Akatsuki Translations

The first one to notice the strangeness of the situation was John of the 【White Serpent】.

“…What?” -John

He was still continuing his battle with his former colleagues.

No, it wasn’t even a battle. All of their attacks were being nullified. What was happening was a one-sided trampling. The other side had no choice but to run around in confusion.

“Haha, look, John-san. That guy Jain, he’s tucking his tail and running away!”

“It’s hilarious after all his previous boasting!”

His subordinates were laughing while pointing at Jain’s movements. They too were high on the sense of omnipotence from the invincibility granted by the blessing of the earth spirit. John had been the same until just a moment ago. But now, that excitement had completely cooled down.

The situation was one-sided, and that’s why John couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease.

Why was that bastard Jain leaving the situation as it was?

John knew Jain’s true abilities. Despite his forceful combat style, his mind was calm and composed. He possessed the judgment befitting a genuine silver-rank adventurer. If so, he should understand that the current situation was not desirable for him.

What John was doing was essentially buying time. Buying time until the Dragon-Devoured City, Uuga became the Divine Beast. Once the familiar was born, what would follow was a trampling. Indiscriminate attacks by a supergiant class familiar. Those with the blessing of the earth spirit just had to stay put. But those without it would face a trampling that they couldn’t even escape from.

And with Jain’s information-gathering ability, he should have probably grasped that fact.

Yet, he wasn’t doing anything.

He was simply being one-sidedly beaten, running around, and wasting the little time remaining.

This was strange.

“Hey. There are no movements other than those guys on the detection magic, right?” -John

“None! We have a grasp on all the movements of everyone over here!”

“We’re also keeping an eye on the people who are thought to be the main force on the opposite side!!”

John’s unease only deepened at the confident assertions of his subordinates.

It would have made more sense if there had been other movements. The only ones here were those guys. There was no separate unit. And they could grasp all of Jain and the others’ movements. They were only launching sporadic attacks and repeating retreats without any strategy.

However, it was impossible for Jain to have no strategy.

In other words, John currently couldn’t even grasp a single aspect of Jain’s plan.

This was bad. Very bad.

“Hey, what are you doing? Release the next poison. Drive them towards Uuga.” -Sun Knight

The Sun Knight sharply ordered John, who had been lost in thought. John suppressed the urge to click his tongue and turned towards the knight.

“I apologize. But those guys might be plotting something…” -John

“So what? We just need to crush them from above.” -Sun Knight

“But…” -John

“So you’re changing the strategy? Fearing an unseen plan and abandoning the best move? What incompetence. Stop saying nonsense and get back to work.” -Sun Knight

John clenched his teeth, suppressing the urge to yell at the Sun Knight who wasn’t even trying to listen to him. It was frustrating and troubling that there was no room for argument against the knight’s words.

Cowering in fear and missing the best move one could make was as foolish and fruitless as hitting a stone bridge until it crumbled. Changing a smoothly progressing strategy was far more difficult than abandoning a foolish one.

There was no reason to stop when things were going well.

There was no reason to switch to a different strategy when things were going well.

Because things were going well, because things were going well, because things were going well――――

――――If so, was the reason Jain wasn’t changing his strategy at all because things were going well for him?

“…!!” -John

A chill ran down his spine. There was a sound of unease turning into certainty. It was bad. Absolutely bad. But before he could shout out that certainty, the situation moved faster than him.

“Oh…!!” -Sun Knights

The Sun Knights, who had been mechanically advancing like puppets, suddenly stopped and looked up. John and the others also looked up, following their gaze. Before their eyes, they saw the barrier surrounding the Dragon-Devoured City, Uuga, which appeared like a giant wall.

The barrier, which had become a pitch-black wall as they approached it, and the city that had turned into an “egg” due to the familiar’s ritual, were now emitting a strong light. Everyone present understood the meaning of that glow.

It was about to be born.

　　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

The glow that indicated the completion of the technique in the Dragon-Devoured City, Uuga was a tremendous and ominous one that reached every corner of the land of Uuga.

Naturally, it reached the place where Aesula and the others were, on the opposite side of John and his group.

