Chapter 91 – Kamasse’s Struggle
“Wind, become a blade and cut through the enemy! [Wind Cutter]!”
As the silver-haired young adventurer Kamasse chanted, a transparent blade shot out from his fingertips and flew towards one of the Togord birds circling overhead.
However…
“Hogaaahhh!”
The Togord let out a cry, and a semitransparent membrane of air formed around its body, blocking Kamasse’s wind blade.
It was a defensive magic that was as called [Air Protect] by humans.
Each one of Togord birds were as big as a normal-sized car, a truly gigantic bird.
They had robust muscles within their feathers, making them quite heavy.
Yet despite their size, the reason they could freely soar through the sky was because they instinctively understood how to use wind magic.
This was the reason why Togords, who had low intelligence, could manipulate wind attribute defensive magic.
“Hoggaaah! Hogggaaaahhh!”
Although the individual struck by the blade didn’t suffer any damage, it became infuriated by an unexpected counterattack from the small creature that crawled on the ground. It charged down from the sky with a terrifying force while spewing drool in all directions.
If Kamasse were to be hit by that massive body with such momentum, it didn’t matter how much the [Body Strengthening] magic was used, his body would be gravely injured.
However, Kamasse remained calm.
He took a breath and exhaled.
Shifting his weight to his toes to be ready to move at any moment, he leaned slightly forward.
Without taking his eyes off the charging Togord, he stared intently.
It was all part of his calculation.
[Wind Cutter] was just a provocation.
From the start, he never expected it to deal damage.
Kamasse had been waiting for this moment when the Togord would approach the ground.
“Earth, become countless gravel and pierce through the enemy! [Mini Soil Bullets]!”
What Kamasse unleashed against the approaching Togord was a basic earth magic that had been modified to shoot out bullets scattered over a wide area.
Countless clumps of earth emerged from beneath Kamasse’s feet and flew towards the approaching giant bird.
Unlike Emmy’s [Infinite Pebbles], these clumps of earth were just fragile lumps of soil without any reinforcement.
They were not strong enough to cause significant damage to the Togord, and of course, Kamasse was well aware of that.
“Hogaaah!?”
The clumps of earth Kamasse released flew towards Togord’s face.
Although protected by the wind attribute defensive magic, the Togord instinctively closed its eyes, creating an opening.
….. And this was the opportunity Kamasse had been trying to create.
“Magic sword ‘Blaze’, activate.”
*burn*!
As Kamasse chanted the activation phrase, a fiery red flame ignited on the sword he held horizontally in front of him.
Yes, Kamasse’s beloved sword, ‘Blaze,’ was a magic sword infused with magic power.
“Sword Saint Style… [Radiant Flash Slash]!”
And with that, Kamasse dashed forward, slashing diagonally across the Togord’s body as they passed each other.
“Hoggooahhh!?”
That Togord, flinched from the pain, unconsciously crash to the ground.
Thud!
Carrying its charging momentum, it scraped along the ground, breaking rocks that protruded out of the grassy area as it rolled.
However, the robust body of the Togord, strengthened by [Body Strengthening], was not fatally wounded by this level of attack.
It quickly got up, ready to counterattack Kamasse…
“Hogaaah!? Hoggaaaah!?”
But its plan failed.
From the cut made by Kamasse, flames suddenly erupted and burned fiercely!
The power of Kamasse’s magic sword, ‘Blaze,’ was… ‘It will burn any opponent he cut’. A simple yet terrifying power.
The flames absorbed the target’s magic power, and use it to burn and spread the flames throughout their body.
Those flames would not extinguish until the target’s magic power was depleted.
“Hoo-…gaaa-…”
And thus, the charred Togord ceased to move.
On the surrounding, there were six deceased giant birds lying around.
Normally, Kamasse would immediately return to town, call for help, and bring back the meat.
“…Tch.”
However, Kamasse’s face showed no joy.
He looked up at the cloudy sky, clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Because there, against the backdrop of the cloudy sky, dozens of Togords still calmly flapping their wings, unscathed, without a single injury on their body.
(Things have gotten troublesome.)
Kamasse cursed inwardly.
The request he had taken on that day was the “Togord Hunting Request.”
Since the day he was defeated by Emmy, Kamasse had been actively taking on requests related to monster extermination.
All of this was for the sake of training, for the sake of becoming stronger.
Kamasse was, after all, a talented adventurer who had once been called a “genius.”
Although he had only faced Emmy once, he had fully understood the overwhelming difference in their abilities.
…And that had ignited his competitive spirit.
As a result, he had been training tirelessly from morning until night.
