Chapter 72 Three-Headed Magic Beast and Three Battlefields
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
[BOOM…!]
The massive iron bell rings out, its heavy sound shaking the entire circular colosseum—the Abyss Colosseum—packed with spectators. At last, the Iron and Blood Festival’s final match begins.
Our formation is a triangle: me alone as the vanguard, with Elenor and Kuuko—transformed into a massive black panther—positioned behind me on the left and right flanks.
Our opponents, the Iron Beast King team, field a three-headed magic beast as their vanguard: Hell’s Gatekeeper, Kerberos. Behind it, the heavy warrior commander Vulkan, who controls Kerberos, and Nerfel, another beastfolk who has transformed into a giant panther, wait silently in the rear.
The enemy moves first.
Of Kerberos’s three heads, the central one opens its throat wide, a dark red-black glow burning within. The next instant, a torrent of scorching flame erupts from deep in its throat, warping the air of the colosseum as it surges toward us.
It’s a fire with extreme heat, as if molten metal were spilling from a blast furnace. The heat waves alone scorch my skin even from several meters away. From the stands, a cry that’s half-scream, half-cheer rises up.
”Straight to this, huh.” My voice stays flat. “But…”
I raise my right hand toward the oncoming flames, deliberate and calm.
The air shimmers before my palm—and just like that, the flames vanish into nothing. As if a colossal waterfall had been stopped by an invisible wall, the torrent dissipates without a sound.
The burning stream, without ever touching my fingertips, disappears as if it had never existed.
”W-Whoooa!? Unbelievable! The Black Swordsman Xenos has faced the hellfire of Kerberos alone and completely nullified it!”
The announcer’s voice trembles with shock, echoing through the colosseum.
Neither the enemy nor the spectators had expected Kerberos’s maximum firepower to be stopped so easily. A wide-area attack that could cut through an entire enemy formation—against most opponents, that move alone would have torn through their lines.
Their opening attack had been a complete whiff. But—
Without a beat, the enemy unleashes their next move.
Now, the right head of Kerberos throws back its head and howls. A freezing chill fills the colosseum, and white mist rapidly forms throughout the arena.
”Both of you, handle this on your own!”
At the same moment I shout, a rain of ice spears descends from above.
Each one is a massive block of ice, the size of a man’s body—and they fall like rain, no, like arrows raining down from the heavens. A wide-area annihilation spell.
My [Magic Seal] only works within a two-meter radius.
I can’t nullify everything.
Blocking the attacks coming at me head-on, I glance back at the two behind me.
Elenor, with her light steps and a sword technique as elegant as butterflies dancing, deflects and dodges the falling ice spears with precision. Each time her blade strikes a spear, a clear metallic ring echoes. Ice shards scatter in all directions, sparkling as they catch the light.
Kuuko, with her massive frame, can’t dodge them all. But her beastfolk body, with its amazing healing power, sees her through. The ice spears pierce her thick fur, cutting deep into her flesh—but she doesn’t flinch, and the wounds close up before my eyes.
No need to worry about the rear guard.
As the ice rain subsides, the left head of Kerberos shoots a white lightning bolt that splits the sky, striking directly at me. I disperse it with my [Magic Seal] once again, closing the distance to Kerberos in one smooth motion.
”…He blocked that too.”
Vulkan’s voice carries disbelief, the words barely audible.
In response to Kerberos’s attack, the enemy beastfolk Nerfel moves as well.
He charges toward the rear guard—Elenor and Kuuko—with great speed. The wind from his massive body kicks up clouds of dust as he rushes straight toward the two of them.
”Kuuko, I’m counting on you!”
”GRAAAGH!”
Kuuko meets the charge head-on.
CRACK!
A dull, heavy impact—the sound of beastfolk fangs and claws clashing.
The two giant panthers, locked in battle, sink their sharp claws deep into each other’s bodies, snapping their jaws at one another as they wrestle fiercely. And in that moment of locked combat, Elenor doesn’t miss her chance.
”There!”
She circles around to the enemy’s flank, silent as a shadow, and drives her sword into Nerfel’s side—his movement frozen as he strains against Kuuko.
Meanwhile, I’ve entered close combat with Kerberos.
