Once he saw she was gone, Minitz decided to rest quietly until his wounds healed. That attack just now had shattered his heart, but he was still alive. This still wasn’t enough to kill somebody like him; given enough time, the wounds would heal. Being able to throw himself into a battle like none before had filled that shattered heart with indescribable joy.
What an excellent fight that was. I only wish I could have tasted more of it. Then I could have proved I was the strongest…
Still basking in the aftermath, he found he was yet unsatisfied. If anything, his instincts were begging him to fight someone even stronger. Only through challenging and surpassing his limits, he thought, would he ever grow stronger.
Then, like an answer to Minitz’s prayers, something strange happened. A booming voice echoed across the chamber.
“…Excellent fighting.”
The voice had the timbre of a champion, one who had made many of the worthy bow down to him before.
“My name is Zegion. You now officially have the right to fight me. If that is what you desire, come to me.”
Minitz opened his eyes again, as if guided by the voice. A dark vortex had somehow appeared in front of him.
Are you going to entertain me? If you do, then it’d be rude not to take up the offer…
His body still needed healing, but Minitz nonetheless shot to his feet, not even flinching. Without a moment of fear, he headed off to accept the invitation.
Once, there was a hidden settlement known as the Mystic Village. It was said to be one of the world’s secret paradises, a place where spring was everlasting.
But not any longer. It was overrun by the imperial army twenty years ago, and now it had been wiped off the map entirely.
Recalling that fateful day, Kumara almost lost herself in rage. She had been so helpless then, and thanks to that, she lost her mother and her friends.
Her great mother was a mystic creature, a monster with power comparable to a demon lord’s. But she was a calm, gentle soul, and she never showed any hostility toward humankind. The kings of the magical races who treated humans as enemies collectively called themselves mystic lords, a force different from the Ten Great Demon Lords and just as much of a threat to humankind—but that had nothing to do with the Mystic Village. Magical races and mystic races were not at all the same thing, and mystic lords were merely the tribal kings of species unknown even to most others.
But humankind—or the Empire anyway—must not have been willing to accept the existence of Kumara and her kind. So the Mystic Village went on the sacrificial chopping block, a demonstration of the Empire’s military might aimed at its own subjects.
The Mystic Village was on the border between the demon lord Clayman’s domain and the Eastern Empire. The area between the foot of the mountains on the Dhistav side and the forest on the imperial side was home to a hidden entrance to another world. Boasting the blessings of the forest, the produce of the mountains, and an eternally mild climate, it truly was a comfortable place, living up to its touted name as the land of everlasting spring.
Being on the border, the inhabitants carelessly assumed they would never be attacked—the Empire and the demon lord Clayman had forged a secret nonaggression treaty. This peaceful situation eliminated their sense of danger.
Suddenly, armed soldiers attacked the Mystic Village, giving them no warning at all. The warriors defending the village could offer little resistance, and all their comrades were killed. Kumara’s mother, the previous generation of Nine-Head, lost her life with them. She had power but never liked to fight—and despite being human, there was no way she could defeat a trained, professional soldier.
And there was no forgetting that man.
“Your name is Kanzis? Of course I remember it. The name of the man who took my mother and everyone else’s life…,” spoke the vindictive Kumara.
The bearded man with the loathsome smile was an enemy so hateful that killing him wouldn’t bring Kumara peace.
As a reward to Clayman, Kanzis offered Kumara, the young child of Nine-Head he had captured alive. All the village’s treasure was stashed away in their own pockets. They told their subjects that the threat of the Mystic Village was now over. This “threat” was a criminal act of the aggressors’ own making. In order to prove the danger of the Mystic Village, they rounded up some nearby residents and merchants and brutally killed them. And at the end of the day, the frightened imperial subjects treated them like heroes…
It was Clayman, of all people, who told Kumara about everything going on behind the scenes.
The more resentment Kumara felt toward a human being, the more powerful she became. It boosted her mystic power, and with that, her “rank” as a monster. Being such a valuable Nine-Head mystic beast, she was regarded as a great asset by Clayman—and so she survived, as his pet.