Building up his basic strength and magic power, honing his skills, and cultivating his combat instincts.
Taking on the “Togord Hunting Request” this time was also a part of his training.
Of course, the reward was also one of the reason.
The meat of the Togord was an essential main dish in Yoshanka cuisine. The reward amount also had been increasing due to the growing number of visitors from outside the town. From both the perspective of training and rewards, it was an attractive request for Kamasse.
To complete this request, Kamasse had come to the northern cliffs where Togords lived.
There, he encountered a pair of people who were attacked by Togords, and he saved them……
(However, I never expected to face such a large group like this.)
Togords were not usually seen in groups.
Even if other members of the species were fighting nearby, they would generally remain indifferent.
That was why Kamasse had planned to return to the town of Yoshanka after defeating just one or two.
But that plan shattered because of that Red Togord flying at the back of the group.
(I never imagined that a unique individual would appear…)
The Red Togord.
There had been several sightings of it before, and it was listed in the guild’s monster guide as a unique individual called the Togord Commander.
It was several times larger than a normal Togord.
And it possessed the ability to lead other individuals, who would normally not act cooperatively, as if it was its own body.
When a Togord Commander appeared, the Togords would immediately expand their territory, and as a result, many villages and towns had been destroyed in the past.
“Hohohogaaahhh——!”
The Togord Commander let out an unpleasant scream.
In response, the Togords, who had been flying freely, formed a formation and began flying in an orderly manner once again.
It seemed like they stopped their wait-and-see approach.
Kamasse had wanted to reduce their numbers as much as possible before it came to this, but defeating only six individuals was like a drop in the bucket.
And now, he was facing flying creatures that were coordinated and controlled.
He didn’t think he could escape.
(…Hah! Kamasse, don’t lose heart! I am the future top-tier adventurer! I won’t be defeated in a place like this!)
Kamasse raised his sword again, mustering his determination.
All he could do was buy time and hunt down as many Togords as possible.
It would only be a matter of time before the two adventurers who had escaped reported the situation to the Adventurer’s Guild and reinforcements should arrive after that.
“Come at me, you damn birds!”
“Hohohohohogaaaaaaaaaahhh!”
Kamasse and the Togord Commander shouted almost simultaneously.
The Togord Commander’s command caused numerous Togords to charge at Kamasse!
“Jump! Here!”
With the help of [Mini Soil Bullets] to create distractions, Kamasse swiftly evaded their attacks.
The Togords were all massive creatures, so they charged one by one to avoid colliding with each other.
For someone as skilled as Kamasse, avoiding their attacks was easy.
However, there were just so many of them!
Without any pause, dozens of Togords relentlessly charged at him from all directions!
Different from before, there was no chance for Kamasse to counterattack!
Gradually, Kamasse’s stamina, mental strength, and focus get worn down. Fatigue accumulated, and his movements became sluggish.
“Ugh!”
And then, he accidentally tripped over a rock at his feet and fell on his back.
“Hogaaaaaaaahh!”
Naturally, the Togords did not wait for him to get up.
With a triumphant cry, they charged at him.
All of a sudden, Kamasse feel that the flow of time slowed down.
Memories of the port town where he was born and raised, his heroic father, his kind mother, his crybaby younger sister, all the people he had met during his travels… and that cursed child, Emmy.
Faces of all the people he had encountered flashed through his mind one by one.
(Damn it! Damn it! Damn it damn it!)
But Kamasse forcefully pushed away those fleeting memories and mustered his strength to get up, holding his sword in a defensive stance!
He activated the mechanism of the magic sword ‘Blaze’ activated, and flames surged from the blade!
“Hyaaaahhh!”
Shouting, he leaped!
With the fiery magic sword held above his head, Kamasse avoided the charging Togords by spinning in a vertical rotation and sliced at their wings!
“Hogaah!? Hogaah!?”
The Togords struck by his attack were engulfed in the burning flames of Blaze, fueled by their own magic power, and stopped moving.
But it was only one individual.
He had only defeated one.
The attacks from the other Togords continued.
“Hoggaaaaaah!”
“Guhaa!”
Taking advantage of the moment he landed, the next Togord lunged at Kamasse from an unexpected angle, sending him flying and causing him to spit out blood as he rolled on the ground.
“Ugh… Ahh…”
Kamasse tried his best to get up, but there was no strength in his body.
While trembling, he managed to raise his upper body, and before his eyes, he saw the giant bird charging straight at him.
“Dam-…. Damn it…!”
A massive body covered in black feathers.
A sharp beak.
Muddy green eyes.
