A-ack! He’s eating a human arm…! That’s the Beast Emperor Grandleon?!
I can feel his intimidating aura even from this far away. It’s sinister, unlike anything we’ve faced yet in Ixphoria. Watching the Beast Emperor’s entrance by my side…
“Mn…!”
Seiya suddenly strains his voice.
“His stats…! They’re…!”
It sounds like he’s using Scan. At any rate, what kind of stats does this monster have for Seiya to be so surprised? I use Scan and cast a gaze at Grandleon…
BEAST EMPEROR GRANDLEON
LV: 99 (MAX)
HP: 1,200,044
MP: 0
ATK: 856,121
DEF: 819,637
SPD: 807,711
MAG: 58,754
GRW: 999 (MAX)
Resistance: Fire, Wind, Water, Lightning, Ice, Earth, Holy, Dark, Poison, Paralysis, Sleep, Curse, Instant Death, Status Ailments
Special Abilities: Dark God’s Blessing (LV: MAX)
Skills: Jet-Black Nail
Personality: Wicked
“His attack power…is over 850,000?! What the—?!”
I shake Seiyageos’s shoulder with my trembling hand.
“Th-th-this has to be some kind of mistake! He’s using Fake Out, right?! He’s falsifying his stats, right?!”
“Keep your voice down. What we’re looking at are his real stats.”
“B-but…! His attack and defense are higher than Demon Lord Ultimaeus’s!!”
“Relax. Just stick to the original plan and focus on making it through Grandleon’s inspection. Got it?”
Seiya pierces me with his gaze.
“I don’t have time to explain, but no matter what happens, just keep quiet. Got it? No matter what happens. If you don’t do that, we’re dead.”
“O-o-okay. G-got it.”
I tell him I’ve got it, but I’m already panicking on the inside! One of the Demon Lord’s henchmen has stats that surpass his own! Is something as unusual as this even possible?!
The footsteps get closer to the room, but I still can’t calm myself down. Without being able to resolve my feelings, I see the door to the room slowly open. Beast Emperor Grandleon appears. He quickly surveys the room, then says:
“…This place is a mess. The Hero broke into your house, huh?”
His deep voice rumbles around the room as he studies it.
After looking at Seiyageos, he turns his gaze to the beastkin behind him—me. My heart skips a beat, but he swiftly returns his attention to Seiyageos. I guess that means it’s not that unusual for the ruler of this city to have a beastkin follow him around for help.
“Bunogeos, you look injured. You okay?”
“Yeah. I—I was able to defeat the Hero…but he was more of a pain than I expected…”
“You defeated him? Well, I suppose there would be no way a mere human could defeat you.”
But Seiyageos staggers and slams a hand against the wall. He groans in pain.
“Hey, are you sure you’re okay?”
“W-wee-hee-hee. I-I’ll live.”
“He really did a number on you, huh? I hate to do this while you’re injured, but I need to finish inspecting the place. It’ll be over soon, though.”
…I listen to the conversation, impressed with Seiya’s performance.
H-he’s good! Acting like he’s injured will make it even harder for Grandleon to see through his disguise! Even if he behaves differently than Bunogeos would, he can just blame it on the injury!
“Now, as for the reason why I’m here…”
Grandleon decided to come inspect Galvano two days ago when Seiya was assassinating beastkin with Burst Air. In other words, he was probably already planning on helping Bunogeos defeat the Hero. But since the current story is that Bunogeos scraped out a victory over the Hero, what was it Grandleon still needed to inspect?
The next thing the Beast Emperor says sends a chill down my spine.
“I’m gonna be straightforward with you, Bunogeos. I need to make sure you’re really Bunogeos.”
Wh-wh-what did he just say?!
“The tawny-haired demon told me that the Hero might defeat you and turn into you.”
I-it’s that “tawny-haired demon” again! Th-this is bad! This is real bad! They knew exactly what we were going to do!
