Volume 6 Chapter 72 Invasion from the Abyss
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
A violent shockwave tore through the air.
It was the sound of something massive slamming into a thick wall.
”Uo―!”
At the same time, a scream echoed, shrill like hysteria.
A cry of the soul, a howl wrung out from the last scraps of life.
It rang like a death cry, begging for help.
Then a heavy, damp-feeling wind clung to his whole body. No, it was dry—yet still stuck to his skin in a sickening way.
What the hell is this.
Is this the end of the world or something?
It was like witnessing the apocalypse.
No natural phenomenon could ever be like this. The sky, red as blood, twisted like a stretched membrane. In the empty night, the crash mixed with shrill screams, shaking his brain violently.
Something dreadful was closing in from outside the town.
Not just any monster. This pressure—every twitch, every movement—was disaster-class.
Images flashed in his mind: the volcano dragon Fornas, the sea dragon Belgerona.
Named behemoths, beings of awe and fear. Whatever was coming was in their class, maybe worse.
Klock clicked his tongue inside.
Monsters attacking people was normal. Sometimes they even wandered into towns. But giant ones rarely did—and being there when it happened was rarer still.
Alright, time to run.
Meet up with Elna and fly.
When in doubt, dash backwards.
Monsters, soldiers, knife-wielding women—best option was always get out fast. Getting dragged into other people’s messes was trouble; slipping out early was the right move.
Klock’s strength wasn’t anywhere near the real strong.
He was just an ex-thief, after all. Not someone who should pick fights. Most of his combat was against people. Against monsters of this scale, he had nothing. That was adventurers’ job.
”What the hell’s going on, nya―”
Not that it mattered right now. Bigger problem than the monster outside was the cat inside.
He didn’t know what was coming, but scarier was the cat hostess in front of him, barely a hundred and sixty tall.
Klock crouched low.
He forced his creaking body to move―
”Like I’d let you, nya!”
The cat boss, watching the shock’s source, instantly sensed him move.
She whipped around and puffed something from her mouth. Klock dodged on reflex, barely. The needle-like thing clattered onto the ground behind him.
”Geez, can’t let my guard down for a second, nya.”
”Heh. Guess we’re thinking the same thing.”
Klock smirked, pretending it was easy.
She’d been waiting for an opening too, clearly.
Veterans were a pain. Elna would’ve kept her back turned till she was on the roof. But old hands like this woman were always worse to shake.
”Something nasty’s coming from outside. What’ll you do?”
”This town’s got guards, nya.”
Monsters weren’t her problem.
The hostess narrowed her eyes calmly.
Klock would’ve reached the same answer.
He saw her crouch slightly.
Backing away slowly, he raised the box, ready to open it when she got close.
”Mōkei, hi ware shō dōmō, dōmō motome ware, sho shi tsuge, sai san doku, doku sunawachi tsugezu, ri tei――”
Words like a chant reached his ears.
Between them, water poured from the roof.
The hostess leapt back instantly, dodging.
Klock used the gap to spring onto the roof.
Water splattered the street like a bucket overturned.
”An onmyō-user, Fox Princess, huh. Chanting just to hide what the spell was? But it’s so long it’s easy to dodge, nya.” [T/N: onmyō = yin-yang mage]
The hostess flipped and landed, eyes locking on the fox girl revealed.
Kuzuha, the caster, clicked her tongue atop the roof. The water hadn’t been meant to kill—but too slow to surprise.
The moment they regrouped on the roof, the two ran again.
The hostess sprang after them, chasing the man’s backside and the fox girl’s tail.
Again three shadows leapt into the night.
”What was that spell?”
”Poison. To cloud your mind and dull judgment. Even just brushing it was enough. Dodging perfectly like that was annoyingly proper.”
So it had been a trap.
Magic users had such variety. It failed, but the arsenal alone was reassuring.
In sudden fights, casters struggled.
In the heat, they often used what they knew best. Picking the perfect spell in an instant wasn’t easy.
But in a party, it was different.
With Klock up front, she could support more. Magic users shone brighter the more time they had to think.
”Trouble’s come. What about that cat princess?”
”Huh? What about?”
”Just saw lightning outside the town.”
Frowning as they ran.
Lightning. That meant the white magic cat.
Elna’s work? If so, then Elna was already fighting.
What the hell’s she doing. Told her to wait, now she’s in a fight?
Don’t tell me she’s clashing with monsters. Not with Mina and them.
Oh, right. She’s a princess.
If the cat town was in danger, she’d be protecting it.
