BAMN: Chapter 16/23

Chapter 16: Aqua Devourer

"Yo! Rin!"

"Are you here to take a quest, Rin!"

"Ogerpon, good morning."

"Poniii!"

Rin and Ogerpon greeted everyone as they walked to the quest board where requests were posted.

After yesterday's events, everyone here had accepted Rin and Ogerpon.

"Rin-san, are you here to accept a request?"

"Ah."

Rin looked at Luna who had come before him. "Do you have any recommendations?"

"For new Adventurers, how about this one? Subjugation of Giant Toads."

Subjugation of Giant Toads.

Yes, it was those frogs that Aqua and Kazuma chose to subjugate at the beginning of the anime, and then almost got eaten by.

"Okay."

Rin nodded, then, following Miss Luna's instructions, accepted this request.

The god-slaying giant toads that repeatedly swallowed the Water Goddess Aqua alive.

Let me see what you're made of.

---

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Thus, on the emerald green grassy slope, Rin and Ogerpon stood high up, looking at the many giant toads hopping in the distance.

Every year during this period, the toads would enter their breeding season, and then large numbers of toads would run rampant in the surrounding areas, causing great trouble for the residents near the town.

"Appraisal!"

Rin did not immediately make a move but used his Appraisal skill on these giant toads.

---

[Giant Toad]

Level: 5

Specific Attributes: Omitted

Innate Abilities: Slippery Body (Damage Reduction), Delicious Meat

---

"Strange innate abilities."

Rin didn't know how to complain about the Delicious Meat setting. "But the level is only 5, so it doesn't seem very strong."

Rather than saying the giant frogs weren't strong.

It's more like Kazuma and Aqua in the original work were incredibly weak.

"Ogerpon, remember the precautions I told you."

"We'll use these giant frogs here to conduct an experiment on strength control."

"And then…"

After Rin finished speaking, he began to look around. "Hmm, take out that big blue guy over there for me."

"Pon? (That one?)"

"Yes, that's the one!"

Rin pointed at a certain blue giant frog that was flirting with two other giant frogs, one pink and one yellow. "With two on its arms, so arrogant, I've tolerated it for a long time!"

"Get it!!"

"Poniii!!"

Ogerpon accepted the command and leaped out without the slightest hesitation.

Her speed was very fast. In the blink of an eye, she had rushed from the hillside to the hopping blue toad.

"Croak?"

The blue toad seemed to notice something approaching.

It lowered its head, its nearly ten-meter-tall body appearing like a mountain of flesh in front of Ogerpon.

Unlike the bewildered blue toad, Ogerpon wouldn't wait for it to react. She immediately conjured her Ivy Cudgel and struck towards its abdomen.

"Boom!"

As the Ivy Cudgel stick swung, blue fluorescent light, like a storm, scattered, causing the surrounding air and ground to twist and shatter in an instant.

A deafening roar, like dozens of bombs exploding simultaneously, and that terrifying explosive force, surged into the blue toad's body before it even knew what was happening.

"Croak?"

"Pfft!"

Amidst the painful croaking, the giant toad's body burst open like a balloon.

The next moment, the toad's shredded flesh and blood mixed together, enveloping Ogerpon's entire body, then dyed the surrounding cracked earth a vibrant red color.

But that wasn't the end.

Along with Ogerpon's strike, the surging wind pressure that followed instantly crushed the hill beneath the giant frog's feet.

Also crushed were the rather innocent pink giant frog and yellow giant frog.

The three giant frogs didn't even have time to react before they followed their lover.

"I…"

Rin stared blankly at the scene before him, immediately taking a sharp breath.

He hadn't expected Ogerpon's first move in this world to unleash such terrifying destructive power.

Equally stunned was Ogerpon herself, who had caused all of this.

"Pon…"

The little one felt sticky all over, and looking at the giant toad, it had become a pile of shredded meat.

This scene sent shivers down the spines of both Rin and the little one.

Ogerpon's strike was no different from pricking a water-filled balloon with a needle.

"Ogerpon, are you alright?"

Rin quickly ran to Ogerpon's side. He summoned water elements and began to wash the blood off the little one's body.

("Ogerpon isn't hurt.")

("It's just, is this okay?")

Ogerpon was a bit worried that she had ruined Rin's experiment. She also hadn't expected the toad, despite its size, to be so fragile.

This was unavoidable.

Ogerpon, a B-rank in the Cardinal World, could already display A-rank destructive power in the Konosuba world.

What is the concept of Special A-Rank?

In the original work, Benimaru, Shuna, and others, after receiving their names, evolved from B-rank Ogre to A-rank Kijin.

When fighting the Orc army, Shuna could effortlessly cleave a chasm hundreds of meters deep with a single downward strike.

Benimaru, even more so, could casually unleash a Black Flame Prison, slaughtering hundreds of Orcs.

With similar performance, it was perfectly normal for Ogerpon to explode a Level 5 giant toad with one strike, along with the small hill beneath its feet.

And this was with Ogerpon holding back her strength.

Otherwise, at full power, she could probably shatter a mountain hundreds of meters tall into dust.

"Special A-Rank monster, truly terrifying!"

After seeing Ogerpon's performance, Rin no longer dared to let her casually make a move in the Konosuba world.

He took out his skill card and found that the experience value on it had increased by 2 points.

Through this, Rin confirmed one thing.

That is, the experience points from monsters defeated by Ogerpon would also be counted towards Rin.

It makes sense. After all, a Summoner couldn't possibly let their summoned beast half-kill the enemy and then step in to deliver the finishing blow, right?

"Ogerpon, you rest for a bit."

Rin had Ogerpon cover for him, then stretched his body and began to choose his opponent.

