Chapter 14: Monkey Mask vs. Mandrill Baboon—The Ultimate Ape Showdown!!

The monster was undoubtedly overjoyed.

It reveled in the bliss of having rediscovered its lost prey, intoxicated by the thought of offering them up in a bloodbath.

It no longer needed to think about anything complicated.

Just as always, just as before—all it had to do was trample them into the earth.

"...Gotcha."

The monster leaped on the spot.

Right above the hole where we, its prey, were hiding, it clenched its fists together and jumped in sheer delight.

"Everyone, get away from here noooow!!"

The moment my half-screamed warning rang out, the underground passage Sakura had prepared collapsed—swallowed up by the cracking earth.

"...Hah, hah, hah..."

There was no time to protect the others.

I kicked through the ceiling of the passage and used the momentum to burst onto the surface.

"No way… Seriously?!"

What the hell was that thing? It was hurling attacks with the force of high-level magic like it was nothing more than a warning shot.

No good. I had to get out—fast. If this kept up, I’d really die.

That’s right—I needed to flee home. Warn my parents about the demon threat, gather a proper fighting force, and prepare for battle.

Demons weren’t something I could handle alone. I was just a powerless, overconfident, muscle-headed girl who thought too highly of herself.

I was terrified. Sick to my stomach. It felt like everything I held dear had been torn away.

"Grrroooaaah!!"

The monster’s eyes locked onto mine.

The gap in strength was crushing. A brutal reminder of the tragic hierarchy—predator and prey.

I had to run. Throw everything away. Abandon pride. Just escape—

"Wait!"

Someone’s voice called out to stop me.

Shut up. Like I’d wait.

Nothing in this world mattered more than my life. I knew people would cry if I died.

My little sister, who I somehow still got along with. My doting parents. My magic instructor. The maids I drank tea with at the mansion.

I couldn’t die—not for myself, not for anyone. No matter how pathetic I looked, I had to survive.

Hyperventilating, I scrambled away on all fours, turning my back to the monster—

"Your opponent is me—Sakura von Tendo!!"

At those words, I froze. Dumbfounded, I turned around.

And there she stood.

Behind me—a sniveling wreck crawling away in tears—stood a lone girl, arms crossed, staring the monster down.

"I have no intention of dragging civilians into this any further. You should run, Monkey Man."

What kind of madness was this?

A girl in her mid-teens, with no real offensive power, stood before a monster dozens of times her size—smirking like she had nothing to fear.

"I’ll settle the score with that thing myself."

Ah… how could this be?

That back—Sakura’s back—

Her clothes were torn, her battered body exposed, yet she stood tall, eyes blazing—

It was the back of the man I had always wanted to be.

"She’s just an ordinary young lady trying to stay true to her role as the head of a gang."

The Master’s words echoed in my head.

Right. Sakura wasn’t born a gangster.

"When she was little, she learned what our business was, turned pale—but she accepted it anyway."

She had come to terms with it, in her own way.

"Lady Sakura is too earnest—she insists on treating even thugs like us with honor."

And even now, she stood there—unshaken, without cursing the legacy she’d inherited.

Though her expression brimmed with confidence, her legs trembled faintly. Her lips, curled into a mocking smile, were bloodless and pale.

————An ordinary young lady, standing there with regal, unyielding resolve, stifling her fear.

……Why was this?

Just seeing her like that… made the trembling in my body fade away.

"So you survived, my lady."

"I’m an earth mage, you know. Did you really think a little burial would stop me?"

"Right. I’m awake now. Let me help."

What had changed in me? Just a moment ago, I was paralyzed with terror—but Sakura rebuilt my resolve in an instant.

Her presence alone calmed my fear.

"If you’re going to settle this, you’ll need a frontliner. Especially since you’re a mage."

That Master of hers must’ve had no eye for people.

Or maybe she was just too close to see it clearly.

"I’ll stick around a little longer. Leave the frontline to me."

"...Thank you. That’s reassuring."

