- Why, why, why are you here!!!!!
Everyone covered their ears at the tremendous scream.
“Ack, my eardrums almost burst!”
“Is this bastard crazy?!”
Vania and Ryan shouted.
Regardless, everything went white before Ratan's eyes.
Why on earth is that pink head here? She's never once shown up in the extermination zone before, so why today of all days? Is she crazy enough to want to die?
“Why are you shouting!”
Vania, who was so small she wouldn't even be a mouthful, chirped.
Ratan moved his lips and barely managed to speak.
- Ah, no... I was just surprised because you went out of your way to come here when it's dangerous...
“What’s dangerous? You’re here.”
Infinite trust!
But this time, it's no use having it.
Because the monsters won't listen to Ratan's orders.
'Damn it! What should I do?'
Ratan began to ponder. How should he resolve this situation?
The monsters are about to burst out, and he can't stop them. Even if he orders them not to attack, the monsters will think it's just an act and ignore him.
Then can humans win?
No, there is no hope. Since they arrived early, not all of the punitive force came, so there were only two troops.
The Imperial Knights and the Belzer Army. No matter how outstanding their skills may be, it is ultimately a battle of numbers, so their forces will be wiped out in less than an hour.
Of course, he knows that Vania isn't an ordinary human, though?
Everyone covered their ears at the tremendous scream.
“Ack, my eardrums almost burst!”
“Is this bastard crazy?!”
Vania and Ryan shouted.
Regardless, everything went white before Ratan's eyes.
Why on earth is that pink head here? She's never once shown up in the extermination zone before, so why today of all days? Is she crazy enough to want to die?
“Why are you shouting!”
Vania, who was so small she wouldn't even be a mouthful, chirped.
Ratan moved his lips and barely managed to speak.
- Ah, no... I was just surprised because you went out of your way to come here when it's dangerous...
“What’s dangerous? You’re here.”
Infinite trust!
But this time, it's no use having it.
Because the monsters won't listen to Ratan's orders.
'Damn it! What should I do?'
Ratan began to ponder. How should he resolve this situation?
The monsters are about to burst out, and he can't stop them. Even if he orders them not to attack, the monsters will think it's just an act and ignore him.
Then can humans win?
No, there is no hope. Since they arrived early, not all of the punitive force came, so there were only two troops.
The Imperial Knights and the Belzer Army. No matter how outstanding their skills may be, it is ultimately a battle of numbers, so their forces will be wiped out in less than an hour.
Of course, he knows that Vania isn't an ordinary human, though?
He doesn't know if she has the skill to subdue hundreds of monsters at once. In the worst-case scenario, even Vania would end up dead.
Ah, I don't like that.
Then how on earth...
'W-wait! Are you crazy? What do you dislike?'
Ratan was dumbfounded. Why was he even worrying about this? He's serving as a slave to humans because of Vania, so wouldn't it be a good thing if she died?
Let's calm down.
Ratan started taking deep breaths.
Ryan and Vania, having quickly lost interest while he was agonizing, were just chattering to each other.
Then...
'Why is that guy acting like that?'
Only Nike sensed the ominous energy and was observing Ratan.
Having spent more days on the battlefield than at home, his intuition was sharper than anyone else's. Whenever he had an ominous feeling, something usually happened.
Exactly, it was like that even now.
"Reiner."
Nike called his subordinate. He whispered quietly to Reiner as he approached.
“All members of the Imperial Knights, retreat. As quickly as possible. Then wait outside the territory of the final defense line. If other members of the punitive expedition arrive there, do not let them in; wait together with them.”
Reiner was surprised by the sudden order.
However, his superior has never once given a foolish order. There is no need to waste time prying into unnecessary details.
"All right."
Soon, Reiner quickly rallied the knights and left the camp.
Ryan approached Nike with a bewildered expression as he watched the knights suddenly retreat.
"What is it? Why are you sending it?"
Why? Because in the event of an emergency, the only way to subdue the rampaging monsters is Ryan's instant kill ability.