The quest requirement for subjugating giant toads was to defeat 5 of them.

Of course, the more of this quest, the better.

Rin had no desire to waste time on such a low-level quest. What he truly wanted to do was calculate the conversion ratio between Konosuba experience points and Cardinal magicules.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 17: This Indestructible Body

"You're the one."

Targeting a massive pink toad, Rin pushed off the ground, launching forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.

"I'll finish you!!"

Dropping from above, Rin descended like a meteor, delivering a flying kick to the pink toad.

"Splat!"

And once again, a familiar scene unfolded before Rin's eyes.

The moment his foot touched the toad's head, there was no resistance. His entire body, like diving into water, passed right through it.

"Boom!"

The earth shattered, rocks blasting in all directions. Rin stood at the center of a massive crater, drenched in blood, his clothes soaked with thick chunks of flesh and internal organs.

Behind him, the exploded remains of the giant toad lay scattered.

"...What the hell?"

Feeling the slimy mess all over his body, Rin shuddered in disgust. "I didn't use magicules, right? Can a pure physical body really be this strong?"

"No... something's off."

He opened his attribute panel and looked at the extra skills, especially the passives.

Leaving the magic-type passives aside, the physical ones included Lancer, Knight, Swordsman, Crusader, Dragon Knight, Martial Artist, Pugilist, and Thief.

With that many class enhancement passives stacked, even if each was just Lv1, that was already more than a 100% increase.

And that was assuming all his magicules had been converted into experience and used to reinforce his body.

"A body strengthened with magicules as the foundation..."

"Plus all those passives and the Martial Artist's enhancements... My stats must've been boosted by at least 300%."

With that kind of amplification, Rin's already A-rank physique had been pushed to the level of Special A.

In the Cardinal World, existence value didn't have a direct correlation with actual combat power.

The Storm Dragon with 80 million existence value wasn't necessarily stronger than an awakened Demon Lord.

But right now, Rin was something else entirely.

Magicules had fused directly into his muscles and blood. Just that alone already placed him above nearly every monster.

"...Damn."

"I really underestimated myself."

He cast a water spell to rinse off the gore, feeling a little better.

"Ponii?"

"I'm good."

Rin and Ogerpon both looked like total wrecks, but when they made eye contact, they couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Alright, just a bit more. Then we go back and shower."

Rin didn't head back right away. He continued hunting giant toads.

But this time, he didn't charge in recklessly. Instead, he used basic Fireball magic to attack from range.

And when he killed his 50th giant toad, he finally heard the sound of his magicule count increasing.

"Fifty toads, two experience each... That's 100 total."

Rin was currently Level 15, fighting Level 5 creatures. Naturally, there was an experience penalty, hence only 2 EXP each.

But what really shocked him wasn't that. It was the conversion rate between experience and magicules.

From magicules to experience, the ratio was 1:10.

But from experience to magicules, it was 100:1.

That insane gap made Rin genuinely speechless.

"...Why?"

He pondered for a while, then came up with a possible explanation. "Konosuba's EXP is a lower-tier energy. When lower converts to higher, the ratio's gonna be awful."

"The earlier magicule-to-experience conversion probably had some kind of interference involved."

Kind of like weak signal reception, some of the magicules probably got lost in translation.

"If that's how it works, then EXP's cost-effectiveness is terrible."

"Even if I hit max level, that's only a million experience points."

"Which means... just 10,000 magicules."

And how many monsters he'd have to kill, how much experience-loaded food he'd need to consume to hit max level in this ridiculous world...

Rin couldn't even begin to estimate.

"Whatever. Even if it's just 10,000... it's still magicules."

"No complaints."

He shook his head and tossed aside all those stray thoughts. Turning to Ogerpon, he said, "Let's go. We're heading back."

"Boom!!"

Just as the two were halfway there, a blinding light shot down from the sky, landing just outside Axel City.

"...That?"

Seeing the oddly familiar sight, Rin immediately thought of something. "Satou Kazuma just brought Aqua here, didn't he?"

As for his opinion of Kazuma...

How to put it?

It was kind of abstract.

Rin didn't dislike him.

As a protagonist with no cheat, stuck leading a group of problematic teammates, who still managed to take down the Demon Lord...

Honestly? That guy was impressive.

Of course, Rin had zero plans to make contact with the original party.

Right now, he was completely focused on one thing, getting stronger.

He didn't have time to waste getting dragged into Konosuba's slapstick daily life plot.

"Let Aqua and Kazuma go work on a construction site for two weeks first."

"This way, Ogerpon."

And with no hesitation, Rin pulled Ogerpon along and walked in the opposite direction, away from Aqua and Kazuma.

Getting close to them now would be a disaster waiting to happen.

Especially Aqua...

Even with the past favor of a cheat, Rin wasn't dumb enough to get near that one.

The two of them returned to the inn and cleaned up there.

No one along the way really cared about their blood-soaked and battered appearance.

Adventurers couldn't afford to look clean anyway.

But neither Rin nor Ogerpon realized...

On the other side of the stream, a certain blonde girl in Crusader armor was staring at them, trembling violently, her face flushed bright red.

"Huff~ Huff~"

The girl called Darkness clenched her fists tightly.

"That man... he didn't even spare his own familiar!"

"Guhehehe~"

Suddenly, Rin shivered.

"Pon?"

"Nothing."

He scratched his head in confusion. "I feel like... something creepy is watching me."

"A ghost?"

"Don't know."

He looked left and right, but saw nothing suspicious.

He didn't bother using detection spells either, there was no need.

In Axel, there was nothing that could pose a threat.

"No need to worry."

