Priscilla left the battle line. She hadn’t fled, nor had she charged too far ahead.
“Priscilla, move up. Don’t just play with Richarda all day!”
“What’s the harm? It’s not like it’ll disappear.”
If only I could say out loud, “Then let me touch your breasts.” I could hear Richarda screaming, the brigade members were laughing, and I wondered if there was any discipline here at all!
Since then, we’ve fought two more goblin-only units, and Alana, Orietta, and I took them down. Once, I tried to test how far the Sword of Light could extend, channeling magic into it. It reached across the street. The sight of goblins with their lower bodies still attached to their heads made me think I should be careful not to over-slaughter them.
“Alana, can you see any enemy silhouettes?”
“The next ones will satisfy Priscilla too. Ten Orcs and two Cyclops.”
Cyclops are a welcome addition. Those we’ve been fighting so far have had no magic defense. Cyclops do, allowing me to test how effective the Sword of Light will be.
“Let’s let Priscilla play. I’ll take care of the Cyclops, Alana and Orietta, please handle the Orcs. And Christine, once we finish them off, we’ll retreat. Please prepare.”
With this many kills, the enemy should come out, and our job at the front line is more than enough for our diversion. I don’t want to get caught up in the flames later.
“Light!”
As always, it emitted a blinding radiance and a scorching heat. It subsided in an instant, but I had to be careful not to be like Sophia, who was quick to heat up and cool down.
“I’ll go ahead. Let’s finish this quickly and go home.”
Godspeed, Mode Two. And the Sword of Light.
I cut down the vanguard Orcs before they could even raise their swords, and aimed for the Cyclops behind them. I deliberately reduced my speed to Godspeed.
Magic Sword Zebra sliced through half of the Cyclops’s left leg. Even with magic defense, this sharpness was satisfying. With the Cyclops collapsing, I finished it off from head to torso with Mode Two. As I was about to test Mode Three on the other Cyclops, I saw Priscilla standing there with a blood-covered Halberd.
“Tch, I’m too late.”
I couldn’t complete the test, but since we’ve already defeated the Orcs, we should retreat rather than linger here. And to stop Priscilla from playing with Richarda any longer.
“Retreat! We’re heading back to Duke Flüge’s encampment.”
I’ve confirmed that the Sword of Light’s slashes are superior to magic defense, which is enough for me. I want to go home and have some coffee.
“Captain! Something big is coming!”
Without needing to use Wide-Area Mind’s Eye in the direction Alana was pointing, I could see a large black mass approaching.
“Scatter! Disperse! Run!”
By the time I said it, I heard a rumbling sound behind me. I flew to the side of a house on the street using Godspeed, and a dump truck zoomed past me. It sent the brigade members who couldn’t escape flying like bowling pins. It definitely had fur and wasn’t a dump truck.
Where’s Richarda?! The genius of earth magic constructed a Golem three meters tall as a shield and managed to evade it, sacrificing two others.
“Captain! It’s a Giant Boar!”
Boar? Not that again… “Boar” becomes “Boass,” so it’s actually a wild boar the size of a delivery truck, right? Someone give me a zoological encyclopedia for this world.
But it’s huge. If a dump truck rammed into a crowd, it would be considered a terrorist attack. To grow that big, its parents must have raised it well.
“Everyone disperse and head for Duke Flüge’s encampment! I’ll kill that thing! Everyone escape!”
With the Sword of Light, that should be easy. Tonight’s dinner is decided: wild boar stew.
“Captain! Two Black Flame Dragons have arrived too!”
At this busy moment! Stew tastes better Shared amongst many, so don’t interrupt me!
“Priscilla, Alana, Orietta, handle the Black Flames. I’ll go get the ingredients.”
Godspeed, Mode Two.
As the Giant Boar rushed past, I struck it with the Sword of Light as I turned back, but it artfully blocked it with its fangs. That was just a coincidence, right? Dodging the Giant Boar, which threatened me with its fangs that even the Sword of Light couldn’t scratch, was easy with Godspeed. If the face is out, then the legs! As I moved to its side and slashed its legs, I noticed its fur. Each strand was thick and long, like it was covered in hedgehog quills.
“Hya!”
With a yell, it didn’t cut. My evaluation of the Sword of Light is dropping. It can’t cut this much? Is it supposed to be unable to cut? This magic sword, even with lasers, what is its body made of?
“Idiot! Of course, it won’t cut!”
Let’s choose our words a bit more carefully when advising others. They aren’t idiots, they just don’t know. I’m a military enthusiast. Is this common knowledge in this world, or for a fantasy enthusiast? This is just a large wild boar, right? It’s boar stew, isn’t it?
