Chapter 9

“Form up! Soldiers, fall in!”

At the knights’ shout, the soldiers hurriedly moved.

Torches lined the mansion’s outer wall, lighting the area, and barricades were set up.

They were sharpened logs meant to stop a cavalry charge.

Even medium cavalry would have difficulty breaking through them.

The soldiers suppressed their anxiety as they looked at the obstacles.

The commotion subsided quickly, and a deathlike silence fell.

It was a pitch-black night without even the moon’s light.

Only torches soaked in resin crackled and burned.

Even their light somehow didn’t spread far and was swallowed by thick darkness.

Not even the usual sounds of beasts or insects could be heard.

Only the soldiers’ tense breaths and the occasional swallow of dry saliva could be heard.

“…It’s coming.”

Hamel muttered quietly.

─Biiiiiiiiii

From deep within the woods, a high-pitched trumpet sounded like a funeral dirge.

At the sound, some soldiers fell flat on their backsides.

Their legs seemed to give out; they couldn’t stand and crawled on the ground.

“Pull yourselves together! Stand up!”

The lord shouted in panic at the terrified soldiers, but Hamel remained unshaken.

After all, the soldiers could never be true combat strength.

“My lord, you should withdraw.”

“No, but…”

The lord hesitated at Hamel’s words, but Hamel’s resolve was clear.

“That would be safer.”

“…Very well. I ask it of you.”

Instead of arguing, the lord hurriedly gathered the terrified, immobile soldiers and retreated into the building.

The red-adorned knight glanced at the direction the lord had gone, then bowed slightly to Hamel.

He placed his hand on his sword’s hilt and shouted.

“Draw swords!”

Swords slid out with a hiss.

Two other knights also drew their swords with a clatter.

The revived soldiers nocked arrows or leveled spears, staring into the darkness.

At that moment, a black shape flickered within the dark woods.

─Ssshh

It moved without hesitation.

And straight toward them.

The presence that had been vague until now revealed its malice without restraint.

Even the knights lowered their swords and muttered.

“…What on earth is that?”

“To be asked to face something like that…”

A gigantic form took shape at the edge of their sight.

It emerged, breaking through the forest.

─Crack

Sturdy fir trees snapped like straws along its path.

Even the mansion’s solid outer wall seemed unable to stop it.

Finally it emerged from the shadowed woods, and the campfire in the clearing illuminated its form.

It was the shape of a predator, a beast.

A massive lion-like body rippled with golden fur.

Huge four paws with sharp claws tread lightly on the ground.

But attached to that body was the face of a middle-aged man with a well-kept black beard.

The man-faced lion: Reteil.

Exactly as the legends described.

It rolled its solemn eyes and surveyed the people.

Then….

─Gaaah

The mouth hidden by the beard split open toward its ears.

Inside the blood-red mouth, white teeth resembling human teeth glinted.

None of them could even blink at the grotesqueness.

From Reteil’s gaping mouth came a chilling voice like metal scraping.

[Who are you?]

In that unexpected moment, the people simply froze.

Reteil scowled and said.

[Who stole the offering meant for Him?]

At that instant, an arrow shot from someone’s bow.

A soldier, unable to overcome his fear, had released the string.

By luck perhaps, the arrow struck Reteil’s body exactly.

─Thunk

The arrow broke weakly and fell to the ground.

It was like an arrow shot at a wall.

The soldiers paled and slowly lowered their weapons.

It was not a being humans could face.

[…….]

The beast-king was amused.

It acted leisurely, as if showing mercy to its prey.

Its long tail, like a scorpion’s, flicked elegantly.

That was all.

But the people understood the meaning of that action.

It was granting leniency now.

It was asking who had stolen its offering and demanding betrayal and submission from the humans.

Reflexively, the people turned their heads and their gazes converged on one spot.

They didn’t point with fingers, but what else could it mean?

At the end of that gaze stood a priest.

The exorcist priest, who had gone on the cleansing mission with his deacon, slowly drew his sword.

Then he walked slowly toward Reteil.

“…Priest!”

The red knight gritted his teeth and shouted at Hamel.

He asked what he should do.

Hamel turned his head and said calmly.

“Watch our rear.”

That was all.

Hamel resumed the steps he’d paused.

The knights and soldiers watching his back suddenly flushed with shame.

It wasn’t a conscious action.

But in the end, they had made an innocent priest a scapegoat.

Still, the priest showed no disappointment.

He neither expressed anger nor sorrow.

He simply understood the role he bore, endured it, and moved forward.

“O Ehuurshika, god of death and cycles. Grant me the strength to advance like a bull and the courage of a lion. Let Your power dwell within my blade.”

Hamel prayed as he pressed his sword to his forehead.

It held no special meaning—just a ritual, a habit.

The cold metal felt unusually sharp today.

A taunting voice was directed at him.

[So it’s you.]

Reteil, standing still, bared his gums at Hamel as if mocking him.

With a mouth split to its ears, it laughed at the frail humans.

[To abandon one of your own… typical vermin.]

Reteil’s yellowing eyes looked disdainful toward humans.

“A look that says you feel superior, huh.”

Hamel muttered and raised his sword into a high stance.

