Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 466 (Part 1):

[Who’re you stabbing with a holy sword, you crazy bastard?!]

Elaga, on high alert, bristled as Asuka responded with a dismissive tone.

“If you can’t get a grip, we’ve got no choice. If that Demon King’s got some kind of magi or whatever, it’s gotta be weak to holy power, right?”

[That sort of thing won’t happen again.]

Even as Elaga spoke, he seemed to doubt himself. He snatched the Root of Rosetta from Sian and crunched it down noisily.

But Asuka’s conclusion didn’t waver.

“Anyway, we can’t keep going like this. Let’s walk. Why the hell would we trust riding on your back?”

For one, he had no desire to climb aboard.

Riding on Elaga’s back was nothing short of torture. The nausea, the sense of impending death, and this time, the battle against the demonc energy rising from below—it was too much.

High Priest Levina chimed in with fervent agreement.

“If we keep this up, getting there quickly won’t be the issue—we’ll be too exhausted to fight.”

Their bodies already ached as if they’d been through a grueling battle, fatigue crashing over them like a wave.

Even heroes destined to slay the Demon King were helpless against motion sickness.

[Pathetic weaklings.]

Elaga clicked his tongue.

As if he’d never been reluctant to carry them, Elaga began to persuade them.

[You think you’ll get there in this lifetime by trudging along on foot? Do you think the Forest of Roots is that small? Besides, this is Baharek’s territory. The sooner we get out of here, the better.]

It was odd that a sensitive beast like Baharek hadn’t shown up yet.

If he’d been drawn to the central region under the Demon King’s control, that might actually be preferable.

‘But if that’s the case, why did the Demon King split our group in two?’

Wasn’t there some ulterior motive at play? A sense of unease gnawed at them. They needed to regroup with Helmut as soon as possible.

“We’ll just run hard.”

“The wind spirits will help us out.”

“I’ll carry Lady Levina.”

Asuka, Sian, and Levant spoke in quick succession.

As the four humans bickered colorfully, Elaga roared with authority.

[Enough talk, just get on!]

He couldn’t fathom why he, of all creatures, had to go to such lengths to carry humans. They should feel honored.

To ride on the back of the mightiest demonic beast in the Forest of Roots—what an opportunity!

[Hey, I won’t leap around, just run. That’ll do, right?]

In the end, they reached a compromise.

Elaga, grumbling, hoisted the bothersome humans onto his back and began to run again.

He’d nearly been dominated by the Demon King because of his demonic energy, so as long as he avoided using it, things should be fine for now.

He could worry about that when they reached the final battle in the central region.

But things didn’t go as smoothly as he hoped.

A few hours after they’d set out, as they neared the northern region, a thick fog appeared ahead.

It wasn’t a fog of magi—just a natural phenomenon.

Yet the dense, milky-white mist was enough to cloud their senses.

‘What’s with this weather? Nothing’s going right.’

Places like this were where accidents happened. Elaga issued a stern warning.

[You lot, stick close!]

This was the final hurdle. Elaga plunged into the fog.

The heavy dampness soaked his fur, obscuring his vision.

Mindful of what had happened before, he couldn’t draw on his demonic energy, which limited his senses.

Sian tried to disperse the fog with his wind spirits, but the dense mist surged back into the cleared spaces.

“Ugh, it feels like something’s gonna jump out.”

Sian shrank back, uneasy. The others felt the same.

Elaga, on the other hand, felt a strange sense of relief.

‘Baharek wouldn’t come to a place like this.’

The damp would mat his fur. No furred beast would enjoy this.

But just as his guard began to lower, his foot sank suddenly.

*Splorch!*

His front paw sank more than halfway into the mud, weighed down by his bulk.

‘A swamp? Disgusting.’

His white fur was getting filthy. As Elaga tried to pull his paw free, a glint flashed through the fog.

*Thud-thud-thud-thud!*

From one side, a massive figure charged with terrifying momentum, as if it had been lying in wait.

The ground trembled, and the swamp rippled. In this western region, only one creature could cause such a commotion.

[Baharek!]

With a shout, Elaga’s paw burst free from the swamp.

But Baharek didn’t stop, slamming into him with full force.

*BOOM!*

The tremendous impact scattered the surrounding fog.

Elaga didn’t have time to check on the humans flung from his back.

Baharek’s teeth were already lunging for him.

*Grrrrrr!*

[Is this bastard insane?]

He’d been utterly defeated by Elaga once before. Did he think a sneak attack like this would work? If so, he was either foolish or reckless. But Baharek didn’t seem to be either. His eyes were clouded, devoid of reason.

He didn’t appear to be under the Demon King’s control, but he seemed utterly deranged.

Reeling from the initial blow, Baharek bared his sharp fangs and charged at Elaga again.

The clash of the two demonic beasts began.

Otaku_Tensei

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