Chapter 368: A Fight That Ends the Moment You Clash
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 368: A Fight That Ends the Moment You Clash
The South Gate Guard Captain adjusted his hat. The feathered cap was his trademark. Tilting the brim a few times, the captain looked up at the full moon brightly illuminating the city.
What is my duty?
To protect the capital.
It wasn't a sudden realization. He had always known it, but he had only recently been spurred to action.
The one who had risen to nobility, the royal bastard once dismissed as a prodigal son—as the Queen's own flesh and blood, he had demonstrated what it meant to uphold duty and responsibility.
If he could do it, then the captain had to do his part in his own position as well.
Ultimately, the captain could no longer stand idly by while the creature known as the Moonlight Beast terrorized the streets. And so, he did what had to be done. Upon hearing that a Squire had been defeated, he had made thorough preparations before setting out.
"Let's go this way," the captain said to his subordinates.
"But Captain, are you sure it'll show up?" asked a subordinate with a scruffy, unshaven face.
"Of course."
Even in the capital, there were those who took a personal interest in the Moonlight Beast. The South Gate Guard Captain was one of them. He had questioned locals and investigated the area to predict the most likely spot for the beast to appear.
In other words, he operated under the same logic as Encrid.
A full moon.
A place far from the noble residential districts.
It's here.
If he was wrong, he would just have to start over. They lacked the manpower to monitor the entire district, so he had brought only three of his most trusted soldiers. With himself and three subordinates, they should be able to handle a single werewolf.
Though he didn't know how it managed to hide during the day and only appear at night.
It must be using some strange magic.
It was likely a spell cast by some mad mage.
The South Gate Guard Captain scanned the surroundings under the moonlight. Would it really show up?
His expectations were met.
Thud!
The sound of tearing flesh echoed, followed by the thick stench of blood. It came from deep within the alleyway. He bolted forward.
"Captain?"
"Follow me!"
Shouting as he ran, he saw a blood-drenched monster deep inside the alley. It had pointed ears and steel-like feathers covering its entire body instead of fur. Its height was twice that of a human, and its forearms were as thick as a man's thighs.
It seemed to fill the entire alleyway—a path wide enough for three adult men to walk abreast.
The captain swallowed hard. If you let fear take over, you lose even a winnable fight. Steeling his resolve, he spoke.
"So you weren't a werewolf, but an owlman?"
He drew his sword as he spoke. With a sharp shring, the unsheathed blade reflected the moonlight. The captain gripped his sword with both hands and stared directly at his opponent. He saw the profile of the monster known as an Owlbear.
Red veins stood out in its round eyes. They were visible even under the dim moonlight, showing just how engorged those blood vessels were. He had to tilt his head back just to meet its gaze.
His eyes swept down from its face to the ground. The blood-soaked floor, a corpse sprawled to one side, the monster's sharp claws, and the coiled intestines caught between them. Torn flesh and broken bone fragments—even under the moonlight, their colors were a dull, dark crimson.
Each claw looked like a thick, menacingly sharp blade.
Unconcerned by the captain's gaze, the Owlbear shuddered. Seeing this, the captain knew instinctively that this wretched beast was enjoying the moment. It was drunk on ecstasy, taking pleasure in the slaughter.
"You were enjoying this?!"
Protect the city. Protect the citizens. Killing the monster that stained the moonlit night with terror was the duty of the guard.
Kicking off the ground, he lunged forward and brought his sword down vertically. Closing the distance in a single stride, he executed a downward slash. He didn't expect to sever an arm or torso in one blow, but if he angled it correctly, he could gouge out a chunk of flesh.
It was a technique called Single-Cut Gouge, and it was his specialty.
The Owlbear blocked it with a mere swing of its arm. Gauging the angle of the incoming blade, it precisely tilted its index claw to block with the outer surface.
A single claw met the blade.
Clang!
Sparks flew, shattering the moonlight. The moment his sword was blocked, the captain hastily retreated. Though he hadn't joined the order of knights, he was skilled enough to handle most opponents. He considered himself at least at the level of a Squire. That was why he had risen to the rank of Guard Captain, after all.
But what was this? Hadn't a Squire only narrowly lost to this thing?
