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TL, ED: Pascal’s Wager

１

Kūrenmaderu Radio Tower──

A lifeline that connected calls between the federations. While many radio towers had collapsed due to the cryptid invasion, this was one of the few 「survivors」that continued to operate.

A rustling plain.

In a place where a slight breeze is pleasant.

「N, nice, nice to meet y……ou！I am Commander Minstraum・Schulten・Biscetti. Pl, please call me Min!」

「Commander Balmung! First time──」

「Hyaaaaaa?!」

The girl with chestnut brown hair screamed.

She was probably only fourteen or fifteen years old. She had a childish face and a petite physique. She looked like a pretty girl who would look great in a cute dress or apron, but looked so out of place in her overstuffed battle dress.

Such a girl burst into tears.

「Captain Grings! Th, there is a cryptid here?!」

「Min-dono, please make sure you’re certain. The person in front of you is a human. Not a cryptid.」

The assistant commander, an old soldier, coughed and cleared his throat.

「This is the commander who came from the Yurun Federation. He is a great man known as the Lion King, so please do not be rude to him.」

「Or……will he want to bite?」

The commander girl peeked from behind the old soldier’s back fearfully.

Then Jeanne stepped forward.

「Nice to meet you for the first time, Min-dono. My name is Jeanne, the commander of Urza.」

A beautiful smile.

And with a graceful appearance, he held his hand out to the young commander.

「I hear that the cryptid race is a strong enemy. Let’s work together to fight them.」

「Y, yes……！Ah, thank goodness. I’m not scared of this commander！」

The two of them shook hands with smiles.

Only the Lion King, who was left out of the group, muttered「it’s unfair……」, but the two commanders didn’t seem to have heard that either.

「She’s a very cute commander, isn’t she? I don’t feel much dignity.」

「Yeah. I wonder if that’s it. The type that makes you feel like she’s a different person when she’s on the battlefield?」

Ashlan and Saki whispered.

The Schultz Humanity Rebellion Resistance did not hear it, but the surrounding mercenary soldiers, including Kai, could hear it.

「But she’s such a little girl, right?　You can’t see her on the battlefield because she’s surrounded by soldiers. She has no presence.」

「Hmーm……something……honestly, she feels weak.」

「I agree with you. Oi Kai, what’s with that little girl?」

Even Reirin tilted her head when she overheard the conversation between the two.

「Do the people here worship such a chibi?」

「She’s as tall as Reirin.」

「Hey. I’m talking about dignity. The power that oozes from the whole body is different between that girl and me.」

「……Putting that aside. I’m also interested. She doesn’t feel like a commander.」

Many in this room probably felt that way.

Commander Min was younger than Jeanne, the female commander in male clothing. Even if it was the case that she was a brilliant commander, she looked shy when seen.

「She has the same career as Jeanne, that commander.」

It was Farin who answered in a whisper.

She was always watching Jeanne and Min with a sideways glance as they exchanged greetings.

「The original commander was her father, but he was injured in the battle against the cryptid race and was forced to retire. She is his successor.」

「……What about the other candidates？」

「It’s not a problem because the men supporting her are excellent. Rather than have a messy fight started over who would be the commander, he decided to put his daughter in charge.」(TL: Possibly a decision of the entire army, but it’s unclear and I feel like this makes more sense)

Farin pointed at the concrete wall surrounding the radio tower.

「As you can see, we have enough troops. If the subordinates are excellent, there is no problem.」

The massive wall, five meters high, was designed to withstand the rush of the cryptid race. A row of machine guns peeked out from windows set at human eye level.

……Up to now, the fortresses of the Humanity Rebellion Resistances were like Special Humanitarian Zones.

……This one looked like a military base.

In the Urza Federation, a base was prepared in the abandoned ruins of the city to prevent the demon race from finding it.

However, Western Schultz is different.

It was poised to bring out the arms that would shoot straight at the cryptids.

「I’ve heard that they have a keen sense of smell. It’s no use hiding our weapons and troops. So it’s better to set up an all-out confrontation like this.」

Balmung looked at the similar protective wall.

There was an autocannon and a cannon battery in the back. The reason these guns were pointed at the sky was probably to prepare for an attack from above, such as a dragon.

「It’s a powerful armament, and it seems like a new model.」

「……Y, yes. You have a good eye!　Good iron can be obtained in Agito, the iron scrap town where you stayed, so we are using it for development. 」

The commander girl nodded broadly.

Her face was bright with happiness at the praise of her army. But then, as if she had remembered something, she quickly tightened her lips.

「……But, we have yet to mount a counterattack. This is because the pace of the cryptids’ invasion is faster than development progress. The current situation is that we are bringing prototypes to the battlefield that cannot be adequately researched, and we are wearing out our weapons as if they were disposable.」

「So the situation is similar here too. By the way──」

The Lion King’s gaze went to the soldiers lined behind Commander Min.

While looking around the soldiers as if looking for someone, he said.

「I can’t seem to see him. Is he in the base?」

「Um, who is he?」

「He’s Archine. I thought he’d show his face when I arrived.」

「Ah! You are acquainted with him?！」

Commander Min exclaimed.

「It’s just as you said. We are short of both weapons and troops, so we have hired Archine-dono’s mercenary troops to help us. Archine-dono has just departed to drive out the cryptids nesting in the former imperial capital of Schultz.」

「What. How did we pass each other again?」

「I can put a transmission to……」

「No, if he’s already in the middle of a mission, there’s no point in sending unnecessary messages. We’ve got a lot of priorities to attend to, too.」

「T, then I will show you around the base! The Special Humanitarian Zone is also within our premises, so please take a look there too.」

We went to the Kūrenmaderu Radio Tower and the buildings lined up in the back.

The three commanders, Jeanne, Balmung, and Commander Min, lead the way, with Commander Min ahead of Jeanne and Balmung. The mercenaries from the three federations followed behind them.

「Huh? Ne ne Kai.」(TL: I don’t think I left a note about this before, but basically “ne” is similar to “hey” in English here, I leave this as its JP romaji equivalent because I feel like “hey” doesn’t really convey the same idea or feeling that “ne” does)

As the sound of military boots echoed in the air, Rinne tilted his head.

「Didn’t Kai say he was looking for the person called Sid?」

「Ah. It looks like he’s separated from the human rebels here. I don’t know the details, but it doesn’t look like he’s coming back to the radio tower for a while.」

「Why don’t we go after him?」

「Hm?」

「If Kai cares about it, then I care about it too.」(TL: Kawaii)

Rinne looked at me with upturned eyes.

