78. Mad Wolf (Mad Wolf)
78. Mad Wolf (Mad Wolf)
Yuma didn't think the meeting would be very useful.
'It'll just end with everyone saying whatever they want anyway.'
They were fiercely pushing their arguments by sheer force even now, weren't they.
Ruineleaf parted her pink lips.
"Perhaps, it's highly likely that the Demon Tribe, not dragons, will be the ones to emerge."
At Ruineleaf's words, the golden eyes of Berkan, the Wolf King's eldest son, flashed fiercely.
"Reasoning? The conclusion of a race that's been beaten a lot?"
It was clearly a sarcastic remark aimed at the elves.
Thus, the brows of the elven grand warriors behind Ruineleaf furrowed sharply.
However, Ruineleaf's brow didn't stiffen.
"Correct. If the being opening a door to invade were a dragon, the reaction stones laid across the ground of our Elf Kingdom, Alfheim, would have trembled more violently first."
Berkan was at a loss for words when his provocation was affirmed.
Ruineleaf smiled again and continued speaking.
"We consider the current situation, where we are dividing up the land of this continent equally among ourselves, to be very fortunate. The zones are divided so clearly that there is no need to deliberately split territory, so we need only protect our own domains."
Ruineleaf scanned the other races seated in the circle.
"I believe what we need now is a system. A system where, when one side is in danger, that side can quickly send a signal."
Oh.
Yuma privately had expectations.
Wondering if they had built some kind of amazing signal system.
Ruineleaf elegantly clasped her pristine white hands together.
"The moment enemies infiltrate the skies, we will send birds imbued with the Forest's Blessing to all your locations. We High Elves can confirm the sight through those birds."
Ruineleaf explained with a benevolent face.
"Our Elf tribe can quickly identify places in need of support and rapidly reinforce combat power."
These bastards didn't seem to be considering the possibility of receiving help themselves.
Truly a mindset befitting Elves, who believe without a doubt that they are the protagonists of this continent.
Yuma looked at Brigitte.
"Bring it out."
"...I suppose we must."
Brigitte called her subordinates at Yuma's words.
One of the knights took something out of a subspace pouch and handed it to Brigitte.
Brigitte immediately held out those objects to Ruineleaf.
They were communication alert magical devices.
"You can just take one for each race. Two-way communication is impossible, but pressing the button can transmit a signal. The first, red button simply notifies that enemies have appeared for the first time. The second, blue button is to be pressed for an urgent signal."
At Brigitte's words, the representatives of the races fiddled with the tiny communication devices with curious expressions.
Tisha, the representative of the Mulren tribe, observed the circular communication device in detail with a blank face.
Berkan handed the device to a subordinate acting as an advisor, who at least had a decent head on his shoulders among the Lycanthropes.
And Ruineleaf, who had received the device first, had her brow slightly furrowed.
Even when provoked by Berkan, her face had been calm, but it stiffened upon seeing the magical communication device.
"What's wrong?"
"...Magical devices are dangerous objects that risk polluting nature."
"Adapt to new civilization. Even if you don't like something a bit, you have to use it if it's good."
High Elf Ruineleaf's eyebrows twitched at Yuma's tone, speaking like an elder elf brewing medicinal herbs, despite being a human who could not possibly be older than her 872 years.
"Think about efficiency. Because this item will completely shorten even the travel time of the birds you would send."
She might be getting even more irritated because she couldn't think of a rebuttal no matter how hard she tried.
"...Understood."
Ruineleaf had no choice but to concede that the plan prepared by the Astes Empire was better than the strategy they had prepared themselves.
Grruuurl...
Berkan bared his teeth, which were the very essence of a predator's fangs, and grinned.
"Ruineleaf, High Elf. It seems your reason for gathering the races wasn't to propose some vastly different strategy, but simply to meet us. You wanted to call the surrounding races together and observe whether there were any suspicious movements, right?"
Berkan spat out a surprisingly reasonable statement, despite his wolf-like head.
"Well, it's not bad, because we also thought it was necessary to see the surrounding races for ourselves."
Berkan once again emitted the ferocious, savage aura he had shown when first meeting Yuma's party yesterday.
"What I want is to decide the leader of this alliance, right here, right now. Should we call it the Allied Commander?"
Berkan scanned those gathered around the round table.
Yuma felt once again that this guy had the head of a wolf.
To be so fixated on electing the representative of the Allied Commander at a species council gathered with the Demon Tribe's emergence in mind.
"Is there anyone who wants to be the Allied Commander? Cat Tribe, what do you think?"
Elfer, the chieftain of the Twilight Tribe seated as the Cat Tribe's representative, snorted.
Black fur and ears reminiscent of a black cat stood out.
"You're terribly eager to snatch the commander's position."
Elfer stared at Berkan with brown eyes.
"I have no interest. Only the tribe's safety matters, so why not let anyone take that superficial Allied Commander position."
Berkan grinned and turned his head. He skipped the wench from the Mulren tribe. She already seemed to be on the Empire's side anyway.
