The poultry farmer, from whom Iris and the girls received the request, lived in a farming village located less than an hour’s walk from the city of Santhor. He used to be a high-ranking mercenary, but when his father died from an illness, he gave up his profession to take over the farm and support his sick mother. As a mercenary, he had a considerably high ability, yet it would have been exceedingly difficult to provide for his family with only his earnings as one. Even more so when it came to the money needed for her sickly mother’s medical care; there was no way an ordinary farming household could afford it.
Medicine fetched for a high price in this world, and a doctor’s income was comparable to that of a rich merchant. Moreover, most doctors hailed from families that had produced doctors for generations, and the majority of them were employed by noble households. Naturally, the compounding methods for medicines and other techniques were kept secret. Therefore, if someone wanted to become a doctor, they necessarily had to come from one of these families given that they wouldn’t be able to access said knowledge otherwise. At the same time, because of the low number of hospitals, they had no choice but to abandon the lives of people that could have been saved were that not the case. The monopoly of knowledge was the norm in this world, or perhaps it was the treatment of the nobles and merchants that which took priority over the lives of the people, with little regard for their needs.
In such a situation, peasants would sell themselves as slaves, hoping that their self-sacrifice would save their families. The fact that they had no other way to cover the cost of treating an illness could only be described as administrative negligence that, nevertheless, went on unremedied.
Therefore, the mercenary came up with the idea of selling the Wild Cuckoo‘s eggs. They have a high nutritional value, and they’re considered to be luxury products, so both their demand and their price were high. For someone aiming to get rich quick, there was no better resource to exploit. However, the biggest hurdle to this plan was that the eggs came from a monster. The moment he tried to collect the eggs, they came attacking all at once, becoming an endless battle. And now, the Wild Cuckoos in question were finally stronger than their owner.
He didn’t have to cover medical expenses anymore, but on the other hand, with the ferocious beasts staying in his home, he couldn’t lead a normal life either. As a result, he eventually placed a subjugation request. Unfortunately, the monsters had become too strong.
The ferocious chickens drove back the mercenaries time and time again, helping them become stronger each time. The now well-trained chickens had grown to be too much for the Mercenaries’ Guild to handle.
“And so, the three of you attempted the request, but got beaten… I wonder what kind of chickens they are, I’m getting excited∼♪”[Zeros]
The easygoing middle-aged Zeros was smoking a cigarette while walking with easy steps, probably because he managed to get soy sauce after making a deal with Kaede.
“My blood is boiling. I can’t wait to fight.”[Kaede]
“Kaede-chan, You’re really hot-headed, huh? It’s hard to believe you’re an elf.”[Iris]
“Yeah, she’s different from the elves living around here. Kinda to be expected that she would be when her environment is different as well, right?”[Jane]
“Speaking of which, Rena disappeared before I even realized… Ah! Not again!”[Iris]
One of the mercenary girls’ trio, Rena, vanished before they noticed. A slight sense of foreboding started to bud within Zeros, but he wasn’t sure whether he should ask about it. In the end, he decided to voice out his question anyway given that he had nothing to do but walk.
“Again?”[Zeros]
“That woman had her eyes glued to those kids guarding the merchant caravan we passed a short while ago! Could it be…”[Jane]
“Oh, I see… she went hunting, right?”[Zeros]
“They were around my age, you know? Rena-san doing that is a crime, right?”[Iris]
“She looks like a sensible person, but she’s a carnivore. A few of those mercenaries were young boys, so I’m genuinely wondering who’s her target. N-No way, I had my doubts, but…”[Zeros]
An unpleasant thought came to his mind, and when he looked at Jane, she quietly nodded while looking as if she had given up. Rena was undoubtedly a complete degenerate obsessed with young boys.[1] Her ideal age range was also somewhat narrow, roughly between the ages of 11 and 15. The problem was that although she would usually act like a normal, sensible adult, she had the habit of going after the boys that passed by her. Normally, she could suppress her desires for the most part, especially in front of Jane and Iris, but at a specific date each month, her instincts take over, and she disappears to hunt for prey. It seems today was that day of the month.
“M-Maybe she’s gonna take on all of them. She, is um… she’s a goddamn nymphomaniac.”[Jane]
“It’s fine, you didn’t have to say it if was that embarrassing. I didn’t want to hear that much anyway. More importantly, though, there were five of them, you know? No matter how you look at it, doing it with all 5 is…”[Zeros]
“Nah, she definitely can. And then, she’ll blast my ears off happily talking about it… Even though I don’t wanna hear…”[Jane]
“Eh, really? I wanna hear, too!”[Iris]
Even though Jane might come across as being a big sister type, in reality, she was a delicate, pure-hearted maiden. She had a low tolerance against such vulgar stories.
“Still… five at the same time? What if it becomes a permanent trauma in their lives and end up being afraid of women? It’d be just too pitiful. They might even start being friends of Dorothy[2]…”[Zeros]
“So, she’s gonna end up corrupting them, huh? I kinda wanna witness a chain of corruption[3], though♪!”[Iris]
“Iris… what the hell are you so happy about?”[Jane]
“Iris-san. You were one of those people, too? You know, spending your nights drawing doujinshis, and stuff? In that case, I’d like to have some more distance between us.”[Zeros]
Iris averted her eyes with all her might. Moreover, they were swimming all over the place. Most likely, Zeros was right on target.
“Y-You’re wrong, okay? It’s true that I’m just a bit into that, but I’m completely normal…”[Iris]
As one would expect, it was a problem for a junior high school student to step into that fathomless world, but from her desperate attempts to excuse herself, it seemed that it might be more accurate to conclude that she hadn’t fallen into depravity, but was on the verge of straying into that realm. Still, he was concerned about the fact of how quickly she reacted.
“I wonder if you can actually do it with six people [at the same time]. As for Rena, would she be the ‘bottom,’ or the ‘top?’”[Iris][4]
“I don’t have to think too hard to guess that she’s going to torture them, right? I can see it happening already: She will definitely tie up those innocent young boys, and with an eerie smile reminiscent of a crescent moon, she will pounce and thoroughly fiddle with them one by one, imprinting such terror in their hearts that they will never be able to forget… Goodbye good old days[5]… and may God bless you, boys.”[Zeros]
“They’re gonna corrupt themselves little by little as they grow…”[Jane]
“No, it’s not like they are going to corrupt themselves, right? Rather, Rena’s going to do it for them… Should we return and call for the guards?”[Iris]
In the eyes of Zeros and the girls, Rena only appeared to be a sensible, normal adult on the surface, but in reality, she was a complete pervert[hentai]. Unfortunately, given that there was no one there to report her, she couldn’t be handed over to the authorities. It could be said that she was a capable person just like a certain feudal lord[DelSasis], although in a different sense.
“That is of no concern to me, this one would like to know where the beast that will serve as my opponent is. I want to test my blade soon.”[Kaede]
“I see you’re diligently treading down the path of carnage, huh? Just how bloodthirsty are you?”[Zeros]
Kaede was unable to quell her raging passion. Though given that she was an elf, there was something obviously wrong with that.
“Just a bit longer. Do you see that orange roof over there? That’s where those ferocious chickens live.”[Jane]
“There, huh? I wonder if a fearless warrior capable of quenching my thirst is waiting there. I’m truly looking forward to it.”[Kaede]
“Kaede-chan, are you really an elf? Are you sure there’s no ‘dark’ attached before it?”[Iris]
The middle-aged Zeros couldn’t tell them apart anymore. The high-ranking race of the High Elves was synonymous with bloodthirsty beasts at this point, fading away from his preconception of them being a race of aloof and free-spirited people. He realized that as high as they might be, they were just animals with a sense of ego in the end.
They saw it as they gradually approached their destination, the poultry farm. A man that looked like a mercenary suddenly being thrown up high in the air. When they noticed him spiraling down toward their direction, they swiftly moved from the spot.
“Uwaaaaah!”
The mercenary pierced the ground head first, digging through the earth while still spinning around, and ending up buried all the way down with only his feet peeking out of the hole, similar to a certain tragedy that happened in a certain village.
“S-Seriously, a Hurricane Mixer[6]!? Weren’t they chickens!?”[Zeros]
“No, well, they’re supposed to be chickens… And, what is with that move?”[Jane]
“Do chickens usually have a Power Level of ten million!? They’re stronger than yesterday…”[Iris]
“Didn’t you see their fighting strength with 【Scouter [Appraisal]】? They started to feel like a really powerful enemy…”[Zeros]
“It’s not like I’m from some race of warriors, I don’t have that kind of super useful item!”[Iris]
Iris purposely kept her 【Appraisal】skill at a low level. From the beginning, she chose not to raise it to enjoy her adventures in the game, and preferring to strengthen her magic skills and the like, instead. In a sense, she could have been called a true adventurer [in the game], but now after her reincarnation, it was merely a source of concern to her.
“Fufufu… I feel the presence of a strong person. An opponent stronger than me has appeared!”[Kaede]
“Wait, where!? Kaede-chan, hold up, don’t be hasty!”[Iris]
Ignoring the buried man, the four of them shuddered in terror. Aside from Zeros, Iris and Jane had been defeated once before. If the chickens were stronger than when the girls confronted them, it would mean that their growth speed was considerably fast. The Wild Cuckoos were monsters in a different sense of the word.
