It was over in several minutes.
There were some who came at me desperately, while some ran away. The ones that came at me showed strong killing intent, so I didn’t hold back.
They were still alive, more or less……but because there was no rope for tying them up, I dislocated their both hands and legs, and bone fracture and *mumble mumble*.
Sherry-san normally has leniency against people who come at her with killing intent. She kills them in a single stroke, as if to say an eye for an eye. Because, I knew about that from the bandit subjugation we did while coming here.
If other side came to kill one, they should be prepared to be killed. Cruel or going too far, were words that nobody had the right to say, and no one had the reason to tell. If one were to be aimed, then it didn’t matter if there was any danger or not based on their abilities, but it was up to the person to do whatever they wanted.
But if one asked what time it was『needed』, then sorry but I don’t think I could give out an immediate answer.
But just because it would’ve been problematic if people who would give out testimony, died, so I was in a hurry.
And incidentally, after threatening a bit we squeezed information out of them, and apparently the daughter of town head was truly taken as hostage. To support in keeping adventurers at a distance for not hindering in their abduction plan.
They lined up demons for threatening including the one demon, that is politely known in『South』as……『Wing Boa』.
……Well then,
『Gaaaaoooooooooo!!!』
「「……!?」」
……Or so I truly wanted……
I heard something.
It just felt like……one scene of carnage stopped, but now another truly terrifying stuff was waiting for us……!!
The guards of village came at the best time, we handed over the several people of『North』for the purpose of testimonies, and both Sherry-san and I dashed in the direction of that growl.
「What what!? Minato-kun you’re so fast! Hmm, Elk-chan is always going here and there with such a comfortable transport vehicle!? Nooo, so envious!」
I said.
Err……the two big parts, that were even bigger than Elk’s, unintentionally hit my back……and from the feeling it could understood that they were deforming a lot.
Well, we would reach the destination in less than several minutes, so persevere it endure it.
And,
There was big panic there that made me think that the people weren’t veteran warriors.
Walking heavily on its two legs, it was moving down everyone in its direction of travel and pushed them into their mouths. Its height was more than 10 metres high, and it looked like a lizard, that『something』.
「Something amazing came out, right……what is that? Lizard? Or a dragon?」
Certainly, the scene of that big lizard walked on two legs, dragging a tail (seeming) along with it……made it look like a theropod dinosaur or maybe a monster from a monster film.
Its hands and legs were clad in roots of trees. The tails was also the similar.
And the green-colour covering its body wasn’t scales but leaves. They were closely packed seeming like an armour, giving out a profound pressure. The leaves armour seemed more tough and thick than normal armours.
However its movements weren’t as dull as they looked like……the power hidden its every single attack wasn’t something sweet thing like『It’s fine if it doesn’t hit me』.
But well it was useless to think about things I can get any certain authenticity for, so I decided not to think.
Maybe they were attacked that among them were some injured people too……I felt that it wasn’t the time to worry about them, so I left them on their own. It was for making them pay for their mistakes.
Then noticing me and Sherry-san they ran up to us.
「Minato, you done? 」
「Haha, you’re trusted a lot, Elk-chan. Well then, thank you for providing information Sherry-san, thanks to that I was also able to resolve all the problems」
「Y-yes! E-err……are you a Dark Elf?」
Saying that, the conversation closed, and everyone again looked at the plant monster rampaging among the demon horde.
But……the effect wasn’t favourable.
In contrast it made me worry that it would be angry and the attacks only stimulated it. Currently it was rampaging greatly and eating food.
「I see. That is the『Green Lizard』. Well it certainly is a『Lizard』……well it certainly is great enough that even Minato-kun was vigilant against it」
「No, I’ve only heard about it. Only Minato-kun has seen it in truth. Minato-kun was vigilant against it saying『That is dangerous』, in truth I doubted if there was such a thing……but now seeing it myself I can agree to it. Isn’t that right, Minato-kun?」
「「「？」」」
I said.
But……unfortunately, that is the truth.
