"Yeah, that's more like it."
The Turncoat Rook grinned viciously as he began to unleash bone tendrils from his entire body.
Sssss───!
Creak, creakkk...
Thick layers of bone armor began to form around the Turncoat Rook's entire body.
It was the ultimate combat form of the Turncoat Rook, one of the few elite warriors in the Shadow Order.
'Hmph.'
An eye for an eye, so they say.
I, too, stood my ground, releasing Janus's bone tendrils to wrap around my body.
Compared to the tank-like figure of the Turncoat Rook, my appearance seemed infinitely lighter, but this suited me better.
'Direct strength contests aren't my forte anyway.'
Monster versus human.
The easiest way to overcome this fundamental difference was to use human weaponry like firearms, but now was the time for something else.
'Besides, it's not as if only humans are allowed to use human weapons.'
Considering that Crux the One-Eyed within the Shadow Order held the role of sniper, it was clear enough.
For some monsters with intelligence surpassing humans, tools were no longer humanity's exclusive domain.
'Well… that's that.'
Right now, my focus had to be on the Turncoat Rook in front of me.
Thunk!
Boom──!
["He's coming!"]
Crash!
Cra-crash──!
The tank-like Turncoat Rook charged, and the first collision occurred.
The Spear of Ankelenth that I thrust toward the Turncoat Rook easily pierced through the bone armor wrapped around him — but sadly, the armor was too thick to penetrate fully and inflict real damage.
'Hmph.'
Seeing the Turncoat Rook still standing firm, I withdrew the Spear of Ankelenth and took a brief step back.
'If it can't be pierced in one strike, I'll just tear it apart.'
I didn't need any sophisticated spear techniques or elaborate skills.
A simple, brutish series of swings combining strength and speed was more than enough to tear through the Turncoat Rook's armor.
Crack─
Crackkk!
Every time the Spear of Ankelenth danced through the air, it shattered and tore apart the steel-like bone armor the Turncoat Rook wore.
"Uoooh!"
The Turncoat Rook let out a beastly roar as he emitted even more wild bone tendrils, like a porcupine bristling its quills.
But it was no use.
'Not happening.'
The Spear of Ankelenth slashed again, smashing the newly formed bone armor into pieces.
This battle truly resembled a clash of spear and shield — but unfortunately for the Turncoat Rook, while my spear could pierce anything, his shield couldn't block everything.
Crack-crash!
Shattered bone dust scattered into the air.
Yet, the Turncoat Rook didn't stop, continuing to charge straight toward me.
Boom──!
Even as I braced myself with armor, the sheer force of the Turncoat Rook's charge sent my body flying and rolling.
Though the impact was mitigated by my armor, it was a sharp reminder that a direct power contest was not in my favor.
["Master!"]
"I'm fine."
Even as I hastily steadied myself and rose again, the Turncoat Rook was already within striking distance.
His charge was like that of a relentless tank.
[Gigit!]
At that moment, Janus's bone tendrils shot out to intercept him.
The bone tendrils of Janus and the Turncoat Rook clashed and tangled violently.
Screeech!
Creak, creeeak──!
As the bone tendrils intertwined, neither of us stood idle.
"Carl Marcus!"
The Turncoat Rook roared, thrusting his bone spear at me repeatedly.
I swung the Spear of Ankelenth to deflect the incoming bone spears, exchanging fierce blows.
Clang!
Kaaang──!
In the heat of battle, what decided the tide was the quality of our weapons.
No matter how tough the Turncoat Rook's bone spear was, it was no match for the Spear of Ankelenth.
"Kgh!"
As his bone spears shattered one after another, the Turncoat Rook's body accumulated more and more wounds.
His thick bone armor could not prevent the devastating power of the Spear of Ankelenth.
["Rook! Just surrender already!"]
"Shut up!"
The Turncoat Rook bellowed furiously, intensifying his assault — but the momentum had already shifted to my side.
["Give it up already!"]
"I said shut up!"
The Turncoat Rook charged even more recklessly, like a wounded beast.
'Doesn't matter.'
Even though there was a difference in our physical capabilities, the Turncoat Rook's once tank-like armor was now in tatters.
Kaang───!
I parried a barrage of bone tendrils with the Spear of Ankelenth, then drew my right hand back dramatically, spear in hand.
Creak, crack──
My arm muscles twisted to their limit as I prepared the throw, with Janus boosting my physical abilities.
[Screek!]
The preparation was complete.
All that remained was to finish it.
['Bone Javelin' has been activated.]
With a powerful swing, the Spear of Ankelenth was hurled forward.
Swaaah───!