That was the appearance of the grim reaper that would lead Kamasse to the underworld.
“Damn it all!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Without thinking, he shouted.
(Damn it! Damn it damn it damn it! I will die, in a place like this!?)
Tears streamed down his face.
(It’s frustrating! Damn it, I won’t accept this pitiful end… I absolutely won’t!)
But despite his determination, his body wouldn’t move.
(… I don’t want! To die!)
Despair over his own weakness, the desperate thirst for life.
The common regret of someone facing death.
…That was the last sentiment Kamasse, the silver-haired young adventurer, held in his heart.
And so, Kamasse Kaisettsu, the prodigy child, met his end in deep regret.
……….. Or so it should have been.
Thud!
However, Kamasse’s life was saved.
Something the size of a clenched fist flew from his right side and knocked away the head of the giant bird attacking him!
“!?”
Lying on his back with his back against the ground, Kamasse watched as the headless body of the giant bird passed over him.
“What the heck….”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
One after another, he heard these sounds, drowning out his murmurs.
Looking up, he saw several Togords losing their heads, falling to the ground.
“Hohohohogahh! Hogaahh!”
The Togord Commander shouted in panic, and the giant birds momentarily stopped their attacks, circling in the sky again.
Rustle, rustle.
While pushing through the short dried grass, someone approached Kamasse.
Kamasse instinctively turned around, widening his eyes.
It was someone he knew well.
Someone younger and smaller than Kamasse, but undeniably much stronger.
The black-haired and black-eyed cursed child, Emmy.
Emmy slowly approached Kamasse, playing with a fist-sized stone in the palm of her hand.
Once she confirmed his safety, she turned her back to protect him and faced the group of Togords.
She activated [Intimidation].
Even Kamasse, who wasn’t the target, felt suffocated by the intense killing intent.
The Togords, stopped making unpleasant noises, silenced by Emmy’s killing intent.
The area fell into silence, making the sound of the blowing sea breeze echoed louder.
But with a volume that drowned out even the sound of the wind, Emmy shouted…
“You birds!”
With an even more intense killing intent.
Revealing the depths of her heart that she usually kept hidden, she let it all out.
Fierce, dark, and ferocious.
She released the depths of her soul, drenched in murderous intent, and expressed it in simple words…
She made a declaration.
“…… I’ll kill all of you!”
Chapter 91 – Kamasse’s Struggle
“Wind, become a blade and cut through the enemy! [Wind Cutter]!”
As the silver-haired young adventurer Kamasse chanted, a transparent blade shot out from his fingertips and flew towards one of the Togord birds circling overhead.
However…
“Hogaaahhh!”
The Togord let out a cry, and a semitransparent membrane of air formed around its body, blocking Kamasse’s wind blade.
It was a defensive magic that was as called [Air Protect] by humans.
Each one of Togord birds were as big as a normal-sized car, a truly gigantic bird.
They had robust muscles within their feathers, making them quite heavy.
Yet despite their size, the reason they could freely soar through the sky was because they instinctively understood how to use wind magic.
This was the reason why Togords, who had low intelligence, could manipulate wind attribute defensive magic.
“Hoggaaah! Hogggaaaahhh!”
Although the individual struck by the blade didn’t suffer any damage, it became infuriated by an unexpected counterattack from the small creature that crawled on the ground. It charged down from the sky with a terrifying force while spewing drool in all directions.
If Kamasse were to be hit by that massive body with such momentum, it didn’t matter how much the [Body Strengthening] magic was used, his body would be gravely injured.
However, Kamasse remained calm.
He took a breath and exhaled.
Shifting his weight to his toes to be ready to move at any moment, he leaned slightly forward.
Without taking his eyes off the charging Togord, he stared intently.
It was all part of his calculation.
[Wind Cutter] was just a provocation.
From the start, he never expected it to deal damage.
Kamasse had been waiting for this moment when the Togord would approach the ground.
“Earth, become countless gravel and pierce through the enemy! [Mini Soil Bullets]!”
What Kamasse unleashed against the approaching Togord was a basic earth magic that had been modified to shoot out bullets scattered over a wide area.
Countless clumps of earth emerged from beneath Kamasse’s feet and flew towards the approaching giant bird.
Unlike Emmy’s [Infinite Pebbles], these clumps of earth were just fragile lumps of soil without any reinforcement.
They were not strong enough to cause significant damage to the Togord, and of course, Kamasse was well aware of that.
“Hogaaah!?”
The clumps of earth Kamasse released flew towards Togord’s face.
Although protected by the wind attribute defensive magic, the Togord instinctively closed its eyes, creating an opening.
