Chapter 101: Third Form and The Awakening Power

Chapter 101: Third Form and The Awakening Power

Part 1

『GURORORORORO!』

Orthos, who had no idea what was happening, let out a warcry. The beast narrowed its eyes at the dazzling light.

「Guh! What is this light?」

「I-I don’t know! Tama’s body started shining out of nowhere…」

When Orthos had pointed its fang toward Aria, Tama had let out an adorable war cry. Following that cry, a dazzling silver light had enveloped his body.

When the dazzling silver light vanished, a giant white shadow had replaced Tama.

『RUMBLE――――EEE!』

The giant white shadow let out a high-pitched war cry.

「N-No way! A-a sacred beast?」

Seeing the giant figure in front of them, Prince Julius had completely forgotten that he was in the middle of a battle. Stella, Vulcan, Cyclops, and Orthos, everyone’s eyes were wide open at the sight of that giant figure.

That figure was a giant winged white lion clad in silver armor.

When the lion turned its gaze at Aria and co., for a moment, it exactly looked like the sacred beast that was painted along with the first hero in the Imperial Capital Mansion’s painting.

While everyone was captivated by the sudden appearance of the sacred beast, Aria muttered, 「Those golden eyes filled with kindness… could it be that you are… Tama?」

Sure enough, the lion gave a gentle, almost indiscernible nod as it looked into Aria’s eyes.

Facing formidable enemies like Orthos and Cyclops, Tama had finally braved himself to unseal his forbidden ‘third Form’.

（I had long since resigned that Master would someday realize my true nature, that I’m a monster called Behemoth, but… why does it seem like everyone has a misunderstanding about my true nature? … Screw that! It’s not the time for standing idle. I’ve to kill these guys first.）

Tama, who couldn’t properly see his own figure, got a grip on himself and turned toward the formidable enemies before him.

『GIII――!!N!』

One could feel an overwhelming sacred power overflowing from Tama, as he glared at Orthos.

『GURORORORORO—!?』

Orthos let out a trembled shriek, and its entire body shuddered due to fear. The pressure from Tama’s third form frightened it.

（Here I go!《FLAME HOWLING》!）

Tama opened his giant jaw toward Orthos, and Orthos’s body was bathed in a super-condensed silver heat ray.

Aria’s and Prince Julius’ voices overlapped as they spoke at the same time.

「Amazing! For that skill to be able to grill Orthos’s tough skin!」

「Ah! This energy wave… could it be… the holy element?」.

The sacred beast could use the holy element just like the hero, and an anecdote even depicted the sacred beast defeating numerous demon kings in the past.

Sacred beast and Behemoth’s Third Form―the similarities between the two weren’t just limited to their appearance, but also to the element they used. Tama was using the holy flame right now.

『At this rate…』

When it saw Orthos was about to be burned into nothingness by the holy flame, Cyclops made its move.

Part 2

It spoke the name of its skill,『《Sacrifice Lamp》!』. The next moment, Cyclops’s body became covered in bloody wounds, but a giant ominous lamp appeared on top of its head.

《Sacrifice Lance》, it was an overskill that sent a target into oblivion in exchange for the user’s vitality. And the target for Cyclops’s《Sacrifice Lance》 was Tama.

（I’m going to die if I get hit by that skill, but Cyclops won’t be able to fight anymore. And before that skill kills me, I’ll burn Orthos to death. To protect Master and her friends!）

To protect his master and friends, Tama decided to kill Orthos in exchange for his life.

Nothing was more terrifying than a cornered enemy. Tama knew that if he stopped his attack toward Orthos to dodge Cyclops’s skill, Orthos would immediately charge toward Aria and Prince Julius.

「I won’t le―」

「IT’S MY JOB!」

Just when Aria stood in front of Tama to protect him from Cyclops’s skill and shouted, Stella blew her away. Stella covered Tama with her shield, Caladbog, and became ready to protect him.

（Stella-chan, if you receive that attack instead of me, not even your artifact can…）

Stella was fulfilling her duty as the tank of their party in protecting Tama. She smiled at Aria and spoke.

「Please, take good care of Tama after I’m gone.」

Stella had realized it too that this attack would reap her life.

Aria was on the verge of losing either Tama or Stella.

「I will protect them!」

Her emotions exploded after reaching a critical state, and she raised a war cry. Her exploded emotions that came out along with her warcry gave birth to a new 〝Blade?. Aria, who was driven by her violent emotions, unconsciously unleashed that 〝Blade?.

Its name was―

「EX…CALIBUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUR!」

Aria swung her Tempest Bringer as a silver flash enveloped its edge. The silver flash transformed into a torrent of light that swallowed both Cyclops and its 《Sacrifice Lance》. The light erased their existence from the world. At the same moment, Tama’s holy flare also erased Orthos’s existence.

After a pause, Prince Julius muttered, 「Did we… beat them?」

The overjoyed Vulcan muttered, 「Amnyaazing! Tama-chan and Aria-chan beat those tough guys!」.

Stella also exclaimed with an excited look on her face,「What was that flash just now? it suddenly appeared when Aria screamed and erased our enemy!」

Lily and Faeri started frolicking around Aria.

「Cool! As expected of Aria!」

「You’re equally amazing, Tama-chan!」.

（Sigh, we managed to somehow overcome this crisi— Eh? The mana in my body… this feeling… could it be…）

The moment Tama heaved a sigh of relief, he felt something was running amok in his body.

「Look, Tama’s body is shining again!」

Just as Stella had said, a brilliant light again enveloped Tama’s body. Vulcan shouted, 「What in the world is happening to him now!?」

「TAMAAAA!」Aria also cried out the name of her pet (knight).

When the light disappeared, it revealed…

「Nya~~~n!」

Part 3

Tama raised an adorable cry in his usual kitten form. It seemed his evolution had been canceled like before.

「… TAMA!!」

The moment she heard his adorable cry, Aria leaped out and caught Tama into her embrace. She repeatedly called his name and embraced him even tighter. Stella also rushed toward them, and Aria embraced both Tama and Stella at once.

Stella asked with a bewildered look on her face, 「W-what’s the matter, Aria!?」

「Nya~!?」Tama echoed the same reaction with an adorable cry while being sandwiched by four giant mountains.

Aria started weeping upon hearing their voice. This situation was only natural considering what would happen to the usually kind and gentle Aria if she had really lost Tama and Stella.

「D-Don’t cry… we’re still alive and kicking!」

「Nya~~~n!」

It was one of the rare situations where Stella pacified Aria by patting her head. Tama joined in as he brushed his head on Aria’s cheeks.

「It seems we made it out alive from the dangerous situation, Your Highness.」

Dany, who had come after beating the trolls, called out to Prince Julius. He looked at the conversation between Aria and co. with a warm smile on his face.

Prince Julius smiled and replied, 「It seems your side made it safely too. That’s great!」

Howard guffawed and said, 「Gehyahyahyahya! It had been been a while since I had gone all out!」

「That was a close one.」Kenny replied, and Marietta also agreed with a 「Desuu」.

Even though everyone’s equipment was in tatters, they were fine.

「Great, let’s go back then. We shall have a party as soon as we return!」

Everyone agreed in unison to Prince Julius’s suggestion. After all, they were returning as the heroes who had saved Labyrinth city.