“I see… Come on, pull yourselves together, alright? How scary can this monster be, anyway?”[Zeros]
“I want to kill them, slice them up, let my tachi[太刀] soak in their blood…”[Kaede]
“Kaede-chan, that’s super scary stuff”[Iris]
“Are you really an elf? I’m starting to think you’re actually a different species…”[Jane]
Taking along a bloodthirsty beast – although in a different sense – the middle-aged Zeros and the girls stepped into the poultry farmer’s dwelling. However, what they found was a ruined house tragically razed to the ground. In the yard, the mercenaries, who had been cruelly defeated, were piled up like a mountain, and countless chickens were glaring at the mercenaries. They were very powerful.
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
【Grappler Cuckoo】 【Slasher Cuckoo】 【Sniper Cuckoo】 【Shiro Obi Cuckoo】【Archer Cuckoo】 【Kendo Cuckoo】
Mutant evolutionary forms of the Wild Cuckoo.
Strong and belligerent chickens that surpass their final evolutionary form, the Cockatrice.
They’re a marvel of a chicken, specializing in sniping, striking, and slashing.
Including the Shiro Obi, the last three types of chickens follow the rule of the strongest, and therefore they’re akin to being followers of the former three birds.
They are highly intelligent and have some understanding of human language.
These monsters follow the rule of the strongest. (T.N: yeah it was repeated again)
Their meat might be unpalatable, but their eggs are a delicacy.
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
“…They aren’t Wild Cuckoos? Well, it seems they already evolved.”[Zeros]
““Come again!?””
The chickens glared in their direction on top of the mountain of beaten-up mercenaries. Commonly referred to as the “Staredown Look,” that way of glaring gave them the impression of being part of a band of hardened delinquents.
“Fumu, this one would like to fight that chicken with wings shining like steel. May I?”[Kaede]
“Hey, it’s crazy difficult, you know!?”[Jane]
“More importantly, though, where’s the uncle that put up the request?”[Iris]
Aside from the middle-aged Zeros, if Iris and her party don’t get in contact with the client, they won’t be able to accept the request [because they won’t get paid]. However, as much as they needed him, the client in question was nowhere to be found.
“Well, it can’t be helped, then. Since it seems that these chickens can understand human language to a certain extend, let’s ask them directly.”[Zeros]
“For real?”[Jane]
“Mister, there’s really no way they understand human language, you know?”[Iris]
“It does not matter to me either way. This one only asks to be allowed to fight, quickly… Blood, I want to see blood.”[Kaede]
Not daring to address the girl’s dangerous thoughts, Zeros approaches the evolutionary form of the Wild Cuckoo, the Grappler Cuckoo.
“Where’s your owner? No, your former owner, I should say.”[Zeros]
“Kuke”
The Grappler Cuckoo pointed toward one of the knocked-out mercenaries with the tip of its wing. There laid a middle-aged man collapsed on the ground, completely swollen and covered in blood, and looking like some ham sent as an appreciation gift*.[7]
Looking at him more closely, the man had been beaten up severely and was swollen to the extent that every part of his body seemed to be all bloated up. It was hard to say he was lucky considering the state he was in, and perhaps the most appropriate way to save him was to quickly put an end to his suffering. Incidentally, the heart mark tattooed on his forehead looked particularly impressive.
“He seems to be the client. I’m amazed he didn’t explode…”[Zeros]
“Shit, really!? He was a pretty ripped old guy last time we met him, you know!?”[Jane]
“Maybe they hit his secret meridian points or something?[8] It’s impossible to swell up to this extent, right?”[Iris]
While the group stood dumbfounded, the Grappler Cuckoo walked up to their side, and with a powerful kick in the head, it sent the man flying.
“Ugh! Fuh Fih Dah Duh…! (Fucking demons…)”[Man]
“I can’t understand anything you’re saying… Can’t be helped then, 〖High Heal〗”[Zeros]
“Old man, you could use recovery magic, too!?”[Jane]
“Well, we’re talking about Mister here. I guess it’s to be expected. It was impossible for me, so I never learned. Maybe I should buy a scroll?”[Iris]
After receiving Zeros’ recovery spell, the swelling of the client-slash-middle-aged man’s body gradually went down. His true appearance revealed – a buff macho skinhead.
“What happened to your hair, Bohan-san? It was all fluffy and luscious before.”[Iris]
“Those bastards took everything from me… Hurry up and exterminate them!!!”[Bohan]
“As for me, I would like to take those chickens in. They might be useful as a crime prevention measure when I’m not at home. Even so… for you to be crying blood tears, they must really be problematic.”[Zeros]
“My chickens, huh…? Take ’em all if you want! Go and beat up all those goddamn chickens, right here and now!”[Bohan]
“Old man, can’t you see how much of a problem they are when you look at the pitiful sight of all those mercenaries piled up in front of us?”[Jane]
With the same tone as the last words left behind by a certain pirate king right before his death[Gol D. Roger], Bohan was more than eager to get rid of the chickens. However, only their eggs were appetizing. Their meat, on the other hand, was quite unappealing. It would be quite a big missed steak to eat them.[9]
Above all, Zeros purely wanted to get the chickens. He had no intention of killing them in the first place, rather, he had raised chickens in his former world, so he was willing to take care of them. However, it was a completely different story for the hot-headed high elf plunging through the violent path of carnage.
“Got it!”[Kaede]
Given that she was planning to fight since the beginning, she didn’t hesitate to grab the hilt of the tachi hanging at her back and start running at full speed. Her opponent was a Slasher Cuckoo, a chicken with silver wings that specialized in slashing. The way it put a toothpick in its beak was also strangely dignified. Moreover, the bird’s ability to send mana to its plumage transformed its feathers into powerful blades.
Kaede drew the sword from its scabbard and greeted her opponent by swiftly swinging her blade in the form of a downward diagonal slash. But, with a high pitched “Clink!” her blade was repelled, revealing a momentarily opening in her stance.
Without missing the opportunity, the Slasher Cuckoo jumped sideways from Kaede and entered her striking distance at a high speed as if it had turned at a right angle and flown straight at her.
“Tch!”[Kaede]
She immediately pulled back her sword and barely managed to parry the attack by intercepting its trajectory, promptly leaping backward in order to withdraw from the Cuckoo‘s own striking distance. Then, she closed the space between them, and unleashed a continuous onslaught from her tachi.
―――Kiin! Gakiin!
The sound of metal striking against metal reverberated time and time again. One elf and one bird traded blades at a dizzying speed, with silver flashes and sparks flying all around. It was an intense exchange of techniques.
“I knew Kaede-chan was amazing, but what’s with that chicken!?”[Iris]
“Yeah, that’s not the strength of a chicken. That’s a swordsman, no doubt ’bout it.”[Jane]
“A mutated chicken vs. an atavistic elf. Now, this is a fight worth watching.”[Zeros]
The back and forth between attacking and defending continued in front of them. But suddenly, Zeros extended his arm in front of Jane’s head.
“What are you—”[Jane]
She was stunned for a brief moment, but when she realized what happened, her face started to grow pale – there was an arrow clasped in Zeros’ hand.
“…The Sniper Cuckoo, huh? I guess it won’t be easy to tell where it is sniping at us.”[Zeros]
“It’s not in the same direction the arrow came?”[Iris]
“Sniping from the same spot is a rookie mistake. It is likely moving between different sniping points.”[Zeros]
From the fact that he felt but a minute presence the moment it sniped, the chicken seemed to have terrifyingly high stealth abilities. Since it appeared to be able to use a bow, the skeletal structure of its wings must allow it to perform a wide range of motions. its bones were already unlike a bird’s, rather they were more akin to a dinosaur’s.
Zeros picked up two pebbles and prepared for the next sniping attack.
“Jane-san, I’m not sure you will be able to exact your revenge. They seem to be incredibly strong.”[Zeros]
“Yeah, no way. They’re totally gonna beat my ass. I don’t feel like I even have a chance, seeing they’re stronger than before.”[Jane]
“Were they going easy on us yesterday? That’d be pretty depressing∼”[Iris]
On the other hand, Kaede was still exchanging blows with her opponent, but without being able to connect a decisive hit. Likewise, the Slasher Cuckoo was unable to position itself in an optimal striking distance due to its small body. And, while it might seem that Kaede was being overwhelmed due to her opponent’s nimbleness, she was actually parrying its attacks time and time again with the slightest of movements; defending while countering with her own sword strikes.
The waves of attacks going back and forth between the two were happening at a terrifying and dizzying pace, with swordsmanship and speed one wouldn’t expect from a battle between a young girl and a chicken.
“You’re quite skillful for a chicken, huh…? Were you a human, you would have definitely become a legendary warrior. How unfortunate.”[Kaede]
“Kikeri kiki kikerikiki (To be a swordsman, it is of no relevance whether one is a human or a bird. To say otherwise is an affront to this warrior[10].)”
“Ah! That was rude of me. You seem like a splendid warrior. I sincerely apologize.”[Kaede]
Somehow, they managed to strike up a conversation. Setting aside the Cuckoos being able to comprehend human speech, was Kaede able to understand them due to her being a High Elf?
While these two people(?) were enveloped by a tense atmosphere, the peanut gallery looking at them could only tilt their heads at the situation.
