Revenge of the Soul Eater Volume 3 chapter 4 part 1

Chapter 4: mythical species
 

 
1
 

 
The moment I cleaved through Goz’s shoulder, the amount of soul that flowed into me was the largest I had ever experienced.
 
I had broken through the nothingness soul armor and stolen Juuzumaru’s soul, and now I had inflicted a deep wound on Goz and devoured his soul as well.
 
When I had consumed Jijinbou and Shizuka Gozen in the royal capital, my level had jumped from [6] to [10], but this harvest far surpassed that. As expected, Goz-Shima were on a completely different level from Jijinbou
 
My level kept rising in quick succession, causing my body to tremble.
 
Feeling the new power welling up inside me, I couldn’t help but smile. The wound I had inflicted on Goz was deep, but not necessarily fatal. Yet, I had been able to consume this much of his soul. If that was the case, I should be able to devour even more of his soul if I finished him off here.
 
I was about to cut through to his heart in one breath and devour all of Goz’s soul when it happened.
 
My wrists were suddenly gripped tightly.
 
It was Goz, who had let go of his sword.
 
Two forces clashed – my attempt to swing the sword and Goz’s effort to push it back.
 
“Tch!”
 
I clicked my tongue as I felt the bones in both hands creak under the pressure.
 
Goz wasn’t just trying to push the sword back; he was attempting to crush my wrists. Even with his deep wound, his strength was reminiscent of a bear’s.
 
Realizing my wrists might break at this rate, I still had no intention of retreating.
 
No beast exists that would easily release its fangs after biting into its prey’s neck. Ignoring the pain in my wrists, I pushed my body against Goz, driving the blade in further.
 
“Ngh… guh!”
 
The blade embedded in his shoulder shifted, and a pained voice escaped Goz’s mouth.
 
That’s right, there was no need to win this contest of strength. Just moving the blade like this was enough to cause Goz intense pain. If I kept this up, the grip on my wrists would loosen. Once loosened, I could push the blade in further. Even if my wrists were crushed before that, I could heal them with the power of mine.
 
I could devour Goz.
 
Mitsurugi Sora could defeat Goz-Shima!
 
As I was about to move the blade again in this state of elation, it happened suddenly, without any warning.
 

 
[RUUUWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!]
 

 
The sky, the earth, the people, the city – everything shook violently. The sheer force and hatred contained in that roar made my body and mind tremble fiercely.
 
And before I could even think about what it was, the next one came.
 

 
[KUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!]
 

 
“Guuuh!?”
 
“Nuooh!?”
 
Cries of anguish escaped both my mouth and Goz’s simultaneously. Our hearts were beating wildly. Sweat was pouring out uncontrollably.
 
What on earth was happening?
 
A beast’s roar? But no ordinary beast’s voice could disturb the heart this much.
 
The screams and shrieks rising from various parts of Ishka told of the magnitude of the event. This was already in the realm of large-scale magic – just as I thought that, the next one came.
 

 
[GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!]
 

 
“Damn it, what is this!?”
 
I couldn’t help but distance myself from Goz. In this situation, fighting was out of the question.
 
Goz seemed to agree, as we faced each other from a distance.
 
I frowned in confusion. Even if I wanted to do something, I didn’t know what kind of roar this was or where it was coming from. There was nothing I could do.
 
And then.
 
“…Master!”
 
A familiar voice struck my ears. Though the voice sounded pained, it wasn’t trembling.
 
I turned towards the direction of the voice and felt relief upon seeing Lunamaria.
 
Ever since returning to Ishka, I had been worried about not seeing Lunamaria. Miroslav had only mentioned Seal and Suzume, and I didn’t know what had happened to Lunamaria.
 
It would have been fine if she had simply been away from home, but Klimt’s Soul blade could turn a person to ash if he wanted to. I couldn’t shake off the nagging worry that something might have happened.
 
I was genuinely glad that my concern had been unfounded.
 
