I look down at the Sea King’s corpse, torn to pieces and sprawled across the ground after the final bloodbath.
His chest has been ripped open entirely, leaving his ribs and the things inside them laid bare.
His throat, too, has been torn away, vocal cords and all.
Even his shoulder blades are split open.
I probably look much the same.
The wounds scattered all over my body sting as rain soaks into them, and I can feel my whole body regenerating again.
There is only one sensation that pain gives me now.
The throb of life.
I survived.
I’m alive right now.
I can feel that painful sensation vividly.
I step on the dead bastard’s belly and stand up.
Only then do I finally… feel the reality of victory.
-Wobble.
“Guh…?!”
With a thud, I lose my balance and collapse on top of his corpse.
...This is bad.
I check my condition again, blood splashing over me once more.
My vision as I look down at the corpse is blurry.
My eyes keep trying to close, and my torn limbs, still regenerating, are shaking.
But.
I have no intention of giving up my food.
As if I would.
I put strength into my arms and drag my numb, barely moving body across the corpse.
Before long, I reach right in front of its head.
-Chomp!
-Crunch.
Starting with tearing its head clean off, the victory feast begins.
I put the head in my mouth and chew a few times, but it’s not fit to eat, so I just swallow it whole.
That part is a little disappointing.
I can’t really tell the taste, but it’s too tough and hard.
Still, something has gone into my stomach.
That little bit of fullness brings back a bit of vitality.
I immediately turn my gaze to the torso below the neck.
-Crack.
-Crack-crack.
The sound of bone and muscle being chewed in one bite echoes through the silent surroundings.
Sharp teeth pierce the Sea King’s tough, resilient muscle.
As my powerful jaws clamp down, the teeth gradually sink deeper.
It doesn’t come off easily.
But I start shaking the sturdy neck from side to side, tearing it little by little, and finally sever it.
I swallow the severed part without chewing.
I know that if I try to chew that steel-like muscle, all I’ll do is wreck my jaw.
Still.
Now I can enjoy the organs and the lean meat.
I cut through and tear open the skin and muscle of the abdomen and chest.
White, tender meat hidden inside is revealed.
I rip off a handful and chew it down.
“...Tasty.”
Probably.
It’s the tastiest monster I’ve eaten so far.
Not only is it salted by seawater, but while the muscle is too tough to chew, the lean meat is soft and springy.
The blood is good too; rather than fishy, it’s sweet.
If there’s one thing to regret, it’s the quantity.
After a few bites, the lean meat is all gone.
I start chewing on the organs right away, but they’re tougher than I expected.
Still, compared to the muscle, they’re edible.
And they don’t taste bad either.
I devour the organs greedily and start swallowing the big chunks that won’t chew properly.
Five minutes pass like that.
-Guuuuulp!
“...Haa... fuuuu...”
Swallowing the last chunk, the meal comes to an end.
Only then does a satisfying fullness make my whole body go limp.
“...Then, shoul...d I g...o...”
[Rank-up condition achieved (Hunt and consume 2 demon-level monsters)]
...What?
So it’s been achieved?
It doesn’t matter right now, anyway.
I can just go into some mountain later and do it there.
I don’t care anymore.
I’m tired.
I can’t think of anything…
“Heh, what’s this? Aren’t the so-called heroes a little too weak?”
...
......
.........Huh?
“S-Class or A-Class, they sound impressive, but aren’t they nothing special? They all rushed in and still couldn’t beat a single monster.”
........
...What did that bastard just say?
“Let’s say the monster was strong, and let’s say the heroes lost. Then what is that monster that handled it? Wouldn’t it be better if that strong one became a hero instead?”
“Hey, stop it. They still fought with their lives on the line.”
“Who can’t fight with their life on the line? If you can’t even beat a monster, can you really call yourself a hero? Besides, it looks like there were a ton of serious injuries. Makes you wonder if we can keep trusting people like that in the future.”
“You...”
“Weak, useless heroes who are basically no different from ordinary people are just a nuisance. They should quit already.”
“Really? Why?”
“Because if you’re going to call yourself a hero, then you should save people properly. Stalling and buying time is something anyone else can do, right? If I think about everyone’s donations going to those useless heroes... Hic?! When did you get behi—!”
The guy who had been picking his nose and spouting that ridiculous nonsense until just now falls on his ass.
Trash.
After being protected by heroes who threw themselves into the fight and kept resisting until they fell, and he says what?
...So this is rage too.
I don’t know exactly what heroes are supposed to do.
But I do know that they fight monsters and save people.
Even I, a monster, know that they’re devoted.
The three heroes I fought last time never backed down and kept fighting until the very end.
That resolve shouldn’t be dismissed.
I remember the fear carved into the face of the hero I ate.
They’re people too.
They know fear. They feel pain.
And yet they still became that wreck, trying to protect you...!
-Grab!
“K-kyaaaah! H-hey! Somebody help me! Hero! Herooo! Get up, damn it!!!”
What a crybaby.
I’ve only lightly stepped on his stomach with my foot.
Compared to the pain the hero who fell for trash like him must have felt, this isn’t even a scratch.
...Ah, really.
The more I think about it, the colder my mind gets.
“...You know, I’m going to kill everyone here starting now. The elderly, children, women... I won’t discriminate against anyone. I’ll be fair.”
“H-hiiiiii...!”
“Here.”
I force him up and shove him back, putting distance between us.
“Other heroes will probably come soon for backup, right? But too bad. I think I’ll wipe you all out faster than that.”
-Slash!
When I swing my claws, the ground I didn’t even touch splits open.
I’m weak.
But even I can do this much.
With just a few swings of these claws, turning dozens of humans into chunks of meat is easy enough.
What do you think?
“Now then, what should I do? Oh, right. You need time, don’t you? Time to hold out until a hero who can beat me gets here! Time to buy some time!”
“S-stop... stop it... I’m just an ordinary person...? There’s no way I can hold out!”
“Hm? What nonsense are you talking about?”
As you said, what did those “weak heroes who are basically no different from ordinary people” do?
Wouldn’t they have held out anyway, even while clinging to my leg and pulling my tail?
Even as they were reduced to a bloody mess?
-Thwack!
“Gyaaaah?!?”
One punch shatters the bastard’s face.
...Though if you can even call it a punch, it was more like a light tap, and the only thing really shattered was his nose.
And he’s screaming like that over this?
“Get up. If you don’t get up, your arm and one human life are going to fly off right now.”
“H-hiiiiii...!”
I glance at the humans beside me.
A few faces look satisfied, but most are anxious.
Good.
“See? So many people are scared... shouldn’t you at least try to hold out?”
“P-please, stop! Stop it!! I’m just an ordinary person! At this rate I’ll die!!!”
“Hee? Then you should be willing to stake your life, of course.”
“N-nooooo!!! I don’t want to die! Help me! Somebody help meeee!!!”
How unfortunate.
But what can I do?
Like you said.
“Anyone can stake their life.”
So of course you should get up, right?
If you don’t.
I might really half-kill you.
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