Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka?

Author’s comments: Merazofis’s perspective

This world is unfair. The height of one’s status values, the strength and weakness of one’s skills, the difference between races - all is immediately apparent. It is difficult for a weak person to beat a strong person. Even if you attack someone individually powerful, it is still difficult to win.

On this battlefield, the ones who were individually powerful were the Queen Taratekt, and the two ancient dragons who were confronting her. With the Queen Taratekt defeated, the two ancient dragons headed for the next battlefield, meaning that scenes of one side trampling on the other didn’t occur. If those two ancient dragons had stayed behind, and had begun to mop up things here, then the damage would likely have been enormous. That such a thing didn’t happen is fortuitous, and convenient for us. 𝐟r𝒆ℯ𝘄𝑒𝒃𝚗𝒐𝘃e𝗹.c𝘰𝐦

Even if you battle against someone who is individually powerful, it is difficult to overturn the outcome. Even if you try attacking using numbers that won’t change. If ten people each with status values of around 1,000 try together attacking someone with status values of around 10,000, it would be difficult for them to win. They’d probably be beaten with a single blow each. When strong individuals exist on the battlefield, the core problem is how to take down those strong individuals. But, if that individual is too strong, it is often the case that nothing can be done.

On this battlefield there are no longer any such individuals who are too strong. Nevertheless, individuals with a large difference in combat strength still exist. When such a development occurs, how to suppress the opponents with high combat strength becomes critical. And so, the natural development is for strong people to fight the other strong people themselves. Even if a strong person is hit by a weak person they barely take any damage and frequently the weak are then instantly killed.

That being said, the concept of using overwhelming numbers cannot be made light of. Even if the amount of damage each individual deals is insignificant, if tens or hundreds of individuals can repeat that, then the accumulation of damage cannot be ignored.

In terms of numbers the situation has already been overturned. Most of the Taratekts blanketing the ground have become corpses. The remaining ones are nothing but powerful individuals such as Greater Taratekts and Arch Taratekts. Even those powerful individuals are losing ground to the desperately fighting humans using their overwhelming numbers. The Greater Taratekts are surrounded by many humans, then are damaged little by little. The Arch Taratekts are being dealt with by particularly strong members of the humans and demons working together, even if they are rushing things.

Amongst them I can see some familiar faces here and there. Balto-sama being here is one thing, but for Sanatoria-sama and Kogou-sama to participate in the battle was somewhat surprising. We once stood together as commanders of the demon army, but now we are in opposition. It’s not like that doesn’t bother me at all. However, I swore to follow ojou-sama no matter what. Even though they may be old acquaintances, I have no intention of going easy on them in the slightest. It makes no difference if they are reincarnators either.

「This is the fourth time that we’ve confronted each other.」

「Indeed.」

The ones confronting me are a boy and girl pair of reincarnators. Tagawa Kunihiko and Kush*tani Asaka. I have faced them four times. The first time was when I destroyed the village in which they were living. They were young children at the time, and because they were reincarnators I overlooked them. The second time was on the occasion of the great war. I crossed swords with them who had grown up. The third time was at the elf village. At that time, I didn’t face them directly but rather with a clone body created through my powers as a vampire. And now, this is the fourth time.

Considering the strength remaining amongst the two armies, it would be impossible for the other side to ignore my existence. This is not conceit, but amongst those remaining in both armies on this battlefield, I am likely the strongest of all. And so, this pair of reincarnators came to stop me.

「I cannot go easy on you.」

I give them my warning. Until now, as they are reincarnators, I’ve tried to avoid killing them. However, for this battle, I cannot do that. Most of the reincarnators had known nothing of this world and had simply gotten swallowed up in the events. However, that is no longer the case. Against those who have made their own decision to fight, it is no longer necessary to go easy on them. In the first place I am not skilled enough that I could go easy on them and avoid killing them at the same time. If I’m going to do it, it’ll be with the intention to kill.

「Just what I want…ed…」

Kunihiko’s spirited words were unnaturally cut off in the middle. Kunihiko’s body slowly collapsed. 𝑓𝐫𝑒e𝒘𝚎𝘣𝚗𝘰𝘷𝐞𝑙.co𝑚

「Sorry, Kunihiko.」

Having made him faint, Asaka apologised to Kunihiko from behind.

「……What is the meaning of this?」

「I surrender.」

Asaka announced that indifferently.

「I don’t want to die yet, and I don’t want Kunihiko to die yet either.」

Asaka carried the unconscious Kunihiko on her shoulder, turned her back on me and walked away. What a grand way to desert in the face of the enemy. For a while, I was dumbfounded.

However, Asaka’s judgement is surely correct. I have no personal grudge against them. While they do have a grudge against me, in my case I don’t have any desire to go and kill them. Because she understood that, Asaka could grandly expose her back to me like this.

In addition, if we had fought then it is almost without doubt that I would have killed them. I am not skilled enough that I could go easy on them and avoid killing them at the same time. When the time comes to do it, I use reliable methods to kill my opponents. Considering the difference in status values between us, it’s likely that the contest would have been decided in an instant. With me having killed them. Therefore, it was the correct decision to surrender before the fight began. The optimal solution would have likely been to not come to this battlefield in the first place, but considering Kunihiko’s attitude, that just wasn’t possible I guess.

I watch Asaka’s back as she walks away. I think to not fight at all, is a wonderful choice. I have no right to say this to them as I had destroyed their hometown, but I shall pray for their future happiness.