He glanced back. The hostess was closing in.
Fast. No surprise—she was used to bounding around like this. Her moves were smooth, while Klock was still clumsy.
Kuzuha had beastkin stamina too, but she was support type.
At this rate, they’d be caught and forced to fight.
He had to decide.
”So you knew Elna was an ally, huh.”
”I saw through my shikigami. I sent one ahead to find you. I panicked when she saw it, but she kept quiet, stayed friendly with you, so I was confused. Still, if you reconciled with her, why are you still fighting the cats?”
”‘Cause we haven’t settled things with the Emperor of the Hundred Beasts yet.”
They landed in the street.
Jumping was draining. Running through town streets would save energy.
They veered north, away from the hostess and the kittens chasing rooftops.
Soon they saw the wall circling the town.
A stone wall, taller than a man, like any bigger town had.
”Elna’s waiting near the north gate. We’ll meet her there. If we gotta fight the hostess—Irina—better with them.”
”There are guests nearby too. What about that?”
”No clue. Best to ignore ’em and bail if we can.”
Still, if possible, he wanted everyone out.
But if Elna’s group was busy with monsters, they might have to be left.
Do we pull them mid-fight? Or fight together?
Too many unknowns. And the oni cat behind wouldn’t forgive a wrong move.
Only Elna’s side were allies here.
The ones who had to leave were Klock and Kuzuha. Maybe splitting in town was best. If Kuzuha guided him to Cianie, that would be enough.
”Cat-summoning art―”
A clap rang.
A summoning sign.
Red and white officer cats. If Larana showed up, it’d be bad.
”Damn, we got too far from the inn.”
Klock clicked his tongue, realizing.
If they came, Elna’s group would notice too.
Normally Mina’s team would rush to smother that move. But now they were away from the inn. Even if Elna rushed there, Klock wasn’t. Only the hostess would get reinforcements.
Pursuers behind, Klock’s side fleeing.
Outrunning Larana was impossible.
He raced his thoughts for any answer. But―
”Nya? No reply, nya.”
Behind, no greetings came for the cat boss.
She clapped again, but nothing answered. Confusion crossed her.
”Ha ha ha! What’s wrong, hostess? Did your pals ditch you? That’s what you get for cheap tricks.”
”Nya! They’re just busy, nya!!”
Mocking her, Klock glanced back.
Skittering like water striders were catlings.
Seven, eight of them. Cute faces, but their eyes locked on him, predatory, chilling.
”This isn’t the time to joke. They’re catching up.”
These weren’t Cat Tower kids.
They weren’t playing tag—they were enemies.
Caught, they’d shred him with little claws, not enough to kill but to tear apart.
Not like the kittens who napped on laps.
They were already in range of his wind arts.
He flipped a middle finger back at them and ran harder.
Legs aching, he pushed toward the outer wall.
A light metallic clang.
A sharp sound rang through the town.
”…An alarm?”
It was the town’s alarm bell.
Rung with no rhythm, struck hard.
From one spot, then another.
Villagers spilled from houses.
Beastkin rushed out at the emergency bell, enemies near.
The whole town was awake now.
Still. Even with the bell, it meant nothing to Klock or the hostess.
The people here weren’t townsfolk—they were outsiders.
And right now, their concern wasn’t gawking at alarms, but at each other’s grudges.
They understood why the bells rang, sure, but they couldn’t afford to care.
”――――?!!”
Everyone froze.
Klock and Kuzuha. Even Irina and the cats chasing behind stopped dead.
One kitten was so shocked she fell off the roof.
”Wait, hold up. Didn’t we just see a stupidly huge dog?”
”That wasn’t an illusion… right? …What was that?”
Every creature had instincts.
Instincts flared strongest before something that threatened survival.
Anything bigger than you was danger.
A bear over three meters would terrify most. A dragon five meters tall made people scream and run. Big beasts were fear itself.
And what had flickered past their eyes looked like a dog tens of meters long.
Even the Oni Cat froze at that.
The life-or-death chase was forgotten; reality forced its way into view.
”A monster!! A monster’s coming into the town!!”
A high, desperate female voice rang out.
This town had no men. Only beastkin women lived here, and one of them was screaming.
At the same time, a roar echoed from outside the walls.
”…What the hell now.”
Strangely, Klock was first to react.
He wasn’t strong, nor an experienced fighter, but he had more tolerance for monsters than most. He’d survived encounters with huge dragons—days spent on a sea dragon’s back had hardened his nerves.
Leaving behind fox and cats still slack-jawed, he sprinted.