「I have to keep an eye on Kai so more people don’t come after him.」

「What kind of misunderstanding is that?!」

「Besides, I prefer being in a plain than stuck in a human building.」

「Well, I can see where Rinne is coming from……」

The great plain extended to the horizon.

Rinne was carefree, her hair swaying in the breeze, but this peaceful plain probably lead to cryptid territory.

……I don’t know where the territory starts.

……And the cryptids hate to have trespassers in their territory.

An encounter would result in inevitable battle.

I want to avoid fighting with large beasts like the dragons and behemoths as much as possible.The mercenary soldiers of the Human Rebellion Resistance feel the same way.

……The target is Fang Emperor Rath=IE.

……It is not realistic to defeat all of the cryptids.

Find the nesting place of Fang Emperor Rath=IE.

The largest of the four federations, the Schultz Federation, would require tremendous time and manpower to investigate.

「But when I think about it, Rinne’s idea makes sense.」

Kai was left alone in the meadow.

As he watched the Humanity Rebellion Resistance enter the radio tower, Kai muttered vaguely.

「I think I’ll go after them.」

２

Special Humanitarian Zone『Genga＝i』.

It was a town where the commercial buildings on the site of the radio tower had been transformed into a whole residential area.

There were a total of thirteen Special Humanitarian Zones in the Schultz Federation. Except here and Agito, the town of scrap iron, all the other cities were said to be underground.

「Ne Kai, this candy is delicious. It ’s really delicious! 」

「Kusa mochi, huh? Hmhm, the ingredients are mugwort, glutinous rice, and sugar cane? Heh, this also fits the tastes of an elf. It’s the best human food I’ve ever had!」(TL: Think of this “heh” as questioning and somewhat aggressive)

Rinne was obsessed with devouring the local sweets of the town.

Next to her, Reirin also seemed to have a unique taste for human food.

「But I’m surprised…… mogu. I heard that they were being hunted down by the cryptid tribe……mogu. The people here have such delicious food. Mogumogu……I can live with complacency.」(TL: mogu = eating sfx)

「Eat first, then talk.」

「Even so……mogumogu……another one.」

「Hai hai.」(TL: Also don’t think I mentioned this before, but “hai” is like “yes,” again I leave as is because I feel like it just sounds better read in JP than EN)

I divided my kusa mochi in two and gave it to the two of them. But it was Rinne, of all people, who put a stop to that.

「Wait Kai. Isn’t this flat elf’s kusa mochi bigger than the other one?」

「What do you mean? You have more crushed red bean paste than I do.」

「Unfair~~！」

「You’re the one who’s being unfair!」

Linnea and Raylane were glaring at each other in the middle of the street in the Special Humanitarian Zone. Of course, they didn’t care about the eyes of the people walking around them.

「Kai, I don’t think this is a good way to divide the candy!」

「Right, right. I don’t agree with this.」

『Like I said, one more for me!』

「You still feel like eating?! Well, I don’t……！」

For Kai, it’s surprising that there were still some luxury items called local sweets.

In the northern Urza Federation, there was only one loaf of bread per meal. In the eastern Io Federation, they were forced to cook the plants of the elven forest to keep from starving. In the southern Yurun Federation, the situation was similar.

But here──

At least there was still human culture.

「There are thirteen Special Humanitarian Zones in West Schultz, but it seems that the living standards vary greatly from city to city.」

「Heh? Then how about here?」(TL: Again, think of this said in a somewhat aggressive way)

「This and Agito, the scrap iron town, are good, but the rest of the cities all have a very difficult life. That’s what Commander Min said.」

「Is it because the city is so well protected?」

「I want to think so, but that’s not the case.」

We’ve never been attacked.

This was not only because the tower is well protected, as Reirin said, but also because we were lucky enough that it happened to be out of the territory of the cryptids.

……The cryptids were like the kings of beasts, every single one of them.

……They’re capricious.

They don’t vindictively pursue the Special Humanitarian Zones like the demon tribe, and they don’t systematically invade like the barbarian tribe.

They destroy human cities just because they are in a bad mood, and stop destroying them when they feel like it.

「The safety around this radio tower may be largely due to the whims of the cryptids.」

「Well, I suppose so. Special Humanitarian Zones are too small for their giants. It’s far more attractive to attack other federations than such a small territory.」

An elf shrine maiden bit her back teeth.

「I also have a grudge against Fang Emperor Rath=IE. I’d like to go looking for his nest……Kai. You’re not leaving yet?」

「Just a little longer. I’m meeting with Jeanne here.」

The entrance to the Special Humanitarian Zone 『Genga＝i』.

Kai looked around in front of the towering radio tower. Even in the Special Humanitarian Zone, the number of people was only a few, and most of the passersby were mercenaries.

Among them.

「Kai, sorry to keep you waiting.」

A commander in shining dark gray armor emerged from the radio tower.

Behind her was Farin. And then there were Saki and Ashlan, carrying their luggage on their backs.

「I got the consent of the commander, Min-dono. I will take out a car from the Urza Humanity Rebellion Resistance. You can leave now.」

「I’m in your debt, Jeanne.」

「──Let’s cut the small talk.」

Jeanne’s expression was unusually「miffed」.

Kai himself knew the reason for this.

「The Mercenary King of the Wilderness. The nicknamed Archine・Sid・Collateral is now heading to the former royal imperial capital of Schultz. It’s a nest of cryptids.」

「Yeah, you said that.」

「I know that you have mentioned the name『Sid』since we first met. But does the man bother you that much?」

Just because his name is Sid, you want to go see the Mercenary King of the Wilderness.

Isn’t that a bit rash?

Although it was said a roundabout way, Jeanne’s included intention was clear.

「As Min-dono said, in three weeks, Archine’s mercenary troops will return. It seems to me that it is not too late to meet them then?」

Kohon, Jeanne coughed and cleared her throat. (TL: Kohon = coughing sfx)

「It’s not that I’m criticizing you for your actions. It’s just that the plain outside the tower is the territory of the cryptids. There’s no need for you to take any risks, is there?」

「I know. If you think calmly, that might be true.」

「……Are you not calm?」

「No, I’m not. I’ve thought about it calmly in my own way. It’s just that it doesn’t seem calm to the people around me.」

……You may not remember this now.

……I’ve always been like that, haven’t I?

Only in my inner thoughts, I smiled bitterly at my childhood friend Jeanne.

“I’m not trying to tease you. What I’m teasing is Kai’s attitude. Kai’s pouting attitude was so cute that I just couldn’t resist.”

“……Ah, I see.”

“It’s been years. Kai suddenly said, 『I saw Sid’s sword』.”

I’ve been following in Sid’s footsteps.

