Chapter 18 - Nihil
The underworld—where malice and greed ran rampant.
Lately, there had been one name whispered again and again: Nihil.
Rumor had it that this was an organization founded by a mysterious man known as Void, one that had been expanding its influence at a terrifying pace.
Their true objective remained unknown, but it was said they operated under the cover of darkness, striking down branch after branch of the Grand Magus Cult.
“—Everyone, ready?”
The one who called out was a young woman with striking blue, medium-length hair and sharp, almond-shaped eyes—Sugar, a combatant of Nihil.
“““Yes, ma’am!”””
Thirty subordinates answered crisply in unison.
Their target tonight was the Grand Magus Cult’s Eastern Branch in the Kingdom of Klein—
a relatively small hideout carved out by digging into a modest cave.
The mission: to rescue a girl who had manifested the Mark of Defilement.
According to Nihil’s intelligence network, the girl was being used for experimental development of new magic, confined in a small chamber at the deepest point of the cave.
Midnight came.
Under the shroud of night, Sugar led her combat unit in a swift assault on the cult’s hideout.
“Wha—?!”
“Gah?!”
“Guh—ha...!”
The lookouts were swiftly neutralized, and the attack pushed forward in one unbroken charge.
“So you’re the so-called Nihil?!”
“You think you can get away with this? You’ll pay for it!”
“We’ll make you regret it!”
The cult members scrambled into defensive formation—
but Sugar’s forces were no ordinary fighters. They were elite combatants, bearing the blood of heroes and the factor of the Demon Lord, honed through merciless training.
For low-ranking cultists, it was no contest.
“Phew... I think that’s the last of them.”
In mere moments, they had secured the area. Sugar and her team found the target girl in the deepest chamber—the experimental lab.
“It’s all right now. You’ve done well to endure this.”
“Hah... hah... W-Who are you...?”
“Don’t worry. We’re on your side.”
“My... side?”
“Yes. Like you, we bear the Mark of Defilement. ...You’ve suffered, haven’t you? But that suffering will soon end. Our great lord will deliver you from this hell.”
Just as they secured the objective—something changed.
“Lady Sugar! There’s a new—kyaa?!”
One of the combatants was sent flying violently.
“What?!”
Rushing out of the lab, Sugar saw him—a towering beastman, so large she had to tilt her head back to see his face.
No... it can’t be—‘Giggin’!
Giggin, the beastman.
A giant nearly five meters tall, with muscles like steel and a massive battle axe gripped in his right hand. A famed warrior in the Kingdom of Klein, a battle maniac who found pleasure only in the fight.
“Oh-ho... so you’re the ones they call Nihil?”
“...That’s right.”
Sugar gave a curt nod before voicing the question on her mind.
“Giggin... why would someone of your caliber be in a backwater like this?”
“A while back, some folks from this Grand Magus Cult came to me. Said if I watched over this hideout, I’d get the chance to fight Void one day. So I’ve been waiting here ever since.”
Giggin glanced left and right, his eyes scanning.
“So—where’s Void? I want a fair fight with him!”
“Unfortunately for you, he isn’t here.”
“Hmm... is that so... what a shame...”
His broad shoulders sagged—then he suddenly clapped his hands together as if struck by an idea.
“—Alright! In that case, I’ll just slaughter the lot of you!”
“...May I ask why?”
“If I take out his men, the boss will show himself! That’s what any beastman would do—and I reckon humans are the same!”
“...Is that so? (...Worst case scenario.)”
Sugar’s mind sharpened to a cold calculation.
There’s only one exit—the one Giggin is blocking. If we all charge at once, maybe half... at worst, thirty percent could escape.
But that would mean abandoning the rescued girl.
Carrying a civilian past Giggin was next to impossible.
...Then there’s no choice.
Leaving behind comrades who bore the blood of heroes—leaving behind someone who suffered under the Mark of Defilement—such a thing was unthinkable for Sugar’s unit.
Because they all knew.
They knew the hell that awaited those with the Mark.