The shifting light of magic, breaking apart just before it reaches me, flickers at the edge of my vision. Kerberos’s left and right heads keep unleashing magic without pause, a torrent of ice and lightning—a storm that should destroy anything in its path.
But within my immediate surroundings, a two-meter radius, a strange stillness holds. A pocket of calm in the magical storm.
The enemy commander Vulkan maintains a safe distance, avoiding the magic’s reach, focusing all his attention on controlling Kerberos.
Essentially, this is a one-on-one fight.
”…Tch. What is that guy?”
Vulkan’s voice shows his growing frustration.
”If magic won’t reach him, then…”
In the midst of the fierce magical storm, the center head of Kerberos, which had remained silent until now, opens its massive jaws wide once more.
A physical attack.
Rows of huge fangs, each one as sharp as a sword, line the darkness of its throat—so deep it’s like staring into a void. They fill my vision, close enough to count.
A sulfur smell, like something burning deep within the earth, comes from its open mouth.
—
Summary:
The Iron and Blood Festival’s final match erupts as Kerberos unleashes fire, ice, and lightning against Xenos’s team, each attack systematically nullified or countered. Xenos’s [Magic Seal] creates a pocket of calm in the magical storm while his allies hold their own against Nerfel’s charge. As Vulkan’s frustration mounts and Kerberos shifts to physical combat, the confrontation escalates toward an uncertain climax.
—
Trivia:
Xenos’s [Magic Seal] has a strict two-meter radius limitation.
The Iron Beast King team consists of Vulkan (commander), Kerberos (three-headed magic beast), and Nerfel (beastfolk).
Kuuko is a beastfolk who transforms into a black panther with regenerative abilities.
Elenor fights with butterfly-like elegance and precise swordsmanship.
Kerberos has three heads, each specializing in a different elemental attack: fire (center), ice (right), lightning (left).
The battle structure splits into three fronts: Xenos vs. Kerberos, Elenor & Kuuko vs. Nerfel, and the overall tactical engagement.
Vulkan maintains distance to avoid friendly fire while controlling Kerberos.
The center head’s physical attack signals a shift from magical to close-quarters combat.
The sulfurous smell from Kerberos’s maw suggests hellish or demonic origins.
The announcer’s commentary provides live narration for the colosseum audience.
Notes:
• Elenor – Princess Elenor, the “Saint of Light,” is a silver-blonde swordswoman with soft gray-blue eyes and refined, butterfly-like grace. Whether fighting as a celebrated gladiator or serving as a party’s primary healer in white-and-gold robes, she combines elegant precision with lethal skill. Though haughty and analytical, she is bound by Xenos’s Magic Seal, masking a submissive devotion beneath her cold facade.
• Kuuko – A cat beastkin infiltration agent and loyal companion to Xenos, she transforms from a tiny black kitten into a massive, physically imposing black panther. A frontline tank with regenerative prowess, she guards her allies and aids in childcare at the Grimlock estate. Doted on by friends, her unwavering bond with Xenos allows her to channel his mana, breaking enemy magic while providing a protective presence.
• Kerberos – The mightiest magic beast in the colosseum, known as Gatekeeper of Hell. A three-headed beast with each head wielding different elemental magic – lightning and ice in this battle.
• Nerfel – A leopard beastfolk and former Iron Beast King team member, he transforms into a giant panther to fight as a powerful vanguard. Once an enemy combatant defeated by Elenor and Kuuko, he previously served as a silent, robe-clad assassin. His combat style emphasizes direct clashes, contrasting with his team’s strategic flanking maneuvers.
• Vulkan – The enemy commander and heavy warrior. He controls Kerberos from a distance, maintaining tactical oversight of the battlefield. Shows increasing frustration as Xenos nullifies his team’s attacks.
• de – A particle used in the aristocratic name of the Margrave Albion de Blanchefort.
• Xenos – Xenos Grimlock, a reincarnated otome villain and former Final Boss, is an athletic, sharp-featured young man with black hair. Clad in dark gear, he wields “Magic Seal” to nullify nearby magic while hiding his genius. A pragmatic strategist, he commands the Rebellion and his theater-restaurant, Star of the Desert, building a loyal household of followers and princesses like Cecilia and the Pharma sisters.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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