[Vol. 8] Chapter 48: What Rank Are You Among the Four Heavenly Kings?
As the sound of clashing weapons echoed like the noise of metal and warhorses, the bald, muscular man who had punched the girl’s staff head-on seemed to be crushed by an invisible force.
His entire body was slammed into the ground like a carrot being pushed into the dirt. He sank down until the rocks nearly covered his waist before finally stopping. The shockwave from the hit created long, jagged cracks in the ground around him. Just looking at it made people feel nervous and scared.
"Crash~"
Even though her attack had hit perfectly, the black-haired girl didn’t chase after him right away. Instead, she flapped her pure white wings and floated backward, gently landing not far away like a falling leaf. Her face was still calm, and she even had the time to joke casually:
“Not bad. You took that hit head-on and didn’t die. You’re better than that Flora girl from before. So… is she the weakest of your four people group~?”
“ROAR!!!!”
The bald warrior didn’t answer her teasing. Instead, he suddenly let out a loud, angry roar that didn’t sound human. The ground that had trapped his lower body suddenly exploded into pieces, rocks flying everywhere, leaving behind a deep, messy crater. Vog leaped out from the hole, and the way he looked at the girl had completely changed.
“You’re strong! Very good!!!”
Only Vog knew the truth. Even though he looked fine on the outside, his right fist, used to block the staff, had all its bones shattered inside. His inner organs were still shaking from the powerful blow that had felt like a mountain falling on him. That meant her staff was harder than his fist. It also meant her physical strength was greater than that of him, a Behemoth warrior!
Since arriving in this world with [Wild], Vog had always crushed enemies with overwhelming strength. Even in his old world, among the Behemoths, no one had ever overpowered him like this using just their body. Being beaten in raw strength was something no Behemoth could accept.
But it was also the kind of challenge that excited him the most.
Vog didn’t care why this girl, who looked like a magic user and had legs thinner than his arms, could have such terrifying strength, stronger than even a Behemoth. He only knew one thing: this was a rare, powerful opponent, and having a good, intense fight was more important than anything else!
Seeing Carlos step forward to help, Vog glared at him with sharp eyes, warning him to stay out of it. Then, the huge man tore off his vest. His wild, bronze-like eyes turned bloodshot, and he threw his head back with a mighty roar.
“OAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!”
His earth-shaking shout echoed into the sky. Vog’s already huge body grew even bigger, swelling like a storm. Thick, steel-like hair started growing all over him. His broken hand quickly healed as his body’s natural power kicked in, and sharp claws like giant blades grew from his fingers.
In the blink of an eye, the bald warrior had turned into a giant Behemoth over 100 meters tall, showing the true power he had been holding back due to this world’s rules.
This was his true form, as the Earthshaker tribe chief, one of the three Behemoth tribes!
“BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—BAM!!!”
The giant beast charged forward with heavy steps, jumping up from a deep crater with amazing speed for his massive size. Copying the girl’s earlier attack, he flew into the air and charged down at her from above. All this time, the calm, black-haired girl had stayed quietly in place.
It was a simple and direct attack, but also powerful and effective. A Behemoth’s body was their strongest weapon.
On the battlefield, even the dragon races, considered the strongest beings under the gods, couldn’t match a Behemoth in pure physical combat. Vog was confident, even if the girl was stronger than she had shown so far, there was no way she could stop this full-power strike from his real body.
Unless… she was a true god!
In midair, the sound of wind rushed past his ears. As the moment of impact came closer, within a thousandth of a second, Vog’s eyes widened, and his senses as a transformed Behemoth reached their peak.
If the enemy couldn't dodge and was defeated in one hit, that would be perfect. But if she escaped again using some strange movement like before, then this time Vog was sure he could see it clearly, figure it out, and come up with a way to deal with it in the next fight.
Behemoths may seem wild and reckless, but they don’t just rely on brute strength. The reason Vog was chosen by [Wild] and allowed to return first to this rich and ancient land wasn’t just because of his power.
However, just as he was feeling confident, he suddenly heard a clear, slightly annoyed girl’s voice next to his ear.
“Really now... Why do all you mythical types love turning yourselves into flying cannonballs? I’m just a priestess, you know. I don’t exactly enjoy playing bowling in my free time.”
What…?
Before Vog could even finish feeling confused, reality showed him exactly what she meant by "playing bowling."
With an even stronger wind howling around him, a familiar white staff suddenly appeared right in front of his eyes without any warning. It grew bigger fast, and along with the rainbow-colored light that now surrounded the girl’s body, an unbelievable burst of power exploded from the point of contact.
“BOOM!!!!!!!”
In just a split second, the giant Behemoth, who had been falling down, was now flying back up into the sky at several times the speed he was falling. He was launched in a long, high arc, and then came crashing down into the distant wilderness, causing a thunderous explosion like an earthquake.
“RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!!!”
It looked like something out of a crazy dream, like a tiny mosquito had casually slapped away a giant man dozens or even hundreds of times its size. Even Carlos, the insect-like warrior who had been calmly watching, couldn’t help but narrow his many eyes. The legs holding his giant axe slowly tightened.
“......”
He didn’t go to check on Vog. Even among mythical beings, a Behemoth’s ability to heal its body was at the top. As long as he wasn’t torn to pieces or had his brain crushed, he would heal eventually. Maybe not as fast as Carlos, who was a divine beast, but this level of damage wouldn’t kill Vog.
Carlos, strongest under [Wild], both in power and wisdom, quietly turned to face the girl. She was still holding her holy staff, now surrounded by a glowing ring of light, with three pairs of shining wings spread out behind her, floating in the air. Her energy was vast and overwhelming like an endless ocean.
He raised his battle axe and slowly walked forward, lifting his head to look up at her.
At that moment, he fully understood who she was. He understood that both he and Vog were the challengers here, maybe not even worthy to be challengers. But as a servant of the gods, even if there was only a tiny chance, less than one in ten thousand, he could not back down or show fear. If he and Vog fought her together and lost, [Wild] would be in a very dangerous situation.
Even if the price was death in battle.
The girl didn’t stop Carlos. Her clear silver-blue eyes, not covered by the glowing light around her, simply watched him calmly. She even kept smiling.
“Your power is focused and steady. Compared to that big fool from before, you seem a lot stronger. And you're not being weakened by this world’s rules. So you reached this level with your own strength… In that case, why do you follow that evil god?”
Carlos held his axe against the ground. The wild wind blew across his hard, insect-like shell. Though his insect face didn’t show expression, the strong and unshakable aura around him stayed firm, even while standing inside the vast power of the black-haired girl.
"Repay kindness with kindness, and grievances with grievances. That's all."
“Oh~?”
The black-haired girl raised her eyebrows slightly, as if suddenly realizing something. For the first time, a hint of surprise and curiosity appeared on her face.
“This aura... you’re an Abyssal Beast? A sentient Abyssal Beast?”
Without answering her question, the insect-like warrior raised his battle axe, holding it level and pointing it toward his formidable opponent.
“...Carlos, a leftover creation of a god. I ask Her Divineness the Goddess for guidance.”