Having lost the tournament, Naruto was now sitting in the audience with Kazuma's party. He was looking forward to watching Joe face off against his father.

It was a bummer he wouldn't get the chance to become the Conqueror. But seeing as he had been a complete newbie to Beast Taming, he was satisfied with how far he'd gotten. He also learned a lot in the battles he'd fought, and had a lot of fun as well.

Plus, there was always next year!

"M-more tea, Naruto-sama?"

"Ah, yes. Thank you."

"I bought you some snacks as well! My treat!"

"Oh, how thoughtful of you. This looks delicious!"

Aqua was doing her best to fulfill her role as a maid, as she still had a few days left of service.

Well, that and she probably felt horrible for being the sole reason Naruto had been disqualified.

"Your treat, my ass! Where were you hiding that third cupcake!?"

Kazuma barked when he noticed the Arch Priest handing the shinobi the Giant Toad themed treat.

Aqua's expression cracked, but her eyes remained locked on her "master" as Naruto took a sip of his cup.

"Aqua, you silly girl. This is just hot water."

"M-my deepest apologies, Naruto-sama… I will brew you a fresh batch!"

Aqua responded and bowed deeply. She was about to fetch her kettle when Naruto put a hand up.

"That's okay, Aqua. I'm quite enjoying its lack of flavor. It reminds me of something else I'm lacking right now…"

Naruto trailed off and tapped his chin in thought, causing the girl to flinch.

"I-I'm sorry…"

Aqua apologized again and bowed multiple times.

"Y-you know, if I hadn't been sleeping… I might have been able to catch that girl before she found those fish. So please, punish me in Aqua's stead! I insist!"

Darkness chimed in while looking at the shinobi with an eager expression.

"...No, you would just enjoy it. Also, why would I punish you when you were the only one to help me catch the rest of my monsters?"

Naruto replied to the knight with a deadpan expression, causing her to deflate.

But then again, if she enjoyed punishment… Then wouldn't punishing her be a form of thanking her?

"Actually, I'll think about it."

Naruto decidedly said with a nod, earning an elated gasp from the Crusader.

"W-what are you going to do!? Kazuma is always sexually harassing me at the mansion… Are you going to try and outdo him!? Or maybe you'll work together as the Panty and Bra Thief Brothers again like you did at my parent's home! No, wait! Are you going to unleash that demon fox on me!? Ugh… I can only imagine how pent up a creature with that much power could be!"

Darkness went off on a tangent, all while eyeing the shinobi with a wild expression that made him shiver.

"...On second thought, never mind. I'm good. Kurama also says he wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole."

"Wha-"

While Darkness went on to beg Naruto to change his mind again, Kazuma sighed and turned to his final party member. The Crimson Demon seemed to be brooding over something.

"Hey, you're being awfully quiet. Are you jealous of how little screen time you've been getting?"

"I don't know what you're implying, but I was just thinking about what my introductory line is going to be when I challenge the victor of this upcoming battle. The strongest monster, against the strongest magic! Surely, this was a match made in heaven!"

Megumin declared while rubbing her hands together gleefully.

Kazuma's expression shifted into a deadpan as he looked up to see the tattered roof of the magical tent, and the many gaping holes it had sustained from the previous matches.

Would this place even be able to withstand an Explosion at this point?

"Do what you want after the tournament, but your Explosion magic is sealed while we're in here. I wouldn't want you to bring anymore debt to our party when we're still not even in the clear with that Leek guy."

"!?"

Megumin's mouth gaped, but she kept her complaints to herself. She would have her time in the limelight, and there was nothing Kazuma OR Naruto could do to stop her.

"After six compelling battles, we have this year's Conqueror Candidate! Joe!"

Aomidori declared while raising her son's arm into the air, earning a roar of cheers from the audience.

Joe was brimming with excitement as he waved to the cheering people with his other arm.

He did it! After years of raising Zard, honing his skills as a tamer through countless battles, and rigorously training his new monsters this last year… It was finally time to face his father!

'Rook… Volt… Nido… Ser… Thank you for helping me get here. I won't let you guys down!'