“So I hate to do this to you, but I’m gonna need to check a few things to make sure you’re the real Bunogeos. I’ll be out of your hair after that.”
Grandleon slowly approaches Seiya with a menacing look until he’s close enough that Seiya could feel him breathing. Then…there’s silence. The few dozen seconds that go by feel like an eternity to me.
“Your scent, aura, and stats…are all Bunogeos’s.”
“O-of course they arrre.”
As Seiyageos puts on a fake smile, Grandleon questions him further.
“Where’s the Hero’s body?”
“I accidentally pulverized him into a pulp. I wanted to capture him alive, but…”
“He was a strong opponent, so it’s understandable…but are you telling me the truth? This is you we’re talking about. Are you sure you didn’t just eat him?”
“I—I would never… Wee-hee-hee-hee…”
“Tch. Next question. Do you remember when we last communicated through the crystal ball? Let’s hear your answer.”
“H-huh? My answerrr?”
“I told you to look into it. I want to know exactly how many. I don’t need to explain myself any further, do I?”
As Seiya keeps silent, Grandleon stands over him with a piercing glare. But even then…I remain calm! Grandleon is asking for a number—the number of beastkin killed by the Hero! We already figured that much out while we were eavesdropping under the mansion! Yep. All those days living as a mole were for this moment! I can’t believe Seiya was planning on becoming Bunogeos long before he defeated him! What a genius!
“Hey, what’s wrong? I told you to check, didn’t I?”
“Y-yes… You want to know…how many beastkin were…killed by the Hero, right?”
“I do. Now answer me, Bunogeos.”
I immediately start panicking, noticing Grandleon losing his patience.
Wh-what’s wrong, Seiya?! Don’t tell me you forgot! We killed exactly three hundred! Three hundred! That’s all you have to say to dispel his suspicions!
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Answer me!”
“Th-that’s, um…”
Sweat profusely pours down Bunogeos’s cheeks while Grandleon’s fiendish aura grows.
“Answer me, you filthy pig! If you don’t…I’ll kill you!”
Wh-wh-what?! Why isn’t he answering?! My breathing grows unsteady as I lose my presence of mind. But eventually, Grandleon slightly relaxes his fierce expression.
“I knew you wouldn’t know your numbers…”
Huh?! Wh-what’s going on?!
“That’s so like you, Bunogeos.”
“F-forgive me…”
O-oh! He didn’t tell him even though he knew the answer because he figured Bunogeos wouldn’t know! Wh-what a genius! He’s too good!
“Well…it looks like you’re the real deal…”
“O-of course I am…”
“Yeah… But that filthy tawny-haired demon told me he got some noise a few days ago when he was watching the Hero through the crystal ball.”
A few days ago? That was probably when Seiya’s personality went back from “reckless” to “cautious”! Does that mean Seiya predicted the enemy was watching him and used Fake Out to create static to blur the crystal ball? B-but even then…!
“That noise still hasn’t cleared up, though. And according to the tawny-haired demon, that means the Hero could still be alive. He told me to be inquisitive because the Hero might be really convincing.”
Grandleon slams his fist against the table in an annoyed manner, and his unbelievable power instantly turns it into dust.
“That filthy demon…!
I’m sick of this! There’s an easier way to tell humans and monsters apart!”
Grandleon points at the trembling girl in the corner of the room.
“Bunogeos, this is your final test. Kill that woman!”
The woman instantly screams. Even Seiyageos squeals a bit.
“A-are you sure? Killing humans is prohibited in this t—”
“Kill her. I’ll let it slide this one time.”
Sweat begins pouring out of my body.
Wh-what?! I don’t care how dire the situation is! We can’t kill a human! The slaves Seiya brought for added authenticity ended up working against him!
“Killing her should be no problem for you… That is…unless you’re really the Hero.”
Grandleon places a hand on Seiyageos’s shoulder.
“O-okay…”
Seiyageos grabs the ax on his back.
