Ch.68EP.18 – Ghoul vs. Ghoul? (6)

# Pandemonium in the Colosseum.

Everyone was struggling to escape, pushing and knocking others down in a desperate race for survival. Some noble souls sacrificed themselves to save their children, parents, or lovers, while others fainted or drooled mindlessly from the fear emanating from the monster.

It was devastating.

This was what it meant when a monster beyond human comprehension, one that humans couldn’t possibly oppose, appeared. A continuous panic where maintaining one’s sanity was nearly impossible.

In the midst of this devastating crisis…

“This is a failure.”

“It shouldn’t be this ‘peaceful,’ really…”

There were two men who described this devastating scene as peaceful.

The sight of two men sitting in their seats, having a calm conversation amidst this chaos, was jarring. Even more jarring was the fact that both men wore priestly robes from the temple, with one wearing the robes of a high priest, yet no one approached them for help. As if no one had noticed their presence.

The high priest, listening to the screams as if they were music, spoke.

“This isn’t going as expected.”

Though clearly a devastating sight to others, the “planned” devastation the high priest had envisioned wasn’t this lukewarm.

There should have been death, [sacrifice]!

It should have been horrific, with blood splattered everywhere and countless lambs wearing expressions of despair. But what about now?

“…There are no suitable sacrificial lambs.”

Despite the chaotic situation, this was a lukewarm space without despair and death. Such disorder would be easily contained eventually.

The high priest shook his head in disappointment.

“This seems quite different from the plan.”

“Hmm, I’m sorry, boss. I tried my best, but things went awry.”

The young lower priest showed his regret. Even the usually playful lower priest couldn’t hide his apology now. But the high priest shook his head.

“How could that be your fault? I should blame myself for arrogantly believing everything would go according to plan.”

“……”

“So don’t blame yourself too much.”

“…Thank you, boss.”

“Enough with the pleasantries. Now, contrary to our plan, the ‘sacrifices’ are all escaping, so we have no choice.”

“What…?”

“Open the second summoning circle.”

“Oh, isn’t that too wasteful…?”

It had already taken considerable resources to summon such a massive monster. Roughly half a year’s budget for the kingdom? Or perhaps even more.

And now they were going to spend more in this situation? This could make the tail wag the dog.

But he…

“Do it. Now.”

“……”

…simply gave a firm order. As if he would take full responsibility.

“Sigh, I don’t even know anymore.”

The lower priest silently followed his superior’s order and took out a staff from his bosom.

Woong.

Murky magical power, like sewage, moved, and the high priest nodded in satisfaction. But after giving it just a glance, his gaze returned to the center of the Colosseum.

“-How dare such a detestable knight interfere with the great work.”

Detestable and hateful. He wanted to personally tear the knight into a thousand pieces. But he couldn’t.

Because this stage wasn’t meant for them.

But even if he couldn’t step forward…

“I’ll kill you no matter what.”

Even if it cost an astronomical amount, he swore to God that he would definitely kill that knight.

* * *

-In the pitch-black space, the creature howled.

[[Grrrrr…!]]

…It was impossible to gauge just how massive it was.

How enormous must it be for its voice alone to resound ominously throughout the entire academy?

But more terrifying than its size was…

Flare!

Squirm…squirm…!

The fact that it was still regenerating despite being on fire. Incredible regenerative power.

‘That monster, after such a blow…!’

The arrogant mage Odwal. While he despised knights, he wasn’t a fool who couldn’t assess a knight’s skill. So he knew.

That the ballista shot by that brutish knight was a blow that even a high-ranking mage would find difficult to replicate.

In other words, even a large monster should have died instantly from it.

So the fact that it was still intact, not even damaged, and stubbornly recovering was certainly not normal, and this became a source of terror.

‘What kind of person summoned such a monster?!’

It must be at least a century old. Humanoid monsters tend to grow larger the longer they live, and their ferocity and strength are not to be underestimated. So this creature must have lived for at least a hundred years.

