This was not fear, but a sense of relief, almost like liberation.
Elsa's thoughts involuntarily drifted back to a distant past…
In the bitter cold of Northern Gusteko, a young Elsa huddled in a dark dock corner.
That particularly cold day became the turning point of her destiny.
As the shopkeeper's grimy hand reached for Elsa, in despair and rage, she grabbed a shard of glass and slashed open his abdomen.
At that moment, the gushing warm blood and viscera gave her an unprecedented experience of "warmth."
It was the temperature from the deepest core of life.
From that moment, disemboweling others became her way of pursuing "happiness"…
"So… this is my end…"
Elsa's lips curved slightly upward into a relieved smile. She looked at Natsuki Subaru, who stood before her, her eyes devoid of their former madness, replaced only by calm acceptance.
"Do you have anything else to say?"
Natsuki Subaru looked down, gazing at the life about to extinguish, his dagger glinting with a cold light in his hand.
At this moment, the line between hunter and prey seemed to blur.
"How… regrettable…" Elsa wheezed to Natsuki Subaru, her voice laced with a hint of playful mockery. "I still haven't seen your guts, little brother…"
"..."
"Elsa."
Natsuki Subaru was silent for a moment, then looked at Elsa with a complex gaze. "Your obsession is truly perplexing."
"Heh… this is… my happiness…"
Elsa's voice grew weaker and weaker.
"A twisted happiness."
Natsuki Subaru did not agree with Elsa's words.
"Perhaps…" Elsa's pupils began to dilate. "But at least… I found it…"
She suddenly chuckled softly again, speaking with her last ounce of strength:
"Thank you, little brother… for letting me experience… such a wonderful… death…"
"..."
Natsuki Subaru stood silently before Elsa's head, his gaze a tangle of complex emotions.
Pity for Elsa?
No, he felt little sympathy in his heart.
After all, this woman before him had pushed him to the brink countless times, nearly taking his life.
However—
Fifteen times.
This number echoed in Natsuki Subaru's mind.
After killing Elsa a full fifteen times, an ineffable feeling quietly arose within him.
It was an… admiration for a mad opponent.
It must be said, Elsa's tenacious vitality was astonishing, like weeds that couldn't be burned away or cut down. Her persistence in battle was almost fanatical; even with severed limbs, she would bite with her teeth.
And then there was her composure in the face of death, a chilling smile perpetually gracing her lips.
"What a complete lunatic."
Natsuki Subaru murmured softly, his voice carrying a hint of respect he himself hadn't noticed.
Then, he raised the Kasaka Venomfang Dagger high, a cold light shimmering on its blade:
"Farewell, Gut Hunter Elsa."
"..."
Elsa slowly closed her eyes, her lips still holding that characteristic smile.
Just as the blade was about to descend—
"BOOM!!!"
A deafening explosion ripped through the silence. The entire mansion shook violently, and the wall facing the courtyard disintegrated like a paper toy.
The shockwave, carrying debris and wood splinters, formed a destructive wave. Exquisite tapestries instantly turned to dust, and crystal chandeliers shattered into countless sharp fragments with a cracking sound.
"Hmm?"
A second before the attack, Natsuki Subaru had already sensed it, his body instinctively adjusting its posture in mid-air.
He saw that the west side of the mansion had completely collapsed, revealing a huge hole over ten meters in diameter.
In the dust, a colossal creature slowly took shape.
It was a gigantic Magic Beast, comparable to a small hill, its rough skin a rocky grey-brown. Each step of its stout limbs made the ground tremble.
Its crimson eyes were filled with tyrannical bloodlust, and its broken single horn added to its ferocity.
Most surprisingly—
A young girl sat on the back of the enormous Magic Beast, swinging her legs, her purple braids swaying in the wind. She spoke to Natsuki Subaru:
"Heh~ That's amazing, no one even died from that blast just now. You really startled me."
"Beast Tamer Meili…"
Natsuki Subaru's gaze instantly fixated on the suddenly appearing girl, yet his expression showed no surprise.
All of this was within his expectations. Both Elsa and Meili were assassins, and partners.
Their previous encounter in Arlam Village, and the attack by hundreds of Magic Beasts in the forest, were undoubtedly the work of this seemingly harmless girl.
Speaking of which, Meili was enveloped in miasma, a mark left by her prolonged companionship with Magic Beasts.