It’s actually a platinum sword that’s been transformed! It looks like he has no other choice! He’s going to act like he’s going to kill that woman, then unleash a surprise attack on Grandleon! After that, we just need to get out of here somehow…
But my prediction isn’t even close! Seiyageos approaches the slaves, then mercilessly swings his ax at the woman before she can even say anything! The powerful blow creates an explosion that shatters the floor, turning it, along with the woman, into powder and creating a massive crater in the ground!
I freeze at the horrific sight as if paralyzed.
This can’t be happening! Seiya…killed her?!
Seiyageos then calmly states:
“Wish I could’ve eaten her insteaaad… Oops! D-did I say something? Wee-hee-hee! Just kidding!”
“Now, that’s the Bunogeos I know.”
They chat in amusement, but I can’t stop trembling. S-Seiya would never kill an innocent person! He just made it look like he did! That’s gotta be it! But…! But…!
The moment his ax struck that woman is burned into my mind. I saw her limbs get chopped off moments before her body was swallowed by the crater…
As if I’ve lost control of my body, I involuntarily approach Seiya from behind.
“S-Seiy—”
Before I can even finish saying his name, Seiyageos turns around and grabs me by the arm. He then opens his eyes wide, silently signaling to me: Shut up! Don’t say a word!
Grandleon casts me a dubious gaze.
“Hey, what’s with the fish?”
“O-oh… It helps me take care of little things.”
“Did I just hear it talk?”
Grandleon begins moving toward me but suddenly stops and shakes his head with a frown.
“Ack. It smells like old fish.”
I decide to scratch my head and make fishlike noises.
“U-uwoh, uwoh.”
“Tch. I can never figure out what these fish-people are thinking.”
Grandleon faces Bunogeos once more.
“Sorry for all that, while you’re still injured. The inspection is over. I’m returning to Termine.”
After exchanging a few more words with Seiyageos, Grandleon turns on his heel to leave. I see Seiya bow, so I follow suit and bow as well.
It isn’t long before I hear the door close. When I lift my head again, Grandleon is nowhere to be found. I try to talk to Seiya, but he silently shakes his head and closes his eyes. Understanding that he’s busy, I wait in silence until he’s done. Soon enough, he gives me a nod. I guess he used his Automatic Naga to make sure Grandleon was gone.
“S-Seiya! D-did you j-just k-k-kill that—?”
I finally begin articulating what’s on my mind when Seiya suddenly grabs me by the collar.
“Eek!”
Simultaneously, there’s a sudden radiant light that changes us back to normal. The Hero…is staring at me with the eyes of a hawk.
“I told you to keep quiet no matter what happened.”
“B-but…!”
“The only reason you didn’t blow your cover was because you got lucky. If he’d fixed his attention on you, it would have been over.”
Seiya violently shoves me away, and I fall to the floor.
“B-but…! S-Seiya, you…!”
Seiya approaches the male slave in the corner of the room and raises a hand over his head.
“Huh…?!”
The light fades to reveal that the man was nothing more than a doll made of clay.
“I combined earth magic with shape-shifting. I thought Grandleon might make me kill a human to prove myself, so I prepared those two clay dolls and placed them in the room.”
“I—I had no idea you could do that!”
“Not only can they do simple movements, but they can also speak a little as well. Furthermore, I used Fake Out to make it look like they had the stats of average people, just in case someone used Scan on them. Of course, I used Fake Out on both of us as well.”
“You thought that far ahead…?!”
“Yes. But it doesn’t matter how much I prepare if you can’t keep your mouth shut.”
“S-sorry…”
After clicking his tongue, Seiya mumbles as if speaking to himself.
