Mushoku Tensei: Reincarnated as a Beast Race

The Second Vanguard Division of the Iron Legion was rack­ing up victory after victory, chiefly for one reason in particular: Ghislaine Adoldia, the Black Wolf.

The armies of the Legion had gathered on a massive scale to advance through Milis, laying waste to everything in their path. They were split into four main Divisions, with Rygar operating as a one-man Division in his own right.

As he relentlessly pressed along his route, the other four coalitions also marched at a rapid pace.

Milis, apparently, had not expected such a massive retaliation from the Iron Legion. Perhaps the high command suspected something, but most of the troops were caught unprepared.

Numerous crusaders, who had once pressed upon the Great Forest with confidence, were taken by surprise by the four massive armies in march. The sacred land felt the weight of the Legion's fury.

Along the path of the Second Vanguard Division in particular, victories piled up by the dozens. Milisian troops were defeated one by one, crushed before any commander could muster a decent force to halt the unstoppable advance.

When at last a sizable force was gathered—enough, supposedly, to block the route and delay the advance until reinforcements could arrive…the result was the same.

A single woman shattered their hopes.

Every soldier in that column learned to fear her in the worst possible way. Ghislaine Adoldia.

Her eyes—one a vivid green Demon Eye, the other a pale red—reflected both her coldness and her savagery.

Clad in gleaming dark-gray steel plate and wielding Hiramume, her blade as red as fresh blood, she seemed more an army than an individual warrior.

She cut through enemy lines like the tip of an indomitable arrow, with absolute force and speed. Even when surrounded, she tore through blockades in movements so swift that even trained eyes could barely follow.

When large-scale magics were hurled at her, the Black Wolf appeared to dance among the elemental beams, untouched. Some swore she was invulnerable, that nothing could stop her.

Ghislaine Adoldia, the first wife of the Beast God, had proven herself invincible on the battlefield to date.

And if Ghislaine was the arrow's tip, then Verdia Solarion was, without a doubt, the one nocking the bow. The golden-haired Miko was the Division's tactical center.

Though the fact that she was a Miko had not yet been revealed.

Rarely on the front lines herself, she nonetheless participated in every battle, providing support with magic, enchanted arrows, and commanding the army.

The synergy between the two women was what made the Second Vanguard Division so deadly. Where Ghislaine devastated, Verdia organized. Where Ghislaine shattered lines, Verdia consolidated the victories.

No army could withstand them. No one could stop the advance.

Until Milis lost its patience.

Somehow, the Second Vanguard Division's route was exposed—likely due to the Divine Visions of Pope Lucios.

The result was a monumental ambush laid in the mountains of the Upper Brook Range. Three Milisian Generals had joined forces with the fearsome Silver Army.

It was a force designed to crush any army.

But… the holy nation had not counted on one thing: Verdia Solarion had also had a Vision.

Silently, the Miko warned her allies. Adjustments were made. Covert maneuvers commenced.

Milis's ambush was about to take an… unexpected turn.

---

Night covered every trace of the vast Milisian army camped in the Upper Brook Range.

The numerous ambush troops lay in complete silence and absolute vigil, awaiting their enemies, who were due to arrive at dawn.

The cold wind bit like razors, but no soldier dared complain.

Hidden and ready for the assault, they would have the element of surprise and the high-ground advantage.

Moreover, an enormous force had been assembled for this operation: the Silver Army was one of Milis's largest divisions.

At the center of the Milis camp, inside a large tent reinforced by Wards, a round table held three generals.

Maps spread across the dark wood, lit by flickering torchlight on the walls. One was Donar Bonart, Protector of Milis, a Water King known for having severed Rygar's arm many years ago.

"Ghislaine Adoldia is now a Sword Emperor, Donar. There's no guarantee you can defeat her in single combat. Remember what Pope Lucios told us…" said one general, his gaze grim and worried.

Donar, clad in heavy armor and a dark-blue cloak, snorted irritably.

"I fought her years ago and know her skills. I've trained since then; I can certainly defeat her!"

