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“Goodness, it’s HUUUUGE!”

That was the first impression that hit me when I laid eyes on that whatever-the-heck monster. I mean, sure, the mobile fortress centipede from Animaru was big, but next to this thing? It made the centipede look like a child’s tricycle next to a minivan.

But size wasn’t the only issue; it was disgustingly creepy. Its skin gleamed, an unsettling color with some slimy stuff slowly oozing out… The centipede, with all its mechanical vibes, I could handle, but this? No, no way. I just wanted someone to change the channel on that monstrosity.

“——Hmm. It looks to be a Chimera, comprised of humans, livestock, animals, and even other monsters,” Suki commented, having quickly conjured his ‘Search Eye’ in response to my earlier outburst of ‘What the hell is that?’

Suki held the title of No.3 within the Seven Beasts of Calamity. A one-eyed creature with a feeler and wings, he was known as Monster Gazer, also known by titles like ‘The One Who Watches’ or ‘Observer’. He stood out with his unmatched strength, sharp senses, and analytical prowess.

“The entirety of this creature has been vampirized, or perhaps it’s more akin to functioning as a single cell in a vampiric state. It lacked a core, and instead, the entire entity is a mass of quasi-muscles and brains. The only methods to exterminate it are to destroy every cell individually or to obliterate the monster in a single devastating strike.”

Suki provided a detailed analysis of the visible aspects of the creature.

“Argh, so it’s akin to a leech rather than a slug, given its vampiric nature? But does it possess any inherent vampire instincts?”

“Yes, it possesses instincts. However, they have become twisted, sending it into an uncontrollable frenzy. Observe the swathes of land it has traversed—they’re now barren deserts.”

At his indication, I realized that the trails I had mistaken for slug marks were actually paths of desolation, where the land had been drained into desert.

“Could it be absorbing everything in its path, from the trees to their very roots?”

‘I don’t think I would ever go after the sap, even in an uncontrolled, bloodthirsty state. Just how much has that thing starved?’ I wondered, yet the truth was more astonishing than I could have imagined.

“It’s not just living things; the monster is absorbing the air, soil, and even the spiritual power of light. Have you noticed the distortion of light around it? Originally, this Vampire-based Chimera should have been dormant during the daytime, but it seems quite the opposite is happening, probably due to this phenomen… Oh dear. It has ensnared the body that got too close. Time to set off the explosion.”

Muffled detonations, reminiscent of firecrackers, surrounded the monster, punctuating the air.

The explosive force of Suki’s alter body was comparable to a small gas tank blast, but the monster remained unscathed as we observed from our vantage point.

“What an incredible absorption power. It nearly devoured all the life force from the alter body the moment it was ensnared. We’d best keep our distance.”

“Was it intentional, letting that monster capture your alter body?” Tengai inquired, skepticism clear in his voice.

Suki shook his head in denial. “No, it was brought down. The Chimera employed a light-based magic… and on further analysis, it resembled the Holy Aura used by Cathedral Crusaders. But it was twenty times stronger.”

“Twenty times? Really… It’s not my place to comment, but I can’t imagine any typical vampire faring well after emitting something akin to holy light.”
“You’re correct, Princess. The area that released it, and the cells around it, were destroyed by the recoil.”

That made sense. Even I couldn’t carelessly wield holy category attacks without suffering effects similar to dry skin, despite my resistance.

“So, did it offset the energy cost of the attack with the life force it absorbed from the alter body?”
“Not in the slightest. It actually exceeded the cost. This creature is plain foolish,” Suki concluded, dismissing my speculation.

“Heh, it truly is a dimwit,” I agreed silently. A simple look was enough to discern that it was a brainless beast.

“What’s our course of action, Princess? I suggest we dispatch this eyesore immediately,” Tengai suggested, his irritation with the monster’s existence palpable not just in his voice but in the thunderous aura and the bloodthirsty shimmer enveloping him.

Beside him, Izumo, the second in command of the thirteen demon generals, heightened the speed of his dark, swirling vortex.

I doubt they would heed any counsel in their frenzied state…

“Sigh… fine, just ensure it’s done swiftly. We can’t afford a delay for our meeting.”
“Understood, Princess.”
“Understood, Master.”

The moment I gave my consent, Tengai’s lightning arrow pierced the monster’s head, and no sooner had it struck than Izumo’s body unleashed a torrent of dark beams, assaulting the creature with a relentless barrage.

The monster, caught in a sudden assault, convulsed in silent agony—its screams lost to the chaos. Now that I think about it, we were just passing by when we spotted it and attacked because it looked creepy. Have we become nothing more than a band of whimsical thugs?

“Cell destruction rate is at 3%. It will take roughly 15 minutes to ensure its complete eradication here.”
“I will end this in a single strike!”

Suki’s nonchalant provocation spurred Tengai into action.

“It’s time to go all-out.”

Similarly, Izumo braced himself for his ultimate move.

“Cell regeneration is at a mere 0.8%. Yet, the energy levels keep dropping. Seems the healing is merely superficial.”

As Suki continued his assessment, Tengai’s breath whirled into a cyclone, and he launched Laguna Sprite Breath—a colossal surge of electricity capable of scorching the skies. It was his ultimate move, designed to obliterate anything through particle disintegration.

Izumo followed suit, deploying his Gravity Accelerator, which manipulated gravitational waves to hasten the disintegration of matter.

Frankly speaking, these were not techniques meant to be used on the ground at all.

“…I mean, wouldn’t a normal human just die from being exposed to this level of radiation?”

I sighed inwardly while watching my health points plummet due to the aftermath of their techniques. Fortunately, I was in ‘Pet Unison’ state with Mikoto, or else I was certain I would have kicked the bucket if I had been without any external help.

The result of the extraordinary techniques was a deafening roar and dazzling light that created a scene like a whiteout, forcing me to close my eyes.

The next moment I opened my eyes, all I saw were the scorched — no, charcoal-black remains of the monster, tumbling endlessly towards the horizon.