Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash: Volume 2

by Ao Jyumonji

  “...We’ve cleared them out,” Ranta said.

  “We have,” Merry said, scooping up Michiki’s ashes and closing her eyes. “—It’s over. Finally, it’s done. I’ve done what I had to. I couldn’t have done it without all of you. Thank you.”

  “He was strong,” Moguzo said, sighing. “He was strong, that Michiki guy. I need to get stronger, too.”

  Shihoru nodded her head, “...I want more firepower. I want to learn new spells. I have to...”

  “Hmm,” Ranta held his chin pensively. “Maybe I’ll develop my own super attack, one that’s good enough to suit me.”

  There he goes, saying stupid stuff again. He gets ignored.

  “Yume wants to try raisin’ a wolf dog,” Yume said. “For one gold, they’ll let her have a puppy. It sounds like it takes a long time for them to grow up, though.”

  “...What will you do with it until then?” Haruhiro tried asking, just to see her response.

  Yume tilted her head to the side. “It won’t grow attached if it’s not with Yume, so maybe she’ll have to try puttin’ it in her pocket and carryin’ it around like that, huh.”

  “Will it fit? In a pocket...?” Merry asked.

  Yume touched her front pocket. “Mmm, dunno. Maybe it’d have a liiiiittle bit of a hard time fittin’. Maybe Yume should buy a bag for carryin’ it.”

  Ranta, despite being Ranta, and, because he was Ranta, having no right to be, was taken aback. “...Listen, that’s going to be really heavy.”

  “Yume’s the one who’ll be carryin’ it, so it’s fine. Ah, just sayin’ this now, but Yume’s neeeever lettin’ you touch it, Ranta.”

  “Why not?” he objected. “You could let me pet it, at least. If I pet it, it’s sure to grow up strong.”

  “It will not!”

  “Will too!”

  “Will! Not!”

  “It will!”

  “Nuh-uh, no way!”

  “It’d get so strong, you dolt!”

  “There’s this saying about not counting your chickens...” Haruhiro said with a wry laugh, then sighed. “Oh, whatever.”

  We have to get stronger, huh.

  —Getting stronger.

  What would that mean for Haruhiro?

  He’d gained a number of skills, but he didn’t think he could become dramatically stronger that way. No matter how much he polished his Backstab and Spider, they had limits. It was important to build his own strength, too, but maybe by growing as a leader he could lift the power of the group as a whole. That said, it probably wouldn’t be an obvious, perceptible improvement.

  In the end, maybe a plainer role just suited Haruhiro.

  “Merry,” he said.

  “What?”

  “Are you good? You don’t want to, you know... bring back a memento, or something?”

  “Ah,” Merry’s eyes widened a little, as if caught by surprise. “It hadn’t occurred to me. Let’s see. Yes, I’ll bring something back. When we get back to Alterna, I’ll have to tell Hayashi, too.”

  “Yeah. You should. I’m sure Hayashi-san will be relieved to hear it.”

  “I hope so.”

  Merry started going through the equipment Michiki had left behind. Haruhiro came close to suggesting she heal their wounds, but thought better of it. Merry was lovingly checking over the things Michiki, Ogu and Mutsumi had left behind. He felt like it would be wrong to disturb her.

  “...Today has been exhausting,” Shihoru mumbled.

  Yume gently swung both her arms in circles, saying, “You got that right.”

  “It’s not over yet,” Haruhiro said, cautioning them sternly. “We shouldn’t take it easy until we’re back in Alterna. Well, I don’t think we should run into anything else, though.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure,” Ranta said, smirking.

  Stop it. Don’t be like that. When you say things like that, that’s how we get into situations like this.

  A shudder ran down his spine.

  Haruhiro turned around.

  “—Dea...”

  “Huh?” Ranta turned around, too. “Oh...”

  Moguzo said, “This is bad.”

  “Huh?” Yume said, her head in the clouds.

  Shihoru let out a short, little shriek.

  “No way...” Merry said, the words slipping out without her intending them to.

  Why?

  Why now, of all times?

  It would have been trouble at any time, but this was just too much.

  “Run—“ That was all Haruhiro managed to say.

  It’s here. It’s coming. It’s really coming. Seriously? Please, stop. What’s going on? Why?

