Entering the Game with a Cheat Physique

Episode 44 Monster Festival (6)

Episode 44 Monster Festival (6)

The tarp covering the cage is released.

When the lion’s hidden form is revealed, gasps ripple through the arena.

—Whoa…

An overwhelming majesty that belies the fact it’s just a monster.

Standing on two legs like the werewolf I met last time, it has the same bulging muscles.

Even the knight students who spend all their time training would struggle to compare.

The jutting forearms, the quads about to burst, the clenched fist that looks capable of crushing rock.

The students chatter and gossip while observing the spectacle.

—What kind of monster looks like that? That thing looks fucking intense.

—Bipedal monsters are rare… How’d they manage to capture something like that?

—I can’t meet its eyes. It’s scary.

Most of them are clearly excited, buzzing with nervous energy.

‘It had to be that way.’

For the cadets, this viewing show was nothing more than entertainment.

They weren’t worried, confident in the absolute guarantee of their safety.

None of them were anxious about the turmoil that would follow.

[Let me first show you its appearance in detail.]

The cage’s lock disengages.

Borisov pulls the chain attached to the shackles, and the lion slowly steps out.

*Thump, thump.*

Just the act of placing its paws down reverberated with a ground-shaking noise.

It exhaled and took its place on the stage.

—…….

In that instant.

The lion’s gaze turned this way.

Not towards me.

But my side—the woman with eyes shining purely.

Princess Helene.

It was looking at her, smacking its lips.

“Wow. Herak, it’s looking at me. Is it… showing off?”

“I’m not sure.”

That couldn’t be the case.

It wasn’t a monster you could think of as tame enough for a word like “showing off” to apply.

Its aura was that of a lion hunting its prey.

‘It’s recognizing her, isn’t it.’

It was written in ＜The Song of Sword and Magic＞.

The ‘Nemean Lion’ was a leader-like existence that dominated the monsters around it.

In the same way, it recognized Princess Helene, the ruler of humanity, and took her as a target.

It was unfortunate for her… but the lion wouldn’t retreat until it had hunted Helene.

If the Princess died here, it would be a straight path to the bad ending.

Therefore.

‘I have to stop it.’

We’ll have to join forces with the two heroines to stop that thing.

[Next is the bow. Aren’t you curious to see a monster of this size kneel?]

—Yes!

The cadets responded to the announcement.

As Borisov and the troupe pulled the chains tighter, the lion lowered itself.

It knelt, like it was human, and faced us.

…But I know.

Its gaze has never changed direction.

Its eyes, burning, are fixed on Helene.

The lion knelt and remained still as the cadets applauded.

The circus troupe wore a much more satisfied expression.

Borisov quickly proceeded with the show, not wanting to miss this momentum.

[And now, we will make this monster stand on all fours. Wouldn’t it be quite interesting to see a bipedal monster become quadrupedal?]

After meeting the expectant gazes of the cadets, he tugged the chains.

The troupe’s guidance, with which they’ve been in sync for dozens of times.

Naturally, the lion was supposed to act accordingly, but—

[……?]

It didn’t move.

The lion remained motionless, its head lowered.

The circus troupe frowned as the chains were pulled without response.

[What. What’s wrong?]

[Boss. I don’t know either. It suddenly won’t move…]

[Damn it… Do you know how much this show is worth? Move it, now!]

[Should we try an electric shock?]

[No. I’ll go.]

The circus troupe, who were whispering amongst themselves, then pushed their leader forward.

The circus leader strode toward the lion.

Clearly, he believed it was safe, given the restraints.

[Hey, you b*stard. Not going to move? Should I show you that sting again?]

—……

[This fucking— If I tell you something, you should listen—]

The circus ringmaster’s threat didn’t finish.

*Thwack!*

The sound of a watermelon bursting.

Red liquid and white fragments scatter across the circus ringmaster’s neck.

His body, having lost all its strength, fell back limply.

—Huh?

The arena falls silent.

The uproar, buzzing with excitement until just now, dies away.

The students swallowed hard, staring at the stage.

—…….

The lion is rising.

The one that was kneeling just now, obeying the humans’ commands.

It is standing straight, looking down at the humans.

Its massive body, as if reaching the ceiling.