A sharp sonic boom erupted as it tore through the air.
The sheer force of the throw was tremendous.
"Uooooh──!"
The Turncoat Rook roared, hastily wrapping himself in bone armor and shields.
But it was futile against the incoming Spear of Ankelenth.
Crash─
Crack-crash───!
The spear pierced through the bone shield, then the bone armor.
Cra-crack-crack───!
With deafening sounds, shattered bone dust exploded from the Turncoat Rook's body.
"Graaah!"
He desperately tried to stop the spear, but his bone tendrils disintegrated one after another.
And then, it was over.
The Spear of Ankelenth finally came to rest, embedded deep in the Turncoat Rook's side.
The battle — long or short, depending on perspective — was over.
"It's over."
"...Yeah, it seems so."
The Turncoat Rook let out a bitter, yet somewhat wild smile.
Shortly after, blood gushed from his grinning mouth.
"Cough! Cough!"
The blood loss was significant, but it wasn't anything fatal yet.
Given the nature of monsters, a hole in the side wasn't something that would kill them easily.
Although, from the Turncoat Rook's perspective, he probably wanted to protest against such a carefree thought.
'More importantly, there's something I need to do while I have the chance.'
Now that the Turncoat Rook was incapacitated, it was time to finish the job.
'Janus.'
[Screek!]
'Take control.'
The Spear of Ankelenth embedded in his side began to stir slightly.
Through it, I started injecting a part of Janus into the Turncoat Rook.
"Ghkk..."
Sss...
As the Turncoat Rook groaned in pain, a fragment of Janus steadily infiltrated him through the spear.
Completing what I had left unfinished before.
[Screek!]
I could feel it.
Through the Spear of Ankelenth, Janus's fragment was gradually taking over the Turncoat Rook.
Unlike the previous partial implantation, this was full subjugation.
'Of course, the Turncoat Rook himself won't notice a thing.'
The difference between the former half-baked control and full subjugation was immense.
The Turncoat Rook, now enslaved by Janus, wouldn't even realize he had been conquered — he would just think he lost a fight.
'Soon, he'll be bound completely to me, without even knowing.'
Complete domination, enough to deceive even free will itself.
It was only possible because the fragment of Janus had been dormant within the Turncoat Rook for a long time.
Sss...
The final process of binding the Turncoat Rook was completed in secret, and he opened his mouth weakly.
"...Hey."
"Speak."
"How long are you going to leave this thing stuck in me...? I'd appreciate it if you pulled it out. I'm really going to die at this rate."
"Ah, my apologies."
Feigning ignorance, I withdrew the Spear of Ankelenth from his side.
Fwoosh─!
Blood spurted violently from the wound as soon as the spear was pulled out.
To a bystander, it would look like a fatal injury.
"...Cough."
"Janus."
At my call, Janus extended bone tendrils to seal the Turncoat Rook's wound.
Squirm, squirm...
"What the hell are you doing...?"
"Stay still. It's part of the healing process."
Of course, that was just a pretense.
While patching him up, I was also transferring more of Janus's power into the Turncoat Rook.
Just as I had once done with the Turncoat Knight.
Now that the Turncoat Rook was essentially my subordinate, there was no reason to hold back.
"I feel... different. I'm overflowing with strength."
"You should."
The Turncoat Rook nodded.
Normally, he would have been suspicious of the sudden changes in his body, but thanks to being bound by Janus, he couldn't even perceive anything amiss.
'With this, I have a safeguard in case something happens within the Shadow Order.'
Though considering Isabel's obsession with her goal, it didn't seem like a crisis would happen anytime soon, it was better to be prepared.
No matter what, the Shadow Order was dangerous, and caution was necessary.
["Master."]
'What?'
["You're making a very unpleasant face right now."]
'Shut up.'
* * *
In Belcus, a remote region classified as a wasteland in the Violet Line, one of the front lines of the Ark...
From atop a sheer cliff, someone had been watching the battle between the two Turncoats.
"Hmm..."
Contrary to initial expectations, the fight had been completely one-sided.
And in a very unexpected way.
"To think Rook would lose so helplessly..."
Known in the Ark as the Turncoat Queen, she watched with unabated interest.
Though she had come to the Ark on unrelated business, she felt like she had stumbled upon an extraordinary spectacle.
She had heard of the Turncoat Pawn in passing, but to think someone could so easily subdue Rook?
"Eek. Looks like they noticed me."
Sensing someone approaching, the Turncoat Queen stepped away from her vantage point.
"Hmph, hmmph..."
She chuckled softly, glancing one last time over the cliff.
Promising herself that the day would come when she would meet those two Turncoats.