The Leaders and the Led

by Ao Jyumonji

  “Dammiiiiit!” Ranta yelled. “What is this guy?!”

  “An ustrel, duh?!” Haruhiro shouted.

  Shouting meaningless nonsense as he moved his legs, Haruhiro started to think. He thought about what to think about. What should he think about?

  Would Yume and the others be able to escape like that? He didn’t know. But probably not. Eventually, they’d be caught. Before that happened, Haruhiro and the guys needed to stop the ustrel. Could they stop him?

  “Yume! Merry! Shihoru!” he called. “When you’re through the safe zone, get into the three demi-humans’ tunnels!”

  There was no response. The three of them were running with everything they had.

  Kuzaku was falling behind. Of course he was.

  The ustrel occasionally swung his naginata. Yume, who was bringing up the rear, shrieked every time he did. That naginata looked like it might reach Yume at any moment.

  The ceiling opened up and it got brighter. They were already at the safe zone.

  They called it a safe zone, but there wasn’t anything that clearly defined the limits of it. They were almost in the three demi-humans’ domain. The main tunnel was straight, and there were side tunnels off to each side.

  Suddenly, the ustrel accelerated and took a stab with his naginata.

  “Ungh!” Yume leapt away diagonally, but the ustrel’s naginata grazed her side and carved into it.

  “Yumeeee! Leap Out!” Ranta made a crazy jump, leaping onto the ustrel’s back. The ustrel turned around, slashing at him diagonally as he did.

  Ranta slammed against the ground as if he were a ball or something, his helmet coming off from the impact. The ustrel immediately raised his sword. “Iggzo...!”

  It looked like he was trying to shout Exhaust, but couldn’t quite manage it. Ranta sprang backwards in a frog-like pose, narrowly avoiding the naginata.

  Merry rushed into a side tunnel, practically carrying Yume with her. Shihoru followed.

  Good, thought Haruhiro. Nicely done, Ranta. Okay...!

  It would be hard to go down the same tunnel as Merry and the girls. Haruhiro took Kuzaku with him and headed for a different tunnel on the opposite side.

  “Ranta, you come, too!” he called.

  “Yeah, sure, I’m coming! It’ll be easy! As if, dammit!”

  Ranta repeatedly fired off his Exhaust, somehow managing to run around and avoid the ustrel’s naginata. Haruhiro wanted to help, but that was a trick only Ranta could pull off. Even if he went out there, he’d probably just get in the way. The best he’d manage was to get killed while buying time so that Ranta could get away. That’d be pointless.

  “You can do it, man! Actually, if you can’t do it, who could?!” Haruhiro shouted.

  “You dolt!” screamed Ranta. “There you go, telling me I can do it! Everyone knows that already, so don’t say it! Leap Out!”

  Ranta didn’t back away, instead he leapt past the ustrel’s side. The ustrel made an immediate right turn, swinging after him. Ranta, however, had already jumped again.

  “Leap! Leap! Leapow! Lea! Lea! Lea! Leap Out!”

  He leapt, and leapt, and leapt like crazy, and ran away. Haruhiro didn’t know whether to be impressed, or what.

  Haruhiro and Kuzaku headed into the tunnel. All of the three demi-humans’ tunnels were a little over a meter high, and maybe seventy centimeters across. If it was low enough that even Haruhiro had to duck to get inside, the ustrel would have an even harder time.

  The tunnel went for about fifty meters. There didn’t seem to be any duergar, or bogies, or spriggans. Had they detected the ustrel and taken shelter deep inside? Had Ranta managed to get away?

  Kuzaku wasn’t just breathing heavily—he was also moaning, “Ow...Ow...Ow...” His left arm had to hurt. Haruhiro would have liked to join back up with the girls and get him healed, but their tunnel was on the opposite side of the main passage. He couldn’t tell if it wasn’t connected to this one.

  “Kuzaku, wait here,” he said.

  “...’kay.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  Haruhiro left the shield behind, heading back to peek into the main passage.

  The ustrel was there.

  He was standing there in silence, as if he had been there for decades, right in the middle of the main passage.

  What about Ranta? Haruhiro didn’t see a corpse, so had he gotten into a side tunnel somehow?

  He knew which tunnel Yume and the girls had gone down. He remembered it. It was pretty much straight across from him. The ustrel was standing in his way, right in the middle of the two.