This girl—Sakura von Tendo—was just an ordinary young lady?

This half-naked girl was unfit to be a gangster?

"Rest easy, Monkey Mask. Your back is safe with Sakura von Tendo."

"Much obliged."

This wasn’t a joke—what was this sense of security? This overwhelming trust, just from having her fight beside me?

She had the charisma to rouse others, to stir up their fighting spirit.

The pride to stand tall, unbroken by fear, facing a monster head-on.

The presence that made others willing to throw their lives on the line for her.

"Lady Sakura… You’re a real man."
"...Huh?"

Ridiculous. This girl wasn’t some pitiful "ordinary young lady" forced into a gangster life.

She was a natural-born leader—a king, radiating the aura to unite thugs and rule the streets.

"Excuse me!? I’m a girl, you know!?"

"No need to be modest. I’ve fallen for the heart hidden beneath that flat chest. I acknowledge you as a man."

"Was that an insult about my lack of breasts!? Once we’re done with that monster, I’m settling things with you, Monkey Mask!"

And so—with a reliable backline secured—

Unlike my earlier tag-team with the Master, I charged forward as the frontline against the demon.

"Get ready, my lady. I’ll create an opening—finish it off."

"Fine, but you will take back that insult! I do have more chest than a boy, you know!"

Hmm? Why was Sakura so worked up all of a sudden?

---

"The blessing of the great spirits dwells within this body—"

I kicked off the ground, lowering my stance as I charged straight at the monster.

Remember what Lev taught you—those close-combat techniques. What was it she said again?

"Irine… You’re not good at evasive movements."

Right. I’d been completely overwhelmed by Lev’s unpredictable footwork, barely able to dodge.

"I think it comes down to your instincts. When attacked, you don’t think, ‘I’m scared, so I’ll avoid it.’ You think, ‘I’m scared, so I’ll take them down first.’"

That’s why she taught me counters—how to block attacks while enduring damage and immediately strike back.

"O spirits of ancient warriors, grant thy boon to this flesh—"

A single grazing hit from this behemoth would be the end of me. But there’s no way I could dance around it like Lev with her graceful footwork.

So the solution was simple.

"—Muscle Boost!!!"

The moment I finished the incantation, power surged through my entire body.

Muscles flexed, warm magic coiled around me, and my legs felt light as if wings had sprouted.

"Monkey Mask, I’m going to make a small pitfall in front of that sharp rock. Once I finish chanting, I’ll signal you—keep that monster distracted until then."

"Got it, my lady!"

"And don’t get hit! I can’t just switch spells mid-chant, and my healing might not make it in time!"

Earlier, she’d said she couldn’t create a pit large enough to fully trap it.

But that meant she could make one just big enough to trip it up.

"Monkey, forward!"
"Yeah, I know!"

The demon was already closing in, baring its fangs as it swung razor-sharp claws straight at me.

I could dodge sideways like before, but if I created too much distance, it might switch targets to Sakura.

So as the vanguard, my only option was—

"Gah—!!"
"Monkey!?"

—Not dodging. Instead, leaping straight for its face!

"Take this, you overgrown freak!"
"GRRAAAGH!!"

The demon’s claws missed, but its thick, fur-covered forearm grazed my stomach, shredding flesh like a grater.

But in exchange for that wound—I’d reached its face.

Twisting midair, I coiled my entire body’s momentum into my right leg and launched a straight kick at its protruding cheekbone.

"Who the hell do you think you’re messing with, you giant bastard?!!"

────The blow made the monster’s head jerk back, just slightly.

---

"Earth Spider’s Snare: Earthspider Web."

Finally, Lady Sakura finished setting the trap.

In front of the jagged remains of the hideout’s pillars, she’d dug a hole just deep enough to catch the monster’s leg.

"This thing’s ridiculous. I said buy time, not brawl with it!"

The monkey had done his job perfectly, keeping the enemy’s attention.

Now, all that was left was calculating the angle—which way to lure it so it would stumble right into the trap.