「Eh? It wasn’t that monster? The one Minato-kun was being vigilant of」
Certainly this one too looks like a『big green lizard』and gives out a dangerous feeling……but it is not the one I was talking about.
Had a shape……as though they were sliced from limb from limb in a second by a sharp blade or claws with same sharpness.
I would learn if that big body moved in the forest, first of all, moreover after it moved, it would only leave mess in its wake.
Neil-chan and Zari who had seen the scene, except Sherry-san, made an expression say “I see”. For inadvertently sharp Zari to not notice it would be unnatural.
In that case, no matter what, even the city people would notice it. Even the forest would be messed up.
Well she had seen that scene, so it must be natural to feel anxiety, but……what happened?
But it wasn’t like she was scared of the monster in front of her……but it was like she remembered something even more dangerous.
「Minato, was the guy you were talking about……a『big green lizard』?」
「Is its body as big as a human with large build, has long hands, a tail seeming like whip, has a scary face and has its body closely packed with scales?」
…………!?
「Elk, don’t tell me……you saw it!? In the forest!?」
「……You serious?」
……Now that is quite……
Shit, I hate myself for not thinking it out thoroughly……!
While apologizing Elk for that point, I kept on thinking how to get through this situation when that thing was near us, we couldn’t let down our guar——…………
…………
「Hey, Minato-kun? That……the monster you regard as dangerous is different from this one, right? Then does that mean, it has come near the forest?」
I beat later.
「「「!?」」」
I said while pointing my finger in a direction……opposite from the plant monster. That direction seemed normal without anything, and the other three looked over there.……
It suddenly came out while splitting through the bushes.
Its body was covered with scales that seemed even more profound than armours.
The tail of about 2 metre looked like a strong whip, and its end was pointed while being covered by even more hard and strong scales, making it a pointed spear.
That fiendish face was, seemed more like a dinosaur than lizard……and a snake-like tongue peeked out of it. On its forehead, a gold, no an amber coloured horn was sprouted out. Looking closely, the claws were of the same colour.
That human dinosaur was bigger than an adult with large build……and the intimidating air emitted from it wasn’t a joke.
However there was just one thing different from the one in my memories.
The one I saw once a time ago had, green-coloured scales. No doubt about that. And the horn and claws were, red like blood.
……Well it didn’t change the fact it was a dangerous shit.
「Yeah, it is the『Lizard』I was talking about」
「Well it sure is strong. After all……」
……It was the only demon I wasn’t able to win against while in my training period within those Woodlands.
It was probably 4 years before from now.
It was a demon I had never seen, a dinosaur human……no, if I had to say it was more of a human dinosaur. That guy was fighting the demons of woodlands by itself.
I accepted the challenge immediately……but the moment I confronted it, I understood.
And that intuition that couldn’t be called as a guess was proven as truth in a couple of seconds later.
Its speed, power, technique……everything was terrifying, I had confronted it with my full power and full guard, but I still remember that I wasn’t able to do anything in front of it.
Its defensive power was also high, even after I was punching and kicking with all my power, it didn’t falter a bit and sent out counterattacks. I was slapped by its arms and tail, scratched by its claws……it was truly terrible.
“I will die like this”, having that hunch, I dashed away in full speed.
As expected, the snakes were one-sidedly killed easily when confronted with that fighting strength. In that time, I gained distance and hid myself, and succeeded in escaping.
In short it was an wandering demon without any particular territory, and it accidentally came to the Woodlands, and by chance met me and attacked me, or so was mom’s opinion.
As expected I didn’t leave the house in that time, and there was surely one or two of mom’s pet guarding the house. Especially Stork.
In the end, after that incident……I never met with that human dinosaur, who species even mom didn’t know about, and so we called it『Unknown』. Like that I never met it again.
……Until today.
The moment it came out of the forest,
If more than half of the demons weren’t attacking that plant monster, currently one or two of the people would have surely died.
I understood that Zari had an expression of shock and bewilderment, Sherry-san had shock and arousal, as for Elk and Neil-chan it was only terror.
