Chapter 266
Chapter 266
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 266
Chapter Title: Chapter 6-3. Lust
-----------------------------------------------------------------
#Setting 11. 「The Iron-Eating Monster Bulgasari」
Long ago, as a certain kingdom's dynasty teetered on the brink of collapse, a monster appeared in the capital. It was called Bulgasari—literally "Unkillable"—or sometimes just the Invincible Starfish, and it was known to subsist primarily on iron. The creature had a bizarre appearance: an elephant's trunk and buffalo eyes set on a bear's body packed with solid muscle, topped off with a tiger's tail.
Whether because it feasted on iron or not, no sword, spear, or arrow could slay it. Even the high, sturdy stone walls piled up by human hands shattered when Bulgasari charged and slammed into them. It was every bit the monster its name implied. Conventional weapons did nothing, and the more iron it devoured, the larger it grew. The people suffered terribly until they finally discovered its weakness: fire.
A single spear exists bearing the exact same name as that monster. For a spear, it possesses the power to absorb other hunks of metal. Its own might grows in proportion to the amount it absorbs. It is one of Ferlnirn's fragments, yet unlike the others, it is infamous as a truly gluttonous magic weapon.
It appears to possess an ego, much like the first pair of twin magic swords, but it cannot manifest a form or speak—and only Ferlnirn can truly control it. This was proven when Ferlnirn, on a whim, dropped the fragment into the mortal realm.
Bulgasari happened to land in a farm field and fell into a farmer's hands. The magic weapon crushed the farmer's sense of self, seized his flesh, and laid waste to the surrounding lands. Though he was nothing more than an unremarkable farmer with no formal training, the power it granted was tremendous. Powered by Bulgasari's magic, its host never weakened from hunger or perished. Yet no body could endure the spear's magic power for long, so fresh vessels were always required.
In response to nonstop reports of destruction, the kingdom at last dispatched its army.
But when countless soldiers and knights first clashed with the man under Bulgasari's sway, they were utterly helpless. The edges of swords, spears, and arrows peeled away like thin slices of meat or flower petals, soaring into the air before swirling in a vortex that swept through the troops.
That alone would have been manageable. The airborne iron shards clumped together, reforging midair into massive new spears that plummeted like meteors. The battered royal army withdrew, ultimately deeming a small elite unit—including knights and mages—the best option.
Even then, attempts to strike from afar with magic failed. The moment Bulgasari thrust forward, the hovering iron shards wove into chains that dragged the spellcasters straight to it.
...The battle concluded as a one-sided slaughter. Deeming further assaults pointless, the commander ordered a retreat. All they could do was let it rampage like some natural calamity. Then one day, a female knight appeared. Radiating a sacred yet chilling glow, she charged Bulgasari bare-handed, subdued it, and claimed the magic weapon that had stolen the sanity of countless souls, turning them into puppets. But just as suddenly as she had come, she vanished—no one knew where she had gone, what she was doing, or even what she looked like.
—Regarding Ferlnirn's seventeenth fragment, Bulgasari.
+ + +
Something felt off.
The array of weapons made it seem like a museum at first glance, but their uniform monochrome hue gave the strange impression of a weapons graveyard instead.
And standing watch over this graveyard like some caretaker was a figure seated by a bonfire at the center of an enormous, inscrutable pupil—impossible to tell if it had been excavated or was there from the start.
Behind them loomed the bony husk of a massive beast, stripped down to its skeleton, and they sat atop bones as thick as logs.
Clad in knight's plate, their helmet set aside to reveal a woman.
She had short hair and a doll-like face. Her gaze drifted from the bonfire's indifferent dance, past the barrier, to Yuda's party as they entered.
She took her time observing Yuda, Iris, Arhil, and Lime before donning the helmet beside her and rising to her feet.
'She looks like a model.'
That was the exact impression as she stood with a clink of chains. It wasn't just her statuesque height—it was the body shape one could infer from her armor, no matter how ornate its flourishes.
Standard plate armor for knights is custom-fitted. Gain even a little weight, and it becomes unwearable, like an ill-fitting garment. Hers resembled a gown that would split at the seams with the slightest plumpness.
Beneath lay a frame probably as slender as Iris's. As Yuda watched her quietly, she plunged a hand into the monster's skeletal remains behind her and drew forth a spear far taller than herself.
A conical-tipped lance.
The lance exceeded two meters, promising substantial heft, yet she hefted it one-handed with ease. Add a shield and cloak, and one might readily dub her a blue lancer.
"Impressive."
Lime muttered his honest thoughts.
But the instant Yuda laid eyes on the knight, a deep sigh welled up from the depths of his chest.
'It's Organ.'
Of course. The armor, the helmet, the fragment Bulgasari—it was unmistakable. Yuda stepped past Iris to meet her approach.
Her helmeted form, lance in hand, hardly looked hospitable. Yet with no overt hostility, he held his caution.
"Gender male. Black hair and eyes. Youthful appearance. ...She was right."
"?"
She murmured ever so softly at Yuda.
Then, approaching, she thrust out her left hand.
As he puzzled over the gesture, she spoke.
"Well then, greetings first? Welcome. You look unscathed, so the second-floor sentinel must have been child's play. Congratulations. However."
Holy power visibly gathered in her open palm. It felt different from Arhil's.
Organ gathered it in her hand as she continued.
"Regrettably, I can't welcome you."
"What do you—"
No answer came.
She invoked holy magic. A magic circle bloomed at her feet, and before anyone could react, a wall of light like glass surged up.
Trapped in the sudden luminous veil, Yuda channeled magic into his fist and swung with full force.
Boom!
Even on instinct, it was B-rank strength laced with mana. Yet the barrier bore only a faint crack.
"Yuda!"
He whirled at Arhil's desperate cry.
Arhil, Lime, and Iris were encased in pillars of light. The glow sharpened.
"Damn it!"
Lime scowled, mana pooling futilely in his grip as he swore.
'No way.'
Teleportation magic?!
Eyes bulging at Organ's brazen attempt to shunt his comrades away without a word, Yuda swiftly summoned Altemia—faster than drawing Yakal from the <Bag>.
"I'm not interested in the others, so off to outside the labyrinth with you. No need for needless killing, especially with Lady Gabriel's saint in the mix."
But by the time he shattered the barrier and turned, it was too late. The teleport had triggered. Iris clutched a scythe wreathed in shadow, poised to cleave the veil.
'Save!'
Yuda saved the current moment on reflex. No time for the system prompt. Without even confirming, he shouted her name.
"Iris! Look after Arhil and Lime!"
She faltered mid-swing at his call.
Lime and Arhil vanished into forced exile one after another. As Iris too began to dissolve into the light, she spoke for the first time.
"Be careful."
She vanished in the radiance.
Iris staying might have eased the fight against Organ, but resolving that left Lime and Arhil's forced ejection a gamble. With her alongside, though, their safety was assured.
Watching them fade with the light, Yuda faced Organ. Killing intent seeped from her.
"May I ask what this is about? You carved those words into the iron gate: to fell the devil together."
"True, I etched those words and awaited such a valiant soul. But as I said—it's not you. Judah Arsher."
"!?"
His name hit like a thunderbolt; his eyes flew wide. How did she know?
He stared, stunned. Her helmet hid her face, but the subtle nod was clear.
"As expected. I never doubted her, but your reaction seals it."
She swung the gorgeously etched lance with deceptive ease. A heavy whoosh rent the air. Yuda's brow furrowed at her predatory stance.
========== Author's Note ==========
1) Ah, lost my draft twice...
2) Group project stress hitting hard... When the hell do these end?
3) Dying to see Arhil finished already...