Kaede sheathed her sword and took a drawing-strike stance, and as if to respond to that, the Slasher Cuckoo spread its wings in its own characteristic pose.
“The fight is probably gonna be decided by this next attack, right?”[Iris]
“I think so, too. She has a terrifying potential. With that skill at that age, imagine how much stronger she’ll get if she keeps growing like this.”[Jane]
“That elf lass is stronger than the mercenaries that came here before, just who even is she?”[Bohan(probably)]
Both Kaede and the Cuckoo stopped moving, and instead started to inch closer and closer into their respective striking distances while concentrating on their next attack. The peanut gallery also watched with bated breath. With each step, the air seemed to get heavier.
Their foreheads were drenched in sweat, focusing their minds to such an extreme degree that they could feel every passing moment as an eternity.
Just as Iris said, the next attack would probably decide the victor. Both could sense their opponent’s spirit rising.
“…Whether I win or lose, I will bear no regrets.”[Kaede]
“Kiki kikeriki! (I agree! Now, let’s have a…)”
As they were drawing closer to each other, Zeros felt the presence of someone in hiding about to take action in such a tense situation. On the rooftop located on the opposite side of Kaede, the Sniper Cuckoo, a bird that evolved to be able to use its wings as arms to wield a bow[11], was aiming at him.
“Fair fight!”[Kaede]
“Kikeri kiki (Fair fight!)”
The very instant the two started moving again, the Sniper Cuckoo released its arrow. It intended to catch him off-guard while he was preoccupied by the fight going on in front of him, but the middle-aged magician intercepted the arrow with a finger-flick shot, and then, fired once again at the boorish chicken on the rooftop that tried to migrate after realizing its attack failed. The sniper was counter-sniped.
While the Sniper Cuckoo was falling to the ground from the rooftop, both sword demons crossed their swords (and wings) with each other at insanely high speeds.
――Gyaariiiin!
Kaede’s tachi and the bird’s wings clashed, and although it was supposed to be a sword fight, the collision created a shockwave that blew Kaede away. Fortunately, Zeros, who happened to be in the perfect spot, managed to catch her. The Slasher Cuckoo was also blown away in the same way, and crashed into a group of his fellow chickens
“Kaede-chan, are you okay?”[Iris]
“She’s fine… It seems that she just fainted due to the impact.”[Zeros]
“And the chicken? Did it die?”[Jane]
“It’s still alive. If you take a closer look at her sword, you’ll see the edge is completely dulled.”[Zeros]
Although the Cuckoo also fainted, it somehow seemed to have a satisfied smile on its face. Despite being a chicken, it was quite the manly fellow.
Incidentally, the Sniper Cuckoo was actually targeting its owner. It might have been one of its habits as a sniper, or it simply had enough resentment piled up that it wanted to kill him in such a way, but the bird had carefully plastered the arrowhead with a lethal neurotoxin. All in all, it was clear that the Sniper was thoroughly determined to kill Bohan.
“Well then, there’s only one bird remaining, the Grappler Cuckoo, isn’t it?”[Zeros]
“I wanna get back at ’em, but there’s no way I can fight like that, can I?”[Jane]
“I can’t, either. I’m a magician, you know?”[Iris]
Since Kaede was unconscious, Zeros was inevitably the only one left to be their opponent. Heaving a deep sigh, he faces the Cuckoo.
“I’d like you to come home with me if you could… that way we could avoid this fight.”[Zeros]
“Kikki kike kikiriki (I can’t help but feel my blood boiling after bearing witness to a fight like that. I’d like you to accompany me for a bout.)”
“Haah… Don’t have a choice now, do I… h–huh? It seems I can understand what you’re saying. What’s going on here?”[Zeros]
Somehow the middle-aged Zeros also felt like he could understand what the chickens were saying. He managed to catch a glimpse of the mysteries of this otherworld.
Resigned, Zeros takes a battle stance. There wasn’t much enthusiasm in him, but on the other hand, his feathery opponent was brimming with fighting spirit. Knowing that refusing here would tarnish his honor, he had no choice but to confront the chicken.
However, the moment he faced it, Zeros experienced the real strength of the Grappler Cuckoo. It had a vigor unlike a normal chicken’s, rather it exuded the presence of a strong warrior, even more so than his other two comrades.
For an instant, he felt the chicken’s body blur.
“!?”
As he crossed his arms, he received a blow with an amount of force he didn’t expect to come from a small chicken. The next instant, the Grappler Cuckoo was assaulting him with its arm-like wings. He managed to avoid being sent flying a couple meters by putting strength in his legs and holding his ground.
“Woah… It’s been a while since I had to brace myself like this.”[Zeros]
A dangerous glint was ignited in his eyes. A return to “The Zeros of that Time.” He started to regulate his breathing, and circulate mana, or rather Qi, to strengthen his body.
He activates his Fist God skill. However, the ability changes when used by a magician instead of a martial artist. While magicians manipulate both the mana inside their bodies and the mana from nature to perform their magic, martial artists refine and circulate the mana inside their bodies to strengthen their fighting abilities. The caveat is – they are unable to use magic when they utilize their inherent abilities, therefore, they are left no choice but to specialize in hand-to-hand combat. In other words, it gets more difficult to fire long-distance attacks. Nevertheless, it was still possible to use other skills at the same time, with the exception of magician-type ones, which posed no obstacles for the current Zeros.
“Here I go…”[Zeros]
He entered the Cuckoo‘s striking distance[12] in the blink of an eye and aimed to kick it in full without killing his momentum. The next instant, the bird jumped away, to which Zeros responded with a barrage of blows. Even so, perhaps acknowledging his strength, the Grappler Cuckoo unleashed its own offensive battery to counter him.
――Gashi! Doga!! DoDoDoDo!!
Sounds that would be impossible to normally hear, reverberated through the air. They punch, block, miss, aim for each other’s openings; sometimes going on the offensive, other times dodging by millimeters.
“Kike!? Kikikiki! (Tch! Strong. Never expected this man to be this strong. What a supreme bliss.)”
“You’re looking pretty content there! Did you want to fight that much!?”[Zeros]
“Kikeke, kikiriki! (To challenge the strong is the only way to grow as a warrior. It is the duty of those who live by the sword.)”
“I see you’re quite the enlightened fellow! Then, come and show me your strength!”[Zeros]
“Kikeeeee! (Here I go!)”
The Grappler Cuckoo broke the pace of their high-intensity exchange of blows for a moment, and making the best of its nimbleness, it quickly closed the distance between its opponent while leaving an afterimage. The Cuckoo then proceeded to deliver a flurry of kicks.
Zeros blocked the enemy onslaught using both of his arms just like water flowing down a river. The moment he found a gap, without a moment’s delay he unleashed a powerful series of punches. However, as if it were expecting it, the chicken twisted itself around his arms in an attempt to use the momentum to hurl him away. Nevertheless, noticing his opponent’s intentions, the magician slightly contorted his arms to loose the chicken’s grip on it. Then, he drew them back toward the top of his head, while firmly grabbing the Cuckoo, and in one breath, he attempted to slam it on the ground. Unexpectedly, it instantly reordered its stance by contorting its body, and like that, it flapped its wings and managed to withdraw outside Zeros’ striking distance.
“A-Ain’t this dude way too strong?”[Bohan]
“That much is easy for him, you know? He’s an 【Annihilator】 after all.”[Iris]
“What’s with that disturbing nickname… What in the world did he do to get it?”[Bohan]
“A lot of things…”[Iris]
“Whatever. Hey, little lass. There’s no way you can call him a magician, you know? Who the hell is he?”[Bohan]
The battle was not in favor of the Grappler Cuckoo. However, its fighting spirit didn’t wane, in fact, it increased if anything. It even looked delighted.
“Wohhhhh!!”[Zeros]
“Kikiiiiiii!!”
Once again, they clashed with each other, starting a fierce exchange of fists. With their arms (and wings) strengthened with Qi, the vivid sound of fists clashing against fists continued to be heard. While exclaiming “oraoraora” and “hoatatata” like the characters of a certain popular series, they exchanged blows at insane speeds leaving afterimages behind, and without taking a single step back. The power behind each punch was enough to not let either of them get away scot-free in case they received one in full. The reason such a devastating side-effect didn’t take place was because the force of each of their punches canceled each other out, and so, the shockwaves scattered and spread in a circular fashion around them, instead.
At times, they separated and took distance away from each other, jumped high in the sky and traded flying kicks mid-air, or unleashed their fists while coming down toward the ground.
“Eh… Wouldn’t a single hit kill you? Rather, wasn’t that man a magician?”[Bohan]
“What I’ve heard is that he’s an all-rounder type, closer to an assassin. A type of magician whose specialty is jumping in the middle of the enemy lines and sweeping them clean with ranged magic.”[Iris]
“Hey little lass… I’m pretty sure that’s not how magicians fight. No matter how you think about it, ain’t that what the special forces do!?”[Bohan]
Zeros, who was currently firing off a chain of attacks, was unaware of his own occupation currently being denied. Though, he might be the one most conscious of it to even attempt to deny it.[13]
Their grand fight was said to have continued the whole day.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
At dusk, as the world began to be enveloped by the curtain of darkness, the Grappler Cuckoo laid exhausted after using up all his strength during the fight. Nevertheless, it wore a bright expression with a refreshing smile on its face, as if content with having given it all it got.
