The moment my mother died, I awakened the ability of Scary Monsters. I think the reason Scary Monsters can turn even inanimate objects into dinosaurs is because deep in my heart, I couldn't accept my mother's death.
After gaining the ability, I never undid the existence of Scary Monsters again.
The entire world is under my control.
Scary Monsters provide me with any information I need.
...
One month before Diego disappeared…
The sun set. Inside a cave, Diego's group—who had just finished battling the Demon King's army—leaned against the campfire to rest, preparing to head toward Erde tomorrow.
Frieren stroked the scratches on a stone, looked thoughtfully at Diego, and slowly spoke: "Dio always leaves a ton of claw marks after every fight. Is there some meaning to it? You could hunt so precisely, but this wide-open fighting style wastes so much stamina. You didn't seem like this when we first met?"
"And you deliberately leave claw marks in inconspicuous corners even in normal times." Sui, hearing Frieren's words, also recalled some details.
"Ah, I sometimes see little dinosaurs active at night." The nocturnal creature Mabel poked her head out, scooted closer to Diego's side, and comfortably lay back down to sleep.
"Well, for a mage, that kind of fighting style is unacceptable—mana is limited after all. But I'm a warrior." Diego ruffled Frieren's hair into a bird's nest, earning her displeasure.
"Don't pat my head."
"The creatures I leave claw marks on will be dinosaurized—this much you all know. But this ability isn't limited to living things. Trees, stones, even roadside weeds can be dinosaurized."
(Cold fact: In Steel Ball Run, he could even dinosaurize the sound created by the Sandman Stand and inorganic objects.)
"And dinosaurization can spread through attacks from little dinosaurs. I want to dominate this world. The little dinosaurs can spread like a virus and occupy any corner of it.
That way, as long as the dinosaurs lurk inside hosts, I can obtain intelligence on a world-scale boundary. Delivering a fatal strike at a critical moment or manipulating them to turn traitor—both are excellent options."
"What an evil method…" Frieren flipped through her grimoire while roasting him. "How long do you plan to keep them dinosaurized?"
"…Who knows. Maybe it's just a whim. I vaguely feel I should do it."
Alicia defended Diego: "Dio is a good kid. He must have a reason for doing this."
"Alicia really is the best." Diego lay back on the stone slab, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smug smile. "But the most important reason I'm doing this is…"
"So that in the future you won't feel so lonely. If one day I can no longer appear by your side, and you need my help, little dinosaurs can rush in to kill for me anytime, anywhere.
Who knows—you might even keep little dinosaurs as pets, haha…"
I will spend my entire life proving that the path of 『Scary Beasts』 surpasses everything.
After all, I'm a short-lived species. The little dinosaurs won't disappear when my life ends. So let them stay with you in my place.
This is also one of my 『contingencies』.
That southern hero's words bothered me a little…
Let me pray once more. May everything be safe.
...
Ten years after Diego disappeared…
Northern Continent, Erde—territory of the demons, a place almost impossible for humans to set foot in.
The Demon King's castle—once destroyed in that world-shaking war—had been rebuilt. Even after the Demon King's death, the demons had not abandoned this land.
Former generals of the Demon King's army reestablished a new order here. The surviving demons rested and recovered in this place.
Demons originally had no concept of society. To them, the idea of 『collective』 was extremely vague.
The former Demon King had united the demons through fear, forming the Demon King's army to invade human lands. With the Demon King dead, these demons should have been liberated from the collective.
But ten years had passed, and the demons still had not appeared before the world.
For these ten years, the demons had been dominated by the century-long terror created by Scary Monsters. Fear gripped their throats like a collar around a dog's neck.
The mere sight of something resembling a dinosaur filled them with uncontrollable dread. The sound of anything like a dinosaur's roar left them unable to rest day or night.
Diego Brando was still hunting demons!
This notion was deeply rooted in the demons' minds.
Although some powerful demons chose to live in seclusion alone, most of the survivors stubbornly remained grouped together. Only when they could confirm Diego Brando's absolute death would they venture out.
After all, with their long lives, they could simply outlast him.
Thus, in such circumstances, no one would choose to come to Erde—a place surrounded by demons.
Even so, today the Demon King's castle welcomed an uninvited guest.
"Finally back at the Demon King's castle once more…" Sui stood on the same mountain from which she had once sniped the Demon King. She activated the long-range piercing form of the ancient magical tool. A monocle appeared before her eye as she continuously observed the newly rebuilt Demon King's castle.
"These demons rebuilt order so quickly! This is bad…"
Even before coming, Sui had mentally prepared herself. The deeper into Erde she went, the stronger and more numerous the demons she encountered.
What shocked Sui was that even at Erde's border she had encountered a former general of the Demon King's army.
After slaying him, the number of demons observed through the long-range piercing form alone was more than double what she had anticipated.
Mana detection results relentlessly warned of the danger of continuing infiltration. Enemies were everywhere nearby—even right in front of her eyes.
