Yuma didn’t think this meeting would be all that useful.
‘They’ll just end up spouting whatever they want anyway.’
Right now, they were passionately throwing around their arguments, weren’t they?
Luine opened her pink lips.
“Honestly, it’s more likely that demons will emerge rather than dragons.”
At Luine’s words, the golden eyes of Berkan, the first prince of the Lycanthrope Kingdom, sparkled.
“And what makes you think that? Is it a conclusion drawn from your experience of being hit a lot by a certain race?”
Clearly, that was a jab at the elves.
This made the foreheads of the elf warriors behind Luine crease in irritation.
However, Luine’s eyebrows remained perfectly calm.
“That’s true. If the dragons were the ones opening the gates to invade, the reaction stones laid beneath the ground of our Elf Kingdom, Alvheim, would be trembling much more violently.”
Berkan found himself at a loss for words as he realized he had only succeeded in poking at his opponent.
Luine continued, smiling.
“We’re actually quite grateful for the current situation where we each have a fair share of land on this continent. There’s no need to split up territories further, as the areas are already clearly defined; we just need to protect our own.”
Luine scanned the various races sitting in the circle.
“What we need now is a system. A way to send signals when someone is in danger, a system that allows one side to respond quickly.”
Oh.
Yuma felt a flicker of hope.
Could they have built some amazing signal system?
Luine elegantly clasped her pristine white hands.
“The moment enemies invade the skies, we will send birds blessed by the forest to all the locations you occupy. Our High Elves will be able to see those birds.”
Luine explained with a benevolent expression.
“Our Elf tribe can quickly identify where support is needed and swiftly bolster our combat capabilities.”
It seemed the elves hadn’t even considered the possibility of getting help themselves.
True to their nature, they firmly believed they were the protagonists of this continent.
Yuma glanced at Brigitte.
“Let it out.”
“…I guess I should.”
Brigitte called her subordinates at Yuma’s words.
One of the knights pulled something out of a Spatial Pocket and handed it to Brigitte.
Brigitte immediately presented the item to Luine.
It was a magical communication device.
“Each race should have one. Although it’s not two-way communication, you can signal by pressing a button. The first red button just notifies when enemies first appear. The second blue button is for urgent signals.”
“At that moment, it was just about announcing that fact. The second blue button is for urgent signals.”
Brigitte’s words made the representatives of the species fumble with the tiny communication device, their faces filled with curiosity.
Tisha, the representative of the Mullen Tribe, stared blankly at the circular device as she examined it closely.
Berkan handed the device to his subordinate, who was the most competent among the Lycanthropes.
And the first to receive the device, Luine, had her brows slightly furrowed.
Her normally calm expression, which didn’t waver even when Berkan provoked her, stiffened at the sight of the magical communication device.
“What’s wrong?”
“…Magical tools are dangerous items that can pollute nature.”
“Adapt to new inventions. Even if you’re a little uncomfortable with something good, you have to use it.”
The high elf Luine twitched her eyebrows at Duke Yuma’s tone, which was reminiscent of an elder elf brewing herbs, despite being older than him at 872 years.
“Think about efficiency. This is a device that will completely cut down the time your birds will need to travel.”
The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became because she couldn’t find anything to refute that statement.
“…Fine.”
Luine ultimately had to concede that what the Astes Empire prepared was better than the measures they had taken.
Grrrr…
Berkan bared his beastly teeth and grinned.
“Luine, high elf. The reason you gathered the races wasn’t for some thrilling strategy, but just to meet us, huh? You wanted to gather the surrounding tribes to see if anything suspicious was going on?”
Surprisingly, Berkan, with the head of a wolf, made a rather reasonable statement.
“Well, it’s not a bad idea. We thought it necessary to see the surrounding races too.”
Berkan radiated the feral ferocity he had displayed when he first saw Yuma and his party yesterday.
“What I want is to decide the leader of this alliance right here and now. Should I call it the Alliance Commander?”
Berkan scanned the attendees around the round table.
Yuma sensed that this guy had once again taken on the head of a wolf.
With the demon kind pouring in, the species meeting was now solely focused on electing the alliance leader.
“Is there anyone who wants to be the alliance leader? Cat-Folk, what do you think?”
Elpher, the leader of the twilight tribe sitting as the representative of the Cat-Folk, snorted.
His black fur and ears reminiscent of a black cat stood out.
“You really seem to be eager to grab that leader position.”
Elpher fixed his brown eyes on Berkan.
“I’m not interested. The well-being of my tribe is what matters most, so anyone can take that mere title of alliance leader.”
Berkan smiled wickedly and turned his head. He was ignoring the Mullen female. After all, she seemed to be on the same side as that empire.
