makes me want to mourn, it’s that Self-regenaration again.

“You’re the first one that ever made me this mad. As you wish, I’ll bury you without even a bone.”

It seems that I have touched the emperor’s reverse scales.

His body is now covered in dark green scales and his face transforms into a dragon. Wings protruded from his back and a long tail grew from his buttocks. From the people I knew, his transformation is the closest to a dragon.

I also activated my dragon transformation skill. Black scales then covered my entire body.

“Turn to ashes!”

The emperor took a deep breath and exhaled flames at me. I barely dodged it to the side. The flames obliterated the wall where I was before, creating a large hole. The power of the flames he exhaled was so powerful that the one from Gaen looked like a mere child’s play. At that moment, I noticed that the light outside was shining through the hole.

“Chance.”

I spread out my wings and decided to escape from the castle through the hole. It would be too disadvantageous to be attacked like before in such a limited space. If we are going to fight, it would be better to have a larger space. Besides, I would like to avoid destroying the castle.

“I won’t let you escape. I’ll chase you down to the ends of the earth and kill you!”

The emperor chased after me. I increased my flight speed and flies far above the Imperial City. When I stopped above the clouds, the emperor also emerged through the sea of clouds.

“You’re not going to run away anymore huh, little human?”

“I didn’t run away. I just led you to a wide area.”

“Impudent talk!”

Flames spew out of the emperor’s mouth. It is no longer at the level where it can be compared to a flame thrower. If I am to describe it, it’s a hellfire. The amount of heat is so high that even I, who had transformed into a dragon feels the hotness on my skin. Faced with the oncoming flames, I took a deep breath.

“King Dragon Breath!”

A bright red flash of light radiates from my mouth. It stretched straight and collided with the fire. The shock wave spreads to our surroundings, pushing the clouds in a circle.

“Gururuaaaaaaaaa!!”

“Ugaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

Our breath jostle against each other. This will probably be the last fight. If the current me can finish him off, it is only with this King Dragon Breath. 

In that case, I will bet everything on this blow!

“Ugaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

The flash of light I exhaled gained even more momentum. Gradually, I was able to push back his fire and I slowly approached the emperor.

“Guruaaaaaaaaa!!”

The Emperor’s hellfire pushes back the flash of light. However, it soon faded, and the flash of light that I spewed finally struck the emperor’s head. When the flash faded, the body of the headless emperor begins to fall to the ground.

I think I finally won this time. 

However, considering his regenerative power, I can’t let my guard down yet. After retrieving the Emperor’s body, I decided to return to the throne room for the time being.

◇◇◇

“Looks like he’s dead huh.”

I had been observing the corpse for quite a while now but there was no sign of the emperor being resurrected. Self-regeneration does not seem to regenerate the head after all. It is a relief.

I decided to use  my Skill Picking and acquire the emperor’s rare skills.

【Status】 Name: Shinichi Tanaka Age: 17 years old (56 years old) Race: Homeless (King) <High Dragoneut | Vampire | High Elf  | High Dwarf  | High Beastman  | High Winged Man> Occupation: Adventurer Magic Attribute: No Attribute Magic:  Restoration Space, Isolation Space Skills: Familiar Creation, Familiar Summoning, Dragon Transformation, Skill Picking, Race Picking, King’s Vessel, Emperor’s Vessel(New) ▹Special: Stealth, Danger Detection, Sense of Touch Enhancement, Taste Enhancement, Eyesight Enhancement, Hearing Enhancement, Smell Enhancement, Digestion Enhancement, Super Sensation, Shock Absorption, Hardening, Plant manipulation, Leadership, Indomitable Spirit, Small Dragon Breath, Separation, Intimidation, Division, Sand Walking, Enemy Search, Digestion Strengthening, Flight, Familiar Strengthening, Analysis(↑),Life or Death Technique(↑),Dragon Beheading Slash(↑), Self-regeneration(↑) ▹Advanced: Theft, Stealth, Paralyzing Eye(↑), Limit Breakthrough, Sand Walking, Flight, Hardening, Plant Manipulation (Improved), Dragon Breath, Master of War(↑), Danger Prediction(↑) ,Nerve Strengthening(↑),Limit Breakthrough(↑), Dictatorship(↑), King Dragon Breath(↑) ▹Intermediate: Underwater Adaptation, Fist King Technique, Metal Manipulation, Self-recovery, Universal Thread, Dual Blade Magnate Technique, Awakening(↑), Impact Nullification(↑), Oppression(New), High-Speed Flight(New)

What I got was Dragon Beheading Slash, Awakening, Self-regeneration, Dictatorship, Oppression, and Emperor’s Vessel. Oppression seems to be a high-level skill of intimidation so the effect seems to be roughly the same. In addition, some of my skills leveled up by fighting the sacred beast and the Emperor. The ones that leveled up are Analysis, Life or Death Technique, Master of War, Danger Prediction, Nerve Strengthening, Limit Breakthrough, Impact Nullification, and Paralyzing Eyes.

It is quite a harvest.

【Certain conditions have been met, your skill evolved.】 【Skill Evolution: Hardening→ Slash Resistance】

Skill evolution is displayed in my field of view. I didn’t expect that Hardening would become Slash Resistance. It’s a good news. After that, I used Race Picking and acquired the Emperor Dragoneut race.

“Now then, time to clean up…”

I can’t help but sigh.

In fact, the war was supposed to end with the emperor agreeing to my negotiation. But what happened? In the end, I killed the emperor. The worst case I thought of has come true. I scratched my head about what to do from now on.

“Father!”

When I heard the voice, I turned around and saw a woman at the entrance of the room. She was trying to get inside but Suketarou stops her. The woman shook off Suketarou’s restraint and entered the throne room.

“Aaahhhhhh!!! Father! Father!”

When the woman saw the emperor’s body, she slumps on the floor and weeps. Apparently, she is a member of the royal family.

“Katakata”

Suketarou apologizes to me, saying, “Please forgive me.”

I replied, “I don’t mind.”

“…… You-…… Are you going to destroy this kingdom?”

The woman who stopped crying looked at me with a sharp gaze. She has long purple hair and well-shaped eyebrows that are slightly back-arched. She has an appearance that everyone would describe as beautiful. In addition, the pink dress looked good on her, furthering her grace.

I didn’t answer her question right away. When I looked at the floor, I saw the crown the emperor wore. I guess it somehow fell down at some point when we were fighting each other. What’s more, about half of it has melted which makes you think that it’s impossible to use it as a crown again.

I picked it up and restored the crown back to its original form by using my restoration space skill. I then put it on the woman’s head.

“What…”

“I did kill the emperor. However, I don’t have intention of destroying the empire. Therefore, you will lead the empire from now on.”

“I-, that…………”

The woman was perplexed by my words. I guess that would usually be the case. It’s no wonder that she would be perplexed if the person who killed her father asks her to become the empress.

I felt that she was the right person to rule this kingdom. Of course, it’s just my hunch, there is no clear logic behind it. However, the intuition cultivated by my experience told me that the woman in front of me should become the empress.

“I’m Shinichi Tanaka, an adventurer in Mana. If you want to avenge your father’s death, I’ll take your revenge anytime. However, if you’re planning on going to war again, you’ll end up like your father.”

“…..I-, I won’t start a war. I’ve always been against Father’s ideas. And-, I won’t seek revenge either.”

“That would be good if that’s true. What’s your name?”

“I… I’m Scáthach Dragnil, the sixth in line to the throne.”

I made a mental note of the woman’s name. Well, I’m not sure if she will actually become the Empress. Maybe someone else will become the ruler but I would like to recommend her.

“Alright, we’ll take our leave. You should never touch the kingdom again.”

“…….Yes. The Empire will never again make a move on the kingdom where Shinichi Tanaka lives.”

Hn?

I think that it is slightly different, but I feel that the end result is the same so it is okay I guess. As I was about to leave the throne room, I remembered something.

“Oh, I forgot to mention that you should pay reparations to the five kingdoms that fought the war.”

“I understand. I’m going to make amends for the invasion even if it takes a long time.”

“That’s fine, and may I have the vase on the first floor?”

“Vase?”

Scáthach looks at me with a stunned expression. She must have been wondering how much treasure the man who killed the emperor was going to take away. I am not in trouble with money though. The only thing I wanted was the vase that Suketarou was interested in.

“If it’s just the vase, please take as much as you want.  And-…, if you want money, I’ll give you as much as you want.”

“No, all I want is that vase. I’ll gratefully accept it.”

Once we got down to the first floor, I took the desired vase. Suketarou clattered his jaw happily. This would further polish the interior of the tea room for sure.

After I joined up with the skeleton army, we then left the empire and went our way to return to the kingdom.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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The Imperial City obediently opened the gate to us. Perhaps the defeat of the sacred beast made them realize that resistance was futile. The rest is probably because they realized that a human was leading the skeleton army. Well, I said that because I have confirmed that there were soldiers glancing at us from the outer wall of the city. In other words, inviting us in was also an sign of their willingness to have a discussion.

If the opponent is a magical beast, communication is useless. However, if the opponent is a human, it is a different story. It is not surprising to think that if negotiations are done well, the damage can be minimized.

“Katakata”

When the skeletons entered the Imperial City, they look into the silent city and their jaws clatter. The windows and doors of the houses, which were larger than the buildings in the kingdom, were closed, and the residents inside held their breath as they peered outside through a small gap. I wasn’t expecting a grand welcome but I still felt like a bad guy when I saw them this frightened.

 ……No, I am probably the most evil person in this kingdom. I was the one who killed their sacred beast after all.

 Five rows of skeletons marched down the main street of the Imperial City. They were in sync, and the sound of their footsteps had a steady rhythm. I am in the lead. Suketarou is behind me, followed by Sukejiro and ten corps commanders.

“That’s the palace huh.”

 The Imperial Palace is reflected in my field of view. In the center of the Imperial City, a palace built of colored stone towered over a vast site. On its outer wall were numerous stone statues in the shape of dragons overlooking the castle town. If you just look at the castle, it’s really impressive. However, I had a bad feeling when I think of the emperor inside the palace.

To begin with, as for why I came to the Imperial Capital? Well, it is already clear that this war was waged because of the Emperor’s decision. In that case, the only way to bring the war to an end is to force the emperor to admit defeat. Now, the question is whether the emperor who condones an invasion can so easily admit defeat. Therefore, I thought that I should create a situation in which the emperor would have no choice but to accept defeat.

First, the victory of the Allied forces. Second, the subjugation of the sacred beast. Third, the siege of the Imperial City by the skeleton army. Either that or by occupying the interior. When these are accomplished, the defeat of the Empire will be conclusive and the emperor will surely give up his dream of hegemony. Well, that’s what I thought. 

However, now that I am looking at the Imperial Palace, I feel a strange uneasiness in my heart. Perhaps I misunderstood Emperor Dragnil. I don’t want to think so, but if it that’s the case, the worst is possible.

“………Got to be prepared for the worst huh.”

 Now that we’ve come this far, there’s no turning back. We’ve already done enough. All I have to do is make the emperor promise to never touch the kingdom again.

I then led the skeletons into the Imperial Palace.

◇◇◇

It was quiet inside the Imperial Palace. 

It’s not popular but the luxurious interior is eye-catching. I instructed the skeleton army to stand by and decided to go ahead with Suketarou in tow.

“Hii!?”

 As we walked inside the castle, a woman, who is a maid I guess, saw us and hurriedly closed the door. When I listened closely, I can hear whispering voices coming from somewhere. All they are saying is that this kingdom is done for.

It’s not like I’m trying to destroy it though. I am just trying to have a negotiation to prevent another war from happening. Well, the skeleton army certainly has too much impact. It would not be surprising if the residents of this kingdom misunderstood.

“Katakata”

 Suketarou is staring intently at the vase displayed in the hallway. It was a stately porcelain vase.

“Do you want it?”