……I’ve been doing that since the beginning of the canonical history.

……I didn’t seem calm from the people around me, but I kept chasing after that.

This led to the discovery of the Code Holder, which in turn led directly to meeting Rinne and surviving in this harsh world.

Sid’s sword was in this world.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that there is a man with the name of Sid.

「Don’t worry, Rinne and Reirin are here. Just because I see a cryptid doesn’t mean I’m going to fight it.」

「……But-」

「Ah, I get it! I get it now!」

She pointed at the anxious Jeanne.

Rinne, who had been silent until just now, suddenly raised her voice.

「Jeanne, you’re after Kai again!　You’re really trying to make up a reason to come with Kai, aren’t you? That’s not going to happen!」

「Fuah?!」

The cheeks of the commander dressed as a man turned a deep red, all the way to her ears.

「W, what are you saying, Rinne? I──」

「Kai, get away. This Jeanne is dangerous.」

「What’s so dangerous about me?!……A, anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against it. Just be careful.」

Rinne watched Jeanne.

While averting her eyes from that appealing gaze, Jeanne used her original voice.

「 have a meeting with Balmung-dono and Min-dono. It will be a meeting that looks ahead to the future, but if anything happens, please contact me immediately.」

「It’s no problem with Ashlan behind the wheel. He can even outrun a cryptid.」

「……Sheesh. I want to say that I’m in good shape. I’ve been driving for dozens of hours and I’m sick.

Ashlan tightly grasped the car keys.

Saki seemed to have already loaded the luggage in the car trunk.

「Let’s go, Kai. Let’s get this over with and come back. You’ll be happy once you see this Sid guy’s face anyway, won’t you?」

「Mhm.」

「Aーh, I don’t care if the person isn’t a pretty girl. I don’t have a hobby of going to see a stern mercenary’s face. Besides, it’s a huge car, isn’t it? 」

Ashlan looked up at the car parked in the parking lot.

Armored personnel carrier.

It’s an armored vehicle with solid armor covering the entire vehicle. It had a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour. It was custom-made to fend off the pursuit of cryptids running on the ground.

「I’ve never even driven anything as big as this before……」

「It’s time to show off your skills, Ashlan.」

Kai got into the passenger seat, nodding to his sighing companion.

Kūrenmaderu Radio Tower, third floor.

Sitting on the sofa in the guest room, Balmung, the Lion King, closed his eyes tightly, as if he was pondering something.

「……I am the hope of the Yurun people. The leader of the Humanity Rebellion Resistance.」

『Is that so.』

「It was at the age of thirteen that I volunteered to become a mercenary in order to defeat my nemesis, the holy spirit race. .I will never forget when I saw the previous commander passing by and clung to him, asking to be his subordinate. I used to do a lot of reckless things back then. I was young.」

『Hmーm』

「Since then, I’ve spent my whole life fighting against the holy spirit race. Do you understand?」

『It is not Rikugen Kyoko’s concern. It doesn’t matter.』

「It is your concern!」

He hit his fist on the table in front of him.

The glass on the desk shook with the impact, but what’s in it was not water, but a bright blue dwarf girl.

「I’m having a very important conversation right now!」

『It has nothing to do with Rikugen Kyoko. Individual circumstances of human beings don’t matter. Anyway, look, look.』

The living creature slime in the glass put both hands in the air.

The cat’s beckoning gestures were strangely cute and cuddly, but the Lion King looked disgusted as he looked down on it.

『Rikugen Kyoko requires water. It is essential for the regeneration of the body. Water, important.』

「……Guh. Why should I give you water?」

『Discriminatory treatment of prisoners of war is prohibited by the Yurun Humanity Rebellion Resistance, Article 73-2 of the Regulations. Therefore, Rikugen Kiyoko demands water.』

「……Why do you know so much?」

『Read a book dropped on the battlefield. Rikugen Kyoko will never forget what she once remembered.』

「……You sly bastard. There, now you have no complaints!」

He opened the mouth of the water-containing bottle and poured it into the glass.

In the glass, Rikugen Kyoko was bathed in a large amount of water headfirst, and the holy spirit hero seemed to be comfortable with it.

『More.』

「You’ve already drank a liter or so since a while ago, haven’t you?」

『Want more, more.』

Water was sucked into the body of the living creature slime just like how a sponge sucked water. However, even while absorbing that much water, Rikugen Kyoko was still the size of the tip of the pinky.

『Want another 100 liters.』

「100 liters……?!　There wouldn’t be such an amount of water. Water is precious even for humans.」

『Then sugar.』

「Sugar? You can get a small amount from the kitchen, but why sugar?」

He stared down Rikugen Kyoko.

Even Balmung, who was well versed in fighting the holy sprit race, was not familiar with their biology. He had never even heard of the holy sprits’ desire for water.

「Is sugar the energy source?」

『Energy efficient. With water, sugar and sunlight, you can speed up your body’s regeneration.』

「Why not salt?」

『Salt deprives water. Dry up. Not good.』

「……All right. I’ll get a small amount and bring it to you. But that’s just my way of being kind-hearted. I think this is the last time I could send salt to the enemy.」

『Sugar, not salt.』

「I know! It’s a metaphor!」

He reflexively held down his head.

No, talking to this creature gives me a headache. (TL: Balmung POV if you couldn’t tell)

「Anyway, I’m going to go because I’m being called by Jeanne-dono and Min-dono. Now, get inside the pendant. Hide in the decorative part.」

『Ehー……』

「Ehー, what!　I have a meeting to attend.」

『Rikugen Kyoko is sunbathing here. You should go with confidence. I won’t make a fuss in the cryptid federation.』

「…………Really?」

He took a closer look at the blue dwarf with a skeptical gaze.

『If Rikugen Kyoko keeps her promise, she will get sugar. How about that?』

「Fine. But if you take even one step out of the room while I’m gone, I won’t give you a drop of water from now on. I don’t care if you dry up or not.」

『Consent.』

「Mm, well then I’ll──」

『Ah……there’s one last thing I want to ask.』

Rikugen Kyoko jumped.

She dexterously jumped on the edge of the glass and sat there.

『Except you, where is everyone else and what are they doing?　I want to talk to someone called Kai, and 「something」 called Rinne.』

「Kai? He’s gone out to the federation’s former imperial capital.」

『Hmm? Rikugen Kyoko didn’t hear anything. Why is that?』

「I don’t know. I heard that he couldn’t wait to get out of the tower because there was someone he wanted to meet and talk to.」

『…………』

The humanoid Rikugen Kyoko was silent.