The third man, wearing gleaming blue armor with a great sword resting at his side, interjected in a deep voice that echoed through the tent.

"So you're saying the Pope's predictions were wrong…?"

The atmosphere thickened immediately. The room's pressure doubled as if gravity itself had increased. Donar broke into a cold sweat, swallowing nervously.

"N-no… I didn't say that…"

"Then obey your orders," the man cut in abruptly.

"Your Holiness said to unite and defeat her swiftly, without deviation. With her dead, this army will no longer advance so easily."

A dense silence settled among the three. The torches flickered, flames reflecting in the commanders' determined eyes.

Donar broke the silence in a lower, more cautious tone:

"Your Holiness also told us to withdraw immediately after killing the priority targets: Ghislaine and Verdia… even if we have the Silver Army here with us… Do you think he foresaw the Beast God's appearance?"

Donar had more reason than most to fear Rygar. He had severed Rygar's arm years ago, and surely the Beast God would want vengeance.

He might trust in defeating Ghislaine, but upon hearing the latest reports of Rygar, his heart wavered. He knew, with sombre certainty, that he was doomed if he crossed paths with that monster again.

The knight in blue armor stared at him coldly. For a moment, time seemed to stop. Then, in an icy tone:

"If he appears… we'll kill him too."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a colossal roar shook the tent. The ground trembled, maps flew, and one torch hit the floor.

In the blink of an eye, the three generals drew their swords and sprinted outside.

Emerging, they saw chaos. An entire region where troops had been gathered was now ablaze.

A vast crater smoked at the camp's center, with soldiers crawling out, screaming in pain.

The range was collapsing on all sides, hurling stones and dust into the air. On the far side, an immense fissure opened in the ground, swallowing tents, horses, and unwary warriors.

The general in blue armor surveyed the destruction, his expression sombre.

"We've been exposed…"

Climbing a high rock, he raised his voice in fury:

"Slay all these unclean demons! Show them Milis's power!"

He lifted his enormous sword to the sky, and at once a magic circle glowed in his hand.

A gigantic blade of light, some fifteen meters long, formed in a deafening flash, illuminating the range as if it were day.

The light revealed the horror: thousands of beastfolk, demons, and humans in dark-gray armor were breaching the Milis camp, cutting, crushing, and trampling any resistance.

It was the Iron Legion's army, sweeping through like an unstoppable tsunami.

Upon seeing the imposing figure of the general with the sword of light, a Milisian soldier cried out:

"OOOOOOOH!"

And like sparks on dry straw, the motivation spread. Soldiers who had been panicked now raised their weapons, shouting in unison.

The sight of the giant Sacred Blade restored their confidence.

It was Divine Magic of Saint level: the Sacred Blade. A devastating technique used by only a few in Milis.

Sword in hand, the blue-armored knight prepared to leap.

But before he did, he glanced at the two other Generals beside him and ordered:

"Find Ghislaine Adoldia—NOW!"

With a powerful thrust, he launched into the chaos, his blade of light cleaving through enemy ranks with majesty.

The battlefield was ablaze. The ambush had become a slaughter.

---

An intense battle raged beneath the Upper Brook Range.

After receiving information in her Vision about Milis's ambush and warning her commanders, Verdia and the leaders reached a consensus.

Some had assumed she and Ghislaine would retreat. But they chose the opposite.

Instead of fleeing, they struck first.

In a common army, such a decision might cause doubts and internal divisions. But this was no common army—this army had the Black Wolf.

Ghislaine inspired near-fanatic confidence after performing so many miracles in the Second Vanguard Division's countless battles.

Still, everyone knew that any suspicious movement by the enemy would force a direct confrontation. So the Legion followed the planned route as though nothing had changed, maintaining the illusion until the final moment.

Then, on the day before expected, they attacked in the dead of night.

The assault was brutal and swift. Milis's sentinels had no time to warn their allies. The front ranks were shredded by explosive charges, and the terrain became a frenzied dance of steel and spells.