On the other hand, the middle-aged man in front of it hadn’t perspired even a single drop of sweat. Instead, he was trembling in fear after realizing the extent of how absurd his stamina was. Even so, from the Cuckoo‘s point of view, he was a serious opponent, at least at the beginning. However, after noticing his own absurdity in the second half of the fight, it finally registered how it wasn’t even a challenge to him. Zeros was supposed to be giving it his all, but he was able to observe and think things through calmly. He felt dizzy thinking what would have happened if he turned to attack in earnest. His mind hadn’t caught up with how tough his body really was.
While he was ruminating about such things, the rest of the evolved chickens were prostrated in dogeza to signify their submission toward him.
“Uh, um… I’d like you to come with me for now.”[Zeros]
“Kike! (Yessir!)”
“Kiki kikeriki kiki! (We are in awe of your strength. O esteemed personage, please become our master.)”
“Kike kikiri (My one-hit, certain kill technique has been beaten. I lack training…)”
The group of chickens evolved from the Wild Cuckoo had the habit of revering the strong. Once they recognize someone as their master, they will follow them until they’re strong enough to stand on their own, and consequently, leave their nest. Eventually, they form their own flock, pass on the skills they have learned, and become infinitely stronger. In a sense, they were more wicked than the Cockatrices; they were the worst kind of monster.
“Well, I don’t mind as long as you guys let me have your unfertilized eggs. I wanted eggs, you see, and I have the appraisal skill, so I can distinguish an egg that’s been fertilized from one that hasn’t.”[Zeros]
That was the reason why these chickens orchestrated a rebellion. Naturally, chickens lay eggs with the intent of conceiving their offspring. And so, the freshly laid eggs can be classified as unfertilized or fertilized. There was no problem with the former being eaten since no offspring would be born from them. However, it was a grave matter for them when it was the latter since a chick was expected to come out from one.
Bohan’s ignorance and him randomly taking eggs, caused the chickens to lose faith in him and lead to the aforementioned rebellion. In other words, it was the revenge of the parents who lost their children. No matter how harsh the world is, a child is still a precious thing for their parents. That being the case, Zeros didn’t have to worry about the birds resenting him due to his appraisal skill.
“What do you feed them with, Bohan-san?”[Zeros]
“Just tell me where you live and I’ll arrange it for you. After these little shits are gone, I’m gonna start keeping cows instead.”[Bohan]
“That’s totally a death flag, Mister.”[Iris]
“Anyhow, that means this one will have a sparring partner living nearby, doesn’t it? How wonderful.”[Kaede]
“Kaede… You still wanna fight?”
The bloodthirsty elf seemed to be walking farther down the path of carnage with the Slasher Cuckoo as her rival. The three of them, including Zeros could only sigh in response. (T.N: i think the author forgot about Jane)
On this day, the middle-aged magician got thirteen chickens. In exchange for their eggs, they would be trained by him, and at the same time, they would serve as powerful guards for his house. Which realm they are aiming for and how far will they actually go remained to be seen. What is certain is that they will continue to train and become the strongest they can be.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
By the time he arrived home, it was already late into the evening; the cityscape engulfed in serenity. Zeros used a magic stone to turn on the lights and proceeded to sit on a randomly placed chair.
For the time being, the thirteen chickens had taken residence in the nearby forest area, and it was decided that they would supply him with eggs henceforth. However, he just now started to worry about the high possibility of there being new victims. They were smart enough to understand human language, so he decided to teach them little by little.
As he was about to start preparing dinner, he noticed a long strand of hair stuck on his robe. The translucid and thin hair ended up there when he held Kaede in his arms. Nevertheless, that wasn’t the problem here.
“Fumu, so I have a Mutated Magic Specimen and the Hair of a High Elf, right? If I were to mix my blood, I would be able to create a homunculus…”[Zeros]
The magician had intended to make a homunculus in the future, but currently, he had some reservations regarding that. It was the act of creating life, and this new life would practically be Kaede’s clone. Moreover, by adding his own blood, it could be said that the homunculus would be his and Kaede’s child, and he couldn’t help but feel that it was a complete OUT, ethically speaking.
Suddenly, the evilest item in his possession flashed through his mind.
“The Evil God’s Soul… Let’s see, the question is whether to stir up some trouble for the Four Deities or not. To do or not to do…”[Zeros]
Anyhow, he didn’t have all the materials needed for the creation of the homunculus, the other essential one being the Spirit Crystals.
“Well, I’ll think about it once I happen to come across some Spirit Crystals, I still have time, after all.”[Zeros]
Zeros could not forgive what the deities of this world did. He was reincarnated into this world, but it was purely meant to be an apology toward the god of his original world, and even so, they reluctantly did it because He complained, which goes to show how irresponsible they were.
Moreover, although they reincarnated him, they did it quite carelessly. He ended up being thrown in the middle of a demonic realm infested with fiendish monsters.
They should have made all the victims appear in the same place, but instead, they acted with terrible negligence, as if saying “We gave them cheat abilities, so it’s fine, right?” giving the impression of being quite the hedonistic existences.
Granted, there were people who genuinely enjoyed this world, like Iris, so he wasn’t going to do anything that would plunge this world into war, but that didn’t mean Zeros was planning to do nothing.
“How troubling… kukuku.”[Zeros]
Zeros laughed with a rare shrewd expression, his smile cloaked in malice he didn’t usually show. As in response to his hidden wickedness, the metallic equipment in his basement was ringing eerily. All the pieces had fallen into place, so as long as he had the materials, he was ready for his next move. Everything depended on how the situation would play out.
TRANSLATOR CORNER
[1] literally something like she firmly sticks to shounen ai, young boys’ love, as in being a firm believer of it lmao
[2] ok hear me out, that was the only euphemism for being gay that came to mind. ‘Friend of Dorothy’ is a rather old-fashioned euphemism whose origin is commonly attributed to actress Judy Garland – who played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz – for apparently being a queer icon. The original one is okay I guess but it sounds super cringe in English. It literally was ‘the likelihood of running up moho hill is [high]’ モーホー[moho] being homo, obviously. It’s pretty funny just because of how bizarre it is, I don’t know if there’s a euphemism like that in English, though. Feel free to drop some.
[3] Apparently an internet slang that refers to when a fujoshi[literally: corrupted/degenerate woman; meaning: girls obsessed with BL] marries and has kids, they’ll inherit the same disposition as the mother and become fujoshis in turn. The website I read it from mentioned it was a slightly offensive term because its original meaning referred to how kids born in poverty mostly stay in poverty, or how abused children abuse their own children later on.
[4] BL terms; literally: receiver and attacker, respectively.
[5] I got this song when I googled it. The author probably wasn’t referencing this particular song, but apparently it appeared on Hajime no Ippo and it’s pretty cool: The phrase 蒼き日々 literally means ‘blue days,’ in the sense of the old days when one is young and immature.
[6] Reference to an old manga series from the 80s – Kinnikuman(muscle man) – which apparently, has found a new surge in popularity with a new iteration of the series. It’s basically about wrestlers but with superhuman powers a la one punch man https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinnikuman
Hurricane Mixer is a move from one of the characters named Buffalo man
The whole Power thing is a reference to both Dragon Ball and this other series, so I guess it’s a referenception then. The manga doesn’t look like my cup of tea though, so I haven’t read it.
[7] お中元(o’chuugen) is often defined as mid-summer gift or year-end gift. The former is associated with the Obon festival, which is pretty much like Mexico’s Día de los muertos, while the latter is a general gift of appreciation towards your family and acquaintances (although it is rooted in an older tradition) according to what I found online, which is why I translated it as that. Though I assume it can be gifted all year long, it is more common to give it on those two dates because it carries the meaning of “I appreciate you taking care of me so far, let’s do our best the remainder of the year or now starting this new year.” Now, this practice can take a relatively wide array of forms, one of which being ham. You know, just good ol’ ham, at least according to this store https://item.rakuten.co.jp/nattokushop/c/0000000253/ which, interestingly enough, made the article about お中元 that I read.
[8] Reference to the Fist of the North Star, it seems. I haven’t read it, so I don’t know what’s the official translation of 秘孔, but I believe it refers to the secret weak points of the human body or smt. Those are the kanji for secret and hole/cavity respectively.
[9] Reference to the Fist of the North Star, it seems. I haven’t read it, so I don’t know what’s the official translation of 秘孔, but I believe it refers to the secret weak points of the human body or smt. Those are the kanji for secret and hole/cavity respectively.
[10] The chicken speaks like a period drama or anime samurai, you know, saying degozaru and stuff.
[11] Not really sure if it’s literally using its wings to hold a bow, or if it’s using its wings as a bow
[12] For the learned gentlemen, I’m translating 間合い[maai] as striking distance. It literally means “space between” and it’s pretty much the right distance from which you can hit your opponent, or at least that’s how I understood it. I don’t know much about kendo or martial arts, so I wasn’t really sure how to go about translating it in a way that sounded more natural in English.