『Is it Fang Emperor Rath=IE?』

「No way. I would have stopped him if he was that dangerously curious. Humans are respectable. But I’m sure the holy spirits are not interested in that.」

『Listen once. What kind of person is it?』

「It doesn’t matter what you say. You wouldn’t even know about Archine・ Sid ・Collateral, the Mercenary King of the Wilderness.」

『────Sid?』

Balmung, the Lion King, did not notice.

The voice of Rikugen Kyoko, who spoke the name, was mixed with small surprise.

『Want to hear more about it. This person called Sid is……』

「It’s time for the meeting. See you later.」

『Ah?! Wait, human, Rikugen Kyoko hasn’t finished talking. Hey────！』

Batan, the sound of the door closing. (TL: Batan = door closing sfx)

In the blink of an eye, the Lion King had left the room, leaving only Rikugen Kyoko behind.

『…………』

She looked at the window where the sun was shining.

『Sid. Are you even in this world?……can’t be here. If that’s the case, then who is this Sid?』

The holy spirit hero muttered curiously and regretfully.

『Darn. Rikugen Kyoko should have followed.』

３

The former imperial capital of the Schultz Federation, Rakugaru・Sha.

City of flowers and windmills──

The land that was so familiar was filled with crushed bricks and cinders, and even in spring, no vegetation sprouted.

『The cryptids are all gluttonous. I don’t see how they could resist flowers that looked so delicious.』

The armored personnel carrier moves across the flat earth.

Reririn’s murmur was transmitted to the passenger seat.

『They ravaged the flowers and turned the land into a scorched earth by firing guns in their own city. It’s like a microcosm of human destruction. Compared to that, this plain is better because there is still vegetation left.』

The plain leading to the former imperial capital were enveloped in a gentle scented breeze, and the ground on which the armored car proceeded was carpeted with short grass like a lawn.

Magnificent field──

The Schultz Federation, which had the largest area of the four federations, was originally known as the place where nomads lived.

『Hmm. The breeze is pleasant. It was the correct answer after all to get out of the car. Eating freshly made kusa mochi while admiring this peaceful plain was……mogu……mhm. Not bad.』

『Ah, that’s not fair! You still have kusa mochi?!』

『I bought this with my pocket money. Rinne, if you regret it, you should have had Lord buy it in the city earlier.』

「Ahー……both of you? Calm down a little.」

The two girls were making a scene outside the armored car, but Kai gently held them back.

Saki, Ashan, and I were in the moving car with Ashlan behind the wheel. On the other hand, the two voices that I heard earlier were transmitted from the roof of the car through a communication device.

「Don’t get too excited and roll out just because you’re not in a cramped car.」

『I’m fine, right? 』

『Me too. Isn’t it just sitting on the roof of the car? It ’s much more courageous to jump over the branches of an ancient tree.』

「……You two are fine.」

Saki, who sits in the seat, replies half-heartedly.

「The cryptids have such big behemoths, dragons, and so on. When will we encounter them? I feel uneasy……」

『Don’t worry. It’d be rare for us to meet each other.』

「Do you think so……？」

『Think about it. If you dive into the ocean to find a whale, is it that easy to find a whale?　　There are only a few cryptids. You wouldn’t pass each other or find a nest by chance, unless you’re very unlucky 』

「I hope you’re right.」

A listless chuckle came from Ashlan at the wheel.

「Just keep an eye out. If there’s any grass left in this field, it’s almost like a pantry for the monsters. We don’t want to be attacked by hungry monsters, do we?」

『It looks fine. I don’t see anything on the horizon.』

「Oh, really Rinne-chan.」

『But the cryptids run fast, so even if you run when you see the horizon, it’ll be too late.』

「No mercy at all?!」

「Let’s get this over with before the cryptids find us. It’s for the best no matter what.」

I compared the map of the federation and the view of the car window.

「Ashlan, it’s just up ahead. The former imperial capital of Rakugaru・Sha is a nest of cryptids, so they can’t get too close to it, which made them set up camp in the abandoned ruins before it」

「It seems like the Mercenary King of the Wilderness is there. That reminds me, Kai has been looking for him for a while. You said you knew Sid?」

「……Maybe it’s different from the Sid I know.」

「Hai? What’s that, you mean he’s a stranger?」

「I wouldn’t ask that in front of him. We’re just a delegation from the Urza Human Rebellion Resistance.」

Mercenary King Archine was employed by the Human Rebellion Resistance in West Schultz.

As the Human Rebellion Resistance of Northern Urza was a comrade with whom he would be conducting operations, he would need to interact with them quickly. And that’s why I was sent here in the name of my own people.

『Ah! Kai, I found it. I see a building-like shadow on the horizon over there!』

『It’s probably a human building.』

The voices of Rinne and Reirin overlapped beautifully.

In the field of view of Kai saw through the binoculars, a group of gray buildings could be seen at the end of the green horizon.

「Saki, can you communicate over there?」

「This is the Urza Humanity Rebellion Resistance. We’re on our way to greet you now. Is that okay?」

「Good enough.」

Kai nodded back to Saki, who was holding the communicator, and took a breath.

「The rest depends on the person called Sid……」

College town Ron=Ju.

The buildings have been destroyed to such an extent that they no longer retain their original form, and the ground was littered with piles of rubble. As soon as he stepped into the city…──

A fierce stench pierced Kai’s nostrils.

「Wow, what’s this smell! Ashlan, you didn’t just fart……？」

「Tch, don’t be stupid. What’s this smell? Is it a rotten smell?! Even if a creature dies, it doesn’t smell like that!」

「……Back off, both of you. It could be poisonous gas leaking from beneath the ground.」

Kai himself said, backing away quickly.

The smell is from the other side of the rubble.

「Cryptid.」

「Hm?」

「The smell of a big beast.……I think this is the smell of a cryptid.」

Rinne frowns.

Rinne, who had a sharper sense of smell than humans, must have been tortured by the foul odor, but instead of retreating, she began to walk straight down the rubble path.

「Rinne, is that true? I don’t know because it smells like something I’ve never smelled in the elf forest.」

「Probably no doubt. Here ──」

She was about to say that, when Rinne suddenly stopped in his tracks.

「Kai. that.」

「Oh, that black puddle of……blood?!」

A spring filled with a black liquid that looked like coal tar.

It stretched out wide, blocking the path of the rubble.

Bloodstains? Not just a large spring, but a trail of blood that seemed to have dripped down from the ground and continued deep into the building.

「I think it’s some kind of cryptid body fluid. I don’t think I’d want to touch it to find out.」

「Oi oi, do the cryptids shed this kind of stinky blood?! Oi Kai, you know this kind of thing.」

「……I don’t have any idea either.」

It’s not in the records of the Human Protection Agency.

