A bit of time had passed since the defeat of the creature known as the Goat Man, a demon with a human form and a sheep's face, as described by Ai. Currently, Cardina was desperately using reconnaissance magic to search for the creature Bipris, the queen bee-like entity believed to be the cause of the Depris, a bee-type magical creature outbreak.
"How is it going? Any signs?" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)
"Pewwww…" (Cardina)
In response to the words of Marikka, a fairy with the Tamer class, Cardina weakly shook her head. She had hoped to finish the search quickly and receive praise from Tatsuro and Ai, but the abundance of Depris hindered the progress of exploration and analysis. The creature Bipris, which was presumed to be the cause, remained elusive.
Having observed various animals and magical creatures over the years, Marikka accurately sensed Cardina's emotions. With a wry smile, she encouraged Cardina.
"Don't worry about it. Cheer up! Once this is over, I'll make sure to tell those two how hard you've been working." (Marikka Shurjaniemi)
"Pewi!" (Cardina)
Cardina, who couldn't speak, felt uncertain whether her efforts would truly be conveyed to Tatsuro and Ai. However, relieved that one concern had been alleviated, she refocused on her reconnaissance magic.
Having witnessed Cardina's determination, Marikka, riding on her companion Yorn, also rallied herself.
"Alright, I'll leave that part to you! In return, I won't let the small fry interfere! Yorn, do your thing!" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)"Shyaaah!"
With Yorn's voice, a green light enveloped both of them. As Marikka signaled the activation, something extraordinary happened.
Suddenly, thick green vines began to wrap around Marikka and Yorn, gradually taking shape. A massive snake served as the core, surrounded by thick limbs formed by vines, wings made of leaves and stems, and plants covering their heads like helmets.
The form resembled that of a dragon.
"Charge!" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)
"Shaaaaa!"
Inside the cockpit-like space behind the dragon's head, where Marikka was positioned, she shouted. The dragon-like Yorn, now increased in size due to the voluminous plant-based additions, swung its large body, sweeping away the Depris forces approaching.
Furthermore, Marikka, who shouldn't have been able to use tree magic, manipulated the plant tentacles extending from all directions to eradicate the Depris, preventing them from getting close to Cardina.
The reason for this capability was the title effect known as [Harmony of Coexistence], a skill that only skilled Tamers could master. If two trusted partners truly believed in each other, they could temporarily share and amplify each other's skills.
Using this ability to unleash power beyond their usual limits, they fought with great force. It was an achievement only true Tamers could reach, beyond what Gregory could achieve.
Grateful for the lone struggle of the duo, Cardina focused all her concentration on reconnaissance magic, searching for the parent creature that continued to produce Depris.
And then, Cardina realized.
Even without directly finding the source, identifying the locations where Depris was multiplying might lead to a quicker solution.
Thinking this, Cardina decided not to conduct a detailed reconnaissance analysis. Instead, she spread the magical power of her reconnaissance magic as widely and thinly as possible, sacrificing information for a broader scope.
Immediately, the answer was found. However, the result seemed peculiar.
Surprisingly, there were a total of five points where Depris was multiplying.
Wondering what this could mean, Cardina decided to visit the nearest point first.
With a roar, she conveyed her intention to move to those who were protecting her. She then flew to the closest point.
That location happened to be a particularly high place within the castle grounds. A nest made of dirt was already being constructed at the pinnacle of a pointed roof. From the shadow beneath it, a Bipris could be seen sticking out only its rear, continuously giving birth to offspring outside.
"That's undoubtedly a Depris nest! Yorn, go!" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)
"Shaaaah!"
The dragon-like Yorn plunged into the under-construction nest, relentlessly attacking the oncoming Depris. Without hesitation, it swatted them away, caught them with its vine-covered hands, and crushed the queen bee Bipris along with them.
However, Cardina's reconnaissance magic still detected reactions from four other locations where Depris was continuing to multiply. So, she immediately informed Marikka and the others by calling out to them, signaling the need to move to the next location.
"Well, one creature alone can't fill this many. How many more are there?" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)
"Pii, pii, pii, pii." (Cardina)
"Four more. But you are clever." (Marikka Shurjaniemi)
"Pyuuiii." (Cardina)
With a single cry in response to Marikka's words, Cardina headed towards the next point.
"This is the last one!" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)
"Shaaaah!"
