The Man-eating Beast.
Allen Tigris III’s Thought Form had vanished.
…Of course, its existence hadn't completely disappeared.
Because I could clearly feel a gaze staring at from sowhere in the pitch-black darkness, which was only sparsely illuminated by faint lights.
There was no visible eye-shine I could confirm, but due to the tension that was subtly suffocating , I could definitely sense its presence.
In addition.
“……”
Valencia's rage-filled gaze was fixed on .
It proved that the current quiet stillness did not an the situation was over.
Even though I didn't know the exact chanism, it seed that her shining golden eye had the ability to control the Thought Form’s will.
‘…….’
The desolate silence pulled the string of tension even tighter, and the unconscious combat sense I had built up through nurous crises was sounding an alarm in my head.
Telling to get away from this spot right now.
That my life was on the line, even if it wasn't visually apparent.
But I did not move from my spot.
Because if I backed down now, I would lose the chance to encounter Valencia again forever.
Provoking her anger by deliberately adding unnecessary words was for the sa reason.
Because if she had really set her mind to it, it wouldn't have been that difficult for her to hunt the peddler and leave.
From her perspective, there was no rush, so if push ca to shove, she could have just returned and waited until we left.
If we missed this chance, the probability of us finding her again after she deliberately hid was, as that guy Tom had said, practically close to zero.
Even eting her today was only because of the stroke of luck of that pig-like peddler showing up.
Because from our side, there was no way to pinpoint her location and go find her ourselves.
‘…It seems I've succeeded in holding her here for now.’
It goes without saying, but.
Dealing with a Thought Form is tricky.
Just as the Demonic Species were to The Order, Thought Forms were also beings that deviated far from the laws of physics.
A being made of mana was, in itself, beyond common sense, so all the effects it caused were also bound to deviate from normal laws, even if just a little.
I knew to so extent that a situation like this would arise, but in truth, I didn't have a clear counterasure for the ‘part about dealing with the Thought Form’.
In the first place, a Thought Form existing without a dium is an extrely rare existence in itself.
Unlike my other bucket list items, for this ‘Valencia’ matter, even though I had a grand plan, I didn't know enough to have all the detailed plans laid out.
These urgent situations in between were parts I had to handle with improvisation sohow.
…Well.
The one I brought to take care of the parts that require brute force was.
Kwaaaang-!
“Hey.”
“……”
“…What's the plan?”
Tom Lycan Hardist.
This very guy.
* * *
The Man-eating Beast’s forepaw lunged from the darkness without any noticeable preparatory motion.
It was Tom Hardist who blocked the bluish mass of mana rushing toward .
A wolf with a silver mane, having undergone a full transformation again at so point.
The guy, who appeared with an appearance that truly suited the term ‘werewolf’, showed up in front of , blocking the Man-eating Beast’s attack by raising both his arms.
‘…….’
It was an attack at a speed that was impossible for to react to as well.
I could sense the sudden movent of mana, but sensing it and moving my body to dodge it was in a realm of speed that my current body couldn't handle.
Even if it was a Thought Form, it was once the number one of the Beastkin Nation, which held the position of leader among the neutral nations.
Even if there were no official records of him participating in battle, the martial strength he possessed was not sothing that could be overlooked.
…In the first place, the fact that Tom had to go as far as a full transformation to counter that single blow was proof of the physical power that Allen Tigris III’s Thought Form possessed.
“Hey…… what's the plan?”
The guy, who had barely blocked the attack that ca straight at him, asked while keeping his gaze fixed forward.
“…If I'm right, it seems you anticipated this situation to so extent.”
“……”
“What do you need to do?”
It seed he was referring to my comnt before we left the guild house, that ‘on this journey, you must prioritize my words above all else’.
Seeing his attitude at the ti, I thought he had dismissed it as nonsense and erased it from his mind.
It seems he had kept the sentence in a corner of his heart.
That connected to the current situation, leading him to guess that I had anticipated a clash like this to so extent.
‘…….’
Certainly.
I had guessed that if my predictions were correct, a clash with the Thought Form would happen at so point.
No, to be precise, it wasn't so much a prediction as sothing that rightfully had to be done to resolve the matter.
“I'm going to kill it.”
“……!”
As if that one word blurted out of nowhere was quite shocking.
The guy's body, which was blocking the attack with both forearms, staggered once.
“…What did you say?”
“No, saying I'll kill it is actually the wrong expression.”
“……”
“Because Allen Tigris III died a long ti ago.”
Allen Tigris III’s Thought Form had to be ‘extinguished’.