[13] Didn’t quite get it. I think the narrator is implying that Zeros is the one that knows the best that he can’t call himself a magician because he knows his own capabilities better than anyone else; だが、おそらくは身に覚えがあり過ぎて否定はできないであろう。
The poultry farmer, from whom Iris and the girls received the request, lived in a farming village located less than an hour’s walk from the city of Santhor. He used to be a high-ranking mercenary, but when his father died from an illness, he gave up his profession to take over the farm and support his sick mother. As a mercenary, he had a considerably high ability, yet it would have been exceedingly difficult to provide for his family with only his earnings as one. Even more so when it came to the money needed for her sickly mother’s medical care; there was no way an ordinary farming household could afford it.
Medicine fetched for a high price in this world, and a doctor’s income was comparable to that of a rich merchant. Moreover, most doctors hailed from families that had produced doctors for generations, and the majority of them were employed by noble households. Naturally, the compounding methods for medicines and other techniques were kept secret. Therefore, if someone wanted to become a doctor, they necessarily had to come from one of these families given that they wouldn’t be able to access said knowledge otherwise. At the same time, because of the low number of hospitals, they had no choice but to abandon the lives of people that could have been saved were that not the case. The monopoly of knowledge was the norm in this world, or perhaps it was the treatment of the nobles and merchants that which took priority over the lives of the people, with little regard for their needs.
In such a situation, peasants would sell themselves as slaves, hoping that their self-sacrifice would save their families. The fact that they had no other way to cover the cost of treating an illness could only be described as administrative negligence that, nevertheless, went on unremedied.
Therefore, the mercenary came up with the idea of selling the Wild Cuckoo‘s eggs. They have a high nutritional value, and they’re considered to be luxury products, so both their demand and their price were high. For someone aiming to get rich quick, there was no better resource to exploit. However, the biggest hurdle to this plan was that the eggs came from a monster. The moment he tried to collect the eggs, they came attacking all at once, becoming an endless battle. And now, the Wild Cuckoos in question were finally stronger than their owner.
He didn’t have to cover medical expenses anymore, but on the other hand, with the ferocious beasts staying in his home, he couldn’t lead a normal life either. As a result, he eventually placed a subjugation request. Unfortunately, the monsters had become too strong.
The ferocious chickens drove back the mercenaries time and time again, helping them become stronger each time. The now well-trained chickens had grown to be too much for the Mercenaries’ Guild to handle.
“And so, the three of you attempted the request, but got beaten… I wonder what kind of chickens they are, I’m getting excited∼♪”[Zeros]
The easygoing middle-aged Zeros was smoking a cigarette while walking with easy steps, probably because he managed to get soy sauce after making a deal with Kaede.
“My blood is boiling. I can’t wait to fight.”[Kaede]
“Kaede-chan, You’re really hot-headed, huh? It’s hard to believe you’re an elf.”[Iris]
“Yeah, she’s different from the elves living around here. Kinda to be expected that she would be when her environment is different as well, right?”[Jane]
“Speaking of which, Rena disappeared before I even realized… Ah! Not again!”[Iris]
One of the mercenary girls’ trio, Rena, vanished before they noticed. A slight sense of foreboding started to bud within Zeros, but he wasn’t sure whether he should ask about it. In the end, he decided to voice out his question anyway given that he had nothing to do but walk.
“Again?”[Zeros]
“That woman had her eyes glued to those kids guarding the merchant caravan we passed a short while ago! Could it be…”[Jane]
“Oh, I see… she went hunting, right?”[Zeros]
“They were around my age, you know? Rena-san doing that is a crime, right?”[Iris]
“She looks like a sensible person, but she’s a carnivore. A few of those mercenaries were young boys, so I’m genuinely wondering who’s her target. N-No way, I had my doubts, but…”[Zeros]
An unpleasant thought came to his mind, and when he looked at Jane, she quietly nodded while looking as if she had given up. Rena was undoubtedly a complete degenerate obsessed with young boys.[1] Her ideal age range was also somewhat narrow, roughly between the ages of 11 and 15. The problem was that although she would usually act like a normal, sensible adult, she had the habit of going after the boys that passed by her. Normally, she could suppress her desires for the most part, especially in front of Jane and Iris, but at a specific date each month, her instincts take over, and she disappears to hunt for prey. It seems today was that day of the month.
“M-Maybe she’s gonna take on all of them. She, is um… she’s a goddamn nymphomaniac.”[Jane]
“It’s fine, you didn’t have to say it if was that embarrassing. I didn’t want to hear that much anyway. More importantly, though, there were five of them, you know? No matter how you look at it, doing it with all 5 is…”[Zeros]
“Nah, she definitely can. And then, she’ll blast my ears off happily talking about it… Even though I don’t wanna hear…”[Jane]
“Eh, really? I wanna hear, too!”[Iris]
Even though Jane might come across as being a big sister type, in reality, she was a delicate, pure-hearted maiden. She had a low tolerance against such vulgar stories.
“Still… five at the same time? What if it becomes a permanent trauma in their lives and end up being afraid of women? It’d be just too pitiful. They might even start being friends of Dorothy[2]…”[Zeros]
“So, she’s gonna end up corrupting them, huh? I kinda wanna witness a chain of corruption[3], though♪!”[Iris]
“Iris… what the hell are you so happy about?”[Jane]
“Iris-san. You were one of those people, too? You know, spending your nights drawing doujinshis, and stuff? In that case, I’d like to have some more distance between us.”[Zeros]
Iris averted her eyes with all her might. Moreover, they were swimming all over the place. Most likely, Zeros was right on target.
“Y-You’re wrong, okay? It’s true that I’m just a bit into that, but I’m completely normal…”[Iris]
As one would expect, it was a problem for a junior high school student to step into that fathomless world, but from her desperate attempts to excuse herself, it seemed that it might be more accurate to conclude that she hadn’t fallen into depravity, but was on the verge of straying into that realm. Still, he was concerned about the fact of how quickly she reacted.
“I wonder if you can actually do it with six people [at the same time]. As for Rena, would she be the ‘bottom,’ or the ‘top?’”[Iris][4]
“I don’t have to think too hard to guess that she’s going to torture them, right? I can see it happening already: She will definitely tie up those innocent young boys, and with an eerie smile reminiscent of a crescent moon, she will pounce and thoroughly fiddle with them one by one, imprinting such terror in their hearts that they will never be able to forget… Goodbye good old days[5]… and may God bless you, boys.”[Zeros]
“They’re gonna corrupt themselves little by little as they grow…”[Jane]
“No, it’s not like they are going to corrupt themselves, right? Rather, Rena’s going to do it for them… Should we return and call for the guards?”[Iris]
In the eyes of Zeros and the girls, Rena only appeared to be a sensible, normal adult on the surface, but in reality, she was a complete pervert[hentai]. Unfortunately, given that there was no one there to report her, she couldn’t be handed over to the authorities. It could be said that she was a capable person just like a certain feudal lord[DelSasis], although in a different sense.
“That is of no concern to me, this one would like to know where the beast that will serve as my opponent is. I want to test my blade soon.”[Kaede]
“I see you’re diligently treading down the path of carnage, huh? Just how bloodthirsty are you?”[Zeros]
Kaede was unable to quell her raging passion. Though given that she was an elf, there was something obviously wrong with that.
“Just a bit longer. Do you see that orange roof over there? That’s where those ferocious chickens live.”[Jane]
“There, huh? I wonder if a fearless warrior capable of quenching my thirst is waiting there. I’m truly looking forward to it.”[Kaede]
“Kaede-chan, are you really an elf? Are you sure there’s no ‘dark’ attached before it?”[Iris]
The middle-aged Zeros couldn’t tell them apart anymore. The high-ranking race of the High Elves was synonymous with bloodthirsty beasts at this point, fading away from his preconception of them being a race of aloof and free-spirited people. He realized that as high as they might be, they were just animals with a sense of ego in the end.
They saw it as they gradually approached their destination, the poultry farm. A man that looked like a mercenary suddenly being thrown up high in the air. When they noticed him spiraling down toward their direction, they swiftly moved from the spot.
“Uwaaaaah!”
The mercenary pierced the ground head first, digging through the earth while still spinning around, and ending up buried all the way down with only his feet peeking out of the hole, similar to a certain tragedy that happened in a certain village.
“S-Seriously, a Hurricane Mixer[6]!? Weren’t they chickens!?”[Zeros]
“No, well, they’re supposed to be chickens… And, what is with that move?”[Jane]
“Do chickens usually have a Power Level of ten million!? They’re stronger than yesterday…”[Iris]
“Didn’t you see their fighting strength with 【Scouter [Appraisal]】? They started to feel like a really powerful enemy…”[Zeros]
“It’s not like I’m from some race of warriors, I don’t have that kind of super useful item!”[Iris]
Iris purposely kept her 【Appraisal】skill at a low level. From the beginning, she chose not to raise it to enjoy her adventures in the game, and preferring to strengthen her magic skills and the like, instead. In a sense, she could have been called a true adventurer [in the game], but now after her reincarnation, it was merely a source of concern to her.
“Fufufu… I feel the presence of a strong person. An opponent stronger than me has appeared!”[Kaede]
“Wait, where!? Kaede-chan, hold up, don’t be hasty!”[Iris]
Ignoring the buried man, the four of them shuddered in terror. Aside from Zeros, Iris and Jane had been defeated once before. If the chickens were stronger than when the girls confronted them, it would mean that their growth speed was considerably fast. The Wild Cuckoos were monsters in a different sense of the word.
