Chapter 52
Why am I the one going through this?
Such a question suddenly surfaced in my mind.
After fleeing desperately, being scared half to death, and then running into a monster like this.
Did I really do something so terrible that I deserved to end up in a situation like this?
The world is so damn unreasonable. Really.
"Hah... haha, hahahaha..."
Strange, isn't it?
I'm laughing even though this isn't a situation I can laugh about.
Tears are spilling, and my knees are shaking.
One step, then another, the High Orc drew closer.
That distance felt like the amount of time I had left before I died.
Suddenly, my eyes met the High Orc's.
It was grinning.
What, is killing me really that much fun?
Don't screw with me.
I don't want to die.
I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die!
"…! D-don't come any closer!"
I threw whatever I could get my hands on from the Item Box.
Heavy machinery, huge boulders, dirt and rubble, wrecked cars, refrigerators, washing machines. Plastic bottles. Tabasco balls, dishes, fruit. Anything.
"Graa..."
The High Orc swatted them away in annoyance.
As if swatting away insects. As if kicking away pebbles.
Don't screw with me.
How could rocks shatter from a motion like that?
How could a wrecked car fly up like a soccer ball?
It dodged the Tabasco balls and plastic bottles, then crushed the fruit beneath its feet.
Everything about it was absurd.
Power befitting that enormous body. Speed that didn't.
It was overwhelmingly powerful, in a completely different league.
Before I knew it, it was right in front of me.
"Graa..."
The High Orc wore a huge grin.
Its eyes seemed to be asking expectantly, 'What will you do next?'
Something whooshed.
"Gah...?!"
Only after I was punched away did I realize it had swung its arm.
That alone sent me flying several meters.
I rolled across the ground.
"Ugh... Ah, that hurts..."
It hurt.
If Aka hadn't cushioned my fall, my bones probably would have broken.
The 'pain' I hadn't felt in a long time.
Come to think of it, I'd been afraid during my fights with monsters, but I'd never actually been injured.
If a mere bruise hurt this much...
How painful would a broken bone—or being cut—be?
Ha, hahaha...
"H-help me..."
Before I knew it, what came out of my mouth was a plea for help.
"Someone, anyone... Please, help me..."
Tears were spilling down my cheeks.
I was scared.
My body wouldn't move at all.
The fear of a monster.
The High Orc's overwhelming strength was more than enough to carve despair into me.
"Someone! Anyone! Is there nobody here!? I'll be killed if this goes on! Please! Anyone! Help meeeee!"
I screamed with all my might.
I threw away every shred of dignity and screamed pathetically.
There was no answer―――.
It was simply quiet.
Silence filled the shopping mall parking lot.
No one answered me.
No one―――.
"―――Woof!"
"...Huh?"
Momo had emerged from my shadow.
It stood close beside me, staring straight at the High Orc.
"Grrr...! Woof, woof!"
Momo barked at the High Orc.
Why, Momo...?
Aren't you scared?
...No, that's not it.
Looking closely, I saw that Momo's body was trembling.
Momo was scared too.
But it was desperately trying to suppress that fear.
"Stop, Momo! That's enough—at least you get away—ow!?"
Momo bit the hand I reached toward it.
W-what are you doing, Momo!?
"...Woof."
Then Momo licked my face over and over.
"Momo...?"
"Whiiine..."
Then, with a lonely whine, it looked straight ahead.
What are you doing, Momo?
Stop.
Run.
"Grrrrrrrr...!"
Momo ran.
It turned its back on me and ran toward the High Orc.
"Graa... aaaaarghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"
The High Orc welcomed Momo with a huge grin.
A 'Shadow' stretched out from beneath Momo.
It changed into a spear and closed in on the High Orc.
"Gaaaaaaaaah!"
But it was useless.
The spear that struck its body only managed to scratch its skin slightly.
Swatting the spear away, the High Orc kicked off the ground and closed in on Momo.
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"
The High Orc's roar made the air tremble.
I was protected because Aka expanded its body.
Even with the 'Shadow' protecting it, Momo was sent flying.
It rolled across the ground.
"Uu..."
Enduring the pain, Momo still got back up.
It sprinted across the ground.