The young boy thought and gripped his fist tightly.

"You've done well to make it this far, dear son of mine. I still think you would have been an exceptional Arch Wizard, but you are your father's child."

Aomidori said to her child with a soft smile, prompting the young boy to smile widely. But her expression turned wicked as he faced the audience once more.

"Come forward, Conqueror! Show us what beasts you have scoured the ends of the world to find! The ultimate team… One that strikes fear into the Demon King Army itself!"

The Crimson Demon shouted, her arms spread wide as smoke began to pour into the arena from the tunnels that led to the waiting rooms.

A silhouette became visible in the smoke, and was soon followed by four other figures. Each larger than the one before it.

Ryozo emerged from the smoke, along with various monsters that were truly a sight to behold.

A small purple cat with a rainbow colored horn protruding on its forehead appeared first before hopping onto the man's shoulder.

Then, a second much larger cat emerged from the smoke. This feline resembled that of a tiger, but its fur was a striking white that almost seemed to be shimmering like a dancing flame.

Next came a large purple reptile with a long snout. It had countless fangs sticking out from its mouth, giving the monster a vicious appearance.

Finally, an enormous figure that loomed over the rest broke free from the mist. It held a humanoid shape, but its yellow armor gleamed in the light that shined down from the magical lights.

"Ladies and gentlemen… Boys and girls… I am Ryozo! Legendary Beast Tamer that holds the title of chief AND Nuzloft Conqueror in this fair village! With me, I have brought six of the strongest monsters that this world has to offer!"

Ryozo declared before gesturing towards his monsters one by one.

"This is Poppy, my Unicat. Don't let her size fool you, this little brat will leave you seeing stars! Hahaha! Next we have Taiga, my White Tiger! This mythical creature can produce a flame that can purify any undead! This fella is Bruno, my Brutal Alligator! His jaws are so powerful\, he can tear through iron bars with ease! Finally we have GoGo, my Iron Golem! Good luck damaging its armor, because you'll have to get past its electric powered punches first!"

The man enthusiastically revealed the names and species of each of his beasts.

"Eldin! Eldin! Eldin! Eldin!"

Some of the returning audience members began to chant, with the newcomers looking around in confusion.

What was an Eldin?

"Heh… It seems you have some fans, Eldin. I wasn't planning on calling down my ace this year, but we can't let our fans down, now can we!?"

Ryozo said before he brought his fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly.

A few seconds passed by and nothing seemed to happen, but a shadow suddenly flew over the holes of the tent which caught the attention of most of the spectators.

"For those who are new to the Nuzloft Tournament, this is my ace. Eldin, the Elder dragon."

Ryozo revealed just as a massive creature tore through the roof of the tent and released an ear splitting roar.

With a bulk that compared to even that of the Wizard Predator, and a wingspan that barely fit within the compound, Eldin landed on the arena with a thud that threatened the very foundation of the magic tent.

"So that's a dragon… It's terrifying!"

Kazuma whispered to himself as he gazed upon the Elder Dragon. He heard rumors that Mitsurugi's party had defeated a dragon, but there was no way that was true! Something like this went past the meaning of the term "monster".

He then turned to see the reactions of his party members. Megumin had stars in her eyes, the legendary beast likely resonating with her chunni personality.

Aqua seemed terrified, as the girl was holding her knees to her chest and shivering. But that was most likely due to the sight of the Brutal Alligator. The poor girl was probably still traumatized.

Both Naruto and Darkness were basically frothing at the mouth, and Kazuma didn't need to mind reading magic to guess what was going on in their busted heads.

I want to fight that!

The two blondes shared a glance, looked at the Elder Dragon again, then turned back to each other before giving each other a thumbs up.

'Something tells me I need to watch those two… They've been getting along recently.'

Kazuma thought with narrow eyes, but relented a sigh as he leaned back in his seat to resume watching the show.

'Rest in peace, Zard. But thank you for freeing us from our debt.'

Joe resisted the urge to run, despite every cell in his body telling him to do so at the sight of his father's most powerful monster.

'Father has used Eldin every year since he and mom started the Nuzloft Challenge… It's why he's been undefeated. But I've come too far… We've come too far to give up now!'

