Chapter 29: What is the Reward for Slaying a Magic Beast?

The [Sword of Surtr] I unleashed sliced the Behemoth’s body clean in two, reducing its massive form to a magic stone. As the flames died down, all that remained was a giant, pitch-black gem.

It pulsed with enough mana to make my skin crawl, radiating an overwhelming presence even in death—undeniable proof of our victory.

"...Did we do it?" someone muttered.

It was over. In this world, turning into a magic stone was synonymous with death. The battle had reached its conclusion.

[Don’t you dare say that now, Bakaiser!] [Goro, read the room.] [I get how he feels, though!] [That was insane.] [So this is what an S-Rank Adventurer looks like.] [So cool.] [Classic Goro.]

The comments were scrolling at a nauseating speed, likely because the fight was being broadcast through both Kaiser’s and Ayane’s devices. Seeing the text flood the air around me made my head spin.

"...Hey, Bakaiser. That’s a total flag... or it would have been."

"Good work, everyone!" Kagura shouted.

"Yeah," I replied. "Good work."

I felt a strange sense of detachment. I was dazed, honestly. It had been a long time since I’d fought alongside anyone. Back in the other world, by the endgame, I’d stopped relying on anyone but my Summoned Beasts. I didn't quite know how to process a victory shared with others.

"Hey, man of the hour! Don't just stand there, get over here!" Kaiser called out.

"That’s right, Black Robe—actually, won't you teach me that incantation? Your style was incredible. Yeah, that’s the word. Do it one more time!"

"That magic was truly on the level of the gods. You were magnificent, Black Robe-dono!"

"Are you okay?"

They all called out to me. They weren't afraid or intimidated; they simply treated me as a comrade who had fought by their side. To me, that was—

"No, sorry... I just realized you guys are still streaming."

"Ah, that is true... I wonder how it—wait, what?"

Kagura seemed to have forgotten as well. She checked Ayane’s device—the little thing that looked like a flying snow-fairy—and immediately let out a bewildered cry.

"Um... Kaiser-dono, please check your own channel immediately."

"Why? I know the comment speed is unprecedented, but... what? Isn't this a bit much?"

"What’s wrong, you two? ...Whoa. I have five hundred thousand concurrent viewers on my side alone."

Five hundred thousand?

What did that even mean? People watching? Before I could process the number, the comments accelerated even further.

[They finally noticed lol] [Well, can't be helped.] [The numbers have been exploding since the Stampede started.] [Is Black Robe really a Summoner?] [He’s stronger than any Caster I’ve seen.] [The power scaling for Casters just broke.] [The usual Job fraud.] [I can't see his face under the robe, but it's crazy that I can imagine exactly what kind of expression he’s making.]

It was probably my fault for not understanding the scale of Dungeon Streaming in this world, but the numbers were nonsensical to me. I caught a few comments in foreign languages, making me realize the entire world had just watched that fight.

This is bad... I thought, though I didn't really regret it.

I had protected Ayane and the others. I was definitely going to return this body to Reima eventually, so protecting the things he cared about was the least I could do. If nothing remained after the dust settled, the whole thing would have been pointless.

Besides, as long as I had this Black Robe, my identity was safe. Thanks to the [Perception Inhibition], people only saw me as a vague figure in a dark cloak. My existence was more famous than ever, but I chose to trust in the robe’s power.

"...So, what are we doing with the magic stone? There’s other loot dropped around here, too."

"I only took off a leg," Kagura said. "I do not require it."

"I was just providing buffs," Kaiser added.

"I only provided a distraction... I didn't actually deal any damage," Shiki noted.

Every pair of eyes in the room turned to me. The sudden attention was awkward, but I knew what they were getting at. I wanted to decline.

"I don't really need it either... I mean, I couldn't have won without you guys."

"...That’s our line, isn't it?"

"No, seriously, I don't want it. I can store it, but a stone this size is just a nuisance. And more importantly... doesn't this thing look weird to you?"

I pointed at the magic stone to deflect the conversation, but then I actually looked at it. It was a shape I’d never seen. The exterior was a standard, massive gem, but something was floating inside as if sealed in amber. It looked like... a humanoid girl.

"Ah, this is bad. Um... the battle’s over, so I’m just gonna head home, okay?"

"Like hell you are! What are you panicking for—"

That [God-Slaying Magic] had been fueled by my own mana. The Behemoth had taken the full brunt of it. Given its rank, I probably hadn't managed to kill it completely. I remembered a note in Reima’s journal about the specific conditions for a monster to turn into a stone in that state.

"Anyway, goodbye! You can sell the stone! Bye!"

I shouldn't have hesitated. My dallying gave it the time it needed.

The magic stone began to glow. From within, a girl appeared, her presence even more intense than the monster’s had been.

"Why... are you trying to run?"

At a speed that defied perception, she lunged and pinned me to the ground.

"...Um, just for the record... who exactly are you?"

A beautiful girl with gray hair and hollow eyes peered down into my face. She wore a collar and had those same massive, familiar horns. Her clothes were oversized and baggy.

"Behemoth."

Yeah, I figured. I’d asked because I didn't want to believe it, but reality was rarely kind.

Wait, there’s still a chance. There was another Summoner here. Maybe she had contracted with Kaiser.

"Um, who is your Master?"

"You."

I’m running out of exits. To make matters worse, I could feel the murderous intent radiating from Luna and Sol inside me. Lycoris was literally leaking poison.

"Can I get a cooling-off period on this contract...?"

"You forced something so big and powerful into me while I was resisting... it’s pretty low of you to refuse to take responsibility now."

"Watch your phrasing! You're going to give people the wrong idea!"

"It is a fact... besides, your mana is higher quality than Mother's. There are one, two... so many others at my level inside you. It’s a very high-end property. I contracted with you for the mana."

"That’s cold. At least ask for permission. You can't just force a contract without consent."

"You did the same to me. I only wanted to see the sky... but you toyed with me, slashed me, and finally... poof."

Can we please stop with the suggestive metaphors?

It was a disaster. Because nothing she said was technically a lie, the comment section was currently branding me a "brutal fiend." The heroic image from five minutes ago was gone; I was being treated like a total pervert.

"Besides... I finally found someone who can kill me. I have no intention of letting you escape. Your mana was gentle... it felt very good. I’ll be in your care from now on, Master."

My other summons were rampaging inside my soul. A few of them were trying to force their way out. If I didn't control my mana, this cavern was going to be overflowing with angry monsters in seconds.

"Hehe, this looks like it’ll be fun—my Master."

"............ [Spell Summon]: [Teleport]!"

Deciding that staying here was a recipe for a heart attack, I borrowed a spell from one of my partners and warped out of the Dungeon, reaching the surface before anyone could catch me.

But the contract was already signed. There was no escaping it. As I stood on the surface, I could feel the Behemoth dwelling within me. And that was that.