kscans

Chapter 102 - The End of the Emperor

The Empire. The Royal Castle.

Grine's Office.

Grine, the new emperor, was receiving a report in her newly acquired office. The Edgeson units had suffered considerable damage, but in exchange, they had dealt a heavy blow to the high-level monsters.

Grine was delighted by this report.

It was proof that the Edgeson was a powerful weapon.

It was the moment all her long years of hard work had paid off.

It was then that two clouds of black mist appeared.

From them emerged Harynair the Corruptor and Rumby the Fateweaver.

Grine smiled.

"...Welcome, you two. How was it? Did you enjoy yourselves?"

To this, Harynair replied.

"...It was more than enough. Thanks to my cooperation with you, I had a very good time."

Rumby chimed in.

"...Totally. It was sooooo good. I can't even remember the last time I was this excited!"

They both smiled at Grine. But their eyes were not smiling.

Grine, oblivious, continued.

"...I'm so glad to hear that. It's only going to get more interesting from here on out. Once I've mass-produced the Edgesons and declared war on all the other nations."

A wicked smile spread across her face.

Hearing this, Harynair tilted her head.

"...Oh? Wasn't your goal to retake the north?"

To this question, Grine scoffed.

"...If I said that, Father wouldn't oppose my development of weapons, would he? If the monsters have made the north their stronghold, they're welcome to it. My goal is to rule over all nations. That's why I've been gathering the nobles to my side."

At these words, Rumby nodded.

"...Heeeh. So if you made that declaration now, no one would oppose you. That's why you had Harynair subtly influence the nobles, right?"

She muttered as if impressed.

Grine confirmed.

"...Exactly. Everything I've done up until now has been for that purpose. If possible, I'd like to borrow your power just a little longer."

At these words, Harynair mused.

"...Hmm. I can't imagine what else we could do, but I suppose I could hear you out."

Grine explained.

"...First, we'll manipulate the royal family of the Republic to start a war with the Church. The Church will naturally protest and take a defensive stance, but only against the Republic. In that opening, the Empire will launch a simultaneous invasion of both nations. It will be difficult for them to respond to a sudden surprise attack. Once they have fallen, we can slowly invade the Kingdom. They haven't invested much in their military, after all."

She laid out her grand plan.

Rumby looked intrigued.

"...Heeeh. World conquest, huh? What will you do after you've conquered it all? Isn't that the hardest part?"

To this question, Grine replied.

"...After I've conquered it? I haven't really thought about it. I just want to see people fight. I have no interest in governing. I suppose I might institute a system of slavery. If anyone defies me, I'll kill them as an example. That should be enough to make them obey. Other than that, I won't do anything."

She took a sip of her tea.

The two of them exchanged a look, then turned to Grine. Their eyes were cold and empty.

Harynair spoke.

"...Grine. What you're trying to do certainly sounds interesting. But what comes after isn't. We meddle with humans because their changes are what we find amusing. We have no interest in a world without change."

As she spoke those words, Redorza the Sage appeared behind Grine and injected something into the back of her neck.

After it was done, Grine clutched her neck in pain.

"...Gah! Wh-what did you do?"

To this question, Redorza replied.

"...Oh, nothing. I just injected you with the blood of a certain monster I resurrected. In a few minutes, you'll become a monster yourself. That's all."

She said it with a sly grin.

Grine's face turned pale.

"...Wh-what do you mean? W-weren't you my allies?! What about our promise?!"

To the distraught Grine, Harynair replied.

"...Oh? But we kept our promise, didn't we? The promise to make you emperor. Now that you are, our business is concluded, right?"

Harynair let out a small laugh.

Grine grew even paler.

"...Wh-why? Why would you do this? To stop my world conquest?"

Was it to stop the plan she had just laid out?

As Grine thought this, Harynair corrected her.

"...No, this was our plan all along. We can't let it be known that we were involved. Any human who knows must be eliminated. It's as simple as that."

She answered nonchalantly.

Grine's face twisted with rage.

"...Y-you monsters. Do you feel nothing?! Have you forgotten all the good I've done for you?!!"

To the screaming Grine, Harynair replied.

"...Nothing at all. We just wanted to see those two certain individuals suffer and fight. As a finishing touch, this is perfect. What will those two do when an unbelievably powerful monster appears? Just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine."

She said it with a smile of pure ecstasy.

Rumby and Redorza were also smiling.

Grine seethed.

"...Y-you fiends. So you never intended to join forces with me at all?"

To Grine's resentful face, Harynair replied with a cold expression.

"...What are you talking about, at this late stage?"

With those final words, the three of them vanished into a cloud of black mist.

Grine was screaming. Pain and a headache wracked her entire body. A sense that she was no longer herself. A dark, murky something was expanding within her at a terrifying rate. The agony was so great that she began to rampage, destroying everything in the room one after another.

The knights who heard the noise burst in.

"Your Majesty! What is wrong?!"

"Q-quickly, call a doctor!"

Several of the knights were in a panic.

Grine stammered.

"...Y-you all... q-quickly, h-help... m-me..."

With those final words, Grine's body was enveloped in black mist.

The mist swelled like a balloon, and just as they thought it would burst, it cleared to reveal Grine's transformed body.

Her skin had turned black, three horns had sprouted from her head, and her body had grotesquely enlarged.

The moment the knights saw this, they realized Grine could not be saved and fled.

Grine, in immense pain, smashed through a window and went outside.

And then, she completely transformed into a monster.

One hundred meters in length, three horns on its head, a face like a Triceratops, sharp claws, and quadrupedal.

The knights in the courtyard saw her change into a monster unlike any they had ever encountered.

Whether Grine's consciousness was completely gone or not, it smashed through the castle walls and entered the city.

At that time, high above.

The seven were watching the scene unfold.

Daios the Sea General asked.

"...Sage-dono. What is that monster?"

To this question, Redorza replied.

"...That monster is a legendary creature said to have existed long ago, a Behemoth. It was said to possess unrivaled strength on land. It went extinct because it was unable to sustain its species. In other words, it's a monster that is virtually impossible to defeat. Isn't that right, Bamhal-dono?"

To this question, Bamhal the Dragon King replied.

"...Ah, it boasted considerable strength. The humans of that time judged that they could not defeat it and decided not to engage with it, leaving it alone. The result was fortunate for the humans, it seems."

Bamhal spoke with a hint of nostalgia. Hearing this, Lates asked.

"...But is it wise to resurrect such a monster? It would be no fun if our observation subjects died, you know?"

To this question, Redorza replied.

"...There's no need to worry. That is an incomplete being. It will die naturally in two days. This is merely a measure to ensure no traces of us are left behind. Except for the Otherworlder, of course."

Redorza smiled. The other six smiled as well.

It was a scene that could be described as the end of the world. The citizens were in despair. But the monster did not rampage through the city; instead, it moved in a straight line, smashed through the wall protecting the country, and went outside.