Chapter 17 A Behemoth For A Friend?!

The carriages that carried the students rushed as they return to Arteim. Due to the omen of Mari, the tension of everyone doesn't come off even though they won a battle. Karen, on the other hand, just prayed for the safety of her classmate that they left behind back in Arteim. As she prayed, her hands trembled.

"Karen, are you okay? I know you're worried about him, but it would take us until sunset until we reach the capital." Kai spoke to her, trying to comfort her.

Karen didn't say a word, but tears form on her eyes as she kept on praying.

"Wait, Kai." Rin spoke from the side. "Let me handle this."

Kai, though reluctant in keeping his eyes off Karen even for just a moment due to her emotional state, agreed in switching seats with Rin.

"Thanks!" Rin said with a grin.

Kai, meanwhile, only nodded to her. Much to his dismay, when he turned his face right after he switched seats with her, he saw James sleeping with his one foot raised and pointed towards him.

'I wonder if I could survive this trip without even breathing?' He thought to himself.

Meanwhile on the other side, Rin carefully approached Karen as she patted her back. "Karen, you okay?"

Karen then faced her with an expressionless look. "Nn."

"If it's all about that idiot friend of mine then you should rest easy. That guy won't die easily, you know? Ever heard of the saying, 'Evil weeds die hard'? After all, we still can't guarantee the truth behind Mari's omen so we should keep ourselves positive until we find see it for ourselves." Rin said with a gentle smile.

Karen laughed a little when she heard Rin's words. "You really trust him so much, do you? Compared to me, you're not bothered whether he's safe right now or not."

"A-Am I?" Rin raised her eyebrow in surprise. "W-Well, I explained it to you just now, remember? 'Evil weeds die hard'. You'll understand that when you get to finally know him better."

The two girls stared at each other for a while until Rin started chuckling. "If you want, I could tell you some stories about us and our adventures when we're in grade school, I'm sure that'll take your worries off from you for a while."

At that instant, Karen's eyes glimmered. "Y-You will?"

"Anything, for someone who's feeling worried for our evil weed."

Karen then thanked Rin for her help. "Please do."

Rin, having given the go signal, leaned her back carelessly on the cushion and started her story.

"Okay, once upon a time..."

***********

The behemoth youngling approached me at a frightening pace. I, who had seen the real deal for the first time, stepped back in hurry as to prepare myself to escape.

"O-Okay...good boy, good boy...you won't hurt someone as weak as me, don't you? Y-You see, I was about to leave this place when you suddenly appeared and...--RUUUUUNNNN!!!!!

With my legs already healed because of that bitter fruit, I could run away from danger just like normal again.

"H-Haaaah, haaaaah...I wonder if that guy's still chasing me..."

When I took a glance behind, I saw that the behemoth youngling is REALLY chasing after me, and at a pace I didn't expected at all.

"H-Hot! Hot!" I shouted. "My feet are burning!"

Running in the desert on a hot day is one of the most stupid decisions I've made in my life. No need to explain it further, my feet would be injured again at this rate. However, I don't want to stop doing it either.

I thought that at my current pace I would easily escape the behemoth but I was mistaken. Like a small vehicle the creature slowly closes the distance with me as fatigue also started to overcome my body. I desperately exerted all my efforts to run faster but in the end the limits of me being human finally defeated me.

The behemoth tackled me from behind as I run.

"Ooogaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!"

Being tackled from behind by a scorpion twice the size of a human makes my body get painful really bad. It was like being hit by a car moving at slow speed.

I fell on the sand face down after flying for a few meters.

"Aaaaahhhh...my back..." I groaned while lying down on the hot sand.

As I get up while brushing off the sand covering my face, the behemoth crept closer to me again, but slower than before.

"D-Don't come near! S-Stay away, I'm not delicious!"

I continued to step back as I plea for my life. The monster ignored my pleas, and still crept towards me.

"Awawawawawa! No, nooooooooo!!!" I shrieked like a girl towards the creature.

I decided to run again, but I got stumbled on to something on the sand after gaining a few meters of distance between me and the behemoth.

"O-Ouchhhhhh...why is this happening to me?"

I fell down again on the sand. For the second time, I immediately got up and noticed the thing that I stumbled upon.

"I-Is this...a sword?" I muttered as I inspected on it closer.

A handle of a sword protrudes from the sandy surface. I pulled the sword quickly to check its condition.

"Uwaaaaa...This sword looks brand new..."

The sword has a black-colored edge with a blue flowing design. It looked like a Japanese katana, except for some parts that make it different from a real katana. Would it still be considered as such if it has a serrated edge?

It's wonderful that the sword show no signs of corrosion even after exposed in the harshest environment for so long.

