Chapter 176-4

Chapter 176-4

[Part 4/4]

I chose the best path. Fortunately, the monster that had come to the village seemed focused on the body covered with straw mats. It was snorting like a breath while digging under the mat. After a while, I heard the sound of muscles tearing and bones breaking... it's eating!!

(Damn it, the smell is reaching me!!?)

With the log between us, the distance was about ten steps. The mixed stench of rotting flesh, sulfur, beast, and other foul odors assaulted my nostrils, making me shiver. Fear and nausea churned inside me, but I fought to keep them in check. I gripped my spear tightly.

I must endure. I have to stay calm. No sudden movements. No noise. Don't attack. The opponent is a monster. There's no way I can win. Even a simple bear is dangerous. If it's a youkai, whether it's a child or lowly, it's not something I can handle. So, hold on...!!

"Phew...!! Haa...!!"

Quietly, quietly, take a deep breath. Suppress the pounding of my heart that feels like it's going to burst. I peek out from behind the log. It seems to be focused on its meal. It hasn't noticed me....

(Once it's full, it'll go home...!!)

I shout in my mind. I wish. I pray. It hasn't been long since the monster appeared, but it feels like I've been hiding for ages. My heart races with fear and tension, and beads of sweat start to form on my forehead. I worry that the smell of sweat will give me away, and tears start to overflow.

'Guuuuuu...!!'

Crunching, chewing, and tearing sounds end with a low growl. Then, silence fills the space.

"......"

Quietly, quietly, slowly. I peek out. I see the youkai bear that has already attacked twice. The monster stays frozen in place, then slowly starts to move. It looks down at the footprints.

Following my mother's sandals back home....

"Hey, wait..."

Wait. Wait a minute. Hey, monster. Where are you going? Why are you following those footprints....

"What are you planning to do...?"

In an instant, the worst scene flashes in my mind. Breaking down the door, my mother, my sister, screams rising, horrible sounds. Surely, the villagers won't help. Instead of helping, they'll probably surround it to make sure it's killed, aim carefully, and if they have to, they might even douse it in oil and burn it completely....

"!?"

My body moved almost instinctively. I leaned forward, dashed out, and plunged the spear deep into the monster. I stabbed it in the side. A short beastly scream echoed. After acting, I realized how reckless I had been.

"Ah..."

Suddenly, silence fell. Then, slowly, the monster looked at me. I felt its gaze through the long, hanging fur. For the first time, I noticed that the monster had 8 eyeballs. Bright red eyes embedded all around its mouth...

"Eek!?"

I instinctively pulled out the spear and stepped back. That was the right move. Something grazed my nose. A moment later, pain hit me. My skin ripped open, and blood splattered out.

"UAHHH!?"

"Uoaaaaaa!!"

I responded to the roar with my own. It was pointless. It came rushing in. It was completely overwhelming. And it had figured out my weakness. It knew I didn't have the power to kill it.

"Mother, hurry and run! Help!!"

"But...!!?"

"Just go! Quickly!? Uooh!!?"

I was grabbed by the spear and thrown away. I heard the sound of it breaking. I sat up in the snow. All I had was the spear's handle. The tip was...

"The tip...!? There was!!?"

A black iron blade was discarded on the pure white snow. It was my only hope. I crawled. I hurriedly crawled to grab it. A smile appeared on my face.

A thick, furry leg appeared in front of me...

"..."

I looked up in silence as it looked down at me. A scream echoed, my name being called, but it felt like a distant voice. The approaching claw strike seemed to move in slow motion. I recalled the words "running lantern (Phantasmagoria)."

In the moment before death struck, I thought about my life so far. It was about my mother, and my sister. It was the memories of the days I spent with them.

And then, it was about my younger siblings, my parents, my subordinates, the princess' sibling, Magoroku and the others, the brat from my household, the protagonists, the orphanage, the foster home, and the presence behind me when I was playing eroge...

"Princess? Eroge? What...!?"

Questions and doubts swirled in my mind, but there was no time to ponder them. As the claws approached, I instinctively closed my eyes... and then, nothing happened?

"Huh?"

I opened my eyelids. A fireball hit my face, and I writhed in pain. Stunned, I turned back with a bad feeling.

"Don't touch my big brother!!"

In the snowy field, the white fox stood still, desperately shouting while floating a fireball...

Author:

We received fan art from Xin. Thank you for creating it!

- Past Arc Aoi: here

- Chapter 8 Hina Scene: here

This work has also entered its 4th year!