“Ku, fuhahahahaha!!!!” -Aesula

Aesula trembled with joy and laughed loudly.

He was moved and shaken by the overwhelming wave of power he had created, a radiance that seemed to cover heaven and earth. All of this power was about to become his own. There was no way he wouldn’t be moved.

The success of the familiar’s technique was directly conveyed to Aesula. The master of the familiar being born was himself. An intense heat ran through his right palm, as the 【control formula】 was seared into it. But even that pain felt pleasant to Aesula.

Because a power that could turn the earth upside down was about to be in his hands.

“WITH THIS POWER, I WILL BECOME THE SUPREME RULER OF THE ISRALIA CONTINENT! PROUDIA, AND THAT DETESTABLE WISE HEAVENLY KING!! DRINK AND DEVOUR EVERYTHING!!” -Aesula

Aesula roared. What was there was endless greed. A self-interest that would not be satisfied even after devouring everything. He trembled with joy at having the means for that in his hands.

And behind him,

“…………Hmー?” -Yog

The green heretic, Yog, tilted her head in wonder.

She showed no interest in the birth of the giant familiar she had created. Her gaze was directed at the 【Chimera】 she had “ruined” and the 【Hero】 fighting against it.

“IT HURRRRRRTS, IT’S HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!” -Chimera

“――――!!” -Diz

An unbearable scream of despair.

The Hero was on the defensive against the giant monster with numerous children’s hands reaching out, seeking salvation. She could hardly counterattack. She was repeatedly hit, blown away, and forced to retreat by the Chimera, whose movements were more erratic than a beast’s.

Aesula didn’t even notice, but there was no doubt that the Hero was trying to do something.

She was the 【Hero】.

And yet, she did nothing until the birth of the 【Divine Beast】. It was strange. What did she want to do?

Well, since it piqued her interest, she would do nothing.

That was the thought process of the Ruinous Yog. She had no purpose other than “salvation.” She had no convictions either. That’s why she was easily swayed by curiosity.

It was because of her that the completion of the Dragon-Devoured City, Uuga was achieved.

And it was because of her that a “fatal oversight” was occurring.

“Oh my, it’s starting.” -Yog

And Yog once again scattered her attention and raised her voice like a child delighted at the opening of a play. An exceptionally intense sound and light were emitted from the Dragon-Devoured City, Uuga. The eerie hemisphere gradually changed its shape.

The materials were earth and stone, metal, and a large amount of magic stones that had been secretly transported.

The magic stones gathered through the dungeonization became the core and transformed into a body that mimicked flesh and blood, just like a monster’s. The building materials transported under the guise of city construction became sturdy skin and horns that pierced and crushed its enemies.

Thick and sturdy six legs extended from the defensive walls. Deep claws devoured the ground. The torso bulged like a mountain range, and the defensive walls extended over it like armor. The tail was short and thick. The head on the opposite side was large. Jaws that crushed everything, six eyes on the left and right, a flat nose and ears. And the entire face, like the torso, was covered by the defensive wall, forming the shape of an armored helmet.

Its enormous jaws slowly opened, and it let out a birth cry with a voice that shook the earth.

『ＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡ！！！！』

The being called the 【Divine Beast】 roared.

“Magnificent…!!” -Aesula

Aesula trembled with joy.

“Oh my, it turned out much more beautiful than I thought. What a pity.” -Yog

Yog was “disappointed” by the high level of completion of the mad monstrosity she had created.

“…Now then. 【Starfall】.” -Diz

The Hero thrust the crimson sword into the ground with a thud, causing the 【Chimera】 to sink into the ground.

“H-h-h-HeRrrrrrooOOOO…!!” -Chimera

“Yeah, it’s okay. Don’t worry. I’ll definitely save you. I have a connection I can rely on.”  -Diz

A dreadful gravity enveloped the ferocious huge body and caused its entire form to sink into the ground. The deeply sunken body could not escape, and as a result, the 【Chimera】  was rendered immobile in a surprisingly anticlimactic manner.

The 【Hero】 gently stroked the monster that couldn’t even budge to calm it down.

