150 Chapter 128: The lurking hero.
Reminder:
Akaban: appeared once before when Adeus seek him out and tasked him to deal with Kibadios. In exchange, Adeus would allow Akaban to fight him one on one.
The solitary figure, clad in a black suit, traversed the expansive grassland with deliberate steps. It has not yet been 8 in the morning, but since the man had woken up early in the predawn hours and walked a fairly long distance in the past few hours, he decided to finally take a break. Finding a sizable boulder, he settled upon it, producing a meager portion of dried provisions for sustenance. Despite the food's aged flavor, he consumed it without complaint, his hunger quelled by its mere presence. As long as it filled his stomach, he did not really care whether he was eating a gourmet dish or a ten days old leftover since in the end, it would just all turn into nutrients within his body. 「Haaa… I can't wait…」he mused, a twisted smile playing upon his lips.
「You there!!!」A voice suddenly called out from behind him. Just from the sound of it, he could tell that voice belonged to a rather young man, but as he turned around, the young man turned out to be even younger since he barely even looked like a 12 years old human child. The child in front of his eye was that of a Four-Arms race, his trembling hands held onto a small blade that was shakily pointing toward the man. Standing behind him were 4 other kids, with the youngest looked barely 4 years old. All of them belonged to different demihuman races, but they all shared the same feature: that was, the clothes they were wearing were in complete tatters. Judging from their malnourished forms, the man reckoned they were orphan refugees trying to survive in this turbulent war.「Your provisions! Hand them over and leave!! We don't want to hurt you!」
「Don't even try to fight back!」barked the teenage Lizardman standing behind the young Four-Arm kid. Among the kids surrounding him, the Lizardman was the only one who held onto a real threatening weapon, which was a double headed ax, a traditional weapon of choice for his race.
「Nii chann…」To the right of the young leader stood a young girl, who was most likely 3-4 years younger than him. The girl's two left arms held tightly onto her brother as if she was trying to stop him from his thievery action. 「Can we not…」
「We're starving!!」screamed the young Four-Arm kid. 「We have not had any meal for the past two days! We cannot even catch a rabbit!! If we're not taking his food, we'll die here before we can reach Alsen!」
「Are you all afraid of starving to death?」The man cloaked in black suit asked. But before he could receive an answer, he continued.「Don't worry, I can help you.」
「Hah? Really?」The young girl's eyes sparkled with hope, casting a glance at her brother as if to say, 'See, we just needed to ask kindly.'
「Indeed. I shall grant you a swift demise, sparing you from suffering.」A few metallic scalpel suddenly appeared in between the man's gloved fingers. Before the children could react, darkness enveloped them, silence reigning supreme. Complete darkness… complete silence.
Akaban, one of The Six Heroes, finally swallowed his last piece of breakfast food before descending from the boulder and set forth toward Alsen, where his quarry, Kibadios, awaited. After dealing with Kibadios, he was promised that he would be able to take on Adeus himself next. The prospect of a fight to the death against one of the fabled Ennead Candidate excited him to no end. As Akaban's silhouette vanished into the fading horizon, the blood of the children he left behind stained the very boulder upon which he had rested, their dismembered remains a grim testament to his passing.
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「Mother, we're back…」Eadur and Alaran, the two chimera who once fought against Kibadios, sat down in front of a crystal pod brimming with a viscous green fluid. Inside the pod, a stunning succubus lay with her arms crossed, chained, and her eyes closed as though in a profound sleep. Despite her stillness, her long, silky purple hair gently drifted within the green fluid, accentuating her remarkable beauty.「We have finally met Big Brother… but at this rate, sooner or later, he and the rest of Monas Kye would have perished under Wei Shimin's relentless assault.」
「We're sorry, mother… There's nothing we can do but to grant him a swift ending.」Alaran, usually a hot-headed woman, uncharacteristically spoke up in a tender voice. Her hand raised up and pressed against the cold glass that sealed the succubus. Before she could continue the one sided conversation, the fluid within the crystal began to glow brighter.