"If anyone really tries something..." Rin said casually, "I'll show 'em what it means to blow up a giant toad in one hit."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 18: Returning to the Cardinal World

"Where are they?"

"Those two adventurers I saw yesterday!"

The next day, the blonde Crusader girl, Darkness, burst into the Adventurers' Guild.

She looked around, scanning the place, trying to spot Rin and Ogerpon from the night before. But after searching all over...

She saw nothing.

"Not here?"

"Did they go on a quest?"

Thinking that, Darkness walked up to Luna and asked about Rin.

In the Konosuba World, asking about fellow adventurers wasn't rude.

There really wasn't much scheming here.

"Are you referring to Rin-san and his familiar, Ogerpon?"

"Rin? What a strange name."

Darkness repeated it a few times under her breath, then asked, "Um... I'd like to join their party. Could you help me keep track of this Rin's movements?"

"I can. But wouldn't posting a notice be quicker?"

"I'll do that too."

Just thinking about Rin and Ogerpon's blood-soaked, dripping-wet appearance made Darkness tremble again.

She unconsciously clamped her legs together, and her pale face flushed with... an odd blush.

"...Uh."

Luna stared blankly, not sure whether she should report this to Rin.

"Alright."

Luna nodded. "Next time I see Rin-san, I'll pass on your message."

But what neither she nor Darkness knew...

Was that Rin had already left the Konosuba World.

Whether he'd accept Darkness or let that masochistic Crusader join his party.

That would be something for Rin to decide after he returned.

—

Cardinal World

"Pon!!"

Two figures appeared on a grassy hillside. Rin and Ogerpon had returned from the Konosuba World.

---

[New intelligence acquired. Beginning analysis...]

[Analysis complete]

[Obtained Intrinsic Skills: Melee Mastery]
[Obtained Intrinsic Skills: All Weapon Mastery]
[Obtained Intrinsic Skills: All Class Mastery]

[Obtained Special Skill: Magicules Solidification]

[Acquired New Magic: Explosion Magic, Superior Magic, Elemental Magic, Healing Spell...]

[Magic Integration Complete, Obtained Class: Mage]

[Divine Blessing discovered, beginning Appraisal...]

[Appraisal Complete]
[Obtained Unique Skill: Duplicator]

"We're back."

Rin exhaled as he opened his status panel.

---

[Itoshi Rin]

[Race: Half-Demon]

[Existence Value: 4015EP]

[Magic: Energy Cube Creation, Pokémon Space, Appraisal, Explosion Magic, Superior Magic, Advanced Healing Spell, etc.]

[Class: Mage (Can directly construct magic using magic power)]

[Special Skill: Magic Element Solidification (Can convert magicules into spirit and flesh for storage)]

[Intrinsic Skills: Adaptability, Melee Mastery, All Weapon Mastery, All Class Mastery, etc.]

[Unique Skills: Traveler [Broken], Leader, Capturer, Duplicator (Can duplicate others' general skills and inherent skills)]

[Dependent: Ogerpon (8031EP, B-rank)
Marked Worlds: Pokémon World, Konosuba World]


---

"The Mage profession must've formed from integrating all the Konosuba magic I absorbed."

"Same with all these melee-related mastery skills…"

Rin had also gained a Unique Skill—Duplicator.

Can duplicate others' general skills and inherent abilities.

In the Cardinal World, skills are divided into four tiers: Common skills, Intrinsic skills, Extra skills, and Unique Skills.

Above those are ultimate skills that only True Demon Lords can awaken.

"According to this world's rules, only beings with special souls can gain Unique Skills."

In the original story, there was a case where Shogo, a summoned otherworlder, killed a girl named Kirara and sacrificed her soul to obtain the Unique Skill Survivor.

Only a special soul from another world could be traded for a Unique Skill.

That proves how rare Unique Skills are.

Even Rimuru initially only had two: Great Sage and Predator.

"This trip to the Konosuba World was a massive win."

In just one day, to have gained this much… Rin increasingly felt the power of the Broken-ranked Traveler skill.

Just as he was examining the changes in his panel, Ogerpon's startled cry interrupted his thoughts.

"Rin!!"

"Hm?"

Following Ogerpon's gaze, Rin's eyes narrowed. "This is…"

"O-our camp!!"

What greeted them was a total mess. The camp, which was supposed to be nearly complete, had been reduced to rubble.

Ogerpon was completely stunned.

"Who did this?!"

She was furious.

Crude as it was, that camp had been built with Rin's hands, piece by piece.

It was their effort. Their base.

"Who destroyed Rin's hard work…"

Ogerpon was ready to summon her Ivy Cudgel and beat whoever did it into the ground.

"Calm down."

Rin gently reassured the angry Ogerpon, and the two cautiously moved in to inspect the scene.

"These tracks… definitely some kind of large insect."

Rin crouched down, examining the imprints in the mud. "Could those Insect Monsters have sent others looking for us?"

The smell of that insect creature still lingered in the air.

No doubt about it—it was them.

"Damn it…"

"Ogerpon hates bugs!"

She was frustrated, but more than that, her heart ached for the ruined camp.

"Alright, don't be angry."

Rin smiled and stroked her head. "At least we weren't here when it happened."

"And this incident is a wake-up call."

"This place isn't safe."

"Then what should we do…?"

"Either we move and find a new base," Rin said, "or we find their lair and eliminate the threat completely."

How could he sleep knowing those monsters were right next door?

If it had been intelligent demons capable of negotiation, Rin wouldn't have minded talking it out and coexisting.

But those Insect Monsters never gave him the chance.

From the start, the spider-type bug had treated them as food.

And every attack after that made their intention crystal clear: devour Rin and Ogerpon.

So there was no need for mercy.