There was no reason to bother to pay attention to the smell of the cryptids’ blood.

The source of the odor.

Past the bent multi-story building──

A giant black bird, probably a cryptid, lay down with black blood dripping.

「Ge, you’re a cryptid?!」(TL: think of “ge” as some sound of surprise and maybe disgust here)

「Wh……what is this！U, but it’s not moving……？」(TL: Think of “u” as sort of a repulsed sound)

Was it about the size of an elephant?

It was hard to measure because it had fallen to the ground and was crushed, but it would be even bigger if it spread its wings. Its jet black wings were like a crow’s, but the spots hit by sunlight were glossy.

……It’s not going to move

……Are you out of strength?

A great deal of blood was pouring out, but this pool of blood was the true source of the stench.

Was it decomposing?

Or was it blood that smelled like this all along?

「It’s a monster bird Jis.」

Clunk, the sound of gravel bouncing off roof tiles.

Along with that slight sign, mercenaries appeared one by one from the shadow of the abandoned building.

「You guys……」

A total of 20 people.

All of them looked big enough to make Kai look like he had a small build, and many had old scars on their faces and arms.

「This was the scout who used to fly over this abandoned city. The blood on the ground is poisonous, so it’s best not to touch it──Is it correct to recognize that you are military resistance mercenaries?」

A mercenary with one eye covered by an eye patch goes to the front.

On his shoulder, he carries an anti-material rifle that is probably for the cryptid tribe.

「The two of them are probably wearing the equipment of the humanity rebellion resistance, but the other three seem to have unfamiliar equipment.」

Saki and Ashlan’s military gear.

On the other hand, Kai’s clothes were provided by the Human Protection Agency, while Rinne and Reiren were wearing holy elven wear. For mercenaries who didn’t know their true nature, they probably look like 「two mercenaries and three people in unfamiliar clothes」.

「Ahー……no, we’re definitely a dispatch from the Urza Humanity Rebellion Resistance. These three aren’t exactly mercenaries, but they’re like newcomers. Please forgive the unusual appearance. Supplies and all that.」

Ashlan responded with one hand raised.

「I’m sure Min-dono, the commander of the Western Schultz, has told you about this. It was just this morning that Urza and Yurun’s Humanity Rebellion Resistances arrived.

「You are? 」

「I’m Ashlan, a senior soldier who belongs to the Urza Humanity Rebellion Resistance. Next to me is Saki, a senior soldier. There is no doubt that these three are also acting with us. Um, well……」

「The man with the Code Holder?」

*shwipp*……A hard shoe sound that kicks the sand.

A group of strong mercenary soldiers split off to the left and right as if the sea were splitting. Among them, a man emerged from the sunlight. (TL: Knowing Kei Sazane, I’m pretty convinced this is a reference to Exodus 14:21-22: “[21]Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. [22] And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.”)

「!」

Badump, my heart thumped loudly inside my chest.

It was the first time I met him. I’m sure we don’t know each other.

……What is this.

……Sweat oozes on my palms and does not stop.

Is this nervousmess?

「I was expecting Jeanne, the Holy Knight of Light, to come. This turn of events is surprising.」

A dignified man held a submachine gun tightly.

His face was fearless and chiseled, and his eyes were sharp. His voice oozed with dignity, and he had an intensity that was enough to bring others to their knees.

「Archine-sama!」

「The place is good. Keep your guard up, no wonder a bunch of monstrous birds were sniffing around.」

A quick command.

The subordinates on the left and right bowed, and in an instant gravel was run off the road. Meanwhile, Kai couldn’t open his mouth. (TL: If the first sentence is confusing, I guess it just means they quickly left)

He was a different person.

The clothes and physique were different from those of the「supposed Prophet Sid」who remained in the Human Protection Agency..

……It’s not the Sid I know.

……He’s carrying a gun, not a sword.

The Prophet Sid and the Mercenary King Sid are two different people.

Just knowing this would have solved the mystery, but why have my lips become so painfully dry? There was no need to ask myself why.

Code Holderー──

Right now, this man has spoken the name of Sid’s sword.

「I have no reason to refuse the help of both the Urza Humanity Rebellion Resistance and the Yurun Humanity Rebellion Resistance. I can’t afford to turn down reinforcements.」

The Mercenary King Archine put his gun in the holder between his thigh and groin.

「But my troops are my private army. If you want a joint front, I’m willing to do so, but I’m the one who gives orders to my soldiers. Tell that to your commander Jeanne.」

「……Yes.」

Ashlan saluted with a tense look.

As if not interested in him, Archine, the Mercenary King, turned and looked towards me──me. And the Drake Nail I put on my back.

「You are ────」

「Ne ne Kai? Is this human Sid?」

The mercenary king’s words were blown away by Rinne’s carefree voice.

「O, oi Rinne-chan?! Hey……that’s not good！」

「Th, that’s right! The other party is the commander of the mercenary unit. You could say Archine-sama or Sid-sama!」

「……Sid?」

Expressionless.

At least from Kai’s point of view, I couldn’t read any emotions from the face of the Mercenary King who muttered so.

「It’s been a long time since others have called me that. Kai and all.」

「I have one question to ask, Archine-dono, the Mercenary King of the Wilderness. 」

There was no response.

……Do what you want, but I’ll decide whether or not to answer.

……It’s like that.

Kai met Sid’s gaze head-on as Sid stood motionless.

「Do you know a man named Sid the Prophet?」

「────」

「I’m investigating that person. He’s also related to the Code Holder that Archine-dono mentioned earlier. Maybe you know something ……」

「Who.」

「Eh？」

「There is a powerful sword called the Code Holder. It is a fact of this world, and it would not be surprising if there was someone who knew about it. That’s all.」

「……Then what about the Prophet Sid?」

「I do not know」

The denial was so thoughtless that it was disappointing.

「No matter who your prophet is, I am the Sid of this world.」

「What do you mean by that──」

「Eradicate all races except humans in this world.」

Calmly.

Sid, the king of mercenaries, declared in a tone that praised his unshakable composure and confidence.

「I will cleanse the demons, cut down the sidhe forest, burn down the holy spirits’ nest, and hunt down the cryptid tribe. There will be no exceptions. Every last one of them will be exterminated.」

「……What was that.」

The elf shrine maiden had a cold, murderous voice. This was the first time I have ever heard Reirin speak with such clear anger.

The hatred that the sidhe directed towards her enemy.

「…… They will cut down our forests. Did you say so, Lord?」

The only person who would have heard the murmur was Kai next to her. On the other hand, Rinne, who stood side by side with me, had an expression becoming increasingly clouded by the treatment of 「non-humans」.