However, I couldn’t readily accept the presence of Liddell, the guild receptionist who was supporting Lunamaria. Really, what was going on here?
 
Ignoring my confusion, Lunamaria spoke quickly.
 
“It’s a dragon, Master. This roar is from a dragon!”
 
“A dragon… this is?”
 
“Yes. A roar that pierces the ears, penetrates the skull, and wounds the soul – that is the roar of a dragon. I heard about it from the elders in my homeland.”
 
Lunamaria’s voice was dead serious.
 
Having just heard the roar, I had no grounds to deny the words of an elven sage. Moreover, I was currently running around dealing with the Hydra’s poison. The Hydra’s poison had flowed into the Kale River because the Hydra had been revived. Yes, it all made perfect sense.
 
The problem was that the roar of the Hydra, which should be in the deepest part of Tittis, was affecting Ishka so far away.
 
While we were pondering this, the fourth roar resounded.
 
By now, everyone could only endure silently.

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— After that, the dragon’s roar assaulted Ishka four more times.
 
In total, there were eight roars.
 
Even after the eight roars had ended, the lingering echoes burned into my ears refused to fade for quite some time.
 
Beyond those echoes, I could sense the chaos in Ishka’s streets. Normally, even if there was some disorder in the city, people’s hearts would regain calm given some time. However, it was clear that this situation far exceeded the realm of “some” disorder.
 
It was plain as day that Ishka would face indescribable difficulties from here on out.
 
Understanding this — I pointed the tip of my Soul blade at Goz.
 
I heard someone gasp, but I didn’t even turn to look.
 
Whether the Hydra appeared or not, the fact that the three from Onigashima were my enemies remained unchanged. Rather, to focus fully on dealing with the Hydra from now on, I had to kill these three here and now. If Suzume were to be attacked while I was fighting the Hydra, there would be no way to handle it.
 
In response to my open hostility, Goz also raised his chipped blade. However, the voice that came from behind his ox-like face no longer contained the fighting spirit from earlier.
 
“Wait, Lord Sora. I have fought dragons at demon’s gate before, and this is indeed a dragon’s roar. If we cross blades here, we will only be benefiting the mythical species.”
 
“So what? For me, it just means I have more enemies. Defeating enemies one by one is a basic tactic, isn’t it?”
 
Or did he mean to suggest that we should join forces and fight together now?
 
When I asked mockingly, Goz nodded greatly as if to say “exactly.”
 
“Indeed. The extermination of mythical species is the reason for the existence of the Illusory One-Sword Style. For you, Lord Sora, who lives in this land, the existence of mythical species must also be a threat. Our interests align, so I would like you to exercise discretion here.”
 
“What discretion? Don’t be ridiculous.”
 
I dismissed Goz’s words with contempt.
 
mythical species are disasters made flesh. Considering the fate of those afflicted by the death poison, their eradication takes priority over everything else.
 
In that sense, Goz and his companions could be valuable allies. If we joined forces, we might be able to suppress both the mythical species and the magical beast rampage.
 
However, that’s only if we can trust each other. There’s no guarantee that the three of them won’t backstab me in the middle of battle. There’s also no guarantee that they won’t target Suzume. I have no intention of entrusting my back to such unreliable allies.
 
And that’s not all. Let’s say we successfully cooperate and manage to defeat the mythical species and suppress the magical beast rampage.
 
What happens after that? It’s obvious – we would once again be at odds over Suzume.
 
A rematch against Goz and his companions, who would have recovered not only from their physical injuries but also from the souls I had devoured. Klimt, in particular, would have reassessed his perception of me, so tricks like my earlier surprise attack wouldn’t work again.
 
I’m not conceited enough to think I could win against three skilled warriors in such a state.
 
If I were to exercise discretion, the sensible thing to do would be to settle this here and now.
 
“You want to use the mythical species as an excuse to start over, but I won’t let that happen.”
 
“No, that is not so. After defeating the mythical species, we will return to the island to report. While the existence of the oni-people is certainly concerning… now that we know you have mastered the Soul blade, and having experienced its power firsthand, we have no qualms about leaving the handling of the oni-people to you.”
 