If we catch its right leg, its own weight will send it crashing forward to the right. So we need to guide it slightly left…

"This should do it."

To make it easier for the monkey, she drew a large arrow on the ground. If he lured the monster along that path, its face would be impaled on the sharpened debris.

No matter how tough that thing was, skewering its skull with several tons of its own weight would finish it.

"It’s ready! Monkey Mask, lead it along the arrow!"
"Hell yeah! You’re quick on the draw, my lady!"

The response came from the suspicious man who had just avoided the monster’s bite with a leap straight upward, then landed a heel drop in a midair somersault.

She’d been so focused on the monstrous demon in front of her that she’d grown numb to the absurdity of it all—but that monkey mask was just as bizarre. He was jumping several meters under his own power and trading blows head-on with a monster dozens of times his size.

She’d hired him on a whim, but for the pittance she paid, he was an absolute steal.

“I’m pulling back for now. The rest is up to you.”

“Leave it to meee!”

She couldn’t afford to stay close and get caught in the crossfire. Trusting in Monkey Mask’s inexplicable combat power, Sakura withdrew to a hidden pit nearby that she’d prepared herself.

She’d also placed the gravely injured Master and the passed-out Karl in that pit earlier. She needed to check on Master’s condition too.

And so, the outcome of that battle was left in the hands of Monkey Mask—Irine.

---

The arrow Sakura had drawn on the ground stood out clearly in my vision.

"Alright, let’s try to fly in that direction as naturally as possible."

I was already battered and bruised.

No matter how many full-powered blows I’d landed on that bastard’s face, the damn monster barely flinched.

Sure, it grimaced for a second—but that was it. Honestly, it probably felt like a flick to the forehead for him.

"Ooovoooh, uVOOOOH!!"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it."

Even if my attacks weren’t doing real damage, the monster’s rage was clearly building.

Being pestered by some lowly creature, constantly jabbed by these pesky little strikes—no wonder it was pissed.

"Now comes the real deal. This time, I’m killing you for good."

I believed—in Sakura’s perfectly laid trap, in the monster’s stupidity, and in my own abilities.

No self-pity. Yeah, I was weak. But being weak didn’t mean I couldn’t win.

I thought back to Lev-chan, the one who made me admit defeat. Scrawny as hell, total muscle runt—and still stronger than me.

Which meant being outclassed physically didn’t mean I had to lose.

"Hey, you damn ape! Your face looks like a baboon’s ass!"

Hurling whatever insults came to mind, I sprinted across the path Sakura had marked. The demon lunged after me, claws slicing through the air.

Good. He took the bait.

"Now, jump with all your might on the fifth step! Step on the pitfall and it’s over!"

"Got it!"

All I had to do was follow the young lady’s instructions.

With the monster’s breath at my back, I planted my fifth step and kicked off the ground with everything I had, launching into the air.

"UOO, VOO, VOOOH!!"

The monster reared back, trying to swat me from the sky with a wild swing of its claws.

No worries—it couldn’t reach me from here.

Go on, swing down. Bring that arm crashing into the earth.

Right—

"Got you!"

—where her trap was waiting.

"Voh?"

The monster let out a dumbfounded grunt.

Its right leg sank into the ground, slipped—then twisted as it lost balance.

And where it crashed—

A jagged, broken iron support beam, sharpened like a blade.

"Die—"

Squelch. Blood sprayed across the dirt.

The iron pillar skewered its flesh like a kebab.

"...OOOOOH, VOOOOOOOOOH!!"

But it wasn’t dead.

Even in free fall, the demon had instinctively thrown its left arm over its face, shielding itself from a fatal blow.

"Tch. Failed—"

"No, it’s enough, Lady Sakura."

The monster thrashed in agony, clawing at the pillar embedded in its arm.

I wasn’t about to let this chance go to waste.

"—Spirit of Flame, Divine Windblast Inferno."

This time—point-blank.

Not the body. The face. I began chanting an advanced spell.

Time to deliver humanity’s strongest firepower straight to this monster’s skull.

