by Ao Jyumonji
Merry fixed her eyes on Haruhiro. It was a gaze that would not permit him to look away. “What’s your basis for that?”
“Moguzo’s defense has improved considerably. Because it’s hardened, he doesn’t need to focus on defending. That’s led to an increase in his attacking power, as well. Shihoru is able to incapacitate one of them with her magic. We can rely on Yume to actually hit things with her arrows now, too, and for short periods I can handle an enemy in combat using Swat. Also, we have you, Merry.”
“Hey, what about me? Isn’t my name going to come up? Isn’t that strange? Well?”
“As for me...” Merry cast her gaze down and to the side. “...if you’re going to rely on me so much, that troubles me. I’m... a priest who let her comrades die, after all.”
“We let our priest die. That’s why we never want to let another person die. Ever. No matter what happens. It’s probably the same for you, Merry. I believe in you.”
Merry didn’t respond. She bit her lip, holding something back. Yume and Shihoru laid their hands on Merry’s shoulders.
“Just gonna say this,” Ranta pointed to himself with his thumb, “but I’m immortal, so I won’t die even if they kill me. Don’t waste your time worrying over silly things.”
Merry looked up, loosening her lips a little and narrowing her eyes slightly.
Had that just been a smile?
It was so reserved, Haruhiro couldn’t be sure. But he thought it probably had been. Haruhiro regretted that it had vanished so quickly. I should have burned the vision of it into my memory.
“Got it,” Merry nodded. “I’ll never let a comrade die again. I’ll protect your lives, so you can feel safe.”
“Good,” Haruhiro stuck out his right hand, and everyone placed their own right hands on top of his.
“Fighto, ippatsu!”
After their usually rallying cry, Merry cocked her head to the side. “...I’ve always found it odd, but why is it fighto, ippatsu?”
The other five laughed a little. Then they focused themselves, going over the plan.
Going over the plan. Yes. They were going over it.
Haruhiro and the others had been preparing for this day. There was no need to formulate a plan from scratch. They would need to make adjustments to account for the additional enemies, but the main thing they needed to do was keep the plate armor gob and hobgob, which were incomparably stronger than the other goblins, in check. This was their highest priority.
They would finish the two guard gobs as quickly as possible, then take down their main targets. They had discussed strategies for how to overcome the plate armor gob and hobgob over the course of many planning sessions. They could do this. They would definitely win.
Like always, Haruhiro led Yume and Shihoru in first. Ranta, Moguzo, and Merry followed behind at a distance.
The first trial was getting within twelve meters, the approximate range of Sleepy Shadow. There was a wall that provided perfect cover until they were fifteen meters away, but past that point would be difficult. Still, through studying the layout, they had learned that if they circled around to the other side, there were the ruins of a building within ten meters of the two-floor building that they could just barely hide themselves in.
This was the place. Here was where the attack would start from.
When Haruhiro gave the signal with his hands, Yume readied her bow and activated Quick-eye, while Shihoru grasped her staff and steadied her breathing.
It’s finally time. We’ll take them down. The plate armor gob and hobgob. They killed Manato. I’ve done my best not to think of this as revenge, as avenging him. That’s because I felt like hatred would muddy my thinking and make my hands go astray. This isn’t about a grudge: they’re enemies. Strong enemies. A wall we need to transcend.
Haruhiro poked his head out from the ruins. “—!” He didn’t so much suck his breath in as stop breathing. He hurriedly pulled his head back in. It had been looking. The plated armor gob was looking his way.
“...Were we noticed?” But why? Had they detected them before? Had he just been found? Or was it a coincidence? Had it just happened to be looking this way, and then its eyes met with Haruhiro’s? He didn’t know, and that wasn’t what was important.
Haruhiro stuck his head out once more, immediately lowering it again. He breathed heavily. The plate armor gob had a crossbow, and it was aiming this way.
“...Wh-What do we do?” Yume loosened up on her bowstring. Shihoru’s face had gone stiff and very pale.
Did Ranta and the others, who were at a spot not far away, understand the situation? They were hiding in the shadows, and Haruhiro couldn’t see them from here, so he didn’t know.