“Katakata”

 Suketarou says that he wants to put the vase in the tea room. It’s certainly a vase that would fit in a tea room, but storing it in the bangle right here would be a complete act of looting.

“Give it up. I have no intention of looting.”

“Katakata”

 Suketarou feel depressed. I feel sorry for him, maybe I can look for a similar vase in the kingdom. I don’t dislike pottery either. As we walk down the aisle, I found a staircase leading to the top. We went upstairs in search of the Emperor, and soon, we found a door that looked like it.

“The emperor should be ahead. Are you ready?”

“Katakata”

 Suketarou patted his chest and his jaw clattered as if he to say he is always ready. I plan to make a negotiation but just in case, we have to be prepared for a fight. My experience from observing the dragoneuts had told me to do so.

I placed both of my hand on the large door and began to push it with force. The door opens with a heavy creak and the other side that should be there is reflected in my field of view.

“It’s a throne room huh…”

 I opened the door fully and then I stepped inside the room. The ceiling and walls were decorated with gold and the floor seemed to be made of marble. In addition to that, a red carpet was laid from the door to the front, the final stop was on an old stone throne.

There is a person sitting in the chair. He is nearly four meters tall. He has a slicked back purple hair and horns grow from the side of his head. He has a dandy and handsome look. His beard accentuated his dignity and he even exuded a calm atmosphere. The moment I saw the crown on his head, I am certain that the man in front is the emperor.

“Are you the Emperor?”

“…………”

 The man refuses to answer my question. On the contrary, he was looking at me blankly with his chin resting on his hands.

“Katakata”

 Suketarou moved to draw his sword. I immediately stopped him with the back of my hand.

“Don’t get involve in this. You should move back for a minute.”

 Suketarou bows and leaves the room. Now that it’s just me and the emperor, we can have a discussion. I called out to the emperor again.

“My name is Shinichi Tanaka, an adventurer in the kingdom. I have come all the way to the Imperial City to talk to you directly.”

“…………”

“The battle has already ended in victory of the Allied forces. The sacred beast, Doran, who protects the Empire, has also been defeated by me earlier. There’s no escape for you now. I encourage you to be honest and admit defeat.”

“…………”

 The emperor refuses to reply to my words.

Was he still in shock?

However, it doesn’t look like it. It is more like he is thinking about something than in a state of absent-mindedness. Besides, the Emperor is also observing me closely.

I then wait for the Emperor’s words.

“I should have put the kingdom on the back after all huh. It’s an error in my judgment.”

While muttering, Emperor Dragnil rose from his throne. His waist is equipped with a sword, and he gently pulls it out. There was a pleasant sound, and a pure white sword emerged from its scabbard.

 I immediately used the analysis skill on his sword.

【Analysis Result: Doran’s Fang Sword: A holy sword created from the fangs of the sacred beast, Doran. The blade of the sword has a hidden holy attribute and it has a sharp edge that cuts through rock like butter. Rarity: SS, Overall Ability:–】

 It is interesting that a part of a sacred beast is used as weapons. The Bull King sword I’m currently using is pretty good but I think it’s safe to assume that his sword is better than that.

 The emperor drew his sword so I also drew mine just in case. However, the talk isn’t over yet. I don’t know what the other side intends to do, but since we have common language, I should try to persuade him. I didn’t really come to fight the Emperor after all.

“I’m not trying to destroy the Empire. I just want to stop the war. There should be no more sacrifices in the empire or in the five kingdom.”

 The emperor narrowed his eyes at my words and snorted with laughter.

“Tanaka right? Where are you employed? The kingdom? Then I’ll give you a hundred times that amount. I’ll give you status, money and women as much as you want.”

“I didn’t come here to talk about such things. Didn’t I just say that I’m here to stop war?”

“With such an army of magical beasts, it would be easy to take down all the kingdoms. I really like your power. On this occasion, I’ll just close my eyes even if you say you’re a human.”

“I said, I came to stop the war…”

I can’t hold a conversation. The emperor is not listening to my words. The reason why he invited me inside the Imperial City was to draw me to his side. He doesn’t have a shred of consciousness that he is being cornered. This is the worst situation. What I feared is becoming a reality.

“Now, let me hear your answer. Will you be my subordinate?”

“I refuse. I have no intention of being a subordinate of anyone.”

“You’re declining the invitation huh… Then, I’ll make that army my own!”

 The Emperor moved so rapidly that an afterimage can be seen. He got close me in a flash and he swept his sword sideways. I reflexively dodged the slash and jumped backwards to get some distance. It was a frighteningly fast attack. If I hadn’t done it right, I might have died from that blow.

“I am the Emperor of dragoneuts. You better discard the illusion that you can win.”

“I’ll refuse that too. I’m not that weak that I’ll raise the white flag right away you see.”

 While exchanging words, I peeked into the status of the emperor.

【Analysis Report: Balam Dragnil: Emperor of the Estent Empire. Since he was a child, he has dreamed of world domination by the dragoneuts. He will not compromise on the sacrifices he makes to achieve it. Rarity: SS, Overall Ability: SS】

【Status】 Name: Balam Dragnil Age: 67 years old Race: Emperor Dragoneut Occupation: Emperor Magic Attribute: Fire Magic:  Fireball, Fire Arrow, Flame Bomb Skills: Emperor’s Vessel, Dragon Transformation ▹Special: Dragon Beheading Slash, Self-regeneration ▹Advanced:  Fang Strengthening, Dictatorship ▹Intermediate: Appraisal, Sword Emperor Technique, Awakening, Suppression, Great Dragon Breath ▹Beginner: Limit Breakthrough Evolution:  Conditions not met  <Evolution Condition:Sword Emperor Technique (Special Grade), Limit Breakthrough (Special Grade), Awakening (Special Grade), Self-Regeneration (Special Grade) >

He said he was the Emperor of Dragoneuts, that was exactly right. I get the impression that he is living as an emperor to the core of his bones. Moreover, when I looked at his skills, they were all powerful. This means that he is not just sitting on a throne.

“Let’s continue.”

 The Emperor rushes forward again at rapid acceleration. He unleashed a slash. I round up from the bottom and attacks. A high-pitched sound echoed in the throne room and sparks flew between our swords. Neither me nor the Emperor retreated a step as our swords crossed.

“For a small human, looks like you can do well huh.”

“Well, it’s funny that as a big guy, you’re just as powerful as me.”

“Don’t you think you’re being careless? Inferior specie!”

 The emperor’s sword began to rapidly push against mine. As expected, our physical difference is a variable. In that case…

I used my skill, Paralyzing Eyes.

“Uh!-, this-.…”

As soon as his strength weakened, I flipped up the emperor’s sword in one go and then I slashed his body diagonally from above. The blade cut deep into his skin, delivering a decisive blow. Blood gushes out from his wound and it spreads on the floor eventually forming a pool of blood.

“Guu…………”

 The emperor fell to one knee on the floor. It seems like my blow was quite effective as expected.

“If you admit defeat, I’ll spare your life. But in return, you’re going to give up your ambitions.”

“Kuu-… Kuhahahaha!!!”

 The Emperor burst out laughing as he tore off the clothes he was wearing. With his upper body exposed, I realized why he was laughing. There’s no wound nor scar at all. It disappeared without a trace.

“No way! That recovery is too fast!”

“No matter what kind of wound it is, my Self-regeneration skill can heal it in seconds. I couldn’t help but laugh at your ridiculous words.”

 The Emperor raises his sword again as if nothing had happened.

That Self-regeneration skill is beyond my imagination. I am beyond surprised at the efficacy of healing such a wound so easily. I even felt fear. I hadn’t paid attention to it before, but it seemed to be a ridiculous skill.

“Now then, I’ll land the blow this time.”

“What—?”

My right arm fell to the floor. At that moment, a large amount of blood gushes out from the cut area then an intense pain strikes me over.

“Guggaaaaaa!!!”

“Hey, looks like you have let your guard down when we are apart.”

Alarm bell rang in my head. It’s the skill, danger prediction. The previous attack can be seen as an attack that even my skill could not react to.

 How did he do it? How did he attack me?

 When I looked at him, he didn’t move a single step from that spot. In other words, it should be considered an invisible attack. Moreover, it has a wide range.

“Guu-… u-!… Haaa–haaaa-… I see, it’s the Dragon Beheading Slash…”

 While holding the cut wound, I told the emperor the true nature of his attack.

 Dragon Beheading Slash is a skill that creates long invisible blades. Its sharpness depends on the source of the sword, but it can definitely be a powerful skill if the conditions are right. In other words, he just severed my arm with an invisible blade.

“Are you satisfied that you know the answer? Then you can make it a souvenir to the underworld!”

 The emperor then slashed his sword at me.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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Emerald-like scales, branched horns like a dead wood. Its powerful body has bulging muscles everywhere. The mane that grows from the top of its head to the tail reflects silver light. Its vertical pupils stared intently at the skeletons.

Although it was a living creature, it was full of beauty and dignity, like a majestic work of art. I guess you could say that it is a difference in status as a living creature. Just one look at it makes me tremble to the core.

“That’s a dragon huh.”

I was observing the dragon below while flying in the sky. Perhaps that is the sacred beast of the Empire. That means that the outcome I had in mind may come into view.

“Magnificent! This is what a sacred beast is! This is exactly my ideal form of power!”

 A familiar voice reached my ears. When I looked closely, I can see a man standing on the dragon’s head. He holds a sword in one hand and is in a high spirit like a child. He is Karl from the royal family.

『Don’t frolic on top of my head! I just came out here to protect the Empire. I didn’t take your story.』

“But Doran-sama-, look at those skeletons! Isn’t it unnatural for magical beasts to form such formations? They are definitely Shinichi Tanaka’s minions who are trying to destroy the Empire! With Doran-sama’s help, I suggest that we should flatten the kingdom as soon as possible!”

『Haaah-, you are talking about that human named Shinichi Tanaka again? I just can’t believe your words. We could defeat the skeletons but isn’t it too much to destroy the kingdom?』

“What do you mean by that!? Doran-sama deserves to be called the strongest sacred beast in the world! You are the only one who can defeat the magical beasts that want to destroy the Empire! That’s what my intuition says so! Please lend me your help!”

『……It can’t be helped then. I’ll do as you say but just this once. However, I didn’t believe everything you said. I will see with my own eyes and make judgments. Don’t forget that.』

 Doran finishes his conversation with Karl and goes into a combat stance.

 I was stunned as I watched such situation. It seems that Karl was plotting to make me the bad guy and drag the sacred beast to the battlefield. Unfortunately, it has already ended in victory of the Allied forces. However, there is a good chance that the outcome will be overturned by one sacred beast.

 Looking at the skeleton army, the entire army had regrouped under Suketarou’s orders. It is a large army with a total of 700,000 troops. Still, it’s not enough to fight the dragon. The opponent is known as the world’s strongest race and on top of that, it’s a sacred beast .

 In that moment, Doran turned his face to the sky and drew his breath in. What spewed out was a bright red flash. It’s the real dragon breath. The ground melted and violent wind swept over. The light and heat were so intense that I could only cover my eyes with my arms.

『That’s tough. It’s been a long time since I’ve used Breath after all. I may not be able to use it for a while…』

 At Doran’s words, I lowered my arms. The scenery I saw sent chills down my spine. The ground is still melting and there was a large hole in the mountain in the distance. The worst part was that a quarter of the 700,000 skeletons disappeared in that single attack. Even though I thought it was unbelievable, I had no choice but to accept it as reality.

“Katakatakata!”

 Suketarou didn’t care about the number of troops he lost, he continued to order his entire army to charge. His opponent, Doran, is emitting white smoke from his mouth. It can be seen that he is unable to move immediately. That’s how lethal Breath is.

I guess it can’t be used continuously. I used Analysis skill on Doran.