Just as Clayman predicted, Kumara’s grudge ballooned over the years—and with it, her power. He even made her the thumb of the five fingers, as his top officers were called.
Then fate took another turn for her, and she was picked up by Rimuru. With him, she found out what happiness was, her emotional scars healed by contact with the children he helped out… And right at that point, she met her mortal enemy once more.
“I’ll kill you. I will use every bit of my might to kill you where you stand…”
With that whispered oath, Kumara waited for Kanzis’s arrival.
Colonel Kanzis, on the other hand, didn’t seem fazed at all to be thrown into a spot in the middle of nowhere.
He was a self-made career military officer, a symbol of the meritocracy the Empire prided itself on, and it was with a single fist that he rose to his current rank. He never thought twice about getting involved in evil deeds; in many ways, he was the embodiment of career ambition. Even the whole Mystic Village affair, in his eyes, was a legitimate move to strengthen his position and power. For the greater peace, a small sacrifice was insignificant. He didn’t feel guilty about it at all, seeing his actions strictly as a necessary evil.
But despite any lack of conscience he had, there was no doubting his abilities. If he actively participated in the ranking duels, he’d definitely be selected for the top hundred. But Kanzis wasn’t, strictly because he had no interest in joining the Imperial Guardians. His own interests would always come ahead of his loyalty to Emperor Ludora—and above all, Kanzis had a commanding officer he trusted with all his heart.
That man’s name was Major General Minitz. He was an equal to Kanzis in skill, and he was the first to scout him out and push him to the top. Kanzis’s goal in life was to bring Minitz to the upper echelon of the military, then take full control while serving underneath him. It was a dream he worked hard to achieve, and that was why he thought this invasion was such a perfect opportunity for him.
Caligulio’s blundering in the Forest of Jura was clear to everyone; he’d face severe punishment for it, no doubt. The groundwork for that moment was laid by him in Minitz, a secret conspiracy whose goal was to unify support within the Armored Division around them instead. If he could rescue the hundreds of thousands of soldiers stranded in the labyrinth and win their loyalty, that’d vastly increase the membership in his faction overnight—and once that happened, Caligulio would become redundant.
“Heh-heh! Don’t make me laugh. You think anyone would let you climb to the top of the military through political maneuvering alone?”
Kanzis sneered at his superiors. They weren’t here anyway, so he felt safe enough doing so. Then, mind free of all concern, he set off to search for his surviving troops.
After about a day of that, Kanzis began to think something was amiss. Ignoring the fact that this “labyrinth” had entire forests and deserts inside it, he couldn’t find a single other human being anywhere—or for that matter, a single monster. Every floor he journeyed through was eerily quiet, the sheer undisturbed stillness making it seem silly to expect a battle around every corner. Kanzis wasn’t the sort to let up because of that, but his Predict Danger skill wasn’t giving him anything at all, filling his mind with anxiety.
“Hmm… Seems like they’re trying to catch me off guard. Maybe they’re concentrating their forces somewhere?”
Kanzis’s insight was impeccable. He was exactly right.
“Ha-ha-ha! Well, I’m glad to be receiving such a royal welcome! In that case, allow me to bask in it, then!”
His boldness really was his greatest asset. He began sprinting ahead, making a beeline for the descending stairs, certain he could kick aside any trap in his way. His speed left the wind trailing him, a single stride bringing him several yards forward, and that let him reach the stairs in short order.
A few hours later, Kanzis found himself at the gates of a vast mansion, an opulent structure that seemed designed to intimidate all would-be visitors. Without a sound, the gates opened—and the battle began.
Kumara, in all her courtesan-esque beauty, greeted her visitor with a ghastly, hair-raising grin:
“Allow me to welcome you.”
Kanzis responded with a smile. “Well, thank you very much. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. You’re the little fox from way back when, aren’t you?”
“You remember me? I’m greatly honored.”
“How could I ever forget? Your mother played an instrumental part in my rise to fame.”
