Harem King's Collection: Turning Beastkins Into Desperate Wives!-Chapter 76: Fate Of The Arena

Cortist Venatus remained frozen in shock, his mind unable to process what he had just witnessed. His brother Aster had been consumed by the demon’s blast, devoured by that terrible light, and now the young panther could only stare ahead with his mouth hanging open as his legs gave out beneath him.

The arena sand was warm against his knees, but he didn’t feel it. He didn’t feel anything except the hollow emptiness where his brother used to be. The loss had stunned him so completely that his world had shrunk to nothing... no sounds, no movement, no awareness of anything beyond the space where Aster should have been standing.

Behind him, something stirred. Something massive and ancient, awakening from its slumber where the human mage had just been standing. But Cortist’s shock ran too deep for him to register the great beast rising to its feet, even as it prepared to unleash its fury upon the arena.

His father’s voice cut through the air like a blade.

"CORTIST! MOVE!"

Jagón’s shout was edged with madness, his mind still struggling to accept that he had just lost another son. The desperation in his voice was raw, primal... the sound of a father who couldn’t bear to watch his remaining children die. But the younger panther didn’t move. Couldn’t move. The shock had paralyzed him completely.

If not for Talan’s quick thinking, knocking him out of the way at the last possible moment, the mage would have been burned alive by the fiery breath that erupted from the great phoenix’s mouth. His brother’s body slammed into his, sending them both rolling across the sand just as the air where he’d been kneeling exploded into flame.

The impact jolted some sense back into Cortist’s numb mind at last. Reality crashed back into focus... the arena, the heat, the terrible danger they were all in. But with awareness came something else: a growing hatred for the demon responsible for all of this destruction.

Cortist looked toward the stands where the demon had been positioned to launch its attack. The ghoulish creature was already long gone, vanished like smoke. The young mage’s gaze returned to the arena floor, and he trembled as he finally accepted the maddening sight before him.

The legendary phoenix was enormous, measuring at least thirty meters from the tip of its jagged black beak to the ends of its regal red tail feathers. The creature’s plumage was otherworldly... long, wispy feathers that seemed to merge seamlessly into flames of the most dazzling light. Colors swirled together in mesmerizing patterns: glowing golden yellow bleeding into the deepest, most corroded red, creating a frighteningly majestic opponent.

The creature’s head bore what looked more like a crown than a comb, heavy black skin that matched the dark tint of its imposing talons. Every inch of the beast spoke of ancient power, of forces beyond mortal comprehension.

The great phoenix suddenly spread its burning wings wide, and waves of arid heat swept over the beastmen in the arena. The creature threw back its head and screeched loudly into the air, a sound that seemed to come from the very heart of fire itself.

The cry reverberated around the walls of the Selection Grounds, bouncing off stone and metal until the echo became a piercing assault on every ear present. Cortist could only stare in awe at such dangerous beauty, his hatred for the demon temporarily forgotten in the face of this magnificent terror.

In the royal box, panic had taken hold.

"My king, you need to leave, NOW!"

Amboss Aschefell’s voice cracked with frantic desperation. The wolf understood what they were facing... they stood no chance against such a monster, not to mention the demon that was undoubtedly still lurking somewhere nearby, waiting to strike again.

As soon as the demon had launched its powerful blast and the great phoenix had appeared, soldiers throughout the huge arena had begun deserting their positions. The exodus was immediate and widespread... even veteran warriors recognized when they were outmatched.

Amboss’s hammer felt heavy in his hands. He had made a promise to his wife after his brother was lost in battle: he would only use his strength to forge, never again to fight. But this situation was too important for him to keep that promise. The entire kingdom was at stake.

Only a handful of beasts remained on the king’s platform by the time the wolf made his desperate plea. None of them were truly renowned warriors... the Selection itself had brought quite a crowd of nobles to witness the ceremony, but few of the kingdom’s elite fighters had stayed for what followed.

The wolf knew the entire capital was in jeopardy before such a large and intimidating opponent. He had barely managed to shove the king down in time to avoid the demon’s dark blast earlier, unknowingly sending his own son—who the wolf had assumed was still safe with his father—to join the prince’s party with that evasive action.

A twist of fate that may have saved the little fox’s life.

Before the king could respond to Amboss’s plea, the burning sword reappeared on the platform. It sliced through the very fabric of reality as the demon emerged once more from a scar in the air.

The creature moved with deadly efficiency, slicing through the closest guard with swift ease before turning to address the king directly.

"Your reign ends, tyrant. I was planning on cutting your cub’s heart out in front of you, but it seems the boy had other plans. You should be grateful to be in his debt."

King Alocer was already moving, his hefty sword sweeping down toward the demon in a crushing arc. The demon made no attempt to dodge, allowing the king’s blade to reduce it to dust with the strike. But a moment later, it reappeared from another scar in the air, its laughter echoing tauntingly as it dispatched another nearby beast with casual cruelty.

"Trouble finding my heart, beast king?" The demon’s voice carried dark amusement. "I’ve hidden it someplace very safe. I assumed you would know more about being heartless considering..."

The king’s roar shook the platform, his composure completely shattered after watching his only cub stolen from him by this same opponent moments earlier.

"I WILL SHOW YOU THE TRUE DEPTHS OF MY HEARTLESSNESS, MONSTER!"

King Alocer lunged forward again, his blade slicing through the demon’s form with devastating force. The creature crumbled to dust once more, but just as before, it simply reappeared elsewhere, its laughter louder and more mocking than before.

"You cannot beat me here," the demon said, flaunting the hopelessness of their situation. "My heart is beyond your reach. Your kingdom will fall by your ignorance. Your incompetence has brought another great country to its knees, beast king." fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

The king’s glare burned with pure rage, his response coming out with droplets of spit flying from his muzzle.

"We WILL best you. A demon cannot remove their own heart. It is somewhere on you, and I’ll just keep tearing you apart until I find the damned thing!"

The king took three determined steps forward and lunged at the demon, who sidestepped the attack with insulting ease. As the dark creature raised its sword to counter, Amboss leaped forward and slammed his hammer into the demon’s chest with devastating force.

The impact caved in the demon’s ribcage, temporarily dispatching the creature once more. Amboss shouted desperately to his king.

"YOU NEED TO GO! WE CAN’T STOP THIS THING! MY KING, RETREAT!"

The demon reappeared just inches away from Amboss, its burning blade swinging down with terrifying speed. The sword struck away the wolf’s hammer and cleaved off his right hand in one brutal swoop, claiming both as spoils of war.

Amboss hit his knees hard, pain exploding through his body as he clutched vainly at his severed arm. His lifeblood spilled forth from the grave injury, painting the platform red beneath him.

The demon raised its blade once more and brought it down toward the wolf’s neck with a hefty swing. Amboss could only watch in true disbelief as his end fell upon him. Time slowed in that short moment of realization, and only a single thought crossed his mind.

’Rust... Rouge... I’m sorry.’

***

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on f(r)e𝒆webn(o)vel.com