Volume 6 Chapter 38 Beasts’ Battle
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The moment they faced each other, a sudden silence fell.
Both froze, their eyes locked in a piercing, escalating hostility.
Curiously, no words were exchanged. Recognition passed between them, yet neither chose reconciliation.
The Fox Princess raised her thick tail, assuming a defensive stance.
Surprised, she squared her shoulders and stared forward with a determined expression. Whatever mission had brought her here, she seemed to have forgotten; her gaze never left the Wolf Princess.
The Wolf Princess, once she spotted her opponent, readied herself with calm precision.
Clutching her prey, Klock, in her jaws, she lifted only her waist while keeping her long tail erect, glaring at the fox with predatory focus.
It was less a hostile attack and more the aura of a hunter sizing up prey.
A low, vibrating growl emanated from her clenched teeth.
”――――!”
The Wolf Princess moved first.
She released Klock, lunging boldly at the fox.
Like a true beast, she closed the distance with her hands skimming the ground like paws, then sprang toward the Fox Princess.
”Ugh――!!”
The fox responded instantly.
She tilted her body, choosing evasion over defense, and leapt to the side. Though physically superior, she judged a head-on clash too risky.
The wolf’s claws grazed her side.
Recovering mid-air, the Fox Princess twisted her hands into a peculiar formation.
”The Blade Seal Law――”
Magic surged in retaliation.
It seemed to manipulate the puddles collected earlier in the nest room.
Klock had never seen this particular technique before. Though clearly magic, it might have been a uniquely evolved form from the Beast Country. As she assumed her stance, luminous, leaf-like fragments began to swirl mysteriously around her.
What was that?
Leaves?
The shimmering shapes dispersed, then coalesced into drifting, swirling leaves encircling the Fox Princess.
It was an enigmatic spell.
Anyone wielding such unknown magic or skills was inherently dangerous. In combat, cautious strategy was paramount. Reckless engagement could easily be fatal.
Yet, standard strategy did not guarantee victory.
The Wolf Princess pressed on, undeterred by the evasion. She ran to the wall, kicked off the sandstone floor barefoot, spun swiftly, and continued the chase without pause.
”――Foxfire!!”
The Fox Princess, caught off guard by the speed of the assault, abandoned her hand seal.
Judging she could not activate her spell in time, she instead produced fire with a single word.
A blazing orb of fire materialized before her.
It was the skill she had demonstrated only moments before. Likely a Unique Skill, honed through instinct and practice.
The fire created a barrier between her and the charging wolf.
Any direct dash would have resulted in incineration. Born in a split second during combat, it forced any pursuer to hesitate.
Still, the Wolf Princess did not falter.
Perhaps expecting this defense, she leapt, propelling herself effortlessly over the flames.
Her small frame rose to the ceiling’s edge, then kicked off the roof to dive at the fox.
”――――!!”
This time she struck true.
The wolf lunged into the fox’s embrace, and they tumbled together across the sandy floor.
The two Beastkin girls struggled, grappling violently.
Quickly, the wolf gained the upper hand, her superior arm strength evident. The fox found herself at a severe disadvantage.
Sand and stone scraped beneath them as they fought.
Desperate, the fox tried to shake off the wolf and flee, but her strength was insufficient. Exposed, her back became vulnerable, and the wolf took it.
”Kyaa――!!?”
The fox screamed as the wolf bit the back of her neck.
It was like an attack from a true predator.
Of course, the Wolf Princess was no mere animal but a Beastkin. She not only bit but also twisted her arms, locking the fox in a restraining hold.
”――Kah, ha――!!”
The wolf’s grip sank into the fox’s neck.
Powerless to resist, the fox arched under the strain, her face paling.
The fight was over. With her vital points compromised, the Fox Princess’s defeat was imminent.
”Wait――”
Klock leapt forward in panic.
He could not stand by and watch her die.
He shoved against the two entangled bodies, trying to pry the wolf off.
”Stop! Don’t kill her!”
He pulled with all his might.
Yet the wolf, small but ferociously strong, remained unmoved. Was the world simply full of ridiculously strong kids, like that holy knight before?
”Hey! I said stop!”
Forced into a last resort, Klock tried a desperate move.
He touched the wolf’s exposed body, targeting her weakest point, causing her to recoil in shock.
”Fugya?!”
The wolf released the fox and leapt back, pressing herself into a defensive stance aimed at Klock.
”What the hell are you doing, pervert!!?”
”Wait! Calm down! Let’s talk! Let’s just talk first!”
He held his hands up, a gesture of peace.
Despite looking ridiculous, it clearly communicated non-hostility.
”Talk? You dare do this to me and expect words—”
”Hey, hey, I’ll obey! You’re the strongest here. We’ll follow you! Just don’t kill us!”
”…What?”
”This is Bastili Hundred Pits, Beast Country’s prison. No matter how strong you are, you can’t escape alone. You need allies, don’t you?”
The real enemy wasn’t the fox or the humans. It was the cats.
Spoken aloud, the Wolf Princess could not ignore it. She faltered.
”We’re in prison. This isn’t the time to fight each other. We need to cooperate to escape.”
