Manowa 331

 Chapter 331 - Let's Combine


◎ Black Stone Forest, Around Ogre Rock


The Berserk Ogre had suddenly appeared and started running. As Kazane and the others chased after him, they were heading toward a thin boulder around the size of a hill.


「An Ogre horn?」

「It looks like one, right?」


The Angelized Kazane was keeping pace with Jinrai on Yuuko-nee as they talked together. Lyle and Tatsuo's figures were already out of sight. Everyone splitting up was dangerous, so she had instructed Rokuten-kun and the other Golems to stay with them as they followed behind.

And the rock in front of Kazane's group was a huge rock that certainly had a sharp point like an Ogre's horn. Kazane and the others didn't know about the rock, but adventurers in Shijiri City called it Ogre Rock. It had a connotation as a boundary line warning adventurers they were nearing the Dark Forest, and the area was known for frequent Ogre appearances.


「Ah, as expected, he's there.」


Kazane and the others discovered the Berserk Ogre standing with an imposing stance under the rock. And in front of the Berserk Ogre, there were more than 20 Ogres.


「Ogres, huh.」

「Hmm, they don't seem to have the energy to fight.」


Exactly as Jinrai said, all the Ogres there seemed to be wounded and exhausted. They were probably also dying from poison. From their states, it looked like they had probably fled here after fighting Mad Spiders.

The Berserk Ogre groaned as he looked down at the Ogre group that was in such a state. Kazane's group was already almost right behind the Berserk Ogre, but the Berserk Ogre took no notice of them. However, some of the other Ogres made frightened expressions when they saw Kazane.

(...?)

Kazane tilted her head at that situation. Thinking normally, they should be more wary of the human man and monster cat combination than the cute angel-like Kazane-chan. When Kazane thought that,


「GaAAAAAAAAAA!!」


The Berserk Ogre suddenly shouted.


「What's making him angry?」

「Umm, it looks like everyone here was part of the Berserk Ogre's group when they attacked Winlard?」

Kazane so replied to Jinrai's question. It wasn't something verbalized, but an image transmitted from the『Dragon Eating Ogre King's Greaves』, and it seemed the Berserk Ogre's thoughts were roughly like that. The reason some of the Ogres were frightened by Kazane was probably because they were affected by her Fear Voice when they confronted her at Winlard and ran away.


「GooO」「GAaA」「Gii」


And the Ogres' responses to the Berserk Ogre were「Fear」「Despair」and「Apathy.」The Berserk Ogre's death in the battle at Winlard called『Berserk Ogre Swarm Subjugation』, the subsequent horrifying voice from Kazane, the exhaustion of the escape, and the raid by giant spiders in their home forest. It seemed the Berserk Ogre sensed that they had fled here because their hearts had been broken by all of that.


「GUaAAAAAAA!!」


But the Berserk Ogre mercilessly intimidated them. For Ogres, conflict should be their sustenance. They should be dauntless warriors who don't know fear. And yet, what was this wretched situation? That was the image delivered by the Berserk Ogre through the『Dragon Eating Ogre King's Greaves』.


「GUo」「GAA「BRUaA」


However, the Ogres voiced their replies to the roars of the Berserk Ogre.

Voices criticized the Berserk Ogre for being at the side of humans. Voices lamented that there was nothing more they could have done. They were emotionless voices from bodies that were already nearing death.

A Boss was fundamentally an absolute existence for an Ogre group. They raised their voices until that was shaken off. That itself proved that the Ogres were already accepting death.

They were asking the Berserk Ogre. They didn't want a miserable death from poison and exhaustion; they wanted a mercy killing by their Boss' hands.


「GaAAAAAAAA!!!」


But that enraged the Berserk Ogre. Fighting is everything for Ogres. The only death permitted for an Ogre is in battle. If you want to die, come and try to kill me! Then, become my flesh and blood, and continue to fight with me.


「Something like that.」

Kazane picked up the images from the Berserk Ogre's shouts and translated them into words for Jinrai and the late arrivals Lyle and Tatsuo.

「In other words, a battle?」

「With the Berserk Ogre.」

Kazane so replied to Lyle's words.


Then the Berserk Ogre summoned the black Dragon Claw Club he previously obtained by stealing the power of a Dragon Eater. He raised that black club overhead and sprang at the Ogre band.

The opposing Ogres also stood as they resolved themselves, shouted, and started running to confront the Berserk Ogre. Their tightly clenched fists were filled with gratitude to their Boss for preparing a battlefield for them.


However, they were already weakened. Their eyes were bloodshot, and their ribs were clearly visible. To the point that it was like a miracle that they were still alive. The Berserk Ogre mercilessly slaughtered those Ogres.


Compassion was unnecessary. Mercy was meaningless.


But that satisfied the Ogres' reason for being. Their Boss, the Berserk Ogre, granted that. By burying the band himself, the Berserk Ogre showed he was the existence most worthy of being their Boss.


Then the last Ogre clenched his fist and rushed toward the Berserk Ogre to strike him. The Berserk Ogre mercilessly crushed everything from his head to his fist with his club. The Ogre's tough legs collapsed, its arms bent, and with its completely smashed head, its body tumbled to the ground.


「No mercy.」

『This is a battle...』


Lyle and Tatsuo were looking at that situation with surprised eyes.

The two thought they were accustomed to fighting, but they had never seen a scene filled with such vivid fighting spirit like this.

「As merciless as ever.」

「Hmm. But it looks like he didn't just defeat them.」

「Eh?」

Surprisingly, the Ogres that were killed in front of Kazane and the others stood up one after the other. They already bore little resemblance to their former figures. They didn't look alive, and in fact, they probably weren't alive. But the Berserk Ogre shouted when he saw them.