They knew the overwhelming relief when the Great Lord saved them from it.
And above all—the proud blood of heroes would never allow them to abandon a comrade to save themselves.
“You all understand, don’t you?”
At Sugar’s question, everyone gave a firm nod.
It seemed their resolve was the same as hers.
“All units, prepare for combat! The enemy is Giggin—the monster who destroyed an entire city single-handedly! No holding back! Kill him, even if it costs you your life!”
“Gwahaha! I bear you no grudge... but you’ll make fine bait to lure Void out!”
While Sugar and Giggin clashed in a brutal life-or-death battle—
Someone... someone, please...
Toto, the squad’s sole non-combatant and communications officer, was desperately firing off a <Call> to one of Nihil’s bases—a long-abandoned church.
But the signal never connected.
Naturally.
The distance from this cave to the abandoned church was enormous.
No matter how strong her telepathic waves were here, by the time they reached their destination, they would be little more than a faint whisper.
Only someone with godlike magical detection could possibly catch such a feeble <Call>.
Ugh... it’s no use after all...
She knew it was impossible—of course she did.
But without the power to fight, this was the only thing she could do.
Please… someone notice... If this goes on, Lady Sugar and the others will be killed...!
She poured every last drop of her mana into one more <Call>—and in that moment, a telepathic voice rang in her mind.
What’s wrong? Something happened?
The tone was light, almost carefree—completely unfitting for the tension of the situation.
Judging by the magical signature, the connection was indeed to one of Nihil’s bases.
But... had there ever been anyone in Nihil’s intelligence division with a voice like this?
No—this wasn’t the time to ponder.
Making the quick decision, Toto relayed her message.
T-This is Toto, communications officer for Lady Sugar’s squad! During a mission in the Eastern District of the Kingdom of Klein, we were ambushed by the beastman Giggin and have entered combat! Please connect me to Lady Dia at once—!
Ah... Dia’s stepped out for a bit. I think she’ll be back soon, though.
...I see. In that case, please send reinforcements and a medic team immediately!
Is this one of those ‘urgent’ situations?
Yes! As soon as possible!
Alright. Then I’ll go myself.
Before Toto could voice her confusion, the <Call> was cut.
...‘I’ll go myself’...?
It struck her as odd.
Dia was Nihil’s First Seat, the second-in-command who managed the organization’s operations.
There was only one person in the world who could address her so casually.
“That voice just now... could it be...?”
The moment Toto reached that possibility—a deafening, bone-rattling crash echoed through the cave.
She turned—and saw that Sugar’s squad had been annihilated.
“Gwahahahaha! Pathetic! Is this all Nihil amounts to?!”
Completely unscathed, Giggin laughed uproariously as he casually hoisted Sugar into the air by her right leg.
“Kh... l-let... go...!”
Dangling helplessly, she no longer had the strength to resist—only the will to glare back.
“Here we go!”
With that, the battered Sugar was flung high into the air—
“Let’s make this a spectacular firework!”
—And Giggin swung his massive battle axe up, ready to cleave her in midair.
...It’s over...
Her vision filled with cold steel.
If it struck, she would be nothing but a mangled lump of flesh.
Absolute, inescapable death loomed, and Sugar squeezed her eyes shut.
...Lord Void... forgive me...
The next instant—Giggin’s axe passed right through her.
“Wha—?!”
The beastman stumbled forward, thrown off balance by the wild miss.
“...Huh...?”
Sugar landed softly on the ground.
An axe cleaving through flesh without resistance—
it was impossible.
Impossible... but there was one exception.
For that one Unique Magic that defied every natural law.
Could that have been... <Void Shift>?
From the shadows, a figure emerged—black-robed, face hidden by a mask.
“L-Lord Void...?!”
The masked man—Void.
A monster who had transcended the limits of humanity, wielding the same Origin-Class Unique Magic <Void> as Xeno the Calamity.
The founder and supreme leader of Nihil.
“Sugar, you alright?”
“Y-Yes, no problem.”
“Hold still, I’ll fix you up.”