  For now, it looked like the ustrel wouldn’t come into the three demi-humans’ tunnels. However, the ustrel had no intention of letting Haruhiro and the others get away, either. He was planning to kill them when they came out of the tunnels.

  Was it best to try and wait him out? If they just stayed put in the tunnels, maybe the ustrel would give up. They could also try waiting for other volunteer soldiers to pass through. They might be able to ignore the three demi-humans, but surely they couldn’t ignore an ustrel.

  But, today, there had already been a good number of volunteer soldiers who had passed Haruhiro and his group on their way deeper into the Wonder Hole. While there might be volunteer soldiers returning, there probably wouldn’t be any more coming in. Volunteer soldiers generally returned in the evening or later. It was still noon. That was a long time away. It hurt that he had no way to communicate with Yume, Shihoru, Merry, or Ranta, too.

  Even if Haruhiro came to a decision here, it wouldn’t reach his comrades. And then there was Kuzaku to consider.

  Haruhiro turned back to where Kuzaku was. Kuzaku’s breathing was still ragged. Actually, it probably wasn’t that he was out of breath. It must have been an injury of some sort.

  “Kuzaku, do you think you can run one more time?” Haruhiro asked.

  “Yeah... after all... I might die... if I don’t...”

  “You okay?” Haruhiro asked.

  “Sure.” Kuzaku nodded, taking a deep breath. “I’m good. I can run.”

  “Okay, come with me.” Heading back to just before the main passageway, Haruhiro indicated the tunnel Yume and the girls ought to be in. “It’s far, but do you see the one? Merry’ll be in that tunnel. Run there as fast as your legs will take you.”

  “...What about you?” Kuzaku panted.

  “Me, I’m bait. I’ll lure the ustrel to me first. You take off running once I do.”

  “Isn’t that dangerous?” Kuzaku asked.

  “It’s dangerous, yeah,” said Haruhiro. “It’s also our only option. If you don’t get treated soon, you won’t be going anywhere.”

  “...Sure won’t,” Kuzaku agreed.

  “I’ll leave your shield here,” said Haruhiro. “I’m going.”

  “Huh? Already?” Kuzaku asked.

  “When something needs to be done, it’s best to get it done quickly,” Haruhiro explained.

  I mean, the more I wait, the more scared I’m gonna get, anyway. Haruhiro slapped his chest. He debated whether to leave his dagger and sap or not. If I go unarmed, maybe it’ll be too obvious. But I can run faster barehanded. Don’t agonize over it. Let’s go.

  Haruhiro slid smoothly and silently out of the tunnel. The ustrel hadn’t noticed him yet. The ustrel was facing the entrance to the Wonder Hole. Haruhiro used Sneaking to creep along the wall in the direction of the entrance. He figured he’d enter the ustrel’s line of sight soon enough.

  When will he notice me? Haruhiro thought, and the question was soon answered. Here he comes.

  The ustrel turned in his direction, and began to run without making a noise.

  He’s coming. He really is fast. Haruhiro dashed. He felt like his entire body was being pulled backwards. Was it terror? Pressure? He ran at top speed along the wall, and it wasn’t long before the ustrel was right behind him.

  What about Kuzaku? There he is. Going slow. This is no time for dawdling. I can’t run the way
I want to. He still hasn’t made it to the tunnel he’s headed for. Still not? Hang in there. Just a little further. You’re almost there. He’s in.

  Once he saw Kuzaku had made it, Haruhiro rolled into a nearby tunnel.

  “—Whoa!”

  The ustrel stabbed his naginata into the tunnel after Haruhiro. Haruhiro panicked and crawled. He crawled forward. The ustrel bent over more than ninety degrees, peering into the tunnel.

  He’s not gonna come in... is he? Haruhiro tried stopping. The ustrel didn’t move. It didn’t plan to enter the tunnel. But now, I’m trapped inside, aren’t I?

  “Hey,” a voice called from deeper in the tunnel. “Heeey. “Heeeeeey! Is someone there? Heeeeeeeeeey!”

  “...Ranta?” Haruhiro called.

  Ranta appeared. “Oh, it’s just Haruhiro. You alone?”

  “Yeah, I am,” said Haruhiro. “How did you even get this far?”

  “I came in another entrance, and after wandering around randomly, I came out here.”

