"Tch... Is it because he's a child and his lung capacity is low? Fine... then take it point-blank!"
Pazuzu inhaled deeply and then exhaled a violent blast of jet-black smoke.
The billowing dark clouds completely swallowed me up.
"Whoa! So smoky!"
I squeezed my eyes shut and waved my hands frantically to fan it away.
Honestly, what a weird thing to blow at someone. He gave me quite a shock.
Besides, it has a strange smell.
Doesn't he brush his teeth?
As I emerged from the smoke, coughing, I found Pazuzu staring at me with a look of pure astonishment.
"Wh-what...?"
"Don't 'what' me. What was that for?"
Pazuzu gasped as he watched me let out a weary sigh.
"Y-you... You inhaled my mana and you're perfectly fine?"
"Huh? I don't feel any different..."
I wonder why he's been acting so surprised for a while now. Was that supposed to be an attack?
Come to think of it, I thought I caught a hint of a sweet aroma...
As I tilted my head in confusion, Grimo's mouth split open wide.
"Hah-hah! Your stinky breath don't mean squat to him, y'know!"
Pazuzu's eyes bugged out when he saw my palm—or rather, when he saw Grimo.
"Nuh... You are a Majin. Why are you attached to a human's palm?"
"S-shut up! It's none of your business! I've got my own reasons, okay?!"
"...Hmph, I see. So you've become that human's familiar. Most likely, he took advantage of some opening during your resurrection and forced a Familiar Contract upon you... To be made a familiar by a mere human is a disgrace to all Majin. It is utterly pathetic. I am ashamed to be of the same kind."
Huh, is that how it works?
Well, Grimo was sealed in a book, so I guess he wasn't exactly at the top of his game.
"But I shall make no such blunder! I have returned with absolute preparation, moving with an ironclad foundation! You saw my army, did you not?!"
Oh, right. I was curious how he'd managed to gather Magical Beasts that usually never form packs.
Driven by curiosity, I couldn't help but ask.
"How on earth did you get this many Bearwolves together?"
"Kfu-fu, it was simple. To draw these creatures into this forest—beasts that naturally avoid their own kind—I used my mana to lure a massive number of birds and beasts for them to prey upon! Once the land was overflowing with mana and food, the Magical Beasts flocked here... then I slaughtered the parents of every pair that was born and raised the young as my own! They may be beasts that avoid packs, but if they are raised in a group from infancy, that becomes their reality. It took a staggering amount of effort, but look at the results! Behold this army! No one can stand against this many Magical Beasts! Kuhahahaha!"
Killing the parents and kidnapping the children to brainwash them from a young age... This guy is a real piece of work.
Even I wouldn't go that far.
As Pazuzu roared with laughter, Grimo spoke up.
"Hey, uh, can I ask something?"
"What is it, you pathetic Majin?"
"How long have you been at this?"
"Roughly a hundred years. It was a long, arduous labor of love."
"Yeah... I bet it was..."
Grimo let out a heavy sigh, looking completely exasperated.
A hundred years. That's a mind-boggling amount of time.
I suppose it must be an impressive feat even from the perspective of another Majin.
"With my preparations complete, I took every precaution and started by attacking a village. I knew it would draw out this country's army. Defeating them would prove the might of my forces... and I have won a crushing victory! You had no recourse against Magical Beasts that would not fall! Now, the stage is set for my invasion! Fuhahahaha!"
Grimo snorted at Pazuzu's triumphant cackling.
"Hey now, you say you crushed 'em completely? Looks to me like there's still someone standing right here."
"Hm? ...Ah, quite right. A frail child and his familiar. No matter. I shall grind you both to dust presently."
Pazuzu raised his hand, and the Bearwolves began to close in on us.
Their eyes were bloodshot as they let out low, menacing growls.
"Go! Tear them apart and feast!"
"Gaoooooo!"
The Bearwolves pounced, their sharp claws and fangs aimed directly at me—but in that instant, everything changed.
The Bearwolves aborted their attack mid-air, landed softly, and prostrated themselves at my feet.
"Whine..." "Kyu-kyuun."
They started nuzzling against me, whimpering softly.
Some were wagging their tails furiously, while others rolled onto their backs to show me their bellies.
The dozen or so Bearwolves were all frolicking playfully around me.
"W-what...? Hey! What are you doing?! Kill him at once!"
"Grrr...!"
Pazuzu barked orders, but the Bearwolves refused to leave my side.
If anything, they turned to glare at Pazuzu with eyes full of hostility.
"—Hmm, I think I've got the hang of it."
I murmured to myself, mana radiating from my palms.
A white, smoke-like mana was enveloping the area around me.
"...Master Lloyd, what did you do, exactly?"
"It's the mana property alteration I was working on earlier. I just held a strong mental image of the taste and smell of the meat I ate for lunch today and activated it."
That meal Sylpha cooked was so good, after all.
Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
The Bearwolves seemed to agree; they were basking in the mana with blissful expressions on their faces.
"Gwooooooaaaaaa...?!"
The host Bearwolf that Pazuzu was possessing began to writhe in agony.
It appeared it had inhaled the mana I was emitting.
"H-hey! Don't you start messing around too! Stop! Don't spit it out! Gah, guooooooo?!"
The Bearwolf began to drool uncontrollably, vomiting out a black haze.
The mist coalesced into a humanoid shape, taking the form of Pazuzu.
Oh, so that's his actual body.
Having finally purged Pazuzu, the Bearwolf trotted over to me.
"Kuun, kuun."
It began circling me, wagging its tail happily. How cute.
"Haa... haa... No... Th-this is impossible...!"
Left standing alone, Pazuzu gasped for breath, his face contorted in rage.
"I won't forgive you! I will never forgive youuuuu! You damn brat! You dare interfere with my Magical Beast Empire?! I'll tear you to bloody ribbons!"
The black mist drifting through the air suddenly surged toward Pazuzu, wrapping around his body.
The very air began to vibrate, and the Bearwolves huddling against me bared their fangs in warning.
Pazuzu's magical power skyrocketed as he absorbed the mist, his presence swelling.
He transformed into a colossal ape with silver fur and jet-black wings.
It was a metamorphosis born from having no fixed physical form—his true state, fueled by every drop of his power.
The sheer volume of mana he radiated now was on an entirely different level than before.
"—Kill."
The giant Pazuzu growled the single word and lunged toward me.