In front of the sidhe Reirin and the interracial Rinne, both looking up in front──

「I will turn the world into a human land. The beginning is this Schultz Federation, which was also told to Commander Min of the Human Rebellion Resistance.」

「……That’s too far-fetched, no matter what.」

Kai’s squeezed out voice was faint.

The Prophet Sid won because the humans were still hanging on in the Five Races War.

So to speak, a reversal from 「disadvantage」──

However, the ambition of the Mercenary King Sid was even greater than that.

Human beings who have already been「defeated」in the Five Races War will annihilate the four races from there and stand at the top?

……It’s too much.

……The humans didn’t have a lot of food or weapons left.

「You’ll see.」

The Mercenary King does not relax his expression.

「Isn’t Jeanne, the Holy Knight of Light, aiming for the same thing?」

「No. Our commander Jeanne’s goal is to free the humans from the domination of the other races. That should be enough.」

Too much ambition would be a headwind for humanity.

If the demons were seriously in a rage ──

If they tried to annihilate humans, the Urza Federation would fall. The reason for not doing so was that the sidhes in the east and the cryptids in the west were keeping a close eye on them.

「We humans are on the edge of everything right now. We’re so busy resisting other races that I can’t think of any factor that would allow us to surpass them.」

「There is.」

「Eh?」

「There’s a prophetic god for that. Did you think there was only one?」

「……What did you say.」

I opened my eyes and stared at the「Sid」standing there.

Above his head──like a mirage, there was the presence of something huge. That’s the illusion that struck Kai.

If I thought back, Prayer God Asurasoraka had indicated.

“Prophet Jeanne. You will replace Sid as the hero of this world.”

“Eligible person to replace Sid. There are several candidates in this world.”

……The Sid of the canonical history was led by the prophetic god Asurasolaka.

……I thought that Jeanne was the substitute for that Sid.

Are you saying that there are others?

The Mercenary King in this world, 「Sid」. And another prophetic god who guides Sid.

「Wait please, if so then you also────」

「Kai, look out！」

Rinne’s screams echoed in the rubble of the city.

She grabbed me by the arm and pulled me backwards without saying a word. It wasn’t just Rinne. Even Reirin had grabbed Kai’s arm.

「It’s up there!」

What?

Kai’s field of vision, with his momentary doubts, was buried in jet-black wings.

In the next moment, he heard a thunderous roar and a flap of wings, and then a gust of wind like a storm blew up a violent cloud of sand and dust.

「Wh, what the heck?! I didn’t hear Ashlan!」

「D, didn’t listen to me! I mean, this is bad！」

Monster bird Jis.

A huge cryptid with crow-like black wings was about to fly to the roof of the building.

Oddly small eyes─

The eyes, so small that they look out of place against the nearly ten meter length of the body, took aim with a bloodshot glint. To the person who killed one of the scouts.

「It’s earlier than I expected. You’ve been sniffing around.」

「Archine?!」

The wings swung down and shattered the asphalt pavement.

It was like a huge axe rather than a wing. The Mercenary King used his 0・second reflex in response to the vicious blow that was released from above.

As if its feathers were flying in the air.

Its movements were light and refined, without the slightest hint of the weight associated with its well-trained steel body.

「But you’re too slow, beast.」

In both of his hands, he already held a short machine gun.

When did he pull it out? It was so fast that Kai lost sight of it, even in the dusty air.

「────」

The muzzle was almost vertical.

He aimed from the beak to the head of the monster bird, but the Mercenary King did not try to pull the trigger.

「……Is it already in a flock?」

The tip of the muzzle pointed towards the sky──

A reddish shadow appeared in the blue sky with sparse clouds. There was one sign that it was flying at high speed, flapping its huge wings like a monster bird Jis.

It was a dragon.

「Drake!」

「Drake?……this one !?!」

At the name Raylane shouted, I stared at the being above me.

It was a reddish-black sub-dragon that looked like lava.

At the Human Protection Agency Kai belonged to, the Drake Nail was modeled after the claws of this cryptid. Speaking in another way, it was an enemy that had shocked humanity to such an extent.

Burning fire current──

Although smaller than a dragon, this beast of misfortune was said to have burned down an entire city in a single night with its gushing breath.

「It’s dangerous! Everyone, jump into the shadow of the building! 」

A storm of flames.

A crimson gust spat out by the sub-dragon blew away a pile of rubble into a valley of buildings.

A wall of flames rose up and swept in like a great wave.

「No, the whole building’s going to be engulfed in flames!」

「L, Let’s get out of here, guys. We’re retreating!」

Not just anyone, but everyone.

They jumped out of the shadows of the building at almost the same time and started running as fast as they could against the wall of flames to the armored personnel carrier parked in the vacant lot.

However, there was one person who was not here.

「Archine……！」

「Hey Kai, don’t stop. We can’t afford to worry about anyone else right now. If we stop, we’ll all be wiped out!」

Ashlan pointed to the sky.

In addition to a monster bird Jis and a sub-dragon, four more huge shadows were approaching.

……This was the cryptid race.

……The individual strength was the strongest. It’s an apex race unrivaled by any other race……！

The Code Holder was powerless against a flying opponent.

Only Rinne’s magic would be able to reach them, but taking on those six at the same time would be nothing more than a fool’s errand.

「Kai!」

「Ah.」

He turned around and chased after Ashlan, who ran at the front.

Rinne and Reirin jumped on the roof of the armored personnel carrier. As soon as Ashlan jumped into the driver’s seat, he started the engine, and Saki followed Kai into the car.

「There’s no time to fasten your seatbelts!」

The armored car carrying five people started to move.

To move away from the flame that swelled behind.

「Ashlan, hurry up, if we don’t hurry, we’ll be in trouble if those flames ignite and explode!」

「Take your complaints to the debris path! Kai!」

「────Headquarters Communications Team. Do you copy? This is the vehicle eight of the Urza Humanity Rebellion Resistance!」

To a radio tower far beyond the plain..

The communication partner was the communication team of the Schulz Humanity Rebellion Resistance Headquarters.

『This is the communications team. What’s wrong?』

「It’s an emergency. A flock of cryptids is gathering in the college town of Ron=Ju. Six individuals, including the drake, are all large species. We don’t have anti-aircraft weapons, so there’s nothing we can do.」

『……Please wait. There’s a squad of mercenary soldiers from Archine.』

「Status unknown.」

The Mercenary King Archine, who was at the center of the sub-dragon’s flames, and the mercenary troops under his command. I don’t know what happened to all of them.