"...Huh? Wait, that’s—an advanced spell?!"

"—Crimson Spiral Surge, Bursting Earthrend, Great Seal of Annihilation."

Sakura, being a mage herself, recognized it instantly. Well, it was famous.

Mastering Spirit Cannon alone could earn you a top military post. For offensive mages, it was the golden badge of honor.

It also happened to be the signature technique of House Vermund—a top-tier military family.

...Yeah, my cover’s probably blown.

"—Come forth, dust. Scatter, blazing rock."

But none of that mattered. This blow—without a doubt—

Mid-chant, my eyes met the monster’s.

The demon, its face flushed with rage, tore free from the iron pillar, bloody tears streaming as it bared its fangs—growling right in front of me.

...Ah. It’s already broken loose.

"Converge, o black steel of discipline—"
"VOOO—"

Damn it. Not fast enough.

No matter how quickly I chant, I won’t finish the spell before its claws reach me.

────

A black shockwave hits, and for an instant, my hearing vanishes.

Searing pain erupts through my body.

...Yeah, that’s fatal.

Too focused on controlling my magic to dodge, I took the monster’s strike cleanly.

...My heartbeat is deafening.

The taste of dirt mixes with blood, soaking into my tongue.

"M-Monkey Mask?!"

The young lady’s scream echoes in the distance.

My legs won’t move. My core is useless. Only my arms twitch weakly.

Ah… I’m bleeding out. My vision’s fading.

"Gaaaah…"

Seeing me on the verge of death, the monster snorts through its nose, finally satisfied.

...Looks like it thinks it’s won. Too bad I’m not giving up yet.

Agony, fading consciousness, suffocation, encroaching darkness—even in this shit state, I’m still holding the half-chanted Spirit Cannon spell.

Come closer. Bring that ugly face right to me.

Let me give you a taste of my ultimate magic.

────Assuming I live that long.

"..."

Breathing is torture. I haven’t drawn air in forever.

My arm’s numb. When I glance down, my right side is just… gone.

I try to inhale, but all I hear is a whistling leak. My chest is gouged open—lungs probably shredded.

The monster approaches. Finally grinning, it grabs my body.

────And lifts me toward its jaws.

This is my chance. Now’s the time to fire Spirit Cannon, my ultimate spell, right down its throat.

"...Ah."

Huh? No sound comes out. Why? What’s wrong?

I should be able to cast now. In fact, if I don’t, it’s over.

Why… can’t I speak────?

────Oh. Right.

I can’t breathe anymore.

"Run, Monkey Mask—"
"..."

I strain to force out words, but air just bubbles from my ruined lungs.

The moment my respiratory system failed, Spirit Cannon was as good as sealed.

One more verse. Just one more word, and I could’ve blown this bastard’s face off.

...Goddamn it.

"Uvaaaah—"

With no strength left to resist, I’m tossed into the monster’s maw.

Its teeth, stained with human flesh and blood, will soon shred me to pieces.

What a fucking ending.

"...Ah."

Well, if I’m getting chewed up anyway…

Might as well go all out.

────Agony.

"...Eh… re…"

The grotesque sensation of my own organs being jostled triggers my gag reflex.

The pain of deliberately widening my wounds brings tears to my parched eyes.

"Eh-reh-men… tahl…"

I move my intact left hand.

Shoving it recklessly into the gaping hole in my right chest.

Slimy blood clings to my fingers as I touch my own warm, pulsing viscera for the first time—

Finding the leak in my lung, I clench it shut to seal the breach.

────And in exchange for mind-shattering pain, I regain my voice.

Inside the monster’s maw, atop its tongue.

Aim at the vulnerable throat, where no scales or hide protect it.

"‘Spirit Cannon Elemental Blast’… ah…!!"

I force the last wisp of air from my ruined lungs, shaping it into words.

────

What happens next is simple.

A light hotter than the sun obliterates the monster’s head.

On this day, for the first time—

Humanity defeats a demon.