The Wolf Princess fell silent. His point had been made.
Her words were rational, yet her behavior was erratic, almost mad.
The lingering miasma made her sanity difficult to gauge, leaving him uncertain how best to proceed.
”…I see. Indeed, my enemies are those cats. If escaping the cage requires your help, you may be useful. But as for that fox—”
”No, she’s useful too. We can’t afford to waste strength now.”
The Fox Princess coughed, clutching her right hand, eyes watering.
When he met her gaze, her composed features twisted in bewilderment.
Even after being helped, she looked suspicious. Klock hoped she would soon realize he had judged correctly.
”Everyone here is insane. Almost no one can fight properly. We’re the few capable fighters, so for now—”
”One is enough. You can escape the prison. If you cooperate with me, that’s useful. Nothing else matters,” Klock said.
She dismissed the Fox Princess entirely, confident in her solitary power.
…Perhaps hostility had grown from confrontation. Once enemies, people always held grudges, big or small.
It was entirely possible that she, having been so thoroughly beaten, might strike back the moment any truce was attempted.
”I get what you’re saying. But if you intend to kill her, I can’t cooperate. I might be next once my usefulness runs out. On the other hand, if you keep her alive, I can trust you to some extent. That would make cooperation possible,” he added.
The Wolf Princess narrowed her eyes and glared. She looked ready to pounce, which made him uneasy.
”So, you refuse to obey me?” she asked, voice like a low growl.
”That’s not it. I’m saying a princess should show some generosity. Look, if you oppose me and try to kill me, your escape might get difficult. Better to have me as an ally,” Klock replied, grinning like a merchant dangling a fine product.
The Wolf Princess’s brow furrowed deeper. After a tense pause, she placed her hands on her hips and let out a sharp breath.
”…Tch. Fine. If the fox princess obeys me, I’ll let her go,” she said, her voice commanding even as she revealed a slender, vulnerable frame.
Apparently, she recognized that her opponent was the fox princess—perhaps even an acquaintance. The Fox Princess ground her teeth and glared back. Then she turned sharply toward Klock, her eyes sharp with defiance.
”…Ugh,” he muttered.
She remained silent for a moment, then the Wolf Princess slowly lowered her head in acknowledgment. The Fox Princess, also a princess, mirrored the gesture with a slight bow.
The Wolf Princess snorted and turned away. Without missing a beat, the Fox Princess moved only her eyes, fixing Klock with a look full of frustration.
After all the help he had given, why such a look? Klock felt a twinge of irritation. Shouldn’t she at least reconsider and think he wasn’t dangerous? Maybe even apologize for the misunderstanding?
He scowled back, daring her to complain, but the Fox Princess just turned her face and sniffed haughtily. Perhaps she was the type who couldn’t admit a mistake.
Ah, great. He’d drawn the most troublesome pair.
After the brief standoff, Klock suggested they move. He half-lied, saying he had incapacitated a guard and taken the keys, then hinted at the possibility of other guards checking. The tactic earned their reluctant consent.
”…Hmph,” the Wolf Princess murmured.
”…” the Fox Princess followed in silence.
Klock led, and the two princesses trailed behind. The air was thick with tension. They spoke no words, leaving only the sound of barefoot footsteps and quiet breathing.
Both were princesses, but from where? Demon Continent? Or some hidden Beast Country? Even Klock, a battle-hardened former noble, had no clue how to interact with royalty. Speaking out of turn could be disastrous.
Royalty—people who stood above others. Their rules prioritized pride and position over even their own lives. Misstep in handling them, and even seasoned warriors could make enemies.
Still, Klock understood. As a former noble, he knew how power operated. Authority demanded justification for mercy or hostility. By presenting the Fox Princess’s survival as advantageous, he had found the justification to spare both her and Klock himself. A perfect play.
The gazes from behind were distracting. The Wolf Princess looked everywhere but straight ahead, while the Fox Princess’s eyes bore into him. Perhaps the Fox Princess’s pride had been bruised by being saved.
They returned along the corridor, only to find a fork blocked by shimmering water. Instantly, Klock recognized the Fox Princess’s doing. She averted her face but gestured with her hand.
”…Could this be some sort of protection against the miasma? Does water really block it?” he asked.
”Hmph,” the Wolf Princess grunted.
The water wall wavered, maintaining its shape as it slid forward into the fork. Klock understood—it was blocking the toxic atmosphere, though logically, if it were poison gas, covering it after the fact shouldn’t help. Yet she stood there, calm and unaffected.
”Ah… I have no idea which way to go. Wolf Princess…?” Klock asked.
”Upward is that way,” she replied, pointing one finger.
She must have been conscious when brought here. Klock imagined her struggling violently, fighting her capture. How she had been caught was a mystery.
Passing the fork, the corridor twisted unnaturally, making walking uneasy. The Fox Princess sealed their retreat with water, then allowed them to advance. They followed faint magical stones’ light along a sloped path to a small chamber.
* * *
The wall of the chamber bore a curious inscription: “Land.” Scratched near the magical stones, not a signpost but clearly deliberate.
