World War (2)
World War (2)
He ran.
Blindly, just like that.
Praying he wouldn't be too late, he sprinted at full speed.
"Kyaaah!?"
The Saintess clutched in his arms let out a piercing scream and burrowed deeper into Dojin's embrace. Dojin hugged her even tighter and kicked off harder with his legs.
The surrounding scenery blurred past in an instant. Dojin was hurtling forward at what felt like nearly 100 km/h.
To think the human body could run this fast—Dojin could hardly believe it even as he was doing it himself.
'And I'm not even that out of breath...'
He might be able to go even faster for a very short burst, but to conserve stamina, Dojin maintained this speed.
How long had he been running like this when, in the distance, he spotted the retreating Holy Knights Order.
And there, too, were Charlotte, who hadn't managed to escape alone, and the Beastkin surrounding her.
"Jump."
"Huh? What do you mean— Kyaaak!?"
Dojin leaped high into the air. A human-sized object accelerating at 100 km/h using that leg strength for a takeoff propelled his body over a hundred meters in a flash, crashing down into the midst of the Beastkin with a thud.
Kwaaaang-!
Dojin burst into the Beastkin ranks, tearing up the ground, drew his sword, and bellowed.
"Stoooop!"
The sudden appearance of a human and his ear-shattering roar made the Beastkin halt their advance and start eyeing Dojin warily.
"......Dojin-nim?"
"You're alive. Charlotte. Oh, here—take her."
Whether or not, Dojin had at least succeeded in stopping the Beastkin. He handed the wobbly Saintess over to her and addressed them.
"The fight ends here. Sorry, but I have to let them go."
"......Well, well, if it isn't the little punk who headed off to the Elf Kingdom."
"Oh, Miho-noona. We meet again."
Hearing a familiar voice, Dojin turned around with a grin blooming across his face. There stood the Gumiho he'd met before heading to the kingdom, looking down at him.
Her face was filled with fury—a righteous anger at being interrupted mid-fight.
"You really mean you want us to let them go?"
"Dead serious."
"Why the hell should we?"
With those words, her nine tails rippled menacingly.
"Humans were the ones who started shit first, and now they're the ones trying to run away late. What's our reason to show them mercy?"
"......If you don't stop the fight here, it'll really turn into a war this time."
"War doesn't scare us one bit."
Hwaaaak—!
Her nine tails swelled massively, beginning to devour even the sun.
The Spirit Fox had descended to the earth. She was the one who shook the world into chaos.
"You think we're cowering in this cramped land out of fear of puny humans?"
Her pupils slit vertically long—like a predator's. The eyes said to belong only to the strong who placed all beings beneath them now glared at Dojin, at humanity.
"Insolent. Utterly insolent."
"If war breaks out, the Beastkin won't come out unscathed either."
"That's what we want! Behold! These hatred-filled eyes turned on you!"
At her words, Dojin looked around—from the Beastkin gripping weapons and encircling them, to the children peeking from afar.
The Beastkin lived for the fight. And the tip of that fight's spear was aimed squarely at humans.
The Gumiho spread her arms wide, praising the struggle.
"Ignite the flames of war! Until one race—human or Beastkin—is gone forever!"
"......Sorry, but that's not happening."
In front of the Gumiho singing of war stepped the Elf Queen, arriving fashionably late. The Gumiho bit her lip and glared at her.
"Celestia...... What brings the Elf Queen here?"
"Came to make sure that guy didn't cause any trouble...... Good thing I followed."
The Elf Queen, Celestia, snapped her fingers as she spoke. At once, spirits from the World Tree that had trailed Dojin and her enveloped the area, forming a massive barrier.
Now, only five remained in this vast space: Dojin and the Saintess, Charlotte and the Gumiho, and the Elf Queen.
"There, Saintess. You can speak freely here—it won't leak outside."
"R-Really?"
"......What the hell is this?"
The Gumiho narrowed her eyes at Celestia. Celestia responded by conjuring a wooden throne from the ground, sat down, and began.
"The talk we're about to have isn't for others' ears."
"Oh-ho, so what kind of talk isn't good for others to hear?"
"Just let these kids go."
"Hmph, as I said earlier......"
"Oh, I forgot to mention—this guy's my husband and the Saintess's husband."
"......What?"
It was such an absurd story that even hearing it with her own ears, the Gumiho's twitched.
Celestia didn't stop there and pressed on with her declaration.
"So, from today, the Elf Kingdom is one with Dojin. Any attack on him is an attack on the elves, and his will is our will."
"What nonsense is......"
"And the Holy Kingdom feels the same. Right, Saintess?"
"Y-Yes!"
The quick-witted Saintess locked eyes with Celestia and instantly grasped her intent.