….. And this was the opportunity Kamasse had been trying to create.
“Magic sword ‘Blaze’, activate.”
*burn*!
As Kamasse chanted the activation phrase, a fiery red flame ignited on the sword he held horizontally in front of him.
Yes, Kamasse’s beloved sword, ‘Blaze,’ was a magic sword infused with magic power.
“Sword Saint Style… [Radiant Flash Slash]!”
And with that, Kamasse dashed forward, slashing diagonally across the Togord’s body as they passed each other.
“Hoggooahhh!?”
That Togord, flinched from the pain, unconsciously crash to the ground.
Thud!
Carrying its charging momentum, it scraped along the ground, breaking rocks that protruded out of the grassy area as it rolled.
However, the robust body of the Togord, strengthened by [Body Strengthening], was not fatally wounded by this level of attack.
It quickly got up, ready to counterattack Kamasse…
“Hogaaah!? Hoggaaaah!?”
But its plan failed.
From the cut made by Kamasse, flames suddenly erupted and burned fiercely!
The power of Kamasse’s magic sword, ‘Blaze,’ was… ‘It will burn any opponent he cut’. A simple yet terrifying power.
The flames absorbed the target’s magic power, and use it to burn and spread the flames throughout their body.
Those flames would not extinguish until the target’s magic power was depleted.
“Hoo-…gaaa-…”
And thus, the charred Togord ceased to move.
On the surrounding, there were six deceased giant birds lying around.
Normally, Kamasse would immediately return to town, call for help, and bring back the meat.
“…Tch.”
However, Kamasse’s face showed no joy.
He looked up at the cloudy sky, clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Because there, against the backdrop of the cloudy sky, dozens of Togords still calmly flapping their wings, unscathed, without a single injury on their body.
(Things have gotten troublesome.)
Kamasse cursed inwardly.
The request he had taken on that day was the “Togord Hunting Request.”
Since the day he was defeated by Emmy, Kamasse had been actively taking on requests related to monster extermination.
All of this was for the sake of training, for the sake of becoming stronger.
Kamasse was, after all, a talented adventurer who had once been called a “genius.”
Although he had only faced Emmy once, he had fully understood the overwhelming difference in their abilities.
…And that had ignited his competitive spirit.
As a result, he had been training tirelessly from morning until night.
Building up his basic strength and magic power, honing his skills, and cultivating his combat instincts.
Taking on the “Togord Hunting Request” this time was also a part of his training.
Of course, the reward was also one of the reason.
The meat of the Togord was an essential main dish in Yoshanka cuisine. The reward amount also had been increasing due to the growing number of visitors from outside the town. From both the perspective of training and rewards, it was an attractive request for Kamasse.
To complete this request, Kamasse had come to the northern cliffs where Togords lived.
There, he encountered a pair of people who were attacked by Togords, and he saved them……
(However, I never expected to face such a large group like this.)
Togords were not usually seen in groups.
Even if other members of the species were fighting nearby, they would generally remain indifferent.
That was why Kamasse had planned to return to the town of Yoshanka after defeating just one or two.
But that plan shattered because of that Red Togord flying at the back of the group.
(I never imagined that a unique individual would appear…)
The Red Togord.
There had been several sightings of it before, and it was listed in the guild’s monster guide as a unique individual called the Togord Commander.
It was several times larger than a normal Togord.
And it possessed the ability to lead other individuals, who would normally not act cooperatively, as if it was its own body.
When a Togord Commander appeared, the Togords would immediately expand their territory, and as a result, many villages and towns had been destroyed in the past.
“Hohohogaaahhh——!”
The Togord Commander let out an unpleasant scream.
In response, the Togords, who had been flying freely, formed a formation and began flying in an orderly manner once again.
It seemed like they stopped their wait-and-see approach.
Kamasse had wanted to reduce their numbers as much as possible before it came to this, but defeating only six individuals was like a drop in the bucket.
And now, he was facing flying creatures that were coordinated and controlled.
He didn’t think he could escape.
(…Hah! Kamasse, don’t lose heart! I am the future top-tier adventurer! I won’t be defeated in a place like this!)
Kamasse raised his sword again, mustering his determination.
All he could do was buy time and hunt down as many Togords as possible.
It would only be a matter of time before the two adventurers who had escaped reported the situation to the Adventurer’s Guild and reinforcements should arrive after that.
“Come at me, you damn birds!”
“Hohohohohogaaaaaaaaaahhh!”
Kamasse and the Togord Commander shouted almost simultaneously.
The Togord Commander’s command caused numerous Togords to charge at Kamasse!