With the thought of his fallen comrades boosting his morale once more, Joe threw his Scroll Ball into the air.

Zard burst free and landed on the ground with a thump. The Lizard Runner then looked up to find the Elder Dragon glaring down at him. But to the smaller reptile's credit, it held its ground and even hissed at its to-be opponent.

"The rules of the Conqueror's challenge are quite simple. We will both be using one monster for this final battle! The winner of this bout will be named this year's Conqueror of Nuzloft!"

Ryozo explained as he paced in front of his line of monsters

"Now tell me, folks… Which of my six companions should I use? Poppy? Taiga? Bruno? GoGo? Perhaps Eldin once more?"

The man teased the crowd, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Eldin! Eldin! Eldin! Eldin!"

The audience roared with even more power, as now the newcomers join in on the chanting upon seeing the Elder Dragon.

"Wahahaha! Eldin has indeed gained quite the fanbase, haven't you boy?"

Ryozo bellowed with laughter, giving the dragon a few pats on its massive leg.

"But I'm sure some of you have noticed… I have merely revealed only five of the six monsters that I promised. My dear audience, your chief and conqueror has brought a treat for you all this year. For I have found a creature so vile, that even Eldin himself grows weary at its presence!"

The chief declared, and at the snap of his fingers, all of the lights in the stadium grew dim. A deep haze filled the arena once more, with the sunshine pouring in from the gaping hole in the roof now being the only source of light.

Two glowing red eyes appeared within the shadows, which instantly caught the breath of those unfortunate enough to see them.

Eldin, along with the other monsters, shuffled uncomfortably upon feeling the presence of its master's sixth monster. But a few pats from the chief kept the beasts from taking off.

Joe and Aomidori gulped as the creature made its way towards the light from within the fog.

"My dear audience. I obtained this… thing from a traveler who bore a suspicious mask. He told me: 'use this child, and your show will seared into the minds of all who bear witness!'. Now, I did not know this man, nor did I tell him about my show. How did he know? How did he come into possession of such a creature that even Eldin, my most powerful monster, refuses to face in combat?"

Ryozo elaborated as the entity, now but a silhouette in the darkness, stood at the edge of the shadows. Its eyes glowered at each and every person that looked at it, radiating a malice so evil that some people even thought about leaving to escape the haunted feeling.

"I have named it Tobi… Now tell me again, my dear audience. Which of my six monsters do you wish for me to use to defend my title?"

The chief of Nuzloft asked with a knowing grin sprawled across his face.

'This feeling… It's familiar.'

Naruto thought as he stared at the menacing eyes behind Ryozo. He turned to look at Aqua to find the girl was glaring daggers at the creature.

Without a doubt, that thing was a demon.

The shinobi unbuckled the strap on his kunai holster. He wouldn't interfere with the battle unless he needed to, but he would be prepared just in case Ryozo lost control.

After all, unlike the green demon Aomidori had summoned at the start of the Tournament, this Tobi was giving off a vibe that was similar to that of a certain Duke of Hell.

"Tobi… Tobi… Tobi…"

Someone from the crowd started saying, their voice gradually becoming louder as more and more people joined in on the chant until most, if not all of the audience was cheering for the mystery monster.

"The people have spoken! My precious monsters, please vacate the arena. I wouldn't want any of you to get caught in the fight."

Ryozo said before snapping his fingers, and his other five monsters burst into action to vacate the area to get as far away from Tobi as they could.

With the stadium now clear for their battle, the chief locked eyes with his son.

"Joe, my son! It has been the greatest pleasure watching you grow into the fine Beast Tamer that I see standing before me now! I have traveled across the world, and met so many people and monsters that you wouldn't even believe! But not one of them could hold a candle to my team… Save for your mother, of course."

Ryozo started while muttering the last bit so the magic item would project his voice.

"Do you know what that means, son? I'll tell you! I am the most powerful Beast Tamer in the world!"

The man shouted before thrusting his arm forward, and Tobi burst from the shadows!

Zard, who had been trembling with fright, shrieked and shut its eyes as it was overcome with terror.