Stop, stop it...
"Grrrrrrrr!"
Momo sank its teeth into the High Orc's arm.
It desperately tried to bite down, but its fangs couldn't pierce the skin.
The High Orc glared at Momo in annoyance, but Momo wouldn't let go even as the High Orc swung its arm.
Then it slowly raised the meat cleaver in its other hand.
―――Stop.
If it struck Momo with that, Momo would―――die.
"Gaaaaaaaaahhh!!"
The blade drew near Momo.
"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!"
I threw several chunks of concrete between Momo and the High Orc, creating a small 'wall.'
The 'wall' forced Momo and the High Orc apart.
Before I knew it, I had started running despite the pain.
I caught Momo just before it hit the ground, then rolled across the ground with it.
"You idiot! Are you trying to get yourself killed, Momo!?"
I shouted at Momo in my arms.
"Whiiine..."
Even though I was yelling at it, Momo happily licked my cheek.
As if it had believed I would come to save it.
Why...
Why can you trust me that much?
Why can you try so hard for my sake?
Even though you were trembling with fear.
Even though you might have died.
"Why, Momo...?"
"―――Woof!"
Momo barked as if to say, 'Of course!'
I see. I see...
So that was only natural to Momo.
"Ah, I get it... I understand."
I hugged Momo, then slowly set it down on the ground.
I stood up and pulled the 'Orc's Cleaver' from the Item Box.
Then I glared at the High Orc with all my might.
I steeled myself.
≪Your proficiency has reached a certain level.≫
≪'Fear Resistance' has risen from Lv. 6 to 7.≫
≪Your proficiency has reached a certain level.≫
≪'Fear Resistance' has risen from Lv. 7 to 8.≫
The fear of death drew close.
So what?
Overcome it.
If I didn't stand here, Momo would die.
I would die too. Aka would die too.
Then struggle.
Survive, even if only a little longer, until the very last instant.
My heart began pounding faster, and I took shallow breaths.
Think.
Think of a way to overcome this situation.
Think.
Think of how to survive.
Think.
Think of how to defeat this thing.
Look.
Look at it—the High Orc.
Remember.
Remember every battle and every movement up to now.
Every last bit of it.
≪Your proficiency has reached a certain level.≫
≪'Observation' has risen from Lv. 7 to 8.≫
≪Your proficiency has reached a certain level.≫
≪'Observation' has risen from Lv. 8 to 9.≫
The encounter at the shopping mall.
The escape that followed.
Everything I'd done up to now.
My Skills, my level, my Item Box, Momo, Aka.
The Self-Defense Forces' battle, guns, gazes, Goblins, washing machines, compatibility, Shadow Wolves, Lesser Wolves, Mimics, zombies, magic stones, howls, the home improvement store, the fire, Nishino-kun, the high school girl, Ichinose-san, sniping, the high-rise apartment building, email, the game of tag, obstacles, shouting, movement, gazes, that sense of wrongness―――remember it all. Remember everything.
Thump, thump. My heart began pumping blood.
Hot.
I greedily gulped down oxygen and steadied my breathing.
My whole body was burning hot.
The crucible of fear, tension, and excitement mercilessly burned my brain.
Think... Think!
Think, think, think.
Think, think, think, think, think, think.
Think, think, think, think, think, think, think, think, think, think, think, think, think, think, think, think, think, think, think.
≪You have met the required conditions.≫
≪You acquired the Skill 'Concentration'.≫
≪Your proficiency has reached a certain level.≫
≪'Concentration' has risen from Lv. 1 to 2.≫
≪Your proficiency has reached a certain level.≫
≪'Concentration' has risen from Lv. 2 to 3.≫
"―――Ah."
And then I reached it.
As I called up every memory―――I suddenly remembered a certain 'sense of wrongness.'
That's right. Come to think of it, why was this guy...?
"Momo... Aka..."
Keeping my eyes fixed on the enemy in front of me,
"―――We're going to survive. Absolutely."
"Woof!"
"…! (shiver, shiver)"
I steeled myself.
A faint glimmer of hope.
A thread of victory far too slender to call a possibility.
I would pull it toward me.
Now―――struggle.