Proceeding smoothly, Cardina and her companions successfully eliminated the Depris nests, reaching the final destruction point.
In the beginning, there had been such a massive outbreak that Depris was visible everywhere. However, the situation has considerably improved.
"With this decrease, we can leave the remnants to the castle's troops. Now, should we go tell Tatsuro and the others about Cardina's bravery?" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)
"Pyyyuuiii! …Pii!?" (Cardina)
"Huh? What's wrong?… Wait a moment!" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)
Although they had supposedly eradicated everything, the farthest point still had reactions. In other words, they sensed the growth of Depris again from the location they had initially dealt with.
Cardina, flapping her wings vigorously, rushed to the scene at breakneck speed.
As expected, the nest wasn't fully formed yet. However, there were freshly born Bipris covered in slime, scattering eggs around them. The eggs hatched simultaneously.
"Why!? There shouldn't have been any Bipris eggs anywhere!" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)
"Shaaa…"
Wondering how long this would continue, Cardina pondered while Yorn, sounding tired, crushed Bipris once again. Why, where, and how.
To change her perspective, Cardina expanded her reconnaissance magic indoors. Although not human, she discovered a small, hunched humanoid creature resembling a monkey. Upon further investigation, she found a tiny orange crystal emitting a faint magical aura, the size of a clenched fist, in its hand. This crystal was the same one that Tatsuro and the others had found in the Bipris nest and stored in the [Item Box].
The moment she understood this, Cardina vaguely grasped the truth. This crystal might be the Bipris eggs.
In other words, the monkey-like creature placed the eggs in high places, facilitated the hatching of Bipris through some means, and then, instead of immediately producing Depris, initially made Bipris lay eggs. The monkey-like creature, with the eggs in hand, would hide in inconspicuous locations. If defeated, it would then set up a spare egg and continue the cycle endlessly.
Realizing this, Cardina used [True Form] to increase her body's strength. Accelerating to the maximum with [Dragon Flight] she broke through the outer wall, flew at maximum speed, and pierced the building's pointed roof to engage the enemy as quickly as possible. Before the startled monkey could escape, she swiftly beheaded it with [Dragon Wing Blade]
Returning to her original eagle form with [Adult Form] she picked up the severed head and the crystal with one leg, flying to Marikka's location.
"This is… Bipris eggs and the head of a magical creature? I see, it was the courier, acting as a substitute for the egg-laying. Does this mean it's happening elsewhere too?" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)
"Pyyuui!" (Cardina)
"I see. In that case, I'll take care of the Bipris here, so could you please handle the monkey's subjugation, Cardina?" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)
"Pyyui!" (Cardina)
With a vigorous nod from Cardina, she headed back to the points where the Depris were resurfacing. While Cardina was fervently fighting, her sister Jeanne was also putting up a determined effort.
Her opponent was initially Paralaceus, a mammoth-type magical creature that had been easily defeated by Jeanne. However, it had now transformed into a giant humanoid with a mammoth face.
This new form was drastically different, displaying agile footwork akin to a professional boxer, easily evading Jeanne's fastest straight charges. Although Jeanne wanted to gracefully defeat the creature and show her impressive growth to the others, it seemed that the opponent was putting up a good fight, making it not as straightforward as she thought.
Nevertheless, Jeanne began to think that the situation might be just right. Paralaceus was a suitable test stone to evaluate the performance of her new body.
Jeanne dashed forward. In her [Adult Manifestation] state, using dragon skills was not ideal, as it would result in degraded power and effectiveness. It was inefficient to consume dragon power in this state, so Jeanne, instead of relying on the system-provided dragon power, prepared to activate wind magic using her mana.
Meanwhile, Paralaceus unleashed lightning strikes and threw nearby debris. Like dancing with four legs, Jeanne effortlessly dodged the attacks with swift steps. With her preparations complete, Jeanne enveloped herself in the magical power of the wind and initiated wind magic immediately, recreating the charge attack that was previously sidestepped.
Paralaceus seemed to anticipate the move and attempted to dodge it at the last moment. However,
"Pooooaaahhh!?"
"Neigh!" (Jeanne)
Unable to move sideways, Paralaceus felt as if it was being sucked in. Instead of avoiding the attack, it willingly exposed itself to the sharp horns. Only when its body was pierced did Paralaceus comprehend what had happened—an intense gust of wind had drawn it towards the horns.