The way it looks down, as if it’s the superior being.

Staring directly at the audience.

—……Kyaaah!

The first-year students immediately fled the hall.

—What, what is it!

—Run!

—Shit, what the hell is going on!

The academy students are running for their lives.

The fact that they don’t even consider fighting back isn’t because they’re weak.

It’s an instinctual understanding.

That the monster before their eyes isn’t an ordinary creature.

“…….”

The lion takes a step.

Its direction is towards us.

No, it’s walking directly towards Helene.

[Shit, stop it! Stop it!]

[Why the fuck is it loose?!]

Panicked circus members rush forward.

Each one must have honed their strength.

Swords and magic alike are directed at the lion, but-

—*KWA-GWA-GWAH!*

With a flick of the lion’s paw, each one bursts apart without exception.

Yeah, it was decided the moment the b*stard freed himself from those restraints.

A creature who’s been defeated even once by humans will never let its guard down.

All that time locked in a cage, it must have been observing human behavior.

That’s why they can’t be captured again, now.

This miserable failure, it’s clear Monstease is about to suffer a blow that it won’t recover from, but—

—…*Krrng.*

—There’s no time to be thinking about that now.

The beast’s footsteps keep coming.

Already close, it looms over us.

A mocking growl pierces our ears.

“Wha, what is it…? Why, why is it looking at me…?!”

The hall, every student rushing to get out.

But four students remain, refusing to flee.

Herac, Helene, Isolet, Irina.

I stepped forward, shielding Helene.

Behind me, Helene is collapsing, breathing heavily.

—There’s no escaping.

Helene possesses no combat abilities.

The moment she recognized that a monster of that caliber was targeting her, her legs must have given out.

She’s in a state where she can’t escape right now.

…No, trying to escape would be more dangerous.

Helene needs to stay behind us right now.

Or she’ll die.

“…Senior. Isn’t it dangerous?”

The voice, like a groan, belonged to Isolet.

She frowned, gripping the hilt of her sword.

Irina, beside her, was also rapidly cycling her mana.

Right.

They wouldn’t run.

Someone had to restrain the lion, control the chaos.

That dangerous, grueling task, they’d willingly taken on.

Admiring their resolve, I too stepped forward.

“That monster… it’s named. It’ll be difficult for us to handle.”

“Right. Let’s wait for reinforcements. Just hold it in place for now, and when the other students come…”

“No.”

I cut off their words.

Loosening my muscles.

Speeding my blood flow in preparation for the coming battle.

“Reinforcements won’t come.”

“Huh? What do you—”

Before I could answer Isolet’s question.

The lion roared, a deafening cry.

—KRaaa!

“Kuh…!”

Isolet and Irina covered their ears.

A roar that seemed to tear at their eardrums.

The fear the monster emitted spread beyond the hall, throughout the entire Academy.

“…What was that just now?”

“It probably awakened the other monsters. They’ll likely be out of control and rampaging all over.”

“Wait, that means…!”

The color drained from Irina’s face.

She must have understood the situation.

No reinforcements would be coming to this hall.

Each of them would be too busy dealing with the monsters rampaging across the academy.

More than that.

“And. That thing is after the Princess. …It’s impossible to just tie it down and get out of here.”

“……Indeed. I understand.”

Isolet, having grasped the situation, takes her stance.

She must have realized there was no reason to look away any longer.

Watching her, her gaze fixed on her sword, composing her breath, Irina tossed her head back and forth.

“Ugh, annoying! So, we just need to stop that thing right here, right?! Right!”

“Yeah. It’s the only way to live.”

“Haa… Came here to rest, and now this!”

With her grumbling, Irina conjures her magic.

Streams of elemental magic sprout behind her.

And ahead of them.

I, standing in the very front, clenched my fist.

“……”

I catch my breath.

Observing the lion’s actions.

—Grrr, grrr.

The lion is smiling at us, looking down.

Like a transcendent being enjoying the flailing of inferiors.

It, taking its ease, did this much.

And then immediately pushed off the ground and charged at me.

*KWA-aaaNG!*

Fist meets fist.

A sonic boom that seemed to split the heavens.

This was the battle that would come to be known as the first trial for the future, Herac Leonhardt.