Chapter 285 Engagement
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The carriage thundered across the plains. Magic streaked through the air; holy arts cut through the gloom. Swords swung in wide arcs, spears lunged with lethal intent, and some threw their bare fists into the fray.
The subjugation force had pushed further west, crossing into the borderlands governed by the local nobility. The Kingdom of Ferguson was close.
They had hoped to arrive sooner to coordinate with the local militia, but they wouldn’t make it in time.
”We must hasten!♡” Mother Marian said with a frantic edge. “Count Kudoa’s lands are already an isolated pocket¹. Innocent lives are being ravaged by monsters, ohhhnn!♡”
”Indeed,” General Oromanso grunted. “We’ll swing through the outlying villages to sweep for stragglers. Though at this rate, there may be nothing left but ash…”
General Oromanso, the bear-beastman, adjusted their heading. The border territory of Count Kudoa was originally an unremarkable countryside. Unlike the border with the Coalmine Kingdom protected by Duke Badcage, the Ferguson border was shared by several territories. Being a friendly neighbor, the locals had little awareness of it being a true “border.”
That meant it lacked the defensive functions a border should fulfill. While the nobles surely kept some forces for monster suppression, it wasn’t enough.
It wasn’t meant to withstand a stampede² of this magnitude.
”Are you insane?!” Slop shouted. “You want to wipe out these monsters while we’re moving? We’ll be ground into meat-paste before we even reach the main body!”
”It’s alright, we’re going to pierce the center of this stampede!” Sister Amelia replied. “If we can split them, we can minimize the damage!”
”That’s a suicide run… but damn it, we have no choice!” Slop yelled.
As they entered the Kudoa territory, the full-scale stampede hit. This was a sea of madness. A horizon-to-horizon carpet of monsters, driven by rage and terror, running on pure instinct.
A stampede of this scale triggered others in its wake. Across the lands of Count Kudoa, several smaller stampedes were likely already scouring the earth.
Breaking this momentum was vital. The Royal Army soldiers, the Holy Labor Corps, and the dog-beastmen steeled themselves and dived into the tide.
”DRAGON! Can you hit it from a moving carriage?!” Oromanso asked.
”We’ll try!!!” Marsetta-san replied.
The court mage Marsetta-san signaled her team. Satsuki and Kushe began priming the Ddo-Buddy Cannon³. On the bucking carriage, the Lesser Dragon was a chaotic target. It wouldn’t stay still, but that was fine. Their ultimate target, Zil Meina, wouldn’t be cooperative either.
The beast was flanked by Lesser Dragon guards, and the monsters below were in a panic. This battle was the preliminary skirmish.
Satsuki and Kushe pressed the Testicular Circuits to their chests, flooding them with mana. The energy surged from the Testis units, through the Epididymis Circuits, and into the Seminal Vesicle Circuit. Marsetta-san straddled the cannon’s barrel-which had risen into a stiff salute via the Erection Mechanism-and strained to lock on.
”Wait for the dive, just like always!” Marsetta-san shouted.
”Yes!” Satsuki cried.
”Locked in!” Kushe added.
”Wait for it… wait… NOW!” Marsetta-san yelled.
”””FIRE!!!”””
SHHH-PLOW!! SPURT!! WHIIISH!!
A violent torrent of thick, white light erupted. It grazed the dragon and pierced the clouds, vanishing into the sky. Marsetta-san bit her lip, but there was no time for regret.
”Second shot, let’s go!” Marsetta-san commanded.
The dragon realized it had narrowly avoided a lethal strike and turned its hostility toward the carriage.
ROOOOOOAAAAARRRRRR!!
The roar resounded, and the monsters on the ground redoubled their assault.
”Hold the line!” Oromanso bellowed. “Shield-bearers, stand firm! Have you forgotten the shame of being trampled by the Coalmine cavalry? Are you going to repeat that failure?!”
”””NEVER!””” the men roared back.
The beastman shield-bearers threw themselves forward. They didn’t care how many enemies fell upon them. To move forward was to live. That was their creed. Salvation then came from their former enemy.
”I’ll clear the way! Keep moving!”
Martin Popol-count leapt into the air, unleashing a mimicked Dragon Breath.
FROOOOOSHHHH!!
”The Pink Clan can do that too?!” someone yelled.
”Terrifying… but thank God he’s on our side!” another added.
Martin had learned the move from the dragons they’d encountered earlier. His strike tore a hole in the line, and the shield-bearers charged. Magic and arrows rained down from the rear to hold the path.
”What about the dragon?!” Oromanso asked.
”Not yet!” Marsetta-san replied.
The second shot had missed too. No-the dragon had dodged it. It was marking the cannon as a threat, performing a somersault to evade the beam.
”Dragon Breath incoming!” Slop screamed. “Is the cannon useless?!”
