122. Brutality (1)
122. Brutality (1)
- 1 -
During the period the dungeon master proclaimed as the time of growth.
The number of monsters and armed individuals visible within and around Libertas's Demon Realm had certainly decreased, though it was not conspicuous.
This was because Libertas's people had been actively hunting down those 'scheduled for betrayal.'
Inside the realm and near its borders, Ran and Shue led monsters about, while outside, Evangeline moved in human form.
"What are you... where did you come from...!"
"Well now..."
Among those women, the one with the harshest standards was Shue.
Because she regarded as betrayers all those who had received their 'master's favor' but had not properly 'made use of' it.
Whether from laziness or opportunism.
"S, spare...!"
Kwajik - !
Chararak!!
Licking the blood splattered around her mouth with a tongue far redder than a human's, Shue transformed the corpse of the Dungeon Lord she had just executed into 'blood' and began feeding it to the dungeon core once more.
It was a fact little known to humans or other monsters, but to enhance the completeness of a harvested dungeon core, the Dungeon Lord had to be killed and its corpse fed to the core in this manner.
After that, she looked around.
- Kyaaaak!!
- Kieeek!
She had bypassed all the major monsters and struck down only the Dungeon Lord with a swift charge, so the remaining monsters were all either fleeing or falling into a frenzy.
As was typical of dungeons whose members had not been properly disciplined, their 'sense of belonging' to the dungeon had been shattered.
"Suppress only those who resist. I'll personally handle a few of them."
- Dalgak!
This 'dungeon' on the fringe of Libertas's domain had not been detected by humans and was a capable dungeon that had climbed to the upper ranks on its own.
Ordinarily, it would have been a candidate worthy of becoming a subordinate of the master she served.
'I can't just leave it be.'
Although the previous Libertas had known this one was selling information to enemies, she had spared it twice considering its abilities, but Shue had no such intention.
She had ultimately learned that it had mistaken mercy for gullibility and decisively betrayed them.
Eudeudeuk!
"Not enough..."
As she went about snapping the necks of even those monsters exceptionally loyal to the Dungeon Lord, Shue swallowed a sigh of regret.
By her own standards, there were still far more betrayers to kill.
Yet she was killing only these 'decisive betrayers' for two reasons.
[Those types still had their uses. You know that.]
[I agree with the desire to kill them all, Shue. But our husband's will is the more important law.]
'It's not that I don't agree, but... it's too soft. Those types gathered together ultimately created that great betrayal...'
One reason was that her comrades had succeeded in persuading her.
The persuasion of her comrades was sincere.
Because if she exterminated all nearby monsters according to her standards, the density of monsters in the area would indeed drop noticeably.
She also understood to some extent that this would absolutely not benefit the Demon Realm, which needed to continue expanding immediately.
'If possible, I wanted to kill at least a few of the especially slothful ones...'
And the second reason was simply that time was truly insufficient.
The continent was not so small that they could all be hunted down and killed within a mere three days, plus the two additional days remaining until the enemies arrived.
'And the schedule is today, anyway.'
Today was the fifth day, counting the declaration of war as one day.
It was time for her to return now.
Chureup...
"Kids... gather the core. We're going back."
There was certainty in Shue's actions as she licked her lips with her tongue.
Because Rita's growth had accelerated somewhat, the arrival of the 'first hostile Dungeon Lord' had also come faster and its composition had changed slightly...
But their behavioral patterns had not deviated much from Shue's 'memories.'
Moreover, Libertas had instantly grasped their behavioral patterns even without being given any particular notice.
'As expected of my master. To figure all that out without any hints.'
Firming her admiration and loyalty toward her master once more in her heart.
'Because killing those things will also be amusing...'
Shue smiled a wolfish smile.
It was a smile filled with the beastly ferocity and violence that she rarely wore before her master, as she maintained the image of a 'cool werewolf.'
- 2 -
As Libertas had anticipated, the enemies opened the gate precisely on the fifth day.
A spatial movement gate that could be opened immediately with mutual consent, or at minimum three days after declaring war against a dungeon.
This was the reason why, even in Millden 1, dungeons could wage war against each other regardless of the distance between them.
"From this moment, the war between the three Dungeon Lords' alliance and Lady Libertas has commenced. Those not involved in this Fate are advised to immediately withdraw from this dungeon..."
As they crossed over, a 'supervisor' dispatched from the Mammon Company was already stationed beside them, as though they had been waiting.
A stern demon arbiter who belonged to a company that proclaimed political neutrality and could not help but remain neutral in its dealings with all Dungeon Lords.
"..."
Among them, the first to step forward and maintain silence was a beautiful were-dragon possessing the traits of a sea serpent, a lesser dragon of the ocean.
It was Kyricia.
She had the tip of her long tail submerged in summoned seawater and floated in the air, glaring at Libertas.
- Kreururu...
- Kirrre...
Those following behind her were beings familiar even to Libertas's eyes, such as Lizardmen and Melusines.
Beastmen who operated in water or the sea.
Occasionally there were waterfowl or seabird beastmen among them, but those with fish, reptile, or amphibian traits were far more numerous.
"A good... smell... this is...!"
The green-skinned Dungeon Lord Zarkra, stepping out from behind and speaking in a hissing voice, twisted her pretty face into a smile.
She wore typical troll shaman attire of feathers and leather to cover her body, but thanks to her human-like appearance, its provocativeness was so far beyond that of an ordinary troll as to be embarrassing.