”Bastili Hundred Pits… could it have three layers?” Klock wondered aloud, glancing at the scowling Fox Princess and the sullen Wolf Princess. Neither answered at first, until the Fox Princess spoke.
”I don’t think so. It was originally a giant ant nest—four or five layers at least. Why would you think three?”
”The lower layer said ‘Sea.’ If this one is ‘Land,’ then above must be the sky,” Klock explained.
The Wolf Princess chimed in from the rear.
”…Sky?”
Klock looked up at the empty sky. “Yes. Above it all is the realm of space,” he said. He pictured stars glimmering in the night beyond the visible expanse. If his imprisonment had been in the Abyss layer, the Sea layer must have been where the princesses were, and this chamber was the third layer.
”Let’s find a hiding spot first. The third layer should be quite spacious,” the Fox Princess said.
”Can’t we just escape straight from here?” Klock asked.
”From the top entrance to here took hours. We’d pass guard rooms multiple times. Too far for a single break,” she said. The Wolf Princess had likely remained conscious until her imprisonment, which meant the fortress was dug deep into the mountain.
If the entrance was at the mountain’s peak, the distance made sense without supply support.
After escaping, they’d have to calculate the descent as well. It was clear they needed to find a way to resupply in this prison first.
”…Should we attack the guard rooms?” Klock suggested.
In that case, securing food became the primary concern. Normally, a prison wouldn’t have such provisions. Even exploiting the natural terrain, it was unlikely they could find plants or animals in this place surrounded by sand, stones, and rocks.
”That’s our only option. This is a mountain. Some parts might have transformed into caves like ant-nest rooms in the lower layers. We need to secure a place for water, then figure out the location of the guard rooms,” the Fox Princess said.
Caves meant places where water dripped, dissolving limestone, creating jagged stone formations like frozen spikes. Stalactites, they were called, but the point wasn’t the formations. The point was that water was always present there.
”…Hey, Fox Princess. We left our companions below… are you okay with that?” Klock asked. He hesitated, knowing it might not be the right time, but it was better to clarify now than deal with complications later.
”They’re unnecessary. Forget about them,” she said bluntly. The irritation in her voice—was it mood or habit? Most Beastkin were devoted to their companions, so her detachment surprised him.
The Wolf Princess smirked beside her.
”Hmph. Probably another quarrel among them. Typical Foxkin,” she said.
”…Tch,” the Fox Princess muttered, her mood darkening. The playful teasing between them hinted at long-standing tension, likely known even outside these walls.
They passed the staircase room and entered a corridor. Climbing further offered no relief from the structure’s unsettling nature. The magical stones seemed more numerous here, perhaps because the miasma was weaker and movement easier.
”…By the way, Humans,” the Wolf Princess called from behind as they walked down the dim passage.
”What are you doing here?” her tone sharp, unwelcome. Klock wanted to retort, but she was royalty; speaking carelessly could be dangerous.
”He came from below. He’s an Apostle of the Abyss,” the Fox Princess interjected.
”What? An Apostle?” the Wolf Princess exclaimed.
”No, that’s wrong. Stop making baseless claims. I’m just a passing common Human. What do you mean, Apostle?” Klock protested.
The term “Apostle of the Abyss” surfaced again, and he realized he had to clarify before being attacked.
”Then how can you come from below? No, your very survival there proves you shouldn’t exist—”
”Then why was the Wolf Princess fine?” Klock interrupted.
”That’s because the place was distant. If it had been closer, my soul would have already melted!”
Soul… melted? Klock faltered, confused by words he barely understood. He couldn’t respond; giving these two an opening was dangerous.
Unexpectedly, the Wolf Princess offered aid.
”I don’t think the Abyss would choose a Human as an Apostle. Humans are one of the weaker races. Why select such a fragile one?”
The Fox Princess went silent, struck by the truth of that observation. Klock, meanwhile, could barely follow the conversation.
”…So, what exactly is an Apostle? Tell me that first,” he asked.
”Check your own heart,” she replied.
”I’m asking because I don’t know! Stop punishing the doubtful. I have no clue why I’m fine,” he said.
She insisted he was dangerous. True, his appearance could easily mislead them.
”Then tell me, why is a Human here? Fourth layer? Fifth? At least it’s the lower layer of Bastili Hundred Pits, where the Emperor of the Hundred Beasts sends those he wants sealed away. A regular Human wouldn’t be here for no reason,” the Fox Princess pressed.
”That’s what I want to know too. Human, why are you here?” the Wolf Princess asked.
Ah… yes. Now that it was pointed out, it was suspicious. On the Beast Continent, it was rare for a Human, especially a male, to be imprisoned here.
…And the reason had to be him.
Three months ago, in the Empire, Klock had been cornered inside a museum during preparations to flee. The one who trapped him was the apprentice of the Great Mage Hermine—the Beast Country princess, twin White Cat Princess Elna. His imprisonment was undoubtedly because of her.
Notes:
• Hermine – Daughter of the Emperor of the Second Empire of Dusselhelm. A companion and friend of Anna. The mage. She is pragmatic and encourages Anna to focus on her duties as a hero rather than her personal revenge.
• 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.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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