「Who knows? I don’t know its name or any other information. But it is strong……to a freakish extent」
While others were speaking those words to confirm its existence,
Maybe they thought it was more easier to attack than the plant monster, or maybe they didn’t give a damn about it in their agitated state. Like that, several wolf-type demon and two of the scaled gorilla attacked it. If I remember correctly it was called『Lizard Kong』, probably.
Its tail moved at speed unperceivable by the eyes and mowed down the wolves attacking at it.
The wolves, were blown away and crashed into ground and trees……well that didn’t happen.
The wolves were exterminated in an instant, and the back half of their body jumped a little bit forward while abiding with the law of inertia……and with just that much, they dropped on the ground, and never moved again.
The next instant, with the claws that swung with a speed unperceivable by eyes, lopped off the raised hand of Gorilla.
Maybe it was because of being chopped by 5 claws, or maybe the arm strength was just too much, that the Gorilla now didn’t had any upper body.
It all happened in less than 3 seconds. The demons died without even knowing how they died.
『Lizard Kong』was a C Ranked demon. Its scales had toughness like that of steel. It was a demon that could be defeated by an skilled adventurer that had completed hell training.
The Unknown removed the blood on its claws and tail in a flash, and abruptly glared at us. However, it didn’t show any signs of coming at us.
However, they were silent……because they were scared. They were at a loss for words.
「W-WaaaaaaaaaaahHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!」
Panicked State. Well it could be called whatever. Either run away from fear……or desperately try to kill before being killed and attack the demon. They only had the two options.
The Unknown watching it, squint its eyes as if saying『new preys』, and poured the power in its tail that had just before turned those wolves into mincemeat……at that instant,
「「「――!!?」」」
Because of the abrupt shock, the panicked adventurers, Elk and others and even the rampaging demons from before, even that Unknown stopped their movements for a moment.
That eyesight, made me remember of that time several years ago, it still had the usual severe intimidation in them.
However this nostalgic feeling of having cold sweat perspiring out of me and having my breathing disordered, wasn’t something I felt good and or any shit about.
It was like being asked『Are you the opponent?』.
「Elk, Zari and Neil-chan」
「「「……？」」」
「I will take on that lizard by myself. So I plead to take care of that plant monster there with the help of Sherry-san and others. Elk and Zari need to provide cover and help in rescuing the injured people」
「Well, I surely can’t lose here. I have only enjoyed 16 years of my life till now」
「Don’t say any jinks. ……Even I know that this guy is the real deal」
「……You wanna die?」
「Thank you for understanding」
While walking, I indeed felt……something like intelligence in that eyes of that Unknown.
Although they met with Unknown, it only killed the hunters from『North』, and left Elk and others on their own.
In that case, we would not be harmed if we ignored it……but confirming this idea was dangerous. There was also the possibility that it put『priority』on the person attacking it.
『GaaaaaaaoOOOOOOOO!!』
As if to say “The next prey”, it extended the roots from its root-made hands, and attempted to capture me and the Unknown for eating us.
An intense magical energy swelled up from behind me, and suddenly, an arrow clad in burning flames hit those tentacle-like roots.
Shocked, I turned back and saw Sherry-san holding an bow, and in a posture of just after firing an arrow. She was still on her guard, but where did she had that bow, or maybe she borrowed it from an adventurer near her.
「Well there are reasons for it. I will tell later. We will make do some way here……so I leave that way to you」
It was the same magical energy arrow like Suura-san used. Although this wasn’t ice, but fire.
But for just in case,
PIIIIiiiIIIII!!
Alright, everything fine now. Alva was still a child (just one month old), but still strong, it could even use barrier-type magic, so it would be a help over there.
「Well then……I made you wait. I don’t know how to call you……but let me finish this fight as soon as it started, now shouldn’t I?」
My guess about it attacking people that attack it might be true, but what could this be called, this guy has some parts that made me feel that it had reasoning power and intelligence…….what a strange demon it is.
Well but,
The thing that would start now was a dangerous battle that didn’t had any shit related to that……so there was no need to think about it.
My first formidable enemy ever since leaving the house.
This time……if I let down my guard, I will die. Bracing my spirit, I resolved to go all out.