Joe let out a shrill scream as the entity pounced on his friend. It all happened so fast, and the fear felt so real. He was helpless.

Zard could feel each and every blow on his body. Pound after pound, Tobi relentlessly assaulted the Lizard Runner with attacks it had never experienced in all of its years of battling.

It was over… It was… It… It didn't hurt?

"U-uhh…"

Joe stuttered as the fear began to subside, and he got a better look at what had emerged from the darkness.

It looked like a doll of a man wearing a black suit, and it wore a suspicious looking mask over its eyes.

Zard eventually opened his eyes and looked down at Tobi. The little thing was punching and kicking at the Lizard Runner's foot with its stubby limbs.

A bead of sweat rolled down Joe's face as he glanced around the audience. It seemed nearly all of them squeezed their eyes shut in fear of looking at Tobi directly.

Naruto and Aqua, who looked like they were about to leap out of their seats, sat back down with deadpan expressions on their faces.

Without a doubt, that was a Vanir Doll.

Joe scratched the back of his head before he ordered Zard to attack, to which the Lizard Runner simply kicked the thing that was tickling his foot.

Ryozo's face paled as his monster flew through the air. That was it!? That was the extent of the power of the creature the suspicious man had sold to him!?

'F-fifty thousand Eris… It's just like buying that one useless monster at the beginning of that game…'

The chief thought as he gripped his hair when a thought occurred to him.

Wait! If this was just like that game, then maybe he just needed to train Tobi and it would advance! He needed to call off the match before-

Boom!

Joe and Zard flinched when Tobi exploded upon hitting the ground, and an ear splitting scream followed suit.

"AHHHHH!"

Ryozo shouted and ripped his hair right off of his head as the bond between man and Tobi was shattered.

'My money!'

They were still paying off the tent which was going to need repairs after his stunt with Eldin… The town was in so much debt, they were barely making ends meet with the funds that they gained each year from the Nuzloft Tournament.

Aomidori was going to kill him!

"Ah…"

Ryozo muttered when he realized everyone's eyes were on him. The explosion must have shook everyone out of their fear, including his very confused wife.

His beautiful wife, who always stuck by him. Despite the fact that he once made fun of her chunni eccentricities, which he now adored her for of course.

Eccentricities… That was it!

"A-ah! AHHHHHH!"

The man suddenly started screaming, albeit a bit more forced than before. He then collapsed to his hands and knees while gripping his heart.

"D-dad!"

Joe shouted and ran over to his father, helping the man to his feet.

"I-I have been freed from the clutches of that vile demon… Thank you, my son! You have indeed proven yourself worthy of the title of Conqueror!"

Ryozo said through a strained voice while making a cut-throat motion towards one of his staff members.

The employee quickly gathered their coworkers and dispersed into the audience to begin vacating the arena.

"Indeed. Congratulations, Joe. For becoming our village's new Conqueror!"

Aomidori agreed and pulled the boy away from his father to show him off to the vacating audience.

Truth be told, Joe was more than worthy of the title of Conqueror. Eldin was just sort of a cheat code in these battles, as Ryozo was only able to tame the legendary dragon with the gift he had received from the gods all those years ago.

He wondered what the goddess was doing now? Was she proud of what he had been able to accomplish with his second chance at life?

Looking back on his years in this wonderful world, Ryozo felt that he had accomplished all that he could have hoped for.

'Thank you… Goddess Aqua.'

Although he no longer remembered her face, he would forever remember the kindness she-

"God Blow!"

"Buhah!?"

Ryozo collapsed to the ground once more when someone punched him in the face.

Looking up, his eyes were nearly blinded by the light that shone from the tears in the tent. But as his eyes adjusted, he found a very angry woman wearing a blue maid's uniform glaring down at him.

'The maid that accidentally sabotaged the Hero Candidate's battle?'

No… He knew that face. The striking blue eyes and lucious blue hair.

"A-Aqua-sama!?"

"Don't worry, chief guy! I'll make sure all of the demonic energy is wiped clean from your system!"

Aqua declared while cracking her knuckles menacingly.