He leapt at the outer wall and clambered up.
”…What the hell is this?”
Black.
Black, black, nothing but black in sight.
Kuzuha, late to catch up, fell silent.
Her eyes widened as she saw what lay beyond.
Night had long fallen, but the outskirts that should’ve stretched before them were nothing but black.
Truly black. Twisted light shimmered over it—the grasslands had turned into a black sea.
”W-what’s happening, nya…”
The hostess peeked over, a step away from Klock.
Her kittens scrambled up too, ears perked like curious kids. But once they noticed the blackened land, their tails curled in fear.
”F-funyahn… gross, meow…”
One kitten whimpered, swaying.
Another grabbed her before she fell. Others began collapsing one by one.
”Wait. This is―”
Kuzuha dropped from the wall.
She landed, fell to one knee, and clutched her mouth, wincing.
”Hey. Don’t tell me this is poison?”
”Not poison, more like―”
Her words were drowned out.
A thunderous boom stole her voice.
Looking up, they saw black water exploding skyward in blue-violet spray.
”――――”
A shrill, piercing shriek split the night.
Like a child yelling for no reason, but unbearably loud.
The shockwave slammed the town, forcing everyone to cover their ears.
Not human. A monster’s cry.
They knew because no person could scream like that.
And because they saw it—red glowing eyes in the spray, a dog’s head thrown back to howl.
A dog’s head.
Howling in the voice of women and children.
”What the hell is this thing―”
Floating in the dark, a wolfish head.
Massive, almost dragon-sized. Its fangs gleamed under the red moon.
Its body—no fur, only chains of blue-violet ovals, twisting like a serpent.
The head and body didn’t match. Anyone could see it. A centipede’s body.
A wolf’s head on a centipede’s body.
A monster. There was no other word.
”Wait. Wait wait wait, wait?!!”
The death wind roared, grinding their cells to sand.
The howl forced the idea of corpses into their minds.
The dog bared its teeth and breathed.
A reek like corpses, maggots crawling.
Air itself clung sickeningly to their skin.
The beast shrieked again at the red moon.
They covered their ears.
Why did a wolf’s head scream like people?
Its grotesque form writhed, grinning a predator’s smile.
Klock realized something new.
Dogs’ heads could smile.
It slithered across the black sea, snake-like―
”Disgusting! Nope, nope, too gross. What the hell IS this.”
The centipede-legs moved all at once.
Giant centipede legs, magnified to clear sight—horribly revolting.
A crawling sensation raced Klock’s back.
He stumbled two steps away―
”――――!!”
Someone shouted.
Too far to hear words, but he heard the fighting spirit.
Light flashed across the sky.
Lightning. White against the red. And of course, everyone thought of the white cat princess.
The wolf’s head jerked.
A thunder spear had slammed into it.
”Elna!!”
Lightning scattered against something hard.
That strike could pierce stone walls—yet it hadn’t pierced the monster’s skull.
The dog’s head swayed.
Then red fireballs blazed up from the town.
They pounded the beast with dull thuds.
”Mina!! Get over here, nya!!”
A white shadow swooped down.
At the same time, others ran along the wall.
”Kuro! A monster’s attacking!!”
”Boss! Larana’s down!!”
Two voices, almost together.
Then Meina, golden cat, arrived late, carrying Larana on her back.
”What happened, nya?”
”That monster came with the black water! Larana tried to block it, but the moment she touched the water, she collapsed foaming. She hasn’t woken since―”
”Wait, we have to move, now!! Just being near that black water makes you sick!”
Shoved back, they retreated from the wall.
Kuzuha looked pale; Klock scooped her under one arm and jogged back.
Meina and the kittens followed, while Irina and Mina hauled Larana.
It was like a disaster evacuation.
Not natural, but beast-born, and still unfolding.
”Bows! Use the bows!!”
A voice rang out in town.
Strong, commanding, womanly but fierce.
The town guard had gathered, ready to fight.
”Why the hell is this happening?”
Klock ducked behind a house.
The cats crowded close, dropping to their knees.
”No idea. It just came! The sky bled red, then black water poured in. It spread and spread, and that monster swam on it.”
”Boss. That poison water’s coming from the monster, or it called it! The town’s already sinking. We might be surrounded.”
Surrounded. Everyone’s faces darkened.
Caught up in their own feud, they’d almost gotten trapped, fed to the beast.
This was no joke.
”Hey. Don’t you recognize that black stuff? The Bastili Hundred Pits.”
”Hah? What’re you talking about.”