“I see… Come on, pull yourselves together, alright? How scary can this monster be, anyway?”[Zeros]
“I want to kill them, slice them up, let my tachi[太刀] soak in their blood…”[Kaede]
“Kaede-chan, that’s super scary stuff”[Iris]
“Are you really an elf? I’m starting to think you’re actually a different species…”[Jane]
Taking along a bloodthirsty beast – although in a different sense – the middle-aged Zeros and the girls stepped into the poultry farmer’s dwelling. However, what they found was a ruined house tragically razed to the ground. In the yard, the mercenaries, who had been cruelly defeated, were piled up like a mountain, and countless chickens were glaring at the mercenaries. They were very powerful.
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
【Grappler Cuckoo】 【Slasher Cuckoo】 【Sniper Cuckoo】 【Shiro Obi Cuckoo】【Archer Cuckoo】 【Kendo Cuckoo】
Mutant evolutionary forms of the Wild Cuckoo.
Strong and belligerent chickens that surpass their final evolutionary form, the Cockatrice.
They’re a marvel of a chicken, specializing in sniping, striking, and slashing.
Including the Shiro Obi, the last three types of chickens follow the rule of the strongest, and therefore they’re akin to being followers of the former three birds.
They are highly intelligent and have some understanding of human language.
These monsters follow the rule of the strongest. (T.N: yeah it was repeated again)
Their meat might be unpalatable, but their eggs are a delicacy.
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
“…They aren’t Wild Cuckoos? Well, it seems they already evolved.”[Zeros]
““Come again!?””
The chickens glared in their direction on top of the mountain of beaten-up mercenaries. Commonly referred to as the “Staredown Look,” that way of glaring gave them the impression of being part of a band of hardened delinquents.
“Fumu, this one would like to fight that chicken with wings shining like steel. May I?”[Kaede]
“Hey, it’s crazy difficult, you know!?”[Jane]
“More importantly, though, where’s the uncle that put up the request?”[Iris]
Aside from the middle-aged Zeros, if Iris and her party don’t get in contact with the client, they won’t be able to accept the request [because they won’t get paid]. However, as much as they needed him, the client in question was nowhere to be found.
“Well, it can’t be helped, then. Since it seems that these chickens can understand human language to a certain extend, let’s ask them directly.”[Zeros]
“For real?”[Jane]
“Mister, there’s really no way they understand human language, you know?”[Iris]
“It does not matter to me either way. This one only asks to be allowed to fight, quickly… Blood, I want to see blood.”[Kaede]
Not daring to address the girl’s dangerous thoughts, Zeros approaches the evolutionary form of the Wild Cuckoo, the Grappler Cuckoo.
“Where’s your owner? No, your former owner, I should say.”[Zeros]
“Kuke”
The Grappler Cuckoo pointed toward one of the knocked-out mercenaries with the tip of its wing. There laid a middle-aged man collapsed on the ground, completely swollen and covered in blood, and looking like some ham sent as an appreciation gift*.[7]
Looking at him more closely, the man had been beaten up severely and was swollen to the extent that every part of his body seemed to be all bloated up. It was hard to say he was lucky considering the state he was in, and perhaps the most appropriate way to save him was to quickly put an end to his suffering. Incidentally, the heart mark tattooed on his forehead looked particularly impressive.
“He seems to be the client. I’m amazed he didn’t explode…”[Zeros]
“Shit, really!? He was a pretty ripped old guy last time we met him, you know!?”[Jane]
“Maybe they hit his secret meridian points or something?[8] It’s impossible to swell up to this extent, right?”[Iris]
While the group stood dumbfounded, the Grappler Cuckoo walked up to their side, and with a powerful kick in the head, it sent the man flying.
“Ugh! Fuh Fih Dah Duh…! (Fucking demons…)”[Man]
“I can’t understand anything you’re saying… Can’t be helped then, 〖High Heal〗”[Zeros]
“Old man, you could use recovery magic, too!?”[Jane]
“Well, we’re talking about Mister here. I guess it’s to be expected. It was impossible for me, so I never learned. Maybe I should buy a scroll?”[Iris]
After receiving Zeros’ recovery spell, the swelling of the client-slash-middle-aged man’s body gradually went down. His true appearance revealed – a buff macho skinhead.
“What happened to your hair, Bohan-san? It was all fluffy and luscious before.”[Iris]
“Those bastards took everything from me… Hurry up and exterminate them!!!”[Bohan]
“As for me, I would like to take those chickens in. They might be useful as a crime prevention measure when I’m not at home. Even so… for you to be crying blood tears, they must really be problematic.”[Zeros]
“My chickens, huh…? Take ’em all if you want! Go and beat up all those goddamn chickens, right here and now!”[Bohan]
“Old man, can’t you see how much of a problem they are when you look at the pitiful sight of all those mercenaries piled up in front of us?”[Jane]
With the same tone as the last words left behind by a certain pirate king right before his death[Gol D. Roger], Bohan was more than eager to get rid of the chickens. However, only their eggs were appetizing. Their meat, on the other hand, was quite unappealing. It would be quite a big missed steak to eat them.[9]
Above all, Zeros purely wanted to get the chickens. He had no intention of killing them in the first place, rather, he had raised chickens in his former world, so he was willing to take care of them. However, it was a completely different story for the hot-headed high elf plunging through the violent path of carnage.
“Got it!”[Kaede]
Given that she was planning to fight since the beginning, she didn’t hesitate to grab the hilt of the tachi hanging at her back and start running at full speed. Her opponent was a Slasher Cuckoo, a chicken with silver wings that specialized in slashing. The way it put a toothpick in its beak was also strangely dignified. Moreover, the bird’s ability to send mana to its plumage transformed its feathers into powerful blades.
Kaede drew the sword from its scabbard and greeted her opponent by swiftly swinging her blade in the form of a downward diagonal slash. But, with a high pitched “Clink!” her blade was repelled, revealing a momentarily opening in her stance.
Without missing the opportunity, the Slasher Cuckoo jumped sideways from Kaede and entered her striking distance at a high speed as if it had turned at a right angle and flown straight at her.
“Tch!”[Kaede]
She immediately pulled back her sword and barely managed to parry the attack by intercepting its trajectory, promptly leaping backward in order to withdraw from the Cuckoo‘s own striking distance. Then, she closed the space between them, and unleashed a continuous onslaught from her tachi.
―――Kiin! Gakiin!
The sound of metal striking against metal reverberated time and time again. One elf and one bird traded blades at a dizzying speed, with silver flashes and sparks flying all around. It was an intense exchange of techniques.
“I knew Kaede-chan was amazing, but what’s with that chicken!?”[Iris]
“Yeah, that’s not the strength of a chicken. That’s a swordsman, no doubt ’bout it.”[Jane]
“A mutated chicken vs. an atavistic elf. Now, this is a fight worth watching.”[Zeros]
The back and forth between attacking and defending continued in front of them. But suddenly, Zeros extended his arm in front of Jane’s head.
“What are you—”[Jane]
She was stunned for a brief moment, but when she realized what happened, her face started to grow pale – there was an arrow clasped in Zeros’ hand.
“…The Sniper Cuckoo, huh? I guess it won’t be easy to tell where it is sniping at us.”[Zeros]
“It’s not in the same direction the arrow came?”[Iris]
“Sniping from the same spot is a rookie mistake. It is likely moving between different sniping points.”[Zeros]
From the fact that he felt but a minute presence the moment it sniped, the chicken seemed to have terrifyingly high stealth abilities. Since it appeared to be able to use a bow, the skeletal structure of its wings must allow it to perform a wide range of motions. its bones were already unlike a bird’s, rather they were more akin to a dinosaur’s.
Zeros picked up two pebbles and prepared for the next sniping attack.
“Jane-san, I’m not sure you will be able to exact your revenge. They seem to be incredibly strong.”[Zeros]
“Yeah, no way. They’re totally gonna beat my ass. I don’t feel like I even have a chance, seeing they’re stronger than before.”[Jane]
“Were they going easy on us yesterday? That’d be pretty depressing∼”[Iris]
On the other hand, Kaede was still exchanging blows with her opponent, but without being able to connect a decisive hit. Likewise, the Slasher Cuckoo was unable to position itself in an optimal striking distance due to its small body. And, while it might seem that Kaede was being overwhelmed due to her opponent’s nimbleness, she was actually parrying its attacks time and time again with the slightest of movements; defending while countering with her own sword strikes.
The waves of attacks going back and forth between the two were happening at a terrifying and dizzying pace, with swordsmanship and speed one wouldn’t expect from a battle between a young girl and a chicken.
“You’re quite skillful for a chicken, huh…? Were you a human, you would have definitely become a legendary warrior. How unfortunate.”[Kaede]
“Kikeri kiki kikerikiki (To be a swordsman, it is of no relevance whether one is a human or a bird. To say otherwise is an affront to this warrior[10].)”
“Ah! That was rude of me. You seem like a splendid warrior. I sincerely apologize.”[Kaede]
Somehow, they managed to strike up a conversation. Setting aside the Cuckoos being able to comprehend human speech, was Kaede able to understand them due to her being a High Elf?
While these two people(?) were enveloped by a tense atmosphere, the peanut gallery looking at them could only tilt their heads at the situation.
