Boom, boom, boom, boom...!
A horrible sound of footsteps approached.
From all sides.
It would not be as spectacular as this unless hundreds...even thousands of people were running in unison in unison.
The source of this sound was soon discovered.
Niosebuku soldier.
Fully armed and carrying various weapons in their hands.
A huge group that can't be counted.
They surround me from all directions, so densely that there isn't even a gap for a single ant to escape.
"There are a total of 180,000 Niosebuku soldiers stationed in the capital! All of them will sacrifice their lives to kill you! No matter how much you control the power of the spirits, you will not be a match for this many elite soldiers! Be tortured to death!"
It's really becoming a "I don't care if it's my lord! Slash, slash!" kind of thing.
I don't really believe these self-reported numbers, though, as there's a chance they may be inflated...
...One hundred and eighty thousand people.
That's about the same number of visitors as Comiket in one day.
Having an orgy with 180,000 women would be fun, but having a bloody battle with 180,000 burly men would be a no-no.
However, surrounded by enemies on all sides and in front and behind, there is no way to escape.
Furthermore, Tamagushi is nearby, so she must not let him get hurt...
"You bastard...!! You traitor are just as guilty! Don't think you can get away with it!"
"That's disappointing. A traitor is a word that should be hurled at someone who has switched sides from being an ally to being an enemy. I have never been on your side, not even for a moment."
"Shut up! I won't kill you that easily! I'll capture you alive and have you gang-raped by all 180,000 soldiers! Your noble beauty as a princess will end today! Your miserable days as a female slave are about to begin! You should regret from the bottom of your heart that you didn't choose me!"
"I am already Sao-sama's slave without even needing your help."
The third prince's face was one of insanity, and he had become like a hungry ghost obsessed with resentment.
Even after what has happened, he is still the prince of a great nation...and a man who is on the brink of becoming the next king.
That power is not to be underestimated.
One command from him and countless Arakures will come rushing in.
I was the only one to face it.
Well, we'll see what happens.
"Tamagushi. While I hold my ground, you somehow find an opportunity to escape. Okay?"
"Please don't underestimate me. My vocation as a Valkyrie allows me to be a sexual slave to heroes, but at the same time, I am also a female Grim Reaper who soars through the heavens. It was because of this direct combat side of me that I was favored by Imasi Nunda and was able to maintain my position as princess."
Tamagushi transforms again into the same erotic fantasy armor.
That must be her fighting form.
"I'll protect Sao-sama's back until the very end. However..."
"yeah?"
But... what?
"That won't happen. This battle has already been won by Thao-sama, no matter when."
What does that mean?
No matter what you say, we are at an overwhelming disadvantage being surrounded by tens of thousands of people, aren't we?
There's a saying that goes, "Battle is all about numbers, bro."
I think getting through this situation will require more toughness than fighting the third prince.
"Gangasurah has also failed. He was raised in Niosebuku since birth and should have been familiar with all aspects of Niosebuku. Perhaps he has now become unable to see anything as he is now at a disadvantage? A man with such cowardice that he loses his temper when in a difficult situation is not fit to be king."
"Now, Niosebuku's elite soldiers! Kill that traitor! Dismember him and expose his dismembered body on the city walls!"
Gangasutra screams in madness.
I thought the soldiers would rush in in response, but...
...Isn't that the case?
Huh?
"What? What's wrong? Your master is commanding you! Fight! What kind of soldier are you if you don't fight?"
"You are the one who should take the blame, Gangasurah."
Surrounded by the Niosebuku soldiers, who for some reason remained motionless, our conversation continued as usual.
Is this a one-on-one conversation between us...or rather, between Tamagushi and the third prince?
"Niosebuku is a nation of warriors. Only those who fight have value. And yet he leaves the actual fighting to his subordinates and sits back and relaxes. Can such a person be recognized as the king of this country?"
"Grrr...!?"
"More than that, Niosebuku respects the winners, and looks down on and even despises the losers. Losers have no value. They're not even allowed to exist. They're the lowest in every ranking. Scum. Now then..."
Tamagushi spoke in a chilling, cruel voice.
"What else do you look like to me here, other than a loser, Gangasur?"
