Countless Ralans gather in one place, emitting a dazzling green light.
The vegetation around them withers and the forest fire intensifies, shining brightly on the blazing field.
Green and red lights illuminate the area.
Then, the gathered Ralans, as if swallowed by the lights, slowly lose shape.
The burning trees topple around us in a circle, blocking off all possible escape routes.

I don’t get what’s happening anymore.
Are we no longer in the real world and were sent to the Netherworld?

I was just blankly staring at the whole scene with my sword in hand.
But, when I felt a heat trickle on my back, I hastily shake my body to put out the fire behind me, and I regain my senses.
I then take notice that the soldiers are all in a daze, just staring at the Ralans as well.
Seeing the absent-minded soldiers made me furious.

“Ki-! Kill them! I don’t know why, but they’re all gathering in one place! Kill them! Kill them now! What are you waiting for!”

Even after hearing my order, none moved.
The soldiers are just cautiously exchanging glances at each other.
And, I know exactly why. It’s because they fear the Ralan.

“Kill them, I say! If you stay dazed like that, we’ll all be in danger! How about this; the soldiers who contribute in killing them will be specially rewarded! You should know by now that I always keep my promises! Now hurry and kill them already!”

One soldier hears my plea and readies an arrow.
It would help a lot if this changes the grim atmosphere, but then, ten Ralans surround the soldier and jump on him.
All the other soldiers who saw that immediately threw away their weapons and scattered in all directions.
Some of them even tried to jump over the burning trees that fell around us to escape, but they were soon caught on fire.

Meanwhile, the Ralans that gathered in one place are now one big green-glowing lump of clay, and even more Ralans gather around it.

“S-Someone, save me! Someone……!”

“Tallmann-sama~a! This way!”

Turning towards Grodell, he was running towards the fire with a mage beside him.
That mage is one of the water-users, if I recall.
I didn’t waste any time and ran towards his direction.
My clothes were caught on fire, but I had no time to worry about that.

As I run, I would often fall down and trip on rocks, just barely managing to avoid the fire while catching up to Grodell.
By the time I caught up to them, my clothes were already tattered and burnt out, I was nearly half-naked.
Using my sword as a cane to support myself, I walk beside Grodell while staggering.
Why… why does someone as great as me have to miserably run for his life in such a pathetic manner.
Since my forehead was bleeding, I couldn’t quite see what was in front of me, so I grab hold of Grodell’s clothes.

“…………”

Grodell then suddenly stops walking.

“W-What’s the matter! Let’s go already!”

“T-Tallmann-sama, behind us……”

“H-Ha~ah?”

The agonizing screams around us grow louder.
Behind us…… something must’ve happened with the Ralans behind us.
Since my sleeves were badly charred, I wipe the blood leaking on my forehead with Grodell’s clothes and look behind.

The Ralans, which were a large lump just a while ago, are now compressed into something the size of an elephant.
It has taken on the form of a beast brimming with malice.
Its forehead is emitting the same green light as the Ralans, but its eyes are glowing like the flames.

The beast then looks up at the sky, and

“Awo~o~o~o~o~o~o~oooooooo!”

Its howl is extremely loud.
The howl echoes throughout the entire area and dark clouds gather in the sky, with the weather suddenly changing into a typhoon, and heavy rain falls down on us all.

Is that beast capable of summoning a natural disaster?
I inadvertently let go of Grodell’s clothes.
And, Grodell falls on his knees, as do I.

“D-Don’t tell me… that’s the Carbuncle……?”

Now that you mention it, it’s a monster with a glowing green gem on its forehead just like the Carbuncle.
This glowing beast matches the description.

I didn't think it would be this big, nor did I think it would just be a collection of Ralans, no, in the first place, we know too little about the Carbuncle to begin with.
This much misinformation was inevitable.
It could be that someone saw the Ralans forming into this gigantic beast and thought it resembled the phantom beast, Carbuncle.
But, more importantly.
If I bring back that dazzling fur, I'll become king for sure.

“S-Someone! Kill it! Kill it now! But, make sure not to give it too many injuries! You will be handsomely rewarded! As much gold as you want! Now go~o~o~o!”