While I was contemplating what condiments to use, I felt a bad omen and retreated with all my might. Following me, the Giant Boar’s needle-like hair, which the Sword of Light couldn’t cut, extended. I regret not using my Precognitive Mind’s Eye, thinking it was just a wild beast. It split the shield I blocked with in two and even wounded my arm.
It wasn’t the hair that pursued me. Its fur stood on end. A wild boar with hair like a hedgehog. Forget boar stew, I can’t eat mice.
“You bastard…”
It hurts. Since Sophia isn’t here, it’ll take time to fix. Even with demon blood, it still hurts.
The Giant Boar regains its stance and paws the ground. It thinks it can match Godspeed with the speed of a dump truck; that’s the intellect of a beast. Fool!
But where should I cut? If I thrust through those needle-like hairs, will it reach the flesh? If they stand on end, do I retreat or get impaled? The parts without hair are the face and the rear. If I avoid the tail, I can stab its rear. …For personal reasons, I’d prefer to avoid stabbing its rear. It looks smelly… and I don’t want anything weird attached…
I’ll aim for the face. If I crush its head, no creature can survive. I’ll go for the face. But to aim for the face, I have to dash out in front of a dump truck. Even a kindergartener knows not to run in front of a car. It would be problematic if adults did it and were imitated, and with that mass, I might get minced even if I pierced it.
It might be difficult to inflict a fatal wound, but I can wound it. I have a convenient item that will rot and kill it once wounded.
“Priscilla! Even if you use the Scythe of Darkness…”
“Die!”
Did you say that to the Black Flame Dragon? Or to me? I don’t have the courage to ask back, so this conversation is over. I’ll defeat it with the Sword of Light.
In a fight, the first blow is the most effective! I’ll finish it before it can move. As I charged with Mode Two, a dream-like flame spread before me, and I was engulfed.
I won’t die! Because I’m a con artist and a Godspeed user. I charged with Mode Two and escaped with Mode Three, and before I knew it, I was on the roof of a house.
This is it… Black Flame Dragons and Giant Boars, once they get a little bigger, they immediately start breathing fire. Are they that great just because they can breathe fire!? Besides, what’s the point of breathing fire? Do you want to trap the deliciousness of the meat by toasting it? Eat it raw! Tartare, tartar!
But I can’t play around. If they breathe fire here, the traps I set for the Demon Army will be unusable. It won’t explode, but I don’t want to be caught in a sea of flames. I want to escape along the rooftops. The Giant Boar, more impatient than me, rammed into a standing house, creating a large hole in the first floor. It’s collapsing! On the roof of the collapsing house, like an avalanche, I stood silently, carried by the flow of the collapse. Like a paper airplane landing gently, the collapsing roof and I were carried to the street. I could see it with Mind’s Eye, so I was fine, but I wonder if surfing feels like riding a wave of collapse. I want to try it when I go to the sea.
This is the second confrontation. There’s no need to stand directly in front of it, but sometimes a man must stand his ground. It won’t work to stab its face and slide underneath. The quills are on its abdomen too, so getting through is impossible. Even aiming for the face, it only reaches about lip height at best. The neck is also of a sloping-shouldered build, so where does the neck begin?
Should I extend the Sword of Light when I strike? That way, it would reach the upper part of its head, and even if it’s not fatal, stopping its movement should be enough. The problem is having to dash out in front of a dump truck. I can’t help but think of car windshields when driving on expressways. Insects splattered everywhere, and washing it afterwards is a pain.
“Let’s finish this and go home.”
Shut up, gallery. More importantly, aren’t the Black Flame Dragons finished? Don’t tell me you’re going home first.
“Brigade Leader Shin. Leave stopping its movement to me.”
I was a little surprised. Richarda’s confident words were unexpected, and why wasn’t she running away? What was Christine doing?
“Stopping its movement, right!?”
I don’t know where she was watching from, but she’s a capable girl who sensed its speed and limited weak points and is offering support. As a father, I’m proud, but standing in front of me is not allowed. A father can’t hide behind his daughter’s shadow. I pulled Richarda’s shoulder and stepped forward.
“I’ll leave it to you. However, disobeying my order to escape will be severely punished.”
“I understand. I’ll accept any punishment after this is over.”
Does that mean, “I can do whatever I want after this is over”!? In that case… Giant Boar, hurry up and come! I don’t have a millisecond to spare for you.
The dump truck-sized Boar charged out as if on cue. How absurd! Know that a father standing before his daughter is the strongest in humanity!
