We finally found the place where the cliff breaks in between.

When I made Eve and the others wait earlier, me and Slei went back and checked out where it could lead a bit further from that.

[It seems that it’s good to go.]

I informed them so after I returned back.

It looks like there wouldn’t be any problems.

Perhaps, we could avoid making a large detour through this path.

I was also able to avoid a large deviation from my plans.

The whole area looks like a swamp.

However, it still wasn’t muddy enough that our feet would be stuck in the mud.

There were small puddles scattered around the place.

Those puddles were clouded in mud.

Surrounding us were the dense trees that haven’t changed even when we entered this area.?

Speaking of change, most of the trees in this place were conifers huh.

I looked up towards the sky.

The sky was being covered by thick clouds.

The air is also beginning to become more humid.

Seras and Eve mentioned it a while ago, but it looks like it’ll rain.

[We’ve finally arrived here huh.]

Seras said.

“Umu.” Eve nodded.

She then turned her head towards Liz.

[You also did your best, Liz. As for Touka and Seras… How could I thank you? We wouldn’t have been able to reach until this place if it were just Liz and I.]

[Big Sister.]

[Hmm?]

[What about Pi-chan and Suu-chan?]

Liz told Eve to reflect.

[Mhmm, you’re right. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Pigimaru and Slei… We’re saved that both of you were going along our journey.]

Eve faithfully nodded.

[Well, we also needed Eve’s map after all. Didn’t I say it before? We didn’t help you with just good intentions in our minds.]

A chuckle spilled out as Seras smiled.

[“That’s why, don’t worry about it.” or so, he’s trying to say— You’re really kind, Touka-dono.]

[Well, yeah.]

“Mouu…” Seras eyebrows furrowed as she wryly smiled.

I wouldn’t be particularly bashful now even if she called me kind.

It’s indeed the truth that it wasn’t just good intentions.

Seras who could tell if someone lies could understand if someone’s just being humble.

That’s the reason for her wry smile.

Conversing with Seras Ashrain who had the ability to detect lies.

This is a little conversation training.

Eve then looked in a distance.

Yearning.

I could feel that from what I see.

[Even a small house is fine… I would live quietly in that peaceful land together with Liz, where we wouldn’t be connected with fighting again… The moment that I thought I could reach that after my days as a Blood Champion is about to end, only for that dream to suddenly disappear… However, I’ve finally found hope for this dream again. At last… My wish may come true.]

Eve’s expression softened.

Now, her leopard eyes were tenderly looking at Liz.

[The two of us had been talking about it, that when everything was done, we would then try raising some crops… That wish of ours may not be so distant anymore, Liz.]

[Unn… You’re right, Big Sister.]

Liz was a little moved.

There were some tears on the corners of her eyes.

[———————Eve.]

Seras unconsciously called out to her.

Above Eve.

It was so sudden that it appeared.

You could even say that it suddenly appeared out of our recognition.

It appeared.

Neither sound nor presence.

Without any of those, it suddenly appeared.

It was floating in the air.

That thing has a strange shape.

If I were to express it, it’s a creature that looks like a human’s face from everything below its nose.

It’s a monster that just consists of a lower jaw and its mouth.

Two of its front teeth were slightly longer than the others and they had a golden color.

Those are— its eyes huh.

Its size is about two meter wide.

Those golden front teeth were swaying about like tentacles.

Looking at it, Liz turned pale.

[Big Sist—–]

[————]

What is that?

That monster…

[Kuh….!]

The dumbfounded Seras regained her consciousness and brought her hands towards her sword.

However— Even faster than her, with movements as fluid as flowing water, Eve unsheathed her sword.

With the momentum of unsheathing her sword, she brandished her sword like she’s drawing an arc over her head.

Her actions kind of resemble that iai I’ve seen somewhere.

With a beautiful speed, she slashed at the monster’s body.

(T/N: Iai – A sword art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to a sudden attack.)

[!]

That’s when I noticed…

[Eve, wai—-]

Slaaaassshhh!

[Gyoooeeeehhh!]

Raising out a hoarse shriek, blood spouted out of the monster.

The monster then fell and crashed on the ground.

Blue blood began spreading near Eve’s feet.

Swinging her sword, Eve looks confused.

[W… What’s the matter, Touka? It seemed to me like you tried stopping me from attack earlier—]

[——– ,….. Do you think it’s still breathing?]

[No, it seems that it’s about to die. It’s just twitching about now.]

[……Let’s step away from that for the time being.]

[U- Understood.]

[……………….]

Eve’s decision earlier isn’t wrong.

It suddenly approached us before we even knew it.

There’s also the fact that it’s really close to us.

If we’re thinking about our safety, that’s definitely the best course of action.