【Analysis Result: Doran: Originally a pet of the eighteenth Emperor of the Estent Empire. He became a sacred beast after drinking Saint Water coming up from the basement of the Imperial Palace. His personality is laid-back and basically doesn’t like conflict. Rarity: L, Overall Ability: L】

【Status】 Name: Doran Age: 7221 years old Race: Ancient Emerald Dragon Magic Attribute: Wind, Holy Magic:  Air Ball, Air Arrow, Air Cutter, Air Wall, Lightning Thunder, Tornado Break, Holy Roar, Healing Touch, Holy Chain, Purification Skills: Familiar Creation, Familiar Summoning, Dragon Transformation, Skill Picking, Race Picking, King’s Vessel ▹Special: Hell Ear Z ▹Advanced: Appraisal, Fang Emperor, Devil Nose Z, King Dragon Breath ▹Intermediate: Claw Emperor, Swift Flight ▹Beginner: Clairvoyance Z  Evolution: Conditions are not met  < Evolution Condition: Fang God, Hardening (Special Grade), Emperor Dragon Breath (Beginner Level)>

 Doran’s status is also on a different level. The only saving grace would be his lack of physical enhancement skills and techniques. Still, considering the overall ability: L, I can see that it is incomparably stronger than previous enemies.

 The skeletons surround Doran and unleash a Shadow Bind in unison. In addition, they began to climb up, clinging to his legs and tail.

『These skeletons!』

 Thousands of dark chains bind Doran up. Even a dragon can’t beat the power of numbers. Or so I thought… When Doran applied his strength on it, the chains began to snap.

“Katakata”

 The high-ranking group, including Suketarou, dashed through the sea of bones and jumped unto Doran’s body which was suppressed from moving.

“Uh-, W-What the hell are you guys?”

 Karl became wary by the sudden appearance of Suketarou and the others. Ignoring Karl, they begin to thrust their swords into Doran’s body.

『Guugaaaaaa!?』

“Doran-sama!? Damn it! I’ll stop them from attacking right away!”

 Karl slashes at Suketarou. However, his attack was easily stopped. Karl’s sword was even thrown out of his hand and it plunged into the ground far below.

“Katakata”

 It was Sukejiro who repelled Karl’s attack. The flying dragon bone sword in his hand reflects silver light and shines dazzlingly.

“That sword… Elder brother’s…”

For a few seconds, Sukejiro watched Karl’s body trembling from fear then he swung his sword without hesitation. Karl’s head flies into the air and following the gravity, it falls directly in front of Doran.

『Karl…』

 Doran was speechless at the sight of Karl’s head. I am relieved that such troublesome enemy was finally dead but from Doran’s point of view, this must have been a shocking event.

『I won’t forgive you! You bastards!!!!』

 An earth-shaking roar emanates from Doran. The chains bound by the skeletons were torn off in an instant. The sacred beast began to rage violently, Suketarou and the others who were riding on his body fell off to the ground.

 Filled with rage, Doran uses magic indiscriminately.

“Break Tornado!”

 Four tornadoes formed around him. The whirlpool of wind rages, engulfing the skeletons. Dark clouds gathered in the sky and the lightning showed how angry the sacred beast was.

『Karl is a kind-hearted young man who visits old people like me! For you bastards to–!』

Doran had a furious facial expression. His eyes widen and his fangs were exposed. It reminded me that the dragon in front of me is also a beast after all. I felt a little saddened by Doran’s words. This wouldn’t have happened if we weren’t enemies. But that’s just “if”, the reality is that we are killing each other.

Now is not the time to let emotions get the better of me. I have to do what I have to do. 

I then drew my sword and swooped down on the rampaging Doran. My target is the red dot on his back.

『Unforgivable! I won’t forgive you!』

 Doran inhales and exhales his breath toward the ground. When the bright red flash hit the ground, it obliterated the skeletons and created a large hole. At this rate, even the Imperial City is likely to turn into a sea of fire. I will have no choice but to end him after all…

“Sacred Beast Doran, let me kill you!”

I stabbed my sword the moment I landed on his back. The blade of my sword broke the emerald scales and sinks deep to the root.

『Gugaaaaaaaa!!!?』

 Doran turns his face to the sky, his mouth wide open, and he cried a death knell. The magic that had been raging around him was gone and Doran’s pupils widened lifelessly. He slowly leaned down and he lied on the ground with a heavy thud.

“……The victory this time wasn’t very pleasant.”

 I pulled out my sword and then I used the skill, Skill Picking and acquired the skills from Doran. I got the high-speed flight (Intermediate) and King Dragon Breath (Advanced). It makes me happy to think that I can emit a powerful breath with this but it is so powerful that it may be difficult for me to use it properly.

“Oh my God!!! O-Our guardian beast…. Doran-sama!!!!!”

 The Imperial soldiers who watched the battle wept and mourned Doran’s death. They probably didn’t even imagine that he would be killed. Unfortunately, sacred beasts are still living creatures. They will die or be killed someday. It’s just that it came early.

I cut off Doran’s front leg with a dragon slash and stores it inside the bangle. The reason for this is that the Empire must recognize that the sacred beast is dead. And that information will probably reach the ears of the emperor.

“Katakata”

Suketarou approached me and reported the current number of troops. The skeleton army, which numbered 700,000, had been reduced to about 300,000. I don’t know if it’s because he’s a sacred beast or because he is a dragon but I would like to give him credit for reducing my subordinates to this point.

“Katakata”

 This time, Sukejiro reports. Apparently, they have recovered some skeleton that can be restored. A short distance away, there was a pile of bones and using human wave tactics, the skeleton soldiers scrape up the dismembered bones together. When I used the skill, Restoration Space on the pile of bones, five skeletons burst out of the pile and one after another.

As expected, it is impossible to restore a skeleton that has been wiped out by the breath skill. However, as long as it is a part of the body, it can be revived with this magic. Eventually, the number of troops increased from 300,000 to 400,000.

“Well then, shall we advance?”

“Katakata”

 At my words, with Suketarou in the lead, the skeleton army saluted in unison. Such tireless soldiers were both frightening and dependable. The army of skeletons begins its march. We are heading to the Imperial City. It is the center of the empire where Emperor Dragnil is said to be located.

◇◇◇

“Doran-sama is.…, How could.…”

 The Imperial soldiers, who had witnessed the entire battle, were grieving when they saw the sacred beast Doran lying on the ground. Among them was the Advisor who had led the Imperial Army up to this point.

“Advisor, the skeletons have begun to move to the Imperial City. Please give us instructions.”

“Corps Commander…”

 The Advisor reacted to the words of the corps commander with an exhausted face. They have spent the past week desperately fleeing from the skeleton army. It would be more accurate to say that he had no choice but to flee. With their frightening numbers and power, the Imperial army lost its will to fight after a single battle.

 The Advisor, who led the army, made the decision to return to the Imperial City as soon as possible. The reason is simple. This is to enlist the cooperation of the sacred beast Doran, the guardian beast of the Empire. The Advisor thought that a dragon of ancient race would be able to defeat the skeleton army. And then, in front of the Imperial City, the sacred beast Doran did appear. This is the end of those skeletons, they thought. The Imperial army cheered when Doran appeared.

However, Doran is defeated by the skeletons. The soldiers, who had been watching the battle from afar, could not help but cry out in despair.

“There’s nothing we can do to stop them. We’ll just have to wait and see what those skeletons will do.”

“Then…, while those skeletons overrun the city, do you just want me to watch and do nothing!?”

“In that case, you go fight! We are already in a sense of loss, no longer able to stand up for the loss of the sacred beast. Look at them!”

In front of the Advisor, there were soldiers slumped on the ground. They are stunned as they look at the sacred beast that still lies there. Some were still crying. The Corps Commander bites his lip and looks away from them.

“Already… Is the empire over?”

“I don’t know. The rest is for His Majesty to decide.”

The Advisor and the Corps Commander are still watching the skeletons marching towards the Imperial City, worrying about what future the Empire would face.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“Well done everyone! With this, I think the Empire will be quiet for a while.”

I praised the generals gathered in the meeting room used in preparation for the war. However, I can’t be too happy. Allied casualties in this battle exceeded 100,000. We were almost in a situation where we had to retreat. Still, we were able to win because I defeated Gaen.

 I quietly checked my status.

【Status】 Name: Shinichi Tanaka Age: 17 years old (56 years old) Race: Homeless (King) <High Dragoneut | Vampire | High Elf (New), High Dwarf (New), High Beastman(New), High Winged Man(New)> Occupation: Adventurer Magic Attribute: No Attribute Magic:  Restoration Space, Isolation Space Skills: Shadow Field, Familiar Creation, Familiar Summoning, Dragon Transformation, Skill Picking, Race Picking, King’s Vessel ▹Special: Stealth, Danger Detection, Sense of Touch Enhancement, Taste Enhancement, Eyesight Enhancement, Hearing Enhancement, Smell Enhancement, Digestion Enhancement, Super Sensation, Shock Absorption, Hardening, Plant manipulation, Leadership, Indomitable Spirit, Small Dragon Breath, Separation, Intimidation, Division, Sand Walking, Enemy Search, Digestion Strengthening, Flight, Familiar Strengthening ▹Advanced: Theft, Stealth, Paralyzing Eye, Life or Death Technique, Limit Breakthrough, Dragon Beheading Slash, Sand Walking, Flight, Hardening, Plant Manipulation, Analysis, Dragon Breath ▹Intermediate:  Master of War, Limit Breakthrough, Underwater Adaptation, Fist King Technique, Metal Manipulation, Nerve Strengthening, Danger Prediction, Self-recovery, Universal Thread, Dual Blade Magnate Technique ▹Beginner: Self-recovery, Dictatorship, Virtuous Spirit, Awakening, Impact Nullification

 The number of my race increased. It was taken from the remains of soldiers found on the battlefield. If you were to ask me if I did not hesitate to commit such act as robbing the deceased, of course I would answer, I did.  I could not bear to strip the race of the soldiers whom I could call my comrades-in-arms. But this is how I have lived until now. What will I attain if I had some self-denial at this point? Thus, I decided to take it without hesitation.

“Tonight is a feast of victory! Let us celebrate with drinks so that the souls of our lost comrades may rest in peace.”

 At my words, the generals raised their glasses. Each of them had a different look on their faces before and after the battle. All of them had the expression of a man who had accomplished something. They gulped down their wine and began the conversation.

The races that had been at odds with each other for so long are now having a lively conversation as friends. When I got out of the tent, the soldiers who had already started the banquet were fooling around. Despite the differences in race, they are now sharing victory in memory of their lost friends. I hope that each kingdom can take this opportunity to build deep connections.

“This is not bad.”

 The Beast King came to my side. He holds a bottle of liquor in one hand and he holds a glass in the other. He pours the sake into a glass and hands it to me.

“Well, you’re right. I don’t think this is a bad thing either.”

 The glass I received contained amber colored liquor. The many bonfires that brighten up the night make the sake in the glass look fantastic. I drank my liquor in one gulp.

“Buhaa-, this is a strong one.”

“Is that so? I stole it from the dwarves’ supplies.”

“I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear your words just now.”

 I casually took out my pocket watch and checked the time. It’s now 8 p.m. It’s about time to go.

“Beast King, I have a business I need to attend to. Can I ask you to take charge here for me?”

“Ah? Is that so? In that case, leave it to me.”

 The Beast King grinned, showing his white teeth. It may seem discourteous to delegate the work to a ruler of a kingdom but the only person who can unite the allied forces is the Beast King. I’m very grateful that he’s here.

 I then spread my wings and stepped out of the main camp. When I looked up, I can see the yellow full moon and countless shining stars illuminating the ground. Tonight is a beautiful night.

With the wind, I flew from the main camp to the west side.

◇◇◇

“Advisor, what are we going to do now?”

“For the time being, we will return to the Imperial Capital. Gaen-sama, Grandal-sama, Rezena-sama, and Nell-sama were all killed. All we can do now is retreat!”

