Awakening (3)
Black haze rippled over the corpse of the dead monster, vaguely taking on a human shape—but not clearly. For the beast's final death throes, it was a chilling sight.
"Hurry and go!"
"Vice Captain...! Please be careful!"
"Jonah, get up. I'll carry you on my back!"
While her subordinates retreated, Siroko kept her eyes locked on the enemy.
Did it hold back to let them escape? Didn't seem like the type...
The tentacle twitched.
Siroko's eyes widened. The tentacle, which had been moving so slowly she'd nearly yawned just moments ago, had already invaded her territory by the time she snapped to attention.
Fast!
And its target wasn't her—it was the wounded Jonah. A calculated strike, prioritizing the one who could barely move to ensure a clean kill.
But Siroko's greatsword was already slicing through the thick tentacle, splattering blood everywhere like a burst bottle of wine.
"......"
Even amid the shower of blood in the forest, the red-haired knight's skin remained untainted. She glared with wide eyes and murmured quietly.
"Let's play, you monster."
Killing a monster she'd already slain once was no challenge at all. The area around Siroko, now unleashing her full power, shimmered with the heat of her skill, and the tentacle fluids evaporated the instant they entered it.
Shuuuk!!
The kingdom's standard swordsmanship consisted of three skills: Strong Sword, Quick Slash, and True Step. Mastering these three was said to qualify one as a knight of the Rune Kingdom, but for genius knights like the vice captain—who earned the moniker "monster"—or those at the captain level, these techniques evolved one step further.
Siroko's Blazing Sword was exactly that.
The sword pressure, scattering overwhelming heat as it flew, shredded the already torn-up tentacle monster's body, sending up sprays of blood.
The black haze shuddered like it was glitching with noise.
Did it land?
She'd bought Glova and Jonah time to escape. All that remained was to finish it off... but she had no desire to press the attack.
Her instincts told her the best move was to pull back and observe from a distance.
Soon, the thing moved.
The black haze gathered the scattered flesh like threads on a spool, stitching it back together, then jammed the forcibly regenerated tentacle into the ground.
What the hell...?
Then, the surrounding tentacle beasts reacted all at once.
Planning to overwhelm me with numbers?
Siroko assumed a stance, but the tentacle beasts didn't move. After such organized coordination, their sudden inaction felt eerie.
Gurgle, gurgle.
The tentacle connected to the ground pulsed disgustingly, and the tentacle beasts began collapsing one by one.
No way...
As more fell, vitality surged through the tentacle monster's body. The flesh bubbled and boiled, proliferating outward.
Siroko grimaced.
"Even orcs and goblins cherish their young. You're killing your own offspring just to save your hide?"
"......"
"Ugly bastard. You're a truly repulsive monster."
As if in response, the forest trembled with the tentacle monster's screams.
This thing... it can't be legion commander-class, can it?
No idea how it had grown this strong, but Siroko was glad she'd come here.
"Show me everything you've got, monster."
Her aura expanded, declaring an insurmountable wall stood here.
Untouched by the vibrations, unyielding.
Soon, the black haze bubbled up, scraping together newly proliferated flesh like thread to form a massive flesh club. It took less than a second.
The club was so enormous it seemed it could crush the forest itself, casting a shadow over Siroko's head.
Kwaaang!
The flesh club crashed down on her. She cleaved the violent mass in two with her sword and charged forward.
Pushuuuk!
Crossing the geyser of blood and rain of flesh chunks, Siroko closed in. In an instant, she swung at the main body—but the tentacle monster stamped the ground with a tentacle and leaped upward.
"!"
Countless tentacles extended from above. At their tips writhed flesh lumps unlike any she'd seen, and as they neared her, they unleashed spines in all directions.
"Ssp."
Siroko read the monster's intent perfectly. She hadn't expected it to jump with that massive body to evade, but she'd anticipated a follow-up once it was airborne.
So, she sliced again.
Even amid the barrage of tentacles that meant death from every angle, Siroko's true strike shone. The erupting heat took flame form, rampaging like a savage dragon.
