Chapter 45: Armor Bear part.1

Chapter 45: Armor Bear part.1

“... Not a thing in there”

Was Mei-chan’s impression upon cautiously peeking into the room. And then I looked, and saw nothing there as well. A desolate room like that first Skeleton room we saw. Or actually, it’s more of a deserted space than anything. The walls aren’t even in stone blocks but have rough, rocky edges sticking out.

“The compass is showing straight through here”

“So we don’t have to bother with the other paths right?”

This cave-like room isn’t that big. The square-footing being around that of half a gymnasium, it’s like a circular hall. Since it’s empty and all, we could see from end to end. There’s the passage that the compass is pointing to, the one just opposite of us, and there are two more going into the 3 and 9 o’clock directions. If I also count the way we came in, this place would be a truly literal cross-roads. Every exit looks exactly the same, and without the compass we’d be impossibly lost.

“I think we’ll get to a fairy square after this”

“Yeah, we’ve been walking for a while, so it’s about time”

But it’s always these kinds of places that are set up as boss rooms. Though at a glance, it doesn’t look like the Orthrus’ room, since there’s clearly nothing here, and it may as well be a simple vacant room. I don’t see any semblance of a transfer circle either.

“I guess... there’s no boss here?”

“Who knows. The floor isn’t stone, so it could even come out from underground”

I’ve seen movies where some disaster class monster attacks people by detecting them through sound. Stuff like the Mongolian Death Worm is kind of a staple in fantasy works too.

“So, what now?”

“We’ll use Rem to make sure”

Now came the time where my little decoy comes in super handy. Never mind being hesitant, I’m absolutely giddy that I can put the mud doll to some good use.

Just as proclaimed in that painfully short description, she has the attribute of absolute obedience. Rem’s more than ready to carry out my scouting order. Showing not a bit of hesitation, she walks into the cave-like room.

I’m simply watching over Rem who’s only acting on orders, but Mei-chan kinda had a look of pity. Who knows, maybe she’ll snap if I gave out too many harsh orders? No look, you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs alright.

As I was uselessly considering these things, Rem kept walking the span of the room when,

“GOoaAAAAAAAAAA!!”

My whole body jumped from that single roar. You think it was simple fear? Nay, even the Orthrus let out this level of volume. The moment I heard this particular cry, I only felt pure terror. The reason? It’s very simple.

It’s because I know the originator of this voice.

“A-Armor Bear...”

It appeared slowly from the 9 o’clock passage, the great, gray form. Shielded by a sharp steel carapace, this is the most powerful monster I know.

As if announcing the continuation of the nightmare from that day, the Armor Bear had appeared before me once again. It had the same look, even the same intimidating aura as back then.

“Kotarou-kun, that’s the—”

“It was literally a miracle I could beat it one time. We need to avoid this fight any way we can”

I already told her about my struggle with the Armor Bear when we first met. With that peculiar appearance it’s got, Mei-chan must have recognized it instantly.

So as not to provoke it as much as possible, I suspended Rem’s movements right then and there. Like a puppet with its strings cut, I stopped it dead still in the middle of the room.

“You aren’t getting her back?”

“The bear’s got a good nose. I think it knows we’re here too.”

Similar to when I dropped my lunch, or my gym jacket, the Armor Bear stuck its nose into Rem’s completely still body, and started sniffing. But both visually and in the olfactory sense, Rem being only a collection of metallic bones was quickly judged as not appetizing at all. The Armor Bear lost interest in no time and—

“Ahh, shit... didn’t work at all”

It roared after seeing us in the passage.

Shifting its large steel body, the Armor Bear slowly, yeah, just like back then, with the dignity of a ruler, it calmly approached us.

“I’ll hold it back”

“No wait, it’s better not to get up close— Rotten Bog“

Opportuning the fact that the Armor Bear wasn’t coming with an all out rush, I make the attempt to try at a defensive battle of deadly acid. I really don’t think it can make a great leap over the bog like a Goar would with the kind of body it has. If I manifest my maximum size, my 5 meter wide bog, it’s gonna have to step in if it wants to get to us.

As my blood-red swamp takes shape, the Armor Bear is almost here. Seeing a sudden ominous pool appearing in front of it, it stopped as expected. And again as expected, it got close and sniffed. I was hoping it’d accidentally drink some and go die somewhere but—

“GooAA!!”

I guess I can’t expect it to be that dumb.

So you get it right? Coming closer is dangerous, and you should realize there’s nothing you can do about it so just—

“Eh”

The Armor Bear just stepped into my poisonous bog. Naturally, the crimson water with its unbelievable acidity was sizzling like crazy, releasing white fumes all around.

“GAA!!”

But that’s it. The Armor Bear was like, don’t make me walk this filth, punks, and made a cry of annoyance. It was crossing over my certain-kill Rotten Bog like no big deal.

