Chapter 246 - Encrid Refused

“Damn it.” Encrid neither hurried nor ran. He opened the gate and walked out as though to watch the charging monsters. Luchi and Richi followed him out. The elder brother, Luchi, was forever saying “damn it.” Now was no exception. “Damn it, you need to be careful, sir. Those things pull some strange tricks.” Luchi wore studded leather armor with mail reinforcing the abdomen. It clattered with every step as he followed Encrid. The brothers were strong, but no amount of beating would ever make thinkers of them. “Damn it. I came to earn enough for a horn bow, and now there's a colony?” Some things no amount of beating could fix. Not that Encrid had bothered trying to fix this one. Plenty of soldiers had foul mouths. A mere “damn it” was fairly respectable. “Every time we try to fight the human-faced hounds, those horse bastards come charging out of nowhere!”

Richi spoke as he drew alongside him. Beside him, Luchi muttered the inventive curse, “Those sons of bitches of horses.” “So it seems.” He had watched from the walls, and hadn't Torres gone on at length behind him? Even now, he could see Torres hurrying after him. 'They're using their heads.'

Centaurs were monsters that could rightly be called born cavalry. Their numbers had grown, and they also had a “general”-type colony leader. The previous Knoll colony leader had at least been a “normal” type: outstanding individual abilities, but not a trace of leadership. A general was different. In truth, this was Encrid's first time seeing one himself. Creatures that dangerous were hard to come across unless you were near the Demonic Realm. Still, there was one before him now. He could watch and learn. 'They've split into three.'

One group of human-faced hounds and Ghouls, another of the centaur main force, and finally a group of horse demonic beasts. As the hounds and Ghouls charged, he looked left and saw the horse demonic beasts rushing off to one side. Their intent was clear: gain room for a charge, then strike the human army's flank once it was engaged with the hounds. Several centaurs led them, like officers leading soldiers. Was this some brilliant tactical maneuver? No. It was plain to see. Why, then, was it so difficult to counter? The horse demonic beasts' charge should be manageable. The problem was the centaur leader standing motionless straight ahead, not even joining the attack. Having reached that conclusion, Encrid spoke.

“Rem.”

“Got it. But, hmm, are we luring that one in?”

Rem jerked his chin toward the front. He was asking whether he should hold back. “No need,” Encrid answered. He had thought it over on the way down from the walls. Hadn't Krais said they could simply fight? Strength against strength. That was the fight the monsters wanted above all else. Watching Rem run ahead, Encrid drew a deep breath, filling his chest. Then he shouted.

“TOR-RES! Leave the gates open!” “... Scared the hell out of me. Damn it.”

Luchi faltered to a stop, apparently startled out of his wits. “I thought my ears were going to burst.”

Jaxon had drawn near unnoticed and added his own comment.

“From that little noise?”

Encrid answered with a touch of humor, then watched Rem charge in swinging his axes. His steps were light, his axes merciless.

* * *

'So these things beat up my pet Beastman?' Ask Rem if he cared about Dunbachel, and he would smack the questioner over the head. Well, even if someone cornered the Beastman right before his eyes, he would simply watch. If she got beaten up, he would berate her for being so weak. Once all that was over, he would run his mouth at whoever had beaten her. “How about playing with me too? Huh?”

Like that. That was how he felt now. The charging human-faced hounds seemed half mad. Rem didn't care. They had red eyes with no discernible pupils, and came shrieking, mouths agape and drooling. Watching them approach, Rem crossed his arms before his chest. Then he tensed his arm muscles and swung his axes. His crossed arms spread wide, the axes whipping around and their blades flying unchecked. Things caught in the intersecting paths of the two axes. KRAAAAGH! The heads and bodies of Ghouls and human-faced hounds. THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD! The axes hacked through the charging creatures like rotten branches. Black blood burst around Rem with that blow, like an ink bottle shattering and spraying in all directions. Red eyeballs flew free and sharp teeth broke. He smashed skulls, split torsos, and severed forearms. Between each blow, black blood streaked through the air like windblown rain. “Let's have some fun.”

Muttering, Rem began swinging his axes vertically. THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

His axes fell in succession on the charging creatures. Up, then down. Up, then down. He pivoted on his right foot as he did so, sending hound heads and Ghoul arms flying over his allies once more. What more was there to say? Rem was Rem. “Fuck.”