 About 40 kilometers away from the Allied headquarters. The defeated Imperial army encamped with a sense of sadness. The conversation is held by two people, a corps commander and the Advisor.

“I didn’t expect that even Gaen-sama will be defeated… I regret that we underestimated them just because they are just a bunch of people.”

“No, I still think it’s unusual for Gaen-sama to be defeated. He’s one of the most powerful man in the Empire after all. In addition, the three Lords are also extraordinary beings. No matter how many soldiers from other races gather, they are not that easy to beat.”

“……That-, then is there was someone greater than the Crown Prince, Gaen-sama on the battlefield?”

“Ah- right. I guess you didn’t know because you were on the front line. His Highness was killed by a male human.”

That whole time, the Advisor had been using a telescope from the main camp to observe the battle between Gaen and Shinichi. Then as soon as Gaen was defeated, he blew the horn of retreat. The fact that the Imperial soldiers are still alive today is thanks to his quick judgment.

“A male human? I’ve heard rumors that the Beast King is also there, aren’t you somehow mistaken?”

“No, unfortunately, it’s correct. We were attacked close to the headquarters and by just two people at that. The main camp also suffered tens of thousands of casualties. Gaen-sama was defeated in a one-on-one duel you see.”

The corps commander covered his mouth with his hand, trying to calm his agitation. He couldn’t believe that Gaen would lose to a human. However, since the Advisor, who knows the truth, said so, there should be no doubt about it. The corps commander had no choice but to force himself to accept this fact.

“What will happen to us when we return to the Imperial Capital?”

“His Majesty will not give up on the hegemony…., he will gather his forces and prepare to march again.”

“Does His Majesty still intend to continue the war after such a crushing defeat? What is the significance of this battle then?”

“Leave it at that. His Majesty’s will is beyond our control.”

 The corps commander fell silent at the words of the Advisor. Until the start of the war, he had illusions about the unification of the world by the Empire. In fact, the Empire had so much power that any dragoneut would believe that it will happen. However, the result was a defeat. The corps commander felt as if he had been splashed with cold water.

“For the time being, the plan is to cross over Fort Marsei tomorrow. Please take a good rest for now.”

“Yes, I will do that.”

 The corps commander stood up and made his way to his tent. Their entire camp was enveloped in a solemn atmosphere. Just as he was about to enter the tent, a dazzling light shot out from the west. The horizon is filled with light, and the Imperial soldiers begin to panic about what is going on.

 It was as if the sun had begun to rise. But then the light faded out in a few seconds. The silence of the night returned as if nothing had happened. The soldiers were stunned, perhaps because they couldn’t believe what they had just seen.

“The light I saw earlier…”

 The corps commander was also stunned. All he seemed to understand is that an incomprehensible phenomenon had occurred.

“W-What’s that?!”

 One of the soldiers exclaimed.

 Red light filled the ground where darkness reigned at night. The red light continued all the way to the far horizon, and although it was faint, I could see it rising and falling. None of the soldiers knew what that was.

“What’s happening…?”

 The Advisor managed to stand up but still unable to comprehend the situation. Clouds cover the full moon in the sky, making it impossible even for the dragoneuts to see through the ground. No one dared to move, they just stood there, staring at the red light.

“The moon is about to come out.”

 The Advisor mutters as he looks at the sky. The wind’s breeze eventually got stronger and the full moon finally appeared. Moonlight then illuminates the ground, revealing the true nature of the red light.

 It was an enormous number of skeletons that filled the ground. Their body is black and their eyes are glowing red. The skeletons rattled their jaw when they saw the Imperial soldiers.

“Skeletons in a place like this!? This is impossible, right?”

 The Advisor stepped back in shock. The corps commander immediately seized his sword and instructed his soldiers.

“Those who can fight should take up arms immediately! Those who are wounded should evacuate straightaway!”

 Having regained their composure, the soldiers immediately took action. In order to fight the surging wave of skeletons that were rushing in, the dragoneuts bravely ran to fight.

“W-Wait! There’s something wrong with that. There’s no pointing fighting!”

“Advisor, this place is dangerous. Please evacuate to Fort Marsei with the wounded immediately!”

“But-…”

“There’s no need to worry. We will definitely follow you after we buy some more time.”

 The Advisor could only nod at the corps commander’s words.

◇◇◇

 Red light fills the ground.

 The sight from the sky reminded me of N**sicaa in the Valley of the Wind.

“Come, my army! Drive the enemy away!”

 When I called out to them, the sound of jaws clattering echoes from the ground in unison. Even if they were called the army of hell, I wouldn’t be able to find the words to deny that. My skeleton army looks ferocious and has a frightening number.

I have prepared a double force for this war. The first is the Allied Forces. Work together with each kingdom to defeat the Empire. The second is the skeleton army. This is my trump card in case of emergency. If the Allied forces win, I will use the skeleton forces to further reduce the Empire’s strength.

“Katakata”

 Suketarou, who is at the end of the line, wears Duranosuke and continues to give precise instructions. The ten corps commanders who received the order gave further instructions and relayed the order to the whole group.

 Sukejiro, who can be said to be a deputy general, leads a large skeleton on the way. The sea of skeleton engages in a fierce battle when it collides with the Imperial Army. The large dragoneuts used their physique to unleash powerful attacks. On the other hand, the skeletons crushed them with their number. Hundreds of skeleton soldiers swarmed around one empire soldier, killing him in an instant without even making him resist. By the time the enemy realized that they are not just a skeleton, it’s already too late.

After two hours, the Imperial army fled. They must have finally realized that they couldn’t win. About 200,000 troops are rushing west.

The walking speed of the skeleton army is slow. On purpose, of course. The best way to instill trauma is to slowly push them into a corner. I need to make sure that they won’t even think about invading the kingdom again.

 The Red Sea relentlessly pursues the fleeing Imperial Army. This continued into the night.

“A fort huh…”

 I descended to the ground where the morning sun rises. The Imperial army that were being chased had passed through the plains and reached the mountains overnight. A strong fort was built in the valley between the mountains. It seemed to be a key point that one must pass in order to reach the Imperial City, the capital of the empire.

“Katakata”

 What should Suketarou do?  He asked.

 Of course we move forward. I don’t care if it’s a fort or whatsoever. I gave instructions to attack and take them down. The enormous skeletons destroyed the entrance to the fort in about 30 minutes and poured into the fort like flowing water.

“Hmm-, have they already abandoned this place?”

 When I entered the fort, I found it empty, only the foods had been taken out. Well, it should be difficult for the enemy to fight a siege battle. This is against an army of immortals that can fight for years after all. Maybe they instantly decided to do so as they realized that they are at a disadvantage.

 We also decided to abandon the fort and go after the Imperial soldiers.

◇◇◇

A week has passed since we began to chase the Imperial army. Even now, the skeleton army is still steadily pursuing the enemy. Basically, I am just scouting from the air and giving rough instructions. The detailed strategy is decided by discussing it with the high-ranking team centered around Suketarou.

That said, all I have to do is chase after them. Over the course of a week, the Imperial army was making its way to the Imperial City via a number of forts.

There was an ironclad fort that could be said to be a fortress, but the nimble skeletons climbed the wall and invaded inside. Attacks were made from the outside and from within, and after a few hours, the fortress fell. 

What impressed me was the movements of the main army of the Imperial Army. They were not holed up in the key points of the forts, but instead, they continued to head west towards the Imperial City. In other words, after just one encounter, they realized that the skeleton army was a dangerous entity. I don’t know what kind of person was giving the instructions, but, I felt like praising him for having such sharp intuition.

And now, a week has passed. Finally, the skeleton army caught up with the main force of the Imperial army. The Imperial City is visible on the horizon and the battered Imperial soldiers continue to run frantically.

 A huge number of skeletons chase them as they run through the grasslands. The dragoneuts desperately hurried ahead as the skeletons chased after them to an extent where they really couldn’t catch up.

“What is that?”

 As I fly through the sky, an unfamiliar silhouette appears in my sight. It was heading here from the Imperial City. It spread its huge wings and passed right over the fleeing imperial army. As it lands on the ground, it let out a roar towards the skeleton army, causing a wave in the air. 

 The Imperial Beast has finally appeared.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“Flame Burst!”

The dragoneuts, who were proud of their huge body, were blown away by the magic that Erna released. We are now deep into the enemy’s territory. The Imperial Army’s headquarters is just within a  stone’s throw.

“Ahahahaha! Flame Burst! Flame Burst!”

 Ever since the battle began, Erna had been holding back on using high level magic. Well, there are also allies on the battlefield so she can’t use magic carelessly. Although it couldn’t be helped, but it seemed to be stressful for Erna. As proof of that, when our allies disappeared from the surroundings, she began to cast series of spells in a terrifying degree.

“Nooo-! I don’t want to die!”

“They’re here! The long-eared devil has arrived!”

“That elf is really dangerous! What a ***!”

 Instead of coming towards us, the Imperial soldiers threw down their weapons and fled. The terrain has now changed since the area was bomb so many times.  Of course, the enemy is not just being defeated. In order to counter, their magic squad shoots magic at us repeatedly.

“Shadow field!”

 A sphere of darkness covers us. The magic fired by Erna’s dark magic was weakened though. Well, to pinpoint it out, the magic I did acts as a shield to protect us. The Imperial Army was now unable to deal damage to Erna.

“It’s enough right? Anything more than this is a massacre you know.”

“Well, yeah. I now feel refreshed  so let’s leave it at that.”

I smiled wryly at Erna who now looks satisfied. There is a myriad of loose ground around us and charred corpses are scattered miserably. It was a sight that makes me realize once again that magic is a terrifying force.

“Hey, that’s the Empire’s headquarters right?”

 Erna pointed to a place where countless tents were lined up. The main camp is where the soldiers sleep and where they store a lot of supplies. If it’s as expected, the supreme commander of the Imperial Army should be over there.

“It’s safe to assume that the supreme commander is over there.”

“Then, if we defeat that guy, we’ll win this battle.”

“That’s right. Well, I guess it’s a victory for the time being.”

 To end the war, the empire must admit defeat. I don’t know if it’s when one loses their army or the kingdom but war that has been started has to end somewhere. I have that responsibility.

“Shinichi! Someone is coming here.”

 I looked up at Erna’s voice. As she said, a man was walking from the main camp. He has short purple hair and manly horns. He has a chiseled and masculine face with thick eyebrows in an inverted figure of “八”. His gaze were like those of a beast. His body is muscular, and the armor he wears has a noble atmosphere with gold decorations on it. He held a sword in each hand, and the white ceramic-like blade caught my eye.

 When the man was in front of me, he stopped.

“It’s unexpected that just you two could invade this far. Who the hell are you guys?”

“My name is Shinichi Tanaka. The person next to me is Erna. We are adventurers in the kingdom.”

“Just an adventurer, but how could our army suffer such a blow…. Well, I’m Gaen Dragnil, the first in line to the throne. It’s time for a real battle.”

 Gaen raises his sword. 

I immediately checked Gaen’s status.

【Analysis Result: Gaen Dragnil: The eldest son of the Imperial family of the Estent Empire. He is known as one of the most powerful people in the Empire and many people considers him to be the next Emperor. Rarity: B,  Overall Ability: A】

【Status】  Name: Gaen Dragnil  Race: High Dragoneut  Age: 38 years old  Magic Attribute: Earth  Magic: Rock Arrow, Rock Wall, Rock Bullet  Skills: Dragon Transformation ▹ Special: Leadership, Danger Detection ▹ Advanced: Fist King Technique, Enemy Search, Super Sensation ▹ Intermediate: Limit Breaktrough, Dual Blade Magnate technique, Fang Strengthening,  Dragon Breath ▹ Beginner: Self-recovery Evolution: Does not meet the conditions 【Evolution Condition: Dual Blade Magnate technique (Special Grade), Limit Breakthrough (Begginer Level), Dragon breath (Beginner Level)】

In terms of stats alone, he seems to far outperform that Bezel guy. Let’s take a look at his sword too.