What should I do? What am I going to do? Retreat? No, not an option. The plate armor gob shouted something. That was an order. I’m sure the hobgob and guard gobs’ll be coming to attack us. We can’t retreat. We have to do this. The problem is that crossbow. If we get hit, one of us could die.
“Leave this to Yume.”
“—Huh?”
Before he could stop her, Yume left her bow on the ground and jumped out from the ruins.
The plate armor gob fired its crossbow. Yume curled herself into a ball, rolling forward at an incredible speed.
Pit Rat. It was a skill where she moved like those rats they had encountered in the forest, avoiding attacks as she advanced.
Did Yume manage to avoid the arrow? It looked like she had.
Haruhiro tapped Shihoru on the shoulder. “Magic!”
“R-Right!” Shihoru leaned out from the ruins, drawing elemental sigils with her staff and chanting a spell. “Ohm, rel, ect, krom, darsh...!”
A black, mist-like elemental flew towards the plate armor gob. The hobgob had only picked up its club, not left the building, but the guard gobs were closing in on them. Still, if she could just put the plate armor gob to sleep—
“Ah!” Haruhiro raised his voice. The plate armor gob had jumped down from the second floor. The shadow elemental passed through the spot where it had been before, dissipating and vanishing.
We’ve botched this. Botched it badly. This is no good. No good at all. No. That’s not true. We can make up for it. Don’t panic.
Haruhiro drew his dagger. “I’ll face them! Shihoru, you get over to Merry’s side!”
Shihoru responded, “Right!” again.
Ranta and Moguzo came out of the shadows. Yume used Pit Rat again, avoiding a guard gob’s spear. The other guard gob came at Haruhiro.
Where are the plate armor gob and hobgob? Damn. I don’t have time to check. The spear. The guard gob’s spear.
Haruhiro struck aside the incoming spear with his dagger. If he hit it hard enough, the attack would go aside, and with some luck, he might damage the weapon, make the gob drop it, or knock the gob off balance. That was what the thief fighting skill Swat did, but the guard gob was pretty strong. No matter how much he hit its spear with his dagger, it kept thrusting at him. This was no average gob.
“I’ll take both!” Moguzo shouted out.
No way... was he planning to take on the plate armor gob and hobgob at the same time? That was crazy.
However, when it came to both the plate armor gob and hobgob, only Moguzo could fight them properly. That’s why they had planned to neutralize the plate armor gob first.
That had been the party’s plan. You could even call it the root of the plan. It had fallen apart so easily.
Maybe they should have run away without a second thought. It was too late now. Regretting not doing it wouldn’t change anything.
Haruhiro pulled back while using Swat. Back, and back. It looked like Ranta and Yume were handling the other guard gob. Shihoru launched another Sleepy Shadow, but this one hit the hobgob, not the plate armor gob.
The hobgob staggered on its feet, like it was going to fall asleep. Before it could, the plate armor gob used the flat of its sword to slap it in the butt and wake it up.
That one knows about ma
gic. It knows what we’re capable of.
“Yume!” Ranta shouted angrily. “If you just keep running around, we’ll never kill this thing! Hit back, you dolt!”
“Oh, shush! You’re the last one Yume wants to be hearin’ say that—” Yume must have tried to escape with Pit Rat again, but she was a little too slow. Besides which, the guard gob may have been getting used to Yume’s movements. “—Urkh!”
The guard gob’s spear grazed Yume’s right shoulder. No, it gouged into it.
“Why, you...! How dare you do that to Yume?!” Ranta threw himself at the gob. He jumped in, swinging his longword down diagonally. “Hatred...!”
“—Gahh!” The guard gob guarded with its shield. Then, holding its spear so it was shorter, it thrust. It was blocked. It thrust again.
“Oh, wha, whoa?!” Ranta managed to barely parry its repeated attacks with his longsword, backing away with those unique movements he used. “—Exhaust! Bring it! ...Huh? Why aren’t you coming after me?!”
“Because you’re too obvious!” Haruhiro spat the words, as he Swatted, Swatted, and Swatted again.
Merry chanted a prayer. “O Light, may Lumiaris’ divine protection be upon you... Heal.”
