Chapter 250: Rage

250 – Rage

My partner accepts a porcelain cup from Koren. She looks around as though troubled, then peers into the cup, staring at her reflection.

N-no, just drink it already. You’re not going to say you don’t know how, are you? All you’ve got to do is bring it to your lips and tilt it back. It’s really not that hard.

“…Are you not going to drink?”

Unable to just watch any longer, Yarg asks. I see her face tensing in the water’s reflection as she prepares herself. There’s no need to get so worked up about it, though…

She lifts the cup above her mouth before poring the entire contents down her throat. Some of the water is lost as it splashes onto her face and body, but overall it was splendid chugging technique. That was close, but not quite what I had in mind. It would have been fine if you took it a bit slower.

The usually expressionless Yarg opens his eyes wide.

Hey partner, don’t go exposing us in such a weird. . way? Wait, what!? Suddenly, our throat is burning. My consciousness flickers.

“Gah, gaah!”

My partner falls to her knees in pain.

【Resistance Skill [Poison Resistance] has risen from level 5 to 6. 】

【Resistance Skill [Paralysis Resistance] has risen from level 4 to 5. 】

I don’t care about that right now! Damn it! Those bastards drugged us! I was trying to be cautious, but hadn’t to pick up on Nagrom’s malice.

“Cheh! Have her throw it up! Oi, go fetch the real water!”

Nagrom’s slimy smile disappears, and a vein appears in his forehead.

“Sh-she really drank it all,” Yarg says, flustered. “Koren, just how much morz poison did you put in!?”

“E-eight delks worth…” Koren replies falteringly. Hearing that, Nagrom’s face becomes bright red.

“Are you going abyss hunting?! She’s precious live food to appease the manticore, you know! What’ll you do if she dies?!”

“B-but, but, normally, they would only sip it and then vomit right away…”

…As I thought, they’re involved with the manticore.

His face still bright red, Nagrom shifts his gaze to another woman.

“Taana, make a strong antidote! Don’t worry about the side effects! Just don’t kill her!”

“Y-yes!”

The woman called Taana obeys, running into an adjacent room.

Yarg grabs my partner’s shoulder and thrusts his finger into her mouth.

“Shit! She needs to vomit, or else…”

Responding to the foreign object being thrust into her mouth, she bites down mercilessly.

“Gyaaaaah! My fingers, my fingers!”

Yarg shouts out while rolling on the floor, clasping his right hand.

“This isn’t the time to be messing around! Have her throw it up already!”

“I can’t, she bit them all off!”

Lying on the floor, Yarg stares at the five stumps on his right hand, looking like he could burst into tears at any second.

“I-impossible! After taking that much, a human shouldn’t be able to even lift a finger…”

My partner stands up, glaring at Nagrom. Shock is apparent on his face.

“Sh, she’s…! Fuck! She’s a damn demi-human!”

Nagrom reaches for a decorative spear on the wall and points its tip at her.

“Don’t fuck with me! I’ll kill the lot of you!”

She stretches, swinging her arms as she does, leaving two large claw marks in the floor beneath her feet. Nagrom flinches at the sight, but soon stiffens his face and lowers his posture.

Yarg manages to regain his composure and picks up his spear with his left hand, circling round to flank her.

“Yarg, don’t move poorly! This bitch is strong!” Nagrom yells out. Yarg is just about to move, but he hesitates and his posture falls apart.

Not missing the opening, my partner kicks off the floor. She swings her leg through the air, keeping Nagrom in check as she twists round to Yarg, who she releases a powerful kick towards.

Yarg tries to block with his spear, but struggles to do so with only one hand, and it slips out of his grip. He manages to deflect the kick into his right shoulder, slamming him against the wall.

“Is that all? I guess I’m still not used to this body. ”

Once she lands, she tries bending her arms as if to check they’re working. Then, setting her eyes on the reeling Yarg, she winds back her arm.

Seriously, how did it come to this?

Stop! Stop for a sec! Stop, partner! Sorry, but please pause for now!

『Ah!? Partner, aren’t you being a bit too naive?』

No, if this continues, it’ll seriously become a war between the villages!

『We can dominate that war, no problem!』

You’re saying it’ll be fine one way or another if we get away here?! Then after relaying the news to the dragon-god village, we come back here…

No, if we do that, then in the meantime, the manticore will get scared and leave. Who knows how many will die in the meantime.

…Earlier, Nagrom said we were live food for the manticore. So if we let them catch us, it’s likely that they’ll take us straight it.

Hey partner… I know it’s painful, but do you mind intentionally falling over? As though the poison has only just kicked in.

『…are you serious?』

I might not have known, but I was the one that drove the manticore towards them… If only I’d finished it off back then, this village wouldn’t have had to gather sacrifices. I’m begging you; I’ll definitely return the favour.

“…cheh”

She clicks her tongue, then collapses on the spot.

“F-finally the poison is working…” Nagrom lets out a sigh of relief from the bottom of his heart, lowering his weapon. “I suppose in terms of results, the dosage was correct in the end. If that hadn’t been enough to suppress her power, we could have all been killed. ”

…No, the poison wasn’t all that effective though.

Looking like he’s ready for a fight to the death, Yarg’s eyes snap open, his breathing rough. However, upon seeing that she’s not moving, he leans against the wall, all strength gone as he holds down the bleeding stumps on his right hand.