However, it was too late even though it had understood. The giant horn pierced its right thigh, breaking the bone and turning the flesh into a mess.
Yet, Jeanne's assault continued. The moment the horn penetrated, she conjured a tornado on the tip using wind magic, creating a large hole at the point of penetration. As the hole opened, Jeanne executed a back step, then charged again, tearing the nearly severed right leg completely.
"Poaaaahhh!"
In pain, Paralaceus sprayed blood and clutched its leg, leaning forward. However, this exposed its back to Jeanne. She did not miss the opportunity.
Using wind magic, she created a powerful tailwind between herself and Paralaceus. With a forceful push of her prepared leg, she collided with its bareback at a speed that seemed to roar from the air resistance alone.
And that was a resounding success.
Breaking through Paralaceus's back, Jeanne leaped out from its chest.
"Uuuunn…"
"Neigh!!!!" (Jeanne)
And with that, Jeanne let out her most triumphant roar of the day.
However, it wasn't over yet.
Paralaceus's body began to squirm like clay, transforming into a new form. This was Paralaceus's unique skill, [Extreme Evolution]. When suffering near-fatal injuries or severe illness, it could evolve its body up to three times, saving its life.
And now, the second evolution had been triggered.
Jeanne noticed the creation of the new form and stared at it with a naked sense of vigilance. By that time, the evolution had already concluded.
This time, the transformation was quite extravagant. The creature's height was about half of the previous form, standing at around five meters. It had humanoid arms and legs, but additional spider-like limbs protruded from both sides of its prone body, each equipped with four joints resembling elbows and knees, elongated for increased reach.
To enhance durability, its body, maintaining a human shape, was covered in dense, rigid fur. The face, however, stubbornly retained the mammoth features.
The new Paralaceus utilized its increased six limbs skillfully, advancing towards Jeanne faster than before. Using its unused front two arms, it attempted to grab Jeanne's body.
Swiftly moving against the wind it generated, Jeanne evaded by stepping backward. At the same time, Paralaceus opened its three eyes on its forehead and unleashed a lightning strike towards the descending Jeanne.
In response, Jeanne conjured a makeshift sandbag by lifting the ground with the wind, creating a momentary defense against the lightning. However, Paralaceus advanced further, thrusting its front two arms into the sandbag, tearing it apart. Once again, it directed a lightning strike towards Jeanne.
Trying to dodge by leaping sideways, Jeanne was grazed by the lightning on her right shoulder.
"Poooon."
"Brrruu." (Jeanne)
Feeling the pain from her first direct hit, Jeanne gritted her teeth. Paralaceus, seemingly satisfied with Jeanne's expression of frustration, grinned.
However, this provocation turned out to be a fatal mistake, as Paralaceus would soon learn when it faced its impending demise.
At the moment when Jeanne's anger reached its peak, she cast aside the pretext of testing her body and immediately activated the skill [True Form]
As a result, the confident expression disappeared from Paralaceus's face.
Standing before it was a creature emitting an overwhelming aura that bore little resemblance to the opponent it had underestimated just moments ago. Twelve meters in size, covered in thick, large dragon scales with a red-black hue, and a tail identical to a dragon's extending from its body.
With two powerful legs firmly planted on the ground, its hands had large pure-white claws and an extension of the skin membrane from the side of the little finger to the waist, forming massive wings when spread wide.
The face had become more streamlined than during its boar form, with teeth that were no longer flat but shaped like knives for cutting through flesh. Moreover, the nose horn had transformed into a giant silver-colored blade, capable of stabbing and slicing.
Jeanne, relishing the liberating feeling in her body for a moment, waved her right hand lightly in front of the enemy.
Attempting to flee backward, Paralaceus found itself blocked by Jeanne's tail, which looped around it and tossed it high into the air.
Jeanne caught it with her right hand and slammed it down towards the ground.
With a squashing sound, Paralaceus met its second demise. The third and final evolution began, completely unaware that Jeanne had prepared her "Dragon Horn Spear Blade," channeling dragon power into the horn on her nose.
Blissfully ignorant, the creature concluded its third evolution, sprouting mammoth tusks like thorns all over its body to prevent a repeat of being crushed. However, when it finally looked up for a rematch with Jeanne, it was too late. The dragon-powered slashing attack had already been unleashed from the horn on Jeanne's nose.
Effortlessly, the strike vertically bisected Paralaceus, scattering its life.
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