He didn't recognize her before due to the silly maid's outfit, but was this really the goddess that had sent him on his journey to become the most powerful Beast Tamer!?

'Ah, wait… My original objective was to defeat the Demon King, but I got a little distracted… I-is she here to exact divine punishment on me!?'

Ryozo thought with wide eyes.

"W-wait, Aqua! My father should have been freed from the demon's clutches! There's no need to purify him anymore!"

Joe pleaded with the Arch Priest in an attempt to stop her from using her rather unorthodox purification techniques. Of all the healing spells he'd learned about in the books his mother made him read, not one spell involved the user punching the target they intended to purify.

But he was too scared of the priestess to entirely get in her way.

"It's okay, Joe. Let the Arch Priest complete her purification ritual. It's better to be safe than sorry."

Aomidori said and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, prompting surprised looks from both father and son.

"Mother!?"

"E-eeeek!"

Ryozo squealed as Aqua moved forward, a devilish smile on her face. Should a goddess really have an expression like that!?

"Hold it, Aqua!"

Someone shouted, and Aqua flinched upon hearing the voice.

Joe and Ryozo sighed in relief when they saw Naruto and Kazuma making their way over to them, with Megumin and Darkness following behind.

"Tch!"

Aomidori quietly sucked her teeth, earning a bitter smile from Joe.

Just what did his father do this time to procure his mother's wrath?

Kazuma stormed right up to Aqua and forced her into a bow.

"W-we're so sorry!"

"Ah, no. It's quite alright. Your Arch Priest was just doing her job. I should be thanking you."

Ryozo replied as he picked himself off of the ground and dusted himself off. He should count himself lucky if this Kazuma person was able to suppress a goddess's wrath.

"No, I should have been able to stop her from even coming onto the arena. But I was a little distracted."

Kazuma further apologized while sending pointed looks towards Naruto and Darkness, who immediately averted their gazes.

The moment Aqua took off, the two had tried to make a run for the exit. Most likely to and try to find that Elder Dragon.

Seeing as the death of the chief's most powerful monster severely outweighed anything Aqua could have done with both Joe and Aomidori present, Kazuma had chosen the lesser of two evils.

"I hope this doesn't hinder any potential business arrangements…"

Kazuma asked in a hopeful tone, but to his relief, Ryozo laughed.

"Of course not, dear boy! But, I must be transparent with you… Due to unforeseen circumstances, this poor chief is, well… Poor. In light of that, I do not have the funds to spare for your magic item at this time. You could sell them yourself in town, but I fear that it might interfere with our village's already unstable economy. So, perhaps next year?"

Ryozo sheepishly explained with a tone of regret in his voice.

"Ah, no… I understand."

Kazuma's face fell.

They came all this way, went through all of those hardships, sat through this gruesome tournament, and he wasn't even going to be able to sell the Scroll Balls to the only people capable of using the magic item!?

Naruto walked over to his fellow adventurer and clapped him on the back.

"That's okay, Kazuma! There's plenty of good paying quests at the guild! Yunyun and I are always willing to lend you guys a hand! In fact, there's this one quest with a Griffin and Manticore fighting over territory that I've been meaning to accept for a while now…"

The shinobi said with a cheeky grin, with Megumin and Darkness eagerly nodding behind him.

Great… Naruto seemed to be resonating strongly with those two. Also, a Griffin and Manticore fighting over territory? Who would want to get in between those powerful monsters?

Crazies! That's who!

Kazuma had been lying when he said he'd come back to adventuring! It was all a ploy to sell these damn Scroll Balls and get rich!

Why bother risking his life doing quests and fighting the Demon King's army if he could just hire someone else to do it from the comfort of his home?

But now his plan was ruined, because nothing ever went as planned in this god forsaken world!

"So, what are we going to do now? Look for Kiki?"

Darkness asked while tapping her fingers together hopefully.

"I suppose. But before that, what do you get for winning the tournament, Joe? Along with an esteemed title, you mentioned a grand prize, right?"

Megumin eagerly asked the new Conqueror, causing the younger boy to step from her sudden closeness.