「GuoOOO! GaAA!!」


「What is he saying?」

「Umm, you guys will be reborn. At『Our Boss'』side, we'll once again do nothing but battle?... What the hell?」


Kazane's face started turning pale.

「What does that mean?」

「Umm... probably, everyone will become my retainers...」


At the same time as those words, the Ogres that were beaten to death by the Berserk Ogre started shuffling toward Kazane.

「Eh, WHAT!?」

Kazane screamed. The Ogre zombies that needed full body mosaics began walking toward Kazane. But Kazane, Jinrai, and Lyle didn't stop them. Tatsuo also couldn't make a decision.

Because there wasn't a single bit of hostile spirit in those steps. Since Kazane and the others were accustomed to the battle, their response to those movements was delayed. And one of those Ogre zombies piled onto Kazane like it was hugging her.


「Oi, Kazane. They don't seem to have any hostile will, but...」

「No, it looks like they don't have any ill will, but, ki, kieeeee!」


The literally burst open bodies of giant Ogre zombies with crushed heads and internal organs hanging out gathered around Kazane, then started covering Kazane's body as their zombie bodies collapsed.


「Fungyaaaaaaaaaa!」


Kazane screamed. The scene was quickly scraping away her SAN value. Their eyes, organs, blood vessels, everything collapsed and became like jellied meat. It looked almost exactly like they had formed a Slime made of flesh, and that Slime looked like it was preying upon Kazane as it clung to her entire body.


「Ka, Kazane!」

「Wait Lyle, this is!?」


Lyle tried to approach and help Kazane, but Jinrai stopped him.

And the dissolved Ogre zombies viscously ran around Kazane's entire body. The Berserk Ogre nodded with satisfaction as he watched the work of his companions. In fact, he was wearing a never-before-seen smile.


「Noーーーslimyーーーーーー!?」


And when Kazane collapsed while spouting bubbles from the sensation of the slimy flesh-like something running about her entire body, her body, no, the armor covering her body and that flesh-like thing started changing.

The flesh-like thing that had been squirming a short while ago had transformed into a new shape by incorporating all the armor Kazane was wearing, such as the Dragonscale Breastplate and Drake Gauntlets.

It had also fused with Kazane's『Dragon Eating Ogre King's Greaves』and transformed into a single figure. It was a black light armor that covered her entire body, and its appearance was as if a combination of muscle and metal were embodying the instinct to battle. Rather than armor, it looked like Kazane's body was equipped with a tight exoskeleton.


As if responding to that, the white wings on the back of the Berserk Ogre, who was standing in front of Kazane as she blew bubbles, grew greatly, and he made them flutter. Since the greaves had evolved by fusing with various things, the Berserk Ogre had also grown.

Exactly like an angel's, they were pure white wings. Like he was swearing an oath of allegiance, the Berserk Ogre fell to one knee and bowed his head to Kazane, then immediately turned into light and disappeared as if he was sucked into the armor.


Thus, all the equipment Kazane was wearing combined and formed a new piece of equipment called『Dragon Eating Ogre Army Armor』. However, that was something Kazane would only notice after she regained consciousness.



Name: Yuihama Kazane

Occupation: Summoning Fighter

Title: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer, High Beast Summoner, Rea King

Equipment: Staff 『White Blaze』, Two Handed Sword『Black Fang』, Draghorn Tonfa x2, Dragon Eating Ogre Army Armor, Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Heroic Spirit Summoning Ring, Circlet of Wisdom, Aim Bracelet, Magic Accumulator, White Magic Accumulator, Rainbow Necklace, Rainbow Dragon Ring, Angel Bracelet

Level : 37

Health: 149+20

Magic Power: 321+440

Strength: 70+40

Agility: 77+34

Endurance: 41+20

Wisdom : 73-5

Dexterity : 50

Spell : 『Fly』『Torch』『Fire』『Heal』『Firestorm』『Healer Ray』『High Heal』『Golden Dusk「Dragon Exclusive」』『Mirror Shield』

Skill : 『Kick Devil』『Warrior's Memory: Lv2』『Night Vision』『Crushing Blow』『Dog's Sense of Smell: Lv2』『Golem Maker: Lv4』『Aegis Shield』『Fire Principle: Third Chapter』『Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter』『Air Jump: Lv2』『Killing Leg: Lv3』『Fear Voice』『Invisible』『Tiger Eye』『Wall Walking』『Intuition: Lv2』『Cheat Death』『Nimble』『Charge』『Material Shield: Lv2』『Information Link: Lv2』『Optical Camouflage』『High Dash』『Bloodsucking Blade』『Dragonization: Lv2「Dragon」』『Regenerate』『Soul Breaking Blade』『Stealthy Hand Placement』『Thunder Chariot: Lv2』『Sturdier Teeth: Lv2「Dragon」』『Crystallization: Lv2「Dragon」』『Devil King's Intimidation』『Stone Minotaur: Lv2』『Mega Beam: Lv2』『Space Expansion』『Pseudo-Silver Creation』『Poison Claw』『Fireball「Dragon」』『Cuticle「Dragon」』『Arms Creation: Black Flame』『Ingredient Connoisseur: Lv2』『Dragon Pheromone「Dragon」』『Boost』『Monkey's Strong Arm』『Two-sword Style』『Boobies Plus』『Living Armor』『Alarm』『Six-sword Style』『Mental Attack Complete Protection』『Spider Web』



Yumika:「So all your armor combined? Your attribute values have also increased considerably. Your Wisdom has decreased, though.」

Kazane:「......」

Yumika:「Huh? No reply?」