「He was swallowed by the flames…… it looked like to me.」

『Archine-dono?!』

The female communications engineer’s voice trailed off.

『Commander Min is in a meeting, but I’ll pass this along as an emergency message right now!』

「Please do it immediately. If possible, I’d like reinforcements to meet us at the halfway point.」

Kai bit his bottom lip as he said this.

I’ve been made a fool of.

Even when the three rebellion resistances were about to gather and join forces, they had been confronted with the fact that there was still a clear difference in race that could not be made up.

『……I don’t know what to do.』

The inside of the car went silent.

Through the communication device, only this voice of the elf shrine maiden sitting on the roof echoed faintly.

『How can we defeat those big guys before taking on Fang Emperor Rath=IE……』

４

Schultz Federation・Southwestern Part──

By the time we reached the shores of the lake surrounded by the plain, as many as ten armored personnel carriers had already stopped in a line.

「Jeanne-sama! I, I’m sorry. We were……」

「You are in no way to blame. I’m glad you survived being surrounded by a pack of cryptids.」

Saki and Ashlan jumped out of the armored car.

It was Jeanne, dressed in armor, who thanked them for their efforts. Her mouth was tight, and her words were tense.

「I think I understand most of the situation. The college town of Ron=Ju, where the Mercenary King Archine’s troops were located, was attacked and turned into a sea of fire.」

Jeanne looks at Kai and his team’s armored personnel carrier.

The rear part was charred black.

It was caused by the heat wave of the sub-dragon, but one wrong move and the entire car would have been engulfed in a wave of flames.

They must have shivered inside when they guessed what the hellfire did. The subordinates of the Urza Humanity Rebellion Resistance, who were standing behind him, could not hide their agitation.

「Jeanne-sama, umm……Mercenary King Archine, what’s the contact……」

「Not yet.」

The Lion King, who had been standing silently, opened his mouth with a grave look.

「It’s always the case that the Archine guy neglects to contact you. Don’t panic. I don’t think a man like him would be overpowered by something this weak. Maybe.」

Short pause.

Balmung looked in the direction of the radio tower they had come from.

「I hope Min-dono, who is waiting at headquarters, has received word from him. However, there are two things we needed to do. The first is to meet up with the retreating troops and you. This can be said to have been successfully completed right now.」

Saki and Ashran of the Urza Humanity Rebellion Resistance, and Kai, Rinne, and Reirin.

Looking at the five of them in turn, the Lion King folded his arms on the spot.

「The other is to scout the college town of Ron=Ju. If the flames of the sub-dragon ignited something in the buildings, it would cause a huge fire. If we are not careful, the entire plain will be burned to the ground. And even if it doesn’t, there’s a chance that Archine’s troops are still out there.」

「U, uh Jeanne-sama……are we……？」

「You should go back to the radio tower and get some rest. We’ve barely escaped. We can’t put any more strain on you.」

Jeanne’s gaze turned to me for a moment as she responded.

「Kai too──」

「Wait, Jeanne. I need to check something.」

「Eh？」

「I had no choice but to retreat, and I think I made the right decision. However, there was one thing I failed to confirm.」

「Wa, wait Kai! Don’t tell me you’re planning to go back there?!」

Saki screamed because she couldn’t stand it.

「Jeanne-sama also said. It’s decided that we should leave it to Jeanne-sama and return. Withdrawal is one of the strategies.」

「I agree.」

Balmung emphasized his words.

At the same time, he raised his eyebrows with an intense glare.

「Your vehicles are not equipped with sufficient anti-aircraft weapons. If you engage the cryptids, you will only repeat the danger. As one of the commanders, I cannot agree to that. But if there are any special circumstances that require us to turn back, that’s another matter──」

「Yes, there are.」

「I didn’t think so. Then…………hm？」

Balmung faltered.

「I must have misheard him. What do you mean, Kai?」

「I have something to check. I don’t know when Fang Emperor Rath=IE will appear. If possible, before the full-scale battle, I────this is！」

Before Kai could finish.

The green earth bounced, and the atmosphere rippled violently. It was not the rumbling of an earthquake, but the sound of super heavy footsteps.

It was the roar of a beast.

「……Jeanne-sama！」

A black dot appeared on the entirely green plain. Some of the black dots were on the horizon, and some were floating in the air.

It became bloated and took on the outline of a majestic beast. (TL: Referring to the first black dot, probably)

「They’re after us?!」

「The cryptids! We are the targets!」

Commotion.

The mercenary soldiers all shook their heads in unison on the spot. They understood. They were in the midst of making a plan to scout out the cryptids when they realized their misunderstanding.

──What is hunted in this federation?

──Humans themselves.

In addition, the huge shadows on the horizon were growing in number as quickly as they appeared.

「Recon!」

The yelling voice of the Lion King.

「What is their strength!」

「Yes, as reported. A monster bird Jis, two sub-dragons, and one dragon. Two unidentified floating bodies. Those are probably the larvae of Ouroboros.」

「So there are six of them?」

「N, no!」

A soldier looking through binoculars stared at the horizon and did not move a muscle.

「There’s also a horde of basilisks coming from the horizon over there!　There are more than twenty of them!」

「Nonsense, their habitat is the Great Western Desert. It’s impossible for them to leave from there. And why? Why would the cryptids swarm in such numbers?」

「Balmung-dono！」

「 know, Jeanne-dono──Gentlemen, I’m changing the plan!」

The Lion King’s voice rang out.

Gradually, little by little, the earth’s echoes became louder and louder, and the figure of a sub-dragon gliding through the air came into view.

「Retreat! Full speed retreat to the radio tower!」

「Ha.」(TL: sound of acknowledgment)

As if scattering spiders, everyone ran at once to the armored personnel carrier

「Kai, get on board. They’ll trample you if you take too long!」

「Yeah, this is really unusual.」

Nodding at Ashlan’s beckoning, Kai jumped into the armored vehicle.

……But the cryptids are in such a flock?

……And even the basilisks. This would never happen under normal circumstances.

It’s no wonder the Lion King ordered a retreat.

The flock of cryptids coming from beyond the horizon was clearly an unprecedented march. I don’t think they flocked on a whim.

……Is there some kind of will at work in the cryptids?

……If so, if there is someone who can do that.

「Don’t tell me」

『All troops, continue! Formations are good. We’re going to run full speed anyway!』

All of the armored troop carriers launched at once.

The grass in the meadow erupted into the air and started running in a straight line like a rabbit.

「D*mn it, we’re playing tag again after all. We’re desperately been running for our lives!」

「Ashlan hurry hurry, I want you to go 200 kilometers an hour! 」

「Don’t be absurd. If I go any faster, the steering wheel will come off!」

120 kilometers an hour.