"Oh, yes. The grand prize… One befitting that of a Conqueror! Here, my son! It may not fit you now, but maybe when you're older… Ah, but it's not made of real gold. We're on a tight budget, you see…"

Ryozo said and pulled out a large golden belt to which he presented to Joe.

Seeing the lackluster expressions from the adventurers, the chief was quick to add.

"If you come next year, I plan on having a performance before the tournament-Owowowow! D-dear? M-my ear…!"

"You are all more than welcome to stay for as long as you need. But if you'll excuse us, I need to have a very important discussion with my husband."

Aomidori said with a pleasant smile on her face, causing the chief of Nuzloft to go pale. She was about to drag the man off towards the waiting rooms when something smashed into the arena.

The tent shook from the impact, causing everyone to look up in surprise.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Ryozo shook out of his wife's grasp and made a run for one of the exits.

"M-my word! This chief better investigate what happened! We'll talk later, my dear! Come on, Poppy!"

"Ah! He escaped!"

Aomidori cursed under her breath as her husband hastily fled with his Unicat. She then turned to Joe, causing the boy to straighten his stance attentively.

"Joe, would you be a dear and keep an eye on your father so he doesn't esca-get into trouble?"

She asked with that same pleasant smile on her face, and her son silently nodded before hopping on top of Zard and following after his father.

"She was totally about to say escape…"

"Yeah…"

Kazuma and Naruto whispered while smiling wryly, but both jumped when the woman's gaze fell upon them.

"W-we'll help Joe!"

"Y-yeah, come on everyone!"

Upon exiting the tent, the group circled the tent to find Ryozo standing next to a large scrapheap of metal, similar to that of the Wizard Predator.

"What's going on?"

Kazuma asked, making sure to keep a safe distance away from the sparking metal.

The chief turned to face them, his face grim.

"This Forbidden Beast suddenly appeared in the village and attacked. Luckily, Poppy and I made it in time. We would have been ruined if that thing damaged my poor tent anymore…"

Ryozo said with a shiver, the thought of his wife's reaction still fresh on his mind.

Naruto looked towards the mountain, where the supposed Forbidden Cave was located. Did something happen?

"Father!"

The group's attention was drawn to Joe as the boy made his way over to them while riding Zard.

"Father, you were right… There are more Forbidden Beasts heading this way! They're coming out of the lake! They'll be here any minute!"

Joe shouted, earning the attention of some of the surrounding villagers.

Before they had a chance to panic, Ryozo flipped his cape and walked over to the center of the village.

"Tamers of Nuzloft! This is your chief, Ryozo! I call upon you to lend me your strength! In just a few minutes, our great village will be under attack by creatures that dwell from the Forbidden Cave! I do not know why, but I have faith in our strength. For we are Beast Tamers!"

Ryozo shouted as more and more people gathered to see what the commotion was about. Some were frightened, while others seemed elated at the chance to test their might against the entities they had previously been forbidden to face.

Megumin's eyes flashed a brilliant crimson. Now was her chance!

"I am Megumin! The number one mage of Axel! My calling is that of an Arch Wizard, and I wield the ultimate magic that is Explosion! With me, I have the Hero Candidate Naruto Uzumaki, and the man that has taken down three high bounty targets, Kazuma Satou! So fear not! We shall fight by your side this day!"

The Crimson Demon declared while striking a dramatic pose.

Naruto snickered. He was going to announce the same thing, minus the weird poses, but he decided to let Megumin have her moment.

The tamers were already feeling motivated, but the little girl's declaration seemed to ignite their passion even further.

"We will protect our home!"

"Let's smash those tin cans!"

"For Nuzloft!"

The villagers shouted before they ran off to retrieve their bonded monsters.

"Excellent! Those who can fight, we shall hold the line here! Those who cannot, please gather inside the tent! My dear Aomidori shall ensure your safety!"

Ryozo shouted before turning back towards Megumin and the others.

"Thank you, adventurers. I appreciate your support in our time of need."

"Of course! It's an adventurer's duty to fight monsters and protect humanity! Aqua will provide healing, right Aqua?"

Naruto replied with his trademark grin. But when the goddess didn't respond, he turned to find her rummaging through the scrapheap. She must have gotten bored.

