It was a colossal Diablos, almost impossibly large.
Its carapace was a slightly grayish dark red, like iron-rich desert sandstone. Although one of the horns on its head had broken off, the remaining horn was far thicker and longer than an ordinary Diablos's, resembling an enormous dark-red spear.
"Diablon, the 'Demon King'..." Altaïr murmured to himself.
He was certain that if the Guild staff responsible for assigning Monster Danger Ratings came here and witnessed the "Demon King" in person, they would never rate it at only 6★.
Unless this creature was all show and no substance, a 6★ Hunter facing it alone would have no choice but to retreat however they could.
So, was the "Demon King" all show?
The sizeable Diablos it had just sent flying provided the answer. That Monster had defeated one of its own kind head-on moments earlier, yet after being struck by the "Demon King," it struggled for a long time without managing to stand.
This creature's Danger Rating could easily reach 7★!
The others had reached much the same conclusion as Altaïr.
Serl, who had just reached the top of the dune, could not keep an accusatory edge from his voice. "How could the Guild assign a Monster like that a 6★ rating so casually?"
Alva lay nearby, sketching on a drawing board at astonishing speed. At Serl's question, his hand paused for an instant.
Helplessness colored his reply. "There are no records of the 'Demon King' attacking human settlements. After all, few people live in this western part of the Desert, so the Danger Ratings of Monsters like this are lowered to account for the limited threat they pose. Moreover, Sid is a 5★ Hunter who challenged the 'Demon King' several times and always escaped unharmed. That is probably why the Guild settled on a Danger Rating of 6★."
Serl said nothing more.
Judging by Mr. Alva's explanation, the Guild's reasoning had not been entirely unfounded.
The despondent Blademaster whom Lady Lania and Altaïr had apprehended and brought back was likely no weaker than any of them. In the distance, the "Demon King" advanced with heavy strides, its dark-red carapace looming over the Diablos that had clumsily regained its feet.
The Diablos was itself a formidable member of its species. Rather than turn tail and flee, it panted heavily and leveled both horns at the approaching "Demon King."
From its perspective, the blow that had sent it flying had been nothing more than a sneak attack.
Only a head-on clash could determine which of them was stronger.
The dark-red and grayish-yellow Diablos faced each other. As if by agreement, both lowered their centers of gravity and pawed at the sand with their hind claws.
In the next instant, both roared and charged.
"Guaooooo...!!"
"Roar!"
There was no need to watch any further. Everyone observing from their hiding place behind the dune knew the battle's outcome was already decided.
The difference in size was simply too great.
If the smaller Diablos had circled around for a sudden charge from the side or burrowed into the sand to ambush the "Demon King" from below, it might have caused its opponent some trouble.
But in a head-on collision...
They were not remotely in the same weight class. In both size and power, the Diablos was like a child before the "Demon King," and it was flipped onto its back in an instant.
The single dark-red horn drove deep into its chest. As the "Demon King" raised its head, the unfortunate Diablos was hurled through the air once more.
That one straightforward charge made the gulf between them painfully clear to the Diablos.
Ignoring the blood pouring from the wound in its chest, it wailed, turned, and fled.
The "Demon King" had no intention of pursuing its defeated foe. It did not even unleash the triumphant roar another Diablos might have. Instead, it strode across the sand with its head held high, every movement radiating arrogance.
It was as though it had not just defeated a massive Diablos, but merely kicked an irritating pebble out of its path.
"Is that thing really the same species as an ordinary Diablos?" Isis clicked her tongue softly. "They may only differ by several meters in length, but that has to be close to double the weight, right?"
Altaïr nodded slightly. "More or less. Think of it as the difference in size between you and Francesca."
"?"
Isis and Francesca stared at him, question marks written all over their faces.
What was that supposed to mean??
Before either of them could demand an explanation, Alva remarked casually without looking up from his sketch, "The difference isn't that small. According to the scale on the telescope, the 'Demon King' is between thirty and thirty-one meters long, while the Diablos we just saw measured only a little over twenty-three meters, a difference of roughly thirty percent."
"Isis is 195 centimeters tall, and Francesca is 160 centimeters tall. The difference between your heights is...
"Twenty-one point nine percent."
"At that ratio, if Isis were the 'Demon King,' Francesca would still be large enough to qualify as a Gold Crown Diablos. As for the one we just saw...
"Hmm. Kitty is a closer match in terms of build."
"What we just saw would be like Isis headbutting Kitty and sending her flying."
"???"
At that point, Alva's hand stopped. He looked up at the Hunters, his expression grave and earnest. "Ignoring any difference in skill, the gap in strength between the 'Demon King' and an ordinary Diablos is probably about the same as the gap between Isis and Kitty. You must be careful."
Faced with Alva's well-intentioned warning, even the mild-mannered Isis could not help grinding her teeth, while Francesca's expression grew positively stormy.
I'm filing this one away for later.
"Ahem, well..." To keep Mr. Alva from continuing his well-intentioned nonsense, Serl cleared his throat. "We've located the target. The quest can now enter its second phase, observation and research."
"Does Mr. Alva have a concrete plan?"
"Ah, yes." Alva swiftly added the finishing touches to his drawing.
The majestic, powerful "One-Horned Demon King" sprang to life on the paper.
"You needn't concern yourselves with observing the 'Demon King.' I'll handle that personally aboard the observation Airship."
"Diablos are Flying Wyverns and possess wings, but they have almost entirely lost the ability to fly. Aerial observation should be quite safe."
"As for the rest of you... I hope you can help us lure over more Diablos. Male or female, either will do. We want to observe and record how the 'Demon King' fights others of its kind and whether it will mate with a female.
"Of course, this falls outside the scope of the original quest. The Royal Academy can offer additional compensation."
The Hunters exchanged glances, then agreed one after another.
"Hold on, I have a question." Altaïr raised his hand. "You stressed earlier that this was supposed to be natural breeding. If we deliberately lure a female Diablos in heat right in front of the 'Demon King,' can we still call it 'natural breeding'?"
Every eye turned toward Alva.
Embarrassment flickered across his face. He had clearly noticed the problem and had deliberately tried to slip it past them.
Seizing the opportunity, Francesca immediately let out an ominous chuckle. "Mr. Alva, please explain yourself clearly.
"You wouldn't want Lady Lania and the Guild to find out that you were secretly planning a breeding experiment, would you?"
Alva's expression stiffened. Under the hostile gazes fixed upon him, he had no choice but to surrender. "All right, all right. Forget the female Diablos. Luring over males alone will be fine. Surely that is acceptable?
"This also benefits you. If you keep finding this beast new opponents and give it little time to rest, repeated duels are bound to leave it tired and injured. That will make your subsequent Hunt easier, won't it?"
"That's true." Altaïr considered the point, then nodded in agreement.
And so, the group reached a consensus on their plan of action.
Yet no one noticed the sly smile that flashed behind Alva's glinting lenses.
The Hunters... were still too young. This desert was a Diablos breeding ground. When a male was thoroughly beaten by a rival, it forfeited its mating rights and left the area of its own accord.
In that case, wouldn't only female Diablos remain nearby?
The breeding observation experiment... would succeed!
* * *
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