If he had to act, he'd go all the way. No survivors.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 19: Ogre Clan Crisis

"What do you think, Ogerpon?"

"Hmm…"

"Ogerpon will follow Rin's decision."

She knew she wasn't the brightest, and as a Pokémon, it wasn't shameful to obey her trainer.

"I still want to approach this carefully."

Rin hadn't really expected any tactical advice from her, but her answer still made him smile.

"Carefully?"

"Yeah."

"I'm mad too. I want to storm in and crush every last one of those disgusting bugs."

"But we don't know how many there are. We don't know how strong their top-tier monsters are either."

"Rushing in now would be reckless."

Hearing Rin say that, Ogerpon felt a little ashamed. "If only Ogerpon were stronger…"

That way, Rin wouldn't have to hold back.

Even though they were the ones being wronged, they still had to stay patient.

"You are strong."

Rin wasn't just saying that to make her feel better. At B-rank, Ogerpon could easily defeat most A-rank monsters in a one-on-one fight.

In the Great Jura Forest, she was already at the top of the food chain.

Only disaster-class A-rank threats could force her to retreat.

"How about this."

Rin made his decision. "No matter what, we need to find the source of these Insect Monsters and figure out how far their main nest is from us."

That was essential for both relocating and preparing a counterattack.

On top of that, Rin had another reason for targeting them.

Before Ogerpon could evolve into a Demon Lord, her Unique Skill Growth needed massive amounts of experience from monsters to accelerate development.

Slaying those Insect Monsters would speed up her growth.

I don't know how many there are, but judging by the damage… there must be a lot.

If we wipe them out, Ogerpon's Existence Value might break through 10,000.

That would be A-rank.

With an A-rank Ogerpon by his side, Rin's safety in the Great Jura Forest would be fully secured.

It would also give him more flexibility when traveling to other worlds.

So, Rin laid it all out for her. "In short, we find their nest and assess the situation."

"If we can win, we go all out and treat those bugs as wild monsters—turn them into your EXP, Ogerpon!"

"If we can't win, we retreat."

Where there's life, there's hope.

It wasn't cowardice. It was tactical withdrawal.

"Once you hit A-rank, Ogerpon… we'll come back and crush them."

"Mhm!"

Ogerpon showed no fear. "Ogerpon will listen to Rin!"

"Haha…"

Rin chuckled softly and patted her head. He crouched down and activated the Ranger profession's skill—Tracking.

In the next moment, waves of magicules rippled out from him in all directions.

Trees. Bushes. Rocks…

Information flowed rapidly into Rin's mind.

In that moment, it was like he had stepped into a gray-white world.

Through some kind of perceptual method, he was scanning everything around him.

"…Found it."

Three minutes later, Rin opened his eyes.

His expression was strange.

"What's wrong, Rin?"

"…A group of presences is approaching the insect nest."

Rin raised his hand and cast several spells in succession.

"Fade Away."

"Conceal Presence."

"Erase Traces."

After the three consecutive Konosuba Hunter skills landed, Rin called out to Ogerpon. "Let's go take a look."

Just like that, Rin and Ogerpon concealed their presence and followed the trail left behind by the Insect Monsters.

They moved for about thirty minutes.

At their speed, they had already covered at least 200 kilometers.

"Rin, insect smell."

Ogerpon's nose twitched twice. "There's also something unfamiliar. I don't know what kind of monster it is."

Bang!

Boom!

Squeak, squeak, squeak~

Rin's sense of smell wasn't as sharp as Ogerpon's, but he also heard the sounds of battle up ahead.

"The insects are fighting someone."

"Looks like we're not the only ones in this forest who've been attacked."

He didn't reveal himself immediately. Rin was cautious.

Ogerpon, too, used the stealth techniques she'd honed back on Oni Mountain.

The two silently leapt into the treetops, hiding within the canopy as they observed the battlefield in the distance.

There, more than thirty tall, humanoid beings were locked in combat. Muscular, horned, with red, purple, or green skin unlike humans.

"Ogre tribe?"

Rin instantly recognized them.

The humanoid monsters fighting the Insect Monsters were none other than the Ogre race, B-rank monsters that lived deep within the Great Jura Forest.

His gaze quickly settled on the red-skinned ogre wielding a sword and the one-horned, purple-skinned female ogre slashing with a longsword.

"Benimaru and Shuna?"

Their appearances didn't match the anime exactly, but they were extremely similar.

That was only natural.

At this point, neither had been named by Rimuru. They were still in their original Ogre forms.

Also, translating from 2D to 3D was bound to create some differences.

"So the ones clashing with the Insect Monsters are Ogres."

Looking at the fallen Ogre corpses scattered on the battlefield, Rin quickly assessed the situation. "Their village was probably attacked, and this group was sent to track the insects' nest. They must've ended up walking right into a fight."

"But…"

He narrowed his eyes. "Was this in the original plot?"

"Or is this some butterfly effect caused by me?"

Rin wasn't sure.

He didn't think too hard about it and instead shifted his attention back to the battle.

"There's at least 500 Insect Monsters down there."

"Over 300 are C-rank, 100 or more are C+, and there are dozens of B-ranks."

Just looking at the dozen Ogre corpses on the ground, it was clear that they'd already suffered heavy losses.

"No wonder they're getting crushed. Forty Ogres surrounded by hundreds of Insect Monsters..."

Rin was tempted to intervene and establish contact with the Ogres.

He turned to look at Ogerpon, considering whether to let her jump in.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 20: Benimaru and Shuna

"Rumble~"

More and more Insect Monsters were gathering in the distance.

Rin hesitated.

Even if they were anime characters, the Ogre clan was known for being loyal and straightforward. Helping them would only bring benefits, not trouble.