「It seems like the next implant is almost ready. Soon, mother will have to carry another of our siblings within her womb.」Eadur noted.
「Such is her fate… and such are our fates, too.」Alaran ground her teeth.
「Just between you and me, after seeing how powerful our Big Brother was… sometimes, I wonder if he can somehow… you know… perform a miracle and put an end to our and mother's predicament.」
「Hahaha… We're his enemies, Eadur.」Alaran chuckled.「If he indeed has the ability of end something, more likely than not, it'd be our lives.」
「Well… probably that's for the best. We are Wei Shimin's weapons whom he'd cast upon the fiercest battlegrounds, we will die sooner or later anyways. Being killed by Big Brother's hand is better than being killed by someone from the Yin Empire's Heavenly Generals.」resigned Eadur.
「Speak for yourself.」dismissed Alaran.「I'd rather live…I know, at least, that mother would want me to stay alive」
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「They're not here to see you off, Princess?」Asked Mu. The most human-like chimera looked around the area to only find Yue and the five people who were tasked to accompany her: Kuron, the muscular Yves father. Falkor, the abandoned beastman husband. Uri, the Yves blacksmith. Maia, the alchemist girl. And finally, the most problematic of them all, Uri, the Hyakki Yagyo 13th division's Vice Captain. Apart from this select group, only Yue stood amidst the desolate pickup point just beyond Alsen's walls. Not a trace of the Heads of the Houses or Kibadios and his entourage could be seen—a deliberate maneuver orchestrated by Kibadios. Recognizing the necessity for secrecy in his accompaniment of Yue, Kibadios had planned their departure with meticulous precision. Had everyone were to come and say goodbye to the elven princess, it would have been obvious to Mu that only Kibadios was missing from the group and their attention would be greatly focused on the hybrid and his whereabouts. By ensuring that only Yue and her retinue were present during the send off, suspicions were effectively dispersed among those who were missing. Even Ren, Yue's own twin, was barred from bidding her farewell, further adding to the elaborate ruse.
「Of course, Kibadios sama and everyone else are simply too busy dealing with the influx of refugees.」Yue answered.「They don't need to waste their time coming here. After all, I will be back here soon after my meeting with Wei Shimin… unless you're planning something else?」Yue smiled cryptically.
「Of course not, my princess.」Mu bowed.
「Good, then… ha… then let us depart.」The girl's face was suddenly blushing red for a brief moment.
「Yes… Wei Shimin is eagerly looking forward to see you.」
「Why?」
「... Who knows.」lied Mu.
Unbeknown to the chimera, lurking inside the elven girl's shadow was the same hybrid that the chimera was looking for, though, at the very moment, the hybrid had completely transformed into his shota incubus form. This way, he could achieve complete mastery over the Shadow Elemental, which had a much greater affinity toward the discrete incubus race rather than the fiery ogre race. Once morphed into a shapeless shadow, Kibadios discreetly concealed himself beneath the layers of his elven princess's attire, similarly to how Luffy infiltrated the Impel Down by hiding inside Hancock. Though, just as Ren had warned his sister about, soon enough, the lustful hybrid slowly crept from the girl's back to her front, sensually wrapped his shapeless form around the girl's soft, bare flesh. As she walked toward the airship prepared to take her to Wei Shimin, Kibadios started to morph his shadowy form, wrapping himself around Yue's firm breasts and wantonly playing with her nipples, causing her to let out a small shriek.
「Master? Please stop… I can't keep my composure in front of Mu if you continue to mess around like that.」whispered Yue under her breath.
