Chapter Eight: The Forest of Madness IV

Throughout life, human beings would encounter a number of trials. At some point, Shuou had read a book containing similar words. The heroes appearing in such stories overcame these trials, sprinting up the path to glory. After defeating the villain and earning the praise of the masses, the hero would marry the princess, thus becoming king.

Shuou had once dreamt of such a life. However, the actual ordeal given to him was an all too modest and unpleasant one.

He’s heavy.

The former mercenary on Shuou’s back had inspired this thought. Apparently, the man’s body was even more compact than it looked. In any case, he was heavy. Heavy and solid. As one might expect of a former mercenary, he had a well-honed physique. Thinking about how much more pleasant it would be to feel the soft skin of a woman was naught but wasted effort.

And he stunk. The stench of sweat put the nail in the coffin of his already masculine odor.

I’m tired.

Since their departure, the fourth day had already arrived. Seeing as Shuou hadn’t slept properly in that time, his eyelids were heavy.

I’m exhausted.

During the journey, his conversations with Kumokari, Aise, and occasionally Shitori or Jiro provided some enjoyment. Even so, their squadron had continued walking all throughout the daylight hours. Despite having a reasonable amount of confidence in his own stamina, an intense exhaustion had overcome Shuou. His lack of sleep and unfamiliarity with social interactions also played a role in this.

Since the early morning, they’d retraced their steps, returning to the site of yesterday’s disaster before noon. Though the pool of blood remained the same as ever, the arm had disappeared. Likely, a forest creature had eaten the appendage, but no one said as much, as it was too depressing to consider.

They took the path branching right, continuing onward from there.

Up ‘til this point, Shuou had walked with the former mercenary on his back. Kumokari had offered to carry him, but Shuou had refused. Along with his heavy axe, Kumokari now carried two bags including the one Shuou had given him. Shitori was so dainty, she looked like she might collapse from merely carrying their luggage. Likewise, Aise had an injured foot, and Jiro had too small of a physique. In other words, the only luggage carrier up for consideration was Kumokari, as Shuou couldn’t haul two backpacks and a heavy axe.  Thus, it had inevitably become his responsibility to carry the former mercenary.

A line of sweat ran down the back of Shuou’s neck.

“Hey,” the man called out to Shuou from behind.

”What?”

“Put me down. You’ve done enough.”

“No.”

Since morning, this exchange had occurred a number of times. Shuou was getting tired of it.

“You’ve been breathing heavily for a while now…” said the former mercenary. “Just give it a rest. The Abyss isn’t so kind that you can bring along an injured fellow who can barely walk.”

“I know all too well how unkind it is,” replied Shuou. “Just shut up and let me carry you.”

“…You know I’m the one who picked a fight with you guys the other night, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Then why would you keep quiet? I poured alcohol on your head. I made fun of the Demiphibian and the big guy. Why would you save me?”

“That’s all in the past.”

“How can you think that? Don’t you hate me? Injured as I am, you could have abandoned me there, laughing all the while.”

“What happened the night before we left was unpleasant. But it wasn’t so terrible that you should lose your life over it.”

Silently, the man gulped.

“Also,” Shuou continued. “If I thought saving you was impossible, I wouldn’t have brought you along in the first place. I’m simply taking what I’m able to carry. That’s all.”

“Damn it. All right, then. You win. I’m sorry for what happened the other night. I tend to get carried away when drinking. Right now, I can only regret what I did. I really am sorry.”

“All’s forgiven. What about you guys?”

As he spoke, Shuou looked at Kumokari and Jiro.

“Of course,” said Kumokari. “I’m used to that sort of thing. Even from the start, I didn’t mind.”

Sighing, Jiro stuck out his tongue. “More importantly, Jiro wants to go home and eat fish already… ish.”

“There you go,” said Shuou.