Kaede sheathed her sword and took a drawing-strike stance, and as if to respond to that, the Slasher Cuckoo spread its wings in its own characteristic pose.
“The fight is probably gonna be decided by this next attack, right?”[Iris]
“I think so, too. She has a terrifying potential. With that skill at that age, imagine how much stronger she’ll get if she keeps growing like this.”[Jane]
“That elf lass is stronger than the mercenaries that came here before, just who even is she?”[Bohan(probably)]
Both Kaede and the Cuckoo stopped moving, and instead started to inch closer and closer into their respective striking distances while concentrating on their next attack. The peanut gallery also watched with bated breath. With each step, the air seemed to get heavier.
Their foreheads were drenched in sweat, focusing their minds to such an extreme degree that they could feel every passing moment as an eternity.
Just as Iris said, the next attack would probably decide the victor. Both could sense their opponent’s spirit rising.
“…Whether I win or lose, I will bear no regrets.”[Kaede]
“Kiki kikeriki! (I agree! Now, let’s have a…)”
As they were drawing closer to each other, Zeros felt the presence of someone in hiding about to take action in such a tense situation. On the rooftop located on the opposite side of Kaede, the Sniper Cuckoo, a bird that evolved to be able to use its wings as arms to wield a bow[11], was aiming at him.
“Fair fight!”[Kaede]
“Kikeri kiki (Fair fight!)”
The very instant the two started moving again, the Sniper Cuckoo released its arrow. It intended to catch him off-guard while he was preoccupied by the fight going on in front of him, but the middle-aged magician intercepted the arrow with a finger-flick shot, and then, fired once again at the boorish chicken on the rooftop that tried to migrate after realizing its attack failed. The sniper was counter-sniped.
While the Sniper Cuckoo was falling to the ground from the rooftop, both sword demons crossed their swords (and wings) with each other at insanely high speeds.
――Gyaariiiin!
Kaede’s tachi and the bird’s wings clashed, and although it was supposed to be a sword fight, the collision created a shockwave that blew Kaede away. Fortunately, Zeros, who happened to be in the perfect spot, managed to catch her. The Slasher Cuckoo was also blown away in the same way, and crashed into a group of his fellow chickens
“Kaede-chan, are you okay?”[Iris]
“She’s fine… It seems that she just fainted due to the impact.”[Zeros]
“And the chicken? Did it die?”[Jane]
“It’s still alive. If you take a closer look at her sword, you’ll see the edge is completely dulled.”[Zeros]
Although the Cuckoo also fainted, it somehow seemed to have a satisfied smile on its face. Despite being a chicken, it was quite the manly fellow.
Incidentally, the Sniper Cuckoo was actually targeting its owner. It might have been one of its habits as a sniper, or it simply had enough resentment piled up that it wanted to kill him in such a way, but the bird had carefully plastered the arrowhead with a lethal neurotoxin. All in all, it was clear that the Sniper was thoroughly determined to kill Bohan.
“Well then, there’s only one bird remaining, the Grappler Cuckoo, isn’t it?”[Zeros]
“I wanna get back at ’em, but there’s no way I can fight like that, can I?”[Jane]
“I can’t, either. I’m a magician, you know?”[Iris]
Since Kaede was unconscious, Zeros was inevitably the only one left to be their opponent. Heaving a deep sigh, he faces the Cuckoo.
“I’d like you to come home with me if you could… that way we could avoid this fight.”[Zeros]
“Kikki kike kikiriki (I can’t help but feel my blood boiling after bearing witness to a fight like that. I’d like you to accompany me for a bout.)”
“Haah… Don’t have a choice now, do I… h–huh? It seems I can understand what you’re saying. What’s going on here?”[Zeros]
Somehow the middle-aged Zeros also felt like he could understand what the chickens were saying. He managed to catch a glimpse of the mysteries of this otherworld.
Resigned, Zeros takes a battle stance. There wasn’t much enthusiasm in him, but on the other hand, his feathery opponent was brimming with fighting spirit. Knowing that refusing here would tarnish his honor, he had no choice but to confront the chicken.
However, the moment he faced it, Zeros experienced the real strength of the Grappler Cuckoo. It had a vigor unlike a normal chicken’s, rather it exuded the presence of a strong warrior, even more so than his other two comrades.
For an instant, he felt the chicken’s body blur.
“!?”
As he crossed his arms, he received a blow with an amount of force he didn’t expect to come from a small chicken. The next instant, the Grappler Cuckoo was assaulting him with its arm-like wings. He managed to avoid being sent flying a couple meters by putting strength in his legs and holding his ground.
“Woah… It’s been a while since I had to brace myself like this.”[Zeros]
A dangerous glint was ignited in his eyes. A return to “The Zeros of that Time.” He started to regulate his breathing, and circulate mana, or rather Qi, to strengthen his body.
He activates his Fist God skill. However, the ability changes when used by a magician instead of a martial artist. While magicians manipulate both the mana inside their bodies and the mana from nature to perform their magic, martial artists refine and circulate the mana inside their bodies to strengthen their fighting abilities. The caveat is – they are unable to use magic when they utilize their inherent abilities, therefore, they are left no choice but to specialize in hand-to-hand combat. In other words, it gets more difficult to fire long-distance attacks. Nevertheless, it was still possible to use other skills at the same time, with the exception of magician-type ones, which posed no obstacles for the current Zeros.
“Here I go…”[Zeros]
He entered the Cuckoo‘s striking distance[12] in the blink of an eye and aimed to kick it in full without killing his momentum. The next instant, the bird jumped away, to which Zeros responded with a barrage of blows. Even so, perhaps acknowledging his strength, the Grappler Cuckoo unleashed its own offensive battery to counter him.
――Gashi! Doga!! DoDoDoDo!!
Sounds that would be impossible to normally hear, reverberated through the air. They punch, block, miss, aim for each other’s openings; sometimes going on the offensive, other times dodging by millimeters.
“Kike!? Kikikiki! (Tch! Strong. Never expected this man to be this strong. What a supreme bliss.)”
“You’re looking pretty content there! Did you want to fight that much!?”[Zeros]
“Kikeke, kikiriki! (To challenge the strong is the only way to grow as a warrior. It is the duty of those who live by the sword.)”
“I see you’re quite the enlightened fellow! Then, come and show me your strength!”[Zeros]
“Kikeeeee! (Here I go!)”
The Grappler Cuckoo broke the pace of their high-intensity exchange of blows for a moment, and making the best of its nimbleness, it quickly closed the distance between its opponent while leaving an afterimage. The Cuckoo then proceeded to deliver a flurry of kicks.
Zeros blocked the enemy onslaught using both of his arms just like water flowing down a river. The moment he found a gap, without a moment’s delay he unleashed a powerful series of punches. However, as if it were expecting it, the chicken twisted itself around his arms in an attempt to use the momentum to hurl him away. Nevertheless, noticing his opponent’s intentions, the magician slightly contorted his arms to loose the chicken’s grip on it. Then, he drew them back toward the top of his head, while firmly grabbing the Cuckoo, and in one breath, he attempted to slam it on the ground. Unexpectedly, it instantly reordered its stance by contorting its body, and like that, it flapped its wings and managed to withdraw outside Zeros’ striking distance.
“A-Ain’t this dude way too strong?”[Bohan]
“That much is easy for him, you know? He’s an 【Annihilator】 after all.”[Iris]
“What’s with that disturbing nickname… What in the world did he do to get it?”[Bohan]
“A lot of things…”[Iris]
“Whatever. Hey, little lass. There’s no way you can call him a magician, you know? Who the hell is he?”[Bohan]
The battle was not in favor of the Grappler Cuckoo. However, its fighting spirit didn’t wane, in fact, it increased if anything. It even looked delighted.
“Wohhhhh!!”[Zeros]
“Kikiiiiiii!!”
Once again, they clashed with each other, starting a fierce exchange of fists. With their arms (and wings) strengthened with Qi, the vivid sound of fists clashing against fists continued to be heard. While exclaiming “oraoraora” and “hoatatata” like the characters of a certain popular series, they exchanged blows at insane speeds leaving afterimages behind, and without taking a single step back. The power behind each punch was enough to not let either of them get away scot-free in case they received one in full. The reason such a devastating side-effect didn’t take place was because the force of each of their punches canceled each other out, and so, the shockwaves scattered and spread in a circular fashion around them, instead.
At times, they separated and took distance away from each other, jumped high in the sky and traded flying kicks mid-air, or unleashed their fists while coming down toward the ground.
“Eh… Wouldn’t a single hit kill you? Rather, wasn’t that man a magician?”[Bohan]
“What I’ve heard is that he’s an all-rounder type, closer to an assassin. A type of magician whose specialty is jumping in the middle of the enemy lines and sweeping them clean with ranged magic.”[Iris]
“Hey little lass… I’m pretty sure that’s not how magicians fight. No matter how you think about it, ain’t that what the special forces do!?”[Bohan]
Zeros, who was currently firing off a chain of attacks, was unaware of his own occupation currently being denied. Though, he might be the one most conscious of it to even attempt to deny it.[13]
Their grand fight was said to have continued the whole day.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
At dusk, as the world began to be enveloped by the curtain of darkness, the Grappler Cuckoo laid exhausted after using up all his strength during the fight. Nevertheless, it wore a bright expression with a refreshing smile on its face, as if content with having given it all it got.