“N-No! I’m not worthy of your precious mana—”
“—It’s already done.”
“...Huh?”
Before she realized it, every wound on her body was gone.
Fractures, bruises, scrapes—as if they had never existed at all.
...I-It couldn’t be...!
Casting healing magic—especially when treating someone else—normally demanded extreme focus, vast reserves of mana, and a fair amount of time.
But Void was not bound by such common sense.
Holding fast to his creed of humble and steadfast, he had persisted in tireless effort... and now, the time it took him to restore someone from the brink of death to perfect health was less than a tenth of a second.
His magical skill had already stepped into the realm of the divine.
“Oho, so you’re the Void I’ve been hearing rumors about! ...I can smell it, smell it clear as day! That ‘damn dangerous stink’ is oozing off you!”
The beastman bared a feral grin, raising his battle axe high as he roared his name.
“I am Giggin Golangon! The strongest warrior of the Gogon tribe, and a man who seeks only the mightiest opponents!”
As Giggin radiated killing intent, Void looked over at Sugar with a calm, almost casual expression.
“So, what’s the situation?”
“Uh, w-well... right after we succeeded in rescuing the target, we were ambushed by Giggin... and we lost.”
“I see. Must’ve been rough. It’s late, so let’s head home quickly.”
While the two of them spoke like that, Giggin let out a thunderous laugh.
“Gwah-hah-hah! To ignore me—what a bold man you are! Good, good! You look like someone I could have a fine kill-or-be-killed fight with!”
Void slowly lifted his gaze and murmured in a puzzled tone.
“But... you sure talk a lot for a head.”
The very next moment—
“...Huh?”
Giggin’s view slid sideways.
“Wha... what... the hell...?!”
Whether Void had cut him with a blade, struck with a magic slash, or used something else entirely—no one present, not even Giggin himself, had been able to perceive the attack.
“H-heh... m-monster...”
That was the beastman’s final word before he crumpled to the ground.
“...No way...”
Sugar had heard rumors of Void’s strength.
But—
This... this was a different dimension entirely.
She had never imagined it could be this overwhelming.
An overwhelming storm of awe and emotion surged in Sugar’s chest.
Ahh, as expected of my great master…! To be able to serve someone so incredible, how blessed I am...!
Her heart threatened to run away with her, but she quickly reined it in, regaining her usual composure and kneeling on the spot.
The other fighters, battered and bloodied, forced their bodies to obey and bowed low as well.
“Lord Void... the fault for this failure rests entirely with me. I beg you to hand down just punishment.”
“Failure? What failure?”
“It was my own inadequacy... I allowed one of your possessions—your precious comrades—to be harmed.”
“Who exactly is hurt?”
“...Huh?”
For a moment, she couldn’t even comprehend his words.
She turned—and froze in shock.
...N-no way...
Every one of the fighters Giggin had injured were fully healed.
Even their torn clothing had been neatly mended.
All thirty wounded here... he treated them all at the same time? In less than the span of a blink...?
In the fleeting moment she had been in Void’s presence, the very foundation of her hard-earned common sense had been shattered completely.
“From what I see, there’s no failure to speak of. Sugar, there’ll be no punishment.”
“...Thank you... very much...”
“Well then, it’s almost time for the regular report, so I’ll head back to the abandoned church. You all be careful.”
With that, Void vanished into a swirling vortex of darkness.
“L-Lord Void... what a kind soul you are...”
Her words broke the silence, and soon voices of praise rose from every corner.
“S-so strong! Lord Void is crazy strong...!”
“That healing magic was unreal... Not even our ancestors, not even the legendary Six Heroes could pull that off.”
“I love the way Lord Void speaks... so gentle, it seeps right into your heart.”
“Sure, that kindness was wonderful, but personally... I like it best when he’s radiating the dignity of an absolute ruler. Ahh, just remembering it makes my heart race...”
“That voice... I’d like it if he’d whisper sweet nothings in my ear twenty-four hours a day.”
And so, for quite some time, the fighters of Nihil continued to revel in the glory of their great master.
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