”That soul-crushing pain. It’s the same as when I was sealed down there. That’s Abyss miasma, isn’t it?”
Kuzuha’s eyes turned to him.
The word Abyss. Terrifying.
Irina, Mina, Elna, Meina—all looked to Klock.
The Bastili Hundred Pits.
Kuzuha had been sealed in the Sea Layer.
But only Klock had seen the bottom.
He dredged his memory.
Pitch-black prison. Worm rations. Beastkin rats shrieking and collapsing.
A bottomless hole, glowing blue-violet. Enough to make anyone uneasy.
Yeah. That had to be the Abyss.
”Now that you mention it, the Abyss hole looked just like that.”
”So you remember. Then this has to be an Abyss creature. Not that anything else could be that disgusting.”
The bell rang again.
Alarms, striking in rhythm now.
Voices, screams, echoed from across town.
Above the outskirts floated the wolf’s head.
With that looming, panic was natural.
”Abyss or not, we need to deal with it. Just being close is enough to hurt us. If the town’s surrounded, all the kittens will break down.”
”Right. Just being nearby is dangerous. If it gets inside, the whole town dies.”
”That’s really bad, nya. If we kill the beast, does it stop?”
They peeked again at the sky.
With its dark body, only the dog’s head shone, floating.
Elna’s strike hadn’t killed it. It just snorted at the sky.
No retaliation to the lightning. No clue how much it hurt it.
But with the black sea in between, taking it down would be hell.
”Anyway, let’s all work together and bring it down! If Elna and the rest combine their strength, we can handle anything!”
Elna clapped her hands as she proposed it.
No one objected. The kitten troop bobbed their heads, Mina and the hostess both gave their agreement.
In this situation, there was no other choice. Clearing out the common enemy came first.
Once the battle was decided… no, once the outcome was clear, they’d vanish before the hostess’s eyes.
Whoever slipped away first won. They’d have to play it smart.
Kuzuha and Klock exchanged a look in secret.
Seemed they were thinking the same thing. She raised a brow, as if to say you understand, right?
The hostess was surely scheming the same too.
Surrounded by cunning women—what a pain.
”First, gather everyone who can use wind magic and blow the miasma away. If we block the poison, we can fight. After that, get the earth mages to raise footing.”
”Fnya. Then mya can help, nya. It’ll take time to gather people, but these kids can run through town and―”
”No, wind won’t cut it. That ain’t miasma—it’s light poison. Only way to deal with it is to keep distance.”
He cut in, disagreeing.
Was he a hundred percent sure it was light? No.
But he was sure it wasn’t some drifting miasma.
”Eh… not miasma? But it’s Abyss, right?”
”Abyss poison’s probably light-based. At least it ain’t miasma.”
”Really? …Then what do we do. Elna can fly, but if we can’t get near the wall, Mina and the others can’t fight either.”
Not just Mina—most of them.
He glanced at the hostess; she frowned too.
Even with wind arts, distance killed reach.
Even Kuzuha, with all her variety, might not manage. Without knowing the exact nature, countering fully was impossible.
”Ah, yeah. Water works, doesn’t it? Through water, it weakens or cancels.”
”Water? Then it’s Meina’s stage, nya.”
The hostess looked at Meina with hope.
She meant her water-style arts.
True, Meina’s water mastery was solid.
”When she was little, Meina hated baths so much she always ran. I had to drag her in. After dead-fish eyes day after day, she reached enlightenment and learned sage-class water style, nya.”
”…What the hell?”
Even with the town half in panic, silence fell here.
All eyes turned to the catgirl who’d gained enlightenment from bath trauma. The blonde cat scratched her cheek, embarrassed.
”I knew she had sage-class, but never thought it that strong, nya. If it’s water, leave it to Meina.”
”Right. Nyan Law Corps is weak at water style. Mī, will you handle it?”
”Yeah! Leave it to Mī!”
…Could they really leave it to her?
Klock and Kuzuha frowned. The kittens’ eyes sparkled. Elna and the hostess looked hopeful. Mina the fire cat just looked bored.
Cover the black sea with water, build footing with earth magic.
Elna, the hostess, and Mina would lead the attack.
Rough plan and roles were set quick.
Elna might be young, but she was a princess. She took command naturally. With the experienced hostess holding back her words, it went smoothly.
The hostess too must’ve been letting her, seeing her future.
Klock kept quiet after a bit, reading the room. No point wasting time here.
”KuzKuz, focus on defense.”
”Got it. But I don’t know how much will work.”
