This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange

The battle raged, an unrelenting onslaught of blood and desperation.

The defenders fought like animals backed into a corner, their bodies pushed beyond their limits as the abyssal tide surged forward. Some clung to their weapons with white-knuckled grips, their breath ragged, their eyes wild with fear. Others collapsed where they stood, their wills breaking beneath the weight of hopelessness. Those who lost themselves to despair crumbled to their knees, sobbing, their contracts succumbing moments later—either turning against them or perishing outright.

The ranks of the corrupted swelled with each fallen soldier. Twisted bodies rose once more, their grotesque forms turning against former comrades. Progress was an illusion, and the defenders could feel it. The sinking realization gnawed at their resolve, feeding the very despair that threatened to unravel their resistance.

Stopping this collapse was paramount. Kain might not have been the strongest among his team, but his contracts were best suited for this moment.

He had almost forgotten about the auxiliary effect of status effects for Queen’s ability, instead focusing on the healing aspect:

A-Rejuvenating Wind: Releases a restorative breeze that dispels negative status effects and mends minor wounds within its radius.

The defenders’ spirits were wearing down faster than their bodies, so Kain made a choice. Instead of directing Queen to inject potent life-attribute energy toward grievously wounded guards, he had her continuously cast Rejuvenating Wind. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but there were many others capable of healing physical wounds, but only Queen could strengthen the minds of these soldiers.

Meanwhile, Bea also shifted priorities. Her infection ability had proven ineffective against the abyssal creatures, her mental threads consuming too much of Kain’s spiritual power just to maintain control. Rather than wasting energy on the enemy, she turned her influence inward. After all, there were many times in the history of the Empire where the ultimate victory wasn’t determined by the physical strength of the enemy, but rather by the internal cohesion of the Empire’s civilians.

Subtly, carefully, Bea extended her reach. Nearly every soldier atop the walls soon carried a fragment of her within their minds. The moment she sensed the inclination to surrender, she acted—seizing control of their bodies before they could back away, forcing them to keep fighting.

At first, Kain had worried about whether diverting the efforts of Bea and Queen would put a strain on the defensive line, but the defensive line became more stable after Bea abandoned controlling more of the enemy and instead focused on preventing some idiotic actions of their allies.

However, despite the immediate possibility of the city collapsing decreased, the odds of victory were still not in their favour.

Vauleth descended from the sky, his wings churning the air into a violent storm. Streams of searing flame erupted from his mouth, engulfing abyssal creatures in an inferno that burned impossibly bright. Yet, for every foe incinerated, another surged forth to take its place. The crowd opposite of Kain never thinned.

“We’re making no progress!” Clara shouted. Her light-attribute fox darted between enemies, blinding them with bursts of radiance before tearing into their bodies with claws sharp as crescent moons. Above, her golden hawk carved through the air, its wings slicing abyssal flesh like divine blades.

Then came the screams.

The abyssal creatures breached the line, landing devastating blows before the defenders could react. The weaker beast-tamers were the first to lose their contracts. Black corruption spread like wildfire, their spiritual creatures twisting and warping, howling as their bodies became something monstrous.

One by one, the bonds shattered. The severance struck the tamers like a blade to the soul. Blood sprayed from their lips as they crumpled, unconscious, their ability to fight lost. Those who could still stand dragged the fallen away from the frontlines lest they contribute the enemies’ actions.

Even among Kain’s allies, the corruption was spreading. Another of Benji’s contracts, a bear whose attacks seemed to be imbued with time-attributed energy that caused the target’s flesh to quickly rot as though speeding up the rate of decay, staggered back, its powerful frame marred by seeping black wounds. The corruption spread rapidly, forcing Benji to recall it before the infection could take hold completely.

Likewise, Clara’s hawk faltered mid-flight, its brilliant feathers darkening as it let out a piercing cry. With a flash of light, Clara dismissed it, her face pale as she sent spiritual power to her contract to help it combat the corruption in its body.

Clara’s hawk faltered mid-flight. She recalled it in a flash, her face pale, channeling spiritual power to halt the infection.

The burden on those who remained grew heavier with every retreating ally.

Vauleth bore the brunt of it. He tore through the abyssal hordes without hesitation, his scaled body riddled with deep gashes. Though his True Dragon nature rendered him immune to corruption, it did not make him invincible. He could still be broken. He could still die.

Kain could feel it—his companion’s pain, his exhaustion. He urged him to fall back, but Vauleth ignored him. Pride, instinct, and the desire to embody the unyielding will of a True Dragon drove him forward. Even if he wasn’t yet a True Dragon, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t act in accordance with the values embedded in him by the elder dragon.

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Unfortunately, if things continued like this, Kain was certain that he would soon be facing the pain of a broken contract due to death.

Then it happened.

A shadow moved—an indigo-grade abyssal creature lunging straight for Clara. She had stepped too far from the defensive line, focused on finishing a group of enemies.

Her instincts screamed. She knew she wouldn’t be able to dodge it in time.

A blur of stone intercepted the strike.

Aegis had chosen to withstand the attack with his body, considering raising a shield would take too long.

The corrupted blade carved into him, cleaving through solid rock with sickening ease. A leg was severed. Black veins spread rapidly from the wound, tendrils of corruption sinking deep into his being.

Kain’s breath caught. “Aegis!”

The golem rumbled in defiance, trembling as he fought to stabilize himself. His massive arms braced against the ground as he tried to regrow his severed limb. But the corruption did not stop. It burrowed deeper, insidious and relentless, threatening to consume him from within.

The battle roared on, but for Kain, the world had narrowed to this single moment.

Aegis—his immovable shield, his guardian—had fallen.