Even if I didn't swing with my full strength...
The force of its deflection had nearly torn the sword from his grip. More than anything, what was that movement? The angle and defense looked as if it had actually studied swordsmanship.
He was outmatched. If he fought alone, he would die. He would surely end up just like that Squire.
Fortunately, he was not alone.
Though cold sweat poured down his back, instead of giving in to fear, he boldly leaped backward and shouted, "Surround it!"
The Owlbear's eyes locked onto him. They were brown eyes filled with a mixture of ecstasy, desire, bloodlust, and hostility. The prominent red veins stoked his terror. Even though its mouth wasn't open, it felt as if that sharp, protruding beak could pierce right through his body.
The eyes themselves resembled human eyes, which made them look even more bizarre. Of course, he had no time to dwell on such things. As he retreated, the Owlbear sauntered after him.
The moment they reached the mouth of the alley, his three subordinates leveled their spears. The moonlight illuminated the entrance of the alley, making the interior look even darker by contrast. One of the subordinates, tense as he aimed his spear, swallowed hard.
Meanwhile, the captain was drenched in cold sweat.
The Owlbear slowly stepped out. Its footsteps were quiet, completely mismatched with its massive build. If it deliberately targeted someone from behind, it would be stealthy enough to go entirely unnoticed. It was the stride of a natural-born hunter.
Stepping out of the alley, the beast looked at the weapons pointed at it and inhaled deeply. Its chest swelled.
"Strike!" the captain shouted, judging that striking first was their best option. It was the desperate struggle of a terrified human. Even though the enemy was far stronger than expected, his sense of responsibility remained unchanged.
Simultaneously with the captain's shout—
Roaaaar!
The monster cried out. A roar that swallowed the captain's voice rippled through the air. The screech blasted through the atmosphere, battering the humans' ears.
Ugh.
The moment he heard the owl's screech, the captain felt his entire body go numb. His heart began to pound erratically, and his muscles tensed up. He froze on the spot.
A prey encountering its natural predator cannot escape fear. This was why monsters were called the predators of humanity. Among them, particularly powerful monsters could paralyze a human with their roar alone.
The captain hallucinated the Owlbear's claws ripping his throat and tearing into his chest. The moment he saw that illusion, his body froze, and his soldiers were no different.
I'm going to die.
The dread of death consumed him. It was a fear-inducing roar that only high-ranking monsters were said to possess. Like a mouse freezing before a cat.
Having subdued its pursuers with a single cry, the monster raised its claws. It intended to pop their heads off one by one and drink their brains. To the beast, that would be a delicacy far superior to any gourmet meal.
"Kuhuhu."
A chuckle escaped it. An extreme pleasure, utterly unobtainable in human life, was right here. At first, it had resented its body turning into this, but not anymore. It was so utterly delightful—why deny it?
It just had to avoid running into anyone like that Squire again. No, what human in the royal palace currently had the luxury to do so? What would they even send to catch it? At best, two Squires? The guard?
The pathetic fools collapsed before its eyes showed the reality. The capital had now become its dining hall. With an abundance of food to chew and swallow, how could it not be pleased?
Pleasure surged, and ecstasy consumed its body. Every single feather reacted to the impending delight, trembling. The muscles throughout its body contracted and relaxed in tight, rhythmic pulses.
It was time to savor the pleasure.
"Kuhuhuhu."
Saliva dripped. It was itching to devour them. Just as it stopped thinking and thrust its claws forward—
Tap, tap, tap.
The sound of footsteps striking the ground pricked its ears. To the back left, about twenty human paces away.
Since gaining the body of an Owlbear, its hearing had become sharper than anything else. Measuring distance by sound was child's play. The Owlbear judged that the footsteps were rapidly approaching.
The monster's instinct moved faster than human reason.
Swoosh!
Extending its claws to twice their previous length, it crossed its arms to block its front. Deep inside the alley, in the darkness, the Owlbear's vision precisely captured the object leaping out from within. Its nocturnal vision allowed it to see the surroundings as clearly as day.
A mass lunged out of the darkness, leaving a white afterimage. The mass suddenly accelerated. Something flew toward it, three times faster than the sound of its approach.