But letting Ogerpon dive into a fight this chaotic...

Suddenly, Rin felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down.

Ogerpon's eyes were full of fighting spirit.

"You want to fight?"

She nodded. Rin could see the sense of recognition in her gaze as she looked at the Ogres.

"Kindred spirit?"

"I see."

After evolving within the Cardinal World, Ogerpon had become part of the Elemental Spirit Race.

Rin suspected this race was closely related to the Ogre tribe, perhaps a homologous offshoot.

For the usually solitary Ogerpon, meeting others with a similar aura stirred something inside her.

She wanted to help them.

"Alright."

Rin quickly formed a plan. "Don't get drawn into prolonged combat. Lead them out of the encirclement. I'll cover you from the rear."

"Pon!"

Ogerpon nodded firmly and leapt from the tree.

Meanwhile, the Ogre unit encircled by Insect Monsters was in dire straits.

"Damn it!"

"These disgusting insects are being led by something!"

The red-haired Benimaru slashed a centipede-type monster in half, then immediately retreated to rejoin his companions.

"That thing's underground. We can't force it out."

The blue-skinned ogre, agile and sharp, darted between their wounded, blocking blows and plugging gaps in the defense line.

Their 40-man team was down to 28.

Twelve had already died.

For an Ogre village of around 300, losing twelve prime warriors was a devastating blow.

Even though the Ogre clan was entirely combat-capable, only about 200 could reach true B-rank strength.

Children and elders could only manage C+ rank at best.

Of course, rank was just rank.

Magicules represented a monster's overall life level.

But a high magicule count didn't necessarily mean stronger combat ability.

Take Ogerpon for example.

With over 8000 magicules, she was technically mid-to-late B-rank.

Among the Ogres present, Benimaru, Souei, and Shion probably had only a thousand or two less than her.

But the gap in combat power?

Massive.

This 40-man Ogre unit, with an average B-rank evaluation, would get wiped out in a direct fight against Ogerpon.

That was how wide the skill gap was.

Ogerpon had at least 30 spells derived from Pokémon abilities.

Melee, ranged, defense, recovery, support, transformation...

And that didn't even include her innate Unique Skill, Destroyer.

If she went all out and dropped a Seed Bomb, the Ogres would have no choice but to dodge.

If they got hit, they'd either die or be crippled.

Any monster with a Unique Skill had the potential to reach Special A-rank.

A Unique Skill was essentially a Demon Lord seed.

"Haa... Haa..."

The purple-haired, one-horned female ogre—Shion—swung her giant cleaver and cut down a beetle-like Insect Monster, shielding the pink-haired princess, Shuna.

"Are you alright?"

Shuna quickly conjured fire magic, releasing a massive fireball.

"Big brother, I have enough magicules left to cast one more big illusion."

As the village's shamaness, Shuna was one of the few Ogres capable of casting spells.

She was positioned in the rear, protected by the others as she provided support and healing.

"There's too many."

Shion gritted her teeth. "These bugs keep coming. We kill one wave and another follows!"

"We can't hold out much longer…"

Benimaru was frustrated. He knew that with their current numbers, they couldn't break through the insect nest.

Their best bet was to retreat, report back, and return with reinforcements to wipe out this pest nest.

"Watch out!!"

Suddenly, Shion yanked Shuna to her side.

A mosquito-like monster, grotesque and thin, had managed to sneak through their defenses and rush toward Shuna.

If Shion hadn't reacted instantly, the stinger would've pierced straight through her chest.

"Die, bastard!!"

Without hesitation, Shion swung her cleaver with full force, cutting the giant mosquito in half.

"Ah!!"

But she hadn't expected there were more.

Just as she finished the swing, still catching her breath, a mantis-like Insect Monster struck.

With her guard down, several Ogres were injured, and the mantis lunged at the two girls.

"Damn it!"

Seeing Shuna in danger again, Shion didn't hesitate. She pulled the girl into her arms.

Puff!

A blade flashed through the air, slicing deep into flesh and grazing her spine.

"Ghh—!"

Shion felt a searing pain.

She tried to lift her sword, but the injury ran deep. Her body went numb, the greatsword slipping from her hands.

"Heal, heal—!"

"I-I'll heal you right away!"

Shuna desperately pressed her hands over Shion's wound, pale green healing magic glowing faintly from her palms.

But the mantis-type Insect Monster was already closing in. Its sickle-like forelimbs gleamed with a deadly green sheen, and neither Benimaru nor the others had time to reach them before those blades came down.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak~"

The insect's blades filled Shuna's vision. She couldn't dodge. She had no time to cast anything else.

All she could do was shove her best friend aside with all her remaining strength.

At the very least... one of them could live.

"No!!"

Shion, lying half-prone on the ground, could only watch as the attack closed in.

She could only watch as Shuna prepared to die for her.

Overwhelming disbelief gripped the Ogre girl.

She wanted to move. To fight. To scream.

But her body wouldn't respond.

Is this it...?

Shuna could already feel death's cold breath on her skin.

She wasn't afraid to die.

But the thought of leaving her brother... of leaving Shion behind... of all of them falling here like this.

It tore her apart.

She shut her eyes.

And then.

Pop!

The pain never came.

Instead, there was a sharp, crisp sound. Clear. Strange. Beautiful, even.

Like a nightingale's cry echoing in the dark.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 21: The Violence

Clang~ Clang, clang, clang!!

Zzzzt—!

Eyes snapping open, Shuna was met with a sight she never imagined she'd live to see.

Someone she didn't know when had appeared between her and Shion.

The figure was small, wielding a weapon made of woven green vines.

And it was this stick that now stood like a wall between them and the praying mantis-type Insect Monster's blades.