And the very fact that it had lived for over a hundred years was proof of its strength. Living that long meant surviving in the natural ecosystem of predator and prey.

‘A hundred years? Could such a specimen still remain on the continent?’

It was hard to believe. He had thought such specimens had been exterminated during the previous king’s reign.

“Hey, slave, let me ask you something. That looks like magic, why can’t you dispel it?”

“…You’re saying something so stupid it gives me a headache. Summoning magic is activated by an ‘absolute promise.’ So that…”

“Enough, if you can’t do it, just say so. Why are you so long-winded… useless fellow.”

“!!?”

He felt wronged.

It wasn’t just that he couldn’t do it; no mage could break that magic, so why was he being scolded?

“It’s not a matter of skill!”

As he shouted almost like a scream, it truly wasn’t a matter of skill. That summoning magic had undoubtedly been activated through massive sacrifices.

And summoning magic through sacrifice is absolute.

It’s an irreversible ‘promise’ that ensures the being will definitely manifest in this world. So that monster would definitely arrive.

Right now, it was just stuck in the hole because of its enormous body, but it would emerge at any moment.

“We, we need to run! Or ask the kingdom for reinforcements immediately! You can’t defeat that monster alone!”

“……”

“Stop acting like a fool! Do you want to be a hero or something…!”

Odwal was trying to persuade the knight, almost like he was picking a fight. He wanted to live too, to run away right now. But because of that damn ‘oath,’ he couldn’t refuse the knight’s orders.

So he begged. Please, let’s run away.

…But.

“It seems like most of the spectators have escaped, so we could probably run too.”

“That’s the most welcome thing I’ve heard! Finally, you’re not saying something stupid!”

“But you know, I don’t think that thing is going to let us leave, do you?”

“What nonsense…!”

“It’s not nonsense, look.”

“What are you doing…! Hmm!?”

…Fate seemed unwilling to even allow escape.

Odwal, his neck nearly snapped as the knight’s rough hand directed his gaze upward, was about to shout about the rudeness, but his words were immediately cut short.

In the sky…

“This is insane…!”

A new summoning magic circle had opened.

Pitter-patter!

…People who first saw it might have mistaken it for hail.

Hail that was either black or greenish. Hail that gave an inexplicable sense of revulsion, and as it fell more and more…

“Mo-monsters are falling from the sky…!”

It became easier to identify what the hail actually was.

Creatures curled into balls, falling from the sky. Natural predators of humans, born man-eaters with whom coexistence was impossible.

The dark clouds were not only spewing out the massive monster but also smaller ones.

Kuung-!

Monsters were pouring down like rain. So many that it was impossible to count.

At the very least, there were well over hundreds of them, and seeing this, people were shocked.

Kuung!

Kuuung-!

Hundreds of creatures fell from tens of meters in the air to the ground, raising a massive dust cloud. It would have been better if they had died from the fall, but summoning magic doesn’t work that way. It rarely summons weak creatures, and those summoned are usually among the strongest of monsters.

In other words.

[Kiaaa!!]

[KRR-!]

-None of them were weak enough to die from falling tens of meters.

“No-Nol!”

Nol. Deformed monsters that looked like a mix of dogs and hyenas. Their entire bodies covered in filthy poison, spreading disease wherever they went. And not only were they poisonous, but their skin was also thick, making them difficult to kill even with arrows. And their favorite food was…

“Hide the children and women! Quickly-!!”

Newborn babies and young women.

They were monsters that humans most hated, found disgusting, and couldn’t help but fear.

And now, those Nol.

[KiAAA!!]

There were over hundreds of them gathered, all howling in unison.

[Kieee…!]

Wearing stolen armor and wielding axes, they drooled and couldn’t control themselves at the sudden appearance of their favorite prey, their eyes bloodshot to the point of being completely red.