”It hasn’t shown its moves yet. And Kuro—you go with the kittens to find more mages.”
The white cat princess gave her orders.
He was relegated to support duty, gathering people.
An adult, sidelined by a short girl.
That’s the world. That’s talent gap.
Maybe next life, no magic.
”Nyan. Then I’ll go with you, nyan.”
A chatterbox kitten, same noisy style as the hostess.
New partner in tow, Klock set off through town.
Separate from Elna’s group. Safer, maybe lucky.
”Hey hey, is it true you’re friends with MinMin, nyan?”
”Yeah. (Sex) friends.”
”Oh, really. Shi used to be her friend too, nyan. But being with MinMin got me scolded, so we haven’t talked since.”
He jogged through town with the chatterbox.
Target: guards and magic shops.
Needed: earth and water magic.
Casters, but also magic stones if possible.
”Ah, it’s fighting, nyan.”
Through a gap, they saw the monster’s head.
Even at distance, it stood out—huge, fur white against the red sky.
Booming flames burst nearby—Mina’s fire kicks.
From another side, arrows streaked.
The guards were trying ranged attacks.
”No time for this. Hurry. If it goes on the offensive, who knows what happens. Situation could flip fast.”
He’d never been in a group hunt before.
Not the kind you slack in. With allies fighting, tension was high.
No mistakes.
That thought pushed him faster.
”Hey hey, it’s looking this way, nyan.”
But his partner wasn’t thinking the same.
Too young to be called a flower, but curious, glancing everywhere.
Yet the hostess kept kittens like this obedient.
Her charisma was impressive. Klock doubted he could ever keep Cat Tower’s brats in line. Just imagining it tired him.
”…Hey, wait, it’s looking this way, nyan!”
”Hah? What is?”
”The monster!! It’s looking this way, nyan!!”
She tugged his sleeve, stopping him.
He frowned, looked up—the monster’s head was moving.
Yeah. Looked this way.
It had been eating small explosions and lightning spears nonstop. Slow, dull. Maybe it finally noticed and turned toward town.
Still, it felt like its eyes were on him.
No, impossible. Too far. Must be in his head.
”Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!”
Sudden, a shriek like women and children screaming.
So shrill it stabbed his ears.
He clapped his hands over them, even his eyes squeezed shut against the unbearable noise.
That was the monster’s voice.
A sonic blast, disgusting. Even when it stopped, the ringing stayed.
”――――?!!”
A voice came from beside him.
But drowned in the ringing. He turned—saw the girl running back where they came from.
”…Huh?”
What was she doing? They had to find mages, fast.
He couldn’t call out. The sound that left his lips wasn’t planned.
”…Wait.”
A memory struck.
That gaze. He’d felt it before.
When? In his long life, many eyes had looked his way. But this one—he remembered.
Recently. Had to be.
Yes—then too, it was dark. Not night’s dark, but blackness that swallowed light.
That time. When he’d peered into the pit.
When he’d faced that strange glowing darkness.
Those eyes had been there.
”――Found you.”
The monster, floating before the town, had barely moved.
Now the wolf-centipede twisted its head, aiming straight at the town’s center.
Its nose snorted, lips curling like a dog shouldn’t. Then―
”Ah, ahh, aaAAaaAAaaaAAaaaAAHHH!!!”
The beast crashed against the town’s black-water wall.
Its giant centipede body crushed stone with its weight, smashed nearby houses.
It shoved itself through the wall, screaming as it barreled into town.
”Wait—what, why’s it coming this way! No, no way, wait wait wait!!”
Notes:
• Elna – Female. A young apprentice mage. Her appearance is that of a child with white hair reaching her shoulders. She wears a black hooded mantle with strange patterns. Her relationship is as an apprentice to Hermine, the Great Mage. Her power involves advanced magic, including spatial teleportation. Her combat style is magical, and she is described as childish and easily provoked.
• Mina – The red-haired cat girl is a hostess who leans in closely, her blushing cheeks indicating her interest, but she plays hard to get.
• Irina – She introduced herself as the innkeeper’s name, a 32-year-old with a youthful appearance, who enjoys being sexually satisfied by Klock. A beastkin cat.
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Larana – Her white hair contrasts with an aggressive seductress attitude, as she entices with her body and a calculated air, once the gold coins appear.
• Meina – She is a golden-haired catgirl employee of the beastman (Larana the cat woman) Inn, appeared performing fellatio, desperate and tear-streaked, with an inexperienced yet earnest approach to her work.
• Clea – younger dog beastkin sister who also serviced Klock previously.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply