The direct jolts of the earth dragon transmitted right into his rear, and as Subaru struggled to control the beast's bouncy gait, his lips began to dry out and he wet them with his tongue.
Right on schedule, the alarm on his phone blared through the air, heralding the arrival of the
Approximately one minute before or after—that was the window in which it would appear. The problem was that neither the precise time nor the exact coordinates could be pinned down to the second or the meter.
He swept his gaze around, honed every nerve, and waited for that moment.
And then, the instant he thought the moonlight had been blotted out by clouds, he realized that those clouds were actually the underbelly of something impossibly enormous—and Subaru witnessed the fulfillment of his own memories.
At the same time, everyone around him began to register the presence as well. As the stirrings of alarm rippled outward, all of them were waiting for the call to launch the coordinated attack they had planned.
But from the instant Krusch drew a sharp breath—just a fraction of a heartbeat before them—Subaru and
"Let it rip!!"
"Al Huma!!"
In response to Subaru's shout, Rem gave directional form to the mana she had already been weaving through her incantation. Four enormous ice lances were born, ferocious as bundles of ancient trees bound together, and they pierced through the wind to slam into the beast's torso.
The sound of ice tips crushing against something hard echoed through the air—but just before shattering, the tips sank a hair's breadth into the White Whale's belly, widening the wound and boring inward—spilling blood.
The White Whale's scream thundered across the plain. As the shockwave threatened to numb his eardrums, Subaru and Rem's earth dragon surged forward at full sprint.
—to be perfectly clear, this was in no way Subaru and Rem jumping the gun.
If they had not moved in that instant, if they had been even a tenth of a second slower, this preemptive strike would have been detected by the White Whale.
That sliver of a moment was the watershed. And even knowing that the slightest hesitation could mean the difference between life and death, even someone of Krusch's caliber had been caught with her breath held in the face of the White Whale's terrible grandeur.
Even if you had half-expected it to come, when the reality hit, ripples still formed in the human heart. Ripples, however small, created distortions in thought, distortions bred stagnation, and stagnation invited defeat—the battle had nearly begun with the advantage tipped against them.
And yet, the reason Subaru and Rem had made it in time could be summed up in a single phrase: *the power of love*.
Trust in the magical devices and their reliability—the reason Krusch's judgment had been a fraction of a second late was rooted, at least in part, in a lack of absolute confidence in that element. Their frustration at a monster that refused to show itself had also cast a slight shadow over that judgment, and no one could fault them for it.
But Rem had believed Subaru's words—the claim that the White Whale would appear at this very instant—without the slightest shadow of doubt, without a single fragment of hesitation. That was why she had timed her mana weaving to the moment Subaru specified, preparing her most powerful magic, and the instant she confirmed the White Whale's appearance, she released it.
If this was not Rem's love, then what else could you call it?
"If I analyze it like that it's seriously embarrassing—!!"
"Subaru-kun, hold on tighter! You're going to get shaken off!"
As Subaru analyzed how the battle had opened in his own way, Rem gripped the earth dragon's reins and shouted at him. Her words were part of the plan—the signal for the second phase, to follow the detonation of the preemptive strike.
"All units—charge right behind those idiots!!"
Half a step behind Subaru and Rem as they surged forward, Krusch barked her command. In response, the members of the subjugation force ignited their cannons one after another—the embedded magic mineral ore was launched, bursting in midair, and the explosion converted into destructive power keyed to its color, hammering the White Whale's torso in rapid succession.
Fire, ice, and chunks of earth became blades, spears, and hammers that smashed into the wound Rem had created, widening it further. Blood mist erupted from the writhing colossus, raining dark crimson down upon the highway.
Dodging the fresh blood that blanketed their vision like drizzle, the earth dragon nimbly arced wide around the White Whale, heading for its rear. Everything was proceeding as they had agreed.
"I'll keep its attention on me and get the subjugation force positioned at its back—!"
"The Dark-Exorcising Crystals are about to shatter—close your eyes!!"
Rem was already in combat mode, the pure white tip of her horn peeking out from her forehead.
Glancing up and seeing her bared fangs, Subaru hurriedly obeyed her instruction, looking down and shutting his eyes tight—then, the next instant, the world flashed white.
The white light exploded in the sky, instantaneously scorching the world with blinding radiance.
Even through his closed eyelids, the intensity pierced his sight nerves, and Subaru's throat seized with shock. A few seconds later, when he cautiously opened his eyes and looked around— "Whoa, they weren't kidding. That's incredible."
The darkness of night had been swept aside, and the world was laid bare as if it were broad daylight.
Overhead, blazing in place of the already-set sun, were the Dark-Exorcising Crystals—launched at the same time as the preemptive strike against the White Whale. Designed to shatter and produce a pseudo-light source that illuminated the darkness, they were originally intended to cast only a faint glow over the gloom—but.
"With the money and connections we threw at it, we bought a mountain of these things and shattered them all at once—hence the artificial sun."
"If it sinks into the dark, even a creature as massive as the White Whale won't be easy to find. —Now, the real fight begins!"
The combined purchasing power of the capital's two greatest merchants, running hither and thither to gather crystal stones from every corner—their effect.
The Lifaus Highway, which had been submerged in night, was now flooded with the brilliance of daytime, bringing the world into vivid relief where before there had been nothing but moonlight to rely on.
Which meant, simultaneously— "That's…!!"
—for the first time, it revealed the full form of the monster known as the "White Whale" in all its daylight glory, something they had never clearly seen under the sun before.
"————————————!!!"
Was it fury at being exposed under open sky? The White Whale threw open its titanic maw and unleashed a roar. The sound it produced had already transcended the realm of mere noise—it was close to an act of destruction in itself. The atmosphere itself seemed to quake, a violent war cry primal enough to instill fear in even the wild instincts of a trained earth dragon.
The monster that produced this terrifying display was leaking blood from wounds here and there across its colossal body, yet its movements lost not a shred of their ferocity as it glared down at the humans daring to challenge it.
"What… a size…"
His throat trembled despite having no intention of letting it, and Subaru could not stop the sensation of his limbs going numb. He was being forcibly confronted with the reality that the White Whale—the existence he had seen, touched, and lost time and again—had only ever revealed the barest fraction of its true threat.
The White Whale—and with good reason it bore that alias—was shrouded in white.
Its skin, rough and craggy like bedrock, was covered with countless white bristles, and its toughness meant that half-hearted attacks could not penetrate inward. Viewed through long-range sight, its overall shape did indeed bear a striking resemblance to the whales of Subaru's knowledge, but its size exceeded that image by a full margin.
As far as Subaru knew, the largest whale in his world was the blue whale—roughly thirty meters in length, the largest and heaviest mammal that could be called the absolute maximum.
But the White Whale, as seen with the naked eye, easily surpassed thirty meters. It was approaching the scale of fifty meters. At that size, it was less a living creature and more a mountain.
A single white mountain, lazily drifting through the sky as though it were the grandest joke.
"Subaru-kun."
A voice calling to him—because the sight before them had made his teeth chatter and his fingertips had begun to tremble.
It belonged to the girl who had her back to him, her small frame hugging Subaru's waist. Right in front of him, close enough to hear her breathe, she did not turn Subaru to face her.
"Are you afraid?"
It was not a provocation. It was trust, reaching out to him.
Grinding his teeth together, Subaru forcibly twisted his mouth into a grin.
"Yeah, I'm terrified. —Of how dazzling my future will look after I'm praised for killing that thing!"
He tossed off a joke to match the girl's expectations, then slapped her shoulder from behind.
"I'm putting my entire life in your hands! Now let's run like hell!"
"My life is Subaru-kun's as well. —Then, let us do just that."
Rem offered a gentle smile at Subaru's thumbs-up and his spirited charge to retreat, then cracked the reins. The earth dragon reared and let out a snarl, kicking up dust as it tore across the earth without an ounce of fear, even in the face of that aberration.
They were heading straight for the White Whale's lower right flank—angling diagonally to circle around to its tail side.
The White Whale's massive pupil locked onto Subaru and Rem as the first to close in. A jaw that could swallow an entire house whole yawned open, its stone-mill-like rows of teeth lining a maw that sucked in atmosphere, preparing to hurl a roar their way.
Bracing for another instance of that breath-stealing roar—when above their heads— "You've taken me rather lightly, I'd say—!!"
An invisible blade flashed horizontally, slicing the White Whale's head cleanly across the forehead.
Without so much as the scrape of steel against stone, the slash grazed across that hard, rocky hide and blood once again fountained from the White Whale's massive frame.
Turning to trace the source of the blade, Subaru saw that leading the subjugation force right behind them was Krusch's earth dragon. Standing atop the sleek, dark beast, the striking figure who had apparently unleashed that slash accompanied by a valiant declaration—her drawing arm was…
"She's not holding anything…!?"
"An intangible sword that ignores range—the legendary swordsmanship of Krusch, who was famed for the saying 'a hundred men as one blade,'" Rem answered in a low voice at Subaru's shock.
He was unfamiliar with the legend she had just recounted, but the description alone was enough to grasp the gist of it. It also went a long way toward explaining how convincing Krusch's combat ability was, even though she appeared unarmed.
The invisible slash had crushed the White Whale's initial reaction, and with the creature momentarily frozen, follow-up attacks poured in.
The members of the subjugation force launched more magic mineral ore, concentrating their firepower on the White Whale's colossus. Hit after hit landed, dealing damage as the writhing giant began to lose altitude.
The White Whale, which had been hovering at the height of the clouds, sank lower and lower. Once its altitude dropped enough that you could tilt your head straight back and still not see the top—that was…
"—within range of my blade."
The earth dragon launched itself skyward in a powerful leap, carrying them upward with a lightness that belied its own massive frame. Still, when compared to the fearsome White Whale, the difference in sheer mass was obvious. From the White Whale's perspective, the earth dragon floating before its snout must have looked like nothing more than an insect.
—But the sword flash, charged straight and true, cleaved deep into the tip of the monster's snout.
The sight of silver effortlessly slicing through that white, rocky hide caused the thunderous roar that had been reverberating across the battlefield to fall silent for a heartbeat. It was not magic. It was not an imbued mineral. It was not the destruction wrought by a formless blade. It was the proof of a block of shaped iron, swung by a human hand.
The proof that a man who had spent the vast majority of his long life in dedication to this craft had reached a pinnacle—and that his strike had landed true on the nose of the fog-spawning, world-whitening monster.
"Fourteen years."
Plunging his sword into the split snout, the shadowy figure crouched and murmured the words under his breath.
He held his posture by driving his off-hand sword into the flesh, maintaining his stance. His seasoned back, trained over countless years, was taut with a killing intent so immense it warped the very air, and— "I have dreamed of nothing but this day."
As the figure straightened, the White Whale writhed. Its massive body twisted in midair, barrel-rolling through the atmosphere as though trying to shake the thing perched on the tip of its nose.
Gale-force winds ripped across the highway sky, and every last person held their breath and watched wide-eyed as the titanic body swam through its acrobatic maneuver.
But— "————————!!"
The White Whale twisted back to its original position, a choked growl of agony tearing from its throat. It thrashed its tail wildly as fresh blood poured out. The wound that had been slashed vertically earlier now bore an additional horizontal gash—a cross-shaped scar on its forehead. And upon the White Whale's back, light footsteps landed.
—the Sword Devil grinned, his wrinkled cheeks twisting into a cruel, razor-thin smile.
"Fall here and let your corpse be exposed. —That's all a hunk of flesh like you is good for."
With those parting words, Wilhelm's body drew both swords and cut through the wind.
He sprinted from the head end toward the tail, his blades tearing across the White Whale's rocky hide along the way. Hard as it was supposed to be, the rocky skin split without resistance as blood mist sprayed into the sky in his wake—truly a Sword Devil in action.
The White Whale thrashed its enormous body trying to shake him, but it could not land a clean hit on the old swordsman. As it tried to throw him off, it whirled through the air once more, wreathed in a hurricane— "It's awfully cooperative of you to come slicing yourself, right into my blade."
Just before the White Whale completed its rotation, Wilhelm made a short leap and drove his sword in to anchor himself. The blade caught and ran clean along the surface of the spinning White Whale, which effectively offered its own body up to the edge.
Blood mist showered half his body, painting it in mottled crimson as the Sword Devil laughed. Laughing, his aged frame swung both swords overhead and brought them down on the creature's flank—hewing a V-shaped gash into the side that sheared through rock and meat alike.
A scream tore across the sky. As Wilhelm fell, the White Whale's tail whipped around in a lateral strike aimed straight at him—but just before impact, Wilhelm's earth dragon swooped in, scooped the old swordsman up, and glided out of range with fluid grace. Then, as the White Whale surged forward in rage, trying to pursue Wilhelm— "Quit being so noisy, you old fossil! We'll be your dance partners too!!"
A cleaver strike plunged into its open mouth, wrenching out one of the White Whale's fangs by the root with a dull snap and sending the yellowed molar flying.
Riding through on the other side was Ricardo, straddling his Liger and whooping with abandon. The hound, once considered lighter than an earth dragon, demonstrated its agility to the fullest, darting along the White Whale's airborne body with his master on his back.
"We're nowhere near done yet, got it!!"
From atop the sprinting Liger, Ricardo spat curses and rain of saliva as his massive cleaver came crashing down. The beastman shattered rock-like hide and gouged through the meat beneath, spraying blood everywhere. The Liger at his side contributed as well, using its fangs and claws liberally to deepen and sharpen every wound.
And following Ricardo's fierce charge— "Alright—here we go—!!"
"Big sister, don't push too far ahead! Everyone, now!"
A pair of young beastmen—a small Liger and its feline twin副団長—split off while issuing commands, and the Ligers of the beastman mercenary company latched onto the White Whale one after another, racing across its vast body and beginning their rampage.
Spears and swords were swung, most bouncing off the rocky hide, but the blows that cracked through the outer shell delivered damage all the same. The sight was that of a beast swarmed by venomous insects.
As the White Whale thrashed to shake off the enemies clinging to every part of its body, opening small but accumulating wounds, it was exposing the weakness inherent in its enormous size— "All units—pull back!!"
Krusch's commanding roar cut across the battlefield. The mercenaries who had been latched on leapt clear of the White Whale simultaneously. The Ligers that had been airborne touched down lightly—and seeing this, the White Whale swung its body wide to counterattack. But that decision was a mistake.
"You've exposed your flank—!"
Krusch's second strike—descending from a high guard in a diagonal slash—sheared across the White Whale's side, and right on the heels of that blow, a fresh wave of follow-up attacks struck.
This was the assault from the unit that had hung back up until now, doing nothing but concentrating on their spellcasting.
"————————!!"
Chants layered over one another, and the manifestation was a crystallization of refined mana—destruction made tangible. In a sky where sun and moon existed simultaneously in a contradiction of light, a second sun appeared in the lower heavens.
Even understanding that it was a fire spell consolidated into a single devastating burst, Subaru could not tear his eyes away from the sheer ferocity of a world being scorched by extreme heat.
A fireball over ten meters in diameter blazed across the distance, searing skin and threatening to boil dry the moisture in the eyeballs behind closed lids. Once that fireball gained its initial velocity and began to waver— "Ooooooooooh!!"
Instantly, initial velocity became acceleration, and the fireball slammed head-on into the White Whale's exposed flank—burning through the wound it created, cooking through the flesh and boiling the organs within. The White Whale's shriek and the detonation boomed across the bright night sky.
The shattered fireball scattered burning debris across the plain, and the mercenaries below scattered in a hurry. Subaru and Rem pulled back with them, continuing to watch as the White Whale's white bristles caught fire and burned.
The overwhelming results—this flawless surprise attack had hit so hard that the White Whale could not even mount a counter. If this kept up, perhaps they could make it through without a single casualty, without giving it any chance to strike back.
"That really did some damage! Can we keep this going!?"
Subaru pumped his fist in elation from the back of their earth dragon, which had pulled back to a safe distance beyond the fire's reach and halted in a cloud of dust.
In truth, they had pushed the White Whale back and inflicted considerable damage. It was unclear whether the previous subjugation forces had lacked the strength, or whether it was simply that their own preparations had been meticulous enough to meet this moment—but there was a palpable sense of elation, as if victory were within reach.
But to Subaru's words— "No. —Ideally, that should have brought it crashing to the ground."
Rem shook her head in frustration, glaring up at the burning beast floating in the sky.
Drawn by her words, Subaru looked up and narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the White Whale. The fire had spread across its white bristles and it was writhing, but there was no sign of the flames dying down. Cuts and mineral-ore wounds dotted its entire body, and it was dripping blood—but the White Whale's altitude…
"Haven't dropped at all."
Its body was still in the sky above.
It wasn't beyond the reach of a Liger's leap, but it was still far too high for any single person to challenge on foot. More importantly, they had to bring it to the ground before they could move on to the next phase of the plan.
"All the trump cards we could play up front have been played. If it still won't come down, that just means it's one tough bastard, eh."
Ricardo rested his cleaver on his shoulder, his fur still wet with blood, and walked up beside them.
The beastman snorted through his dog-like nose, whiskers bristling as he looked up at the White Whale.
"From what I can tell, breaking through that thick hide ain't easy. Unless you go brute-force like I did or have technique on Wilhelm's level, you're fighting a losing battle."
"Physical attacks, maybe. But the magic attacks seem to be getting through, don't they?"
"That's not entirely true either," Rem cut in, frustrated. "At first glance, the attacks appear to land, but the white bristles covering its skin scatter the mana, reducing the power. Even my attacks aren't penetrating as well as they look."
She was visibly vexed as she admitted that even her most powerful magic was not getting through.
When Subaru looked at her, he could see for himself—the White Whale's body was covered in shallow wounds, but none were serious enough to impede its combat ability. At the very least, though— "That fire magic burned away the white fur, and it looked like it got through from there."
"Once you burn the mana-scattering fur, you can cut the scorched skin beneath with a blade—straightforward logic," Ricardo agreed with a savage grin, baring his fangs.
He dropped his cleaver to his side, slapped his Liger's back, craned his neck around to pick up speed, and headed back to the front line. As he went— "I'll wear it down the same way as before! Tell Krusch to land one of those big hits at the key moments!"
Shouting his unsolicited orders, he dove beneath the White Whale and leapt again to target its back.
Glancing around, Wilhelm—who had apparently pulled back earlier—was also making for the White Whale's back from the tail side, and the subjugation force, having reached the same conclusion as Subaru and Rem, moved swiftly into action.
In other words: the full-scale assault continued.
"At this rate, we're just getting in the way by approaching—the firepower's all concentrated on one spot. Rem, can't you fire off any magic?"
"Anything on the same scale as before would take too long to cast, and… the mana still gets scattered. My magic just isn't dealing damage right now. Anything smaller than that and we wouldn't have enough firepower to begin with."
Following Ricardo's earlier logic, Rem might have better luck leaping to the front line herself with her morningstar and applying physical force to that rock-like body. But to do that, Subaru would be in the way—and moreover, if they were to follow the strategy Subaru had planned for what came next, he and Rem could not be separated here.
"As much as it kills me, we just have to watch for an opening…!"
"It's just as frustrating on our end, you know," Felis said.
Speaking as a slow-paced earth dragon pulled up alongside theirs, its heavy armor plating gleaming. Atop the armored dragon sat a lightly dressed female knight—it was Felis.
The cat-eyed healer squinted mischievously at Subaru and said: "Since Feli doesn't have much in the way of offensive options, basically all I can do is watch. I guess you could say I'm used to it, but—yeah, the frustrating feeling never goes away."
"That's exactly why you're the lifeline of this damage-focused subjugation team. I'd be in trouble if you went to the front. Just keep doing what you've been doing—that's all I ask."
Even at this late stage, Felis refused to drop her usual attitude. Subaru replied in kind, and Felis tilted her head with a surprised "Oh my?"
"You seem like you've had a change of heart or something, Subaru-kun. What happened?"
"If I had to say… I've become a slightly better man."
Running his eyes across the shifting battle, Subaru answered through a bitter grimace.
Felis pressed a finger to her lip and nodded. "Hmm. Maybe Rem-chan made Subaru-kun into a man, nya?"
The answer was both yes and no.
Subaru glared, annoyed, at the sight of Felis giving a crude thumbs-up and grinning. He nearly snapped at her—was this really the time?—but— "Lord Wilhelm—!!"
Rem's shout snapped his gaze forward. The old swordsman was sprinting along the White Whale's back.
Wilhelm held his blade pointed downward, slashing vertically, splitting the White Whale's back as he ran from tail to spine. Fresh blood spewed up behind him like a fountain in his wake.
*Like a lion in a fury*—that must be what the old saying meant.
The subjugation force's morale soared at Wilhelm's display of strength, seemingly impossible for a lone man. The volleys of magic mineral ore continued unabated, and the Liger-borne beastman mercenaries pressed their group tactics with renewed vigor.
Writhing in agony midair, the White Whale let out broken, intermittent cries—utterly unable to respond to any of it.
The fog monster—the aberration that had tormented the world for so long—looked utterly pitiable in its flailing. Subaru felt the wind shift decisively in their favor.
"Yiiiiieeeeaaah!!"
With a battle cry, Wilhelm's blade carved a vertical split all the way to the White Whale's head, and his old frame vaulted lightly off the tip. Twisting in midair, the inverted figure— "Here—catch!!"
—was met by Ricardo, who had leapt straight up and swung his cleaver.
The arc was not aimed at the White Whale, but at Wilhelm himself, inverted in midair. Wilhelm caught the blow sole-to-blade— "Ha—!!"
—and his body was launched upward like a projectile. The twin swords he held crossed as they passed the White Whale's face, tearing it to shreds. The snout was left in ragged pieces, ripped apart from nose to cheek by the violent sweep.
A scream split the sky. As Wilhelm fell, the White Whale's tail lashed out in a lateral swipe—but just before it connected, Wilhelm's earth dragon swept in, caught the old swordsman, and slid away from the attack's range. The White Whale, consumed by rage, tried to pursue Wilhelm— "You're too noisy, old man! I'll be your opponent too!!"
Ricardo's massive cleaver plunged into its open mouth, wrenching out one of the fangs by the root with a dull crack and sending the yellowed molar flying.
Without pausing, the beastman crossed the White Whale's face on a diagonal. Riding atop his Liger, Ricardo let out a whoop of triumph. The large hound, lighter and more agile than the earth dragons, demonstrated its full swiftness as it raced across the body of the airborne White Whale with its master on its back.
"We're nowhere near done yet, got it!!"
From atop the sprinting Liger, Ricardo spat curses and rain of saliva as his massive cleaver came crashing down. The beastman shattered rock-like hide and gouged through the meat beneath, spraying blood everywhere. The Liger at his side contributed as well, using its fangs and claws liberally to deepen and sharpen every wound.
And following Ricardo's fierce charge— "Alright—here we go—!!"
"Big sister, don't push too far ahead! Everyone, now!"
Commanded by the twin beastman副団長 riding small Ligers as they scattered across the battlefield, the mercenary company's Ligers latched onto the White Whale one after another, racing across its vast body and beginning their savage assault.
Spears and swords swung, most bouncing off the rocky hide, but the blows that cracked through the outer shell delivered damage all the same. The sight was that of a beast swarmed by venomous insects.
As the White Whale thrashed to shake off the enemies clinging to every part of its body, opening small but accumulating wounds, it was exposing the weakness inherent in its enormous size— "All units—pull back!!"
Krusch's commanding roar cut across the battlefield. The mercenaries who had been latched on leapt clear of the White Whale simultaneously. The airborne Ligers touched down lightly, and seeing this, the White Whale swung its body wide in a counterattack. But that decision was a mistake.
"You've exposed your flank—!"
Krusch's second strike—descending from high guard in a diagonal slash—sheared across the White Whale's side, and right on the heels of that blow, a fresh wave of follow-up attacks struck.
This was the assault from the unit that had hung back up until now, concentrating entirely on their spellcasting.
"————————!!"
Chants layered over one another, and the manifestation was a crystallization of refined mana—destruction made tangible. In a sky where sun and moon existed simultaneously in a contradiction of light, a second sun appeared in the lower heavens.
Even understanding that it was a fire spell consolidated into a single devastating burst, Subaru could not tear his eyes away from the sheer ferocity of a world being scorched by extreme heat.
A fireball over ten meters in diameter blazed across the distance, searing skin and threatening to boil dry the moisture in the eyeballs behind closed lids. Once that fireball gained its initial velocity and began to waver— "Ooooooooooh!!"
Instantly, initial velocity became acceleration, and the fireball slammed head-on into the White Whale's exposed flank—burning through the wound it created, cooking through the flesh and boiling the organs within. The White Whale's shriek and the detonation boomed across the bright night sky.
The shattered fireball scattered burning debris across the plain, and the mercenaries below scattered in a hurry. Subaru and Rem pulled back with them, continuing to watch as the White Whale's white bristles caught fire and burned.
The overwhelming results—this flawless surprise attack had hit so hard that the White Whale could not even mount a counter. If this kept up, perhaps they could make it through without a single casualty, without giving it any chance to strike back.
"That really did some damage! Can we keep this going!?"
Subaru pumped his fist in elation from the back of their earth dragon, which had pulled back to a safe distance beyond the fire's reach and halted in a cloud of dust.
In truth, they had pushed the White Whale back and inflicted considerable damage. It was unclear whether the previous subjugation forces had lacked the strength, or whether it was simply that their own preparations had been meticulous enough to meet this moment—but there was a palpable sense of elation, as if victory were within reach.
But to Subaru's words— "No. —Ideally, that should have brought it crashing to the ground."
Rem shook her head in frustration, glaring up at the burning beast floating in the sky.
Drawn by her words, Subaru looked up and narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the White Whale. The fire had spread across its white bristles and it was writhing, but there was no sign of the flames dying down. Cuts and mineral-ore wounds dotted its entire body, and it was dripping blood—yet.
"Altitude… hasn't dropped."
Its body was still in the sky above.
It wasn't beyond the reach of a Liger's leap, but it was still far too high for any single person to challenge on foot. More importantly, they had to bring it to the ground before they could move on to the next phase of the plan.
"All the trump cards we could play up front have been played. If it still won't come down, that just means it's one tough bastard, eh."
Ricardo rested his cleaver on his shoulder, his fur still wet with blood, and walked up beside them.
The beastman snorted through his dog-like nose, whiskers bristling as he looked up at the White Whale.
"From what I can tell, breaking through that thick hide ain't easy. Unless you go brute-force like I did or have technique on Wilhelm's level, you're fighting a losing battle."
"Physical attacks, maybe. But the magic attacks seem to be getting through, don't they?"
"That's not entirely true either," Rem cut in, visibly vexed. "At first glance the hits appear to land, but the white bristles covering its skin scatter the mana and reduce the power. My attacks aren't penetrating as well as they look."
Glancing at Subaru, she admitted with frustration that even her most powerful magic was not getting through.
At the very least— "That fire magic burned away the white fur, and it looked like it got through from there."
"Once you burn the mana-scattering fur, you can cut the scorched skin beneath with a blade. Straightforward," Ricardo agreed with a savage grin, baring his fangs.
He dropped his cleaver to his side, slapped his Liger's back, craned his neck to pick up speed, and headed back to the front line. As he went— "I'll wear it down the same way as before! Tell Krusch to land one of those big hits at the key moments!"
Shouting his unsolicited orders, he dove beneath the White Whale and leapt again to target its back.
Glancing around, Wilhelm—who had apparently pulled back earlier—was also making for the White Whale's back from the tail side, and the subjugation force, having reached the same conclusion as Subaru and Rem, moved swiftly into action.
In other words: the full-scale assault continued.
"At this rate, the firepower's all concentrated in one spot, so we're just getting in the way by approaching. Rem, can't you fire off any magic?"
"Anything on the same scale as before would take too long to cast, and… the mana still gets scattered. My magic just isn't dealing damage right now. Anything smaller and we wouldn't have enough firepower to begin with."
Following Ricardo's earlier logic, Rem might have better luck leaping to the front line herself with her morningstar and applying physical force to that rock-like body. But doing that would make Subaru a liability, and moreover—if they were to follow the strategy Subaru had planned for what came next, he and Rem could not be separated here.
"As much as it kills me, we just have to watch for an opening…!"
"It's just as frustrating on our end, you know," Felis said.
Speaking as a slow-paced earth dragon pulled up alongside theirs, its heavy armor plating gleaming. Atop the armored dragon sat a lightly dressed female knight—Felis.
The cat-eyed healer squinted mischievously at Subaru.
"Since Feli doesn't have much in the way of offensive options, basically all I can do is watch. I guess you could say I'm used to it, but—the frustrating feeling never goes away."
"That's exactly why you're the lifeline of this damage-focused subjugation team. I'd be in real trouble if you went to the front. Just keep doing what you've been doing—that's all I ask."
Even at this late stage, Felis refused to drop her usual attitude. Subaru replied in kind, and Felis tilted her head with a surprised "Oh my?"
"You seem like you've had a change of heart or something, Subaru-kun. What happened to you?"
"If I had to say… I've become a slightly better man."
Running his eyes across the shifting battle, Subaru answered through a bitter grimace. Felis pressed a finger to her lip and nodded thoughtfully.
"Hmm. Maybe Rem-chan made Subaru-kun into a man, nya?"
The answer was yes—and no.
Felis gave a crude thumbs-up and grinned. Subaru glared, annoyed—was this really the time? He was about to snap at the healer when— "Lord Wilhelm—!!"
Rem's shout snapped his gaze forward. The old swordsman was sprinting along the White Whale's back.
Wilhelm held his blade pointed downward, slashing vertically, splitting the White Whale's back as he ran from tail to spine. Fresh blood spewed up behind him like a fountain.
*Like a lion in a fury*—that must be what the old saying meant.
The subjugation force's morale soared at Wilhelm's display of strength, seemingly impossible for a lone man. The volleys of magic mineral ore continued unabated, and the Liger-borne beastman mercenaries pressed their group tactics with renewed vigor.
Writhing in agony midair, the White Whale let out broken, intermittent cries—utterly unable to respond to any of it.
The fog monster—the aberration that had tormented the world for so long—looked utterly pitiable in its flailing. Subaru felt the wind shift decisively in their favor.
"Yiiiiieeeeaaah!!"
With a battle cry, Wilhelm's blade carved a vertical split all the way to the White Whale's head, and his old frame vaulted lightly off the tip. Twisting in midair, the inverted figure— "Here—catch!!"
—was met by Ricardo, who had leapt straight up and swung his cleaver.
The arc was not aimed at the White Whale, but at Wilhelm himself, inverted in midair. Wilhelm caught the blow sole-to-blade— "Ha—!!"
—and his body was launched upward like a projectile. The twin swords he held crossed as they passed the White Whale's face, tearing it to shreds. The snout was left in ragged pieces, ripped apart from nose to cheek by the violent sweep.
A scream split the sky. As Wilhelm fell, the White Whale's tail lashed out in a lateral swipe—but just before it connected, Wilhelm's earth dragon swept in, caught the old swordsman, and slid away from the attack's range. The White Whale, consumed by rage, tried to pursue— "I said shut it, fossil! We'll be your dance partners!!"
A cleaver strike plunged into its open mouth, wrenching out one of the White Whale's fangs by the root with a dull snap and sending the yellowed molar flying.
Riding through on the other side was Ricardo, straddling his Liger and whooping with abandon. The hound, lighter and more agile than an earth dragon, demonstrated its full swiftness, darting along the White Whale's airborne body with its master on its back.
"We're nowhere near done yet!!"
From atop the sprinting Liger, Ricardo spat curses and rain of saliva as his massive cleaver came crashing down. The beastman shattered rocky hide and gouged through the meat beneath, spraying blood everywhere. The Liger at his side contributed as well, using its fangs and claws to deepen and sharpen every wound.
And following Ricardo's fierce charge— "Alright, here we go!"
"Big sister, don't push too far ahead! Everyone, now!"
Commanded by the twin副団長 riding small Ligers as they scattered, the mercenary company's Ligers latched onto the White Whale one after another, racing across its vast body and beginning their savage assault.
Spears and swords swung, most bouncing off the rocky hide, but blows that cracked through the outer shell delivered damage all the same. The sight was that of a beast swarmed by venomous insects.
As the White Whale thrashed to shake off the enemies clinging to every part of its body, opening small but accumulating wounds, it was exposing the weakness inherent in its enormous size— "All units—pull back!!"
Krusch's commanding roar cut across the battlefield. The mercenaries who had been latched on leapt clear of the White Whale simultaneously. The airborne Ligers touched down lightly, and seeing this, the White Whale swung its body wide in a counterattack. But that decision was a mistake.
"You've exposed your flank—!"
Krusch's second strike—descending from high guard in a diagonal slash—sheared across the White Whale's side, and right on the heels of that blow, a fresh wave of follow-up attacks struck.
This was the assault from the unit that had hung back up until now, concentrating entirely on their spellcasting.
"————————!!"
Chants layered over one another, and the manifestation was a crystallization of refined mana—destruction made tangible. In a sky where sun and moon existed simultaneously, a second sun appeared in the lower heavens.
Even understanding that it was a fire spell consolidated into a single devastating burst, Subaru could not tear his eyes away from the sheer ferocity of a world being scorched by extreme heat.
A fireball over ten meters in diameter blazed across the distance, searing skin and threatening to boil dry the moisture in the eyeballs behind closed lids. Once that fireball gained its initial velocity— "Ooooooooooh!!"
Instantly, initial velocity became acceleration, and the fireball slammed head-on into the White Whale's exposed flank—burning through the wound, cooking through the flesh, and boiling the organs within. The White Whale's shriek and the detonation boomed across the bright night sky.
The shattered fireball scattered burning debris across the plain, and the mercenaries below scattered. Subaru and Rem pulled back with them, continuing to watch the White Whale's white bristles burn.
The overwhelming results—this flawless surprise attack had hit so hard the White Whale could not even counter. If this kept up, perhaps they could make it through without a single casualty.
"That really did some damage! We can keep this going, right!?"
Subaru pumped his fist in elation atop the earth dragon, which had pulled back to safety and halted in a cloud of dust.
In truth, they had pushed the White Whale back and dealt serious damage. Whether the previous subjugation forces had lacked strength or their own preparations had simply been that thorough, the elation of near-victory was palpable.
But to Subaru's words— "No. —Ideally, that should have brought it crashing to the ground."
Rem shook her head in frustration, glaring up at the burning beast in the sky.
Her words drew Subaru's gaze upward. He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the White Whale. Fire had spread across its white bristles and it was writhing, but the flames showed no sign of dying down. Cuts and ore wounds dotted its entire body, dripping blood—the sight was plainly agonizing. However— "Altitude… hasn't dropped."
Its colossal body was still high above.
It wasn't beyond a Liger's leap, but it was far too high for any individual to challenge. More importantly, they had to bring it to the ground before they could move to the next phase.
"All the cards we could play up front have been played. If it still won't come down, that just means it's tougher than we thought," Ricardo said, resting his cleaver on his shoulder, fur still wet with blood.
The beastman snorted through his dog-like nose, whiskers bristling as he looked up.
"From what I felt breaking through, getting through that thick hide isn't easy. You'd need either brute force like mine or technique on Wilhelm's level, or you're on a slow road to nowhere."
"Physical attacks, maybe, but magic seems to be getting through?"
"That's not entirely true either," Rem cut in. "At first glance, the attacks appear to land, but the white bristles scatter the mana and reduce the power. My attacks aren't penetrating as well as they look."
Subaru studied her and could see it for himself—the White Whale's body bore numerous shallow wounds, but none were severe enough to impair its combat ability.
At the very least— "That fire magic burned away the white fur. It looked like it got through."
"Burn the mana-scattering fur, and you can cut the scorched skin beneath with a blade. Simple logic," Ricardo agreed with a savage grin.
He dropped his cleaver to his side, slapped his Liger's back, and accelerated toward the front line.
"I'll wear it down the same way! Tell Krusch to land a big one at the key moments!"
Shouting his unsolicited orders, he dove beneath the White Whale and leapt again to target its back.
Glancing over, Wilhelm was also heading for the White Whale's back from the tail end, and the subjugation force had already shifted into action.
In other words: the full-scale assault continued.
"At this rate, the firepower's concentrated in one spot, so we're just getting in the way up close. Rem, can't you fire off any magic?"
"Anything on the same scale would take too long to cast, and… the mana still gets scattered. My magic isn't dealing damage. Anything smaller wouldn't have enough firepower."
Following Ricardo's logic, Rem might have been better off on the front line with her morningstar, applying brute physical force. But doing that would make Subaru a liability, and if they were to follow the strategy Subaru had planned, they could not be separated here.
"As much as it kills me, we just have to watch for an opening…"
"It's just as frustrating for us, you know," Felis said.
Speaking as a slow-paced earth dragon pulled up alongside theirs, heavy armor plating gleaming. Atop it sat a lightly dressed female knight—Felis.
The cat-eyed healer squinted mischievously at Subaru.
"Since Feli doesn't have much in the way of offensive options, basically all I can do is watch. I guess you could say I'm used to it, but—the frustrating feeling never goes away."
"That's exactly why you're the lifeline of this damage-focused team. I'd be in trouble if you went to the front. Just keep doing what you're doing."
Even at this stage, Felis refused to drop her usual attitude. Subaru replied in kind, and Felis tilted her head with a surprised "Oh my?"
"You seem like you've had a change of heart, Subaru-kun. What happened?"
"If I had to say… I've become a slightly better man."
Running his eyes across the shifting battle, Subaru answered through a bitter grimace. Felis pressed a finger to her lip and nodded.
"Hmm. Maybe Rem-chan made Subaru-kun into a man, nya?"
The answer was yes—and no.
Felis gave a crude thumbs-up and grinned. Subaru glared in annoyance—was this really the time?—but— "Lord Wilhelm—!!"
Rem's shout snapped his gaze forward. The old swordsman was sprinting along the White Whale's back.
Wilhelm held his blade pointed downward, driving it vertically as he carved from tail to spine. Fresh blood spewed up behind him like a fountain.
*Like a lion in a fury*—that must be what the old saying meant.
The subjugation force's morale soared at Wilhelm's single-handed display of cutting prowess. The volleys of magic mineral ore continued, and the Liger-borne beastman mercenaries pressed their group tactics with renewed vigor.
Writhing in midair, the White Whale let out broken cries—utterly unable to respond.
The fog monster—the aberration that had tormented the world for so long—looked utterly pitiable. Subaru felt the wind shift decisively in their favor.
"Yiiiiieeeeaaah!!"
With a battle cry, Wilhelm's blade carved a vertical split all the way to the White Whale's head. His old frame vaulted lightly off the tip, twisted in midair—then, inverted, he was met by— "Here—catch!!"
Ricardo, leaping straight up, swung his cleaver.
The arc was aimed not at the White Whale but at Wilhelm himself. The old swordsman caught the blow sole-to-blade— "Ha—!!"
—his body launched upward like a projectile. His crossed swords raked the White Whale's face as they passed, tearing it apart. The snout was ripped from nose to cheek in a ragged, violent sweep.
A scream tore across the sky. As Wilhelm fell, the White Whale's tail lashed out—but just before impact, Wilhelm's earth dragon swept in, scooped him up, and glided away.
The White Whale, consumed by rage, turned to pursue— "I said shut it, fossil! We'll be your partners!!"
Ricardo's cleaver plunged into its open mouth, wrenching out a fang by the root.
Riding through on his Liger, the beastman let out a whoop. The large hound raced along the White Whale's airborne body with its master on its back.
"Nowhere near done yet!!"
From atop the sprinting Liger, Ricardo's cleaver crashed down again and again. The beastman shattered rocky hide and gouged through meat, spraying blood. His Liger contributed with fangs and claws, deepening every wound.
Following Ricardo's charge— "Alright, here we go!"
"Big sister, don't push too far ahead! Everyone, now!"
The twin副団長 on their small Ligers scattered while issuing commands, and the mercenary company's Ligers latched onto the White Whale one after another, racing across its vast body.
Spears and swords swung, most bouncing off the rocky hide, but blows that cracked through delivered damage. The sight was that of a beast swarmed by insects.
As the White Whale thrashed to shake off its tormentors, it exposed the weakness of its unwieldy size— "All units—pull back!!"
Krusch's roar cut across the battlefield. The mercenaries leapt clear. The White Whale swung wide to counterattack—but that was a mistake.
"You've exposed your flank—!"
Krusch's second strike—descending from high guard—sheared across the White Whale's side, and a fresh wave of follow-up attacks immediately struck home.
This was the assault from the spellcasting unit.
"————————!!"
Chants layered over one another. Mana crystallized into destruction. A second sun appeared in the lower heavens.
Even knowing it was a fire spell, Subaru could not tear his eyes away from the sheer ferocity.
A fireball over ten meters in diameter blazed across the distance, searing skin and threatening to boil the moisture from eyeballs. Once it gained its initial velocity— "Ooooooooooh!!"
Acceleration. The fireball slammed into the White Whale's flank—burning through flesh, boiling organs. The shriek and the detonation boomed across the night sky.
The shattered fireball scattered burning debris. Subaru and Rem pulled back, watching the White Whale's white bristles burn.
The results were overwhelming. The White Whale could barely counter. Perhaps they could make it through unscathed— "That really hit hard! We can keep this going!"
Subaru pumped his fist atop the earth dragon.
They had dealt serious damage. Whether previous forces had lacked strength or their preparations were simply superior, victory felt close.
But— "No. —Ideally, that should have brought it down."
Rem shook her head in frustration, glaring at the burning beast.
"Altitude… hasn't dropped."
"It hasn't come down. We can't move to the next phase unless we drag it to the ground."
"All the front-line cards have been played. If it still won't come down, it's just that tough," Ricardo said, cleaver on his shoulder, fur wet with blood.
"Breaking through that thick hide isn't easy. You'd need brute force or technique on Wilhelm's level."
"Physical attacks, maybe, but magic seems to be getting through?"
"The white bristles scatter mana. My attacks aren't penetrating as well as they look," Rem admitted, frustrated.
The White Whale bore numerous shallow wounds but nothing that impaired its combat ability. At the very least, the fire magic had burned away the fur.
"Burn the mana-scattering fur, and you can cut the skin beneath. Simple," Ricardo agreed.
He headed back to the front line. Following the same logic, Rem might have been more effective there with her morningstar. But she and Subaru could not be separated if they were to follow his plan.
"As much as it kills me, we just have to watch…"
"Same here," Felis said, pulling up alongside.
The healer squinted at Subaru.
"Feli's basically just watching—used to it by now, but it's still frustrating."
"You're the lifeline of this team. Just keep doing what you're doing."
Felis tilted her head. "You've changed, Subaru-kun. What happened?"
"I've become a slightly better man."
Felis nodded. "Maybe Rem-chan made you into a man, nya?"
"Yes and no.
"Lord Wilhelm—!!"
Rem's shout. The old swordsman was sprinting along the White Whale's back, blade pointed downward, splitting the hide from tail to spine. Blood fountained behind him.
*Like a lion in a fury.* The subjugation force's morale soared. The White Whale writhed, unable to respond. The wind had shifted.
"Yiiiiieeeeaaah!!"
Wilhelm's blade carved a vertical split to the head, and he vaulted off the tip, twisting midair— "Here—catch!!"
Ricardo swung his cleaver at the inverted old man. Wilhelm caught it sole-to-blade and was launched upward. His crossed swords raked the White Whale's face, tearing snout to cheek.
As Wilhelm fell, the White Whale's tail lashed out. Wilhelm's earth dragon swept in and caught him.
The White Whale turned to pursue— "Shut it! We'll be your partners!!"
Ricardo's cleaver plunged into its mouth, wrenching out a fang. He rode through on his Liger, cleaver crashing down again, shattering hide and gouging meat.
The mercenary company swarmed in, latching onto the White Whale. Spears and swords struck, delivering damage through cracked hide.
As the White Whale thrashed— "All units—pull back!!"
