Having run towards the place I had heard the voices from what I saw there was chaos.
Eh? What is this? [1]
I did discover the children being unharmed. [2]
The problem is ..
The monster that is currently in front of me.
They were being held captive as the inferiors though.
There was a monster that resembled an animal I had seen in a book in the past.
No matter how you think about it, for that to be here in a forest was weird.
The size is completely skewed though.
Right now in front of me the Octopus-type monster was grasping the wolf-type monsters with I don’t know whether arms or legs or what, and whirling them around.
One, one was fatter.
In the end it is but a monster that resembles an octopus after all.
As I observed it in that manner, our eyes met.
Eh?
It’s nothing but a mock-octopus, then. (1)
For now now I got to rescue the children first.
I called out to the children who were looking at the mock-octopus with in blank amazement/overcome with suprise.
“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Because a voice suddenly called out to it the child I talked to made a suprised expression.
But seeing me it clinged to me with teary eyes.
“S-sc-scary~! Save us.” [6]
Because of the fear it’s voice was trembling.
In order to calm it down I was clapping them on the back while holding them.
“It alright. First of all let us get away from here. Right now that monster is busy swinging around those wolf-types, so let’s escape together.”
As long as there were children here I couldn’t very well go and fight.
Just as we were trying to escape, the mock-octopos took notice of us and threw a wolf-type monster at us that it was swinging around.
Since I was holding onto the children tightly I couldn’t draw my sword.
In order to at least make sure that the children wouldn’t be harmed I covered them with my body and readied for the coming impact.
.. Are?
As I was turning around wondering about that I could see the figure of the monster that should have been thrown over here lying on the ground riddled with arrows throughout it’s body. (2)
Wondering that a person that shouldn’t have been here appeared.
“Ririina, are you alright?”
The one who inquired so of me was .. Chris-sama. (3)
Astonished I asked him.
“Wh-why has Chris-sama come to a place like this?”
“Ririina, let’s leave that matter for letter, okay. Right now we must protect the safety of those children. It seems that the rest have arrived as well.”
Upon those words appeared Thoma and the others.
“Ririina! Are you alright!? To rush off alone .. huh, who’s that?” (4)
Thoma surveyed Chris-sama cautiously.
But this wasn’t the place for that.
“Thoma, I apologize for going first alone. Still, let’s not talk about that right now but later. More importantly, can I leave it to you to get these children safely back to the village?”
I patted the children on their backs to calm them down and entrusted them to our comrades.
Thoma responded with ‘Understood’ and gave orders to one of his comrades to return them to the village.
It really catches your eye, doesn’t it.
Well then, what do to.
Would it be fine to just cut off those arms?
But it was written that octopi could regenerate their arms, so how about that monster then?
“Say, Thoma. Shall we try to cut off those arms?”
“Yeah, I suppose. In order to attack it those arms are in the way after all. Alright, I’ll go try my luck with one of them.”
Saying that Thoma attacked one of the mock-octopus’ arms.
Dossa
The wolf that had been thrown around with such force the whole time didn’t seem to be alive anymore.
Because the mock-octopus got attacked it directed it’s hostility towards us.
As for the cut off arm .. it was only starting but it certainly started to regenerate.
“Hey, Thoma, look! The place that got cut has started to regenerate. It would be better to settle this before it can complete it.”
Hearing my words Thoma called out orders.
“Everyone, listen to me! That guy seems to be able to regenerate. We’ll cut off all it’s arms and finish it off in one go!”
Everyone responded to Thoma’s words with an ‘Ooo-!’.
As I was trying to join the battle as well Chris-sama called out to me.
“Ririina, I will back you up, too. I’ll leave the arms to you and aim for the eyes. I know about your strenght but don’t do anything reckless now, alright.”
“I understand. Thank you very much, Chris-sama.”
Once we exchanged that conversation we also participated in the battle.
Because it had raised it’s arms high it made it troublesome to cut them.
But if you’re gonna be like that then ..
I climbed on a tree close to the mock-octopus.
Unhesitatingly I brandished my sword, jumped off and like that slashed it’s arm.
Dossa
Yep, I splendidly cut it off.
Everyone else seemed to startled but without delay Thoma gave everyone their instructions.
“Now! While the monster doesn’t know what happened to it. The other arms haven fallen to the ground to so go clear them up with all you got!”
At that everyone leaped at the mocktopus at once. [8]
And like that one by one the arms got cut off.
Before long all the arms had been lopped off.
The mocktopus’ body turned completely red as it got enraged.
As I was thinking that with this we just had to deal the finishing blow now, the mocktopus suddenly flew up into the air.
You’re lying .. it can fly?
But it seemed like it couldn’t actually fly in the sky, instead it jumped up with incredible vigour.
Those are some good guts it got.
I, too, brimming with vigour tried to welcome the mocktopus with it’s defeat.
But, that ended in a false start.
If asked why, it’s because ..
“Ririina! Look out!” “Ririina!”
Thoma’s back appeared before my eyes.
Those arrows hit the mocktopus that had gone a bit mad.
And finally, Thoma finished it off in a single decisive strike.
Are?
Indeed, we were able to defeat it safely, so that should be fine. Right ..