A soldier who had originally served Martai spat the curse through clenched teeth as he watched from behind. They had meant to fight something like that? One unbelievable feat followed another before his eyes. At some point, he could no longer see the axes moving, only monsters dying. In moments, more than twenty were torn apart, severed, or sent flying with something burst open. This Rem fellow might as well have had eight arms. His feet never stopped, either. Before they knew it, he had left his allies behind and plunged among the hounds, wreaking havoc. KRAAAH!

KRAAAA! Screams erupted endlessly from the human-faced hounds. To sum it all up in a few words: “He fights fucking well.”

The comrade beside him put his feelings into words. “Are you just going to watch?”

Zimmer shouted from behind. He was every bit as astonished. He hadn't thought Encrid was the only monster among them, but no one had known the axeman was that monstrous. SKREEEEEE! Harpies shrieked as they circled overhead. They had come with the human-faced hounds. Over the past four days, those harpies had killed several soldiers as well. Limping, Zimmer glared skyward and shouted. “Loose!” Several soldiers confident in their archery fired upward, but it was hopeless. Few arrows even hit, and those that did failed to penetrate the harpies' tough hides. Then one plunged downward. Zimmer caught sight of its powerful, rushing dive. It was heading for Rem, who was rampaging among the hounds. “Watch out!”

Zimmer shouted, on the verge of throwing a spear to help. 'What the fuck was that?'

What happened next left his mouth hanging open. The harpy swooped in. In the midst of it all, Rem broke off fighting the creatures swarming him from every direction, planted one hand on the ground, and scissored his legs through the air. His kick caught the harpy's head. POP! It burst. Black blood sprayed again, and the falling harpy's body rolled to one side, crushing several hounds in its path. KRAH! As a hound pinned under the harpy screamed, Rem immediately righted himself and kicked it in the head. POP! Terrifying strength and skill. How could he pull off a move like that in there? Zimmer was glad he hadn't fought the man. Then he had no attention left to spare for Rem. RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE! The ground began to shake. It was the start of a tactic they had suffered time and again: throw in the human-faced hounds as meat shields, then charge with horse demonic beasts. Three centaurs accompanied them at the head. Each carried a thick wooden club. They didn't look like purpose-made weapons, but rather thick branches hastily taken from the forest. Even so, they were threatening. A blow from one would crack an ordinary soldier's skull with ease. “Hold!”

Zimmer shouted. They had stumbled into this battle, but now that it had begun, he had to do something. He didn't think they would lose.

'The lunatics.'

They must have had reason for their confidence when they came out. Above all, he had now seen their skill again with his own eyes. He simply couldn't imagine that Rem fellow being bitten to death by mere human-faced hounds. The rest of the troops just had to hold here, beating, stabbing, and killing the hounds. Kill the attacking Ghouls, and kill the wolf demonic beasts too. Things went as Zimmer hoped. Just before the demonic beasts charged from the left behind three centaurs, Encrid sent Audin out. “Go stop them. Audin, Teresa.”

“Yes, brother. I shall go give them a spanking.”

Audin spoke, and Teresa followed him without a word. RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE! A cavalry charge was terrifying in itself. This time, it wasn't humans charging, but monsters. The Border Guard members and Martai's standing-army soldiers stationed in the left-hand ranks gritted their teeth. Fuck, here it came again. They had to stop it. Then two hulking figures stepped in front of them. One of the Border Guard members recognized Audin.

“The religious nut?” “Just because something comes out of your mouth doesn't make it fit to say. Is that a proper way to address someone, brother?”

Audin spoke without looking back. The soldier thought the man's hearing was remarkably sharp, contrary to appearances. In any case, a curious reassurance settled over them once the two stood in front. Their sheer bulk was reassuring enough. But who was that masked one? That was practically a Giant's body, with head and shoulders every bit as high as Audin's even standing beside him. “Push them to your right,” Audin said.