The sky was still under absolute demon control. Human flight magic had not yet been invented. Hiding without air superiority was extremely difficult.
Sui's gaze darted constantly, searching for the place that called to her.
The border village—no!
The Demon King's castle—no!
The cliffside—no!
Where exactly? The feeling is so strong…
Found! Sui's eyes suddenly widened. Her gaze locked unyieldingly onto the coastline behind the Demon King's castle.
Right there! The forgotten existence is right there!!!
Sui deactivated the long-range piercing form, reverting the tool to greatsword mode. She restricted the release of external mana once again—reducing it to nearly undetectable levels—before setting off toward the coastline.
Whoosh!
A figure leaped down from the cliff. Just before landing, she plunged her sword into the cliffside soil, continuously buffering the impact from the fall.
"Good. Made it safely." Sui landed successfully. Following the shoreline, she searched forward until she slowly came to a stop at a cluster of rocks. She suddenly swung backward.
Whoosh!
"You demons really are interesting—always love sneaking up from behind.
But you don't even know how to hide your mana!"
Splat!
This powerful, heavy strike severed the attacker's arm. Blood slowly flowed from the wound, revealing the demon's appearance from behind.
"…As expected of that Scary Monsters' companion. I was wondering what rat dared sneak into the Demon King's castle…"
The attacker had a single horn on its head and wore extremely peculiar clothing. A conspicuous gem shone on its chest.
With its remaining arm covering the wound, it stared gravely at Sui.
"What's your name? I don't think I've seen you before." Sui held the massive sword disproportionate to her stature, staring indifferently at this unknown demon.
Scary Monsters… isn't that just a scary fairy tale to frighten children? Have demons become so naive and foolish that they mistake fairy tales for reality?
Idiot…
"If I obediently tell you, will you let me go?"
"Even if you kneel and beg right now, I won't let you go." Behind Sui, several spatial rifts appeared. Armor flew out from them and precisely equipped itself onto her body.
Then Sui charged forward with her sword. Just as the attack was about to land, she saw the mockery on its face.
"Heh…"
Only Zart knew just how fast Sui's attack truly was.
The next second, the scene shifted. Sui appeared in the very center of the Demon King's castle, surrounded by a crowd of great demons.
"Now it's your turn to beg. Allow me to introduce myself—I am Zart of the Remnant, subordinate of Grausam the Miracle, one of the Seven Sages of Destruction." Zart extended his tongue to lick the blood on his cheek. The severed arm had already regenerated, though a new wound had appeared on his face and palm. Blood continued to drip down his cheek.
Disappeared?! No—it's spatial transfer magic!
Sui's expression darkened. She gripped her sword tightly and carefully observed her surroundings. The mana detection results were horrifying, constantly reminding her that she was in a hopeless situation.
"I remember who you are now. Weren't you the one trembling behind the Goddess Monument back then? Your courage has grown—I almost didn't recognize you…" Sui's aura still refused to yield.
Strange. This guy has such powerful magic—why didn't he dare act when Frieren returned from the future?
Was he afraid of the hero party…?
"Yo, Zart. How pathetic."
"Shut up! I'll deal with her myself!" Having his dark history exposed, Zart flew into a rage. He touched himself to activate spatial transfer magic and instantly appeared behind Sui, reaching to touch the armor on her shoulder.
Whoosh!
Sui was transferred to ten thousand meters above the Demon King's castle and began plummeting at high speed.
It was practically a guaranteed death. Yet at this moment, Sui's thoughts became clearer than ever. She recalled ways to break the deadlock and the events at the Goddess Monument years ago.
I know why he didn't dare act. He knew the Goddess Monument could send people from the future back to the past. Frieren, returning from the future, had mastered flight magic. Plus his magic required physical contact to activate. Rashly approaching the hero party would mean certain death.
(PS: Here some knowledgeable readers might ask: "Host, host, doesn't elf Sui know flight magic? How come she suddenly can't fly in your story?")
(Here we must mention the history of Frieren's magic. At this period, mages did not know flight magic—except for Serie. Human flight magic was learned from demon flight magic. For forty years after the Demon King's death, the sky remained demon territory.)
I deliberately let him activate his magic. Staying on the ground facing attacks from the remnants of the Demon King's army would leave me with zero chance of survival. In the air, there might be a way to break through.
This sword is… an ancient magical tool capable of 『accumulating power before releasing it』. Normally, it uses lightning magic accumulated in my armor as its power source.
In about twelve more seconds, I'll pass through the thundercloud cluster. If I channel the violent lightning from the clouds into it, I can successfully counteract the impact of my fall.
Moreover, below are all great demons. This terrifying attack should be enough to leave them either dead or crippled. If they lose even a portion of their already limited combat power, I'll have a chance to break through successfully.
It can work!
Sui tightened her grip on the sword hilt even further.