This was a speed that is normally not allowed on highways other than well maintained highways. Slight turbulence, such as the slopes of the earth and the bumps and dips, puts a significant load on the tires.

──We were going at full speed to not get caught.

──However, if we made a mistake in the operation even for a moment, the vehicle will slip on the spot.

「Rinne, how are you doing?」

『I’m fine for now.』

Rinne said from the roof of the car.

『He’s fast enough. I don’t think even the cryptids can catch up. Even if one or two of them catch up with us, I can get rid of them.』

「There’s no need to push yourself. The rest of the vehicles have anti-aircraft guns.」

This is the armored personnel carrier 11.

Ten of them were reinforcements that had rushed to the scene after receiving the emergency call, and they were equipped with anti-aircraft guns in the rear.

……The only thing that can catch up with us was the wyvern.

……If that was the case, we could shoot it down with a simultaneous fire of anti-aircraft guns.

Commanders Jeanne and Balmung would be aware of this.

So for now, we’re just going to run through the plain.

『It’s the first time I’m grateful for human tools.』

Reirin sighed faintly.

『Ne Kai, how many more hours can this car run!　For the record, the basilisks are vindictive. They will chase their prey from one end of the desert to the other!』

「No problem, we can still make it. If they continue to chase us back to our home base, we’ll hit them with the cannons there.」

Ashlan, who was holding the steering wheel, yelled back with an agitated tone.

「Hey Saki, what’s going on with them?」

「……Eh, ehh! It’s true. They’re getting smaller and smaller!」

In the back seat, Saki clutched her binoculars.

「Hooray. W, we didn’t have a lot of time!」

『All troops continue to march straight ahead. It looks like they’re leaving in the direction of the college town Ron=Ju, but we’ll return to the radio tower and reassess our strategy.』

A simultaneous transmission from Balmung.

『The mercenary king’s unit is still unknown, but ────────?! W, what is this……！』

Crack.

The earth cracked and shattered in a straight line, blocking the path of the Humanity Rebellion Resistance.

The ground collapsed and created a large hole in the midst of fierce sandy dust. A huge snake-like creature crawled up from the bottomless pit.

It cracked open the bedrock──

What appeared was a giant monster that far exceeded the radio tower.

『What! What is this, it’s also a cryptid?!』

『Earth Mother Dragon!』

「It’s a Mother Dragon!」

Reirin and Kai’s roars coincided perfectly.

……It was a dragon that was considered to be a mirage even in the canonical history.

……With extraordinary vitality, there is no record of finishing it even in the Five Races War.

A dragon with a streamlined body that resembled a snake.

It remained unknown even in the canonical history. It lived only in the interior of the scorching and hot desert, and there was a theory that this dragon was once the hero of the cryptids.

The monster stood up like a big tree.

「Stop, Ashlan. If we hit it, it’ll crush us!」

「D*mn it……！」

The armored personnel carriers stopped all at once.

No, we had to stop. If we were to proceed at this speed, we would have had no choice but to fall into the large hole where the Earth Mother Dragon crawled out.

「Ashlan, keep your hands on the wheel.」

「?! Hey Kai, don’t tell me──」

Prying open the sunroof manually, Kai jumped out of the roof of the car.

At the same time.

Just as Kai appeared.

「I got you.」

The voice came from above him.

I thought it was the Earth Mother Dragon speaking. However, his light voice came from above the Earth Mother Dragon.

「I can smell the different races. Humans, sidhes, and the『 Blessed Survivor』 are all here. This is good. All the nuisances are gathered here.」

Shudder.

At the moment he felt a chill run down his spine, Kai had pulled out his Drake Nail.

「So.」

Something was coming down.

The bright red beastman riding on the head of the Earth Mother Dragon────A cryptid, smaller than Kai and only the size of Rinne, descended from a much higher altitude.

When Kai looked up, it was after the beastman had raised one hand.

「First of all, you should be crushed.」

The atmosphere exploded.

Pan, a dry sound.

It was a diffusion of a physical phenomenon’s invisible destructive energy called the shock wave, which was created when the beastman’s arm swung down above the speed of sound.

「Kai, watch out──────」

Even Rinne’s voice was drowned out.

The fist of the beastman swung down to the ground, splitting the earth and spewing up a cloud of dust that was no less than the impact of the Earth Mother Dragon surfacing.

「Did you miss that? Maybe it’s because I jumped down from a high place.」

A sighing beastman kicked the armored troop carrier in front of him.

The armored vehicle rolled upside down.

The impact of the beastman’s fist striking the earth caused the armored vehicle weighing hundreds of kilograms to jump and roll over like a toy.

「…………Lie……I guess……」

Ashlan stares at the overturned lead car.

「What the hell is that beastman. The armored personnel carrier, you blow it off like a ball……what kind of strength do you have?」

That’s exactly how Kai feels.

……Did you hit the armored personnel carrier like a ball?

……With a smaller physique than Jeanne, let alone me.

It’s physically impossible. It would take a behemoth of a beast to be able to do such a feat of strength.

──Supernatural phenomena.

A beastman with an unnatural and mysterious power that cannot be explained by human reason.

On the other hand.

「……We finally met.」

The elven priestess glared at the small beastman with a bloodshot expression.

「You, what does it mean for you to appear……?」

「Haha. You’re a funny one, elf. This is my territory. What’s wrong with me being here?」

A sidhe who does not hide hostility.

The cryptid looked on with amusement.

「Rath=IE!!!！」

Reirin’s bellow echoes.

She pointed her finger straight in front of her.

「Your brutality has gone far enough. You are fated to fall here!」

「Fate? Why are you clinging to fate now?」

「……What was that.」

「It’s pathetic. I pity you, sidhe, trapped by fate.」

The beastman laughed.

He looked up to the heavens with eyes filled with immeasurable emotion, and only then said.

「I’m Fang Emperor Rath=IE. I can change fate as much as I want.」

Sorry if there’s typos here, this chapter has been a bit of a struggle for me in terms of motivation.The rest of the chapters in this volume aren’t as long, so maybe I’ll have c4 and c5 done by next Sunday. Completion of this volume should be about the expected date I had planned, which is around 6/25. Email me at pascalswagerofficial@gmail.com w/ comments, or just comment down below. Also join the NeoSekai TL Discord and help me cover raw costs on Ko-Fi if you want (or, even better, support the author by buying the Japanese originals). We’re also looking for new translators and editors for LN/WNs and translators/cleaners/redrawers/editors/proofreaders for manga, so if you’re interested in that, please join the discord and ask. Experience is not a determining factor for admission.