The Belzers, a former member of the Cerberus mercenary group, knows Ryan's secret, but the Imperial Knights do not.
However, he cannot explain this in detail. Nike was acting solely on intuition at the moment.
"There are still over three days left until the monsters appear anyway. I had to withdraw them for a while because it was necessary, so I will call them back before the subjugation. Don't worry about it."
“Ugh.”
“Vania, come here.”
Next, he kept Vania safe by his side and whispered.
“If something unexpected happens, I’ll fast-forward two hours. Thirty minutes feels a bit tight. I can’t remember, so you’ll have to explain the situation to me.”
“Yes? Yes, I will. But what kind of unexpected situation?”
“Just. I’m talking about everything that goes against our expectations.”
Having said that, Nike finally checked his ability.
He will regress briefly for about 3 seconds.
Poem of Regression
“Ha, damn it!”
His ominous intuition was generally correct, and misfortunes would coincidentally pile up one after another and happen all at once.
“Don’t worry. The incapacitated state never lasts long. Usually, it is used when...”
Since Vania had reassured him with what she said, he had a rough idea why he had suddenly become like this again.
“...When my father disciplines a disobedient child one-on-one. Because if they get angry and attack, it means death for the father.”
Sadly, it seemed like words born of experience.
In reality, perhaps because he couldn't put all his children in danger, the state of incapacitation didn't last long.
Just a few days ago, the control ended in less than an hour.
'Then, do I have to hold out until it gets resolved?'
“Why, why are you acting like this...?”
Vania noticed Nike was confused and worried.
Nike cautiously glanced at Ratan, then whispered to Vania.
“...It’s incapacitated.”
"Again?!"
Vania was shocked. Soon, she, too, glanced at Ratan and spoke quietly.
“But doesn’t it matter? As long as I have Ratan, I don’t have to worry even if a monster appears. I just need to make sure he doesn’t find out that I’m incapacitated.”
No, I'm doing this because that Ratan looks suspicious right now, but...
However, he cannot really explain it.
It's just an intuition.
"You wait outside. I'll take you there."
"Yes?"
Nike spoke as he untied the horse he had bound nearby.
“I have a bad feeling. If nothing bad happens, I’ll come back to pick you up, so for now, wait outside with Reiner.”
“...Uh-huh, I understand.”
Vania nodded and approached Ratan, asking.
“Hey! Can’t you just sense when the monsters are coming out?”
Gulp. Ratan swallowed for some reason and nodded.
- Yes, roughly...
“When do you think it will come out?”
- Four...
"Three days later?"
- Three, two, one...
“...?!?!?”
Ah, I don't like that.
Then how on earth...
'W-wait! Are you crazy? What do you dislike?'
Ratan was dumbfounded. Why was he even worrying about this? He's serving as a slave to humans because of Vania, so wouldn't it be a good thing if she died?
Let's calm down.
Ratan started taking deep breaths.
Ryan and Vania, having quickly lost interest while he was agonizing, were just chattering to each other.
Then...
'Why is that guy acting like that?'
Only Nike sensed the ominous energy and was observing Ratan.
Having spent more days on the battlefield than at home, his intuition was sharper than anyone else's. Whenever he had an ominous feeling, something usually happened.
Exactly, it was like that even now.
"Reiner."
Nike called his subordinate. He whispered quietly to Reiner as he approached.
“All members of the Imperial Knights, retreat. As quickly as possible. Then wait outside the territory of the final defense line. If other members of the punitive expedition arrive there, do not let them in; wait together with them.”
Reiner was surprised by the sudden order.
However, his superior has never once given a foolish order. There is no need to waste time prying into unnecessary details.
"All right."
Soon, Reiner quickly rallied the knights and left the camp.
Ryan approached Nike with a bewildered expression as he watched the knights suddenly retreat.
"What is it? Why are you sending it?"
Why? Because in the event of an emergency, the only way to subdue the rampaging monsters is Ryan's instant kill ability.
