Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 101: Return

Episode 101: Return

“It’s been a while, Fuwa Katsu, The Weapon Born from the Fire of War. I’ve come to escort you.”

A man from the Demon Cult who I’d encountered once before called out to me from above, just after I finished my battle with the Mecha God. He likely knew my species and name from the analysis I underwent last time.

“I didn’t ask for any kind of escort, though.”

“Please don’t say that. If you come with us, you can serve the god of magical beasts, the great Demon God.”

“I’m not interested in religion… And what is this ‘Demon God’ anyway? Humans like you are supposed to worship the ‘Demon King,’ aren’t you?”

The Esperas Magic Empire, which rules the entire continent, was founded by its current emperor, the “Demon King” Nova Esperas Order. Despite being human, he has lived for over a hundred years and is revered as a living god, or so I heard from Ergo.

Though he’s worshiped, the faith is apparently pretty loose. Everyone knows his name, but there aren’t any massive church-like institutions. And there don’t seem to be any strict commandments, either.

“You’re well-versed in human culture, it seems. But you’re mistaken. The Demon King is merely a human with exceptional magical talent. The Demon God we worship is entirely different.”

With that, he cleared his throat and continued, as if reciting a hymn.

“The Demon God is the savior of this world. On the day of judgment, He will descend upon this unjust and unequal land, burn away the impure masses, and create a world for the beasts.”

“Oh, really? But aren’t you human too? Won’t you be killed along with the rest?”

“The Demon God is merciful. Devout followers will be welcomed into paradise after death.”

“Is that so?”

I responded halfheartedly, thinking how shady this all sounded. Maybe I was reincarnated by a god, so if one really exists, I’d like to meet them. However, if gods truly interfered with this world, people should be more aware of it. Yet in this world, aside from the Demon King, no other gods are commonly known.

That alone casts doubt on the existence of this so-called Demon God. And from what this guy says, it seems like this god is hostile toward humanity. Would such a being really reincarnate a former human like me?

And on top of that, the whole “being taken to paradise after death” doesn’t seem to match with the concept of reincarnation. It feels like two different types of gods at play here.

In conclusion, I can’t really trust what these people are saying.

“I get what you’re saying about the Demon God. But what do you guys actually do?”

“The mission of the followers is to offer prayers to the Demon God and get closer to the beasts. In my case, I also have the role of seeking cooperation from powerful beasts across various regions.”

“(Seeking cooperation, huh?)”

From Fisu, I already knew that this guy could control beasts. I had no clue how, but maybe he’s taming them through negotiation. While ordinary beasts might be easily swayed with food, I, having memories from my previous life, wouldn’t fall for that.

It also seemed like he was aware of the existence of the skill [Communication], so perhaps he had a similar ability. But still, what difference does that make?

“One last question. For the sake of recruiting beasts, are you willing to kill humans?”

“Naturally.”

“I see. Thanks for answering.”

“Is that all?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard enough—”

Though he spoke cheerfully, I knew this guy had tried to kill Fisu. I also heard he killed some rogue adventurers. I’d considered the possibility that it might have been a misunderstanding or a lie… but now that possibility is gone.

There’s nothing more I need to ask.

“—The conversation is over. You’re under arrest here. [Jump]!”

“[Book Jump Out]”

“(What the…?!)”

As I leaped toward the man riding on the paper carpet, a Sovereign Beast appeared. Though there had been no one else with the man from the Beast Cult, the book glowed. And in the next moment, the creature was there.

“Hyuuo!”

“(Guh!?)”

With a howl like wind passing through a dead tree, the beast struck me with its unnaturally long arm. There was no pain, but I felt a strange sensation of weakness as I was flung back to where I’d started.

“As I was making my way here, I stopped by Spiky Mountain, rumored to be home to ‘Earth Splitter’-sama. Unfortunately, ‘Earth Splitter’-sama was not present.”

The man from the Beast Cult spoke loudly from above.

By the way, Spiky Mountain is how [Understanding Intent] translated the place’s name, but it actually had the nuance of “The Demon’s Nail” or something like that.

“Were they out hunting? Or was the rumor false? No, no. I realized neither was the case. The remnants of the fierce |Mana| that stretched from near the summit to the neighboring mountain were unmistakably left by a clash between [Dominion]!”

His grin grew wider, and his voice got louder, as if he was enjoying himself more and more.

I tried shooting a mana-draining arrow. The first Sovereign Beast had already fallen, leaving my shot clear.

“[Book Jump Out]! Not only ‘Sea of Flames’-sama, but also ‘Earth Splitter’-sama! Fuwa Katsu-sama, you have absorbed them as nourishment. And now, even ‘Colossus’-sama! Oh, how greedy you are! Such insatiable ambition to better yourself! Truly, you are the Sovereign Beast we have been searching for!”

The mana-draining arrow was blocked by a second Sovereign Beast. Once again, after the book glowed, the beast suddenly appeared in the sky. It’s safe to assume he’s summoning these Sovereign Beasts from that book.

“While this is certainly a joyous occasion, recruiting someone as powerful as yourself is no easy task. So, while it may be underhanded, I’ve decided to use the advantage of numbers. Please forgive me. [Book Jump Out]!”

A third Sovereign Beast appeared. It hovered in the air, glaring at me.

“And finally, [Book Jump Out: Doping Strength]. I’ve applied a strengthening buff to these Sovereign Beasts. Facing Feutoukouya-sama, who has defeated numerous Sovereign Beasts, their base |Stats| alone are not sufficient.”

“(Wait, damn it—)”

He cast some sort of spell from the book, bathing the Sovereign Beasts in magic, and then turned his back and flew off. I tried to pursue him, but a dragon-like beast blocked my way, clawing at me. Part of my body began to necrotize, and I could feel that my |Toughness| had been ignored.

Even when I tried to attack from a distance, the first and second beasts were in perfect position to cover each other at any moment. Their behavior made it obvious that they were being mentally controlled, and [Understanding Intent] confirmed it as well.

There shouldn’t be that many beasts with such weak wills.

“(It’s possible he’s controlling them with that book… but maybe I should deal with that later.)”

I watched the man land near the edge of the mining area, deep in thought. If I somehow broke his control and the Sovereign Beasts scattered, it would be a pain to deal with. Plus, the man’s flight speed isn’t that impressive.

I already have an idea of how he escaped last time. And at this distance, I should be able to take care of the Sovereign Beasts first and still catch up to him in time.

For now, I focused on the Sovereign Beasts spreading their [Dominions]. The first beast was taking the lead with its [Dominion], while the others were adjusting so they didn’t clash, yielding control to it.

“(Going up against three of them means it’s going to be tough to push back their [Dominions]. But the biggest problem is that they all probably have counters for |Toughness|, huh? Haha.)”

I calculated my odds. Three Sovereign Beasts that can bypass my |Toughness| at the same time. On top of that, I had just finished a fight with the Mecha God, and my |Life| and |Mana| were already a bit drained.

This was definitely the biggest crisis yet, with the worst possible matchup—

“(—And it looks like it’s going to be a blast!)”