Hearing this, I slightly furrowed my brow. Goz’s tone was completely serious.
 
It’s true that the oni-people were once an enemy race that fought against humanity, but they have long since lost their power as a species. Suzume, in particular, is just an ordinary girl.
 
That should be the case, and yet Goz seems to view Suzume as genuinely dangerous.
 
I had thought that Goz and his companions were hostile towards the oni-people because they dogmatically adhered to the Mitsurugi family’s demon-slaying and god-sealing laws, but given this reaction, there might be some secret about the oni-people that I don’t know.
 
I wanted to confirm this if possible, but it would probably be futile. If it were a secret that could be revealed here, Goz would have disclosed it long ago. He would have revealed it and used it as material to persuade me.
 
The reason for not speaking out is that they are forbidden to do so on their own initiative. And the only one who can force Goz, a senior retainer of the Mitsurugi family, to remain silent is the head of the family. Goz-Shima never disobeys my father’s orders. I learned that all too well five years ago.
 
I briefly pictured my father’s face in my mind, but quickly shook my head to dismiss the image.
 
“You can say anything with words—”
 
“W-Wait, please!”
 
As I was about to hurl more words at Goz, an extremely out-of-place voice interrupted.
 
Frowning, I looked at the source of the voice to see Liddell, who was supporting Luna Maria, staring at me with a pale face.
 
“…Please, from the Guild as well. Now is not the time for humans to be fighting among themselves. Please, sheathe your swords.”
 
Beyond Liddell, who was pleading, I could see Parfait sitting on the ground, as if her legs had given out.
 
Why were the Guild members here? That question was answered by Liddell’s next words.
 
It was here that I finally learned the circumstances that led Goz and his group to attack my home.
 
And I also learned the fact that Goz and his group had been holding back the rampage of magical beasts until today.
 
The moment I heard this, an idea flashed through my mind.
 
I looked at Goz again and opened my mouth.
 
“Goz, I don’t believe your words. Even if what you’re saying now is true, you’ll easily change your tune depending on what the head of the family says. If you’re ordered to slay Suzume, you’ll rush back to Ishka in no time.”
 
“…Hmm.”
 
“But well, there’s some truth to the idea that this isn’t the time for humans to be fighting each other. So, if you really want to cooperate in slaying the mythical species, show it with actions, not words.”
 
“Hmm, what would you have us do?”
 
“Right now—listen, right now. The three of you go back to the defense line and stop the magical beast rampage.”
 
The defense line is closer to the Tittis Forest than to the town of Ishka. The impact of the dragon’s roar must be greater there. If nothing is done, the monsters will surely break through in no time.
 
Normally, reinforcements should be sent from Ishka’s garrison, but I doubt the current garrison has that kind of leeway.
 
That’s where Goz and his group come in. Three Banner warriors, each worth a thousand men. Two of them are injured, but with their resolve to protect the country and save the world, a few injuries shouldn’t be a problem.
 
While Goz and his group buy time, I’ll evacuate those close to me from Ishka.
 
This way, I can proceed to slay the Hydra with peace of mind.
 

 
Needless to say, I have neither the obligation nor the responsibility to defeat Hydra. To be honest, I couldn’t care less about the chaos in Ishka or the collapse of the defense line.
 
Still, I had decided to slay the multi-headed dragon that had roared eight times.
 
My current level is [13] — it went up from [10] to [11] after cutting down Klimt, and from [11] to [13] after eating Goz. As I thought when I cut down Jininbo in the royal capital, the soul quantity of three these warriors surpasses that of royal-level monsters.
 
And I can predict that mythical species would have even more to offer than these three warriors. How could I ignore such an opportunity?
 
I have no desire for such a tragic resolve as to prepare for death and head to the battlefield for Ishka’s sake.
 
Just to devour. That’s the only reason I’m going to defeat Hydra. That should have been the best course of action for me.


 


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