「Sorry, Yue chan.」Kibadios replied back.「It's just… your soft skin and intoxicating body scent kinda triggered my heat. I'll try my best to hold back.」
「Ah, it seems like Yue chan is not feeling too well.」Noticed how the former princess was blushing, Maia quickly deduced what was happening underneath her clothes. The alchemist turned to Mu and demanded.「Please quickly show us to our quarter on the ship so Yue chan can rest for a bit… Or is it that you from Yin Empire do not know how to show some good hospitality?」
「Sure, the soldiers will lead you to your room soon. We will depart right after. It'd probably take us a day to get to Wei Shimin's place.」Mu answered, then signaled to the crew to start preparing for lift off.
「Much appreciated~」Uri grinned.
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「Waitt… stopp!! I'm just a … AHHHH」Before the man could say one more word, a wave of talismans swirled around him, then wrapped themselves tightly around his body. The papers quickly constricted and squeezed the man's flesh for a brief moment, simultaneously crushing his bones and suffocating him at the same time. Once finished, the talismans simply fell down onto the ground as if they were nothing but normal pieces of paper.
「That makes 16 people.」Ren sighed.「It seems like there are more spies than we anticipated.I wonder how many spies have the other groups identified.」
「Thanks for helping us out, Ren dono.」A group of Yves walked to the former elven prince. 「We can easily identify outsiders that tried to infiltrate our city by blending in with the refugees, but we simply do not have the manpower to take care of them. Having you here with us is a great help.」
「Don't worry about it.」stretched Ren.「What really helps us are those eyes of your Yves race. I can't believe they can be used to discern foes from friends.」
「These eyes can see the flow of Nen within a person, Ren dono.」explained the man.「And since a person's Nen reflects their inner thought, it'd be rather easy to spot those who have sinister intentions. That's why our king tasks us with rooting our these spies.」
… Technically, it was Kibadios sama who ordered it, Ren thought to himself. Tsk… I wonder if our horny Master made it safely on board the ship… Let's just hope everything is going smoothly.
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「Get more water over here!」Ordered Kailos.「And tell Noen, Jin, and Harry to pick up the pace. With so many people here, we can't take forever to put up just a few tents.」
Within the once-forbidden Dungeon, the ogre Head swiftly directed his subordinates to relocate the people recently brought in by Alsen. Under the coordinated efforts of the three houses, more than 5000 refugees were efficiently moved into the dungeon's first floor in less than three hours. They were well aware that fully settling these individuals across the first ten floors would take several days. Nonetheless, as Kibadios had foreseen, by relocating the populace within the dungeon, Alsen successfully averted an imminent crisis. Amid the fertile environment of the initial ten floors, securing sustenance through hunting and gathering—activities ingrained in Grasslanders for millennia—became entirely feasible, despite the swelling population.
「We're backkk!!!」Ryan shouted from a distance, accompanied by Haden, Rowan, and Yuusei, as they hauled two massive bison monsters behind them. The succulent meat from these creatures would undoubtedly provide sustenance for a sizable group of at least 50 individuals for several days. Hovering above them was Ryuu, assuming his majestic dragon form. True to his nature as an overachiever, the dragonkin effortlessly towed six large bison on his own, with Reuk casually perched on his back. Earlier, Ryan had made attempts to enlist Reuk's help in transporting the hunted game. However, the elven archer, now residing in a female body, declined, citing her reduced physical strength compared to her former self, a flimsy excuse to explain her laziness.
「Fine, then you're in charge of cooking them!」Ryan relented after failing to make Reuk help.
「Sure. Chop chop! I'll let you focus on taking these back to the camp!」grinned Reuk.
「Now that's some good hunt!」exclaimed Kailos.「Cain, Sho, go ahead and help Ryan kun.」
「Yes, Kailos sama!」The two orges rushed to the former hero's group.
「Where's Ashura sama? Wasn't he with you as you guys set out to hunt?」Teran, who was standing by his friend, also quickly rushed to his son to help him bring the heavy bison back.
「Yeah, but only for a while. He said he will make another attempt to reach the last floor.」Answered Haden.
「He not come back for a week or so.」added Yuusei.
「I see… Well, I guess he did say he won't interfere in this war between us and Wei Shimin.」Teran acknowledged.