Whoosh!
The Owlbear saw lines being drawn in front of it. They were two lines starting from the mass's arms, slicing toward its body. The Owlbear reflexively raised its arms to block. Holding them parallel to the ground, it thrust them forward like a shield. The incoming lines struck its forearms.
Thud.
The sound was dull. The Owlbear felt the impact. Its feathers were as tough as steel, so they weren't cut, but the aftershock remained. The owner of the swinging lines retreated even faster than they had struck.
The moment the Owlbear blocked, it thrust its right foot toward where the opponent had been, but the opponent evaded the move. The Owlbear's claws swept through the empty space.
Quickly pulling back its extended foot, the monster looked at its opponent, tilted its head, and spoke.
"...What? Was there another one besides me? There's plenty of food to go around."
It was the form of a beast. A half-beast, half-human form of a beastified human. Yet, she opened her mouth and spoke human words naturally.
As it spoke, the Owlbear used its sense of smell and hearing to determine that there was more than one opponent. However, it couldn't easily divert its attention elsewhere. The aura radiating from the opponent in front of it prevented that.
The being who had unleashed the two lines at it glared. Her eyes were a remarkably brilliant gold. They shone with full color even amidst the moonlight.
"Hey, I'm a beastman."
She was speaking to it.
"What's the difference? I also turn into a human and then an Owlbear."
It was angry that its pleasure and ecstasy had been interrupted, but there was no need to fight a fellow beast. There was plenty of food, and the dining hall was vast. There was no reason to squabble over the source of their pleasure. Before its claws, it didn't matter if the humans were old, young, male, or female.
The opponent—the golden-eyed beastman—grit her teeth and practically shouted:
"You fucking bastard, there are no owls among beastmen!"
With those words, Dunchabel dashed forward in the form of a white lion. Bam! As she kicked off the ground, her body stretched into a blur. In her hands, she held two curved swords. They were a span shorter than scimitars, but she was already well-accustomed to them.
The blades drew lines, falling and weaving toward the opponent's forearms. It was a sword technique she had spent days refining, called Falling Thrust. It was a skill she had recreated in her own style after watching Encrid practice his own techniques.
Slashing then thrusting, thrusting then slashing. It was chaotic and highly unpredictable.
However, the Owlbear's super-sensory perception perceived it all. And the monster's body was capable of reacting to every bit of that speed and trajectory.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
It possessed claws harder than steel, and it swung them. Blocking and deflecting with its claws, it looked for an opening. Back when it was human, it had also spent time training. It knew how to use most techniques. Aiming for the beastman's opening, it thrust its foot out once more.
Its claws extended rapidly, threatening to tear Dunchabel's abdomen open in an instant. Dunchabel spun her body, pivoting on her left foot. As she spun, she swung the curved swords in her hands.
Whoosh!
A slash twice as fast as before drew a horizontal line through the air. The Owlbear only extended its foot and did not advance further.
Troublesome.
She fought even better than the previous Squire. But was that a problem? It decided it wasn't. Even if things went south, it could just flee...
"What, so it was just a little owl?"
It couldn't finish its thought. The voice came from behind.
To one side, a man was spinning a long-handled axe with a series of whooshes.
That face looks familiar.
Where had it seen him? It searched its memory but couldn't place him. However, the aura radiating from his body was extraordinary.
Should I run?
It must not ignore the warnings of its instincts. Its reason gave the same command.
"Answer only what you are asked, and you can leave in one piece."
Just then, a voice spoke from directly behind it. Startled out of its wits, it reflexively swung its elbow. Since its steel-like feathers served as weapons, a direct hit could easily turn a mere human into mush.
But the opponent wasn't hit. He had retreated immediately after speaking. It was as if he had anticipated its reaction. His retreat was faster than its strike. The Owlbear realized this through the vibrations in the air.
"Who is the leader of the Black Sword?" he asked.
The Owlbear immediately compressed air in its belly and expelled it.
Roaaaar!
Unleash terror—it let out a roar. The monster's power shook the atmosphere. Surely, at least one of them would wet themselves and collapse. Just like those soldiers earlier.
