After shape-shifting back into dog and fish beastkin, we reemerge on the surface while no one is around, then head to the city plaza. As we get closer, I see a crowd of beastkin excitedly raising their fists into the air while shouting.
Only when we cut through the mob and make our way to the center do I finally get a clear view of what is there. Four pegs are hammered into the ground and connected by rope, creating a squared-off space. It looks like this is where they’re holding the trials. The beastkin around us seem to be spectators, which makes the enlistment trial look more like a martial arts competition than a test. Before a peg stands a beastkin with a crow head yelling:
“Ka-kaaa! Who is the next challenger?”
Seiya raises his hand to the crow-like beastkin.
“We’ll give it a shot—the fish and me.”
“You’ve got it! Let the trial begin!”
A massive tiger-type beastkin suddenly appears and lumbers toward the peg diagonal from us. I guess that’s our opponent. Something doesn’t seem right, though. In the beastkin’s hand is a chain attached to someone behind him with a hemp sack over their head. Obviously, I can’t see their face, but they have an iron ball clamped to their ankle. The tiger beastkin shoves them into the ring, then removes the mask.
What?! But…!
I gasp. It’s a human. He appears to be in his late thirties or early forties. Judging by his height and physique, he seems to be an elite warrior, but his eyes are sunken in, and his skin is pale. His unkempt, frizzy hair grows freely. Under his ragged clothes, I can see stitches all around his arms and legs. In addition…
What’s that putrid smell?!
“…He’s undead.”
Seiya mutters by my side.
“Ka-ka-ka!”
The crow beastkin cackles before continuing.
“They say he used to be a famous general in Termine. Heh. Nothing more than an undying toy now, though.”
H-how horrible! They turned the Termine general into an undead…!
“Humans are either food or toys.”
The crow laughs in amusement once more before shoving Seiya forward.
“Go get ’em! You defeat that, and you’re in! Hello, Beast Emperor’s squad!”
The crowd instantly goes wild. Everyone eagerly waits for Seiya, disguised as a dog beastkin, to get into the ring. Seiya, though, shakes his head.
“I said I would give it a shot, but I never said I was ready to fight. Consider me a spectator for now.”
“O-okay, then how about the merfolk?”
“No, this one’s just going to watch for now as well. We’ll go later.”
…The crowd gives us a few boos, but Seiya doesn’t seem to mind. He plops himself down by a peg and gets into position to watch, so I timidly take a seat next to him. During that time, a new challenger volunteers—a grayish-brown sewer rat–like beastkin. Unlike Seiya, he climbs over the rope without hesitation and enters the ring in high spirits.
I use Scan on the sewer rat beastkin. To my surprise, both his attack and defense are over 50,000, which is relatively high compared to the beastkin in Galvano, who were around 30,000 on average.
“Let the trial for enlistment begin!”
On the heels of the crow’s declaration…
“Squeaaak!”
The sewer rat beastkin bares his fangs with a smug grin, then lunges toward the undead. He cuts halfway through his opponent’s neck, spraying black blood into the air. The match is over…or so I thought.
“You’re mine now,” the undead says in a deep voice, despite suffering a wound that would have been fatal to a living creature.
Before I know it, the undead’s right hand is clenching the sewer rat’s face. Crunch. It sounds like a fresh apple being crushed. The faceless rat then listlessly falls to the ground.
H-he’s strong! That undead is unbelievably strong!
The former general gazes into the sky, then utters:
“For the Kingdom of Termine…and for her…I will kill as many beastkin as I can!”
His eyes are brimming with determination even in death. I decide to use Scan on the undead in the ring.
GENERAL JONDE |
||||
Condition: Undead | ||||
LV: 59 | ||||
HP: 172,234 |
MP: 0 | |||
ATK: 119,874 |
DEF: 98,111 |
SPD: 282 |
MAG: 0 |
GRW: 698 |
Resistance: Poison, Dark |
||||
Special Abilities: Corpse Regeneration (LV: 3) |
||||
Skills: Death Squeeze |
||||
Personality: Loyal |
||||
…Th-those are some impressive stats! No wonder the rat lost!
Noticing my surprise, the crow by my side remarks:
“He may be a toy, but you can’t underestimate him. The Beast Emperor’s men are the best of the best, so naturally, the trial isn’t going to be easy. Failing…is synonymous with death.”
When I look back at the ring, the missing part of the undead’s neck is already regenerating. Undead creatures with high stats gain the ability Corpse Regeneration. While he can’t regenerate body parts in the middle of battle, his body will eventually repair itself like this over time.
The crow takes a peek at Seiya’s expression.
“What’s wrong? Scared?”
“No. I still plan on taking the trial.”
“Ka-ka-kaaa! That’s the spirit! Now get in there!”
The crow lifts up the rope to the ring for Seiya, but he doesn’t even budge.
“…Hey, what are you doing? You’re going to fight, right?”
“No, I’m going to watch some more.”
“S-still?! You made me think you were ready to fight!”
“That’s sounds like a ‘you’ problem. I’m not ready yet.”
I—I totally thought he was ready to go, too! B-but that’s fine! It’s probably in our best interest to watch some more!
Seiya and I continue spectating. The second challenger is a snake beastkin. He freely extends his head and tries to wrap himself around the undead general to squeeze him to death, but his head ends up getting crushed just like the rat beastkin’s.