"You're not getting past me."
In the Rune Kingdom, it was said the strongest skills derived from draconic power. Siroko's Flame of the Victor drew from the flame dragon's might, just like White Flame—not mere fire manipulation.
Other knights said watching her fight was like seeing fire adore her.
The true power of Flame of the Victor shone against unavoidable area attacks. It incinerated anything entering a set zone—not by emitting heat, but by imparting it to incoming threats.
Thick tentacles plunged like lightning, but Siroko cleaved them all with her sword, biding her moment. Her hair gleamed crimson.
"Haaah!!"
Great Blazing Sword.
Flames erupted skyward, as if to burn the entire forest, stretching out in a cross shape.
The tentacle monster desperately extended tentacles to trees for evasion but couldn't escape the singeing.
"Monsters these days hide their strength? You could've moved like that from the start."
Sweat beaded on Siroko's skin. But she looked thrilled, invigorated by the rare refreshing workout, her body light.
Great Blazing Sword barrage.
Another swing unleashed ferocious flames that engulfed half the forest. Forest conservation was long gone from her mind. She considered any survivors who might not have escaped, but as always...
Siroko thought simply. She cared before battle, but once a life-or-death fight began, her sole goal was slaughtering the enemy.
Siroko's raging flames reduced the forest ahead to ash.
"Hm!"
The tentacle monster, ablaze head to toe, counterattacked without dying. Spined tentacles burst from beneath her feet—clear intent to impale from below.
"Ha."
Siroko laughed instead. Of course the enemy would come for her life. That natural truth was her foundation, and atop it, she danced with bold spirit.
Realizing Flame of the Victor would burn tentacles on contact, the black haze shifted to high-speed strikes before heat could transfer.
Not bad, it thinks for itself.
A hit would paralyze her legs instantly, leading to death. No matter the skill, without the prowess to wield it, it was wasted potential.
Of course, Siroko was a knight utterly devoid of openings in that regard—ruthlessly so. Even with armor several times heavier than others', she moved freely, dodging attacks.
Whiiik!!
A flame-wrapped tentacle whipped from the side.
The tip's split like a whip...!
Siroko moved to parry but twisted away urgently. Taking it would have snagged her in the vibrating whip's nanosecond lash, tearing her apart.
"Haat!"
Siroko unleashed another Great Blazing Sword. A massive firewall, big enough to swallow a city, swept the ground like a gale.
Nothing grassy remained in its wake. Only the tentacle monster continued burning, screaming.
Now!
Siroko crouched to deliver the finishing blow and charged. Countless tentacles surged from the earth to intercept her!
The red-haired knight scattered sword strikes to shake them off and closed on the main body.
That thing...
Emerging from the flames was a roughly 2-meter flesh humanoid gripping the flesh club. Human-shaped, but horrific—tentacles entwined from head to toe.
The core?
Not what she'd imagined, but no time for that. Just drive the final strike into its heart!
Close range, final clash. No mistakes!
Whoosh!
The flesh club swung at perfect timing. Siroko inwardly admired it. A swordless beast outdoing her knights! She didn't dodge the temple-aimed club...
Instead, she swept it upward with her two-handed greatsword and slipped inside to cleave the body!
Shraaak!
The moment her foot planted, the monster's body split wide. Spotting the pulsing flesh lump within, Siroko readied her sword.
Here!
Tentacles surged again, but she ignored them. Flame of the Victor would burn them; the blade would pierce the heart as planned. Ending this ugly monster's life.
In the decisive moment, overthinking was pointless. Just execute cleanly.
Siroko's judgment wasn't wrong.
It was simply... outmatched by the tentacle monster's actions.
"Keeeeeek!!"
The suddenly rearing tentacle head unleashed a hideous screech. From all around Siroko, simultaneously!
"Kugh...!!"
Siroko staggered, unable to drive her sword home to the end. A sonic attack. Unforeseen pattern.
Should've severed it before closing in...
No... can't...
As Siroko collapsed, the clay-like flesh humanoid slowly melted away.