Sparks flew between the two of them—literally. The violent clash between mystic spirit and fighting spirit created physical tension heavy enough to trigger electric surges.
“Ha-ha-ha! So you were fine all along, then? Although, I suppose that’s only because I sold you over to Clayman. You ought to thank me for that.”
“…I’ll kill you,” Kumara barked back with another surge of murderous rage.
As if in response, the White Monkey appeared, opening with a flurry of club strikes at Kanzis to demonstrate his majesty as leader of the eight creatures under Kumara’s control.
“So you’re a mystic survivor, then? Well, let me show you something interesting!”
As soon as he said it, Kanzis summoned a monster with no advance casting—another simian, this one covered in dark fur.
“You… You’re one of my mother’s servants…?!”
There was no doubt about it. It was one of Kumara’s mother’s tail beasts.
“You see? There’s a sight for sore eyes, huh? Here, take him on for a while.”
The Dark Ape was a kind beast as well. Kumara remembered playing with him as a child. But now that familiar old ape was baring his fangs menacingly.
“You’ve forgotten about me?!”
Kumara’s voice didn’t reach him. With a high-pitched screech, the Dark Ape overwhelmed the White Monkey.
“Don’t bother. That monkey’s become my loyal servant. He doesn’t remember a thing about you.”
Kanzis took a cigarette out of his pocket, uninterested in joining this fight himself. Lighting it and taking a drag, he gave Kumara a bemused smile.
“What did you do to the Dark Ape?”
“Hmm? Now, what’s that supposed to mean? Do you suspect me of something?”
He seemed to be mocking Kumara. Realizing Kanzis had no intention of taking her seriously, she let her anger drive her to the next step.
“Moon Rabbit! Black Mouse! Come on out!”
Two more of Kumara’s tails transformed. Now it was three against one, putting the situation back in her favor—but only for a moment.
“Dark Rabbit, Dark Mouse, you’re up.”
Kanzis summoned mystic creatures to match Kumara’s. Now she couldn’t even hide her astonishment.
“No…”
“Oh, surprised? But then again, so am I. I never thought a kid like you could ever summon three tail beasts at once. Clayman must’ve trained you very well.”
Kanzis’s tone of voice indicated he still thought of Kumara as a fool. He couldn’t have been more confident, and there was a reason for that—the magical beasts he summoned were stronger than the eight at Kumara’s disposal.
“Ah, but enough of this. Let’s end the playtime here, shall we?”
With that, Kanzis added more creatures.
“No! The Dark Tiger—and the Dark Snake, too!”
Each one of Kanzis’s dark summons was stronger than the equivalent from Kumara. It was no wonder. These were, after all, the loyal bodyguards of the previous Nine-Head, Kumara’s own mother. A single tail beast was incredibly powerful, and now there were five. Their formerly calm, gentle temperaments were gone; their maniacal instincts were fully unleashed.
At this point, Kanzis thought he had as good as won. No matter how much that fox kit Kumara had grown, he assumed that three tail beasts at once was about the best she could do. Even her own mother maxed out at controlling five at once, and she was a fox spirit who had lived for thousands of years. How could Kumara, with only centuries to her life span, ever produce that much force?
That’s why he felt safe in his arrogance.
“If you want, I’d be happy to keep you as my pet now. You’re cordially invited to switch sides, from the demon lord Rimuru to me. Do it, and I’ll spare your life.”
It was more of an order than a negotiation, one based on the absolute certainty of his own victory. But that was a fatal mistake. Kumara was furious, her smile growing ever deeper and ever more beautiful.
“How amusing. If you’ve made me this angry, you must have come prepared for the consequences, didn’t you?”
No answer was needed.
Kumara immediately unleashed all her tail beasts at once, producing the full array of eight. The Thunder Tiger, Winged Snake, Sleeping Ram, Fire Bird, and Mirror Dog came out, completing the entire ensemble.
“What?! Eight of them? You…”
It was the first time all day Kanzis demonstrated any alarm, but even then, it was only for a moment. Quickly regaining his composure, he flashed a fearless smile.