“Jump! Here!”
With the help of [Mini Soil Bullets] to create distractions, Kamasse swiftly evaded their attacks.
The Togords were all massive creatures, so they charged one by one to avoid colliding with each other.
For someone as skilled as Kamasse, avoiding their attacks was easy.
However, there were just so many of them!
Without any pause, dozens of Togords relentlessly charged at him from all directions!
Different from before, there was no chance for Kamasse to counterattack!
Gradually, Kamasse’s stamina, mental strength, and focus get worn down. Fatigue accumulated, and his movements became sluggish.
“Ugh!”
And then, he accidentally tripped over a rock at his feet and fell on his back.
“Hogaaaaaaaahh!”
Naturally, the Togords did not wait for him to get up.
With a triumphant cry, they charged at him.
All of a sudden, Kamasse feel that the flow of time slowed down.
Memories of the port town where he was born and raised, his heroic father, his kind mother, his crybaby younger sister, all the people he had met during his travels… and that cursed child, Emmy.
Faces of all the people he had encountered flashed through his mind one by one.
(Damn it! Damn it! Damn it damn it!)
But Kamasse forcefully pushed away those fleeting memories and mustered his strength to get up, holding his sword in a defensive stance!
He activated the mechanism of the magic sword ‘Blaze’ activated, and flames surged from the blade!
“Hyaaaahhh!”
Shouting, he leaped!
With the fiery magic sword held above his head, Kamasse avoided the charging Togords by spinning in a vertical rotation and sliced at their wings!
“Hogaah!? Hogaah!?”
The Togords struck by his attack were engulfed in the burning flames of Blaze, fueled by their own magic power, and stopped moving.
But it was only one individual.
He had only defeated one.
The attacks from the other Togords continued.
“Hoggaaaaaah!”
“Guhaa!”
Taking advantage of the moment he landed, the next Togord lunged at Kamasse from an unexpected angle, sending him flying and causing him to spit out blood as he rolled on the ground.
“Ugh… Ahh…”
Kamasse tried his best to get up, but there was no strength in his body.
While trembling, he managed to raise his upper body, and before his eyes, he saw the giant bird charging straight at him.
“Dam-…. Damn it…!”
A massive body covered in black feathers.
A sharp beak.
Muddy green eyes.
That was the appearance of the grim reaper that would lead Kamasse to the underworld.
“Damn it all!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Without thinking, he shouted.
(Damn it! Damn it damn it damn it! I will die, in a place like this!?)
Tears streamed down his face.
(It’s frustrating! Damn it, I won’t accept this pitiful end… I absolutely won’t!)
But despite his determination, his body wouldn’t move.
(… I don’t want! To die!)
Despair over his own weakness, the desperate thirst for life.
The common regret of someone facing death.
…That was the last sentiment Kamasse, the silver-haired young adventurer, held in his heart.
And so, Kamasse Kaisettsu, the prodigy child, met his end in deep regret.
……….. Or so it should have been.
Thud!
However, Kamasse’s life was saved.
Something the size of a clenched fist flew from his right side and knocked away the head of the giant bird attacking him!
“!?”
Lying on his back with his back against the ground, Kamasse watched as the headless body of the giant bird passed over him.
“What the heck….”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
One after another, he heard these sounds, drowning out his murmurs.
Looking up, he saw several Togords losing their heads, falling to the ground.
“Hohohohogahh! Hogaahh!”
The Togord Commander shouted in panic, and the giant birds momentarily stopped their attacks, circling in the sky again.
Rustle, rustle.
While pushing through the short dried grass, someone approached Kamasse.
Kamasse instinctively turned around, widening his eyes.
It was someone he knew well.
Someone younger and smaller than Kamasse, but undeniably much stronger.
The black-haired and black-eyed cursed child, Emmy.
Emmy slowly approached Kamasse, playing with a fist-sized stone in the palm of her hand.
Once she confirmed his safety, she turned her back to protect him and faced the group of Togords.
She activated [Intimidation].
Even Kamasse, who wasn’t the target, felt suffocated by the intense killing intent.
The Togords, stopped making unpleasant noises, silenced by Emmy’s killing intent.
The area fell into silence, making the sound of the blowing sea breeze echoed louder.
But with a volume that drowned out even the sound of the wind, Emmy shouted…
“You birds!”
With an even more intense killing intent.
Revealing the depths of her heart that she usually kept hidden, she let it all out.
Fierce, dark, and ferocious.
She released the depths of her soul, drenched in murderous intent, and expressed it in simple words…
She made a declaration.
“…… I’ll kill all of you!”