In the Demon King's castle…
"Thirty-some seconds until she hits the ground." Zart looked up at the sky, full of glee. He was delighted that the Elga royal princess—one of the hero party—would die by his hand.
Almost time to cancel the falling speed…
Sui pointed the blade downward and stepped onto the hilt. The ancient magical tool's terrifying stored lightning roared within.
Stay calm…
If my body gets spun by the recoil of the released magic, that's truly a dead end.
"…Zart, you fool. You made us all fall for that woman's trap." An elderly great demon spoke up at that moment. He leaped into the air and fled the Demon King's castle at high speed. "Unbelievable—she's actually landing this way… What terrifyingly precise mana control…"
?
What is this bastard talking about…
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
A massive lightning spell large enough to engulf the entire Demon King descended with a deafening roar. The breath of death rushed toward them.
In an instant, the demons on site unleashed every kind of divine technique they had.
Those who possessed escape magic had already fled the Demon King's castle. All sorts of strange barrier spells appeared above it. Some even frantically layered defensive magic on themselves, attempting to tank the attack head-on.
BOOM!!!
"Aaaaaah—Elga royal princess—!!!"
What a pity. If it had come a little closer, probably not one in ten of the surviving demons would have lived. But any closer, and no one would catch my falling body. With such powerful impact force—even in the best case I'd be critically injured and on the verge of death, becoming a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
[If only ××× were here…]
No—that's whose voice…?
But that's not my goal. As long as I can cancel the falling speed, I win.
In midair, the recoil steadily offset the descent. But then—an anomaly occurred.
After all, this bold idea was being implemented for the first time. She had never done any corresponding aerial training.
Sui's body was flung by the recoil. The violent impact robbed her of the strength to maintain balance. She tumbled through the air like a sausage in a roasting machine.
Looks like this is the end. The promise of the half-century meteor shower… sorry, I won't be able to make it.
Seriously… why did I come charging into the Demon King's castle alone over some strange whim…
So stupid…
Sui slowly closed her eyes.
[But I still believe ××× will come to save me.]
ROAR—!!!
A resounding, passionate dinosaur roar echoed through the sky, followed by the sound of enormous wings beating the air.
Something soul-shaking bloomed in the heavens the moment she opened her eyes.
A dinosaur tide. A massive dinosaur tide had arrived.
Pteranodons that blotted out the sky appeared collectively in the air as if they cost nothing, catching the falling Sui.
"What in the world is this? Dinosaurs that only existed in mythological eras in books—why are they appearing in the modern age?" Sui sat atop a Pteranodon, clutching her head in disbelief as she watched the scene before her. "That memory that just flashed through my mind was…"
[If one day I can no longer appear by your side, and you need my help…]
"Little dinosaurs will rush in to kill anytime, anywhere…"
That's my memory…
(PS: The dinosaurs here do not belong to the same system as the dragons in Frieren and Uncle from Another World.)
On the ground, the demons who had survived the massive lightning spell stared with splitting eyes at the sky now dominated by Pteranodons. They roared in madness:
"Are you kidding me!!! How can we let you escape just like that!"
The demons who still had strength left began gathering long-range attack magic, aiming at the Pteranodon tide in the sky.
ROAR!
A small Velociraptor bit off the hand channeling the magic, interrupting the mana output.
Countless Velociraptors and Tyrannosaurs awakened from the ruins of the Demon King's castle, pouncing on every demon present. More and more dinosaurs climbed onto demon bodies, tearing and biting frantically.
Every demon on site was swarmed by dinosaurs, powerlessly watching the Pteranodons carry Sui away.
The real dinosaurs had long gone extinct. All existing dinosaurs are Diego Brando!
"It's Dio—!! Damn you, Diego Brando—!!!"
Whoosh!
Several demons with remaining strength cleared the little dinosaurs from their bodies and flew out, steadily closing the distance with Sui. At Erde's border, they caught up to the escaping Sui.
"You won't get away!"
A barrage of magic screamed toward her—only to be canceled by another overwhelmingly powerful spell. The aftershock interrupted the demons' pursuit.
An elf with an indifferent expression blocked the demons' path.
"Since I promised Dio I'd take care of these four troublesome girls, I won't go back on my word." Little Serie crushed the flame in her hand and stood before the demons, speaking calmly. "Don't move, or I'll kill you. For demons, nothing is more important than life, right?"
"Who are you?!"
"I am the great mage Serie."
Those were the last words the pursuing demons ever heard.
Serie effortlessly eliminated the pursuers.
"How boring."
...
Meanwhile, in the everyday world…
In the shut-in room, Diego sat on the carpet in front of the balcony, cradling a Velociraptor in his arms. His hand continuously stroked the little dinosaur's head as he stared coldly at the distant rising sunset. The space sprite was live-streaming events at the Demon King's castle in real time.
"That's exactly why I can never undo Scary Monsters. After all, I can't rely on Serie for everything…"
"You guys are my people!"