Jujutsushi 279.1
Chapter 279: The Great Warrior
TL : Cnine
ED/PF :
R1[1-3], R2[4-6]
Part 1
===Goma's POV===
GWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
The kingdom erupted in cheers as the Great Warrior — Gira Gogma — Zagan finally returned home.
「Glory to Zagan-sama!」
「Long live our Great Warrior Chief!」
「He’s the hero who wiped out the humans!」
Everyone, young and old, packed the streets, shouting their lungs out in celebration.
Zagan waved back with his big, steady hand — calm, cool, and totally composed. There was no smugness, no exaggerated grin. Just the quiet confidence of someone accustomed to being cheered by thousands.
Yeah. That’s what a real Great Warrior looks like.
「Hey, look! It’s a human!」
「It's human corpse!」
「Ugh, that’s sick!」
A short distance behind Zagan, who led the parade, a massive wooden board was hoisted into the air. Nailed to it was the body of a human, split clean down the middle — a brutal spectacle displayed for all to see.
「People of the kingdom, feast your eyes! This is the human our Great Warrior Chief, Zagan-sama, defeated with his own hands!」
「See? Even the evil humans are no match for our warriors!」
The two Govu soldiers flanking the corpse shouted proudly, and the entire street exploded into cheers, screams, and frenzied excitement that shook the air itself.
The wild celebration wasn’t just because their sworn enemies — the humans — had been wiped out.
It was also fueled by a royal announcement that had kept the kingdom on edge: a powerful group of humans had appeared near their borders.
King Ouma, ruler of the Goma, learned of it immediately. He issued his command and dispatched troops to annihilate them.
Leading the charge was the Great Warrior Chief himself, Zagan.
And just as expected, he returned victorious.
There was no better news.
The kingdom was safe, protected by its guardian, Zagan.
Even if an army of humans blessed by some evil god appeared, the Goma Kingdom would not fall.
Amid the roaring celebration, Zagan proceeded directly toward the king.
To the massive temple built around the ancient 『Tower of Trials』—a colossal spire rising from the heart of the kingdom.
That was where the King of the Goma, Ouma, awaited him.
Ouma was not merely a strong warrior seated upon a throne.
He was the ruler.
The one most blessed by the God of Goma.
A king among kings. The chosen one.
Even Zagan, the strongest Goma in the entire kingdom, dropped to one knee and bowed his head in absolute respect.
「Great Warrior Chief Zagan, reporting my return.」
His sharp voice echoed throughout the throne room.
As thin silk curtains were drawn aside, the king came into view, seated upon a throne dyed red as blood.
King Ouma did not possess a large or imposing frame.
At first glance, he appeared almost frail—an elderly Govu.
But no one in their right mind would ever call him weak.
With his long white hair and beard—features unique to him alone in the entire kingdom—he radiated a presence that felt almost sacred.
Even among the Goma, who worshipped strength above all else, his mysterious appearance alone was enough to make anyone tremble in awe.
Standing at either side of the near-divine king were several of the kingdom’s most beautiful women.
They were draped in silk, adorned with glittering ornaments, and each bore a noticeably swollen belly.
A little further out stood four of the king’s highest-ranking warriors—his personal guards—holding their weapons in perfect stillness.
One of them, like Zagan, bore the title of Great Warrior.
To surround oneself with the finest women and the strongest fighters was the clearest mark of a true king.
Ordinary Goma could not even lift their eyes to such a sight. Prostration was their only option.
But Zagan, Chief of the Great Warriors, stood second only to King Ouma himself.
Even within the throne room, he stood tall and unwavering, showing not the slightest trace of fear.
「Mm. You’ve made it back, Zagan.」
The king spoke with satisfaction, clearly pleased by Zagan’s proud and imposing bearing.
「So then—how powerful were those humans?」
As he stroked the long, snow-white beard unique to him, Ouma directed the question toward Zagan.
「All of them appeared dangerously capable. Every human I encountered bore the blessing of an Evil God. Even those who did not participate in the battle undoubtedly possessed some form of power.」
「I see… And were you able to identify their leader?」
「I cannot distinguish their hideous human faces, Your Majesty. However, there was one—one who possessed truly immense power. Even during our brief exchange, he alone was able to match me while I was using 『Giga(Gigantification)』.」
「Someone survived a one-on-one with you even in your gigantic state… Was that one white or black?」
「He shone with an intensely bright, radiant white light.」
「I see… So a 『Child of Light』, blessed by the White Mad God, has appeared…」
Ouma closed his eyes, sinking into thought.