“Well, I commend you for your surprising growth… But we still have the strength advantage.”
“Silence!”
“Ooh, scary. In that case, I’ll say no more, then. In fact, the next thing I’ll do is strip you limb from limb. You’ll make lovely decorations for my room.”
The negotiations were over—and so the battle of eight against five began.
Although Kumara’s ensemble had the numerical advantage, their opponents were elites who had served her own predecessor for untold numbers of years. The sheer amount of magicule energy inside them was unparalleled, as was their experience. The White Monkey and its friends were far from weaklings, but their dark counterparts were more than powerful enough to counteract being outnumbered.
As time went on, Kumara’s beasts began to be pushed back. But she didn’t give up. And some careful observation of Kanzis revealed something. Each of the magic beasts Kanzis summoned was quite powerful solo—and while they had fully lost their memories, they still seemed to retain their sense of reason, reacting quickly to Kanzis’s instructions. In other words, if she could beat their commander in Kanzis, that might give Kumara a chance to win.
Besides, she still had one more trick up her sleeve. Once she brought all eight tail beasts back to herself, she could take her true form—and by her judgment, that’d give her the edge of Kanzis and his team. It was thus with little to no panic that Kumara carefully judged her situation.
What about Kanzis? Although it looked like he was on top of his game, he was actually pretty close to the edge of his limits. There was a good reason why he was commanding all these dark beasts. He had a secret power as well—the unique skill Looter.
This skill had no power on its own; it required something to build on. Kanzis first stumbled upon it as a child. He had gotten into a fight with a friend over some petty issue, and to get back at him, he killed his friend’s pet dog. After that, he was able to summon a dark incarnation of the dog anytime he wanted.
That alone was only slightly useful in a fight, but the true value of Looter actually lay elsewhere. He discovered it not long after he joined the army, fighting against guerrillas on the Empire’s far-flung frontiers. Whenever he killed one of them, he was able to summon “darkness” just as powerful as his victims. That’s when it dawned on him—he could only call upon those he killed by his own hand. The more he killed, then, the stronger he got.
But there were limits. This wasn’t a cumulative deal, where you were as strong as everyone you killed in your life; it only let you tap the dark powers of the greatest adversary you ever took down. It let him perfectly re-create the appearance and skills of his victim—a versatile trait, useful for disguising himself in undercover missions. But even then, there was only so much “darkness” Kanzis could handle summoning at once. If there wasn’t, he could likely control entire armies by himself, but sadly Looter was apparently too dependent on Kanzis’s own life force for that.
Kumara had accurately guessed that was the case, and even with her current disadvantage, she was not particularly concerned.
“Now I can tell—you’ve reached your limit, haven’t you?”
“And what if I have?”
“I don’t know how you’ve taken control of the Dark Ape and the rest, but that’s not an issue. I’m going to kill you anyway.”
That was her analysis of the situation.
Their respective band of servants were evenly matched in strength, but neither of the commanders were in the fray. If Kumara took on Kanzis then and there, he wouldn’t be able to give orders to his dark creatures—and in terms of magicule energy, Kumara far outclassed him.
“Don’t worry, now. I’m not going to make this easy for you.”
Upon saying that, Kumara disappeared, only to instantly reappear behind Kanzis’s back. Then she swiped at him, attempting to slash his neck with her claws.
Kanzis reacted in time, privately admitting she was right but still maintaining his detached attitude.
“You sure are scary, huh? If you were going to grow this much, I should’ve killed you twenty years ago.”
“Silence!”
“Heh-heh-heh… Now, now, don’t be so angry. To make up for it, why don’t I show you something real interesting?”
Kanzis laughed at her. It was true that his Looter skill could summon only those he had killed, and there were limits both to who it summoned and how much of its power Kanzis could personally tap. But there was still one more trick to it, and without a moment’s hesitation, he revealed it to Kumara.
“Have you ever wondered why I sold you to Clayman? Why I let go of you despite how much of a powerful asset I knew you’d be? Well…”
It was because he had already gained immense power—far more easily than he ever would trying to tame and raise Kumara.