"Hey!?"
One of them had his right arm blown off and was crouching, bleeding.
The other, still unharmed, is attended by a beautiful woman and looks down on the other from above.
The relationship between the two indicated by this positional relationship is...
Winners and losers.
...There is no other option.
"You have in fact been defeated by Sao-sama. Do you understand what that means? You have shown the miserable sight of your defeat to those who should not see it the most."
"Nugu?!"
"Niosebuku has no mercy on the defeated. Absolute strength, victory is guaranteed in battle. That is your value as the heir to the throne, and it is for this reason that the soldiers have followed you. But how is it now?"
"Huh...?!"
The third prince looked around impatiently.
And then I realize.
The cold gaze directed at me.
"It seems you've finally figured it out, Gangastora. If you really weren't going to give up on your comeback, you should have run away as fast as you could without calling in soldiers. And by thoroughly concealing the fact of your defeat, you should have maintained the false image of an absolute powerhouse while waiting for an opportunity to strike back against Sao-sama."
However, the third prince paid no attention to patience and played his trump card in an attempt to decide the match then and there.
Now it's an unstable trump card that may or may not turn over.
The result was the worst possible outcome.
The soldiers' voices of confusion can be heard.
"Hey... what's with that appearance of Lord Gangasurat...?!"
"He was bleeding and lying on the ground... and his right arm is missing...!?"
"An invincible fist that can unleash 'Molecular Disintegration'?! Who did it?!"
"Is that the man?! He doesn't even have a scratch on him?! And the person standing next to him is... the Eighth Princess Tamagushi?!"
"The one who was said to be the second favorite to rival Lord Gangasurat?!"
Huh? Really?
With such a person following me around like a maid, my peculiarities are only increasing.
It's now the center of attention.
"The brave soldiers of Niosebuku..."
Tamagushi called out to the confused soldiers.
She has a clear, diva-like voice that really catches your ear.
It was a great way to attract a lot of attention.
"Let me introduce myself to everyone. This Sao-sama is one of the sons who inherited the title of King Imasinunda. He is undoubtedly a candidate to become the next King of Niosebuku."
"Huh?"
"My mother was a veteran warrior. She was not of the royal family and therefore could not be ranked as a prince, but you all should know that there are many others of similar bloodline. What is needed is not status but strength. It goes without saying that this is the providence of Niosebuku."
Tamagushi's speech resounded loud and clear.
It is also clear that this audio is steadily drawing in the hearts of the soldiers.
He is a natural speaker.
There are people who have the skill to manipulate the crowd with eloquence and a pleasant-sounding voice. Tamagushi seems to be one of them.
And for some, this flow of events makes them extremely impatient.
This is the third prince, Gangasurah.
"Everyone! He's a traitor! Don't listen to his foolish nonsense!"
"Even if what I'm saying is nonsense, the facts remain the same. And there you are, crouching in a pitiful state, having lost your dominant arm."
Seeing is believing...is what it comes down to.
No matter how much I try to deny what Tamagushi says, my broken-down self urges me to affirm it.
The most powerful and undefeated candidate for kingship was defeated.
What kind of change will this bring about in the soldiers' mindset?
Tamagushi is the company that understands this best and is trying to utilize it to its advantage.
"I hereby declare that I will renounce my right to the throne as the Eighth Princess and pledge my lifelong loyalty to Lord Sao."
"Wha...!?"
"Lord Sao is worthy to be the king of Niosebuku...no, the king of the world. My instincts as a Valkyrie tell me so. If you are proud soldiers of Niosebuku, you must decide for yourself who you should fight under. Will you fight under the strong? Or the weak?"
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"
Gangasurah shrieks and cries out.
"You guys! Don't be fooled by that female fox! I am the strongest! I was born with the vocation of [Destroyer] and possess the ultimate destructive skill, "Molecular Disintegration"! Follow me! Following me, the strongest, is the pride of a Niosebuku soldier! You guys... Guno?!"
At that moment, the third prince's expression distorted.
Because of pain.
A sword is thrust into his back.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh...!"
The stab was done by one of the Niosebuku soldiers.
He has a vulgar smile on his face.