The crow beastkin says:
“Undead are naturally slow, and the iron ball around his ankle reduces his speed to almost nothing. But if he manages to catch you, it’s over. Finding out how to not get caught is the key to the trial.”
“Yeah. Looks that way.”
The crow beastkin lifts up the rope and invites Seiya into the ring, but he shakes his head once again.
“Not yet.”
“…! How long are you going to just sit there and watch?! Are you here to fight or not?!”
The upset crow shrieks in frustration, but even then, Seiya doesn’t budge.
H-he might be strong, but Seiya’s stats are way higher! He’d easily win! This Hero never changes!
…After the former general crushes the third challenger’s goat head to pieces, Seiya finally stirs and gets up.
“All right. I’m ready.”
“R-really? Are you really going to do it? I’m starting to feel like you’re just messing with me…”
After much waiting, Dog-Seiya steps into the ring of the undead general.
“Yes! Let the match begin!”
Immediately, Seiya swiftly closes the distance and swings his right arm, slashing the undead with a claw that is most likely his platinum sword after shape-shifting. The former general’s chest tears open. Since undead are slow, Seiya could probably get two or three more hits in, but he promptly leaps back after a single attack. The undead thereupon loses his balance as he tries to grab on to Seiya. Seiya then approaches his opponent again and strikes once before promptly moving away. He does it again…and again. The undead’s body is gradually chopped away at and worn down until…
“Y-you mangy cur…!”
The general yells out in frustration.
“Hmph. A simple hit-and-run tactic is most effective against enemies like you.”
“Tch! Don’t you dare underestimate me!”
The general desperately tries to grab on to Seiya, but it’s like watching a man fight a toddler. It’s not even close.
“You’re wasting your time. I’ve seen everything you have to offer.”
Seiya’s words are dripping with confidence, but it’s no surprise.
I’d be more surprised if he wasn’t prepared after watching for so long…
The undead wears himself out until he drops to his knees. Seiya slowly approaches after making sure his opponent can’t fight any longer.
“‘For the Kingdom of Termine’? Hmph. No matter how many beastkin an undead like you kill, nothing will change.”
Then, out of nowhere…
Ptui!
Seiya spits on the general.
“D-damn you!! Ahhhhhh!”
He explodes with rage but can no longer freely move his body. He still needs a good bit of time before he can regenerate. Seiya kicks the general into the air, then glares down at him with eyes as cold as ice.
“Pathetic. You’re not even good at dying.”
It was already clear to everyone who the winner was. The crowd erupts in cheers, but the general continues staring at Seiya contemptuously. I, on the other hand, am…shaking inside! How ruthless! I know you have to be heartless if you’re going to pretend to be a beastkin, but this is sick!
After seeing Seiya’s match, the crow beastkin enthusiastically pats him on the shoulder.
“You’re amazing! Not only did you dominate, you were brutal, as well! I’m going to recommend you to Lord Grandleon myself!”
Whoa! It’s gonna be so much easier getting some of Grandleon’s fur for the ritual now! Things are going exactly as planned!
I’m elated…that is, until the crow turns his gaze on me.
“You’re up next, fishy!”
“Uwoh…”
Switching places with Seiya, I step into the ring. Standing a few meters ahead is the general. Smoke rises from his body as it regenerates.
“Die, beastkin…!!”
…?! Seiya must have really pissed him off! I’m scared, but…
“Ka-ka-kaaa! Let the match begin!”
The general has completely regenerated, and the test has started!
“I’m going to tear you apart!!”
The undead general glares at me like a demon!
I-I’m gonna be okay, right?! Seiya said the earth serpents would do something, so all I need to do is stand still, right?!
Enraged, the undead general charges at me.
“You’re going to be someone’s dinner when I’m done with you!”
Eeeeeek?! Am I really gonna be okay?! If I don’t move, he’ll tear me apart!
Mere moments pass before he gets close enough to grab me…
Plop.
I hear something drop by my feet.
Huh?
I look down to find a giant fish flopping under me.
I-is this the earth serpent that Seiya hid in my clothes?! He turned it into a fish with shape-shifting?!
Plop. Plop. Plop.
Fish gradually begin falling from my crotch, and the spectators scream at the sight!
“Wh-what the…?! She’s popping out babies!”
“I thought fish laid eggs when they gave birth!”
“Hold up. Why the hell is she giving birth during the trial?!”
“I think I’m gonna puke!”
What’s going on?! This is so embarrassing!!
But in spite of my embarrassment, countless fish continue falling from my crotch before swiftly squirming toward the undead! They latch onto his legs and, wasting no time, start chomping.
“Ahhhhhh?!”
He probably doesn’t feel any pain, since he’s undead. Regardless, his legs are quickly devoured as if he were in a pond full of piranhas. Taken aback, the general screams:
“Damn you, fish! Damn youuuuu!”
It isn’t long before his legs are completely gone, and he falls to the ground.
“He can’t move! He can’t fight anymore!”
“Did you see that?! She didn’t even get her hands dirty!”
“She won with the baby fish she popped out!”
The spectators then turn their gazes at me with expectant eyes.
Uh…?
I glance at Seiya, and he subtly nods back. So I…
“Uwohhhhhh!”
I raise my fists in the air, then unleash a cry of victory. I am showered with applause and cheers from the crowd.
And to tell the truth…it feels kind of good.