"For this sword to be left behind here...I pity it's owner for losing it he--IIIIIIIIIIYAAAAAAH!!!"

I forgot the thought about a behemoth youngling chasing me because of this beautiful sword in my hand.

"Don't come near, I'll cut you!"

The behemoth came closer as I warned it in desperation.

"S-S-Stay! Stay right there! I'm serious, I'll really cut you!" I spoke as I threatened the behemoth like a child.

The behemoth came even closer. When the distance between the two of us is about one meter, the monster stopped moving and lowered its head.

The behemoth lowered its head like a dog wanting to get petted by its owner.

"By any chance, you don't want to harm me...?"

Its two stingers went up and down as if they were nodding in response to my question.

Strange.

"...And you want me to be your friend, I think?"

The stingers "nodded" again.

Strange.

("What the hell are you saying to a monster?") My mind let out a retort on my actions. I walked slowly towards the monster while putting the sword on my side. When I got in front of it, my hand trembled as it hesitantly reached out to hold its head.

Really strange.

The monster didn't stopped me from holding its head, and it looks like it wants to be petted more. After petting for a while, I could feel vibrations like a purring of a cat.

I feel like I'm petting a dog or something.

Is this really a behemoth? Why does it acts like some sort of a domesticated animal?

"I-It's not like I hate you or something, but the likes of you really scare me a lot..." I said to the behemoth.

I stopped the petting after a few minutes while letting out a tsundere remark. The behemoth still hasn't done anything that could harm me yet, so I think that his response earlier is true.

"Still, a behemoth for a friend, huh? I wonder what Rin will say when..."

I stopped my words. I realized that I left my classmates without them knowing. They will search for me, I guess, but it's better for them to think that I'm dead.

The behemoth sensed that my mood went down, and came closer to me. One of its stingers touched my head as if patting it. I got scared when I thought that the behemoth might stab me in the back with that huge stinger and inject venom on me, but I immediately calmed down when its stinger gently touched my head.

"Now, now, you pat me like I did to you earlier? Still, thanks for understanding...though it's regrettable that a behemoth understood my emotions."

I think that this monster, er, friend, can understand human emotion. This is too shocking of a discovery for me.

I wonder how much people will pay just to see such creature if we're in Earth?

"Oh shoot, I need to get out of this place...want to go with me?" I asked the behemoth.

His stingers "nodded".

I continued to walk through the desert. When I asked the behemoth if it wants to go with me, it's stingers nodded again. After a while, I decided to ride on its back.

"It is the price for following me, so deal with it."

Even though I said that, it doesn't even act like it's complaining or something, so I continued to ride on its back. Its back is hard and leathery, as if I'm riding on the back of a cow. Maybe I could use the stingers as a support on my back after all that running and tumbling on the desert sand.

"By the way, since we've come this far, how about I give you a name?"

Its stingers went straight up like it's surprised.

"Ummm, let's see...since you have those nodding stingers, how about naming you 'Prick'?"

Prick seems to like the name I gave to him even though I immediately thought that his name would have a different meaning based on other people's context. Who cares, he's just a behemoth.

We continued to move as I tell him my adventures back on Earth, and the time when the whole class got transported into this world, my training with the [Cannon Fodder], and the tragedy at Arteim. His stingers just patted my head when my emotions become sad as I recall my sufferings. By the time I finished telling my story, the sun is starting to set.

"Man, I'm so tired...let's rest for tonight on this oasis, shall we?"

I asked his opinion after thinking for a while and he agreed immediately.

We stopped at the third oasis we found in order to eat and rest. The only food I have is these [Demon Berries] I picked on the first oasis. Fortunately, I found a shrubby tree in this oasis that has a blue fruit that looked like apples and tastes exactly like apples. It also removes any fatigue from the body. I used the opportunity to get as much fruit as I can. I decided at first to throw the bitter berries but Prick seems to like its taste, so I let him half of my berries for dinner.

The desert at night is not as cold as they say. It feels just like I'm in an air-conditioned room to my surprise. As I lay on the cold sand alongside with Prick that acted as a bed and blanket, I looked the black sword I picked up earlier.

"I will kill all of the bastards who killed my friends and comrades, I will avenge their deaths no matter what. If necessary, I will put an end to this war with my own hands. To do that, I need to find a way in order to become stronger."

Prick, on the other hand, slowly 'nodded' its stingers again.

"You'll help me, Prick? Thanks!" I petted his stingers happily.

As I raised my hand, I noticed that the stars are brighter here in the desert than when I looked at them when I was still in Arteim. So beautiful, that I want to hold them with my hands.

"What am I even doing? It's not like that I'll be able to do it, right? It's impossible for me to do it even if I get stronger." I leaked out a sigh.

I just stared at the my hand while raising it in front of the stars above before going to sleep.