This special constitution granted her the ability to control Magic Beasts. While there were limits to quantity and quality, commanding hundreds of Magic Beasts was merely commonplace for Meili.
At this moment, the Magic Beast beneath her, several meters tall, was as docile as a house dog, showing no trace of the ferocity with which it had just destroyed a large section of the mansion wall moments ago.
"Oh my~ I didn't expect big brother to remember me, I'm so happy."
Meili held Elsa's head, a harmless smile gracing her fair face, and continued,
"I remember, we had so much fun in Arlam Village last time, I thought big brother would have forgotten all about me."
"Strolling around with such a huge brute, are you afraid people won't know the Beast Tamer has arrived?"
Natsuki Subaru pouted.
"Oh my? Big brother isn't surprised at all…" Meili pouted her cherry-like lips, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "The surprise I specially prepared is all for naught, what a shame"
"Smashing into someone's house without permission, and then expecting the people inside to play along with your act?" Natsuki Subaru had no interest in indulging Meili's farce, he said coldly, "You're far too arbitrary."
"Because I just couldn't find the target maid, miss~" Meili blinked her watery eyes, speaking in a coaxing tone. "So I had to let Rockboar-chan push a little harder. See, didn't it find you all at once?"
She casually poked her own cheek, looking down at Natsuki Subaru.
From an assassin's perspective, Meili was indeed the most efficient.
After all, if a regular person were hit head-on by that Magic Beast, weighing tens of tons, they probably wouldn't even retain intact remains.
"But, speaking of which, even Elsa can be in such a sorry state…"
Meili looked down at Elsa and said.
"Meili…"
Elsa murmured weakly.
"While I'm sorry for Elsa, I'll be taking your life, little brother." Meili dropped her smile, then looked up, sizing up Natsuki Subaru.
"Big brother is much stronger than when we last met. To be able to push Elsa to such a state, you're truly no ordinary person."
As Elsa's long-time partner, Meili knew the Gut Hunter's terrifying strength better than anyone.
This black-haired boy, capable of beating Elsa until only her head remained, was undoubtedly extraordinarily powerful.
"Soon you'll be like this too, your body severed, with only your head remaining."
Natsuki Subaru looked calmly at Meili and said.
"Hmph~ Don't try to scare me! I'll never forgive you! —Get him, Rockboar-chan!"
Hearing this, Meili yelled indignantly, her cheeks flushed crimson with anger.
"ROOOOAR—!!"
The enormous stone Magic Beast beneath her let out a deafening roar, shaking the entire courtyard with the sound wave.
It blocked Natsuki Subaru's path with its massive body, its short, thick limbs poised to strike.
"Come at me, then. I won't hold back—prepare yourself!"
A cold glint flashed in Natsuki Subaru's eyes as he spoke to Meili impassively.
"—Pound him!"
At Meili's command, the Magic Beast Rockboar leaped fiercely, charging Natsuki Subaru with overwhelming momentum.
This was not just an ordinary charge, but a terrifying impact akin to an entire house smashing into him.
A normal person would be utterly unable to withstand it—and precisely because of this, the Magic Beast's ferocity was fully unleashed.
"ROOOAR—!!"
Accompanying the sky-shattering roar, the Rockboar's massive body tore through the air, and the resulting shockwave instantly shattered the surrounding window glass.
"Good!"
Facing the truck-sized giant Magic Beast, Natsuki Subaru put away his Kasaka Venomfang Dagger and clenched his fists.
Power surged within him; he had absolute confidence in dealing with this colossal beast.
Boom!
A visible shockwave exploded between the two.
Natsuki Subaru stood perfectly still, while the colossal Magic Beast Rockboar flew backward like a kite with a snapped string, Meili on its back also flung into the air.
"Rockboar-chan, keep attacking! Don't stop!"
Even hearing the sounds of the Magic Beast Rockboar's bones breaking and flesh grinding, Meili, as its Beast Tamer, showed no weakness. With a hint of urgency, she continued to command the Magic Beast Rockboar.
The commanded Magic Beast Rockboar endured its pain, roared again, and charged fiercely once more, ready to stomp Natsuki Subaru into a pulp.
The Magic Beast Rockboar's hill-like body crashed forward with overwhelming force, the air itself bursting with pressure in its wake.
Just as they were about to collide, Natsuki Subaru pulled his right fist back, suddenly putting power into his waist—
Boom!
The instant his fist met the stone armor, a visible shockwave exploded in a ring.