"Wh, what do you mean, strongest...?! How can a loser like that be the King of Niosebuku...?"
"You... trash!!"
The third prince flinched and swung his fist.
Even though his dominant arm was blown off, he still had his other left arm.
The soldier who had thrust his sword was swept away by the skilled fist, and the entire upper body of the soldier was blown away, dying.
"Look you fools! This is my power! No one can defeat the power of "Molecular Disintegration", which reduces any material to dust! And you still say I'm not qualified!"
"""""""
The soldiers fell silent for a moment as if intimidated, but the effect lasted less than a few seconds.
A wave of murderous intent and hatred, mixed with resentment, arose...
"What are you talking like you're so arrogant about... you're just a loser...!?"
"The champion of Niosebuku must be undefeated! I have no right to be ordered around by a disqualified loser!"
"That's right, get out of here! Don't cause trouble in front of our new ruler, Sao-sama!"
Don't take advantage of the confusion and start celebrating me.
"Lord Thao! Please give me your orders! Finish that loser off and silence him forever!"
"We will obey the orders of the strongest king! Please, Sao-sama! All the soldiers will be happy to be used by you, the strongest."
"Mr. Thao!"
Don't admire me, you losers.
Annoying.
"There's no need to bother you with the disposal of waste materials. I'll give the orders instead."
And the eggplant starts rustling on its own...!?
"I order the brave soldiers of Niosebuku to punish Gangastora for defying the new ruler, Lord Thao. He is no longer a prince or the strongest man. He has lost his dominant arm and is nothing more than a loser who has lost his perfect strength. Lord Thao has already passed judgment. You servants will be able to clean up after him."
""""Understood!!""""
That's a lively reply.
And at almost the same time, a huge army of 180,000 Niosebuku soldiers swarmed toward the third prince.
I don't know if it will really amount to 180,000 yen.
"Whaaaat?! Wait?! You fools?!"
The Niosebuku soldiers were called with the intention of attacking us.
It's ironic that this is turning the tables and causing him to be criticized.
"You idiot!!"
The third prince swung his left arm around, blowing away ten of the warriors at a time.
However, since their total numbers were in the tens of thousands, it didn't mean much. The Third Prince couldn't even catch his breath as the soldiers kept coming at him endlessly, and he simply swung his left arm around.
"You idiots! You idiots! No matter how many of you weak soldiers attack me, how can you defeat the strongest? I am the strongest! The pinnacle of survival of the fittest... ugh!"
With his skills, he could have won even tens of thousands.
But if it's in perfect condition.
The guy who had his right arm blown off by me and was forced to fight with only one arm was inevitably going to have a blind spot.
The sharp blade of the sword slammed into his exposed right side.
"Grrr...!?"
If you thrust your left fist to the right in counterattack, you'll be taken advantage of by a bang from the left side.
"Cough…!?"
No matter how many people you kill, new ones just keep coming.
This fearless tenacity towards death is what makes the Niosebuku soldiers so terrifying.
As this process was repeated, the third prince's whole body became covered in blood, his movements slowed down, and he was finally hit with a decisive blow.
"Ahh?!"
One of the soldiers swung down his hatchet, slicing off the third prince's left arm.
The soldiers rush upon their prey, which has finally lost both arms and is now unarmed.
They looked like grasshoppers or frogs being attacked by ants. A horrible way to die.
"Guaaaaaaaah! I am! I am the survival of the fittest! Survival of the fittest! The weakest! Survival of the fittest! Survival of the fittest! I am the survival of the fittest! I am the survival of the fittest!
Four blades were thrust into his back at once.
He quickly pulled them out, and blood spurted from each wound like a crimson fountain.
One after the other, he was slashed, stabbed, or beaten with blunt objects, and the evil prince who boasted of being the strongest was now just a shadow of his former self.
"Survival of the fittest! Survival of the fittest! Survival of the fittest! Survival of the fittest! Weak meat! Weak meat! Survival of the fittest! Survival of the fittest! Survival of the fittest! Weak meat! Survival of the fittest!? Survival of the fittest!
It would have been a satisfying death for him too.
The absolute law that I uphold is survival of the fittest.
According to that law, in the end he was able to end his life as a weakling who was devoured.