Without needing to add any lengthy explanation, its very existence went against the natural flow of things.
Leaving everything else aside, as long as Allen Tigris III’s Thought Form remained rooted in this land, it was impossible for the Beastkin to rally again and form a power of their own.
The reason Valencia had been able to abandon her duty and live hidden away in a corner of a rural village like this was also because Allen Tigris III’s Thought Form remained, and the complete succession had not yet taken place.
‘…….’
As I had told her at the beginning of our conversation, for the Beastkin royal bloodline, ascending the throne was not a matter of 'personal preference' that one could do if they liked it and not do if they didn't.
It was sothing that rightfully had to be done, and if Allen Tigris III’s Thought Form hadn't existed, the Beastkin would have gathered around her long ago, and a developnt different from the current ssy state of the Beastkin would have unfolded.
Of course, from her perspective, it wasn't that I couldn't understand her reluctance to inherit the throne.
She had lost her father.
The nation had already fallen.
And the throne she would inherit was not a position to reign over everyone, but one where she would have to bear all the burdens.
She couldn't have wanted to wear the weight of a crown that had grown even heavier.
…However, the miserable state the Beastkin were in now was sothing that even the deceased Allen Tigris III would not have wanted.
The Beastkin.
Her father.
And even her future self would probably not want it.
For everyone's sake, it was sothing that had to be set right again.
Paaat-
The Man-eating Beast’s forepaw, which had been in a power struggle with Tom for a while, was soon withdrawn and disappeared into the darkness.
“Kill…… His Majesty?”
That guy Tom, finally turning his head, muttered with a dumbfounded expression.
I clapped him on the back and rebuked his useless retort.
“Get a grip. Tom Hardist.”
“……”
“That's not the His Majesty you served. It's just a remnant of mana that hasn't passed on yet.”
“……”
“Valencia can only live if that thing is gone.”
…That wasn't just a taphorical expression.
It didn't seem to have beco serious yet, but it was like the severe divine illness that guy Cheong-yi gets when he doesn't inherit the Heavenly Demon's power.
Because Valencia would also have a risk she incurred by not inheriting her throne.
“I'll explain everything later. For now, just follow my lead as I said before.”
“……”
“If you don't want to lose your precious princess again, just block those attacks for now. I'm not asking you to kill it.”
…With great power ca great responsibility, and those who did not take responsibility were bound to be crushed by its heavy weight.
Even if it wasn't outwardly apparent yet, for the succession to have been delayed this long, there was bound to be a huge risk, whether ntal or physical, though I couldn't be sure.
“Hero!”
Soon after, Eliya’s voice called out to , and as soon as I turned my head, I heard the sound of paper being torn, Bbuuk-.
‘…….’
It seed there was a morize Paper containing a light-emitting spell among the items she had prepared.
Along with the torn paper, a Magic Circle composed of dozens of overlapping geotric patterns was drawn in mid-air, and a lump of mana shot up into the air like a firework, emitting a brilliant flash of light—*Hwaak*—and the darkness receded.
With that, the bluish form of the Man-eating Beast was revealed in the darkness.
“Good.”
I gave a thumbs-up to the girl who had cast the tily light spell.
That guy Jerry, who had been scowling at the sudden light spell, soon took out a pair of sunglasses from sowhere and put them on.
And.
Jerry wasn't the only one who frowned at the halo of light.
“Ugh……”
The light spell had been cast behind where Tom and I stood back-to-back.
The surroundings had beco brightly lit all the sa, but Valencia was the only one directly hit by the blinding light.
As if hit by the high beams of a car from behind, she closed both eyes and shielded them with her right arm.
And at the sa ti.
Paaat-!
The gaze of the Man-eating Beast, which had still been staring at , shifted toward the direction of the pig-like peddler who had already disappeared far away.
‘……!’
It was probably ant to light up the pitch-black darkness, and it didn't seem intentional.
But thanks to Eliya's spell, a brief opportunity had arisen.
Valencia closing her eyes ant that the strange ability emanating from her golden eye would disappear for a mont.
Although it was just an instant, it created a perfect opportunity.
The mont her eyes closed, I kicked off from my spot.
“……!”
The place I headed for was, without a doubt, in the direction of Valencia, who was covering her eyes.
She soon made an 'Oh no!' expression and hurriedly opened her closed eyes.
But it was already too late.
Before her golden eye was even fully revealed, I had already arrived in front of her.
And in front of the Man-eating Beast, which belatedly turned its head back toward , was that guy Tom, who had followed my words.
.
.
.
“…Checkmate.”
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