The Belzers, a former member of the Cerberus mercenary group, knows Ryan's secret, but the Imperial Knights do not.
However, he cannot explain this in detail. Nike was acting solely on intuition at the moment.
"There are still over three days left until the monsters appear anyway. I had to withdraw them for a while because it was necessary, so I will call them back before the subjugation. Don't worry about it."
“Ugh.”
“Vania, come here.”
Next, he kept Vania safe by his side and whispered.
“If something unexpected happens, I’ll fast-forward two hours. Thirty minutes feels a bit tight. I can’t remember, so you’ll have to explain the situation to me.”
“Yes? Yes, I will. But what kind of unexpected situation?”
“Just. I’m talking about everything that goes against our expectations.”
Having said that, Nike finally checked his ability.
He will regress briefly for about 3 seconds.
Poem of Regression
“Ha, damn it!”
His ominous intuition was generally correct, and misfortunes would coincidentally pile up one after another and happen all at once.
“Don’t worry. The incapacitated state never lasts long. Usually, it is used when...”
Since Vania had reassured him with what she said, he had a rough idea why he had suddenly become like this again.
“...When my father disciplines a disobedient child one-on-one. Because if they get angry and attack, it means death for the father.”
Sadly, it seemed like words born of experience.
In reality, perhaps because he couldn't put all his children in danger, the state of incapacitation didn't last long.
Just a few days ago, the control ended in less than an hour.
'Then, do I have to hold out until it gets resolved?'
“Why, why are you acting like this...?”
Vania noticed Nike was confused and worried.
Nike cautiously glanced at Ratan, then whispered to Vania.
“...It’s incapacitated.”
"Again?!"
Vania was shocked. Soon, she, too, glanced at Ratan and spoke quietly.
“But doesn’t it matter? As long as I have Ratan, I don’t have to worry even if a monster appears. I just need to make sure he doesn’t find out that I’m incapacitated.”
No, I'm doing this because that Ratan looks suspicious right now, but...
However, he cannot really explain it.
It's just an intuition.
"You wait outside. I'll take you there."
"Yes?"
Nike spoke as he untied the horse he had bound nearby.
“I have a bad feeling. If nothing bad happens, I’ll come back to pick you up, so for now, wait outside with Reiner.”
“...Uh-huh, I understand.”
Vania nodded and approached Ratan, asking.
“Hey! Can’t you just sense when the monsters are coming out?”
Gulp. Ratan swallowed for some reason and nodded.
- Yes, roughly...
“When do you think it will come out?”
- Four...
"Three days later?"
- Three, two, one...
“...?!?!?”
The ground vibrated.
Everyone froze.
Soon, large and small monsters burrow through the ground and crawl up one by one.
"Wow!"
An unexpected situation.
Everyone was in a panic, but only Ryan looked back at Nike with emotion.
“What! Do you see the future? So you had the Knights retreat for my sake?!”
Ryan immediately confronted the monsters.
Then, stretching his clenched fist upward in a stylish manner...
“Behold this beautiful judgment descended by the god of death!”
Instant death
Nothing happened.
“Ah, fuck~!!!”
Ryan, realizing the situation in an instant, flew over and hid behind Nike.
“What is this!”
“I don’t know! Ask your father!”
At that time.
“Everyone, calm down! Don’t panic! From now on, I will command this battlefield!”
Vania, standing next to Ratan, held her chin high and extended her index finger toward the monsters.
“Go, Ratan!”
Thump, thump, thump.
Ratan stepped forward. He confronted the monsters and roared.
- Gaaaaaaah!!!
Then the monsters froze like ice.
Vania wiped her nose with pride, while Belzer and Ryan felt relieved as they held their weapons.
Nike is the only one still nervous.
'No, that's strange. There's no way the demon beast would appear this early...'
That moment when he could not shake off his doubts.
The monsters that were lined up parted wide to the sides, clearing the way.
In the midst of that, a small, unsightly monster with a grotesquely long nose walked out.