"But why are they attacking now? Has something like this happened before?"

Darkness asked, because from what she understood, the village has been here for years now and there hadn't been one mention of an attack from the monsters of the Forbidden Cave.

As much as she was looking forward to testing her mettle against a beast like the Wizard Predator, this whole situation seemed fishy.

The others seemed to catch on to her suspicions as they nodded as well.

"Father?"

Joe asked upon seeing the chief's troubled face, and the man eventually sighed.

"I suppose there's no point in keeping it a secret. Long ago, your mother and I came across this land and took note of its vast ecosystems. Upon exploring the seemingly empty cave on the mountainside, we made a startling discovery."

Ryozo started, and the group were entranced by the sudden backstory.

"The cave was once a research facility for a lost civilization. To our surprise, I found a green journal that had been left behind that contained a note written by the lead researcher! They were using the various species of monsters found in this region for their research… But that's as far as the notes took me. I had to know more, because it sounded just like that game!"

Ryozo exclaimed while rubbing his chin gleefully, but upon seeing the strange looks from the bunch, he hastily continued.

"We ventured further in and found a large metal door. It was sealed, and not even Aomidori, with her amazing intelligence stat, could solve the puzzle to open the door. Our failed attempts must have triggered a security measure, because we found ourselves surrounded by the Forbidden Beasts. We barely escaped with our lives."

The chief said and lifted the side of his shirt to reveal a large scar.

"So… You and mom were the ones to release the Forbidden Beasts?"

Joe asked, earning a nod from his father.

"Indeed, son. Which is why I decided this was a prime location to build Nuzloft. I made it my quest to seal the Forbidden Cave to protect this world from its inhabitants. Then, maybe one day, I would solve the mystery hidden within that door. Luckily, those things never left the cave unless provoked. Until today, that is."

Ryozo finished with a solemn nod, and a heavy silence fell over the group.

"If they're uncharacteristically coming out of the mountain… Then that must mean someone went into the Forbidden Cave and triggered another security measure."

Kazuma deduced, his face growing pale. This whole backstory sounded eerily familiar. If his memory served correctly regarding that game, whatever was hidden behind that door needed to stay behind that door.

"It was probably Mr. Leech and Roaric… How else would they have gotten their hands on a Wizard Predator? They must have used the Scroll Ball to get it out of there."

Joe muttered with a scornful tone, causing Kazuma to nervously avert his gaze.

Naruto blinked when a thought occurred to him. He remembered seeing two people riding a boat towards the mountain yesterday… Was that them back then?

"Chief! We're ready to fight!"

The group turned to find an incredible sight.

The majority of Nuzloft's population was making their way to their location, each with multiple monsters following their lead.

But while it was amazing to see so many monsters in one place, the area seemed rather clustered. If they went into battle like this…

Kazuma felt a pair of eyes on him, and he turned to see Naruto staring at him with a wistful smile on his face.

'Yeah… I figured something like this was going to happen.'

Kazuma thought, but he relented a sigh as he made his way towards the crowd.

"Hey, everyone! My name is Kazuma Satou! I'm the guy who created the Scroll Ball! Listen, it'll be too chaotic if you all just charge into battle with a mob of monsters like that! So… What I'm trying to say is… AHHH, just hurry up and grab a Scroll Ball!"

Kazuma announced and brought forth his entire inventory from his Storage Scroll.

The magic items barely hit the floor when the Beast Tamers all but pounced on them.

Turning away from what was now locking in his red digits, Kazuma found his party members smiling at him.

Oh no. They were NOT doing one of those sappy praising moments.

"Save it. Now, are we gonna defend this village or what?"

"Actually, I have a task for you adventurers if you don't mind. You too, Joe."

Ryozo suddenly said, and all eyes fell on him once more.

"Would you go and investigate the Forbidden Cave?"

A/N: Joe becomes the new Conqueror, and now the village is under attack! Just what did you do, Leech!?

This arc has been quite a ride, if I do say so myself. This chapter in particular was very lore heavy. Lol

Let me know what you guys think!

Spirit Out!