Banishing his dark beasts, Kanzis summoned a single large beast in their place. This creature was the source of his strength, the reason he didn’t need Kumara at all.
“Th-that figure… Mother…?!”
Before her was a dark fox spirit bearing five thick tails and four thinner ones. She was the master of the Mystic Village, but she looked so ominous now, the kind of visage she had throughout her life gone without a trace.
“Haaaa-ha-ha-ha! You guessed it! It’s your mother. And now that she’s under my command, she’s able to handle and unleash all her violent forces with abandon. It’s amazing! Wouldn’t you like to see it?”
Kumara’s mother possessed a gentle nature that caused her to show mercy to her foes, an act of charity that came back to bite her. Even with the powers of a demon lord, she chose a modest life hidden away from the world, interacting with it only when absolutely necessary. That was Kumara’s predecessor, and now, by the hand of Kanzis, she was going to unleash her true powers.
“So you dare to make a mockery of the dead, too…?”
“Not mockery. Respect. I’m going to put her powers to good use. You should thank me for it.”
The dark Nine-Head summoned by Kanzis flared with rage as it saw Kumara. There was no emotion in its eyes—Kumara was merely the enemy, nothing else.
“Mother…”
“Kill her.”
Heeding the order, Nine-Head went on the move. The next moment, the full force of the combined dark beasts lashed out at Kumara’s own team.
“Winged Snake! Mirror Dog…?!”
The two that reacted a moment too late were seriously injured by the blow, returning to Kumara in tail form. That’s how powerful it was. Her group clearly didn’t stand a chance.
“Ha-ha-ha! What do you think? Pretty neat, huh? And that power’s exactly why I never needed you. But looking at the number of tails you have, you might even be better than your mother. You may lack experience still, but I can help you make up for it. Heh-heh-heh… Now I’m glad I kept you alive. If I can obtain you here, I’ll have even more power in my hands!”
Kanzis rejoiced. Defeat wasn’t even a concept in his mind. With an ally as strong as Nine-Head and his own augmented body, there was no way he could lose to a little fox—he was convinced of it. In fact, he even considered Clayman to be beneath him. Kanzis had planned to dispatch him once he fully tapped Nine-Head’s powers, but then the newcomer demon lord Rimuru went and killed him first. Maybe, Kanzis joked to himself, Clayman wasn’t any great shakes after all. But Kumara had just revealed she could wrangle eight tail beasts at once! And while their inexperience made it hard for them to beat anyone alone, with time and maturity, there was no telling what they could accomplish.
And that’s why I’m so lucky. I’m going to kill this girl here, and then I’ll douse her in my own power!
That, in turn, would power up Kanzis even further—and some upstart demon lord shouldn’t be any kind of match for that. With that thought driving his imagination, he began his attack.
Kumara, just standing there, shook her head and muttered to herself.
“If I lose my cool, I lose it all…is how it went. I must have forgotten Lady Hinata’s lesson.”
Then she looked at the man and beast slowly approaching her.
“Everyone, fall back.”
Answering the call, her tail beasts vanished into balls of light that were sucked back into her. Then her nine tails began to glow with a mesmerizing radiance. The man and his beast were already just in front of her—but Kumara was in no hurry. Her tail beasts might be inexperienced; that much she was willing to admit. But she herself was not. She had an excellent teacher, along with a hardworking group of diligent friends. It was a wonderful environment for Kumara, and it had done wonders to refine her.
Kumara gently stopped the sharpened claws and well-honed knife approaching her with both hands.
“…?!”
“Y-you…?!”
“I haven’t given you my name yet, have I? I am Kumara…”
“Y-you have a name…?!”
“…Nine-Head Kumara.”
The claws shattered; the knife snapped in two. Hurriedly, Kanzis reared back as Kumara gave him her bewitching smile.
“But no need to remember it. I was going to give you a slow and gruesome death, but that would too much for us to bear. So…”
Before she could finish her words, the dark beast crumbled to pieces. Kumara’s hands had torn the previous Nine-Head limb from limb.