  It had black and white spotted fur, a massive body that was almost too big to belong to a kobold, and in its hands, it held a thick, and much too large, carving knife.

  Death Spots.

  Death Spots panted wildly, its saliva dripping and splattering everywhere as it charged at them, a harsh glint in its two blood-red eyes.

  It had three minions that looked like elders following it, each of them wearing armor and helmets and carrying swords and round shields.

  This is no good. There’s no way we can win this.

  But, what if we turn to run? No, that’s no good either.

  If we show our backs, they’ll kill us all in no time.

  I don’t want to fight them, but we have to. If we’re going to fight them, I can’t think about losing.

  We have to win. What can we do to win?

  “Sorry, Moguzo, you take Death Spots!” Haruhiro shouted. “Everyone else will handle the others!”

  He couldn’t hear everyone’s responses. Haruhiro was panicking. Could anyone blame him? For now, they had to take out the minions as quickly as possible. Everything started with that.

  “Ohm, rel, ect, nemun, darsh...!” Shihoru fired off a Shadow Bond spell, stopping one minion in its tracks. Thanks to that, Haruhiro calmed down just a little.

  “Ranta, you take one...! Yume and I will take the other...!”

  “I’ve got this!”

  “Nyaa!”

  “I’ll go, too!” Merry came with Haruhiro and Yume, priest’s staff in hand. Haruhiro was about to stop her, but then reconsidered.

  Until we kill the minions, maybe I should have Merry come up front with us. Once the minions are taken down, I’ll have her back off. Yeah. Let’s go with that.

  “Thanks...!” Moguzo put all his might into a Thanks Slash, but Death Spots easily knocked it away using its carving knife. Then it immediately went on the counterattack. It was an angry torrent of blows, the carving knife striking at Moguzo.

  Shouting each time, Moguzo was somehow managing to stop the hits, but—if he failed, even once, it looked like the blow would be fatal, even through his armor.

  Haruhiro was scared, but it must have been even scarier for Moguzo.

  He’s resisting his terror to block the blows. Somehow, we need to make use of the time. No, not somehow. We’re definitely going to do it.

  The two minions ignored Death Spots fighting with Moguzo and rushed onwards towards Haruhiro and the others.

  “Hatred...!” Ranta sprung towards Minion C, causing it to falter.

  “I’ll do it!” Haruhiro ran past Yume, charging at Minion B. Even so, he didn’t mean to attack it.

  Minion B swung its sword.

  Swat.

  He deflected it with his dagger.

  As he deflected and deflected and deflected, Yume and Merry moved around to Minion B’s sides to flank it.

  “Diagonal Cross!”

  “Smash!”

  Yume and Merry attacked simultaneously from both sides. Minion B blocked with its sword and shield, but its stance was broken.

  Now. Haruhiro got behind Minion B, then used Spider.

  Grappling it from behind, he raised the face guard on its helmet then jabbed his dagger into its right eye. He twisted, pulled it out, and jumped away.

  Minion B was still breathing, so Merry gave it a punis
hing blow with her priest’s staff and Yume kicked it to the ground with a shout.

  Minion B wasn’t getting back up. Two more to go.

  Should he go for Minion A, which was held in place by Shadow Bond, or Minion C, which Ranta was handling?

  Haruhiro headed for Minion A without hesitation. Yume and Merry came with him. Minion A couldn’t move, so it would be easy.

  With Yume and Merry drawing its attention, Haruhiro circled around behind it. Spider. He finished it off with the same process as Minion B, then headed on to Minion C.

  But, what about Moguzo? He looks like he’s having a really hard time. Just now, when he blocked the carving knife with his bastard sword, it looked like his knees were going to buckle. He managed to recover, but—he can’t hold out on his own like that anymore.

  “I can handle this guy alone!” Ranta shouted.

  Haruhiro didn’t hesitate. “—I’m counting on you!”

  I’ll believe. In my comrades.

  “Merry, stand back!” Haruhiro ordered. Yume and him took up positions to the side and behind Death Spots to put pressure on it. But, rather than them putting pressure on it...

  What is this? Why does it feel so intimidating?

  Death Spots had its back to Haruhiro. It wasn’t even sparing a glance in his direction. Despite that, he had no idea how to even go about attacking. No matter how he attacked, he had the feeling it would be useless.