"The attack… was blocked…"

Shuna and Shion stared in disbelief.

Those blades, sharp and massive, were halted by what looked like a glorified wooden stick?

No, not just blocked.

Crack!

Fractures spread across the mantis monster's sickle arms, running all the way down its limbs.

"You… who are you…"

Benimaru and the rest had also seen the sudden turn of events.

They didn't know where this being had come from, but the aura it gave off.

It was one of their own.

An Ogre.

Just like them.

"Ogerpon has entered the battlefield!"

"What?"

In the next instant, under the stunned gazes of the Ogres, the emerald-green Ivy Cudgel surged with magicules and shattered the mantis Insect Monster in a single swing.

Yes. Not knocked away.

Shattered.

And it didn't stop there.

The Ivy Cudgel's momentum carried through, flattening five or six other Insect Monsters blocking the path between Benimaru and the two girls.

Rumble~

The wind roared across the battlefield, tossing the Ogres' cloaks and armor. Dust exploded outward, clouding their vision.

They instinctively fell back into defensive stances.

Whoosh~ Whoosh~

Boom!

But the expected attack didn't come.

Instead, cries of agony echoed through the battlefield as a single figure weaved through the monsters, knocking them down one after another.

One strike. The monster's body split apart.

Ogerpon dodged the gushing body fluids and stomped down.

In an instant, green light flowed with the wind. A carpet of grass surged up from the soil.

"What the—"

"This is…"

"M-My wounds, they're healing…?"

"Some kind of healing spell? Are we being healed?!"

Without exception, every Ogre on the battlefield felt it.

Wounds closed. Strength returned.

Even Shion, whose spine had been slashed, was healing.

"My back… it's so itchy…"

Who was she?

Shion and Shuna both stared forward.

The smoke cleared.

There, standing on top of a crushed scorpion-type Insect Monster, was a small girl.

Her face was masked by a green leaf-veil. Behind her floated three gemstone-like masks in a triangular formation—blue, gray, and red—glistening like sacred relics in the sun.

Unlike when she was still a Pokémon, Ogerpon's Mask Reflection had transformed with her evolution.

Now she could summon all four masks simultaneously.

With one at the center, she formed a fourfold Mask, gaining the combined strength of every mask.

"Haah!"

Grass energy flowed into the Wellspring Mask, Hearthflame Mask, Cornerstone Mask and Teal Mask.

Water, fire, rock, grass.

Four elemental energies spiraled around her. The entire battlefield was her stage now.

"An Ogre?"

"And just… a child?"

The aura she gave off was familiar—warm, wild, instinctively comforting.

But her size… barely over a meter tall.

To the Ogres, all towering at two meters and above, she couldn't even be called a child.

But her presence.

Her power.

The raw pressure of her magicules said otherwise.

"I'm here to help."

Ogerpon summoned another Ivy Cudgel and entered a dual-wielding stance.

"Help?"

Benimaru finally registered what she said. He was about to respond, but—

She was already gone.

"Wait—!"

Too late. Her movement was blinding.

The boost from her Masks, combined with Rin's Leader skill, enhanced every stat.

Her B-rank magicules formed the base, and the mask transformation let her fight head-on with B+ rank monsters.

With Rin's Leader buff, plus her innate Destroyer Unique Skill.

She might even stand a chance against A-ranks.

And what played out before the Ogres was a one-sided massacre.

"What… what rank is this monster? This kind of strength…"

"She's one of the legends, right? A true Kijin…"

She was tiny.

But every strike she landed caused earth-shattering impact.

Destroyer.

Anything hit by her would break.

Weapon, armor, flesh—it didn't matter.

Unless the opponent possessed a Unique Skill of equal or higher tier, it was a guaranteed effect.

A rule.

Hit = destruction.

No defense mattered.

Boom!

Ogerpon spun mid-air like a horizontal tornado, twin Ivy Cudgels turning everything nearby into dust.

Her destructive power. Her explosive burst.

The entire Ogre force was slack-jawed.

"Wh-What a brutal fighting style…"

"She's that small… and she's that strong!?"

"Giant bugs with armor thicker than steel, and she breaks them in one hit…"

They'd never seen anything like it.

"Young Master, what do we do?"

The one who would one day be Souei, now still just a young blue-skinned Ogre, reported in.

"The clan has regrouped. The retreat path has been cleared… by that little girl."

Just mentioning her left Souei shaken.

That wild presence.

That fearless charge.

This—

This was the violence an Ogre was born to wield.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 22: I’ll Make My Move

"We can't let our righteous companion fight alone!"

Benimaru naturally couldn't just retreat like this. At the very least, he had to leave together with Ogerpon.

Rumble~

But before he could give any order, the ground in front of them began to quake.

The mud collapsed inward, revealing gaping sinkholes beneath the battlefield.

In the next moment, an enormous swarm of Insect Monsters surged from the depths like a tidal wave.

"…Holy shit."

Even Rin, watching from a distance, twitched his lips. "What the hell are these things? There's way too many of them."

Just a glance showed at least 5,000.

And Rin was certain even more were still underground.

As for their levels…

Under Rin's Appraisal, these insects weren't as strong as the previous wave. They were smaller, too.

"Mostly D-rank. About 20 percent are C-minus. A few hundred C-rank. Maybe a hundred C-plus."

Rin completely ignored the D-ranks.

For Growth to function, the defeated enemies couldn't be too far below Ogerpon's level.

In general, if the monster's magicules were lower than C-minus, even if Ogerpon killed it, she wouldn't gain any existence value.

So, despite the overwhelming numbers, only around 1,000 were actually worth consuming.