“Encountering enemies with stats that rival the Demon Lord’s was to be expected, but I honestly never anticipated running into one this early on, let alone an enemy with stats that surpass the Demon Lord’s. I need to make some major adjustments to the plan…”
It’s not often that Seiya is surprised. His tone is slightly gruff as well. Nevertheless, his frustration is understandable. Not only did an enemy with unbelievable stats appear, but I almost got us killed to boot. If Grandleon had seen through my disguise, we’d be dead right now…
The mood in the room is heavy, to say the least, and all I want to do is run away.
CHAPTER 16
A Goddess’s Declaration
Anyway, we somehow managed to avoid disaster. After creating a gate to the spirit world, I timidly tell Seiya that Ishtar wants to see him, but he doesn’t say a word. He creates a Bunogeos doll using earth magic and shape-shifting, then places it in Bunogeos’s bed before pulling the covers over it. I’m guessing he’s trying to buy some time while we’re in the spirit world.
“By the way…are you not going to tell the people of Little Light that you defeated Bunogeos?”
But he ignores me and heads for the gate.
“H-hey?! Seiya?! Are you even listening?!”
“The people of Little Light will be slaughtered if Grandleon discovers their existence. They’re safer living underground, not knowing anything.”
Seiya sputters without even looking at me. And just like that, we return to the unified spirit world together, awkward tension and all.
I connect the gate to the hall before Ishtar’s room. When we arrive, Seiya bursts right in without even knocking.
“Hey, Grandma, did a god from the heart of the spirit world really give us that data on the Demon Lord?”
Seiya almost gives me a heart attack. He doesn’t even greet the Great Goddess as he immediately presses her for answers.
“Yes, it was a gift from the Goddess of Time, Chronoa.”
As usual, Ishtar doesn’t snap at Seiya. Instead, she kindly listens to the Hero’s complaints while nodding—that is, until she hears about the Beast Emperor Grandleon’s stats exceeding the Demon Lord Ultimaeus’s. She suddenly wears a solemn expression.
“Then please avoid engaging directly with that enemy—Grandleon. With strength in excess of 850,000…his attributes rival that of the Goddess of War, Adenela, after unleashing her full goddess potential with Order. I am going to be brutally honest with you. It is impossible for a human to defeat Grandleon.”
I gulp audibly and shiver. The highest-ranking deity of the unified spirit world clearly just declared that beating Grandleon was impossible.
“Th-then what should we do?!”
“There is a way to defeat him. Grandleon’s phenomenal strength is surely the result of receiving the powerful blessing of a Dark God. You should b
e able to weaken him if you can stop the supply of power.”
Ishtar then turns her gaze to Seiya.
“Under normal circumstances, I would have waited until your battle against the Demon Lord, but…it seems we have no other choice. Seiya Ryuuguuin, I am going to teach you the Hexagram Ritual of Retribution. I have already received permission from the deities at the heart of the spirit world.”
Taken aback, I mutter:
“The Hexagram Ritual of Retribution?!”
Both Seiya and Ishtar turn to me.
“Oh? Ristarte, have you heard of it?”
“Nope! Not at all! What is it?!”
…An awkward silence fills the air. A few seconds go by before Seiya says with a straight face:
“Rista, all you’re doing is taking up space. You have five seconds to get out of here.”
“O-okay… Sure.”
After closing the door, I grit my teeth in silence.
What’s his problem?! So what if I don’t know?!
“…The Hexagram Ritual of Retribution… I don’t know the details, but I hear it’s a well-kept secret technique used by deities to destroy powerful Dark God–class enemies.”
I ended up heading to Aria’s room. After listening to her explanation, I let out a deep sigh, and she sends me a worried glance.
“Rista? Are you okay?”
“Yeah… It’s just…things have been really rough lately…”
“You must have been through a lot. Drink this. It’ll make you feel better.”
I finish off the tea she hands me with a side of kindness, then put my mouth on autopilot and let the complaints pour out.
“…And you know what? I did the best I could! I even ate death worms and turned into a fish-thing while acting like an idiot! I’m a goddess, damn it! But he treats me like I’m dead weight!”
The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious, Vol. 3 Page 13