“Get inside!“

“Got it!“

Me from the right, and Mei-chan from the left, we simultaneously leap out from the entrance. I also call in Rem, who was in suspended animation, so she comes back to me.

There’s a good reason why we didn’t retreat deeper into the passage, but intentionally entered inside the room.

First of all, since we saw how Rotten Bog won’t work, we can’t avoid close combat. If we ran back into the passage, there’s no telling how persistently this bastard will chase us. With the Armor Bear behind us, if we add in all the Zombies and Goars we’re sure to get along the way, it’ll be the worst case scenario. I can see no way of us living through that kind of deadly pincer.

So if we’re gonna fight it anyway, I’d rather we concentrate on the Armor Bear alone. And this place is better for Mei-chan too as she can use the full reach of the long axe. In other words, defeating it here, in this room, is our best and only option for survival.

Incidentally, if we try running to the supposed fairy square up ahead, it’d be useless. The fairy square is only a location where monsters inherently don’t approach, but if one sees their delicious prey scampering inside, it can step in with no real issue. It’s not a game-like, absolute safe place, and nor does it conveniently and omnipotently repel monsters and monsters only.

Anyway, Mei-chan perceived my will to settle it here. I don’t know if she understands all the reasoning behind it, but really, someone like her, believing in me without the slightest hesitation, she’s the sort ally I’d pretty much never find elsewhere.

We can do this, me and her. Some Armor Bear, we’ll show it who’s boss any day!

“Entwine its escape— Blackhair Bind”

The Armor Bear comes back from the bog with nonchalant demeanor as always.

It looks at Mei-chan, then me, and Mei-chan again, finally choosing her as its target. You really want that meat huh?

Damn fucking pervert, well I’ll leave the name-calling to the side. The beast is seriously planning to take on Mei-chan, so I’m glad I can concentrate on support. That being said, I make no pause in unleashing Blackhair Bind at max strength. I can currently do 5 braids tops. Just one has the strength to stop a Zombie dead in its tracks, and each have a length of a whooping 5 meters.

Me going full-throttle, five blackhair tentacles bind the Armor Bear. Both forelegs, both hindlegs, and finally the neck, I entwine and restrain each part with a braid. The beast’s advance comes to a grinding halt.

“HaaAAAAAAAAaa!!”

And Mei-chan, fitting the name of Berserker to a T, would never let go of such a perfect chance. As if waiting for my support, just as the restraints looked set, with perfect timing she burst forth with explosive strength and—

“Kuh... yaAAAAAAa!!”

In an instant, Mei-chan looked at me, the Armor Bear, grasped the situation fully. Drawing the knife and hatchet from her waist, she took stance. Forgoing the sword, she stood right beside the absolute hindrance that is me, and with those pathetic excuses for weapons, she determined to take the crazed Armor Bear head on.

“GAAAAa!!”

The storm of combat restarts. Right in front of me clash the rusty blades against sharp claws. It had become a domain I can’t imagine to invade with my measly curses. And I didn’t have the time to consider it either, their showdown saw its end instantly.

“—!?”

Knife cracked apart, hatchet broken midway. Still holding onto the weapons that had lost every part of their purpose, Mei-chan was blown away at terrific speed. The spray of scarlet arcing in the air told of the severity of her wound.

Their crossing of blades was over in a flash, but I could follow it, if slightly. Mei-chan’s blades had actually made it past the Armor Bear’s shell, tracing along the joints in its shoulder and leg, but the issue was depth. With the plain horrid quality of her weapons, she only penetrated a slight bit of skin.

Since she had attempted to make her attack pass through that tempestuous chaos, this time, Mei-chan’s Foresight couldn’t make it in time to dodge. And she got hit. Even while abandoning all defense to make a fearsome Berserker’s attack, she couldn’t overcome the sheer difference in muscle.

“Mei-chan! Hang in there!!”

“Uuo, k...”

After having rolled on the dirt that covered her all over in mud, Mei-chan slightly twitched. But that’s it. It wasn’t like last time where she got up and ready for battle without delay.

I could see both Mei-chan’s arms deeply wounded. She must’ve used them to block right on the verge of taking those claws.

But we all know there’s no way you can block razor-charp claws with naked skin. Her arms were torn up sleeves and all, and I could clearly see blood seeping out vividly. Even If she got the sword now, she wouldn’t be able to put it to good use.

“I’ll buy some time! Just get up somehow!”

I had Mei-chan keep Ointment A, along with a variety of meds on her person. Both her arms are in a terrible state, but her combo of Ointment A and Blessed Body, she should heal her somewhat.

It’s our only hope of making a comeback. A Shaman like me doesn’t even stand a 1 in a billion chance to beat an Armor Bear. And obviously too, we’re already at the face-to-face stage, and there wasn’t any poisoned food trap triggered beforehand.