“Understood,” Teresa replied. Both the size and the equipment stood out. The masked giant settled into a stance, setting a huge kite shield that covered her body before her. Stop a horse charge with a shield? Alone? RRRRUMBLE! The hoofbeats now sounded like thunder. The horse demonic beasts' charge was frighteningly fast. One moment they entered view, the next they were almost upon them. This was no time to worry about the hulking figure. Just before the beasts reached them, a Border Guard member hurled his spear. Putting the spring of his entire body into the throw, he sent it flying into a horse demonic beast's head. THUNK! He had hoped the beast would fall dead and trip several others behind it. But even at that speed, the others leaped clear of the falling creature. Their reactions were frighteningly quick. Then the leading centaur's club struck the masked giant's shield. BANG! The soldier couldn't tell exactly what had happened in that instant. He only saw the centaur that struck the shield lose its balance, pitch sideways, and stagger as though about to fall. At the same time, the masked giant smoothly brought her sword down into the head of the demonic beast charging behind it. That wasn't the end. Pulling her sword free, she tucked the shield against her body and knocked another charging beast aside. The movement was steady and repetitive: shove to her right, swing her sword, and force the horse demonic beasts away. 'What is that?' This was fighting power on at least the level of a proto knight. Even without “Will,” this was what it looked like when a half-Giant truly fought. In fact, Encrid hadn't drawn out all of Teresa's abilities either. Meeting him had taught her the joy of wielding a sword and fighting. But Teresa's true nature befitted the Giants' other name: red-blooded demonic beasts. “Hah!”

A husky cry burst from her as the horse demonic beast striking her shield was shoved aside and flung away. Holding her ground, she angled the shield to knock it aside, her feet plowing furrows as she slid backward. Yet her arms didn't break, nor did her stance collapse. She had met a horse demonic beast's charge with sheer strength. “The gates of heaven are open!” Her performance was astonishing, but the hulking religious nut was even more astonishing. That body, which looked so very ponderous, flew through the air. He sprang up, landed atop a descending horse demonic beast, and swung his club at its head. THUD!

NEIGH! The beast died with a brief final cry. Stepping off its collapsing body, he thrust his club toward the head of another charging beast. THUD! CRRRACK! That single blow tore the horse demonic beast's head out along with its spine. It flew straight backward, scattering a rain of blood through the air. Moving among the charging horse demonic beasts, Audin swung his club without pause. He wasn't blocking their charge. He was simply beating them to death. Yet his intent was precise: push the charge leftward, away from the center. A few beasts broke through to strike the allied troops, but compared with the fighting of the previous three days, it barely tickled. “Do you have time to watch?”

A voice cut through it all. Looking aside, the soldier saw a reddish-brown-haired man with a rounded helmet pulled low: a member of the Lunatic Company. A centaur already lay at his feet, blood pouring out. It was the one that had been knocked aside earlier. With astonishing balance, the monster had tried to right itself, but a blade had already entered its throat and been withdrawn. “Fight. That's your job.”

Every word from Jaxon's mouth was right. “Hit them back!”

Torres shouted from behind at just the right moment. The two hulking figures had split the charging beasts left and right, scattering the herd. This was no time to stand watching. “Loose!” They were dangerous charging together, but what happened when they exposed their flanks? No demonic beast could be easier prey. Everyone carrying a bow, crossbow, or slingshot unleashed their projectiles. Arrows and stones flew. One lucky bolt even lodged in a beast's eye. Encrid used all five senses to assess the situation on either side.

'When is it coming?'

He also tried to keep his glare fixed on the creature standing straight ahead. This fight wouldn't end until it came, would it? It had never suffered losses like this before, but the gates stood wide open and the fight had abruptly become a melee. This wasn't a situation in which the beasts' leader would flee. Above all, it had yet to unleash the “killing intent” that had served it so well until now. Encrid's hopes soon became reality.

“Kreeee!” The centaurs, what could be called the enemy's main army, charged as the third wave. The monsters' tactic was a three-wave formation. Draw attention with the first wave, deal damage with the second, then crush the enemy with the third. Simple, but reliable and useful when you held a clear advantage in strength. That third wave was now rushing headlong toward them. Encrid drew his sword and stepped forward. His position had been set from the start: in the allied center, where it met the enemy's center. Ragna moved beside him. “A demonic beast's killing intent is the same as intimidation. Did you know?” Unlike the soldiers whose balls had shriveled at the sight of the charge, Ragna sounded just as he always did. Calm. Even with the hoofbeats deafening him, Encrid heard that voice clearly. “Yeah,” Encrid answered. Then the charging centaur leader raised a glaive it had picked up somewhere and showed off its vocal cords.

“KRAAAAA!” Something powerful reached Encrid. Like a cat's gaze pinning a mouse motionless, dizzying killing intent engulfed his entire body. It overwhelmed the soldiers around him and the whole area, spreading the fear of death through presence and killing intent. And Encrid refused it all.