【Analysis Result: Flying Dragon Twin Sword: Twin sword made by processing the bones of a rare flying dragon. It is treated as a national treasure in the Estent Empire. It is now used as a property of Gaen. Rarity: A, Overall Ability:-】

 It seems to be the same as the one that Bezel used before. However, the fact that he wields two swords is scary. There is no doubt that it will be a struggle even if I think about it simply.

“Shinichi…”

 Erna calls out behind me. She must be wondering if she should join the fight. Her magic came into play against Bezel, but the situation now is so different from that time. Besides, Gaen doesn’t seem to be naïve enough to fool around.

In that case, I decided to ask Erna to be keep an eye on the surrounding.

“Stop the enemy soldiers from coming. I’ll fight him one-on-one.”

“Understood. Be careful.”

“Um.”

 Erna disappeared using magic and ran away from the area. With this, the stage was set for the battle between me and Gaen. We pointed swords at each other and then while measuring some distance, we inched closer to each other.

Then, the two swords moved. With clashing sounds, the twin swords’ change its stance upwards and downwards in anticipation to my movements. On the other hand, I also moved my sword from a higher to the lower stance in order to get the first move from Gaen. I do simulations in my head many times, but it’s still hard to fight against dual wielding. Even if I dodged the first slash, another one is bound to come.

“You are good in spite of being a human… I can’t see an opening.”

“That should be my line. I didn’t know that dual wielding could be so troublesome.”

 Gaen and I had a smile on our lips. Being able to fight a strong enemy brings a strange pleasure. I can feel the real sense of being alive in this life or death exchange. After a few seconds that felt like hours, the moment finally came. Both of us stepped strongly on the ground and accelerated.

Clang!, there was such a high-pitched metallic sound, red sparks scattered between the swords. Once I parried the first blow with my sword, his second blow will be delivered immediately. I parried it again with my sword then the third blow will be followed by a fourth blow. Barrage of blows came next. The pressure of his sword is heavy, and a single blow can numb me to the bone. Even his strength seemed to exceed Bezel.

“That power is unbelievable for a human. If that is the case, you’re the one who killed Bezel!?”

“That’s right! I killed Bezel!”

“I see. Now I understand why Karl is so concerned. You are definitely a threat to the Empire!”

 Gaen leapt backwards and took a deep breath. I immediately realized that it is a preliminary move of the skill, dragon breath. I quickly moved to the side. With a roar, a huge flame spewed out from his mouth. Its scale was such that it could swallow two houses. The place where I was just now was charred black, and the temperature around me was rapidly rising. The flames were extinguished in a matter of seconds but I could see that the Dragon Breath skill was a powerful thing.

Just in case, I activated the High Dragoneut race. Now I should be resistant to flames. Gaen was shocked when he saw me.

“You bastard! Weren’t you a human?”

“I can change my races in many ways. Since I would be fighting you, I decided that High Dragoneut  would be a better choice.”

“You’re a freak!”

Gaen wields his twin sword again. On the other hand, I dodged his first blow and blocks his second attack with my sword. Finally, I began to see the flow of his dual wielding. He has a habit of moving. After the first and second strikes, there is a gap for the next attack.

In other words, the only way for me to get a chance to win is to exploit that. I dodged the sword as before, then I parried the second blow with my sword. Right after that, I quickly slashed at his feet. He lost his balance and fell to the ground.

It’s the perfect oppurtunity!

“Teryaa!”

“Won’t let you!”

 When I tried to thrust my sword into his face, he crossed his sword to block it. As I put more force into it, the twin swords he was blocking with were pushed hard. It looks like I’m almost able to stab him to death.

“Burn!”

 Then he exhales dragon’s breathe towards my face. I quickly deflected the attack and Gaen used that chance to roll on the ground and distanced himself from me.

“That was close. As expected of Bezel’s older brother.”

 Gaen readied his twin swords and grins, displaying his white teeth.

“I’ve never been this cornered since my father. I think it’s my luck to meet you.”

“What do you mean?”

“If I defeat you, I’ll level up a notch. If that happens, I’m pretty sure I’ll become the emperor. I’m going to achieve further evolution you see.”

Perhaps he’s talking about experience points. Certainly, there is a high possibility that he will gain a huge amount of experience if he defeats me. I’m from a rare race with the rarity of SS after all. Considering my overall ability, I should be a pretty tasty prey.

“It’s a matter of winning against me then.”

“Don’t make me laugh. You don’t seem to understand that I haven’t been serious yet.”

Gaen puts all his strength into his body. Then, dark green scales began to grow on his arms and face. It is dragon transformation. His aura expanded and became a pressure that weighed on me. Such pressure is so huge that Bezel can’t match.

“How is that? Are you in despair? This is something that only high dragoneuts can uh—”

“Haaa!”

 I also put out all my strength and the dragon transformation began. My face transforms closer to the dragon and black scales appeared all over my body. In addition, a tail grew out of my buttocks and at the same time, wings appeared from my back when I activated the Vampire race. Even I can use dragon transformation.

“……”

“Well then, let’s resume the fight.”

 Gaen was stunned seeing my transformation. His mouth was wide open and he had this look that says that he could not understand the scene in front of him.

 It’s not that I don’t understand how he feels. When he was about to brag about his dragon transformation, he found out that his opponent could also use it. With that, you can say that he would want to die of embarrassment.

 Gaen blushed a little, shook his head and then he readied his sword.

“Y-You bastard, you could use it too huh. You should have said it sooner.”

“You can’t just speak of something that would reveal your secrets, right? You should be careful of what you say, you know.”

“Shut up! Stop talking!”

 Gaen jumps out like a bullet and fires a barrage of blows at me. It was a complete change from before, the speed of the sword had increased tremendously. It was such a strong sword blow that an afterimage could be seen in one flash or two. I parried with my sword as I retreated.

“Uwoooo!”

 His sword gains even more speed. It seems that with just one blow of the sword, it can take my whole body away. But that doesn’t mean I can’t win. In fact, unlike before, I feel more relaxed. This is because my physical abilities have increased dramatically due to dragon transformation. In addition, by activating Skill Awakening, my ability increased even more.

 Gaen’s movements appear to be in a slow motion. Even his next attack can be easily predicted. As the body releases its limiter, it can performs above its limits. Awakening is such skill that frees the mind.

I dodged Gaen’s attack then I slid my blade as he passed by.

“Gaha-!?”

 Gaen, who was cut in the side, fell to one knee on the ground. Blood gushed out of him, and a small amount of internal organs were exposed.

“If you surrender, I won’t kill you. Here’s a friendly advice, just admit defeat.”

“I… I’m the firstborn of the Dragnil Imperial Family… I can’t do something like that.”

 Gaen stands up with his sword as a cane. I am secretly impressed by his noble appearance.

“Are you going to fight with that wound? I won’t hold back either, you know?”

“That’s better!”

 Gaen and I start running, then our swords crossed each other. The blows he swung were even heavier. It’s such a sword attack that looks as if it cuts a life. However, with the current me, it felt too slow.

“………… Agaa-.”

 My sword cuts Gaen in half. I wanted to fight against him a little longer. But, since it’s a fight with my life at stake, there’s no need for mercy. Gaen fell to the ground with a thud. It’s a very unfortunate ending.

“Hey Gaen, I’ll accept that skill.”

I then acquired his skills by using the skill, Skill Picking. What I got is the dragon breath and the dual blade magnet technique.

【Status】 Name: Shinichi Tanaka Age: 17 years old (56 years old) Race: Homeless (King) <High Dragoneut | Vampire> Occupation: Adventurer Magic Attribute: No Attribute Magic:  Restoration Space, Isolation Space Skills: Shadow Field, Familiar Creation, Familiar Summoning, Dragon Transformation, Skill Picking, Race Picking, King’s Vessel ▹Special: Stealth, Danger Detection, Sense of Touch Enhancement, Taste Enhancement, Eyesight Enhancement, Hearing Enhancement, Smell Enhancement, Digestion Enhancement, Super Sensation, Shock Absorption, Hardening, Plant manipulation, Leadership, Indomitable Spirit, Small Dragon Breath, Separation, Intimidation, Division, Sand Walking, Enemy Search, Digestion Strengthening, Flight, Familiar Strengthening ▹Advanced: Theft, Stealth, , Paralyzing Eye, Life or Death Technique,Limit Breakthrough,Dragon Beheading Slash, Sand Walking, Flight, Hardening, Plant Manipulation, Analysis(↑),Dragon Breath (New) ▹Intermediate:  Master of War, Limit Breakthrough, Underwater Adaptation, Fist King Technique, Metal Manipulation, Nerve Strengthening, Danger Prediction, Self-recovery, Universal Thread, Dual Blade Magnate Technique(New) ▹Beginner: Self-recovery, Dictatorship, Virtuous Spirit, Awakening, Impact Nullification

  It seems that the only thing that has improved in my skills is the Analysis skill.

 At that moment, texts appears in the field of vision.

【Report: The Skill, Dual Blade Magnate Technique has been absorbed by the Master of War】

Now I can use dual wielding.

I want to try it right away but there are no enemies around. I had no choice so I decided to collect the Flying Dragon Twin sword.

“Shinichi!”

 The voice faded so I turned around and saw Erna emerging from thin air. Looks like she was hiding well.

“You didn’t get caught up in the attack, right?”

“Yeah, I’m good. No need to worry. More importantly, now that you’ve defeated their supreme commander, the battle is over, right?”

“I think so…”

But even though the supreme commander is dead, there is no sign that the Imperial army is backing down.

Hmm, does that mean that Gaen wasn’t their supreme commander?

 Just as I was thinking about this, a loud trumpet sounded from the Imperial Headquarters. Hearing the sound, the empire soldiers begin to retreat at once.

“It looks like it’s a victory for the Allied forces. Enemies will be rushing in here soon.”

I picked Erna up, spread my wings and soared into the sky.

◇◇◇

“It’s over huh…”

“It seems so.”

 Two people with their hoods pulled over their heads appeared from thin air. Behind them, sound of footsteps could be heard, wave of Imperial soldiers seemed to be near.

“It’s going to be a hassle when they all come here. Let’s end it right away.”

“Yes.”

 One of them drew his sword and swiftly beheaded Gaen who was lying on the ground. The other took out a leather bag and put Gaen’s head in it.

“With this, you instantly become the hero.”

“Let’s run away as soon as possible.”

“Yes.”

 The duo held hands and disappeared from the scene. Only the headless body of Gaen was left behind.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“If you won’t belong to me, it’s fine to kill you then! Ahahaha!”

“Kuu!”

 The scythe cuts through the wind. Freya, who barely managed to dodge, felt something like a burn.

After activating the dragon transformation skill, Nell had greatly improved his physical abilities and even with the current Freya, she could barely keep track of his movements. Moreover, Nell has also activated his extra-sensory and physical enhancements. In this state, it is too difficult to win.

“Hey, Hey! f you don’t dodge properly, you’re going to die, you know?”

 The scythe makes a cut on Freya’s skin. The speed of the attack is gradually increasing, which further fueled Freya’s anxiety. If she receives even one blow, it will be fatal. The threshold of death is definitely approaching.

“Telekinesis!”

 Freya uses her telekinesis to push Nell away in order to keep her distance.

“Wa!?”

 Blown away by an invisible force, Nell spun around in mid-air and landed on the ground. In the meantime, Freya uses telekinesis to shoot two spears. However, the spear is easily knocked down by the scythe.

“That power is a foul you know? Depending on how you use it, you can be invincible. Well, I guess it’s a relief that the effective range isn’t that wide.”

“Are you analyzing my powers?”

“Something like that. Well, you see, I like rare races, so I can’t help but be curious about them.”

 Nell replied as he looked for an opening. Freya on the other hand did not let her guard down. The atmosphere between them was full of tension and suspense.

“Fire Arrow!”

 Freya shot fiery arrows. Nell used his scythe to block the arrows and uses magic to counterattack.

“Air Cutter!”

 The wind blade aims for Freya. She dodged by rolling on the ground and she recovers the two spears that had fallen by the way. Once again, the Mithril spears began to spin around her.

“I won’t let you escape, Air Arrow!”

 Pursuit magic was shot. A number of wind arrows shot out as if chasing Freya. It pierced one after another directly behind her as she runs past. At this point, Freya goes on the offensive again. There is little chance of winning even if she tries any further. With that in mind, she decided to take a gamble.

“Meteor thrust!”

 Freya leaps and unleashes a technique skill. Meteor thrust is a skill she has mastered over the past month. Although it is a skill that can only be activated by thrusting attacks, it can be twice as powerful as a normal attack. Since the attack movement is small, it can be used for continuous onslaught.

 Nell quickly dodged the spinning thrust and countered with his scythe. ―However, the two spears flying in the air accurately blocked the scythe’s slash. Nell clicks his tongue at the situation.

“I’ve had enough, I’ll cut off your head with the spear!”

 At point-blank range, the two of them unleash their next attack. Nell wields a single blow to cut through the entire Mithril spear that protects Freya. On the other hand, Freya also put all her strength on the spear and released a meteor thrust.

 The scythe cuts through the two spears brilliantly, almost decapitating Freya. However, that’s where Freya’s telekinesis came into play. Nell’s eyes bursts like a crushed a tomato.

“Ugaah!? Eye…My eyes!!!”

 With both eyes crushed, Nell instinctively stopped attacking. At that perfect opportunity, Freya pushes her limit and puts her power on the spear.

“This is your end!”

 When the fast-spinning spear drilled into the center of Nell’s chest, it stopped from spinning in her hand. The tip of the spear completely pierced through. When Nell touched the spear stuck in his chest, he realized what has happened to him.

“What the-, t-this…. this is a lie right…!?”

 The spear slipped out of his chest and he fell to the ground on his back. Seeing this, Freya slumped on the ground.

“That was close. I would have died if I hadn’t done it right…”

 She smiled wryly.

Freya had been aiming for a telekinetic attack since the beginning of the battle. However, destroying a part of the human body is not that easy. The effect of the skill, telekinesis, weakens the farther away the target is from the caster. With her current power, it is impossible unless she approaches a radius of two meters. Furthermore, the power was limited to areas that the caster could visually confirm. As she had said, Freya would have been the one dead if she made a mistake.

 Pero then crosses Freya’s mind.

“Right! I can’t stay like this. I have to go to Pero-sama right away.”

 She stood up, using her spear as a walking stick, she starts walking towards where Pero would be. 

◇◇◇

 While Freya was on a deadly battle against Nell, Pero and Rezena were also confronting each other.

“Magical Beast… No, I don’t think so. You can understand human language so…, are you a sacred beast?”

“Yes, I’m a sacred beast. Why, is that no good?”

“It’s not that it’s no good. Since you’re a sacred beast, then, you’re the perfect opponent for me.”

“Perfect opponent? Me?”

“Yep~, you are the best for me. I want to rip off that fur and make it into a coat as soon as possible.”

 Pero’s body trembled when he heard Rezena’s words.

 Rezena Dragnil is a bit of an eccentric with a hobby of collecting furs. Her room is decorated with the furs of the magical beasts she has hunted so far. Every night, she puts on a fur coat and goes out into the night town. Then, she tells the story of her own heroism to the people she run into.

“I-, I can’t give you my fur.”

“Of course I know that. That is why I’m going to kill you and take it.”

 Pero trembles even more as Rezena licks her tongue. Unlike his previous opponents, the dense and entwining killing intent terrified him. It would be better to say he had a physiological aversion. Pero’s fur stands on end from the chill.

“Alright then, let me kill you quickly. Stay still, doggie~”

 Rezena, carrying the axe, holds it with a smile. Pero also raised his fist and raised his guard.

“Hup!”

 With a short breath, Rezena stepped in close proximity to Pero. 

Pero avoided the sharply swung ax by lying face down on the ground and then he evades the second blow that is swung down from directly above by moving backwards.

“Fierce Wind Strike!”

“Ugh!?”

 The wind strike came from Pero’s fist. The effect of the gauntlet added flames to the wind. It was a flame whirlwind that was generated horizontally. The wind hit Rezena directly but it only burned some of her clothes.

“I’m a High dragoneut you know? There’s no way this level of fire would be effective against me.”

“Then, how about this!”

 Moving on to his next attack, Pero unleashed a straight right that cut through the wind. Rezena easily parried his fist and then she slammed a kick into Pero’s face.

“Kyaauun!”

 Pero was blown away by a strong blow. After about six meters, he fell to the ground, and despite the pain, Pero stood up. However, Rezena was already in front of him wielding an axe.

“Ahahahaha! Goodbye doggie!”

 As such decisive blow was about to be struck, Pero instinctively prepared for death. Trying to crush his skull, the axe is slowly lowered and reflects dim light. It is no longer possible to escape.

But then he noticed something strange. Looking closely, he can see that the time around him is flowing very slowly. The axe was still in the process of being swung down, and Rezena was defenseless.

I’m not sure but-,  isn’t this an opportunity?

As Pero made that resolve, he dodged the axe and slams his fist into Rezena’s face.

“Bugeee-e–!?”

 As time regained its original flow, Rezena was punched in the face and was knocked off with tremendous force. After bouncing a few times, she rolls powerlessly to the ground like a doll that has been tossed.

“I wonder what was that feeling earlier…”

 Pero was more concerned about the feeling he had earlier than Rezena’s life or death. He shakes his head, wondering if he had that extrasensory skill that his father had said.

“Kuuu…. What the hell happened…?”

 With wobbly legs, Rezena stood up. Blood is flowing from the corners of her mouth and there are abrasions all over her body. Pero’s blow seemed to be working better than expected.

“There’s no way you could have land a blow on me. There must be some kind of mistake here. I’ll kill you for real this time.”

 Rezena runs to Pero once more. Pero immediately started running as well and extended the claws on his right hand. When they come close to each other, they simultaneously launched an attack.

“This time for sure-, ya!”

 The axe was slashed at an unbelievable speed.

Pero, on the other hand, was once again struck by a sense of mystery. Time around him begins to move slowly and Rezena could be seen slowly swinging her axe. Although he pondered at this strange sensation, his claws sliced through Rezena’s thighs.

“Kyaaaaa!”

 As time returns, Rezena, bleeding from her thigh, screams in pain. Pero just watched in amazement.

“Is it my time that’s being accelerated?”

Pero thought that the real reason for the strange sensation was the acceleration of time. He can’t explain it in any other way.

“Ugh… How dare you… now, you really pissed me off!”

 Rezena, who was mad with anger, activated the skill, dragon transformation. Dark green scales grew on her neck and arms, and a pressure was released from her body that made the air tremble.

The pores of Pero’s whole body shrink due to the overwhelming presence. Rezena got close to him with rapid acceleration then she swings her axe at supersonic speed. Although he barely dodged the attack with the acceleration of time, his speed jumped dramatically compared to before.

“Definitely, I will absolutely kill you! I’m going to make you apologize in hell for hurting me!!”

 The axe is swung many times in the blink of an eye. Each time, Pero continued to evade by accelerating his time. And after many trials, he begins to understand the characteristics of the ability.

What he realized was that he could accelerate his own time, and that there was a limit to how long he could accelerate it. By Pero’s experience, the time is accelerated by 5 seconds. It can be used continuously, but if you use it three times, there will be a time lag of one second before the next activation. Because of this, Pero moved to distance himself from Rezena on the third use.

“Die! Just die! A dog like you better die a horrible death!”

 Pero was frightened by Rezena’s terrifying expression. Even so, she is not an opponent he can’t fight against. During the accelerated time, he repeatedly struck Rezena with counterattack blows. But whether she gets hit in the face or cut with his claws, Rezena shows no signs of slowing down. It seemed that her defense power had also improved dramatically due to dragon transformation. Her neck is protected by scales so even his sharpened claws cannot scratch her.

“Don’t fuckin’ run! Just obediently die for me!”

The axe slammed on the ground and the soil gouges out as if it had exploded. In the next moment, the axe made a sudden shift and aimed at Pero’s neck. Pero quickly distances himself from Rezena but she immediately finds Pero and follows him up with a strong stride. Before one knows, it now turned into a chase between Pero and Rezena.

“What to do?…. If we continue like this, I won’t be able to win…”

 Pero felt stuck as he continued to dodge. He won’t lose, but he can’t win either. Well, he knew that his skill would no longer stop Rezena.

 Then at that moment, he noticed that his body is glowing.

“Don’t tell me… I’m leveling up at this time!? Damn!, this is bad. I may get killed in this way!”

 Contrary to his feelings, the light emitted from his body is increasing in intensity. Rezena doesn’t notice this and chases after Pero in an attempt to kill him.

And then came Pero’s moment of level up. A flash of light radiates from his whole body, and his figure becomes blurry. The intense amount of light made Rezena cover her eyes instinctively, and then her vision went numb.

“Uh-!, what happened!? I can’t see!? Why!? What’s going on!”

 She lost sight of Pero. She presses her eyes, feeling flustered.

Meanwhile, Pero’s body continued to grow rapidly. He has grown further from the height of an adult man, reaching 2m and 50cm. His face becomes even more wolf-like, and his fangs become even sharper. His arms and legs are now as thick as the trunk of a tree. You can even see the bulge of his muscles even through his fur. The gauntlet he was wearing burst into pieces, and sharp claws like knives protruded from his fingertips.

 When the light subsided, Pero’s eyes widened at his own growth. He can feel a surge of vitality that cannot be suppressed. He finally turns into an adult. He can no longer see the trace of his childhood.

“Haha, I can finally see! Now with this, that dog, I can finally ki-”

 Rezena spoke as she stood up. However, she wasn’t able to finish her words when she saw Pero. In a matter of seconds, his appearance had changed completely. His appearance is no longer of that fleeing beast from earlier. A predator. That is the appearance of a fully grown beast that came to hunt.

“Grrrrr- Guaaa!!”

 Pero’s roar became a pressure that made Rezena tremble. Even though he should be of the same height as hers, Pero’s body looks many times bigger.

“J-Just because you’ve grown up a little bit doesn’t mean you’ve match my strength! More fur and it’s good for me!”

 Although Rezena was shaken, she still swung her axe towards Pero at a supersonic speed.

 The battle was decided in an instant.

“Uh-… Eh?”

 Pero disappeared right in front of her, and before Rezena knew it, there was a big hole formed in her chest. When she looked behind her, she sees Pero holding her heart while looking at her. Her heart is still pounding on his hands, and fresh blood are dripping to the ground from between his fingers.

“Goodbye”

 Pero then squeezed her heart. As if Rezena just recalled that, she fell to the ground with a thud.

 After confirming that Rezena is dead, Pero walks to Freya.

“Pero-sama! Are you alright?”

“Freya-san!”

 Freya, who was covered in wounds, walked with her spear as a walking stick. Pero runs up to her and picks her up in his arms.

“Aah-, Pero-sama has grown even more. You are undeniably the most wonderful fluff~.”

 Freya buried her face in Pero’s chest and with such heavy breathing, she snorted contentedly. Pero smiled bitterly at the situation, but he was relieved and glad that they both survived.

“Freya-san, there are no more enemies here so let’s go to where my father is first.”

“Alright.”

The two of them began walking across the battlefield in search of Shinichi and Erna.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“Kuhahaha! What’s wrong? It shouldn’t be over like this right!?”

Beast King Vishu’s fists show no signs of weakening even when facing hundreds of dragoneuts. Claws and fangs that tear flesh with striking force that crushes bones. The flames emitted from the gauntlet of the Flame God even turned the bones into ashes. Before he knew it, his surroundings had turned into a burnt ruin.

“…… Looks like I’ve gone too far. The enemy has completely fled huh.”

As he stomped on the still smoldering ground, Vishu scratched his head. The enemy soldiers finally gave up trying to defeat him. No, it would be more accurate to say that they had no choice but to give up. At that time, his combat power is in an state of magnitude higher than theirs after all.

“Well, that’s fine. I’m tired of fighting the miscellaneous soldiers. I’m going to try to find a stronger opponent.”

He muttered and then he starts walking out to find a new enemy. Suddenly, the Skill Danger Prediction sounded an alarm.

“Fu-!”

As he jumped out of the way, the ground caved in and a shockwave struck. Vishu rolls on the ground and then he quickly gets up and assesses the situation. Someone attacked him but there is no figure around him.

“Stealth skill huh…”

“Bullseye!”

Emerging out of thin air was a man with long purple hair tied at the back of his head. He has horns growing from his head and a slender physique. The armor he wore was dark green decorated with gold details. He is clearly a person who stands apart from the imperial soldiers and knights. 

“That appearance… Are you a member of the Imperial Royal Family?”

“Indeed, I am Grandal Dragnil, third in line to the throne. I see that you are His Highness Vishu Budi, King of the Nagi Republic, right?”

“Hmm-, it’s interesting that you it’s me yet you still attacked. It looks like you don’t have any weapon but your fighting style is probably a classical form of martial arts. In that case, no questions need to be asked.”

Vishu jumps out and swings his fist. Grandal disappeared before the attack hit.

“Tsk!, stealth is so troublsome. I can’t see anything from here— agguh!?”

A sudden attack to the abdomen blows Vishu backwards. However, as soon as he touched the ground, he regained his position.

“Where?… Where are you hiding?”

He twitched his nose and ears to sharpen his senses but there was no reaction around him. Vishu remains poised and waits for a chance to counterattack.

“No matter how vigilant you are, stealth is a rare skill that cannot be deciphered. I can’t be seen by a beast that can only fight.”

“There!”

Explosive flames are released in the direction of the voice. However, it didn’t feel like he had hit Grandal. Vishu, who is on high alert again, thinks of a solution in his head.

　

Stealth skills does not mean that the user disappears. It’s just simply blocking the opponents’ perception. But even if you know that, you would never win unless you are able to land an attack.  No matter how outstanding Vishnu’s physical skills and blessed physical abilities are, he will be beaten to death if he continues on like this.

Crack.

Vishu heard the sound of someone stepping on the charred ground. He attacks there instantaneously.

“There!”

He swung his fist at the source of the sound causing a gust of wind. However, the supposed feeling of hitting the opponent was not conveyed to him. Then, at that moment, he receives a strong attack from behind.

“Aghhhh”

Keeping the momentum, Vishu bounced on the ground and then he managed to spin his body in the air before landing on the ground. Blood drips from his forehead.

“Stealth skill seems to be more troublesome than I imagined. I can’t believe I’m having such trouble.”

“Then, why don’t you admit defeat? From now on you can join forces with the Nazi Kingdom.”

“I refuse. I’m not interested in hegemony or anything like that. Besides, I can’t fight a dragoneut if I’m on your side.”

Vishu showed a fearless grin. Seeing that, Grandal mumbled, “Battle Freak!”.

“Since you want to die that badly, I’ll do what you want.”

Grandal then activates dragon transformation skill. He used his strengthened legs to get closer to Vishu and he delivered a powerful body blow.

“Agu- aahh-”

Vishu’s body was bent into a “く” shape with both of his legs up in the air. Blood gushed out of his mouth and he could even hear the sound of his flesh being stretched.

“It’s not over yet.”

This time, a straight left hits him in the face. Right straight immediately came after that. Grandal’s fist gained momentum as it smashed into Vishu’s face again and again. When the attack exceeded 30, Vishu collapsed to his knees.

“There’s no use calling you the Beast King. In my high dragoneut form, you are not my enemy.”

Grandal looks down at Vishu who is now lying face down on the ground. He had heard from his father emperor that the Beast King was a threat to the hegemony. But the truth is that he is only a

weakling, he could not even touch him in a fight. As expected, dragoneuts were the strongest race in the world.

“Uuh-…”

Vishu grabbed Grandal’s leg with trembling hands. Grandal snorts at such weak resistance.

“……Ca…ught.”

“What?”

“C-Caught you.”

The hand that is grasping Grandal’s leg exerts tremendous grip strength. Golden hair began to grow from Vishu’s body and his muscles bulged as it tore his clothes. The presence of a powerful beast makes Grandal struggle to escape. However, instead of letting go, the hand’s grip digs further into his flesh.

“Guggaaaaaa…… Let go! Let go!”

“There’s no way I’m going to let go of what I’ve finally caught. Now let me thank you for what you’ve done so far.”

Grandal frantically attacks Vishu but his beastly steel body does not budge. Vishu slowly stood up, swung Grandal up with all his might and then with full force, he slammed him to the ground.

“Gugaa!?”

“Not over yet!”

He swings Grandal up again and smashed him to the ground once more. After about ten repetitions, he finally let go of Grandal’s legs.

“Dead?”

Grandal was limp and laid motionless on the ground. However, it can be seen that his chest rises and falls slightly as he breathes. After a few minutes, Grandal staggered to his feet.

“Why don’t you kill me…?”

“It’s not that I won’t kill you. It’s just, wouldn’t it be boring if it ended right away? I want a blood-curdling battle you see. Now then, get ready!”

Vishu made a stance. 

Getting to this point, Grandal finally felt fear on the Beast King. For the Beast King, this battle is just an entertainment and a game. It’s truly like a lion playing with its prey. Moreover, when he realized that the other person was himself, an instinctive fear rose from deep within him. From the very beginning, it was clear who was the hunter and who was the prey.

“Hii-!!”

Grandal used stealth to disappear. Because he was born strong, he had never experienced the fear of death. He didn’t even imagine that he could die. He disappeared and start running frantically.

Now, it’s not for fighting but to escape.

“No matter where you go, you can’t escape from me!”

Vishu slammed his fist into the ground then bright red flames swirled and spread from the gauntlet of the Fire God. The flames licking the ground caught up with Grandal and highlighted his whereabouts.

“Kuhahahaha!!! Found you!”

As he found that one spot which blocked his perception, Vishu leaps high into the sky. He pulled his fist in mid-air and unleashed the skill, Explosive Fist as soon as he landed. The impact vibrates the air then a crater with a diameter of five meters was formed. His right fist pierced through Grandal’s back and it plunged deep into the ground. 

Slowly pulling out his fist, he confirmed Grandal’s death.

“Dead huh. I wish I had a little more fun… Shinichi may be the only one who can satisfy me after all.”

Vishu leaves Grandal’s corpse and begins to move away from that spot.

　◇◇◇

“Yaaa! Taaa!”

Freya, who skillfully wields a crimson spear, bravely attacks even though she is surrounded by enemy soldiers. Two Mithril spears swirled around her, changing her movements to attack and defend at will. As blood splatters all over her body, her figure bathed in blood is like a crimson war maiden.

“Grrrrr!”

Galloping like the wind, Pero easily cuts the necks of any enemy soldier he passed by. His fist equipped with the gauntlet smashed through the enemy’s armor, sending hotness and shock inside. When the Imperial soldiers saw Pero, they shout that he is a white demon.

Before they knew it, there were no more enemies around them.

“Pero-sama, it looks like the enemy has given up attacking us.”

“Yes. But, I don’t think we can let our guard down just yet. There’s no guarantee that someone like Bezel won’t come out.”

Pero replied as he sniffed the air. This is because he can smell the sweet scent of perfume on the wind from earlier. No matter how he looks at it, it is unnatural to have perfume on such a battlefield.

“Pero-sama!”

Freya shouted and the two jumped out of the area. Immediately afterwards, the ground is severely gouged by someone falling from the sky.

“It’s rude to avoid it you know. Please receive my attack properly.”

It was a woman with an axe who emerged from the smoke. She has short purple hair and sheep-like horns on her head. Her figure is well proportioned and the earrings in her ears make her look alluring. She is wearing a light armor with gold decorations and her exposed navel even looks bewitching.

“Who are you? Judging from your appearance, you are not a regular soldier.”

Freya asks a question as she raised her spear towards the woman.

“I’m Rezena Dragnil, second in line to the throne of the Estent Empire.”

“From the royal family huh. In that case, there’s no shortage of opponents then. I’ll send you to hell right away!”

“Freya-san wait!”

Pero quickly stopped Freya as he tried to attack. His nose could sense another person.

“Huup!”

Suddenly, someone landed near Rezena. He looks like a boy, and his purple hair is swirling in what seems to be a natural perm. Horns grow out of his head and his appearance looks like an innocent child. He wore dark green armor adorned with gold which seemed to indicate his status.

“Nell came too huh.”

“Well, I found an opponent to my liking you see. I thought I should go ahead before Big Sis steals it… Did I get overboard?”

“You’re after that woman, aren’t you? I’m going after that dog you see. We don’t have to fight over it.”

“Oh-, I see. Big Sis is after that dog huh. It’s fine then.”

With a bold grin, Rezena and Nell each face the enemy they wanted to fight.

Freya against Nell.  Pero against Rezena.

“Pero-sama, are you okay by yourself?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ve been training with my father for this day. Be careful, Freya-san.”

“I understand. For Pero-sama’s sake, I’ll bring that enemy to a bloodbath right away!”

Hearing Freya’s words, Pero soflty replied with, “Uh, Okay…”. Then the two of them braced themselves.

Nell and Freya were the first to start the fight. Nell’s weapon, a scythe, swings fast in an attempt to decapitate Freya. Freya narrowly avoided it and then Freya thrust her spear towards Nell sharply in return.

“Haa! Hey, sister, you’re doing pretty well!”

He taunted as he dodged Freya’s attack easily. Then they both keep their distance from each other, gauging their next move.

“For a child to come out on the battlefield, isn’t the empire so rotten?”

“Ah-, sister, you’re mistaken. I look like this but I’m thirty-two years old you see. If you think of me as a child, you’ll be in trouble you know.”

“You say you are thirty-two years old when you looked like that? Are you kidding me!?”

Freya leaps and swings her spear down. Nell rolls on the ground to dodge and immediately wields his scythe as he gets up. With a sharp sound, the spear that was hovering around Freya blocked the scythe. Sparks fly and with clashing sounds, the spear and the scythe compete with each other.

“Take this!”

Another spear floating in the air was shot at Nell. Nell dodges the spear right away with a light backflip.

“Sister, you’re not human, aren’t you? You have four arms and you control the flying spear with a unique skill right?”

“So, what about it?”

“I’m a lover of women of rare races you see. Sister is beautiful and strong, so I definitely want you to be part of my collection.”

“I refuse! I’m only for Pero-sama. I’m not interested in a male human who doesn’t have fluffy feel.”

Freya starts attacking again. When she gets close to Nell, she delivers a series of thrusts.

“Waa! Uh! Tsu!”

As Nell made a back step to dodge a barrage of attacks, two spears fall from the sky in pursuit.

After he dodged it with a backflip, Nell went on the offensive this time.

It is the small dragon breath skill. Flames erupt from his mouth and is being radiated in an attempt to incinerate Freya.

“Telekinesis!”

An invisible wall is created right before Freya’s eyes. The flames were repelled by the wall and did not reach her.

“Excellent! I want sister more and more!”

Nell then activated a skill, dark green scales grew all over his body. The face is close to that of a dragon, and a tail grows out of his buttocks. It is the skill, dragon transformation.

“You are a high dragoneut too huh.”

“You are well informed. That’s right, I’m Nell Dragnil, a high dragoneut. I am the fifth in line to the succession to the Imperial Throne. I have the best compatibility with the dragon transformation skill amongst my siblings.”

“Compatibility huh… I see… Even Bezel didn’t transform that much.”