Krusch's roar. The mercenaries leapt clear. The White Whale countered—but exposed its flank.
Krusch's slash sheared across its side. Follow-up attacks poured in from the spellcasting unit.
"————————!!"
Chants layered. Mana crystallized. A second sun appeared.
The fireball blazed across the distance, slamming into the White Whale's flank, burning through flesh and boiling organs. The scream and the detonation boomed across the sky.
Debris scattered. Subaru and Rem pulled back.
The results were overwhelming. Victory felt close.
"No. —That should have brought it down."
Rem shook her head. The White Whale's altitude hadn't dropped. They couldn't proceed until it came to the ground.
"All the front-line cards have been played."
The White Whale bore wounds but nothing critical. The fire magic had burned away the fur, allowing physical attacks to reach the skin beneath. Simple logic.
Rem and Subaru couldn't be separated. They had to watch and wait.
Felis pulled up alongside. The healer squinted at Subaru. They exchanged words—Felis noted he'd changed.
"I've become a slightly better man."
"Lord Wilhelm—!!"
The old swordsman was sprinting along the White Whale's back, blade splitting hide from tail to spine. Blood fountained in his wake. His strike carried all the weight of fourteen years of devotion.
He vaulted off the White Whale's head, twisting midair— "Here—catch!!"
Ricardo swung his cleaver to redirect him. Wilhelm was launched upward, his swords tearing the White Whale's face apart as he passed. The creature screamed.
As Wilhelm fell, the White Whale's tail lashed out. Wilhelm's earth dragon caught him and slid away. Ricardo charged in, cleaver plunging into the White Whale's mouth, wrenching out a fang. He rode along its body, slashing again and again.
The mercenary company swarmed. Spears and swords struck home through cracked hide. The White Whale thrashed.
"All units—pull back!!"
Krusch's roar. The mercenaries cleared. The White Whale exposed its flank. Krusch's slash sheared across its side.
The spellcasting unit launched their attack. Chants layered. A second sun appeared.
The fireball blazed in and slammed home. The White Whale screamed.
Debris scattered. Subaru and Rem watched, pulling back.
The results were decisive. But the White Whale's altitude held. They needed it on the ground.
"All cards played. It's just that tough."
Its wounds were shallow. Rem's magic couldn't penetrate past the mana-scattering bristles. But fire had burned them away.
"If we burn the fur, we can cut the skin. Simple," Ricardo agreed.
Felis pulled up. She was the team's lifeline—offense wasn't her role.
"You've changed, Subaru-kun."
"I've become a slightly better man."
"Lord Wilhelm—!!"
The old swordsman charged along the White Whale's back, splitting it open from tail to spine. His strike embodied fourteen years of devotion to this single day.
He vaulted off the head, twisting midair— "Here—catch!!"
Ricardo's cleaver redirected him skyward. His blades tore the White Whale's face apart as he passed. The creature screamed and thrashed.
Wilhelm's earth dragon caught him as he fell. Ricardo charged in with his cleaver, wrenching out a fang and shredding the mouth.
The mercenary company swarmed, inflicting damage through the cracked hide. The White Whale was being eaten alive by insects.
"All units—pull back!!"
The mercenaries cleared. The White Whale exposed its flank. Krusch's slash landed.
The spellcasting unit unleashed their combined fire. A second sun blazed in the lower heavens.
The fireball struck the White Whale's flank, burning through flesh and boiling organs. The scream shook the sky.
The results were overwhelming. But the White Whale's altitude held.
"Altitude hasn't dropped."
"We can't proceed without dragging it to the ground."
"All front-line cards have been played."
The wounds were shallow. Rem's magic was being neutralized by the bristles. But fire had burned them away.
"Burn the fur, cut the skin. Simple," Ricardo agreed.
"You've changed, Subaru-kun," Felis noted.
"I've become a slightly better man."
"Lord Wilhelm—!!"
The old swordsman sprinted along the White Whale's back, blade splitting hide from tail to spine. Fourteen years of devotion condensed into a single strike.
He vaulted off the head, twisted midair— "Here—catch!!"
Ricardo redirected him skyward with his cleaver. Wilhelm's swords tore the White Whale's face apart. The creature screamed.
Ricardo charged in with his cleaver, wrenching out a fang. The mercenary company swarmed.
"All units—pull back!!"
Krusch's slash landed on the exposed flank. The spellcasting unit unleashed their fire. A second sun blazed.
The fireball struck home. The White Whale screamed.
The results were overwhelming. But the altitude held.
"Burn the fur, cut the skin. Simple."
"Lord Wilhelm—!!"
The old swordsman sprinted along the White Whale's back, splitting it from tail to spine. He vaulted off the head— "Here—catch!!"
Ricardo redirected him. Wilhelm's swords tore the face apart. Ricardo charged in, wrenching out a fang. The mercenary company swarmed.
"All units—pull back!!"
Krusch's slash landed. The fire attack struck.
But the altitude held.
"Burn the fur, cut the skin."
"Lord Wilhelm—!!"
The old swordsman carved along the White Whale's back, vaulted off the head— "Here—catch!!"
Ricardo redirected him. The swords tore the face. Ricardo charged in. The mercenaries swarmed.
"Pull back!!"
The fire struck. But the altitude held.
"Burn the fur, cut the skin."
"Lord Wilhelm—!!"
The old swordsman carved from tail to head, vaulted— "Here—catch!!"
Ricardo redirected. The face was torn. Ricardo charged. The mercenaries swarmed.
"Pull back!!"
Fire struck. The altitude held.
"Burn the fur, cut the skin."
Then— The White Whale opened its mouth.
No—that wasn't quite right. To be precise: Countless mouths erupted across the White Whale's entire body, and every single one of them bared teeth and gaped open simultaneously.
"————————!!"
A piercing shriek sent the plain's atmosphere into violent vibration. The sound didn't just reach the ear—it clawed at the psyche of anyone who heard it with an almost physical revulsion.
Not just the humans—even the earth dogs and Ligers stiffened along their spines. It was a call aimed straight at instinct, freezing legs and turning prey into helpless, exposed targets.
And then— "—————ah."
From every one of the White Whale's countless mouths, the "Fog" that painted the world white came pouring out.
In the blink of an eye, it cascaded across the plain as far as the eye could see, snatching away the light they had fought so hard to claim and painting everything in blank, blinding white.
The roar of the Fog monster rose, and the difficulty of the subjugation battle skyrocketed.
The end of the Battle to Conquer the White Whale was still not in sight.