“I appreciate it,” said the former mercenary. “My name’s Borge. Talk to me like you would a friend. Now that we’re speaking frankly, I’d like to say this. If my presence starts to make your journey unbearably difficult, don’t hesitate to leave me behind. Secretly, I was happy that your squadron didn’t abandon me. As a small token of my gratitude, I wanted to show you my resolve, and—”

As Borge prattled on, Shuou interrupted him.

“Borge.”

“Huh? What’s up? I was only halfway through.”

“Do you mind being quiet? Your breath stinks, and I can’t handle it much longer.”

“Guh—”

“Pfft.”

Including Aise, who was walking silently up ahead, and Shitori, who was traipsing in the back, the entire squadron burst out laughing. Though Shuou hadn’t lied, Borge – who’d sullenly closed his mouth – was so comical, he couldn’t hold back his laughter. No, the situation hadn’t improved in the slightest, but this time in which they could laugh together brought tremendous joy. As the squadron kept walking, their animated conversation continued for some time afterwards.

***

A little past noon on the fifth day, they approached two drastically divergent branches in the road. One path stretched horizontally to the left, while other one continued on straight ahead.

These characteristic divergences were easy to spot on the map. The map provided only a rough understanding of their whereabouts, but they were closing in on their destination, Shuou could tell. If their journey continued without incident, they would be able to leave the forest in as little as two days.

“Which one should we choose?” Aise asked Shuou, exhaustion plain on her face.

The left branch led to another large path. If that road took them outside the forest, that would be splendid. However, if it merely came to another dead end, they would have to turn around again. According to the map, the straight path led to the final fork, which branched off into three divergent roads. These roads all connected to their destination, but the forest could form an obstruction partway down any of them. If every single road were blocked, they would have no choice but to return here once more.

Despite having rationed their food, everyone’s allotment had decreased even more due to Borge’s presence.

“No matter which one we choose, there are too many unknown variables up ahead,” said Shuou. “We have to leave this to chance. But if we do take a look at the differences between the two roads…”

Shuou observed the path leading to the left. Upon closer inspection, the weeds growing from cracks in the ancient, crumbling Alabaster Road showed signs of being trampled.

“The squadron that left Borge behind probably took the left path,” he concluded.

“Those guys…” said Aise. “Alright, then. We’ll continue on straight ahead.”

“My, my,” Kumokari said in a surprised voice. “You seemed perplexed, but you chose so easily.”

“Not only were they attacked by Rabidaemons, they also abandoned their comrade. Going down the same road as them seems like bad luck to me.”

“Bad luck? You sound like an old granny.”

“S-shut up! If the straight path is okay with everyone, let’s be on our way!”

Embarrassed, Aise turned and walked away. No one complained about her choice. For the present, any of their decisions would be left to chance. As a determining factor, Aise’s declaration of “bad luck” would serve as well as anything.

Not long after they’d departed down the divergent road, the squadron heard a strange sound emanating from the gloomy forest.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch.

It was the high-pitched sound of a tongue flicking repeatedly.

T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t.

This time, the sound pitched down a little lower, but it still resounded in short, repeated bursts.

“What’s that sound…?” asked Aise.

Everyone stopped in their tracks, Aise looking around with a tense expression. These unsettling noises alternated from the left and right.

“Givin’ me the creeps… ish.”

Lowering himself, Jiro held his small sword and shield at the ready. As if on cue, Aise also readied herself while Kumokari put down his luggage, gripping his heavy axe.

“It’s them,” Borge said in a trembling voice from Shuou’s back. “They’re here again.”

As the forest vegetation shook noisily, two red Rabidaemons appeared from either side, their long body hair flickering like flames. At the ends of their four stable legs, the creatures had claws that appeared as durable as steel. Lines of sharp fangs peeked out of their mouths, which split open all the way to their cheeks. On their foreheads, the creatures bore cloudy Miracrystals. Three times the size of a human’s, these stones reflected light dully. Despite having the exact same form as dogs or wolves, the forelegs of these creatures were as tall as Shuou.

