CH 8

After finishing his skewer, Kurosu packed up the belongings and fastened the sword he had taken from the large man to his waist. Then, he contemplated which direction to go next.

“Now, what to do?”

There were no horses in this village. If the bandits had set up a base here, there should be a highway or a populated area within walking distance that served as their hunting ground.

He decided to examine the footprints and head in the direction where the most people had come and gone.

・・・・・・・・・・

“── Ooohh──ooh!!”

“──You bastard!”

“──Ugh! Retreat──now!”

After leaving the village and walking leisurely through the forest for a while, Kurosu heard the sound of people fighting in the distance.

It was hard to hear clearly from this location, but it seemed that they were speaking in a proper language.

Feeling hopeful that he might finally encounter some ordinary people, Kurosu quickened his pace while concealing his presence.

“Damn it, its skin is too thick for the arrows to penetrate!”

“Mauri, focus on creating a distraction! Bart and I will suppress its attacks! Pamela, fire your gun as soon as you’re ready!”

“Your magic is our only hope! We’re counting on you!”

“Y-yes! Understood!”

As Kurosu hid among the dense foliage and peered out, he saw a group of four people desperately engaged in battle.

However, the situation was confusing at first glance. There were women, elderly people, and even children mixed in the group. While they were all armed, it was impossible to tell what kind of group they were.

No, more importantly…

“What is that?”

Kurosu’s gaze was fixed on the opponent the group was attacking.

It was gigantic.

Clearly beyond the realm of ordinary humans.

The swordsman confronting it was quite large, but the opponent was easily twice as tall. Its obese body, resembling that of a sumo wrestler, had pimple-like lumps scattered around, and it wore animal skins that seemed filthy enough to emit a foul odor from this distance. With a grotesque, inhuman face and a sinister grin, the creature effortlessly swung a log as tall as a person.

A giant…?

Could it be a Daidarabotchi, some kind of supernatural creature or monster?

As Kurosu watched the battle intently, the swordsman who had been giving instructions to his companions was sent flying. It seemed he had managed to block a direct hit with the round shield on his left arm, but he hadn’t been able to brace himself properly.

He was still conscious, but it was clear he wouldn’t be able to fight any longer.

Now only the woman, child, and elderly person remained. Kurosu couldn’t help but lean forward, inadvertently making a sound.

The child holding a bow noticed him.

“Hey, you there! Are you an adventurer!?”

“I don’t know what an adventurer is, but I’m a wandering warrior in training.”

“Then you can fight, right!? Please, help us!”

…What should he do?

To be honest, he really wanted to join the battle. In fact, he felt like asking them to switch places with him.

However, as a warrior, it was not honorable to interfere in other people’s battles.

But wait.

If that giant was indeed a supernatural creature as he had imagined, and these children were being attacked by it…

“Let me ask you one thing. What exactly is that thing?”

“It’s a troll—a giant one at that! It’s one of the most powerful monsters in this forest, and we don’t have enough front-liners to take it on! Please, help us!”

“A monster,” he said. So, it was indeed a supernatural creature. “I’ll help you. Shield-bearer, fall back and switch with me.”

“Thanks, we owe you one!”

Kurosu took the place of the elderly person holding the large shield and faced the giant.

Up close, its immense size was overwhelming. As Kurosu thought back on all the opponents he had faced, not a single one measured up to this creature.

…Ah, it had been so long since he’d faced an adversary that stirred his excitement before the battle even began… This was going to be fun.

Barely able to keep from grinning, Kurosu unsheathed not his beloved sword, but the one he had obtained in the village.

This would be his first time fighting a supernatural creature. Moreover, it had been so long since he’d faced an opponent with such an imposing presence. His blood boiled in anticipation, but he didn’t want the battle to end too quickly.

Kurosu didn’t usually take pleasure in tormenting his enemies, but this time, he was hungry for a worthy opponent.

Though the giant seemed to have no real martial arts skills and merely swung its massive log around, its raw strength was astonishing. As the giant raised the log overhead, Kurosu leaped into its reach, bringing his left hand to the blade and holding his sword above his head.

“Wha—… Hey, get out of there! It’s gonna crush you!”

The child archer yelled out in concern, but Kurosu had already blocked out everything else. All he wanted was to savor this exhilarating feeling for as long as he could.

In the next instant, an earth-shattering crash echoed as a tremendous impact surged through Kurosu’s raised arms.

“Hahaha, magnificent! I’ve never experienced such strength before!”

The blow was powerful enough to numb both of his arms and make his spine creak. He had fought opponents renowned for their powerful swordsmanship before, but none had ever delivered such a forceful impact.

As expected of a supernatural creature, this strength was truly colossal. Incredible…!

Kurosu felt a surge of excitement so intense it seemed as if blood might burst from every pore, and he couldn’t help but smile.

“He managed to block the giant’s attack…!?”

The borrowed sword was bent from the impact, so Kurosu threw it at the giant’s face.

“Arrgh…!”

He was glad he had used this sword rather than his own. If his beloved blade had taken that attack, it would have easily snapped in two after ten years of devoted use.

Next, he would test the creature’s endurance.

Kurosu had witnessed the giant’s skin deflecting both swords and arrows like armor while observing from the shadows.

Would his blade be able to withstand it?

Please… let it endure.

The giant dropped the log it was holding and clutched its face with both hands, groaning in pain.

This left its torso wide open.

As he dashed past, Kurosu delivered a powerful, full-force slash to the giant’s flank.