On the other hand, the middle-aged man in front of it hadn’t perspired even a single drop of sweat. Instead, he was trembling in fear after realizing the extent of how absurd his stamina was. Even so, from the Cuckoo‘s point of view, he was a serious opponent, at least at the beginning. However, after noticing his own absurdity in the second half of the fight, it finally registered how it wasn’t even a challenge to him. Zeros was supposed to be giving it his all, but he was able to observe and think things through calmly. He felt dizzy thinking what would have happened if he turned to attack in earnest. His mind hadn’t caught up with how tough his body really was.
While he was ruminating about such things, the rest of the evolved chickens were prostrated in dogeza to signify their submission toward him.
“Uh, um… I’d like you to come with me for now.”[Zeros]
“Kike! (Yessir!)”
“Kiki kikeriki kiki! (We are in awe of your strength. O esteemed personage, please become our master.)”
“Kike kikiri (My one-hit, certain kill technique has been beaten. I lack training…)”
The group of chickens evolved from the Wild Cuckoo had the habit of revering the strong. Once they recognize someone as their master, they will follow them until they’re strong enough to stand on their own, and consequently, leave their nest. Eventually, they form their own flock, pass on the skills they have learned, and become infinitely stronger. In a sense, they were more wicked than the Cockatrices; they were the worst kind of monster.
“Well, I don’t mind as long as you guys let me have your unfertilized eggs. I wanted eggs, you see, and I have the appraisal skill, so I can distinguish an egg that’s been fertilized from one that hasn’t.”[Zeros]
That was the reason why these chickens orchestrated a rebellion. Naturally, chickens lay eggs with the intent of conceiving their offspring. And so, the freshly laid eggs can be classified as unfertilized or fertilized. There was no problem with the former being eaten since no offspring would be born from them. However, it was a grave matter for them when it was the latter since a chick was expected to come out from one.
Bohan’s ignorance and him randomly taking eggs, caused the chickens to lose faith in him and lead to the aforementioned rebellion. In other words, it was the revenge of the parents who lost their children. No matter how harsh the world is, a child is still a precious thing for their parents. That being the case, Zeros didn’t have to worry about the birds resenting him due to his appraisal skill.
“What do you feed them with, Bohan-san?”[Zeros]
“Just tell me where you live and I’ll arrange it for you. After these little shits are gone, I’m gonna start keeping cows instead.”[Bohan]
“That’s totally a death flag, Mister.”[Iris]
“Anyhow, that means this one will have a sparring partner living nearby, doesn’t it? How wonderful.”[Kaede]
“Kaede… You still wanna fight?”
The bloodthirsty elf seemed to be walking farther down the path of carnage with the Slasher Cuckoo as her rival. The three of them, including Zeros could only sigh in response. (T.N: i think the author forgot about Jane)
On this day, the middle-aged magician got thirteen chickens. In exchange for their eggs, they would be trained by him, and at the same time, they would serve as powerful guards for his house. Which realm they are aiming for and how far will they actually go remained to be seen. What is certain is that they will continue to train and become the strongest they can be.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
By the time he arrived home, it was already late into the evening; the cityscape engulfed in serenity. Zeros used a magic stone to turn on the lights and proceeded to sit on a randomly placed chair.
For the time being, the thirteen chickens had taken residence in the nearby forest area, and it was decided that they would supply him with eggs henceforth. However, he just now started to worry about the high possibility of there being new victims. They were smart enough to understand human language, so he decided to teach them little by little.
As he was about to start preparing dinner, he noticed a long strand of hair stuck on his robe. The translucid and thin hair ended up there when he held Kaede in his arms. Nevertheless, that wasn’t the problem here.
“Fumu, so I have a Mutated Magic Specimen and the Hair of a High Elf, right? If I were to mix my blood, I would be able to create a homunculus…”[Zeros]
The magician had intended to make a homunculus in the future, but currently, he had some reservations regarding that. It was the act of creating life, and this new life would practically be Kaede’s clone. Moreover, by adding his own blood, it could be said that the homunculus would be his and Kaede’s child, and he couldn’t help but feel that it was a complete OUT, ethically speaking.
Suddenly, the evilest item in his possession flashed through his mind.
“The Evil God’s Soul… Let’s see, the question is whether to stir up some trouble for the Four Deities or not. To do or not to do…”[Zeros]
Anyhow, he didn’t have all the materials needed for the creation of the homunculus, the other essential one being the Spirit Crystals.
“Well, I’ll think about it once I happen to come across some Spirit Crystals, I still have time, after all.”[Zeros]
Zeros could not forgive what the deities of this world did. He was reincarnated into this world, but it was purely meant to be an apology toward the god of his original world, and even so, they reluctantly did it because He complained, which goes to show how irresponsible they were.
Moreover, although they reincarnated him, they did it quite carelessly. He ended up being thrown in the middle of a demonic realm infested with fiendish monsters.
They should have made all the victims appear in the same place, but instead, they acted with terrible negligence, as if saying “We gave them cheat abilities, so it’s fine, right?” giving the impression of being quite the hedonistic existences.
Granted, there were people who genuinely enjoyed this world, like Iris, so he wasn’t going to do anything that would plunge this world into war, but that didn’t mean Zeros was planning to do nothing.
“How troubling… kukuku.”[Zeros]
Zeros laughed with a rare shrewd expression, his smile cloaked in malice he didn’t usually show. As in response to his hidden wickedness, the metallic equipment in his basement was ringing eerily. All the pieces had fallen into place, so as long as he had the materials, he was ready for his next move. Everything depended on how the situation would play out.
TRANSLATOR CORNER
[1] literally something like she firmly sticks to shounen ai, young boys’ love, as in being a firm believer of it lmao
[2] ok hear me out, that was the only euphemism for being gay that came to mind. ‘Friend of Dorothy’ is a rather old-fashioned euphemism whose origin is commonly attributed to actress Judy Garland – who played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz – for apparently being a queer icon. The original one is okay I guess but it sounds super cringe in English. It literally was ‘the likelihood of running up moho hill is [high]’ モーホー[moho] being homo, obviously. It’s pretty funny just because of how bizarre it is, I don’t know if there’s a euphemism like that in English, though. Feel free to drop some.
[3] Apparently an internet slang that refers to when a fujoshi[literally: corrupted/degenerate woman; meaning: girls obsessed with BL] marries and has kids, they’ll inherit the same disposition as the mother and become fujoshis in turn. The website I read it from mentioned it was a slightly offensive term because its original meaning referred to how kids born in poverty mostly stay in poverty, or how abused children abuse their own children later on.
[4] BL terms; literally: receiver and attacker, respectively.
[5] I got this song when I googled it. The author probably wasn’t referencing this particular song, but apparently it appeared on Hajime no Ippo and it’s pretty cool: The phrase 蒼き日々 literally means ‘blue days,’ in the sense of the old days when one is young and immature.
[6] Reference to an old manga series from the 80s – Kinnikuman(muscle man) – which apparently, has found a new surge in popularity with a new iteration of the series. It’s basically about wrestlers but with superhuman powers a la one punch man https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinnikuman
Hurricane Mixer is a move from one of the characters named Buffalo man
The whole Power thing is a reference to both Dragon Ball and this other series, so I guess it’s a referenception then. The manga doesn’t look like my cup of tea though, so I haven’t read it.
[7] お中元(o’chuugen) is often defined as mid-summer gift or year-end gift. The former is associated with the Obon festival, which is pretty much like Mexico’s Día de los muertos, while the latter is a general gift of appreciation towards your family and acquaintances (although it is rooted in an older tradition) according to what I found online, which is why I translated it as that. Though I assume it can be gifted all year long, it is more common to give it on those two dates because it carries the meaning of “I appreciate you taking care of me so far, let’s do our best the remainder of the year or now starting this new year.” Now, this practice can take a relatively wide array of forms, one of which being ham. You know, just good ol’ ham, at least according to this store https://item.rakuten.co.jp/nattokushop/c/0000000253/ which, interestingly enough, made the article about お中元 that I read.
[8] Reference to the Fist of the North Star, it seems. I haven’t read it, so I don’t know what’s the official translation of 秘孔, but I believe it refers to the secret weak points of the human body or smt. Those are the kanji for secret and hole/cavity respectively.
[9] Reference to the Fist of the North Star, it seems. I haven’t read it, so I don’t know what’s the official translation of 秘孔, but I believe it refers to the secret weak points of the human body or smt. Those are the kanji for secret and hole/cavity respectively.
[10] The chicken speaks like a period drama or anime samurai, you know, saying degozaru and stuff.
[11] Not really sure if it’s literally using its wings to hold a bow, or if it’s using its wings as a bow
[12] For the learned gentlemen, I’m translating 間合い[maai] as striking distance. It literally means “space between” and it’s pretty much the right distance from which you can hit your opponent, or at least that’s how I understood it. I don’t know much about kendo or martial arts, so I wasn’t really sure how to go about translating it in a way that sounded more natural in English.
[13] Didn’t quite get it. I think the narrator is implying that Zeros is the one that knows the best that he can’t call himself a magician because he knows his own capabilities better than anyone else; だが、おそらくは身に覚えがあり過ぎて否定はできないであろう。