The few remaining soldiers do as they are told and confront the beast.
This’ll work.
Ralans are just small-fries, after all.
We’ll take it down with human-wave attacks, taking advantage of the soldiers who don’t want to die yet, and with how the enemy has turned into one monster, we should be able to pull this off if we deal with it calmly……

[T.N: “Human wave attack”, also known as human sea attack, is an offensive infantry tactic, in which an attacker conducts an unprotected frontal assault with densely concentrated infantry formations against the enemy line, intended to overrun the defenders by engaging in melee combat.]

“Wo~o~o~o~o~o~o~oooooooo!”

The beast howls again while raising both of its front paws up before slamming them on the ground.
In that instance, a powerful shockwave impacts the earth, even reaching all the way to my area, despite me being at a relative distance from it.
Along with the strong winds from the storm, I fall face-first on the mud and my clothes get dirty.
As I spit mud out of my mouth, I notice that the ground around the beast has been crushed, and that soldiers are trapped between the cracks.
The beast walks to a trapped soldier and bites his head off.
It then crushes the headless body of the soldier with its feet, walks to another stuck soldier, and repeats the same process.

I was just spectating the whole scene while covered in mud.
Mixed in with the storm and the heavy rain, a loud boulder-like sound is heard in the distance.
Is something else coming this way just to worsen the despairingly hopeless situation that we are in now?
I get flustered and head towards Grodell.

“G-Grodell! Defeat that thing quick! Grodell!”

“You’re asking for the impossible, Tallmann-sama! If it were a normal situation then I would, but if I go in now, I’ll just be joining the other foolish soldiers to their deaths……”

“I am the man who will be crowned as the next king! Don’t you talk back to me! Defeat that thing! Make me king! If you can’t, then die! Die! Die~e!”

I continue to yell at Grodell aggressively.
Then, Grodell’s brows crease and he kicks my gut.

“Guha~argh!”

Grodell’s kick came without warning and it left me stunned for a few seconds, making me drop my sword and fall on the muddy ground again.

“When everything fails, you start getting full of yourself! It’s annoying! Just lie there and be food for that monster, good-fornothing!”

“Why you! You fiend!”

Grodell takes the water mage with him and runs away.
I could not do anything but watch them run farther and farther away.
The storm, the beast’s loud howling, and the boulder-like sound approaching us…… those three sounds mix and overwhelm my hearing.
It’s hard to tell if I’m shaking from the coldness of the rain, or in fear of the beast’s howl.

“G-Grodell! Come back here! Come back and save me, Grodell! Grodell!”

I don’t know if my shout for help was ignored, or if it was overtaken by the three sounds, but there was no response.
Then, the beast, who just bit another soldier’s head off, turns and faces me.
It then walks to my direction next.

“S-Someone! Anyone! Save me! Save me~e! Where is everyone!”

I grab my sword, wobbly stand up, and run away from the beast.
The beast’s footsteps follow behind me.
There’s no one else here besides me.
They all ran away and left me behind.

“Hannibal! Rapal! Alan! Save me! Save me, I say! Azalea, Azalea~a! Why aren’t you here when I need you the most! Save me, Azaleaa~aa! Azaleaa~aa!”

When I tripped and fell on the muddy ground again, I saw Grodell and the water mage up ahead.

“Grode~eeell! I will never forgive you~u~u~u! If we get out of this alive, I will let you taste every kind of torture that exists in this world! Fuha, fuha ha, fuha ha ha ha hah! Ha ha ha ha ha~ah!”

Probably due to the constant fear and anger welling up inside me that I couldn’t control myself and just burst in laughter.
Even though there’s nothing funny about the situation.
What’s gotten into me. Even I myself don’t know.

Then, all of a sudden, a large unknown circular object comes rolling towards Grodell and the mage, while knocking down every tree in its path, and flattens the two.
Its sudden arrival left me aghast, then it slows down its speed, stops and stands up, and reveals its two heads.

“T-The Ouroboros?! Azalea, you messed up! You idiot!”

I hastily turn back and run away from the Ouroboros.
But then, I met eyes with the beast that was following me.
Losing all my strength, I collapse on the spot.