"Still, that should be enough for her to push into true A-rank."

And based on the Cardinal World's systems, once Ogerpon reached A-rank and received a disaster-class designation, her chances of completing an evolution into a more advanced Ogre form would rise significantly.

"Should we retreat?"

Rin didn't care about the D-rank fodder.

They weren't strong enough to even scratch Ogerpon's defenses.

More importantly…

[Defeated C-rank monster x1. Gained 4 existence points.]
[Defeated C-minus-rank monster x2. Gained 3 existence points.]
[Defeated C-plus-rank monster x1. Gained 8 existence points.]
[…]

Since Ogerpon had joined the battlefield, every time she felled an enemy, she gained existence value.

In just ten minutes, she had already jumped from over 8,000 to more than 8,500.

"At this rate, and with the remaining C-rank monsters…"

Rin calculated. "She should be able to break 10,000 and reach A-rank by the end of this fight."

A-rank was a turning point.

Below A-rank was one world. Above it, another.

Even the most average A-rank monster could single-handedly level an Ogre village.

"…Let's go!"

Rin made up his mind. He wasn't going to let this feast slip through his fingers.

"Ogerpon!"

"Rin?"

Through their familiar connection, Ogerpon heard Rin's voice.

"Can you keep fighting?"

"Ogerpon isn't tired at all!"

She was still smashing Insect Monsters left and right with her Ivy Cudgel. "Ogerpon can fight them all day long!"

Great. She's Captain America now.

Of course, that was a joke.

But the Elemental Spirit race did have terrifying stamina and endless energy.

More than that, the Growth talent was working nonstop, converting defeated foes into magicules and energy.

According to the Cardinal World's rules, the larger the magicule reservoir, the more power an individual possessed.

So instead of wearing out, Ogerpon's condition was actually better than when the battle started.

"Good."

"Then…"

Knowing her state, Rin raised his hand and cast a loudspeaking spell. "Friends of the Ogre tribe, Ogerpon and I are here to help you!"

"That voice?"

The gathered Ogres looked up. Benimaru narrowed his eyes, searching the treetops and horizon.

"The Ogerpon he mentioned… is that the little one tearing everything apart?"

"So her name is Ogerpon?"

"That's a weird name."

"Wait, is she actually a named monster?"

"She has a name?!"

The chatter spread quickly through the group.

Benimaru ignored the noise. He just waited for the next command from the one giving orders.

Rin had no plans to enter the melee himself.

His role was a summoner and mage—a backline commander. Jumping headfirst into the swarm would be suicide.

"Next, I'll cast a powerful spell on the insect nest to force everything hiding underground to the surface."

"If their numbers are beyond imagination, I'll have Ogerpon retreat immediately."

"You all retreat with her."

Simple, clear.

Benimaru immediately understood.

The strength of the nest was unknown. So was the number of enemies hiding below.

If Rin's spell forced out tens of thousands…

Staying behind would mean death.

Retreating to regroup would be the only smart move.

But if it turned out there weren't as many as feared.

Then there'd be no need for the Ogre tribe.

Rin already had his own army of one.

General Ogerpon, capable of crushing legions alone.

"Everyone!"

Benimaru made a snap decision. "Follow the orders of the one giving commands!"

Shuna was his sister. Shion, his childhood friend.

Both had just been saved by Ogerpon.

That alone was a debt the Ogre tribe could never repay.

Running away and abandoning their benefactor?

That would be the greatest shame.

"…Not bad."

From afar, Rin saw the shift in the Ogres' formation and nodded in approval.

"Let's begin."

He turned his attention away from Benimaru and the others.

Raising both hands slowly, Rin began gathering all the magicules within his body.

Thanks to Ogerpon's rampage, his own magicules had passed 4,500.

That was more than enough to cast Konosuba's strongest magic.

And what was Konosuba's most powerful magic?

Obviously…

Explosion Magic.

The legendary spell from the crazy Crimson Demon girl Megumin.

In the original world, Megumin had funneled every single skill point into Explosion Magic.

By the end, her spell was basically a portable nuke.

Rin's Explosion Magic was still Lv1. He hadn't fed it any points yet.

But now that he'd returned to the Cardinal World…

With the Mage profession, he had near-limitless possibilities.

Magic power responded freely to his will. Wind stirred the air. Elements—earth, fire, water, light, dark, even time and space—awakened.

Despite the name, Explosion Magic wasn't fire-element based.

Its true nature was Destruction Magic.

It absorbed, compressed, and broke down ambient magical elements, then released them in one earth-splitting burst.

And Rin, using the Mage's deep analysis, had stopped relying on shortcuts.

Now, he understood the spell's essence.

His magicules poured out like a flood… only to be refilled just as fast.

Consume, replenish, consume again.

With each cycle, the energy stored in the spell ballooned.

"What's going on?"

The large-scale manipulation of magic elements caused the entire region around Rin to grow heavy with pressure.

Even Shuna, a caster herself, went pale.

"…This kind of magic—"

To her eyes, the place where Rin stood had turned into a void.

A pit of absolute black.

A sunless abyss swallowing all things.

Buzz buzz buzz~

Multicolored particles flowed toward Rin's outstretched palms, forming glowing, prismatic rivers.

Trees shook.

The sky darkened.

Above them, a massive ring of stars slowly formed in the air.

Then, a giant crimson magic circle.

And then… another.

And another.

A third. A fourth…

Dozens of massive circles stacked together, rising like a tower piercing the sky.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 23: Nuclear Magic

"Gulp~"

Benimaru, Shion, Souei, and the other Ogre Clan members couldn't help but gulp.

They stared blankly at the apocalyptic scene unfolding in the sky, momentarily forgetting their battle with the Insect Monsters.

