Chapter 62: The Beast Called “Demon”

“Q-Quick, over here!”

Several people rushed to the wounded man.

They weren’t the same priests Bel had seen before—apparently, more had been dispatched here.

The injuries were already beyond saving, yet they still struggled, scooping spilled intestines back into a man’s body while drenched in cold sweat.

All for the sake of not letting anyone die, even among those who had willingly chosen to step into battle.

Truly, a picture of the doctrine: “for the sake of humanity.”

Wouldn’t it be better to send at least one Apostle with healing power?

But then, the Apostles were humans who wielded the Moon’s power.

Even with the faith of this era swelling their numbers, they were hardly numerous.

Compared to their reputation, they seemed fewer—mostly concentrated near Lucilonia.

And healing power was a precious resource.

They wouldn’t risk sending it outside the borders.

Especially now, with war said to be looming, Apostles would be kept in reserve.

Come to think of it, Bel had never once encountered one.

Lema Valkyte wielded a similar power, but his body wasn’t truly that of an Apostle.

Bel glanced back.

The humans who had clung to the wounded now knelt with shoulders slumped, hands clasped in prayer.

Judging by that, the man must have died.

Finding a summoner is turning into a nightmare.

Such tournaments weren’t unheard of in past eras.

But then, Bel had simply watched from beside kings or high priests, taking the honor offered by the victor—or devouring them outright.

This was the first time she’d directly participated.

And though there was a chance her summoner might be here, how could she hope to find them among so many?

The closer she drew to Arena Five, the stranger the sounds became.

Grrr…! Rrrgh! Roaaar!

Beastly noises.

Stepping inside, Bel immediately understood.

Beasts. Giant predators.

She knew them well—she had received many as offerings in the past, precisely because they were difficult to hunt.

But what stood before her now was familiar.

Familiar—when it shouldn’t have been.

Every time Bel awoke, the ages shifted.

Animals went extinct or habitats changed.

But never had enough time passed for entirely new species to appear.

Nor should creatures from the distant past still exist unchanged.

Crack! Smack!

Clang! Bang!

Handlers whipped at the cages, banging iron rods to rile the beasts up.

Their ultimate purpose was clear enough.

Bel approached the reception desk, handing over the entry slip she’d claimed three days prior.

“Registration.”

“…A woman?”

The clerk clicked his tongue at the sight of Bel’s slender frame and beautiful face.

“Not thinking of forfeiting?”

Bel only stared silently.

With a sigh, the clerk gestured to a box.

“…Draw one.”

Bel pulled a numbered slip.

The clerk glanced at it over his shoulder and tutted loudly enough for all to hear.

“Tch. At least it’s not Group One. Count your blessings.”

Others filed in behind her, drawing lots the same way.

“Now then, we’ll begin the next round of preliminaries! As you may have guessed, this one is a team match—each group will face off against monsters!”

Bel’s eyes narrowed.

‘Monsters’?

She had heard that word before.

Lema had said it was good fortune they hadn’t yet encountered one.

The Holy Empire had supposedly tightened its defenses because monsters were overflowing.

But what exactly they were—Bel still didn’t know.

“There will be no compensation for misfortune! If you think it’s too dangerous, forfeit now. But once you step into the arena, there is no backing out!”

At that, several quietly returned their slips and left.

“I thought we’d be fighting people! Damn rotten luck.”

“They take entry fees, then throw us against monsters? And when the beasts kill us, they pocket the magic stones?”

Complaints rippled through the crowd, though Bel couldn’t care less.

Still, plenty remained.

After all, they had come to risk their lives in the tournament—quitting now would be shameful.

“Check your number, find your group, and follow me!”

“Group One, this way!”

“Group Two!”

“Group Three, over here!”

The arena was vast, open to the sky, stands packed nearly to capacity.

“Group One, step forward!”

Their foe was a bear-like creature, taller than a man.

With so many forfeits, only a handful of participants advanced.

That’s a monster?

Roaaar!

The gates slammed shut, and the beast charged.

Though they had entered with bravado, the reality of facing such a creature drove panic into them.

At first, they screamed and fled.

“I-I’ve hunted monsters before! Follow my lead!”

One voice rallied them.

In short order, they regrouped and successfully brought the beast down.

“Group One—passed!”

Cheers erupted as the self-proclaimed veteran stood atop the fallen beast, waving to the crowd.

Only one man had taken a heavy blow to the back, slashed so deep bone showed.

He was carried out on a stretcher like the others Bel had seen earlier.

Still, since his guts hadn’t spilled, he might survive.

“Next, Group Two!”

This time, a lean black wolf emerged.

Group Two had more people, and the beast was smaller than the bear, so spirits were high.

But the wolf was far swifter.

The humans ultimately overwhelmed it by sheer numbers, but not without casualties—one man never rose again.

Group Three’s opponent was a bird-like creature twice a man’s height, featherless, running on two legs like a giant chicken.

SKREEEEEE!

Its cry rattled eardrums like a blade of sound.

The moment they saw it, Group Three forfeited en masse.

So the turn came faster than expected.

Bel was in Group Four.

Even here, many forfeited.

Their opponent?

The same shrieking bird from before.

A swordsman beside Bel frowned.

“…Wait, aren’t monsters assigned by group? Why do we have to fight that thing?”

“The arena doesn’t have the manpower to recapture monsters mid-match,” the clerk replied.

“So if we can’t kill it—?”

“Then the next group gets the advantage.”

“What a load of shit.”

Indeed.

The first two groups had managed to slay their monsters.

But if Group Four was wiped out, the next team would simply reap the benefits.

Hearing this, more contestants forfeited, leaving only about five determined fighters—those clearly confident in their skills.

Clang.

The gate slammed shut behind them.

Up close, the monster loomed even larger.

SKREEEE! SKREEEEE!

It hopped wildly, flapping its useless wings.

The sheer scale of its movements drained the color from the fighters’ faces.

“M-Maybe I should’ve forfeited…”

“Young lady, stay close to me,” one even said to Bel.

But the truth was plain—

The bird was terrified of Bel.

It flapped frantically, even urinating in its panic.

Instinct knew what reason could not: this was no prey, but predator.

So—this was what they called “monster.”

But in the end, it was just an animal.

An animal… from the distant past.

One that should not exist here and now.

The only difference was the small stone embedded in its forehead.

Glittering like quartz, it almost resembled a jewel.

So that’s a magic stone.

Bel fixed her gaze on it, and the creature nearly collapsed in terror.

The humans quickly realized the bird wasn’t attacking, only shrieking in place.

“Why… why isn’t it charging?”

“Strike first!”

They rushed it.

The terrified beast was easily subdued.

Bel stood back, arms crossed, simply watching.

Though the monster barely resisted, its size and thrashing made for good spectacle.

The crowd roared approval—mixed with jeers.

“Hey, that girl got lucky!”

“Didn’t lift a finger—total free ride!”

“Pretty though! Her teammates just scored easy points with that!”