CH 173

I’m exhausted. It felt like we were being pushed by the tigerwolf the whole way through.

That fight would probably still be going on, if it wasn’t for Hikari’s crazy move.

“Good job managing to respond to that, Sera.”

Apparently they talked about this last night while keeping watch, but even Sera didn’t think Hikari would actually do it.

“That was no good. I was completely useless by the end.”

Says Rurika while dropping her shoulders.

“Me too. If I did a better job, Sera would be able to move around more freely.”

Says Chris, and Mia nods.

We also have to consider that the two people whose attacks could take it down were in charge of defense.

I’m surprised by the tigerwolf’s ability to respond to everything. We managed to surround it, but it quickly felt which attacks were threats, and understood who it should watch out for.

“But it didn’t run away, despite being at such a disadvantage.”

“I think it didn’t see itself on the hunted side. Who knows what might have happened if the battle kept going like that.”

“And it was so fast. I didn’t know it could dodge like that.”

“I don’t think we would’ve caught it if it didn’t come at us in the end like that. Maybe it was mad because it was in pain, but it feels like we won because it lost its cool.”

If it didn’t, it might have avoided fighting and ran away instead.

It felt like we were being led around the whole time. Maybe it would’ve been different with me and Sera in front.

I think that since we couldn’t go further in front, it looked like we were surrounding it, but we couldn’t surround it completely, and it felt like we were giving it an opening.

The feeling I get is that that’s where it escaped from anytime it felt it was in danger.

“If we’re going to keep fighting like this, Chris might need to start firing magic where the it tigerwolves land after dodging, or something like that. Or maybe Sera can fight freely, and someone else takes over protecting the two mages. But then it might overpower us.”

We can probably evade their attacks, but we could be blown back if they come charging.

It’d be hard to protect the back row like that. I have better reflexes than most people, but whether or not I can keep up with a tigerwolf is a different story. They’re both fast and strong, so I don’t think I can block those attacks completely.

“If our attacks worked better…”

Hikari doesn’t usually sound that frustrated. It probably has to do with her only being able to attack with her weapon infused with magic energy once, right at the start.

And even when she attacked with her normal weapon in order to be faster, she still couldn’t hit it.

It kept using that speed to its fullest to put distance between them.

“It might be best to let them come to us and focus on intercepting them well.”

If I remember correctly, Siphon and his party stopped it with a shield, and then countered it.

“Like blocking one of their attacks to kill their speed?”

“Yes. And we’ll do what we talked about. Block its escape routes, and strike it down with magic. If we damage it and numb its movements, it won’t outrun Hikari and Rurika, right?”

We talk about what we did wrong and how we can improve in preparation for the next battle.

But that last fight took more out of us than we thought, so we take a break while staying alert.

Then I hand Sera a spare axe, and we continue exploring.

It’s not too long before we face another tigerwolf.

We build on the experience from the first battle, and in the end Sera takes on the same role as the one carrying a shield when Siphon’s party fought a tigerwolf. Moving around keeping its movements in check as much as possible.

I should buy an actual shield next time. Or maybe I need to learn a skill related to that and be the one to use a shield.

I’m protecting the two mages now, but if it feels like it’s going to manage to slip behind me, I attack with magic right away. It doesn’t hit, but it does keep it back.

And they don’t forget to fire magic at the tigerwolf when it’s retreating.

This goes well, and we slowly corner the tigerwolf until it’s down.

Killing its speed really does make all the difference.

Still, it was more manageable than last time, but it still wasn’t easy. The way we took it down also means its materials aren’t worth much.

The third time, Mia and Chris say they’ll protect themselves, so I go a bit further forward.

The fight goes well, because freeing me gives us more options.

The idea is that we just have to make it so it doesn’t have an opening to target the back, but this strategy isn’t necessarily going to work every time.

“Mia and Chris could stand to be a bit stronger.”

Sera reaches the same conclusion, and says that with kind of a scary expression on her face.

“Wait. Something’s coming.”

Says Rurika just after we let down our guard after taking down the third tigerwolf.

Another tigerwolf jumps out from the other side of the passage, but something’s off. It’s like it’s also surprised to see us.

Looking at it more closely, I see it’s wounded and dripping blood.

At first it feels like it’s going to back down, but then it charges this way.

Sera stops its straightforward attack with her axes, and Chris and Rurika finish it with a series of attacks.

“It was pretty weakened.”

Rurika’s words are drowned out by the sound of the footsteps of a group that appears where the tigerwolf was. It’s a group of six.

They notice us and hold their weapons ready, but once they see the two downed tigerwolves, they cautiously speak to us.

“Did you take that down?”

“Yes. Were you chasing this one?”

“We were.”

“Are there any rules for these types of cases?”

We’re the ones who took it down, but they’re the ones who fought it until it was that weak.

“You finished it, so it’s yours.”

“Leader!”

“It’s our fault for letting it escape. And look at that.”

The man says while pointing at the two tigerwolves.

I see what he means. If that other tigerwolf appeared while we were fighting the first one, it could have gone badly.

The man that was arguing sees that, and looks frustrated.

I get it. They fought it until it was that weak and almost took it down, so it’s no doubt frustrating that this is the result.

The girls are looking at me like they’re saying it’s my call.

“You can take it if you want. Just don’t complain about the condition of the materials.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, it was pretty weak already.”

I feel those words brighten up a few faces.

“My name is Blue, of Red Passion.”

“I’m Sora. Ah, our party doesn’t have a name.”

“I see. Tell us if you run into trouble. We’ll be here for a while.”

Blue and his party take the tigerwolf, and everyone says thanks.

Actually, the guy that was arguing stays silent, before one of the others gives him a nudge and he lowers his head with a sulky look on his face.

“Are you sure about this?”

Asks Sera.

“If they tried to insist it was theirs, I would’ve said no. But they came to us with good will, so I let them have it. Is that bad?”

“If you think it’s good, master, I won’t argue.”

After this, we manage to reach the staircase to the nineteenth floor without coming across another tigerwolf.