Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka? (LN) - Volume 16: Ch 8 - Merazophis

Merazophis

This world is deeply unfair.
Differences in stats, skills, and indeed racial and social standing are clearly defined.
It is difficult, if not impossible, for the weak to overcome the strong.
Few can challenge an exceptionally powerful being and live to tell the tale.
The battle now unfolds before the entrance to the Great Elroe Labyrinth.
Here, the most exceptionally powerful beings are the queen taratect and the two ancient dragons doing battle against her.
The three of them were locked in a fierce battle for some time, but now that has ended in the queen’s defeat.
Even a queen taratect could not survive an onslaught from two ancient dragons.
But the two dragons must have exhausted much of their strength as well: They quickly turned tail and fled after the fight was over.
Thus, no slaughter took place on the battlefield this day.
Had the two ancient dragons stayed behind and set about taking out the rest of our forces, we would have incurred massive losses.
It is a most fortunate boon they did not do so.
Wresting victory away from an especially powerful being is nigh impossible.
Not even an advantage in numbers can change that fact.
Virtually no amount of fighters with stats averaging around a thousand can take on an opponent whose stats are ten times as high, no matter how many of the former there might be.
Our soldiers would have fallen like flies.
When a being that strong exists on the battlefield, the key to victory is how to neutralize it.
But if it’s too powerful to be neutralized, often there is no path to victory at all.
There are no longer any individuals on this battlefield who fall into that category.
However, there is still a distinct difference in the strength of each side and each soldier.
In this case, the problem becomes how best to suppress the enemies with the highest battle capabilities.
This tends to lead to the strongest fighters on either side fighting one another.
After all, sending the weak to fight the strong only results in their dying on the spot without dealing any significant damage.
Even so, one cannot discount the strength found in numbers.
Perhaps a single individual would deal very little damage, but if you repeat that with tens or even hundreds more soldiers, the amount of accumulated damage is not to be disdained.
They have already turned the tables on us in terms of numbers.
Where there were once enough taratects to blot out the entire battlefield, most have now become corpses.
The only ones that remain are the stronger individuals like greater and arch taratects.
Even those seem to be gradually losing to the enemy’s sheer numbers.
Humans surround the greater taratects and slowly but surely whittle away at their health.
The stronger humans and demons are working together, albeit clumsily, to take down the arch taratects.
I recognize a few faces among them.
Sir Balto aside, I was perhaps a little surprised to see the likes of Lady Sanatoria and Sir Kogou joining the fight.
We once stood side by side as fellow commanders of the demon army, yet now we are squaring off as enemies.
I am not without my own feelings about this, of course.
But I vowed that I would follow my young mistress for all eternity.
I cannot show mercy to anyone, not even a former comrade.
Still, while I might have known this in theory, I cannot help but feel a twinge of emotion.
It was fortunate that the Nightmare’s Vestiges forced the demon army to retreat so that I did not have to stain my hands with the blood of past acquaintances.
The human army is still staying behind to fight, but the tides of battle have turned in our favor once again.
With their overwhelming numbers and individual strength, the Nightmare’s Vestiges are easily dominating the human army.
No doubt it is only a matter of time until they retreat like the demon army.
…Though there are a few who seem to be stubbornly staying put.
“At this point, it’s basically a tradition for us to face off against you like this, huh?”
“So it would seem.”
Two reincarnations face me, a young man and a young woman.
Kunihiko Tagawa and Asaka Kushitani.
I have met them several times now.
The first time was when I destroyed their tribe’s settlement.
They were still young then, and I let them live because they were reincarnations.
The second time was in a previous major battle.
I crossed swords with them and witnessed their growth.
And we crossed swords again in the battle of the elf village, albeit through a shadow copy of mine.
By now, you could say that we are bound by fate.
Based on the strength of the two armies currently remaining, I imagine they could not ignore my existence on this side.
I do not say this out of conceit, but I am most likely the strongest fighter of either side currently remaining on this battlefield.
And so these two reincarnations have come to stop me.
“I thought about it a lot, really went back and forth about things. But in the end, I decided I’ve still gotta fight you.”
“…I see.”
I told them the truth at the elf village.
I’m sure they had many conflicting feelings about it.
And it seems they have chosen to fight.
“I cannot hold back.”
I must give them fair warning.
Until now, I have taken care not to kill them because they are reincarnations.
But this time, in this battle, I must put that aside.
Most of the reincarnations knew nothing of this world that they had been dragged into.
Yet this is no longer the case.
If they have chosen to fight with full knowledge of the circumstances, there is no longer any need to hold back.
And I have never been so skillful as to be able to carefully hold back my strength.
If we are to fight, I will aim to kill.
“Good, because I w—”
Kunihiko’s bold declaration suddenly cuts off mid-sentence.
His body slowly slumps forward.
“Sorry, Kunihiko.”
Behind him, Asaka apologizes quietly for knocking him out.
“…What is the meaning of this?”
“We surrender,” Asaka answers quite calmly. “I’m not ready to die yet, and I don’t want Kunihiko to die, either.”
She turns and walks away, carrying the unconscious Kunihiko.
Openly fleeing in front of the enemy.
For a moment, I am dumbfounded.
But Asaka’s decision is probably the right one.
I bear no personal grudge toward these two.
They likely bear one against me; still, I never particularly wished to kill them.
Asaka must realize that, and is therefore unafraid to turn her back on me and flee unguarded.
If we did fight, I would undoubtedly kill them.
As I said, I am not skillful enough to control my strength with enough precision to spare their lives.
When I fight, I aim to kill with certainty.
Given the difference between my stats and theirs, the fight would likely have been over in a matter of seconds.
I would kill them on the spot.
Thus, surrendering before the battle begins is the right choice.
It would have been wiser not to come at all, but judging by Kunihiko’s behavior, I doubt that was an option.
I watch over Asaka as she walks away.
For my part, I believe choosing not to fight is admirable, too.
Though it is not my place to say this as the person who destroyed their hometown, I sincerely hope that happiness awaits them in the future.