“――――Huh?” -Aesula

As expected, that outcome was enough to bring Aesula, who had been writhing with excitement and ecstasy, back to his senses. The Hero, who was supposed to be on the defensive without any means against their strategy, suddenly launched a counterattack and effortlessly broke through their vanguard.

“I was worried if gravity magic would work on a creature blessed by the earth, but it seems there was no problem. That’s great, that’s great.” -Diz

“Y-you…” -Aesula

“Hm? Ah. Sorry for interfering. Wanna continue?” -Diz

The Hero shrugged her shoulders and spread her hands as if to urge him to proceed.

It went without saying that the form of the familiar was already complete. The ultimate weapon against Proudia was finished, and Aesula’s authority had become unshakable.

The destructive glow of Uuga intensified, and the link with Aesula reached completion.

However, Aesula’s elation had completely cooled down. All that remained was suspicion.

“…Why, how?” -Aesula

“Ah, it’s just an existence that has ‘merely combined the muscular strength and magical power of about a hundred people,’ right? I think it has the strength of about a third-rank monster in terms of pure power, but it’s not much of a threat beyond that.” -Diz

“And its body coordination was totally off,” she said with displeasure. Hearing that, Yog smiled gleefully. Aesula didn’t even notice Yog’s demeanor and focused on the Hero.

“Then why…” -Aesula

“Did I stall for time? Of course, it was to buy time. So that you guys wouldn’t do anything unnecessary.” -Diz

She spoke nonchalantly while gently touching the body of the 【Chimera】 lying on the ground. Numerous magical formulas were engraved on that grotesque mass of flesh by magical power. Even though it was sunk into the ground, its numerous arms continued to squirm and wriggle, but gradually, their movements ceased. The exposed eyes slowly closed. It seemed to have fallen asleep.

“…No matter what you’re plotting, it’s futile. The 【Divine Beast Uuga】 can no longer be stopped.” -Aesula

Aesula stared at her movements, not missing a single one, and slowly distanced himself as if to hide the hand on which the contract seal was engraved.

The 【Chimera】, created as a countermeasure against her, had completely failed to reach her. In that case, the thing he should be most wary of now was the possibility of being killed by her.

He had already ordered Uuga to annihilate Proudia. The familiar contract itself was also set up so that in case of an emergency, if he were to die, the authority would be transferred to his father.

Aesula’s existence was no longer essential in this place.

However, that didn’t matter.

Aesula had no intention of dying for the sake of the 【Divine Beast’s】 birth. He had not the slightest intention of handing over the 【Divine Beast’s】 contract to his father, who was bedridden, old, and senile.

Everything, everything had come this far for his own sake.

The reason he had deliberately gone out in person was to ensure that the 【Divine Beast’s】 contract would not be stolen by his younger siblings, and to make sure that no information would leak to anyone other than his private soldiers.

He trusted no one. He wanted everything for himself.

He was born as a concubine’s child, a cursed child, and suddenly became the successor after the incident with his sister Echelle’s evil spirit. Going from being treated like a tumor to being celebrated, he was elated, but at the same time, he understood from Echelle’s circumstances how fragile his position was.

He had thrown stones at her, hurled insults at her, and incited his younger siblings to torment her. To make sure that his sister wouldn’t mistakenly take his position again. He thoroughly kept his other siblings under his control as well.

He feared losing and sought for more.

Suspicion and hunger. That was the core of Aesula’s being.

That’s why what he feared most now was losing himself. Being robbed of himself, that alone. And it was precisely because he was like that, that he had naturally prepared a 【Teleportation】 scroll. He could escape at any time. To save himself, even if it meant abandoning the others.

He intended to activate the scroll as soon as he saw an opening in the Hero in front of him. For that reason, he was focusing all his attention on the Hero before his eyes.

Therefore, he didn’t notice.

“…”

The attendants he had first prostrated on the ground. He didn’t notice that those who had screamed and stopped moving within the barrier the Hero had set up had truly ceased all movement.

And among those wearing cloaks, only one person had quietly raised their hand and was pointing it towards Aesula.