Berkan's gaze shifted toward the dwarf grand warrior, Garalkulan, whose mustache drooped down like pillars.
"What are your thoughts, Grand Warrior."
"...Try recalling who arranged this species council, Berkan. Who it is that possesses the execution power and control to convene it."
Unlike the terrifying muscles concentrated in his small body, Garalkulan circled around and stated his opinion. He said it indirectly, but there was no one present who didn't know which race he meant.
A completely pointless psychological war.
"......."
But unlike the importance of its utility, tension began to rise around the round table.
Just as High Elf Ruineleaf was about to open her mouth with a subtle smile—
"Krruk. M-My body feels strange."
"Heken, you too? My body... my heart and throat are constricting. Kuuhh...."
The Lycanthropes suddenly began making strange noises.
Kurur-uh-uh-uhk!!!
Suddenly, bizarre groaning sounds erupted continuously.
Following Yuma, the gazes of those sitting at the round table and the beings gathered around them turned toward the source of the groaning.
Kuuhuhk!!
The origin was the Lycanthropes behind Berkan.
It wasn't just blood spurting from the mouth of one Lycanthrope.
Out of the total 51 Lycanthropes brought by Berkan, blood spurted simultaneously from the mouths of 11 of them.
The commonality among those individuals was that they were all clutching their necks or hearts while bleeding dark red blood.
Karuah-a-a-a-ack!
Karuah-a-a-a-a-ack!!
And their eyes were completely dyed bright red.
Yuma hastily activated <Searching Eye> and gazed at the foremost Lycanthrope among them.
[Lv.132] German
Race : Lycanthrope
Alignment : Neutral
Realm : Master
Caution : A large amount of demonic beast blood has infiltrated the body along with Red Lotus Poison. After a 10-day incubation period, it has entered the Mad Wolf state.
Lycanthropes in the Mad Wolf state have had their brains invaded by demonic energy, making it impossible to revert this state.
Lycanthropes in the Mad Wolf state seek only to kill everything.
Until the very moment their own hearts burst and they die.
The Mad Wolf state.
Yuma came to a decision as he read the words written in the caution.
There was no way to return them to their original state.
'They must be killed.'
Yuma's thoughts raced rapidly.
Kwa-a-a-a-a-a-ack!!!
The Lycanthropes who had lost consciousness literally began to run amok.
Kw-a-a-ang─!
Kicking off the ground and leaping up in an instant, the Lycanthrope German immediately threw his body toward the giant round table. The other Lycanthropes who had fallen into the Mad Wolf state also began rampaging across the sanctuary.
Their eyes were a deep red itself. A state where reason itself could not be found.
The maw of that Mad Wolf lunged at Isera.
Isera was objectively a clear strong person, but she had not yet reached the Master level.
She couldn't help but be intimidated by a Master-level Lycanthrope charging solely to kill.
And the person directly to Isera's left was Yuma.
He instantly grabbed the [Black Dragon Bernak's Fang] at his waist.
Kwa──ang!!
Using the sword held in a reverse grip, he struck the side of Lycanthrope German's head, batting the skull itself away.
<Absolute Counter>
Seogeogeok─!
A scythe-shaped formless aura swept diagonally across German's body.
His breath ceasing was the natural result.
Step
"It's the Mad Wolf."
Yuma spoke in a low voice, gesturing with his chin toward Berkan.
"You know they must be killed."
Berkan looked down at his subordinates crushing the floor.
"...I know."
A dark red air current was undulating over the Lycanthropes' bodies. It was proof that they were completely eroded by demonic energy.
Kwadeudeudeuk!
He completely crushed a neck bone, cutting off the breath.
Kwadeudeudeudeudeuk!
Yuma deflected the fangs of another charging Lycanthrope with Balmung, then designated the two Lycanthropes rushing from behind with Disaster Split.
<Absolute Counter - Disaster Split>
Kw-a-a-a-ang!!
The upper bodies of the three were simultaneously pierced clean through by the formless aura.
Yuma killed a total of 4 Lycanthropes.
Berkan killed 4.
The Elven Grand Sword Master standing behind Ruineleaf killed 2.
"Hoo."
Bel drew her sword with a stiff face.
The remaining one died at Bel's hand.
It was the sudden commotion of the maddened wolves.
Yuma slowly walked forward, holding Balmung.
Step
[Lv.217] Berkan
Toward Berkan.
Berkan stared stiff-faced at Yuma approaching him.
The man who had instantly killed two of his Master-level subordinates who had fallen into the Mad Wolf state.
"Berkan."
Not a shred of fighting spirit emanated from him.
Yet, just watching him walk felt like an overwhelming pressure.
"Considering the words your subordinates spat out before running amok, you probably didn't intentionally swallow the demonic energy. But given the current times, I need to know the complete circumstances."
Shiiing─
The blade of Balmung was aimed at Berkan's throat.
"Prove the innocence of you and your race, Lycanthrope Berkan."