Chapter 30

"Such nonsense! Then, what are we supposed to do?!" Banuka shouted, almost like a scream.

"It would be enough if you could beat the drums and cheer to encourage the warriors of the Fang Clan in battle."

At Soma's words, the warriors who had been silently listening behind Zugg raised their voices in anger.

"Are you kidding?! We, the proud warriors of the Claw Clan, are only to beat drums and raise our voices?!"

"Are you saying we are of no use in battle?!"

"This is an insult to us warriors!"

Banuka and the Mane Clan warriors also agreed.

"We cannot accept this!"

"Exactly! Are you telling us, the warriors, to act like entertainers and make a fuss?!"

For Zoan, not allowing someone to fight meant the same as saying they were useless. Not only the warriors of the Claw Clan but also those of the Mane Clan could not possibly accept this.

However, Zugg raised his arm to restrain the warriors.

"Is it not fine? They say our strength is not needed. Let the Mane Clan and the Fang Clan watch the battle from a high place!"

Zugg bared his teeth in a smile, "I won't fall for such cheap provocation."

Attacking the fortress with the Fang Clan alone, which had drastically reduced in numbers due to repeated battles, was nothing short of madness. Zugg was excited to see how the two who had put their clan in a difficult situation would panic and beg pitifully for forgiveness.

"I'm relieved you understand."

However, Soma smiled gently.

"Then, I will inform you of the detailed actions and schedule later. If there's nothing else, can we end it here?"

Zugg was the one who panicked.

"Wait, wait a moment!"

Soma tilted his head in surprise, "What is it?"

"Ah, no. Are you really planning to take the fortress with Garam and the Fang Clan alone...?"

In Zugg's reading, this was supposed to be Soma's provocation.

However, neither Soma nor Garam panicked; instead, they were about to end the discussion and stand up, which made Zugg even more flustered.

"Yes. As I mentioned, with the strength of the Fang Clan alone—"

Soma deliberately clapped his hands.

"Ah, perhaps you thought it was a provocation? If so, I apologize. I did not mean to think you were weak and useless, and thus exclude you from the battle."

"Then, why...?"

"You said you couldn't trust me, right?"

"Yes, I did."

"Can you take someone you don't trust, and who may or may not follow your orders, into an important battle? Especially if that person is strong."

Soma's words left Zugg speechless.

Zugg had said he couldn't trust Soma, and he couldn't retract that statement now. Realizing that he had been the one who had been cornered, Zugg gritted his teeth.

If the Fang Clan alone took the fortress, it would be a disaster.

The fortress was built by humans to oversee the entire plain. Taking it would directly lead to reclaiming the plain. If the Fang Clan achieved such a significant victory, the subsequent redrawing of the clan territories would be decided by the Fang Clan alone. Moreover, the entire plain could become the property of the Fang Clan without any objections.

However, there was still a possibility that this was a provocation after all.

"But, it's impossible for the Fang Clan alone to take the fortress! Garam, you can't have more than a hundred warriors at your disposal.

The soldiers originally stationed at the fortress remained there instead of attacking here. And because you let the soldiers who attacked here escape, the number of soldiers at the fortress is now in the hundreds!

Moreover, the walls of the fortress, where they are holed up, are six meters high and four meters wide. They are not easily surmountable. It's different from when you infiltrated alone and rescued the young master. If you go with a large group, you'll be noticed before you even get close to the wall. And if you go with a small group, you'll be surrounded before you can open the gate!"

"You seem to know a lot about it."

Soma was genuinely impressed.

Garam was also surprised that his rescue of Shemul alone had been discovered.

Realizing he had spoken more than he should in his excitement, Zugg quickly closed his mouth.

However, he lost his composure again at Soma's next words.

"But, it's fine. That level of fortress is no big deal."

Soma's confidence in a fortress that neither the Fang Clan nor the Claw Clan had ever taken left Zugg dizzy.

"Wh-what is the source of your confidence?!"

Zugg's anxious words were what Soma had been waiting for.

Soma, as if to show all the Zoan present, slowly reached for the headband on his forehead and removed it in one swift motion.

The pale mark that appeared on his forehead was a symbol that looked like an 8 and an ∞ combined, resembling two snakes entwined, biting each other's tails, and writhing. It was the mark of Aula, the goddess of death and destruction.

"I am Kizaki Soma, the young master of the goddess Aula. I have come here to destroy the humans who torment you."

It was a grand performance by Soma.

Taken aback by his words, Zugg and the others were stunned and frozen in place.

At that moment, the priestesses of the Eye Clan, who had been silent until then, chanted in unison.

"The goddess who witnesses the end of all living beings"

"The goddess who stands at the end of all things"

"The goddess Aula, the only one the seven deities fear and respect as sister and mother"

Shunupa straightened her posture and addressed Soma.

"We, the Eye Clan, support Kizaki Soma, the young master of the goddess Aula."

"Support him!"

Shunupa and the priestesses behind her bowed in unison.

Shunupa's actions not only lent credibility to the existence of Aula, the goddess of death and destruction, which Zugg and the others were hearing about for the first time, but also dispelled the fear that the young master of this goddess might bring disaster to the Zoan.

While the authority of the Eye Clan, who presided over the rituals of the gods, was significant in the mortal world, their support made it impossible for other clans to question Soma's claim to be the young master of the goddess of death and destruction.

Zugg trembled.

"What is this?! What is this?!"

The unspoken cry in Zugg's heart was shared by all the Zoan present.

◆◇◆◇◆

When Garam and the old lady returned to the inner room, they found Soma lying face down, weakly, and Shemul gently fanning him with a large leaf.

"Is something wrong with Soma?"

Surprised, Garam asked, and Shemul smiled faintly.

"He said he was so nervous that his head boiled."

Soma, who had noticed their arrival, slowly lifted his head. He looked so exhausted that Garam and the old lady seriously doubted if this was the same person who had made Zugg and the others tremble just a moment ago.

"Garam, old lady. I'm sorry for the informal appearance."

Soma sat up with Shemul's help.

"So, how did Zugg and the others react?"

Soma, who had been so tense that he could only put on a brave front, asked the two about the discussion.

"You did a pretty good job for a kid."

"Yes, it was mostly as expected."

Soma had already heard Shemul's evaluation, but she tended to overpraise, so he couldn't take it at face value. With the two of them giving their seal of approval, Soma finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks to your help."

Soma's success in dealing with Zugg and the others was the result of the planned questions and answers that he and Shemul, Garam, and the old lady had rehearsed for days.

Especially since Garam had been in the same position as Zugg just a few days ago, it was easy to predict what issues he would raise and how he would criticize Soma. Thanks to these accurate predictions, Soma was able to maintain control of the discussion throughout.

"However, Soma, can we really take the fortress with just us?"

If the fortress couldn't be taken, it wouldn't just be a matter of the Fang Clan losing face. Soma would be tortured to death, and Shemul, who had made him the 'Lord Below the Navel,' would also be in danger.

"Well, I... "

Soma started to say "probably" but stopped. If he had decided to do it, he needed to assert his confidence to prevent Garam and the others from losing heart. He shouldn't use ambiguous words for self-preservation.

"It's fine. The preparations to take the fortress are already in place."

"Preparations are already in place?"

Even Shemul was surprised.

"Is that true, Soma?"

"Yeah. Just wait and see the results."

Soma smiled gently.

The next chapter is about Soma's fortress assault.

4/1 Typo corrections