  Whether it was useless or not, he had to do it.

  That’s right. He had to.

  Haruhiro tried to go for a Backstab. That was the plan. However, the next thing he knew, he was laid out flat on the ground.

  What?

  Maybe, when I tried to close in from behind, Death Spots kicked me, or something?

  It’s hazy, but I have some recollection of that happening. Is my body all right? Haruhiro got up. It hurts here and there, and I feel a bit dizzy. I don’t really know for sure, but I’m probably fine.

  “Take that, and that, and that, and that, and that...!” Ranta shouted, knocking away Minion C’s sword and shield with a combo attack that went faster than the eye could follow. It looked so forced, but it looked like he was getting results with it.

  Ranta knocked Minion C’s helmet away with the tip of his blade, then buried his longsword deep in its throat. “—Wahaha! One vice...!”

  Even at a time like this, it’s the vice he cares about? I have to question his humanity, but he’s reliable nonetheless.

  “Now it’s just Death Spots!” Haruhiro said boldly, loud enough that everyone could hear. He wanted to encourage the others as much as he could.

  Though, he also doubted he could.

  Death Spots was howling “Awoogahahaha! Awoogahahaha! Awoogahahahahah!” as it completely overwhelmed Moguzo.

  Haruhiro, Yume, and even Ranta wanted to help Moguzo, of course. But they couldn’t get close enough.

  Why not? Is it this intimidating aura? Is something as vague and undefined as that the reason?

  No.

  It was Death Spots’ movements. They were insanely dynamic, making it seem almost as if its legs were spring-loaded as it bounded around swinging its knife-sword. Death Spots never stopped moving. Because of that, they couldn’t focus on a target.

  Still, it has to have habits and patterns it follows, right? If I could just learn those...

  No, I don’t have time to take it easy like that.

  “Ohm, rel, ect, vel, darsh...!” Shihoru cast Shadow Beat.

  Her timing seemed perfect, but no luck, huh?

  Death Spots swung its knife-sword with a bark, easily slashing the black seaweed-like mass of the shadow elemental and causing it to vanish.

  However, for an instant, that created an opening, though hardly one that deserved to be called an opening.

  “Guh...!”

  Moguzo, who had been on the defensive all this time, went on the offensive.

  He was already starting to get winded, and he must have taken some wounds, too, but if he let Death Spots wail on him for much longer, he was guaranteed to have his defense broken. He had no choice but to take a big risk. That was what Moguzo must have decided. Haruhiro didn’t think he was wrong. It was clearly the only option. But, even if he did...

  “Gwoohahah...!”

  Death Spots knocked away Moguzo’s bastard sword, not with its knife-sword but, incredibly, with its left arm.

  What the hell was that? How is that fair?

  Haruhiro was dumbstruck, but that must have been nothing compared to the shock Moguzo had felt. Actually, even if he hadn’t been shocked by it at all, the result would have been the same.

  With a “Gwahahh...!” Death Spots slammed its knife-sword into Moguzo’s left shoulder. The knife-sword tore through his armor, sinking in much deeper than his collarbone.

  “Moguzooooo...!” Ranta leapt at Death Spots.

  You’re crazy. That’s way too reckless.

  Ranta was nearly cut in two by Death Spots’ return swing, but he shrieked and ducked down, having it miss him by a hair.

  Still, that was nice. Thanks to that, Moguzo was able to roll away from Death Spots. He’s bleeding pretty heavily and it looks like a serious wound, though.

  “Merry, go to Moguzo...!” Haruhiro needn’t have said anything. Merry was already trying to heal Moguzo.

  Time. I have to buy her time.

  At some point, Yume had readied her bow and arrow. “There!” she fired. From relatively close up.

  She hit. It struck Death Spots in the flank. Death Spots howled in anger, turning to face Yume.

  “Don’t you look away from me...!” Ranta attacked. But Death Spots easily deflected Ranta’s longsword with its knife-sword, launching a fierce assault on Yume.

  Yume, of course, ran away. “Scary, scary, scary...!”

  She ditched her bow, using her Pit Rat skill to roll around trying to get away.

  Haruhiro was chasing after Death Spots, but he couldn’t do anything. Or rather, he couldn’t even keep up with Death Spots.

  “—Dammit!” he shouted.