Only Mei-chan can beat it. If we can’t get her back into the game, this won’t be a fight, but simple annihilation, no, from the Armor Bear’s side, we’d simply be dinner.

So I absolutely need to put myself out there, hopefully buy some time so Mei-chan can come back healed. Strangely, I didn’t think of running away.

Maybe I can sense it instinctively that I have no chance in surviving if I ran away by myself.

“Ghrrrr!!“

“Hii!?”

Having that said, there’s no way I’m not scared. It’s great that I jumped out to block its path from getting to Mei-chan, but one glare from the Armor Bear, and my voice breaks, my body trembles in fear. With this crazy huge monster staring me down, I feel death looming right above. I’ll become scattered meat any time this bastard chooses.

“C-c-co-come at me, damn bear!! I’ll fuck you up!”

I stand before the Armor Bear as if trying to defend the fallen Mei-chan behind me. Looking at my tiny little knife, and pitiful excuse of a shaky-voiced taunt, the Armor Bear snorted roughly as if saying, “What’s with this pipsqueak, fuck off”, and continued to glare at me.

But I do have its attention now. Just like the time I encountered those delinquents from Kuro high downtown, at first, me and the Armor Bear are in a fierce stare down. It wouldn’t be strange if those giant paws make my neck fly any time.

“What’s wrong, you chicken!? If you’re gonna do it, then do it, just don’t kill me ok? Pretty please!!”

If it doesn’t kill me, then I have Pain Return as my last defense. Those claws can cut me up, but if it’s not fatal, then I can return that damage back. If I can at least get a gash across that shell, Mei-chan’s chances of winning will go up all at once.

That’s why, the only action I can take is akin to a suicide bomber.

Look at it Momokawa Kotarou, observe every millimeter of its attack. You avoid a fatality here, and the Armor Bear’s as good as dead. So look at it, and make sure to—

“Ah”

I sounded, by which point, those huge claws were right in my face. They looked heavy enough to sever me into multiple sections. Like a large knife, they’d start from the tip of my shoulder, sending my meat, bones and entrails to an all expenses paid trip to dissection land.

It’s totally over-the-top overkill.

And though I knew all that, I didn’t more an inch. I couldn’t move I should say. Leaving aside curses, it wouldn’t make sense for a weak ass highschooler like me to actually dodge from a real monster.

My plans were all naïve.

“—aAA!”

Blood sprays. The feeling of something hot grazing my body is the same as back then. Yeah, that feeling of a sharp claw slicing into you, it’s more of a heat than pain.

“AA! AAAAAAAA!!”

And the excruciation comes right after— wait, it’s strange, it looks like I’m kinda alright. My uniform is still on me, and I haven’t dropped my insides either.

In contrast, there were dregs of black bone sticking to me.

“Ah, AAAh... Rem!!”

And then I finally put it together. Rem had tackled me with all her might, and thanks to that I managed to avoid the Armor Bear’s finisher.

I was saved. And in return, Rem became a sacrifice. Her skeletal structure left only from the chest up, everything below was scattered here and there.

Rem wasn’t moving anymore. Still clinging to my fallen body, all her functions had ceased.

Sorry Rem, and thanks... You really were super useful.

“GoaaAAAAAAAAAA!!”

Looking at the roaring Armor Bear, I could see 4 gashes going across its body. It’s thick chest armor shred apart, the lines ran down till its abdomen. Seems like those the tips of it’s claws traced shallowly all along my upper body.

Me and the bear both shed blood from our wounds, and both cried out from the consequent pain.

“Tch, it still wasn’t enough, damn...”

It’s a level of damage where even I can stay conscious. Even if it’s shell is a bit cut up, the Armor Bear is A-OK.

Looks like, it’s prided armor being broken, its blood being caused to shed by some smallfry really got on its nerves. It was glaring at me like no tomorrow.

It raises its log-like, no, its massive steel pillar-like paw. Once that comes down, I’m dead for sure. I’m still lying on the ground here, and in no posture to move away.

Shit, its recovery speed is too damn fast— that’s all I could think as I stared tear-blurred at the paw raised over me, not even ready to accept this stupid death.

“—GAA!”

But that death didn’t come however long I waited. Before I noticed, its paw was lowered without cutting a thing, and as if it was completely oblivious of my existence, the Armor Bear was looking elsewhere. I could even tell from down here, those sharp eyes were cautious.

Just once, that huge Armor Bear, actually shivered.

Huh, literally what could be there that made this damn monstrosity scared? As I turn myself around with that question in mind, right there was Mei-chan, standing.

Her arms still dripping in blood, shrouded in a crimson aura, she was there, standing.

“Mei-chan, don’t tell me... you used Reagent X!?”

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[1] So sash, or obi err... have you seen Tsugumomo? It’s super interesting~ The manga is even better.