I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

The King tried to roar once more. Its mouth opened, its eyes widened, but no sound came out. Its gigantic maw simply remained open as glowing cracks spread across its entire body, golden light escaping through the fissures as though the creature were falling apart from the inside out.

The two halves began to collapse. At first slowly, then faster, the King’s body crumbled into pieces that struck the ground with dull thuds. Entire chunks turned to charcoal before they could even touch the earth, disintegrating into ashes that the wind carried away.

Corrupted mana escaped in enormous black spirals, quickly dissipating into the atmosphere. The spirals rose toward the sky, slowly spinning as they lost their cohesion, dissolving into the air like ink in water.

Then...

’BOOOOOOOOOOOM!’

A golden explosion illuminated the entire forest. The light was so intense that it seemed to come from the sun itself, a wave of energy spreading in every direction.

The shockwave toppled hundreds of trees. Their trunks snapped like twigs, and their leaves were torn from the branches, creating a shower of green that blanketed the entire battlefield.

When the light finally faded...

Nothing remained.

Where the colossal Rat King had once stood, the monstrosity that had terrorized the forest and threatened the lives of everyone present...

There was now only a massive smoking crater. The ground was blackened and scorched, and tiny golden flames still flickered along the crater’s edges, like remnants of the light that had destroyed the creature.

At its center...

Piles of black charcoal were slowly carried away by the wind. The remains of the Rat King crumbled into particles that floated through the air, carried by the breeze that had begun to blow. Each particle glowed faintly, as though it still carried an echo of the mana that had once inhabited that body.

Silence enveloped the forest.

No squeaks. No roars. No tails moved.

The suffocating pressure of the corrupted mana had vanished completely. The air, once heavy and difficult to breathe, was now light, fresh, almost pure. It was as though the forest itself had breathed a sigh of relief.

Even the air felt lighter.

For several seconds...

No one could say a word. The soldiers simply stared at the crater, their eyes wide and their mouths hanging open.

Some let their weapons fall to the ground, the metallic clang echoing through the stillness. Others breathed heavily, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.

The mage collapsed into a seated position. His legs could no longer support him, exhaustion finally overtaking his body. His face was completely pale, and tiny beads of sweat trickled down his forehead.

Never in his life had he channeled so much mana. The spell he had cast was the most powerful of his entire career, the culmination of years of study and practice. And now, having finally reached his limit, he could barely keep his eyes open.

Clavor remained motionless, resting his sword upon his shoulder. The blade, which moments ago had shone with silver mana, was now dull, as though it had lost all its light. His body was rigid, his back straight, yet the exhaustion in his eyes was unmistakable.

He breathed slowly. His chest rose and fell heavily, every breath requiring visible effort. Even with the blessing restoring much of his strength, that strike had consumed nearly everything he had left.

Beside him, Hark pulled his spear from the crater. Its tip still glowed faintly with golden light, like the last ember of a dying fire. He planted it into the ground, using it as a cane to support his weight.

Then he let out a long laugh.

”Hahaha...”

The sound was hoarse, weary, but genuine.

He looked at Clavor.

”It’s been a long time since we fought like that.”

Clavor smiled faintly. It was not a broad or exuberant smile. It was small, almost imperceptible, barely enough to curve his lips. But it was there, and that was enough.

”It has.”

The two remained there for several seconds, gazing at the enormous void left behind by the monster. The crater smoked silently, and the wind carried away the last remnants of the Rat King.

Far away from them...

Lukas let out the breath he hadn’t even realized he had been holding. His lungs, compressed by tension throughout the entire battle, could finally expand completely.

His shoulders relaxed for the first time since the battle had begun. The tension that had built up in his muscles, the fear that had settled in his heart, and the doubt that had lingered in his mind, all of it simply melted away.

”...It’s over.”

His voice came out almost as a whisper, carrying a relief so profound that he could barely find words to describe it.

Beside him, the mage also gazed at the crater, still leaning against Tilbo. Her eyes were weary, her eyelids heavy, but a tired smile appeared on her face. She had fulfilled her role. The blessing she had granted had made the difference between victory and defeat.

Astra slowly circled above the battlefield. The small bird traced wide circles over the massive crater, as though confirming that no trace of life remained. Its eyes shone with intelligent light, and its movements were precise and deliberate.

Then it let out a short chirp. It was a simple sound, a single note that echoed through the forest.

Lukas followed its flight with his eyes, feeling warmth spread through his chest.

He smiled. In the end... everything had worked out.

Despite the losses. The soldiers who had fallen, those who would never return home, remained in his thoughts. But their sacrifice had not been in vain.

Despite the fear. The terror that had frozen his blood when he first saw the Rat King, the doubt that had crept into his mind when the creature began to transform, all of it had been overcome.

Despite the battle that had seemed impossible. The Rat King was an A-Rank monster, a creature that should have been unstoppable. And yet... they had won.

His father was still alive. Clavor was still standing, his sword in hand, his heart still beating.

Count Hark as well. The warrior who had led the battle, who had given the final command, was still smiling.

The surviving soldiers were still on their feet. Wounded, exhausted, but alive.

The forest had finally returned to silence. It was no longer the oppressive silence of battle, filled with corrupted mana and war cries. It was the silence of peace, of rest, of victory.

The war had been won.