However…

I looked towards the monster’s corpse lying there facing up (?) in the air.

[That thing, it feels like…]

It felt like it’s one of “those” who doesn’t have any obsession with living.

However, I could certainly feel its aggressiveness.

Yes, it’s as if—-

It’s as if this thing is inviting us to kill it.

Twitch—

The monster moved— I could see it.

In the next moment, the monster began emitting light.

[SHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII————–]

I immediately called out.

[Everyone, get away from here!]

[Igggiiiiiieeeeeeehhhiiiiinnnnneeeeerrrorororororororoiiiiiihhiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeehhhhhhh——–!]

Its shrill, loud voice feels like it would pierce my ears.

Covering both of my ears, I tried blocking away its sharp, loud voice.

—-Don’t tell me, this guy…

Something suddenly crossed in my mind.

It was that man who had bandages all over his body who was together with the Five Dragon Warriors.

That rune magic that activates after death.

The rune magic that notifies Civit about the existence of a formidable enemy.

I had a bad premonition.

I think my thoughts were spot on.

No, should I rather call it intuition rather than premonition?

The voice stopped.

The light also subsided.

Eve then removed her hand from her ears.

[W- What in the world was that just now…]

[It looks like it already used up all of its strengths but… is it this guy’s final cry of agony?]

[However, it still have that loudness—]

The first one to notice “that” is the one with sharpest ears, Eve Speed.

[——-That is…]

———–stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp—————

They’re approaching…

From all directions…

They’re coming towards here.

Sitting on my knees and closing my eyes, I concentrated on the presences around me.

I propped up my fingertip on the ground.

Multiple ear-piercing roars repeatedly rang out one after another.

Continuous tremors shook the ground from a long distance.

Just like savages appearing with torture tools in hand.

Just like ink painting murky, black evil intent from all directions.

Sadistic feelings as muddy as coal tar.

[……I see.]

“Tsk.” I clicked my tongue.

They’re mixed along with them as well.

[Bunches of Human-Faced.]

I think I could already feel some thirst in my mouth.

Gulping down the saliva in my mouth, I took the composure off my body.

I certainly did subjugate a Human-Faced in the Demon Zone just the other day—-

[This is—-]

———————————————-just way too much.

Although it took some time when the next publication was released, thanks to that, two volumes of “I Became the Strongest With The Failure Frame【Abnormal State Skill】As I Devastated Everything” will be released on 12/25 (Tue). Even so, there may be some places where the stores were already being lined up in….

It was a very difficult task, but we checked it all out and made some minor revisions, corrections, and modifications in the novel. Also, we have additional scenes. Would the main additions be the two scenes for Seras, one scene for Civit, or Touka’s monologue in the prologue?

I was also very impressed with KWKM-sama’s frontpiece illustration, that also includes his other illustrations, and they were able to exceed all of the expectations that I have…. Anyway, I can only say that these illustrations are wonderful.

In addition to the wonderful illustration of Seras wiping her body in the room in an inn in the extra scene and lying on her bed in thin clothes, Seras’s illustrations in the other scenes are also really high quality. Sometimes I feel like I want to grab the paperback book and flip through the pages again (in which, I actually did). I feel now that the intention of including additional scenes and “making this book centered around Seras” has been reflected well.

However… Putting aside Seras being more wonderful than I imagined, Civit having a strong sense of strength, most of all … Touka is really cool. I’m glad that male characters also make this work attractive. In fact, I also designed Nyantan … but the illustration has become that scene of the goddess doing that (I might be a bit too radical though). In his work, they beautifully featured the reproduction of the appearance and clothing that were mentioned in the work like “Cat-like” and “Highly Exposed”. In addition to these works, I received illustrations that would make the work more appealing, such as illustrations by the incredibly powerful goddess (on the contrary though, it looked quite cool), and illustrations that introduced characters using Takao’s sister bathhouse scenes. There is an illustration that shows the image in my head as it is, and I really cannot thank KWKM-sama enough.

And I didn’t know how to put the image up to now, but this time it’s a beautiful cover illustration, so I’ll put it on for a show … (Sweat)

The Web version emphasizes the basic tempo and focuses on spotlighting the Touka’s story, but the book version may become more intense, such as the story of Touka & Seras.

…This was a long (too long) book. (It also affects the reading style of the book, so I’m going to erase it later or shorten it.) Readers of the Web may think that the book version should be like a collector’s item. I would like to recommend this for those who say, “I’d like to have something with KWKM-sama’s illustrations and additional scenes!”

In any case, thanks to all of you, I was able to publish these books and the continuation of this book. As usual, I would like to thank you for taking this opportunity. I hope that I will be able to greet all of you again around the end of the year, including my thanks by the end of the holidays.