Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Fire Ox Formation (2)
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A shadow stretched across the rugged walls of Tochika Citadel.
Shedioladis.
She, draped in a black-purple robe, leaped down from the ramparts.
...Thud!
Surveying the interior of the citadel, she couldn't hide her shock.
"My god. How could this happen?"
The inside of Tochika Citadel was utterly devastated.
Not a single soul in sight, just the remnants of burned wreckage everywhere.
The warehouses that had once been piled high with military rations were all gutted, reduced to charred frames.
The reservoir where clear water had once bubbled down was contaminated, turned a murky dark green.
Shedioladis scooped up some of the dark green water with her hand and tasted it.
"Gah! Ptooey!"
Even she, who could swallow deadly poisons with a smile, vomited blood.
Whether by sight, smell, or taste, this was no water fit for humans.
Shedioladis followed the water flow upstream to the source.
The spring water gushing from the bedrock was green as well.
Digging into the soil with her hand, Shedioladis found...
"...They've buried something vile."
Beneath the green-tainted soil emerged a single blood-red eyeball.
Shedioladis immediately recognized what it was.
"Kin of the ancient spider god Kunni Baven? To think one survived until now."
Of course, that specimen was no longer of this world.
Hence the eye plucked out and buried here.
"...Federback. That bastard's doing."
It was obvious.
Who else could catch a descendant of the giant venomous spiders from the Mythic Age, gouge out its living eye, and bury it here to poison the water?
Shedioladis clicked her tongue.
"At this rate, even if the Furosange House reclaims Tochika, it'll be meaningless. Purifying the water and restocking rations would take an immense amount of time."
If the Furosange House's forces were besieged by Meursault while trying to normalize Tochika Fortress, it would be over.
Trapped inside, they would slowly starve to death.
"Did they take all the territory's people to Meursault? But that would lose them public support. I learned humans value the people's hearts... What is this?"
Federback's actions felt not just bold, but downright bizarre.
At his mad, rampaging spirit, Shedioladis broke out in cold sweat.
"No, is this really human thinking? It feels closer to our side."
Federback was a human who fought the Demon King right up to the moment of humanity's extinction.
Thus, the ethics, morals, justice, values, and conventions common among humans had long been burned away like last night's dinner.
Unaware of this fact, however, Shedioladis was convinced in a completely different direction.
"Federback... That guy's no human. He's one of us. Has to be. No one else would pull off something this insane. I don't know why one of our own is hostile to me, but..."
After pondering deeply for a while, Shedioladis reached a conclusion.
"If he picks a fight, I can't avoid it. I can't lose to some greenhorn not even on the family register."
She headed to the most secluded building within Tochika Fortress.
A solitary spire towering in isolation.
The tower's walls were merely soot-stained, with no other significant damage.
The door was broken, but since there was nothing inside, the intruders seemed to have left quickly.
Shedioladis entered the spire.
The footprints in the dust ended here.
Clearly, no one had ventured further inside.
Swish―
Shedioladis lifted the rug from the inner floor.
A stone door was revealed.
Tap tap!
As Shedioladis tapped the stone with mana-infused fingertips...
Rumble―
The stone door slid open, exposing stairs leading underground.
Clack― Clack― Clack―
Shedioladis descended into the depths, holding a single torch.
Crimson-moss-covered stone walls, stalactites hanging like teeth, parched earthen floor.
There, a pool of rippling blood water sat alone.
Shedioladis stood before the blood spring and disrobed.
Flutter―
Her robes fell to the dirt floor, revealing her naked form.
Her body bore a profoundly grotesque appearance.
Skin so transparent her innards were visible beneath, black veins pulsing across it in discordant rhythms.
Her arms, legs, shoulders, waist, and more were covered in stitch marks, like a poorly mended stuffed doll.
Shedioladis tsked.
"The shell's all rotted out. Well, I've exceeded this body's lifespan by far, so it's only natural. Time to hunt a new human."
Gazing at her reflection in the blood pool's surface, she muttered.
"Hard to find a face to my taste like this. Oh, right—the head of the merchant guild in Meursault territory had a nice look. Rorschach, was it? Pretty face, good figure. Next time, I'll catch that bitch and switch bodies."
At that moment.
Bubble bubble bubble bubble bubble...
The blood pool where Shedioladis had been peering began to boil.
Her expression changed drastically.
"Gasp!?"
She quickly backed away and knelt.
The reason was simple.
Lurking in that blood pool was something even she feared—a being of merciless temperament.