Unlike Cure, Heal didn’t require the priest to hold their palm over the wound. It could heal people at a distance, and it affected the whole body. It was a spell Manato hadn’t learned.
Yume was right-handed, and the wound was in her right shoulder. Merry must have determined the wound was serious enough to heal right away.
Now Yume was able to return to the front line, but Moguzo was in danger. He was managing to avoid the hobgob’s club somehow, but the plate armor gob’s sword kept hitting him hard.
There was no time to waste. Haruhiro needed to take out one of the guard gobs and go help Moguzo or things were going to turn sour. Isn’t there anything I can use? A plan of some kind?
He had to do more than just think: he needed to keep Swatting the guard gob’s spear. He was running out of breath and his hands were going numb, but if he missed once, it would all be over. He felt like he might start to panic. Bear with it. I have to bear with it. Bear with it, and then what? What will I do?
“Haru!”
Someone was calling his name. She’s never called me Haru before, but that’s Merry. It was Merry’s voice.
I can’t afford to look over there. But she called me. It probably means she wants me to go over to her.
That was what Haruhiro did. While continuing to Swat, he headed over towards Merry and Shihoru. He lured the guard gob in. This is what you wanted, right? It’s fine, right?
When Merry shouted, “Switch!” Haruhiro jumped to the side. Merry moved up, blocking the guard gob’s spear with her priest’s staff. No, she did more than just block it. “—Hit Back!”
For a moment, it looked like the spear had been knocked away by her staff, but that wasn’t it. She had used the recoil from its attack to jab the guard gob in the chest. The guard gob groaned and backed away.
Now. This is our only chance.
Sensing Haruhiro’s intent, Merry continued her onslaught against the guard gob. Since the guard gob had shifted its stance to focus entirely on defense, she couldn’t break through, but it was still enough.
Haruhiro got behind the guard gob.
Let me see it, he prayed. Let me see the light. No good, huh. I can’t see it. But I don’t have time to be disappointed.
Haruhiro rammed his dagger into the guard gob’s back with the force of a tackle. He managed to pierce the chainmail, but it was a shallow hit.
The guard gob cried, “Gugyahhhh!” and thrashed around wildly. In the spur of the moment, Haruhiro threw his left arm around the guard gob’s neck and pulled his dagger halfway out. Then he stabbed it back in again. He pumped the dagger in and out, in and out, repeatedly. Until the guard gob went limp, he stabbed it again and again with reckless abandon.
“...You’re a lifesaver, Merry!” Haruhiro shoved the now-motionless guard gob away and looked around, his shoulders heaving with labored breaths. Ranta and Yume were still unable to kill the other guard gob.
“—Hungh!” Moguzo blocked the hobgob’s club using his bastard sword. He staggered.
“Moguzo!” Haruhiro dashed towards him, but there was no way he could make it in time. The plate armor gob leapt at Moguzo with a cackle, not so much trying to cut him with its sword as to slug him with it. It went for the head.
Sparks flew between Moguzo’s barbut and the plate armor gob’s sword. Even with a helmet on, he couldn’t shrug that off. Moguzo reeled from the blow, but managed to hold firm, and with a cry and a swing of his bastard sword, he made the plate armor gob and hobgob back away.
Moguzo’s breathing was ragged. He wasn’t bleeding, but when he took off his armor, there were going to be bruises everywhere. Obviously, this was hard on him. And yet, Moguzo swung his bastard sword around with a hearty laugh.
“This? This is nothing! Me? I’m fine! Wahaha!”
He was acting like an entirely different person. Things really were bad, after all. There was no way Moguzo could hold out on his own.
Should I support him? But Haruhiro’s dagger probably couldn’t pierce plate armor, nor could it deal a fatal blow to the large hobgob. It may have been practically impossible.
“—Ranta, help Moguzo! I’ll handle that one!”
“Hmph! Time for the real star to do his thing, huh?” Ranta immediately ran over with a hop, skip, and a jump, thrusting his sword at the plate armor gob. “—Anger...!”
“Keh...!” The plate armor gob easily knocked his longsword aside, but it looked like its focus had thankfully shifted from Moguzo to Ranta.