  “Randomly... I’m pretty sure if we run into any of the three demi-humans like this, we’re done for, though...” Haruhiro said.

  Haruhiro and Ranta were both crouched lower than a half-sitting position. If they hadn’t been, their heads would have hit the ceiling. They couldn’t fight like this.

  “You stupid moron,” said Ranta. “We can’t worry about every little thing right now. —And, hold on, the ustrel’s right there!”

  “Yeah, it is,” Haruhiro agreed. “It won’t come in, though. We’ve got to join up with Yume and the others somehow. I managed to get just Kuzaku over to them.”

  “The other side, huh...” Ranta bit his lip. “I’ve got an idea.”

  Haruhiro wasn’t keen on following any plan Ranta came up with, but there weren’t any alternatives. Well, maybe there were, but he couldn’t think of them.

  Haruhiro went deeper into the tunnel after Ranta. The ustrel was already out of sight. From there, he and Ranta split up. Haruhiro was left on standby. He probably waited for around five minutes.

  “Heyyyyyy!” he heard Ranta shout off in the distance.

  It was a simple plan. Ranta would go out the tunnel he’d come in through, then draw the ustrel to him. While he did, Haruhiro would go to the other side. Basically, Ranta had volunteered to be a decoy.

  Haruhiro rushed back. The ustrel was gone. It looked like Ranta had lured it away. When Haruhiro burst out of the tunnel, he saw Ranta being chased around by the ustrel. Rather than trying to lose him, Ranta was letting the ustrel almost catch him, then using Exhaust to put some distance between them.

  Nice work, Ranta, Haruhiro thought. But, of course, I don’t have time to stand around admiring it.

  He raced full tilt towards a tunnel on the opposite side. It was a long way to the tunnel Yume and the others were supposed to be in, so he might not be able to make it there. For now, he was happy to take any tunnel he could get in.

  “—Huh?! The hell’s with you?!” Ranta shouted.

  Had something happened? Haruhiro looked over as he ran, and saw the ustrel had come to a stop. Ranta stopped running, waving his arms and trying to provoke it.

  “What’s wrong?!” Ranta bellowed. “Come at me! You scared?!”

  “Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...”

  What was that sound? A voice? Breathing? He’d heard it before, too. But this time it was much louder.

  Ranta must have noticed something was strange, too. He tried to run. Before he could, the ustrel stepped forward, reaching out with his right arm.

  It actually extended. His right arm—no, his left arm—no, both arms—grew to about twice their usual length. Then, using his extended right arm, he swung down its naginata.

  “Urkh!” Ranta hollered.

  Had that right arm been its usual length, Ranta probably could have dodged. Because it was longer now, he couldn’t quite manage it. The ustrel’s naginata chopped Ranta’s left arm off.

  “Ran—!” Haruhiro screamed. He made a snap decision, almost reflexively. “Everyone, get out here! We’re saving Ranta!”

  Do we stand a chance? Haruhiro wondered. Or don’t we? I dunno. But I’m confident we can do it—I think.

  The ustrel’s arms. They had gotten longer. They were long now, incredibly long. Far too long.

  If he didn’t let that scare him, Haruhiro was sure he could get in close.

  Haruhiro passed by Ranta, who was bleeding as he fell back.

  The ustrel. He was insanely intimidating and coming this way. The naginata. It was a sideways swipe.

  Yeah, this might kill me, thought Haruhiro. But he couldn’t back down now.

  In came the naginata. At the same time, Haruhiro jumped. Forward. He rolled. Was he dead? No, it didn’t look like it. In fact, he was alive. It looked like he’d passed under the naginata as the ustrel swung it.

  Haruhiro kept going and tackled the ustrel’s legs. The ustrel’s legs were incredibly short compared to his height, and thin, too. While swinging his naginata up high with his right arm, the ustrel tried to kick Haruhiro. But that was nowhere near as scary as the naginata, as Haruhiro could see it coming. He avoided the ustrel’s right leg, clinging to the left one. By applying severe torque to the ustrel’s knee, Haruhiro quickly scooped his leg out from under him.

  The ustrel was flipped over. He struck his back on the ground, but he immediately tried to hit Haruhiro with his left arm. The ustrel had fallen, and this was clearly an opportunity, one he might never get again, but Haruhiro backed off without any hesitation or regret. If he’d hesitated for even a moment, the ustrel would have landed a powerful blow on him with his left arm.

