I cradled Titania in one arm and strode boldly through the facility.
Every door leading outside had been blown to pieces. Debris was scattered everywhere inside, and flames were beginning to rise.
Amid the chaos, a single path became visible.
It was the path Titania pointed out.
Along the way, I sliced through every alien that dared to speak up.
Get out of my way. Anyone who dares obstruct our departure will be torn to pieces.
As I stepped outside the facility, a heavily armored alien blocked my path.
It was a troll clad in full armor, wielding a massive greatsword glowing an eerie blue.
Without warning, I lunged forward, swinging my arm down.
The troll's armor, flesh, and bones were cleaved in two, along with its greatsword, which split smoothly in half.
Jagulator, the Rending Claw—these brutal claws tear through flesh and metal alike. I can extend them at will.
You've never seen power like this, have you?
You foolish aliens!
I'm not just some ugly butcher!
A foul howl rose into the night sky.
I couldn't stop myself from roaring. My body burned with heat.
If I didn't scream something, my mind would shatter.
I pressed on, toward the city gates, toward the outside world.
With each step, a relentless, ferocious roar echoed through the streets.
A deafening cry, as if tearing and crushing everything in its path, beyond description.
Drawn by the sound, armed aliens emerged one after another.
Mere foot soldiers… they can't stop me.
I sliced them with my claws, squeezed them with my tongue, and corrupted their ranks, marching forward through rivers of their blood and fluids.
At some point, Abigail was no longer by my side.
This is fine.
Our contract is fulfilled.
This was our destiny all along.
There's no freedom for her as long as she's with me.
My soul is stained with slaughter, bound to vivid death.
Abigail should go.
Run to the ends of the earth. That's where her future lies.
As for me—I'll devour every living thing in sight!
This is my confrontation with the world!
It won't end until one of us is dead!
You're too radiant to follow this path of carnage.
A warrior stood in my way as I carried Titania forward.
A Minotaur with an aura that demanded caution… the shopkeeper.
Oddly, he held a massive axe.
The shopkeeper grunted something unintelligible. We were standing in front of a butcher shop.
I shouted back.
The shopkeeper stood firm, his expression stern.
Back off. I like you, shopkeeper. Put down the axe and step aside.
The shopkeeper stepped forward, axe in hand.
No… that's not it!
In an instant, I snatched the axe with my tongue and swung it back at him.
A dull *thud* echoed.
The axe struck the ground beside the shopkeeper.
Amid the shockwave, the shopkeeper stared at me without blinking.
Goodbye.
Leaving the shopkeeper gripping a handful of grass, I moved on. He didn't chase after me.
The city gates came into view.
Suddenly, shadows lunged at me from all directions—an ambush.
Flashing blades. Hurling flames.
Instantly, my body tensed. Almost simultaneously, a thick, noxious miasma rose from nowhere, enveloping me.
Anyone who entered this realm collapsed, lifeless.
Even flames and lightning dissipated upon touching the miasma.
Withering Miasma, the Debilitating Fog—in this foul air, life, magic, and all power lose their brilliance.
I dispatched the immobilized prey one by one, like crushing ants under my fingers.
Then, suddenly, dull gray thorns burst from the ground. They wrapped around my legs, arms, and neck, restraining me instantly. The vines were unyielding, no matter how much force I applied.
Magic… powerful enough to pierce this miasma.
Scanning the area, I spotted a familiar face.
The elf, Tirel.
Her eyes gleamed eerily as she raised her ornate staff.
So… she can wield such strong magic? Far more capable than her brother, who couldn't do anything against me. I've already eaten him, though.
I strained to break the vines.
My muscles bulged and stiffened.
At that moment, a cunning strike shot toward my heart—a beam of light from Dragon Lady Ashera.
Sharper than her thrust during our last duel. She's serious now.
Then I'll get serious too!
A dull impact shook my body.
In the dragon's wide-eyed gaze, shock and fear mingled.
Her spear, Rexel, had pierced my apron but gone no further.
My body had turned dark green, like mold, with neon-glowing pulses on its surface.
Tainted Flesh, the Impure Body—this cursed flesh can't be shattered, not even by an armor-piercing shell.
As I shifted within the thorns, Ashera recoiled as if repelled.
Good instincts. If she'd stayed in the miasma longer, she'd have been defenseless before me.
The vines binding me didn't budge. Tirel's magic is formidable.
But… don't underestimate me!
As I tensed my muscles, the dull gray vines snapped one by one.
Soon, my restraints were gone.
Butchers are fools. They don't even use a fraction of their bodies' potential.
But the butcher I control can unleash the beast's full power—far beyond the aliens' comprehension. Truly, an extraordinary power.
Tirel trembled as her spell was broken.
Ashera scooped up the frozen Tirel and vanished into the moonlight.
Sharp instincts. She truly is a combat elite. From what I've seen, she shines in real battle. I'd love to have her as a subordinate.
I sensed killing intent behind me.
Turning, I saw a column of aliens marching toward me from down the road.
Coming as a group… how foolish.
I opened my mouth wide, gums exposed, with a loud *smack*.
Taking a deep breath,
the flames of rage in my gut intensified, like oxygen fueling a fire.
I unleashed a roar infused with swirling, blazing malice, slamming it forward.
A heavy bass note, as if dragging everything into the earth, engulfed the city.
In the vibrating landscape, the gathered soldiers clutched their ears, their will to fight shattered, and they fell to their knees.
Soon, flames erupted from their bodies.
Not just them—every building in the wide area caught by the roar spontaneously ignited.
As the inferno consumed my vision, the city began to collapse.
All that remained were bubbling pools of reddish-brown liquid and scorched earth, glowing red-hot.
On this wasteland, aliens who hadn't escaped in time burned, screaming, writhing like foolish earthworms on summer asphalt.
Scorching Heat, the Wildfire—the roar of vengeance sends temperatures soaring, turning vast areas to ash. Ignoring all barriers, it burns everything in its path, a brutal inferno.
Flames spiraled into the night sky.
The city flickered in crimson.
With the blazing heat at my back, I took a step toward the gate.
The earth trembled in fear at my advance.
Have you learned your place, you wretches?
Kneel!
Clear the path for me and Titania!
What you see before you is the beast of all beasts!
I am a monstrous fiend!
A ravenous wolf that devours radiance!
Avenger and arbiter!
Fear me… bow down and behold!
This failed creation of life!
This perfected aberration!
My name is J e v o d a n!
I am the King of the Doomed Butchers!
A deafening, unearthly roar thundered across the night sky.
The awakening of this dread beast shook even the highest stars.