Volume 5 - CH 28

Act 5-28: A Certain Someone Whose Whereabout is Unknown　

That guy’s speed was simply too bizzare. Even if we managed to restrict his ability, this plan would fail if he escaped into the thicket. That’s why we had to bait him into coming to an open field.

That’s why the most suitable place to confront him was the wide field in front of this cave. Seeing that I had no idea where he came from, we couldn’t leave the cave so carelessly. Therefore, the women and children had to stay in the cave for their own safety, and escape by using the back route of the cave after the battle broke out.

Nevertheless, in the worst case in which the resistant group got annihilated, catching up and caught everyone was no big deal for that guy with that speed of him.

In short, we bet everything in this upcoming battle.

「Let me to warn you again, Tama, our opponent this time is a total monster.」

We had already placed the stakes around the field, so I approached Tama who stood with an undaunted pose in the middle of the field and repeated my warning to her.

「Either way, the other party is still too fast for us to see, right? The result will be the same anyway.」

「Well that might be true but sti—」

「You’re the only one who knows about that guy. Now go away and leave me alone for now!」

Tama shrugged her shoulder, waving her hands casually as she shooed me away,

「Just listen to me, you must not resist at all cost. Once he appears, you can leave the rest to us.」

After I repeated my warning, I turned around, when I was about to walk away from her toward the designated hiding place in the thicket,

「Thank you.」

I noticed her muttering those words.

We’re currently hiding behind the trees. That monster is about to come. We would die immediately if we lost our focus even for a split second. That was the kind of monster we’re going to fight.

I knew my fingers were trembling non stop just recalling that dream. Somehow, I could feel it. I could feel that my previous self was a somewhat cowardly person. I knew that I wasn’t the kind of person who would do this kind of make-believe hero’s role. And yet, for some reason, here I am, betting my life in this place. It was an action which felt like the exact opposite of me. And yet, for some reason, something in me screams that I mustn’t abandon Shar.

（Which reminds me…）

I would escape with my tail between my legs knowing that I’m gonna fight someone much more powerful than me. But, when it comes to a fight with my belief on the line, I need to display an image of an overwhelmingly strong man. And then, I had to act as if I was that person. I remember someone told me about that long time ago.

（What a jest… Even though I can’t even remember the person who said that to me…）

But, that was my best solution to get rid of this fear in me.

（Let see, the strongest existence for me is…）

Suddenly, the first image that popped out in my head was the figure of your average black-haired youth.

（Why do I think that this unremarkable youth is the strongest existence?）

I unintentionally let out parched laugh from my mouth.

I mean, at glance, that youth seems to be weak enough to be killed by a goblin. And yet, for some reason, I couldn’t imagine the image of that black-haired youth being defeated.

（Oh right. Let’s try to become him first.）

I had no idea about the identity of this youth, nor did his birthplace.

I tried to put the image of that youth in me. Lump of heat suddenly appeared in the center of my chest, spreading on my whole body like torrent of lava. To express my current situation, it felt like I was baked alive. Normally speaking, this should be an extremely unusual situation and yet, for some reason, I felt really comfortable.

I was completely immersing myself in that youth image…

A while after I maintained the image of that black-haired youth, I noticed something extremely unpleasant fast approaching from the forest. In my prophetic dream i couldn’t feel anything at all and yet… Oh well, it just a pipe dream after all. I guess asking for such accuracy in my dream was asking for too much.

Anyhow, that was definitely the blue haired man in my dream. I had to kill him in one strike as soon as I invoked the stakes. Though it was a truly naive plan… That was the most ideal situation.

Moreover, that unpleasant sign approached closer and closer. And yet,for some reason, it felt less scarier than the instant death which I saw in my prophetic dream. In fact, I even felt that guy wasn’t a big deal. Naturally, I didn’t let my guard down but, it was also a fact that I wasn’t as afraid as that monster as before.

Amidst such disordered thought in my hiding place, the lanky, blue-haired man had finally appeared.

Yup, it was the same man in my dream. He licked his lips as he approached Tama.