  The ustrel used his two long arms to support himself, getting up silently.

  Merry and Yume are heading towards Ranta, Haruhiro noted. Where’s Kuzaku? There he is. Is he planning to go get his shield? Shihoru’s with Kuzaku. It looks like both Yume and Kuzaku are fully healed.

  “Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...”

  There it was again. That sound. What was it this time? His arms—the ustrel’s arms, they were shrinking. Getting shorter. In no time at all, they were back to their original length.

  His arms don’t just stretch. Can he both stretch and compress them? Haruhiro wondered. It was so much easier to fight him in long arms mode.

  Haruhiro clicked his tongue in disappointment, sidestepping to the left. He moved in a circle. With the ustrel in the center, he quickly moved around him clockwise.

  If the ustrel took a step forward, he could probably reach Haruhiro with his naginata. That was why Haruhiro moved further and further to the left before he could. The ustrel would spin in place, and the moment he had Haruhiro in front of him, he was sure to take a swing with his naginata.

  This tension. If he let his guard down for even a moment, or tripped on a bump or hole, he’d be cut down. When he thought about dying, he could feel his legs started to quake.

  Hurry, Haruhiro thought. Hurry. Hurry. Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry. Somebody.

  “Ohm, rel, ect, nemun, darsh!”

  Shihoru. It was magic. Shadow Bond. A shadow elemental flew out, fixing itself to the ground at the ustrel’s feet. The ustrel stepped on it. It sucked his foot in. But it seemed like he might tear free at any moment.

  Shihoru didn’t hesitate to cast her next spell. “Jess, yeen, sark, fram, dart!”

  It hit. Lightning. The ustrel was struck by a bolt of electricity.

  His body convulsed—but that was all. The ustrel tore his foot free, turning towards Shihoru. Shihoru was backing away, looking like she might fall on her behind, when Kuzaku jumped out in front of her.

  “I’ll...!” Kuzaku shouted.

  In an instant, the ustrel closed in on Kuzaku. The naginata flashed. There was a clang as Kuzaku used Block. Kuzaku braced himself against it. He didn’t just manage to hold his ground. He stepped in, stabbing out with his longsword. The ustrel shifted his body to the side to avoid it, then used his naginata again.

&nbs
p; Kuzaku used Block. He was nearly lifted into the air, but managed to force himself down. Not backing down, he moved forward and made a sharp swing with his longsword. The ustrel showed off that shifting dodge again, then the naginata. Kuzaku used Block, then his longsword. The ustrel shifted to dodge then used his naginata. Kuzaku used Block and then struck back.

  “Wahaha!” Kuzaku laughed. “This is crazy! Scary! Whoa! What is this?! Damn! What the hell?! Wahaha! No way! Wahahaha! Death?! Gwehehehe!”

  Is this guy right in the head? Haruhiro worried. He really isn’t sounding like it, but he’s desperately struggling with terror, with the pressure, and just managing to hold out on the brink.

  Haruhiro, of course, wanted to support Kuzaku. But he couldn’t get in close. Technically, he was behind the ustrel, but he couldn’t get in close enough to use his dagger or sap. If he threw himself at the ustrel with reckless abandon, he might be able to manage it, but he couldn’t take that risk just yet. The ustrel’s back felt so distant.

  Merry was trying to get started on healing Ranta. His arm had been severed and he was bleeding profusely. It was a critical wound, so Merry would probably use Sacrament. Ranta would soon be able to return to the front line. Yume was trying to come over his way, but Haruhiro called out to her, “It’s fine! Yume, stay there!” and got her to stop. He wanted Yume to be ready if the worst should happen. If the ustrel turned his attention to Merry and Ranta while she was healing him, Yume needed to put herself on the line to stop that.

  Shihoru was always behind Kuzaku, looking for opportunities to use her magic.

  Haruhiro wished the ustrel would switch back to long arms mode again. But while long arms mode made things easier for Haruhiro, it might not be the same for Kuzaku. The ustrel used his left arm to block Kuzaku’s sword.

  Are his arms hard? Or are they armored? Haruhiro wondered. Yume’s arrow stabbed into the ustrel’s chest. How did it feel when I was clinging to him from behind? I don’t think he was all hard and rigid. Is it just his arms that are hard? Maybe it really is armor, then.