All the flagstones within five meters shattered, and dust sprayed out radially.
The ground beneath Natsuki Subaru's feet caved into a perfect circle, but his form remained completely still.
"Hmph?!"
A flicker of doubt crossed the Magic Beast Rockboar's murky eyes. Its proud charge had once again been blocked by a human, with just a fist.
"Is that all you've got, big guy?" Natsuki Subaru sneered, his right arm muscles suddenly tensing. "Then, it's my turn!"
CRASH!
His second punch slammed heavily into the Magic Beast Rockboar's face, its hard stone armor cracking on impact.
The colossal Magic Beast Rockboar stumbled backward, crimson foam spewing from its nostrils.
But its ferocity was instead fully ignited. It suddenly reared up on its hind legs, its two forelegs descending with immense force.
Natsuki Subaru neither dodged nor flinched, crossing his arms to meet the blow head-on.
"RUMBLE!"
The flagstones beneath his feet completely shattered, and his lower legs sank into the ground.
But the next second, he powered with his waist, actually lifting the Magic Beast Rockboar's forelegs clear off the ground.
"Too light!"
Natsuki Subaru declared, then executed a perfect over-the-shoulder throw, swinging the multi-ton Magic Beast Rockboar entirely into the air. After tracing a perfect arc, it crashed heavily onto the ground.
The entire courtyard shook, and nearby walls collapsed with a thunderous roar.
"Roar..."
The Magic Beast Rockboar struggled, attempting to get up.
But Natsuki Subaru had already leaped into the air, his right leg descending like a battle-axe.
"CRUNCH!"
This kick directly shattered the stone armor on the Magic Beast Rockboar's back, and the beast let out a pained wail.
But it suddenly rolled over, its thick tail sweeping like a steel whip.
This time, the Magic Beast Rockboar had learned. The instant it approached, it suddenly changed direction, attempting to hit with its side.
But Natsuki Subaru had anticipated this. He smoothly sidestepped the attack, his right hand gripping one of its horns like an iron clamp.
"Get up!"
Accompanying Natsuki Subaru's furious roar, the terrifying strength in his hand fully erupted.
"Woah…"
To Meili's disbelief, Natsuki Subaru actually swung the multi-ton Magic Beast Rockboar entirely into the air, slamming it violently like a shot put towards a distant rock garden.
CRASH!!!
The rock garden instantly shattered. The Magic Beast Rockboar was deeply embedded in the ruins, most of its stone armor broken, yet it still struggled to stand, an unyielding ferocity burning in its eyes.
"Impressive will."
Natsuki Subaru slowly stepped forward, gently turning his right hand. The Kasaka Venomfang Dagger materialized in his palm, its dark blue blade shimmering with a cold light.
Although the Magic Beast Rockboar's hide was as hard as rock, his sharp gaze had already pinpointed its never-before-exposed fatal weakness.
At the junction of its chest and abdomen, a palm-sized soft area was meticulously protected by thick stone armor.
"However… it's still not enough."
Before his words finished, Natsuki Subaru's figure suddenly vanished.
Whoosh!
A cold flash, like lightning, streaked across.
The Kasaka Dagger precisely pierced the Magic Beast Rockboar's vital point, the blade sinking entirely into its soft abdomen.
"Ugh…"
The colossal Magic Beast Rockboar let out its final mournful cry, its murky beast eyes slowly losing focus.
With a thunderous crash, its hill-like body slammed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"No, no way…" Meili stumbled backward, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Rockboar-chan was the strongest… Magic Beast under my command."
"Quickly, retreat, Meili!" Elsa, in her arms, spoke weakly. "You're no match for him…"
"No, I must defeat him..."
Meili bit her lip, then suddenly blew a sharp whistle.
Rustling sounds immediately erupted from all around—
"Then let all the naughty little animals attack together!"
In an instant, countless Magic Beasts swarmed in from all directions.
Small, medium, and even a few large Magic Beasts capable of turning the tide of battle.
In short, hundreds of Magic Beasts surrounded the courtyard, making escape impossible, and the situation instantly reversed.
"You call these fodder…?" Natsuki Subaru's stern gaze swept over the layers of encircling Magic Beasts, a scornful smirk playing on his lips. "Are these worthy opponents for me?"
"But I have so many Magic Beasts." Meili hid behind the horde, forcing a defiant tone as she shouted, "Big brother, you're just one person, how could you possibly be my match?!"
______
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