-Damn it, to think even the Worn Skin would be defeated! Are those bastards monsters?!
-Those intruders are now strutting around this island as if they own the place!
-We can’t wait any longer! We must inform the master of the situation!
It was a state of chaos that would make an outsider wonder if they were politicians, but the evil spirits were dead serious.
The Haunted Mansion, which was supposed to inflict extreme stress on people with all sorts of curses and psychic phenomena; the Inescapable Dream, which could make even the toughest warrior cry like a child by freely manipulating the content of their dreams; and even the Worn Skin, which could instill the fear of not knowing who among them had been replaced through its shapeshifting abilities—all had been defeated.
To make matters worse, even the horde of fish-people crawling up from the sea, though not affiliated with them, had been easily slaughtered.
They had no idea what they could possibly do to drive out those wicked, vicious, and malevolent beings.
-Um, about those intruders… Other than occasionally wandering around to gather ingredients, they’re basically just relaxing on the coast. If we just leave them alone, won’t they eventually go back on their own?
Of course, through the greatness of collective intelligence, the correct answer did occasionally pop up.
-Nonsense! If we just leave them be, who knows when they’ll decide to push deeper into the island?
-It is our duty to drive out intruders! Are you in your right mind, suggesting we neglect it?!
-You lack loyalty to our master! No loyalty whatsoever!
But before the truth that even the greatest intellect is helpless when the loudest voices shout it down, any chance of a peaceful resolution vanished.
It was then.
-Hmph, I opened my eyes for the first time in a while, wondering what all the noise was about… It seems some fellows with backbone have shown up, eh?
-Y-You are!
-The Immortal Killer! I heard you had entered a long hibernation!
The evil spirits began to murmur.
The Immortal Killer.
He was the strongest of the evil spirits, a being who could withstand any attack without falling and slaughter his enemies with absurd strength and agility.
Unfortunately, there was no one present to make the common-sense observations of, ‘If you had a guy like that, why didn’t you wake him up sooner?’ or ‘Besides, what the hell kind of hibernation does an evil spirit even go into?’
-Are the intruders over there? Heh. I hope they can entertain me for a little while.
With these somewhat arrogant words, he dragged his massive frame and trudged toward the coast.
They were all rather dim-witted and pitiful evil spirits, unaware that truly terrifying monsters don't waste time on useless chatter.
After walking for a short while, the Immortal Killer found his target on a corner of the beach.
It was the Tin Knight, a single sword in hand, in the middle of building a sandcastle with parts as low as one meter and others exceeding two.
It wasn't just a single castle; it was a long, continuous structure of multiple castles connected by walls, so long that one could hold a running race from one end to the other. It was clear he had been at it for a very long time.
The Immortal Killer sneered, seeing him engaged in such a childish game.
His foot stomped down, crushing the sandcastle at the end opposite the Tin Knight.
A ferocious smile formed beneath his mask as he beckoned to the Tin Knight.
Watching the Tin Knight charge at him with terrifying speed, he prepared for battle, thinking he had taken the bait perfectly.
Shunk!
His gut was pierced.
He casually tried to swing his machete at the Tin Knight, but a shield struck him in the face first, sending the Immortal Killer’s body spinning.
Slightly surprised to find his opponent’s power greater than expected, the Immortal Killer was not intimidated.
Because he was immortal. No matter how powerful the attack, it could not bring him to his death.
Crack! Pow! Crunch!
So, an attack of this level…
Slice! Snap! Splat!
…was nothing.
Th-th-th-th-th-thud! CRASH!
Wait, how long is this bastard planning to keep hitting me?
“It’s usele—”
CRUNCH!
His attempt to shout, “It’s useless, I am an immortal being!” was forcibly cut short by a magnificent uppercut that crushed his jaw.
When he tried to kick, his knee was shattered. When he tried to swing his sword, his arm was bent backward at the joint.
At this point, the Immortal Killer realized something was terribly wrong.
His method of driving intruders into terror was to absorb their petty counterattacks and overwhelm them with sheer physicality. But at this rate, he wasn't overwhelming anyone; he was just getting beaten up.
-Kuh! You’re quite skilled. But how long can you keep that up?!
Human stamina and mental fortitude were not infinite resources.
His opponent, currently lost in the heat of battle, would eventually grow tired and weak.
He gnashed his teeth, thinking that would be his chance to repay this humiliation.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ is delighted that an infinite-health training dummy has appeared!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ exclaims that this is a chance to practice combos he couldn’t finish because his opponents always broke apart!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ comments that he's meatier than Cap’n Bill, making him more satisfying to beat up!]
Unfortunately, he had no way of understanding what the Tin Knight was saying.
But it didn't matter.
The world had a wonderful means of communication called body language.
Three hours after the battle began, the Tin Knight discovered air combos. The Immortal Killer was sliced to pieces without ever touching the ground.
Six hours after the battle began, urged by his companions to eat, the Tin Knight slammed the Immortal Killer upside down into the ground and enjoyed his meal.
Nine hours after the battle began, the Tin Knight sheathed his sword and began to beat the Immortal Killer with his fists.
Twelve hours after the battle began, the Tin Knight deliberately let the Immortal Killer go, only to demolish him with counterattacks whenever he charged.
Fifteen hours after the battle began, when the Immortal Killer tried to flee, the Tin Knight caught and released him seven times.
Eighteen hours after the battle began, Adelaide and the Tin Knight used their weapons as rackets and the Immortal Killer as a shuttlecock to enjoy a game of badminton. They offered to let Sophia and Dorothea join, but were refused.
Twenty-one hours after the battle began, the Tin Knight started using the Immortal Killer as bait for fishing. No fish were caught. The Tin Knight beat him some more out of disappointment.
Twenty-four hours after the battle began, the Tin Knight, claiming he was finally getting the hang of it, began to build a sandcastle using only the shockwaves from slicing and pummeling the Immortal Killer.
But alas, the Tin Knight’s masterpiece would never be completed.
Just as the Tin Knight was about to fully immerse himself in his artistic endeavors, the Immortal Killer’s body crumbled away like sand.
With his mask shattered, the Tin Knight had to watch with lingering regret as the Immortal Killer departed this world with a look of utter bliss on his face.
*
“By the way, weren’t you clumsy with this sort of thing at first?”
Looking at the Great Wall of Sand you had created, Dorothea tilted her head in confusion.
She was right.
Although you thought you had inherited all of the Tin Knight’s techniques, they were skills ‘engraved’ on your body, not ones you could ‘recall’ as memories.
If anything, it was like riding a bicycle after a long time, the body automatically using skills it had learned before.
It was as if you instinctively knew what to do the moment a battle started.
However, this ‘body memory’ was mostly focused on combat, so it wasn't particularly effective for other tasks.
Things like cooking or craftsmanship, like building a raft. (Of course, the cooking incident was also partly your fault for not thinking.)
But perhaps thanks to the successive battles during your journey, you felt the Tin Knight’s techniques steadily accumulating within you.
It wasn't a feeling like, ‘Press the A button to use Skill 1.’
It was the very method—how to swing the sword, how to move your mana, each and every detail.
Of course, this didn't dramatically increase your combat power, but it was quite helpful for applying it to ‘non-combat elements’ like this.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says it is the result of steady effort!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ wishes to express his gratitude to his masked friend for helping him practice!]