The advantage was clearly the Legion's at the outset, but Milisian generals reacted quickly.

After all, this was an ambush against the Second Vanguard Division—Milis had gathered roughly 15% of its total army there, including the Silver Army. Three of its Generals were present, along with veteran mages and powerful priests.

There was no room for failure in this mission.

Once they regrouped, they began to push back, trying to regain control of the battle, but the initiative remained with the Legion, and they maintained their advantage skillfully.

Among the Milisian Generals, besides the one with the giant sword fighting on the front line, were Donar and another known as a Water King—both veteran strategists.

But their mission was not to lead the front line. They had a more important objective: locate and eliminate Ghislaine Adoldia.

They knew that if she was well-positioned, she alone could inflict irreparable damage on the army. Yet she was nowhere to be found. None of the scouts had spotted her.

The fight continued at a frantic pace until Donar finally caught sight of her.

She was running laterally across the field, gliding through combat zones with fluid grace, like a shadow.

Donar's eyes widened. It was pure luck. Or perhaps fate! Had his eyes not been so trained, he would have missed her.

Noticing herself spotted, Ghislaine frowned, as though disapproving of her discovery, and quickened her pace, attempting to slip from his sight.

Donar raised his hand, about to alert the other generals, but then hesitated.

'Why is she fleeing?' he thought. 'Is she afraid?'

This might be the perfect chance for revenge—and possibly the only one.

Six years had passed since their last encounter, and the thirst for vengeance burned in his chest.

His two fellow generals were busy, removing them from their current positions would doom many soldiers.

Finally, even if the duel went wrong, he still had a means of escape. Convinced of his logic, he set off in pursuit.

She continued running… and was using Wind Magic? Her feet barely touched the ground.

Donar snorted, surged forward, and managed to close the gap.

He would retreat at once if he sensed an ambush—his soldiers were still nearby, any attempt would be thwarted.

He shouted, "You want a one-on-one duel?! Fine! This old man will entertain you today!"

Ghislaine stopped.

She turned slowly, a malicious smile forming on her lips. Then, with a graceful motion, she removed a ring from her finger. Instantly, her appearance transformed.

Her long silver hair turned golden, her eyes glowed a deep night-sky blue, and a star-patterned blue mantle descended over her shoulders.

Donar stood stunned. This was not Ghislaine.

It was Verdia.

"Don't feel too guilty…" she said, smiling. "Excessive worry can cause wrinkles."

Donar snarled in fury. For a moment, he considered killing her on the spot, but she was not easy to kill, and his instinct told him to retreat at once.

So he turned and ran back to the battlefield. He was still relatively close and not far enough to be in danger. Even so, he arrived too late.

Just in time to see the other Water King's head roll across the ground.

The real Ghislaine had streaked across the field like lightning. Her face was serene, but a wild flame burned in her eyes. Blood dripped from her blade.

The blue-armored general raced to his fallen comrade but was too far away.

On the way, he spotted Donar and shouted in rage, "Kill that woman, Donar, you fool! Or I'll have you executed myself, if you survive this battle!"

Donar looked at the Black Wolf, who smiled as if merely warming up. His expression darkened. It was still two against one… Maybe there was a chance.

Then everything stopped.

A roar.

Deep, guttural. It came from the mountain's depths.

The ground quaked. A thunderous blast followed, and a flame burst from a fissure in the range.

The opening widened violently, and everything touched by the flames turned to molten lava. The rock collapsed under the powerful breath.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then the creature emerged.

A colossal mass burst forth from the mountain with primal fury. A dragon.

A massive Blue Dragon, its scales gleaming like sapphires in the moonlight. Its eyes shone with intelligence…and indignation. An ancient being, roused from deep slumber by the battle.

Another roar followed, stronger, more fearsome. A sound that made even the bravest warriors falter. All of the Iron Legion, all of Milis's army, froze.

In the heart of the forest, Verdia watched the creature's emergence calmly, as though she had anticipated this moment.

And then, she smiled.

-----

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