「If he help, who you think win between him and Yin Empire?」Yuusei asked.
「I'd place my bet on him, but then, this is a war and war is unpredictable.」Teran reminded his son. 「... But anyways, are you mad at me for not accompanying Zae… Kibadios sama, Yuusei?」
「No, why?」Yuusei tilted his head in confusion.
「Because I'm the one who requested the Hyakki Yagyo contract, inadvertently brought him into this mess, but then I am not there by his side during this crucial mission.」
「But it Master's idea.」pointed out Yuusei.「and Master's words is absolute.」
「Beside, you have your own role to play, don't you, Teran dono?」Haden spoke up.
「Yeah, you're the linchpin of our surveillance and spying missions.」Rowan, who overheard the conversation, agreed.「Master simply believes it's better for you to be here protecting Alsen instead of coming with him. You don't have to feel bad about it.」
「If anything, we should be the ones who are feeling bad and sulking since Master didn't take us with him.」Ryan smiled. 「... He even took that Astral with him instead of us.」
「It can't be helped, Ryan dono. Only Kibadios sama can control him. Leaving him here behind only serves as a distraction to Kibadios sama」explained Haden.
「I know, but still…」pouted Ryan.
「Teran sama!」A demihuman appeared behind the mutant ogre with the swiftness of a ninja. 「We've spotted someone lurking outside of Alsen.」
「Someone?」
「Yes, we positively confirmed that person is a <Hero Class>. A few of us are currently fighting them off now.」
「Let's go!」Teran hurried away. 「Kailos, get your men ready! I will see if I can deal with the hero first, but if anything goes South, I would need backup.」
「Of course!!」Kailos shouted back
「Let us come with you, Teran dono!」Called out Ryan and Haden as they left the other behind.
「What's wrong?」Ryuu, once dropping off the bison at the camp, turned back to his humanoid form and asked Rowan.
「...Trouble. Teran's men said they are fighting a hero lurking outside of Alsen now.」Answered the healer.
「Huh? Wei Shimin has already broken his promise? But he sealed it with Runecraft, if he and his forces were to attack Alsen, shouldn't such violation of the oath kill him?」
「... Maybe that hero is not dispatched by Wei Shimin.」guessed Rowan.
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Clang!! CLANG!! CLANGGG!!!
The clash between the guards and the mysterious hero had not yet subsided when Teran reached the outskirts of Alsen. Several of Teran's men lay scattered around the battlefield, though most were only slightly injured. As a veteran fighter, Teran could discern that the wounds they received were purposefully inflicted to minimize harm.
Strange… Does that hero mean us no harm? Teran wondered. Approaching the fray, he observed his three men struggling against relentless attacks from a single figure. Each movement of the intruder was precise and elegant, wielding a dagger in each hand to both defend and assail. Not far away, another group of his men contended with another assailant brandishing two sharp fans. The hero has another companion? The man thought to himself.
「Who sent you here!?」shouted Teran, his spear thrusting toward the intruder's throat. As expected, the hero swiftly countered, parrying the attack while launching their own offensive. Instead of evading, Teran stood firm, knowing Ryan had his back, blocking the incoming strike with his sword. Glaring down at the assailant, Teran was surprised to find a pretty redhead girl.
「Huh? Amber san?」Ryan exclaimed, recognizing the hero.
「Ryan kun!」The girl smiled.「So you're really here!」
「You know her, Ryan?」Teran inquired..
「Yes, her name is Amber. She's our… friend.」Ryan replied, seeking confirmation from the girl.
「Where's Kibadios? I'm here to bring news to him.」asked Ember.
「News? What news?」
Just a few paces away, Ember's companion, who turned out to be Floria, had already clashed against Haden. Though, it did not take long until both participants suddenly froze in place.
「You're…」
「Haden?」The girl called out
「Floria?」Haden's rather faded eyes briefly regained their original color.