From the Nol’s perspective, they blinked and suddenly found themselves surrounded by a feast as far as the eye could see. They couldn’t hide their excitement, knowing that anything they chose would be delicious.

…Pathetically.

-Swoosh!!

Thwack…

[……?]

The Nol couldn’t immediately process what was happening. The sudden decapitation of a comrade right beside it.

In that slow-motion scene, as one Nol slowly turned its head, the last thing it saw in its life was…!

“Don’t bark, you stink.”

Slash!

The trajectory of an axe wielded by a terrifying human male.

Thwack!

Another Nol’s head was separated from its body, and the axe warrior who easily cut down the mid-high level monster as if it were a scarecrow, no-.

“Blackie.”

“Roen Dmitri de Lionel, here, instructor.”

“We’re in a war situation, so call me Sir.”

“At your command, Sir Ihan.”

Knight Ihan. There stood a knight with an expression of unprecedented anger.

Roen, who had dispatched a Nol and approached, awaited orders.

“Do you know who’s behind this?”

“…I don’t.”

“No lies, right?”

“I stake everything I have on it.”

He maintained his usual cool expression, but couldn’t hide the trembling in his eyes. He too must not know the current situation. Meaning this was an event unknown even to the regressor.

But what was important to Ihan now wasn’t an event unknown even to the regressor. Just…

“Then I’ll trust you.”

“……”

…that he needed one skilled swordsman.

“I’m giving you an order now. I’m appointing you as my proxy, and with Levi Polte as your adjutant, take command. Take everyone who’s still standing and somehow eliminate all these disgusting bastards.”

“……”

As Roen hesitated to answer, ten Nol stealthily approached and pounced on Ihan.

[KiAA!!]

They were creatures twice the size of an adult man, and it was an incredibly threatening moment, but.

Splash!!

“I asked if you understood.”

“…I think you could kill them all yourself, Sir.”

Ihan’s axe swept horizontally, instantly turning nine Nol into bloody masses.

[Ki…-.]

The remaining one was caught in Ihan’s hand, struggling, but.

Crack!

His five fingers dug into its skull, and the Nol died instantly, writhing in pain.

Ihan shook off the Nol as if dusting off dirty soil, then shook his head.

“I have someone else I need to deal with.”

His finger pointed to the sky. Roen’s face darkened.

“…Will you be alright alone?”

“I might not win, but I’ll hold out.”

“……”

“So, your answer?”

“…I’ll follow your orders.”

There was a man who trusted him and entrusted him with the rear. How could he call himself a warrior of the North if he didn’t respond?

Roen gave a salute, striking his heart with his grip.

It was a Northern-style salute, pledging to complete the mission even at the cost of his heart.

“That’s right.”

With that, Ihan smiled with satisfaction and took a deep breath.

Huuup!

[[─Listen, One Hundred and Eight Arhats!!]]

He let out a roar that reverberated throughout the area.

[…!?!]

Lion’s roar.

Ihan’s lion’s roar momentarily shook the entire Colosseum, paralyzing the Nol pack that was about to rampage. The killing intent in his lion’s roar directed at the Nol had the power to temporarily paralyze all of them.

And in the midst of this thunderous lion’s roar, the knight’s disciples who heard his voice looked up with wide eyes…

[[I hereby temporarily appoint Roen Dmitri de Lionel and Levi Polte as my proxies. All who can fight, follow their command and slaughter these disgusting bastards!]]

-…

[[Understood? Not a single one left! Eliminate them all!]]

-…Yes!!!

The One Hundred and Eight Arhats, or rather all first-year students of the Swordsmanship Department, regardless of their status, responded and drew their swords with a salute.

And among the 80 first-year students, not a single one fled.

“…Are you sure you can’t handle it alone?”

Seeing him display such overwhelming presence with just his voice, intimidating hundreds of Nol, Roen couldn’t help but ask again if there was any point in him stepping forward.

It was the beginning of a melee.