Fortunately, the Insect Monsters had already retreated.

Even brainless monsters understood the imminent danger at this moment.

They were returning to their nest, using swarm tactics to form walls of insects above it, attempting to block the impending heavenly punishment.

"Get away from the nest, quickly!"

It was then that Rin's voice once again echoed in the ears of the Ogre Clan.

This time, they didn't hesitate in the slightest.

Each of them wished they had an extra leg, running with all their might away from the nest, which was locked onto by countless magic circles.

Ogerpon smacked away an Insect Monster that tried to entangle her, then followed the footsteps of the Ogre Clan.

As for Rin...

He was desperately controlling the Explosion Magic, slowing its descent to give the Ogre Clan and Ogerpon more time to get away from the center of the explosion.

"Hmm?"

At the same time, somewhere in the Great Jura Forest, a young woman with beautiful green hair opened her eyes.

"The spirits in the forest are afraid..."

She instinctively looked in a certain direction in the forest. "What happened?"

There, various elemental spirits were frantically converging on a certain spot.

The young woman's name was Treyni, a high-ranking race, a Dryad, who guarded the forest.

"Magic?"

As the embodiment of this forest, Treyni could clearly sense every plant and tree here and receive information feedback from them.

However, this time, Treyni was utterly bewildered.

Chaotic.

An unprecedented clamor.

The trees and flowers in the forest were like they had gone mad, chattering incessantly.

One said, "The forest is going to be destroyed," and another said, "It's a catastrophe, so scary."

For a moment, Treyni couldn't extract a complete answer from it.

The only thing she could be sure of was that the culprit causing all this was a type of magic she had never seen before.

"What kind of magic can draw so many elements?"

Treyni no longer hesitated, immediately casting the Dryad's teleportation, her body dissolving into specks of light.

"This is..."

When Treyni reformed her body, what greeted her eyes was the towering magic circle tower reaching into the clouds.

Hundreds of thousands of magic circles completely stunned Treyni.

"What?"

It wasn't that she hadn't seen powerful magic before.

But what kind of magic could be this complex?

Other people's magic circles were adorned with patterns.

But good heavens, this individual directly used magic circles to arrange complex patterns.

"Who is casting such terrifying magic?"

Treyni quickly locked onto Rin, who was standing on a tree, controlling the magic to prevent it from going out of control.

"Human?"

"No, that's not right."

Treyni noticed Rin's eyes, those golden pupils, which humans could not possess. "A hybrid? A hybrid of human and demon, and more inclined towards the demon side."

She did not define Rin as a destroyer of the forest.

In fact, compared to Rin, those Insect Monsters that had recently appeared from who knows where were the real dirty things that needed to be eliminated.

And now, the target of Rin's attack was precisely the Insect Monsters, which the Dryads had defined as "bad guys."

In that case, Treyni had even less reason to stop Rin.

"Have they all retreated?"

"Ponii!"

Ogerpon appeared beside Rin, reporting the Ogre Clan's location to him.

"Hmm, thank you, Ogerpon."

"Now..."

Seeing that Ogerpon had returned, Rin began to release his control over the Explosion Magic. "Let's watch a grand fireworks display."

[Highest-Tier Explosion Magic · Explosion!]

"Whoosh!"

When Rin's hand fell, heaven and earth fell silent.

The forest, the sky, the earth, the surrounding flowers, plants, and trees all fell into a deathly stillness at this moment.

Colors were stripped away, leaving only boundless blankness and nothingness, and an unimaginable, profound depth capable of overturning everything.

"Boom~"

A colossal mushroom cloud rose in the distance, and everything within a one-kilometer radius, centered on the insect nest, was instantly vaporized.

The earth trembled as if the sky were falling, and terrifying shockwaves spread in all directions.

Whether it was the armed nation of Dwargon to the north or the Sorcery Dynasty of Sarion to the south, both soon felt the vibrations emanating from the Great Jura Forest.

For a time, high-ranking officials from various countries rushed to inform each other, and the news quickly reached the Dwarf King and the Queen of Sarion.

However, Rin at this moment was clearly unaware of the immense upheaval his attack had caused.

He was currently staring intently at the insect nest in the distance.

Those layers of insect walls had no effect at all.

Facing such an apocalyptic scene, the Insect Monsters could only be evaporated by the Explosion Magic amidst their roars.

Rin didn't know what the situation was like down there.

But after such a magical bombardment, the Insect Monsters would surely be severely wounded. Those below C-rank wouldn't even have the ability to resist, turning into ashes.

And with C-rank vitality, even if they survived the Explosion Magic, they would only have one breath left.

Only those Insect Monsters that reached B-rank, or even B-rank, could survive.

Of course, even B-rank monsters would be severely wounded, their strength reduced to less than one-tenth.

Ogerpon, standing in front of Rin and blocking the aftermath for him, her two eyes sparkled, almost writing "adoration" on her face.

"Indeed..."

Rin was also greatly shocked by the attack he had unleashed. "As expected of Konosuba's strongest Explosion Magic. It truly lives up to its reputation."

For some reason, Rin somewhat understood Megumin.

There was nothing that a single Explosion Magic couldn't solve.

If there was, then another one!

But my Explosion Magic seems very different from Megumin's.

This could even be considered another type of magic, right?

Compared to the Explosion Magic Megumin cast in the Konosuba World, the one cast by Rin was even more terrifying.

The explosion center alone reached 1.2 kilometers.

As for the affected area, it reached the size of a large city in the Cardinal World's human nations.

Undoubtedly, if this magic landed in a human nation...

The result would be no less than directly wiping a city and the tens or hundreds of thousands of people living in it off the map.

(To be continued.)