“Those of the Ren tribe can be overlooked. They seem to be in cahoots with that Empire anyway.”
Berkan’s gaze turned towards Garakulran, the huge Dwarf warrior whose mustache dangled like a pillar.
“What do you think, warrior?”
“Recall who organized this racial meeting, Berkan. Who has the initiative and authority to call for such a gathering?”
Garakulran expressed his opinion, albeit indirectly, but there was nobody here who didn’t understand which race he was referring to.
An entirely pointless psychological game.
“……”
However, despite the uselessness of the tension, it began to rise around the round table.
Just as the High Elf Luine was about to speak with a subtly amused expression—
“Gruk. My, my body feels weird.”
“Hekken, you too? My body… my heart and throat feel constricted. Kurgh….”
The Lycanthropes began making strange noises all of a sudden.
Kurrgh!!!
Sudden, bizarre groans erupted in succession.
Following Yuma’s example, the eyes of everyone sitting around the table, as well as those gathered nearby, turned towards the source of the sounds.
Kurgh!!
The source was none other than the Lycanthropes behind Berkan.
It wasn’t just one Lycanthrope vomiting blood.
Among the total of 51 Lycanthropes Berkan had brought, 11 were simultaneously spewing blood.
The commonality among those was that they were all clutching their necks or hearts, bleeding a deep crimson.
Karaaaak!
Kraaaaak!!
And their eyes were entirely stained red.
Yuma quickly activated [Search Eye] and focused on the leading Lycanthrope among them.
[Level 132] German
Race: Lycanthrope
Alignment: Neutral
Class: Master
Warning: A significant amount of monster blood has infiltrated the body along with a potent toxin. After a 10-day incubation period, they have entered a state of Chaos (狂狼).
Lycanthropes in a Chaos state have their brains fully invaded by demonic energy, making it impossible to return to their original state.
In Chaos state, a Lycanthrope will only seek to kill everything.
Even until the moment their own heart bursts and they die.
Chaos State.
As Yuma read the warning, he reached a conclusion.
There was no way to revert them back to their original state.
‘I have to kill them.’
Yuma’s thoughts raced.
Kwaaaak!!!
Lycanthropes who had lost their consciousness began to rampage uncontrollably.
Boom─!
With a powerful leap from the ground, the Lycanthrope, German, launched himself directly at the massive round table. The other Lycanthropes in Chaos state also began to go wild in the holy land.
Their eyes were the very embodiment of crimson. They were in a state where reason itself could not be found.
A state where one cannot find their very being.
The mouth of chaos lunged towards Ishera.
Ishera was undoubtedly a strong entity from an objective standpoint, but she had not reached the level of a master.
It was impossible not to feel intimidated as a master-level Lycanthrope charged at her just to kill.
And right next to Ishera stood Yuma.
He quickly grabbed the [Black Dragon Bernac’s Fang] that was resting at his waist.
BOOM──!!
With a reverse grip, he struck the side of Lycanthrope German’s head, knocking it clean off.
<Absolute Counter>
SWISH─!
A scythe-shaped intangible energy sliced diagonally through German’s body.
It was only natural for his breath to be cut off.
Thud.
“It’s a wolf of chaos.”
Yuma said softly while nodding towards Berkan.
“You know we have to kill him.”
Berkan looked at his subordinates who he had pinned to the ground.
“…I know.”
A blood-red aura was swirling around the body of the Lycanthrope. It was evidence that he had been completely eroded by demonic energy.
CRUNCH!
The vertebrae were completely crushed, cutting off his breath.
CRACK CRACK CRACK!
Yuma swung Balmung to deflect another set of fangs and designated two more Lycanthropes charging from the rear.
<Absolute Counter─Disaster>
BOOM──!!
Three upper bodies were simultaneously pierced by the intangible energy.
Yuma had killed a total of 4 Lycanthropes.
Berkan killed 4.
The Grand Sword Master Elf standing behind Luine had taken down 2.
“Ha.”
Bell, with a stiff expression, drew her sword.
The last Lycanthrope fell to her hand.
It was a sudden outbreak of mad wolves.
Yuma walked slowly, still holding Balmung.
Thud.
[Lv.217] Berkan
Towards Berkan.
Berkan eyed Yuma approaching him with a stiff face.
The man who had effortlessly slain two of his master-level subordinates who had fallen into chaos.
“Berkan.”
Despite the absence of any pressure from the man, there was a strangely intimidating aura just from watching him walk.
“Considering the words your subordinates spat out before going berserk, it likely wasn’t intentional for them to consume demonic energy. But given the current circumstances, it is essential to know the full story.”
Swoosh─
The blade of Balmung was aimed at Berkan’s neck.
“Prove your innocence and that of your kind. Lycanthrope Berkan.”
