106 - - Southbound Route No. 2

Something that was supposed to be beyond my sight was already right in front of me.

The shadow comes flying at a tremendous speed, and erases a distance of about several dozen steps with a single blink of the eye.

But less than a second later.

That is enough for a seasoned adventurer.

Instantly, Tapa drew his bowstring.

He then unleashes it straight up.

Tali bent down as if connected by a string.

Already his wrists are stiff and his grip on the dagger is gone.

In an instant, Godan switches positions with the master he is to protect, and thrusts his rhombus shield up violently.

A shadow, its abdomen gouged out by a sharp upper edge, emits a shrill cry.

At the same time, Bettina's slender sword, which was behind the shieldman, flashed a white afterglow.

A spray of blood is seen, and one of the stalled shadows hits the side wall, making a loud clatter.

With the black shadows that had fled like the wind in their sights, Godin and the others stayed low and in fighting stance.

They kept their heads low and remained in a fighting stance.

"Are you hurt?"

"...... a little on the forehead."

"...... I'm unharmed."

I'm okay. Where did you come from?

The wind wielder silently pointed his new dagger at the sky.

The shadows that had attacked the group were now spreading their wings and soaring back into the sky.

"I see, you took advantage of the valley wind."

The one that was able to drop to the ground showed no sign of flinching, as if it had already run out of steam.

Bettina finally broke her gaze and turned her head to look at the monsters as they disappeared into the sky above the valley.

Huddled against the wall was a large bird.

The only thing that seemed to be a bird was its body covered with black feathers.

From the neck up, which was bent at a strange angle, it had an odd shape.

It resembled an exposed human skull.

The mouth, however, was the beak of a bird, jutting out in front of it.

The red-haired woman's eyes narrowed at the familiar appearance.

This is probably a black-bellied eagle. Hmmm...it's quite a tasty looking bird. I'm sure Moe would be pleased to see it."

"I'm sure he'll be overjoyed. Master Moo would.

"...... yeah, that little one would."

Tapa, whose brother has applied a healing potion to stop the bleeding, stands up and approaches the monster, joining in the conversation.

The cloth wrapped around its forehead was stained with blood, showing the depth of the wound.

Tapa, noticing Bettina's gaze, turns over the corpse of the black-bellied eagle with his bow nock, revealing the large claws growing on its legs.

"...... second one of these got me."

"Yes. Then maybe next time we'll just lose."

"...... yeah."

The eagle's wings, when spread out, were well over the height of Tapa and the others.

The eagle retrieves the arrow that had pierced its head and uses the dagger in its chest to cut off its head.

The arrows are coated with the paralyzing poison of the red poison frog, so they are not suitable for eating.

As I turn him upside down to drain the blood, Tali, who has returned the dagger to me, is not happy and his mouth is agape.

"......Don't use it without permission, Tapa."

"...... this is at least as good as it gets."

"...... use your own."

"...... work more on the injured."

"...... shut up."

"Yes, that's enough!　Fighting over stupid things again. Come on, let's go."

The twins reluctantly stop quarreling and walk alongside Godan.

To the right of the shieldman is the wind wielder and behind him the archer.

On the opposite side is Bettina, who is positioned so that she can draw her sword at any moment.

Watching the back of the group in motion, Garudo, the guide, raises himself from behind the long shield that stands against the wall.

The edge of his mouth is lifted up in a small gesture.

The black wrecked eagle, swooping down from above the valley, is quite a formidable foe.

Its speed is such that it closes the distance of nearly 80 steps per second, and if you see it for the first time, you are sure to have your back gouged out.

Even if a normal person notices it, he/she will not be able to react immediately.

The monster's nest is located at the top of the cliff and cannot be seen from the bottom of the valley.

The path turns left and right, so it is difficult to check it out beforehand.

The only way to learn is to be ambushed again and again.

It is precisely because Garudo has been to and from this valley dozens of times that he was able to detect and escape in advance.

He was speaking deliberately, sneaking up to the wall to cover up the sound of his hiding behind his shield.

"You've changed formation. You know exactly what I'm talking about. ......, I guess having a isn't a bad thing."　

The wind is now in a tailwind, but the direction of the wind can change suddenly at the bottom of the valley.

If you are too cautious of a surprise attack from behind, you may be attacked from the front next time.

Taking this point into consideration, they are probably lined up side by side, which makes it easier to deal with the front and rear.

The basic tactic of the black-backed eagles is to break off at the first blow.

This is because once they are dropped on the ground, the victory or defeat is almost certain.

That is why it is essential to thoroughly prevent the first blow.

It was a good job of analyzing the situation in such a short time, but what Garudo was concerned about was the movement of Bettina just now.

In that split second, the red-haired swordsman had no hesitation in choosing the wounded leader among the four eagles.

The swordsmanship to make sure of the kill was clearly intended.

The responsiveness she showed was a sign of someone who has wielded a sword for a long time.

Through dozens and hundreds of battles, the sword becomes familiar to the body.

Through such study, points are accumulated and skills are developed.

There are some cases, such as Thor, who are a little too out of the ordinary.

Usually, we can estimate the development of a person's skill by his/her skill in martial arts.

That is why Bettina's lack of skills was unusual.

Garudo let out an expectant murmur so that no one could hear him.

"Well, I don't know what he's hiding, but I'm not sure if I can compete with him ....... I'm starting to look forward to it."