I Was Reincarnated as the Weakest Monster, but I’ll Use My ‘Return from Death’ Skill to Become the Strongest! Even as the Weakest Monster, I Want to Get Stronger, Take Human Form, and Build a Harem… But Why Do Only Yandere Non-Human Girls Keep Showing Up? - Chapter 2.6

A monstrous howl.

Everyone present reacted instantly.

“…R-Riel.”

I turned toward the direction of the howl, and there, I saw a massive shadow.

A towering figure stretched toward the sky, but from this distance, I couldn’t make out its exact form. It was nothing more than a black silhouette—an incomprehensible, looming darkness.

“W-What the hell is that…?”

“What in the world…?”

“A… shadow?”

Huh… I always thought of elves as long-lived and knowledgeable beings.

But even they didn’t seem to recognize this creature.

Or maybe it would be even more terrifying if they did know what it was.

Could this be the first time such a thing had appeared in the world?

Well, whatever. Overthinking wouldn’t help. My options were limited, and agonizing over it wouldn’t change anything.

“…Prepare yourselves. Something’s coming.”

Shaking off my thoughts, I activated my telekinetic abilities, reaching out to the scattered stones around me.

“Kiiiik!”

“Kiiiik!”

“Kiiiik!”

Dark specks appeared in the sky, growing larger as they drew closer.

The next instant, high-pitched screeches filled the air.

“They’re comingggggg!!!”

By the time someone shouted, the creatures had already descended upon us.

They were monstrous birds with folded wings, diving straight toward us at incredible speed.

At this rate, they’d crash into us in mere moments.

But the elves weren’t ones to stand idly by.

“Defensive formation!”

Despite their village’s peaceful atmosphere, the elves moved with practiced precision in response to the threat.

“…Impressive.”

As expected of elves, I suppose.

A barrage of magic erupted toward the incoming beasts—flames, water, wind, and lightning. A stunning display of spells rained down upon the monstrous birds, tearing them apart mid-air.

“Whoa…”

I couldn’t help but let out an awed gasp.

It was the kind of scene you’d only read about in fantasy stories—elves wielding magic to battle monsters. Seeing it firsthand was breathtaking.

“Fuuura!”

Wait—Ren can use magic too?!

I had assumed she was just a powerless girl, but I was completely wrong.

She conjured a razor-sharp gust of wind, slicing through a bird mid-flight with ease.

She was clearly stronger than me.

Even with my telekinetic ability to hurl stones, I wouldn’t stand a chance against these monsters.

…Am I the weakest one here?

Even the elven children were casting spells.

“Kiiiik!”

“Damn it! I can’t stop it in time!”

No matter how skilled the elves were, there were simply too many monsters.

They couldn’t take them all down.

The ones that made it past their defenses crashed into the ground—and then exploded.

“Are you kidding me?! Suicide bombers?!”

This was beyond unexpected. These things actually self-destructed upon impact?!

“Kiiiik!”

Each time a bird struck the ground, it triggered a devastating explosion.

Dodging them wasn’t the difficult part; their trajectory was straightforward.

But the real victim here was the elf village itself.

The powerful blasts tore through the village, toppling the towering trees that formed its heart. The once-thriving elven sanctuary was collapsing.

“…The village is lost! Forget the buildings!”

The elderly elf who had earlier been fawning over me now barked orders, his voice commanding and resolute.

“Save yourselves above all else!”

His presence alone carried enough weight to rally the others.

The elves, who had been desperately trying to reinforce the trees with magic, abandoned their efforts. They shifted their focus to survival, prioritizing escape over preservation.

“Yes! That’s right! We’ll survive and rebuild!”

They moved as one, unified under a single goal.

But it was meaningless.

“R-Riel! We should get out of—”

A blade burst from the ground.

And pierced straight through Ren.

“…Huh?”

Her body stiffened.

Her chest was impaled clean through.

I stood there, drenched in her bl00d, frozen in shock.

“GRAAAAHHHHH!”

A guttural roar shattered my daze.

A demon-like creature emerged from the earth, standing right before me.

Its right arm—molded into a jagged spear—was dyed deep red.

“Ren…”

I turned to look beside me.

The weapon that had impaled her vanished, leaving behind nothing but a gaping wound of exposed flesh.

“Damn it!”

I leaped off her collapsing body, hurling a barrage of stones at the monster.

“GRAAAAAHHHH!”

But the creature only roared in response, utterly unfazed.

My attack hadn’t even scratched it.

“RAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

The demon’s mouth opened wide—its gaze locking onto me.

And the moment I realized what was happening, a blinding light engulfed my vision.

Then, my consciousness faded into nothingness.