High above, the dragon’s chest swelled. Embers flickered at the corners of its maw.
”Guh! No choice! Rapid fire!” Marsetta-san ordered.
SPLAT! SHHH-VISH!
SPLUT! SPLUT!
WHIP-WHIP!
The cannon coughed out a scattered spray. But the Ddo-Buddy Cannon wasn’t designed for rapid use. The dual circuits needed time to pool energy to guarantee power. Firing without a cooldown caused the potency to plummet. The beams didn’t even graze the beast.
”Marsetta-san, let’s use that!” Satsuki cried.
”Satsuki, but that’ll…” Marsetta-san hesitated.
”It’s a good choice. We have no other options,” Kushe said.
”Fine! We’re going with full power!” Marsetta-san shouted.
Satsuki and Kushe flooded the Testicular Circuits with every drop of mana they had. Marsetta-san held the pressure back in the Seminal Vesicle. They waited until the barrel vibrated with heat.
”””DISCHARGE!!!”””
VUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-N!!!!
It was a staggering, endless release. The circuits shrieked and the barrel began to smoke. Marsetta-san gripped the cannon and whipped the entire weapon in a violent arc!
WHIP-SHHH-VAAAA-ZZZZ!!
The beam lashed out like a gargantuan, undulating whip of energy.
SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?!?!
The Lesser Dragon was caught mid-air, the viscous light tearing through its body. It fell from the sky with a death-throe roar.
”””YES!””” the mages cheered.
The three collapsed, their hands scorched. On the ground, the horde had been split by Martin’s flames and the mages’ victory. But as they looked toward the horizon, their faces paled.
”Wait… look…” Marsetta-san whispered.
In the distance, a massive swarm of Lesser Dragons filled the sky. And rising above them were the silhouettes of two Great Dragons, their wings interlocked as they watched the battlefield.
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Summary:
The subjugation team enters the Kudoa territory, which has been overrun by a massive monster stampede. They engage a Lesser Dragon using the Ddo-Buddy Cannon, eventually downing it with a high-power ‘whip’ shot. However, the victory is short-lived as a massive swarm and two Great Dragons appear on the horizon.
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Trivia:
- The Kudoa territory was vulnerable because it was a friendly border without heavy defenses.
- Martin Popol-count is using ‘Dragon Breath’ which he learned just by observing enemy dragons.
- The shield-bearers are beastmen specifically loyal to Queen Cecile since her coronation.
- The Ddo-Buddy Cannon is biologically themed, featuring testis and seminal vesicle circuits
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Character Insight:
Marsetta-san shows growth in her tactical flexibility, moving from standard shots to a risky ‘limit break’ whip maneuver. Martin Popol-count continues his redemption arc by protecting the shield-bearers who were once his enemies.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author uses the ‘Stampede’ trope to create immediate urgency, while the interlocked wings of the Great Dragons suggest a deeper level of intelligence or biological connection between high-level monsters.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Marian – A ‘Mother’ and supervisor from the Church of Demon-Subjugation. Her appearance and demeanor defy the Church’s purported ‘chastity,’ instead she has wavy purple long hair, busty, black nun, tear mole under eye, and monroe walk. She has arrived with a clear purpose: to confront Kento about the ‘Devil’s Stick.
• Oromanso – A General serving as the assistant to Duke Roost. Bear beastman.
• Slop – Leader of the hound-kin pack; Laika’s father. Has orange hair and fluffy tail.
• Amelia – The Sister of the Church of Demon-Subjugating, who usually buys from Kento, has light blue hair.
• Marsetta – A senior court mage and specialist in magical weaponry. She has disheveled hair tied back, wears glasses, and has deep dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. She hasn’t eaten in two days and is under heavy pressure to find a countermeasure for the enemy’s weapons.
• Satsuki – A talented Court Mage who was forced to analyze the shop’s adult magic tools. Miranda’s granddaughter. Now she’s the new worker at Harvest, a development she finds both humiliating and surprisingly fulfilling due to the rapid progress in her research under Kento’s guidance. Has long black hair, palace mage robe, and staff.
• Kushe – The Chief Mage of the Coalmine Kingdom. She has dark green hair grown out haphazardly and wears a mage robe loosely over her shoulders. She has a blunt, informal, and somewhat insensitive personality, focused on her ‘thinking experiments.’
• Martin – Lily’s non-blood-related younger brother. Considered the strongest candidate to succeed the Popol family due to his lineage and manifested ‘power. He has pink hair.
• Cecile – A high-ranking, powerful woman in the capital who possesses the authority to regulate business and commerce, particularly concerning moral or public order issues. She is currently investigating Kento’s shop, ‘Harvest.’ Have long golden hair, elegant, and wearing expensive white dress with gold accesories.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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