“Huh? Do you know Bezel-niisama? No need to say more then. I’m stronger than that Bezel-niisama you see.”

Freya felt agitated inside.

This is because she didn’t expect the opponent to be stronger than the enemy Shinichi had a hard time before. If that’s really the case, she might not win unscathed.

A drop of sweat dripped from Freya’s forehead.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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A huge number of soldiers emerged from the horizon and began to engage the Allied forces waiting for them. Before you know it, the fierce battle between the 300,000 Imperial Army and the 450,000 Allied Army turns into a melee.

“Erna! How’s the situation?!”

“The Allied forces are making a slight push!”

 I slashed and kills enemy soldiers right in front of me one after another. Erna also unleashed a Flame Bomb while dodging a dragoneut’s attack. In the turbulent battlefield, friend and foe were mixed and a large number of corpses were scattered on the ground.

The sound of weapons clashing, followed by yells and screams echoed in the area. The flowers that had bloomed were trampled and stained red with blood.

The dragoneuts, proud of their gigantic size, bravely wields their weapon to take on dozens of people. The opposing Allied soldiers were also pushing back in numbers while making use of their racial characteristics. Meanwhile, some of them were raging against the Imperial Army.

“Don’t get thrown off Freya-san!”

“Of course! There’s no way I would leave Pero-sama’s fluffy back! ”

Pero moves across the battlefield like a wolf. He carries Freya on his back and every time they passed by an enemy, Freya cut off the enemy’s neck with a spear. Moreover, there are two Mithril spears floating around them, if an enemy tries to approach them from behind, they will be skewered in an instant.

Boom!

An explosion occurred on the battlefield. In the center of the crater, a man stood up in a cloud of white smoke.

“Kuhahahaha! It’s so fun! Fighting really makes my blood boil!”

The Beast King who is wearing the gauntlet of the Flame God rushed nimbly and then he thrusts his fist into the middle of the concentrated Imperial soldiers. Just by doing that, the explosive flames emitted from the gauntlets blew off the enemy soldiers. As his fist slammed on the ground, the impact from the explosion formed a crater. Over powered by such overwhelming power, the enemy soldiers turned to their backs and began to flee.

“Lightning Thunder!”

 Purple colored electricity runs from Erna’s wand. The enemy soldiers who were directly hit were charred and they fell to the ground.

“Buy me an hour!”

“Got it!”

I then cut down the enemy approaching Erna. A huge number of dragoneuts are surging towards us and I am holding them down all by myself. The Bull King sword cuts through the many swords that are swung down on us in an instant. As soon as the skill Dragon Beheading Slash is activated, there is a flash of horizontal slashing. Dozens of corpses with their bodies cut in half are mass-produced at once. The enemy soldiers, who were watching the situation, retreated all at once out of fear.

“Here comes! This is my original magic-, Pisces!”

 About a dozen water sharks were created around Erna. It was about five meters long and had sharp teeth in its mouth. The shark slowly swims through the air and bites through nearby enemy soldiers in the blink of an eye. The sharks began to swim freely across the battlefield in search of prey.

“Is that original magic?”

 With a stunned face, I asked Erna a question. Erna, on the other hand, replied confidently while sticking out her large breasts.

“The idea came to me from the sand shark I saw in the desert. My magic is amazing, isn’t it?”

“No, I was expecting a bigger magic…”

“Hey, I’ll tell you what!, magic is very hard you know. Pisces alone can take away a whole lot of my magical power and mental power.”

“Is that so? That’s not good then.”

 While the two of us are talking, the shark continues to attack the Imperial soldiers. Before I knew it, the transparent shark had turned red due to blood.

“Rebuild your position, support the magic troops!”

General Luan gives instructions to his troops. The elves were good at ranged attacks and they continued to support with bows and magic. Knowing that the dragoneuts are vastly superior in strength, they continue to shoot arrows and magic to help the beastmen and dwarves fighting on the front lines.

“Oriyaaaaa!!! Thirtieth! The battle begins now, so don’t let your guard down!”

 As General Gril slashes one of the enemy soldiers with his axe, he immediately calls out to his allies. The dwarves take advantage of their heavy equipment and short stature to attack the Imperial soldiers in dense formations. As expected, the dragoneuts were also struggling to attack from underfoot.

“The king is fighting on the front lines! We too are moving forward!”

 At the command of General Jagi, the beastmen bared their fangs like unleashed beasts. It is no longer a fight between person to person. When a few beastmen cling to an enemy soldier, they aim at the artery and bite it. The nimble ones chopped with their sharpened claws, and those who are more confident in their strength clashed head-on with the dragoneuts.

“We’ve been given wings, we’re winged people, take advantage of it!”

 The winged men, led by General Hisan, soared freely through the sky, swooping down and stabbing the enemy with their spears. Their attack range extended to the entire battlefield and they were able to finish the enemy off one by one while avoiding the ranged attacks coming from the elves.

“Assess the distance of all troops! If you get too close to the front line, you will be caught up in the three races and die! Maintain a medium distance as much as possible!”

 Under Edner’s instructions, the human army continued to attack whilst keeping some distance. They were fighting with the beastmen against the enemy soldiers who have broken through the dwarven’ wall. With the help of the elves’ support attack, they were developing a strategy to crush the enemy with numbers.

“Tsk! Where did he go?”

“The one from earlier? You won’t get good results if you rush it.”

“I know.”

 A duo with their hoods pulled up were dominating the dragoneuts. One of them grabs a sword and slashes the enemy at an unbelievable speed. The other skillfully manipulates a wand and exploits the opening then kills the enemy with magic. They are adventurers who have accompanied the kingdom’s army.

In general, adventurers are not prohibited from participating in war. Of course, their participation is basically unpaid. Adventurers are supposed to get a large amount of reward from the kingdom by improving their battle results though. In this battle, more than a dozen adventurers from the kingdom participated.

“I owe that guy something you see. I’ll definitely pay him back.”

“I see. I owe that woman a debt too.”

 The two of them looked at each other as they raised the corners of their mouths.

　◇◇◇

“How is it going?”

“Huu-, It seems that our army is gradually being pushed back, if this continues, the number of the wounded will reach 20%.”

 After receiving the report of the Advisor, Gaen, who had his feet on the table, straightened his posture.

On this occasion, the eldest son, Gaen, and the second son, Grandal are both present. The eldest daughter, Rezena, and the fourth son, Nell, were also gathered here. All of them are expressionless while drinking wine.

“Big Brother is fully responsible for this operation. If we end up being annihilated, you wouldn’t be able to get away with it, right?”

 Grandal spoke to Gaen as he placed his wine glass on the table. Gaen’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“Then, am I going to be the first in line to inherit the imperial throne? Father would never forgive a son who came home defeated you see.”

Rezena murmurs as she looks into her glass. Gaen clicked his tongue slightly.

“That’s why I said I should command the whole army. You guys need to understand that I am the most suitable person to be the next emperor.”

 Nell picks up the cheese on the table and tosses it into his mouth. Mad at the three people’s words, Gaen smashed the table with his fist.

“If you’re going to say that much, show off your military results! You guys should be the commanders of each army! Crush those Allied forces immediately!”

Looking at the shattered table, the other three looked as if they have crushed a bitter bug.

Yes they are brothers, but at the same time, they are rivals. And each of them thinks that they will be the next emperor. Being ordered around by Gaen was an unbearable pain.

“……Fine then, this time, I’m going to show you guys the difference in strength between me and big brother.”

Grandal then walks out of the room.

“Even if I take the role as a general, I won’t let my brother take the credit. My war achievements belong to me!”

Rezena also walks out of the room.

“I’ll make it clear that I’m the most suitable to be the Emperor. Oh- and, it may happen that my brother or sister will die if I accidentally hit them with my attack you see. But, it can’t be helped, right? Fufufu.”

 Nell leaves the room.

“Everyone’s thoughts are only about the succession to the imperial throne. That is to say that if we lose the battle, that won’t matter at all. They’re all bunch of idiots!”

 Gaen muttered in dismay. Seeing this, the Advisor opened his mouth.

“Your Highness, what is your next step?”

“We will immediately retreat once the wounded reached 30%. We cannot afford to reduce the number of troops entrusted to us by my father any further.”

“…….I understand!”

“Don’t worry, as those three come out, this battle is as good as won. They say that they are allied forces, but they are just a bunch of people after all. It will collapse as soon as the commander who leads them disappears.”

 Gaen had already expected their victory.

　◇◇◇

I was shocked to the core. I have never regretted volunteering to become a soldier in the Imperial Army this much. At first, I thought that I would get a lot of money if I became a soldier. Besides, it’s common knowledge that the dragoneut race is strong, thus I thought this war would end soon.

But in reality, it wasn’t that sweet.

With the exception of the Empire, five nations have formed a faction to oppose us dragoneuts. Even so, I and the other soldiers laughed at their thoughts of winning. We all thought we would win after all. But–

“We couldn’t win.…”

 I was standing there with my sword in my hand. There were so many soldiers lying on the ground in a heap. There’s only two of them, it was just a man and a woman who created such devastation. One was a human man in a black robe, and the other was a very beautiful elf woman with a wand.

What scared me most was the human man. Silver hair and blood-red eyes. The black sword he holds asserts its existence as if it were sucking the soul of the person who was slain by it. He decapitated the approaching enemy without even looking back. There was no emotion on his face.

“Hiii-…”

 Before I knew it, the man had come in front of me. He is one or two times smaller than me and he is just a mere human from any angle. However, his face was as cold as ice but nevertheless, he is a handsome young man.

I felt weak and slumped to the ground.

“Hn? What?, you don’t want to fight?”

“Aa- a-aa-”

I can’t stop trembling. Then warm water leaks out of my crotch. I regretted leaving my mother in the countryside many times.

I’m sorry mom. I’m going to die.

“Whoa-, this person is leaking…”

“Uh- Yeah… Killing him is unsatisfactory.”

 The human man and the elven woman looked at me and smiled wryly. Maybe he is laughing at my unsightliness and then kill me. He is a devilish man after all. I was horrified from the bottom of my heart.

“Let’s not care about this guy. Let’s hurry ahead.”

“Got it~”

 The two of them left me there trembling. Maybe I was saved. When I looked around, I was the only one who was alive and well. The corpses of hundreds of Imperial soldiers were strewn about, some of the people who were probably still alive were left there groaning. More discharge was released from my crotch. I thought I had put it all out, but it seems that I still had a lot left.

“T-That’s right! I need to get out of there quickly!”

 I immediately get up and run out of the battlefield. I don’t want to be in this place for another second. I’m going back to the countryside and help my mom in the fields. I’m not going to be a soldier anymore.

“Hey you there, where are you going?”

I froze when I heard a voice from behind me. When I turned around, I saw a woman standing there with an axe. I immediately recognize the woman’s identity.

“Re-Rezena-sama! W-Why are you here!?”

“Wherever I am, it’s my choice, right? By the way, where are you planning on going?”

I start shaking again. In the Empire, fleeing before the enemy is a felony. Once you are found, you will definitely be imprisoned or put to death. Rezena-sama in particular, is notoriously harsh on rebels. No matter how I think about it, she is not someone who can forgive me for doing so.

“Uh- I, I leaked so I thought I’d change my clothes…”

“Eh? Ah-, you’re really soaked.”

“T-That’s right. That’s why I thought I’d go back to the tent and change my clothes!”

“I see, I understand.”

While I was saying, “Okay then-”, I tried to get away from Rezena-sama. But my vision spins around. When my cheeks hit the ground, a headless body collapsed in front of me with a thud.

“Eh-? I can’t move?”

“Are you an idiot? In a battlefield, where in the world would you believe someone who says that he will just change clothes because he leaked on it? If you’re going to fool me, say something better!”

In my field of vision, I could see Rezena-sama holding an axe. Blood is dripping from the blade, I couldn’t really tell what had happened though.

Gradually, my consciousness faded and in a snap, I died.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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