- Slaughter every single human in this place!
The moment he spoke.
Everyone gaped in surprise.
It is an 'intelligent being'...
- Stop!!!!!
However, Ratan shouted immediately, and fortunately, the monster army was thrown into confusion by the conflicting orders.
- I will try having a conversation!
Ratan said that and quickly racked his brain.
That intelligent fellow swallowed a piece of Ratan's claw some time ago.
It is a type of commander's mark used by demon beasts when organizing an army. Now, the demon beast legion comes to prioritize the orders of their own kind over Ratan's orders.
Then, what if you kill the commander?
'No, it won't work.'
The kin swallowed the mark that shared a portion of Ratan's power. If removed, there will naturally be repercussions for Ratan, the owner of the power.
He won't die, but he will revert to being human and won't be able to immediately transform back into a monster.
Because at least a week of recovery is needed.
There's... no answer?
- M-Master!
Eventually, Ratan looked back at Vania and sent out an SOS.
- Could you possibly tie these guys' feet?
“....”
Vania blinked.
Ryan and Nike, who were watching, thought at the same time.
'I'm screwed!'
"It's ruined."
The Eye of the Mirror - The Shackles of Bondage
The Eye of the Mirror - The Shackles of Bondage
In fact, Vania is still trying.
It just won't work.
“Why...? Do you think this can’t be resolved through conversation...? I don’t want to hurt your friends...”
Vania said, trying to act as composed as possible, with a tearful face.
- We're not friends?!!!
Having said that, Ratan looked back at the Beast Legion and thought.
As expected, it seems impossible to handle such a large number.
In that case, everything is perfect.
If even Vania, the most troublesome force, cannot stop them, the escape is 100% successful.
Freedom was within reach.
Why was I even thinking of a way to stop my own kind from trying to help me in the first place?
What's bothering you?
Who are you worried about?
- Hey, don't do that. My master is behind me.
At those words, the fellow clan member who had been blinking grinned.
'Hehe, this is acting, right?'
Speaks with facial expressions.
Soon, the clueless fellow tribesman gave a command in a booming voice.
- Attack begins!!!
They rush in.
Ratan swung his hand, blocking the way as if to protect the humans behind him.
Several charging monsters immediately burst and flew away.
Then, bigger and stronger ones filled the empty spaces and burrowed through the ground.
'Damn it!'
That's right. It is not a good idea for Ratan to remove them with its own hands either.
The more that happens, the faster and stronger the enemies come out, and the difficulty just keeps going up.
It's all meaningless.
Ratan looked back at the humans.
The entire scene unfolded before his eyes like slow motion.
Humans standing there, holding weapons with calm eyes and perfectly in battle stance.
He saw a black head, Nike.
It appears that while he was buying time, he likely devised the best strategy and issued orders, as always.
Ratan knows that he is an extraordinary human being, unmatched at least on the battlefield.
But, nevertheless.
They will all die today.
The ground has not yet fully receded. As a result, less than one-third of the Beast Legion's strength has been deployed.
As time goes on, bigger and stronger enemies are expected to appear, and we will have to deal with all of them.
Despicable people.
You'll be brutally torn apart and killed.
It is not regrettable at all, as it was the price for using me until now.
But...
“I was the only one who came to cherish you.”
Nike is standing, holding the reins, looking back at Vania, as if to help her escape.
Escape?
That is preposterous.
She'll probably get caught soon.
It was not difficult to imagine Vania being torn apart and eaten this way and that.
Ah, that.
I really hate that.
Worry.
The worry... didn’t last long.
Ratan stretched out his heavy arm toward Vania.
At the same time.
Nike also explained the plan to Ryan and reached out to put Vania on the horse and leave.
However, in an instant.
Hook-!
Vania disappeared from sight.
“Aaaah!”
A single scream.
Vania, held in Ratan's hand.
The demon beast that snatched his right before his eyes began to flee the battlefield at a speed he dared not even attempt to catch.
“Vania!!!!!”
His vision turned pure white.
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