「U~hm, this is definitely a trap. Doesn’t matter though, it look interesting after all.」

The blue haired man muttered so as he looked around.

（This guy is a fool huh…）

The reason for your lost was precisely because you guys underestimate us.

The moment that man arrived right in front of Tama, I loaded my magical power into the stakes.

「UWO!?」

I was really surprised when I felt extremely dense magical power akin to that of muddy river flowing out of my right hand.

That moment, three magic circle which formed triangular shape formed around that blue haired man.

「Hee, this is somesort of restriction formulae. Moreover, not the one from my old hometown. This should be excavated from a big ruin.」

The man touched his chin, nodded repeatedly with expression full of interest but,

「But too ba~d.」

When the man muttered so while snapping his fingers, the magic circles vanished.

Dammit! Did he just forcibly cancelled the activation of national treasure class item with snap of his fingers? No, I didn’t felt that much pressure from him now. It still felt the same as before the activation of the item but…

（Let’s think about that for later!）

At least, he didn’t feel like an invincible monster in my dream. Compared in that dream, the current him seem to be really weak. Upon a closer look… He did felt weaker than before the activation of the stakes. Yup, that must be the effect of the stakes.

「This kind of childplay do――」

I didn’t waste my time for useless chit-chat and kicked ground with all my power, jumping toward the man. The scenery around me flew at breakneck speed and by the next moment, I had already closing in at that man.

「WAH!?」

I grabbed a hold on his abdomen, using the gap before he recovered from the shock,

「【FLAME BULLET】!!!」

And then invoked My prided skill――【Flame Bullet】. The black flame released from the tip of my fingers pierced through the man’s body.

「KUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?」

Due to the impact of our collision, that blue haired man got sent flying, spinning for who know how many times in the air crashing against numerous trees along the way.

「What the heck is that?」

As expected, I shouldn’t be able to handle such terrifying amount of magical power. Not to mention that the colour of my flame had changed from red to black. Maybe those stakes also enhanced the magical power of its user while weakening its target.

Anyhow, he seems so different from my dream, his speed was much slower. That should be the effect of those stakes too.

「G-Gil?」

Tama who stood behind me called my name with bewildered voice.

「It’s okay, the other party won’t be able to move for now. Use this chance to get away from this place!」

「…」

Seeing Tama trembled in fear as she nodded to me,

「NOW!」

I yelled at her and she ran into the cave soon.

The blue haired man stood back on his feet, albeit barely. He glared at me with bloodshot eyes, looking like he wanted to tear me to pieces,

「Kill…」

And muttered so.

He might be weakened due to his wound but, it didn’t change the fact that he was a strong opponent. Since I had no idea when will the effect of the stakes expired. Now was the perfect time to barrage him with attack without giving him a chance to take a breath.

「I’m gonna kill yo――」

I jumped again, closing the distance between us before he could finish his sentence.

Without giving him any chance to react, my right punch nailed right into his face. I followed the man who got sent flying again with a jump, and connected my previous punch with roundhouse kick.

The shin of my right leg landed right on his head, followed by the sound of creaking skull less than a moment later. Just like that, he got sent flying even further. My kick sent him toward the cave at breakneck speed.

And yet, I could easily catching up to him with my jump, and overtake him on top of that. This time, I kicked him up, high in the air, I landed on the wall of the cave and ran up to catch up with my foe.

「Wait―― A――」

He tried to say something but my axe kick nailed him down back to the ground.

――BOOM!

His body fell to the ground in front of the cave as I smashed his skull.

The sound of him falling on the ground resounded in my eardrums.

My last hit created a giant crater with his as the center, raising a cloud of dust. The remnant of that blue haired man laid on the ground.

Did that kill him? His body didn’t even twitch anymore but, I mustn’t let my guard down. Especially when the restriction effect of the stakes had expired, he could easily kill me even in his critically wounded state.

Just to be safe, let’s burn him.

I pointed the palm of my hands at him and,

「【FLAME BULLET】!!!」

I kept using 【Flame Bullet】 on him again and again.

I fired black flame nonstop till not even a piece of his flesh was left.