He disliked that smile.

Those eyes filled with arrogance.

That voice full of malice.

All of it made Hamel nauseous.

The plan was clearly to stall until morning.

But such a half-hearted mindset would accomplish nothing.

So what Hamel had to do was no different from usual.

─Crack

The leather grip of his sword screamed as his grip tightened beyond its endurance.

Strike and slash.

That was what Hamel would do now.

A malignity far from any cleric rose in his throat.

And Hamel welcomed that feeling.

“Come.”

The next moment.

─Crack!

Reteil’s scorpion-like tail struck down toward Hamel’s head.

Hamel swung his sword above his head and barely deflected the venomous sting of the tail.

His flesh trembled and his bones tingled.

It felt as if he’d been struck by a bludgeon.

Still, Hamel stepped forward.

The night was long.

To endure, he had to find a way to fight while his body was still somewhat whole.

─Clack

Sliding past the attack, Hamel ran and swung his sword at Reteil, who watched all of it as if entertained.

The gaze was unsettling, but it wasn’t a reason to stop.

The target was the throat.

As with all living creatures, demons also have the throat as a vital spot.

His blade struck Reteil’s neck.

─Scrape

But the moment the sword hit the black mane covering the neck, Hamel felt something.

This cannot be cut.

“….”

Hamel clicked his tongue and hurriedly retreated.

Each strand of the mane was like an ox’s sinew.

The chewy, tough hairs layered thousands deep, like wearing armor.

Instead of chasing the retreating Hamel, Reteil puffed up his mane as if boasting.

Its form seemed twice as large, exuding overwhelming intimidation.

“Uaaaah.”

“W-w-we must flee…”

Soldiers crushed by the pressure trembled and had fits.

They wet themselves and foamed at the mouths.

The aura the beast-king expelled.

A terror unbearable to ordinary people descended around them.

Reteil fixed its gaze entirely on Hamel.

His legs felt heavy.

As if soaked with water, his legs, crushed by the pressure, felt heavier than usual.

Hamel was no more free from the pressure.

But he had no intention of just taking it lying down.

“Ehurshikashi.”

Muttering the god’s name, Hamel glared at Reteil.

Cutting the mane-covered neck was hard.

The hide of its torso, which would deflect arrows like toothpicks, was equally thick.

The place to aim would be its humanlike face.

‘It’s unsettling…’

Hamel clicked his tongue inwardly.

The foe was a monster that had lived a long time.

It would have long ago figured out how to cover its weaknesses.

That must be why.

The face had been unguarded as if baited earlier.

It could be genuine carelessness, but Hamel felt it wasn’t.

That place was a limb—an exposed part.

[Boring.]

As Hamel’s hesitation dragged on, Reteil began to move toward him.

Just as it seemed to approach with feather-light steps.

─Flap

Dark red wings sprang up behind it.

It leapt into the air and vanished in an instant.

Even with torches, their light reached only tens of meters at best.

‘…Where on earth did it go?’

Hamel squinted.

─Whoooosh

As if a whistling sound passed, a scream burst out.

“Kyaaaaaa!”

A bloodied soldier, his shoulder torn by sharp claws, disappeared into the darkness.

The scream that had been rapidly fading suddenly cut off.

And again.

“S-save me… gurgle!”

As if sensing something, a soldier backing away had his head fly through the air.

The soldier’s head dropped with a dull thunk like cut barley.

Nothing could protect them in that darkness.

“….”

Hamel ground his teeth in fury for a moment.

─Whoosh

His body reacted before his head could.

As a whistle brushed his ear, Hamel rolled to the ground.

In an instant.

─Thud!

Reteil’s forepaw slammed down like lightning onto the earth.

Reteil revealed itself amid a cloud of sand and dust.

It then licked its blood-soaked forepaw.

Fresh blood slid down its tongue into its throat.

“T-the priest…”

A knight muttered as he backed away.

There was no chance of victory.

They had been able to hold out so far thanks to the unknown exorcist priest.

Now that he’d fallen, if they wanted to live they should flee immediately.

If the priest who had bought them time was dead, they would surely be next.

The knight weighed his honor against his life and hesitated.

But the moment he met Reteil’s yellow pupils, his mind went blank.

It smiled wanly as if enjoying the knight’s torment.

[Are you afraid of death?]

That was not an expression any mere beast could make.

An expression only those who hold other lives in their hands and toy with them could wear.

It was enjoying the pastime once exclusive to humans, using humans themselves as the subject.

A chill crawled up the knight’s spine.

The knight nearly dropped his weapon.

But at that moment.

─Whoosh

Blue flames flared in Reteil’s throat.

[…!]

Startled by unexpected pain, Reteil twisted its body.

At the same time, a figure staggered up from the dust-covered ground.

As he tore off the tattered robe, the priest’s distinctive garb became visible.

Blue eyes like a foreign glow and silver hair drew people’s gazes.

The priest rose, his body wreathed in blue flames.

“Was there not enough blood? I should have cut off an arm to feed it, perhaps.”

He adjusted his grip on the sword wet with his blood and muttered regretfully.

For a moment, and then the priest closed the distance to Reteil without hesitation.

The people watched as if bewitched.