The large horn ornaments resembling those of a great horned goat, attached to the huge hat she wore on her head, were most striking.
- Kirik kirik!
- Kururuk...
The smile she wore and those following her possessed a different kind of provocativeness.
Greenskins.
Represented by Goblins, Orcs, Trolls, and Ogres, but occasionally in a broader sense a racial category that even included some Dark Elves with blue skin or bizarre monsters.
Their commonality was, for the most part, a provocativeness defined by excessive 'violence.'
- Lord Melzeros greets Lady Libertas. A pleasure to meet you.
The last to step out elegantly, Baron Melzeros, adopted the most common form for a Dungeon Lord leading monsters.
So to speak, 'a slime assuming human form.'
It somewhat resembled a doppelganger, but differed in the texture of its surface and in being properly clothed.
The reason they took such a form was partly because the first summon of a monster Dungeon Lord was a slime, but also because it was easiest thereby to receive and wield the power of the 'Otherworld.'
- Kikikikiki...
- Uuuu...
Those following behind him were numerous bizarre beings.
There were many in slime form as well.
But some had the outward shape of beasts, with tentacles in place of snouts on their mouths.
Or others that looked as if they had burst forth from the deep sea, yet had hands and feet instead of fins.
Creatures whose abilities were as difficult to guess as the grotesqueness of their appearances.
Thus they were a legion of monsters called simply 'monsters,' neither 'demon beasts' nor 'demon tribe.'
"Welcome. You rude guests."
Libertas's army greeting them did not, at a glance, seem so different from a human army.
Orderliness and unity.
It gave the impression of a formal military possessing both.
- Dalgak.
- Tak!
Yet looking closely, one could see that their sizes and heights were all varied, and their races in life were not uniform either.
Most had been human, but ones that had been Orcs or Goblins were also seen without difficulty, and very occasionally, a few Skeletons of immensely massive size were present.
- Guaaaak!!
When the eerie cry of a wraith shouting through its hollow vocal cords was heard, for a moment all living monsters flinched.
The shout of a young ogre, first hunted during the Copherin raid and now a senior soldier.
It contained both the instinct of a predator and the grotesqueness of the dead, possessing a power that intimidated the living who heard it.
- Kuwaaa...!...!!
As if displeased by it, one of the adult ogres standing in the center of the greenskin legion let out a roar.
"How noisy."
That sound was blocked by a wave spreading from one hand Libertas slightly raised.
'That's...'
Melzeros and Kyricia, both possessing aptitude as mages, tensed simultaneously.
On the surface, it was nothing more than a light action.
But the small wave created there instantly erased all sound in this space.
It was an aspect of darkness, which swallows and conceals all things, imbued into the sound.
"Now it's somewhat quiet. It's troublesome if you make a racket when guests have arrived, is it not."
- Guuuu...
After glancing at the skeletal ogre scratching its head and shrinking its body, Libertas stepped forward about five paces.
An attitude that either did not care that an enemy was before her eyes, or did not regard the enemy as worthy of notice in the first place.
Though she had Evangeline and Shue at her sides, it was behavior that appeared rather arrogant to onlookers.
"Come right in. I have been waiting for you to arrive."
"Were you cowering in fear for five days? You carry the air of one who has been up all night."
Such arrogance could not possibly be tolerated quietly by a greenskin.
Zarkra's words and expression as she stepped forward alongside her were full of boldness and hostility.
It was not that she lacked magical aptitude, but her boldness was permitted because she had not reached the level of the two who had sensed Libertas's wave earlier.
She was a shaman.
For sorcery was an ability based on principles different from magic.
"No. It is simply..."
However, her boldness did not earn a commensurate reward.
"... that I did not expect uncultured things that attack one as three would keep a promise made by their own mouths."
Still smiling with a soft and gentle face, Libertas spoke words that were kind in tone, as if praising Zarkra.
For those words contained content entirely different from their tone.
"... What...!"
Zarkra's face, which had been frozen for a moment, flushed so hotly as to put her green skin to shame.
Green blood rushed so intensely from rage that her face momentarily appeared black.
Due to the excessively kind tone and soft expression, she had momentarily failed to perceive the mockery within those words.
"You wench...!"
- Enough. Lady Zarkra.
It was Melzeros who blocked Zarkra from charging forward.
This slime-human dressed in noble formalwear calmly looked toward Libertas and spoke composedly.
- We hold a vastly superior force; do not needlessly get excited and rampage.
"Look at that mouth on her! Do you expect me to bear it? This young bitch...!"
- I know, I know. Let us begin quickly.
Thus, as all three watched her for different reasons at this first meeting, the mightiest warriors from the three dungeons stepped forward one by one and displayed their presence.
- Keukeukeu...
- Kiririk...!
But Libertas, who was the object of their focus, merely scratched the tip of her fingernail as if nothing had happened, turned her head, and called only her 'vanguard.'
"Shue. Come here."
"Yeah."
She leaned close to the white werewolf who had attached herself to her side, bringing her small lips to that ear from behind.
Libertas whispered something softly.
The scene was almost like a woman whispering to a lover.
But what happened immediately after was entirely different.
Kung...!!
- Kreururu...
The three Dungeon Lords and their subordinates felt an immense mana surging from the enemy before their eyes.
A mana full of blood-red light, as if it would fill the space entirely with the scent of blood.