“—Oh! Oh! Oh?!” Ranta was on the receiving end of a one-sided onslaught. In no time, he was stuck purely on the defensive.
Hang in there, Ranta. Don’t die.
Haruhiro looked around and thought, Things are a little easier for Moguzo now, but this guard gob needs to go down already or we’ll slowly get ground down. The way it’s holding its shield firmly, it looks like it’s focusing on defense. Yume can’t tank for me, so if I want to get behind it—
While Haruhiro was thinking, the guard gob turned towards him and threw its spear—
Wait, huh? This way? Me? No way?!
“Oh, whoa!” He tried to twist out of the way, but the spear took a piece out of Haruhiro’s flank and buried itself in the ground. Almost doubling over, he tried touching his side, and it was all wet. The pain was great enough that he groaned despite himself, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t get past.
Merry called out, “Haru?!”
She sounded a little worried, so even though it seemed stupid, he was a little happy. “—I’m fine! We’ve got to take that guy down...!”
“I’ll do it!” Shihoru said, charging at the goblin.
Hold on, what are you doing? What are you doing?!
“Wha—” Merry was speechless as she chased after Shihoru. The guard gob, which had drawn the sword that was at its hip, noticed Shihoru.
While Shihoru was running, she started to draw elemental sigils. “Ohm, rel, ect, vel, darsh...!”
With a vwong sound, the black mass of seaweed launched out of the end of her staff.
In that moment... Oh, right, Haruhiro realized.
Shadow Beat wasn’t as slow as Sleepy Shadow, but it still wasn’t fast enough that the enemy couldn’t dodge it. In that case, why not fire it from up close? Even if the speed was the same, the closer she was, the harder it would be to dodge. Basically, Shihoru had done what she did to increase the odds Shadow Beat would hit, and it looked like it had been worth it.
“Fogh...!” The guard gob was hit right in the face by the shadow elemental. Its entire body began to convulse.
Yume dashed in and swung her machete. “—Diagonal Cross...!”
Yume’s hard slash knocked the guard gob’s shield away, cutting deeply into its right arm. Thanks to that, even once it recovered from the shoc
k caused by the hyper-vibrations, the guard gob wouldn’t be able to use its sword properly.
“Hah, hah, hah....!” As if seeing her opportunity, Yume attacked and attacked. She attacked incessantly, without stopping to breathe.
Haruhiro easily slipped behind the gob, and though he couldn’t see that light, he handled it the same as he had the last one. Ramming his dagger into the guard gob’s back, he pulled it out a little, then stabbed it in again. Wrapping his arm around its neck, he repeatedly stabbed it. He hadn’t felt anything when he’d done the first one, but this time he felt bad.
This is a cruel way to kill them. Even though it made him sick to his stomach, Haruhiro didn’t stop. You guys might have killed me the same way. Sorry, but we’re both in the same position here.
When he finished off the second gob, he felt exhausted. His side ached, but he didn’t have time to whine about it. Finally. Finally, the time is here.
Stressing his abdominal muscles, Haruhiro raised his voice. “We’re almost there! Let’s show that everything we’ve done hasn’t been in vain!”
I know it’s weird to say about my own words, but who are we going to show? he thought. Manato’s gone. What we’ve done hasn’t been in vain? Really? Maybe I just want to think that. I wish I could have come up with a cooler line. I want to get to the point where I can. I don’t want this to be the end. It’s not that I especially want to be a volunteer soldier, but I want to have a tomorrow. I want to live. I don’t want to die. At the very least, I don’t want to die yet. Manato, you must have felt the same. You can’t have been satisfied. You should have been able to do so many more things. Since I’m lucky enough to still be alive, I’m gonna live. I’ll move forward. I’ll find a tomorrow with everyone else. But in order to do that, we have to win. We need to take these guys down.
“I’ll take the hobgob first!” Haruhiro ran in, eyeing the hobgob’s back. Yume looked like she was planning to attack from the side.
With a “Hunngh! Hunngh!” Moguzo gave the hobgob a powerful two-hit combo. The first strike was deflected by its club but the second slammed into the hobgob’s left shoulder. While it didn’t split through the chain mail, the hobgob groaned, “Obohh!” taking its left hand off the club it had been holding with both hands.