She hugged Dojin tight in front of her like she was bragging about her boyfriend and rattled off praises.
"As the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom, I declare the Holy Kingdom shares this view!"
"Hear that? Choose wisely, you old fox. Your choice decides if you make enemies of both humans and elves right now."
The Gumiho clamped her mouth shut. Her bold declaration to defy humans had relied on the countless non-humans backing the Beastkin.
Even the strongest race on land one-on-one couldn't survive being surrounded and bombarded from all sides—it'd be total annihilation.
No proper fight, no real resistance. Just hunted down like animals.
That wasn't her desire either. Getting wiped out without so much as scratching the enemy? Her ancestors in the afterlife would flip in their graves at such a horrific end.
In the end, the Gumiho took a step back, shifting to secure the best gain possible.
"......The kids got hurt bad."
"I'll heal them for you!"
"And your pointless flailing caused massive losses."
"Hmm, when we get back, I'll submit an apology and compensation plan."
But even that didn't fly. Ultimately, she had no choice but to yield. As she conceded, the Saintess turned to the Queen.
"Your Majesty! You'll chip in too, right?"
"Why should I?"
"Because you used the elves as an excuse when you dragged the Holy Knights here!"
"Nope."
With her trusted Queen balking like that, the Saintess teared up and clung to Dojin. Everyone knew she was putty in his hands anyway.
"Husband! Make this mean old lady cough up some cash!"
"This mess seems all your fault, Iris."
Even Dojin, whom she'd trusted, betrayed her expectations, leaving her flustered as she scanned for the next mark. Finding none suitable, she ended up using Charlotte as a punching bag.
"Th-Then! I'll give you Ro-te's virginity!"
"......Saintess?"
"What's wrong, Ro-te? Don't tell me you're not a virgin!?"
"......Hey, you damn bitch."
"Kyaaak!?"
Already pissed from the needless fight she'd nearly died in, Charlotte exploded at the virginity jab and grabbed the Saintess by the hair.
Maybe because she'd just cheated death, the Saintess threw caution to the wind no matter what. Tossed around by her guard's brute strength, she felt like she'd go bald and spat out an apology.
"Waaah, so violent......"
"Shut it, Saintess. Want another smack?"
"Ah, Ro-te. Who raised you to be like this......"
"You did, Saintess."
The Saintess shed crocodile tears, playing pitiful. But no one here was buying her act.
"There, good? Shall I drop the barrier? Play nice."
The Elf Queen dispelled the barrier. The Beastkin encircling it charged at the Queen and Dojin the instant it fell.
"Everyone, stop-!"
And the Gumiho halted them. At the chieftain's command, every Beastkin stopped in perfect unison. In nature, obeying the leader was a life-or-death must.
The Gumiho turned her back on the halted Beastkin and headed to her hut.
"Let them go."
"Chieftain, but......"
"I won't say it twice."
"......Yes. Understood."
Unlike humans, Beastkin followed even seemingly irrational orders without question. Trusting the judgment of the Gumiho, who'd amassed strength and wisdom over long years.
Watching the departing Beastkin, the Saintess belatedly bestowed her blessing upon them. God's blessing rained down, restoring all the injured Beastkin to full health.
Some shot the Saintess fierce glares, but none lunged.
Seeing the crisis peacefully resolved, the Queen turned to Dojin.
"Well then...... back to the kingdom?"
"......Sorry, but I gotta head home first."
"What!? Why!"
"Because of this one."
He pointed at the Saintess giggling and clinging to him; the Queen sighed helplessly and nodded.
Then they promised to meet again.
"......I know where your house is. I'll drop by next time?"
"Come with Orion."
"Orion-? Who's that...... Oh, the elf from the dungeon spirits. Got it. Don't die till then."
The Elf Queen left.
After she went, the belatedly arriving Holy Knights Order showed up.
The Saintess brushed the dirt off her butt and stood.
Then she whispered in Charlotte's ear.
"......You lot, retraining when we get back."
"Yes! Understood!"
Dare to let the Saintess slip away?
Charlotte eyed the sloppy Holy Knights and declared as much.
The incident that nearly sparked war ended peacefully.
Dojin, thinking he'd saved the world, joined the Holy Knights Order and headed to the Holy Kingdom.
But one thing Dojin had overlooked.
He had girls even more obsessively attached than the Saintess.
"......Found you."
"—Yeah? Where?"
And with cheats and world backup, they could be more threatening than any Beastkin tribe or Elf Kingdom.
"Right here......"
"Noah. Where's this?"
"Uh, um... Holy Kingdom!"
"The Holy Kingdom?"
Seoyun's eyes sparkled.
Queen of All Lowly Things.
Dojin's first woman.
"Prep immediately."
The calamity that could turn the world into an ice age began to move.