I managed to save Sharin, who was caught by the centipede’s hand, with a desperate charge.
I managed to rescue Sharin. The giant centipede that swallowed my dagger was writhing in pain. If we stay here, we’ll be crushed by the centipede’s thrashing legs.
“Let’s evacuate for now. It’s dangerous to stay here! Sharin, can you stand?”
“Ah… ah…”
It thrashed about, kicking up dust and gouging the ground with its long tail. Now is our chance to sneak into its nest.
“Lauren, this is our chance. Go check out the centipede’s nest.”
“Ch-chance? But… I used the corpse to help you guys! You broke it!”
Oh, that’s right. When I looked back, there was the flattened carcass of a stray dog. Its bones must have been broken; it wasn’t moving.
“Th-that was the spare one. Wh-what should I do? We can’t save anyone like this.”
“Then I’ll sneak in myself. I should be able to now. Everyone, head to a safe place.”
I ran straight for the nest with the struggling giant centipede behind me. I could hear my companions’ voices from behind, but I didn’t look back and ran towards my goal. I hope it doesn’t notice me. With its massive size, it probably wouldn’t notice a tiny human like an ant.
The entrance to the nest loomed before me. It was made of crumbling rocks, and the inside was dark, so I couldn’t see what was within.
*Clang*
Just then, I heard something fall behind me. It echoed in my ears with unnerving clarity. Had the dagger that was stuck in it been pulled out? A shiver ran down my spine. It felt as if a centipede were actually crawling on my back.
“Arisugawa! Watch out!”
Sharin’s voice and the rumbling ground reached me almost simultaneously. Did it notice me after all? Damn it, if I’m going to be caught, wouldn’t it be faster to just run through? But I should check… I looked back and saw the pincers meant to slice me in half.
This is bad. While running, my upper and lower body are separating. This isn’t funny. I instinctively dove to the ground. *Gachin*, I heard as the pincers met overhead.
Just as I thought I was saved, and without time to catch my breath, a multitude of legs lunged before me. I suddenly thought of Tomoe. She was run over by these legs. I was saved because I’m a large Manticore. I would have been torn to shreds. But there’s no escape now, and I can’t get up in this state. My head swam, and my vision blurred.
At the very least, I curled up and hugged my head. After squeezing my eyes shut, what came wasn’t an impact, but an explosion.
“Stop cowering and stand up.”
Is that Elana’s voice? Why is she here? I quickly opened my eyes and saw the back of a feline creature. The centipede, having taken a sudden attack, roared and flailed its four arms.
“Elana, you came?”
“Of course. The surveillance eyes are finally off me, so I came. Come on, let’s escape this way. The front of the nest seems to be a no-go.”
With the new obstruction, the centipede lifted its body and charged. I desperately moved my legs, holding my reeling head. The next moment, with tremendous ground tremors, a sandstorm blew up behind me, striking like a blow.
“Waaaah… ugh.”
I was blown far away with a pathetic splatting sound. My companions rushed towards me.
“Arisugawa, are you alright?! Oh, Elana.”
“Yay, it’s Elana! The magic just now was you, wasn’t it? Amazing!”
Piyo happily bounced at the reunion with her companions. Nina sighed and spoke.
“So, with this, we’re all here again. By the way, about that centipede’s behavior, it seems to be hiding something in its nest. It’s acting so desperately for you alone.”
“I think so too. And where is that big woman who was going on about becoming the boss?”
Elana must be referring to Tomoe. She was slumped under a nearby dead tree. From here, I couldn’t even tell if she was alive.
“Hey, aren’t you guys forgetting the most important thing?”
Nina’s words jolted me back to reality. The enraged centipede raised its body and aimed at us. Its pincers popped out of its mouth with a *clack-clack* sound, and I could even hear its *fshhh* breathing. I involuntarily swallowed hard.
