Chapter 32
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We all charged through the central area of the unexplored region, where signs of battle flared from all directions. There was no point in hiding our presence anymore—not today. If something got in our way, we’d crush it and keep going.
“Do you think Scarr will show up?”
“Oh, it’ll come out. And if it doesn’t… we’ll tear the place apart until it does.”
There’s a reason I could answer so confidently. The presence I sensed that day—Scarr—it’s still there. Still lingering. And it’s following us. To it, we’re likely nothing more than enemies to eliminate.
We pushed past the zone patrolled by New District’s mid-tier adventurers and stepped deeper in. This was the threshold to the dungeon’s depths. Beyond here… even I hadn’t been before.
“Visitors, Yulg!”
“Then let’s give ’em a warm welcome!”
A High Borgoro lunged from behind a tree, and I aimed my massive crossbow right at it. This handheld siege weapon, known as Stinger Jaw, was a magical weapon capable of firing ridiculously strong bolts—though at the cost of being absurdly heavy.
…In other words, perfect for someone like me.
“Gyaah!”
The bolt was so powerful that it turned the creature’s dying scream into a mere whisper as it pinned the Borgoro clean through the trunk. I was hoping that’d scare the rest off, but no such luck. Dozens more emerged from the shadows and treetops, screeching in unison.
“I thought their nest was further north.”
“No matter. Since they’re here, we may as well clear the view a bit.”
Saran stepped up beside me and tapped the ground with his long staff. He must’ve anticipated this—his incantation of True Words was already complete.
From the tip of his staff, several crimson flashes burst out… and promptly incinerated both forest and Borgoro in a rough, sweeping blaze.
If I remember right, that’s one of the forbidden spells—Incarnation or something. This guy really does love using those things like they’re nothing.
“How’s that? Much clearer now, wouldn’t you say?”
Amid the smoldering corpses and scorched trees… it appeared. I’d only felt its presence before, but now—its form was unmistakable.
“Scarr…!”
So it really did lead Albert astray. Then taming a few Borgoro would be child’s play. Then again, if it was notorious enough to lead a Monster Stamped in the past, he would be able to pull off something like that.
“To think you’d burn down the Hidden Woods magic just to flush me out, how very violent.”
With a croaking voice, the manticore spoke casually as it lumbered to its feet. Its sheer presence made my body tense instinctively. It had grown—by a whole size. No… two sizes larger than I last saw it.
“Heya there. We’re here to kill you, Scarr.”
“How violent, you humans are. What did I ever do to you?”
“You’ve got a face that wants to do something.”
“That’s a misunderstanding. I—”
Before it could finish, I closed the distance in a flash. Rolo’s enhancement spell and Fimia’s protection spell both kicked in, and I felt my body grow lighter.
“Oh my, scary.”
Scarr deflected my first blow with a magical barrier and cackled in its raspy voice.
Figures. A monster so infamous it earned a Name for itself wouldn’t go down in one hit.
“Your breath reeks of blood. How many have you eaten?”
“I don’t really remember. When you get old, it’s hard to recall what you even ate yesterday. Oh—but this one was pretty tasty.”
It lazily flicked a lion-like paw—and something rolled toward us. It was badly mangled, but I recognized that head.
“…You bastard…!”
“Why are you so angry? He’s the one you all tossed aside, right? So what’s wrong with me eating him?”
“Everything, you piece of shit!”
I swung my war mace in a horizontal arc, then spun my body and brought it down like a hammer. The first blow was stopped by a magic barrier—but the second smashed right through it, crushing Scarr’s front leg.
“──What!?”
The manticore flinched and leapt back. That human face of his makes it so easy to read.
Finally that smug is gone…!
“That’s what happens when a beast tries to act clever. Ever heard of teamwork?”
Maybe it had lived too long, or maybe it had just gotten complacent. For something with such a massive scar across its face, it sure wasn’t careful enough.
“Enchantments…!”
It growled at Rolo through gritted teeth. That’s right. Rolo had infused the second strike with an enhancement powerful enough to shatter magical defenses. He’d even layered it with a Critical Weapon spell at the moment of impact. He didn’t earn the title Versatile Mystic for nothing.
“A good time, wouldn’t you say, Yulg?”
“Yeah.”
At Saran’s cue, I jumped back several paces. At the same moment, a bolt of crackling bluish-white energy fired from Saran’s staff.
“Guh…!”
Scarr blocked it with another barrier, then swung its scorpion tail at us. It used its massive body as cover—a decent move… But Fimia wouldn’t miss it. Three overlapping magic shields—like small bucklers—appeared in an instant and stopped the tail dead in its tracks.
That moment of hesitation was all I needed. I rushed forward—low and fast, like I was skimming the ground.
“Yulg!”
“Got it!”
I swung my mace upward from near the ground, aiming for the creature’s jaw. Boosted to the limit by Rolo’s enhancements, the massive iron hunk smashed into Scarr’s head and launched it skyward with bone-crunching force.