  “O darkness, O Lord of Vice...!” Ranta chanted a spell. “Demon Call...!”

  From who knows where, something that looked like a blackish purple human torso with no head appeared. It had two hole-like eyes and beneath them, a gash-like mouth. It was the demon Zodiac-kun.

  “Now go, Zodiac-kun!” he bellowed.

  “...Don’t wanna... No way... Keehehehe... Keehehehehehehe... Eehehehehehehe...”

  “Tch, yeah, didn’t think that’d fly...”

  ...The hell are you doing, man? This is an emergency. Haruhiro was too disgusted for words. Not that he had time for talking right now.

  “Agh...!” Yume got kicked by Death Spots and sent flying.

  “Argh! C’mere, you...!” Ranta grabbed Zodiac-kun by the arm and dragged the demon with him.

  He’s able to do stuff like that, too?

  Then Ranta chucked Zodiac-kun at Death Spots. “Taaaaake thiiiiis...!”

  (...Curse you... Curse you, curse you, curse youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...)

  Zodiac-kun collided with Death Spots—or rather, ended up clinging to its face. Death Spots pulled the demon off and threw it away in short order, but during that time, Ranta had been closing in. “Anger...!”

  He went for the neck. But Death Spots twisted out of the way, meaning that Ranta’s outthrust longsword only shaved a few centimeters off of its neck, fur included. That said, it was still a hit. Blood didn’t spurt out, but there was some bleeding.

  Nice, thought Haruhiro. This isn’t an enemy that’s going to be undefeatable no matter what we do. We can do this. If we do it right, we can fight this guy. We might even be able to win.

  He only felt that way for a brief moment.

  “Fshrrruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...!” The color of Death Spots’ eyes changed. It had a shine in its eyes that was completely different from before.

  “—Gwah...!”

  Ranta was pulverized in an instant.


  But, just now—what happened?

  Haruhiro hadn’t been able to see it.

  Whatever it was, it left Ranta knocked down and bloody. Death Spots is lifting that knife-sword aloft—is it planning to finish off Ranta?

  There’s something clinging to its sword arm. It’s blackish purple and—Haruhiro’s eyes went wide.

  “Zodiac-kun...?!”

  “Keehehehe... Keehehehehehehe... Eekekekekekeke... Keehehehehehehehehe...!”

  With a bark, Death Spots grabbed Zodiac-kun and, as if to say You’re in the way, it slammed the demon against the ground. Zodiac-kun vanished with a hiss, as if evaporating, but thanks to the demon, Ranta survived.

  Death Spots swung its knife-sword down at Ranta. As it did, Moguzo jumped in, groaning in exertion as he stopped the blow with his bastard sword.

  If Zodiac-kun hadn’t been there, or hadn’t interfered with Death Spots, what would have happened? Probably, Moguzo wouldn’t have made it. Zodiac-kun saved Ranta.

  Shihoru had just finished helping Yume to her feet, but Yume was still holding her gut. It looked like she was in a lot of pain.

  Even as Moguzo was pushed around by Death Spots, he was trying to get it away from Ranta, who had fallen and couldn’t move.

  “Death Spots gets stronger the more wounded it is!” Merry shouted, rushing over to Ranta. “—Haru! I’m going to run out of magic soon! Two more times, three if I push it, that’s my limit!”

  Haruhiro inhaled sharply and gritted his teeth.

  Moguzo... Even with Merry healing his wounds, it doesn’t restore his stamina. He’s already gasping for breath.

  The more we hurt it, the stronger it gets? The more we manage to drive it into a corner, the harder it’ll be on us, who are already cornered? What the hell is that? What do we even do about it?

  There’s nothing to do.

  We run.

  That’s all we can do.

  But can we run? If we could get away, we’d have done that to begin with. No, back then it had three minions, so the situation’s changed. Now it’s just Death Spots. Still, can all of us run away safely?

  Death Spots is fast. If it gives chase, there’s pretty much no doubt that it’ll catch us. If it attacked us from behind, we wouldn’t stand a chance. It’d only take an instant for it to kill one of us. If one person dies an instant, it’ll get a second, then a third—No, it’s no good. We all run together. That’s what I want to do, but it’s not realistic. We’d have sacrifice a few of us, and even if we got away, it’d be a few of us at best. At worst, we’d all be wiped out.