Unable to grasp the king’s deeper intentions, Zagan lowered his head and waited in silence.
「It seems these humans truly are fearsome bearers of divine blessings. But Zagan—do you consider them your equals?」
「With respect, they are not foes I can afford to lower my guard against. If granted another opportunity to face them, I will engage fully prepared.」
「Heh. Zagan, you may be too cautious. As Chief of the Great Warriors, could you not carry yourself with a bit more grandeur?」
「My apologies, Your Majesty. It is simply my nature.」
「Yes, precisely why I favour you. There is no other I would trust to lead the Great Warriors.」
Goma society worshipped strength above all else.
Boasting was commonplace, and Goma men constantly sought opportunities to display their might.
Humility simply did not exist.
That was why Zagan—calm, observant, and analytical, never underestimating an opponent—was such a rare figure among them.
A man of such composure, born as a Blessed Child, raised as an elite, and honed into the kingdom’s strongest Great Warrior.
Truly, Zagan was King Ouma’s right-hand man.
「Our kin that were sent throughout the Great Ruins have been slain one after another just recently. Among them was the pioneer village of the man to whom I gave my daughter.」
「Without a doubt, the humans are responsible.」
「Indeed. They descended from the surface, crossed the vast Great Ruin, and have now intruded upon the territory of my kingdom. A most serious matter indeed.」
「Yes, sire. Until every human is wiped out, the kingdom will know no peace.」
Ouma nodded firmly and asked Zagan:
「Can we defeat them without the Great Warrior?」
「It will be difficult. We will need at least three Gogma to be certain of killing them.」
「Hm, I see… Perhaps it was a mistake to turn it into a contest among the younger warriors.」
Zagan’s unit had been formed with speed as its top priority, gathering only those who could assemble at once. It was, in effect, a reconnaissance force. Normally, a unit of that scale would not require Zagan, the Great Warrior Chief, to lead it personally, but he chose to do so in order to witness the humans’ strength firsthand.
Because it was Zagan, he understood the danger of operating with such limited numbers. Even though humans were the Goma’s most dangerous foes, he remained level-headed, avoided reckless pursuit, and chose retreat over needless losses.
Meanwhile, Ouma ordered a pursuit of the humans who had escaped from Zagan’s party.
For this purpose, he assembled a unit composed mainly of hot-blooded, ambitious young warriors below the rank of Great Warrior. They were sent out with the promise of glory, should they succeed in slaying humans.
Among the Goma, consuming humans grants power, and killing them is regarded as the highest honour. Driven by that desire, the young warriors rushed forward——but if Zagan’s judgement was correct, a single hundred-man unit would never be enough to wipe out the entire human group.
「Many of them won’t be satisfied unless they’re allowed to fight at least a little. Even if they cannot win, giving them the chance to challenge the enemy still has value.」
「Young warriors are reckless creatures. I wish some would learn from you, but all they ever see are your feats of valour.」
「Showing my strength is part of my responsibility as the Great Warrior Chief.」
「Indeed, Zagan. In this campaign against the humans, you must prove your strength.」
「May we deploy the Great Warrior Unit?」
「Patience. Do you know what those humans seek?」
「...If they’ve come from the upper levels all the way down here, their goal must be the deepest depths of the Great Ruin.」
Ouma nodded deeply, a satisfied smile crossing his face.
「Then we have no reason to go out of our way to meet them.」
「So they will come to the 『Tower of Trials』.」
「They will come. Without fail—guided by their evil god.」
Ouma spoke with absolute conviction.
Even Zagan knew little about the evil god worshipped by humans.
The commonly known myth claimed that this being was the eternal nemesis of the Goma’s own deity, and that the conflict between humans and Goma was merely an echo of that ancient feud.
It was also believed that the evil god granted blessings to humans, bestowing upon them great and terrifying power—a corrupt strength meant to destroy the sacred Goma people.
Zagan had fought long enough to have killed and eaten humans several times. Every one of them had been a formidable enemy, empowered by the blessings of evil gods. Those battles taught him just how absurdly powerful such blessings could be.
But in truth, that was all he knew—only what he had experienced firsthand.
King Ouma, however, was chosen by the Goma god and possessed divine knowledge beyond Zagan’s reach. He undoubtedly understood far more about humans and their evil god.