Soon.
Splash―!
A massive tentacle erupted from the blood pool.
An octopus leg covered in clusters of repulsive suckers.
At each sucker's center were countless mouths, noses, and eyeballs.
The tentacle drew closer to Shedioladis.
The maws smacked their lips, the noses twitched sniffing, the eyes darted around.
Cold sweat drenched Shedioladis's entire face.
Prostrated flat, she murmured a prayer.
Only then did the tentacle seem to acknowledge Shedioladis's presence.
Ssshh―
The tentacle's tip touched her face.
A mouth extended a tongue to lick her sweat.
A nose sniffed her hair.
An eye peered deeply into hers.
Finally, a mouth on the tentacle spoke.
"We're manipulating Furosange to attack Meursault. Smooth sailing so far."
Shedioladis answered immediately.
The tentacle coiled around her body once.
"I-it's true! Really...!"
She had no time to defend herself.
Crunch crunch crunch!
Writhing in the tentacle's grip, Shedioladis screamed.
"Gaaaaah!"
Her bones shattered, organs ruptured.
The mouth on the tentacle grinned.
"M-Meursault's counterattack is fierce! We've lost Tochika Fortress, and Furosange's forces are crippled! B-but that doesn't affect the big picture! We can exterminate the Meursault scum soon! Please! I'll make it happen, no matter what...!"
Only then did the tentacle loosen.
Shedioladis, battered and broken, collapsed to the floor, trembling like a worm.
The tentacle writhed in the air.
"Yes, at once."
"D-don't worry. The bloodline of demon slayers will be utterly extinguished."
Shedioladis pressed her forehead to the dirt floor repeatedly.
Finally, the tentacle retreated into the blood pool.
Bubble bubble bubble bubble bubble...
Silence returned to the underground cavern.
Shedioladis lifted her head, slick with dark red cold sweat.
"This won't do. If things continue like this, I'll be the one eliminated. Time to play my trump card."
Leaning against the wall, she rose and caught her breath.
"Just you wait, Federback."
Her blood-red eyes gleamed fiercely.
Meanwhile, covert movements were underway at Vibak Citadel.
Rangers in gray light armor and black cloaks assembled at the citadel's center.
Their commander was Serubret.
'Shedioladis... She told me to do nothing and stay put, but that's impossible.'
He was the head of Furosange House.
Remaining idle after being humiliated by a mere fifteen-year-old boy would shatter his authority as patriarch.
With deserters already rampant lately, inaction would make the situation spiral out of control.
'I'll hunt down and kill Federback myself. Hang his head high on a pole, and my authority will be restored.'
Serubret had mobilized every ranger at his disposal.
With this force, he planned to comb through Vibak Citadel all night and crush Federback.
Serubret asked the rangers.
"Everyone assembled?"
"Yes, sir. Full muster. Federback's no better than a rat in a trap now."
The Furosange rangers were seething with venom.
Guerrilla warfare and deception tactics were their specialties.
Yet they had been played in their own field.
Rage, frustration from being toyed with helplessly, and wounded pride boiled within them.
"Tonight, Federback will crow instead of the dawn rooster."
"We'll snag him before first light and snap his neck."
"I'll die tonight, and I'll drag that rip-his-throat-out Federback with me."
The rangers gripped their bows, arrows, and daggers, swearing oaths.
Tonight, they would sever Federback's head from his body.
Serubret eyed his rangers with trust.
...It was then.
Rumble rumble rumble―
The ground began to vibrate faintly.
"?"
One ranger with keen senses turned his head.
He pointed toward the dark horizon beyond the night-shrouded settlements.
"Huh? Over there!"
Faint light flickered beyond the darkened houses.
But it was midnight; the sun couldn't be rising.
Fwoosh fwoosh fwoosh...
It was firelight.
Fires presumably set by the hated Meursault bastards.
Serubret shouted.
"Federback will be there! Head that way!"
He inwardly cheered.
Federback wouldn't expect the patriarch himself to bring every Furosange ranger.
Thus, charging with full force would catch the arsonist fleeing.
"Charge! Kill him!"
At their master's command, the hounds surged forward.
Serubret led at the forefront.
Hundreds of rangers followed swiftly behind.
...Kill Meursault.
...Kill Federback.
...Avenge ourselves.
Serubret and the rangers believed victory was at hand.
Rumble rumble rumble―
Until they collided with the massive stampede of cattle charging toward them, backs ablaze with flames.