The fellow in the feathered hat seemed to barely hold his ground, but some of the other soldiers collapsed, wetting themselves. Though everyone grimaced at the roar, none of them reacted in a way that satisfied its expectations.
Why was everyone fine? The guy with the axe was actually smirking.
"Stop making such a racket, monster."
Then, another human approached. Walking over with steady thuds from one side was a man holding a long whip.
"What's this? You out for a night stroll too?" the guy with the axe asked.
The man with the whip was a face the Owlbear recognized.
He shouldn't be away from his post right now.
The man's name was Matthew, the guard of Kudianat Landius Nauril—the one who had caused an uproar inside the royal palace to claim the title of Grand Duke.
It was thanks to that man that the Owlbear could enjoy its meals so freely at this time. The more chaotic the royal palace was, the fewer people would pay attention to it. A few people disappearing in the dead of night wouldn't cause a massive uproar. At most, only the guard would get involved.
The Moonlight Beast targeted commoners, specifically the poor. It didn't target nobles to avoid unnecessary backlash. As long as it didn't harm their territory, who would step forward?
So, all of this was completely unexpected. It was incomprehensible to the beast. There were those who stepped forward not for their own gain, but to protect the safety of the citizens. There was someone who risked his life to hunt it down, shouting of responsibility and duty. There were those who had figured out its behavioral patterns through innate observation and insight.
The Owlbear didn't understand any of that. It had simply become a being drunk on slaughter, like an addict seeking another fix. Of course, even so, it still considered itself a rational being. Thus, it believed it made decisions and acted based on logical reasoning.
It was all nonsense. Its reason had merely become a tool to pursue pleasure—a side effect it hadn't even realized.
"Who... who are you people?" the South Gate Guard Captain said, pushing himself up.
He had barely overcome his fear. His jaw trembled, but he grit his teeth and endured. Once he did, he felt much better. The atmosphere radiating from the newcomers also helped stabilize him.
The tide had turned. The Owlbear couldn't crush the soldier it had knocked down. It couldn't tear apart the white lion beastman who had lunged at it. The monster felt a sense of crisis. It judged that the situation was flowing in a strange direction.
But it couldn't just die here.
Never.
It had tasted pleasure. It could never forget it. It would survive and continue to live that way. It would chew and swallow countless humans, living off their brains, blood, and entrails.
Grrr.
With a short growl, it solidified its will. Even if that path was wrong, its resolve was clear. The Owlbear had heavily wounded a Squire. The harmony between the monster's power and the reason it possessed when it was human had made that possible.
"Laughable!" the Owlbear shouted. The meaning behind its roar was clear.
Those who heard it reacted.
"Why does that thing speak human language so well?" the guy with the axe said.
"Did you all set out on the Marquis's orders? Indeed, he did say he would handle it himself." Matthew paid more attention to the people standing around him than to the monster.
"My ears hurt, you monster bastard," the beastman grimaced.
The man standing behind them didn't even place his hand on his sword. He merely watched indifferently. Yet, he was terrifying nonetheless.
If I go near him, I will die.
This was what its monster instincts, rather than its human ones, told it. And those instincts were correct. Ragna was currently debating whether or not to just cut it down.
On top of that—
"Who is the leader of the Black Sword? Speak. I will give you a clean end so you won't have to die by that barbarian's axe or get torn apart by that crude swordsman."
There was also a guy speaking confidently in a calm tone from behind. Who the hell was this bastard? Where did he keep trying to send it?
"Let's make this easy," he said.
The guy standing in the moonlight was visible, yet blurry. When it wondered why, it realized that sound was muffled and presence was faint only around him. It felt as if the moment it lost track of him, he would suddenly appear behind its back and plunge a blade into it. He was a deeply unsettling bastard.
"Speak."
"I don't know any of that!" Overwhelmed by his presence, the Owlbear blurted out the answer before it could stop itself.
"Is that so?" the opponent muttered and took a step back. Just that single action significantly reduced the pressure.
Of course, that didn't mean the danger had lessened. Just as it raised its guard to the maximum and looked for an escape route—
"Guard Captain?"
Yet another new voice cut in. This was a voice it definitely recognized.