Known as Red Agates, very few of these Rabidaemons dwelt in the forest Shuou had lived in. In the past, he’d viewed them from a safe distance, but this was his first time facing them head on.

“That’s them!” cried Borge. “I’m sure of it! The two Rabidaemons that attacked my squad!”

Red Agates were bestial Rabidaemons that worked in groups. Forming packs of two or more, they cooperated to hunt their prey. Bestial Rabidaemons like the Red Agate were calculating. Despite not having the hard outer skin of their insectoid counterparts, one couldn’t underestimate their swiftness and cunning.

“A-alright!” yelled Aise, shaping her Crynetic sword. “L-leave this to me!”

One Red Agate stood in front of Shuou’s team, the other standing behind them. Both of them were slowly backing away. While Kumokari and Jiro stood at the front of squadron, Aise and Shitori stood in the middle. Only Shuou – Borge still on his back – stood at the rear.

Tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-tr.

Ts-ts-ts-ts-ts-ts-ts-ts-ts-ts-ts.

The Rabidaemon positioned behind them retreated one step at a time. For some reason, Shuou couldn’t sense any bloodlust from the creature.

During sudden predicaments, instantly determining the best course of action was difficult. In these cases, experience became one’s most reliable asset. Though Shuou had a certain amount of experience with the forest and Rabidaemons, he’d only dealt with those problems on his own. The current situation was different. He had no experience with being among companions or carrying an injured man on his back. He couldn’t decide what to do right away.

What should I do?

Before he could think of a countermeasure, the Rabidaemon in front of them moved. Halting its retreat, the creature dashed towards them, weaving a zigzagging path. Aise’s knees trembled merely from holding her Crynetic sword. Shuou couldn’t rely on her.

“Form a defense!” he shouted.

At once, Kumokari held out the flat part of his axe in front of him. Likewise, Jiro gripped his shield in both hands, preparing for the assault. Closing in on them, the Red Agate attacked Kumokari and Jiro with the claws of its foreleg. The upraised paw struck Kumokari’s axe, producing the unpleasant, grinding sound of metal being scraped. Pulling back its claw, the Red Agate retreated, keeping its distance.

This is strange.

Kumokari was far more muscular than the average person, his strength perfect for using an axe as a shield. Even taking this into account, the Rabidaemon’s attack had been light. Truthfully, it wouldn’t have been strange for the strike to have blown Kumokari away along with his weapon. Nevertheless, the Rabidaemon had merely given the axe a light touch before halting its assault. It seemed as if the creature were merely observing the situation. Or toying with its prey.

The Red Agate behind the squadron examined them from a masterfully chosen position, neither too close nor too far. The creature’s red eyes stared at Shuou.

It’s aiming for me… No, that’s not right.

The Red Agate’s line of sight didn’t overlap with Shuou. Instead, it overlapped with the injured man on his back.

So their actual target is Borge.

From the very beginning, these Rabidaemons had set their sights on the most vulnerable human. If so, Shuou could understand why one of the creatures had taken an unenthusiastic, diversionary stance, while the other one had remained motionless, waiting for something.

Fundamentally, Rabidaemons that formed packs – like the Red Agate – were timid creatures. To minimize the danger of hunting, they displayed no greed, attempting to acquire only their predetermined prey. Likewise, for their style of hunting, they divided into mostly two roles. While one Red Agate cornered their prey, the other would attack.

Thus, the creatures waited. They waited to easily take their weakened prey. Or perhaps they waited for Shuou’s team to leave behind their burdensome companion and flee.

Accelerating once more, the front facing creature charged forward. The Red Agate attacked Jiro next. As its paw swung downward, Jiro parried with his shield, retreating. The Red Agate stopped for a moment, allowing Kumokari to swing his axe towards it. However, showing surprising reflexes, the creature spun, dodging the attack.

“What should we do?” Kumokari cried out in agitation. “At this rate, we’re going to be pushed back! If the one behind us comes at the same time, then—”

Despite being able to deal with the Rabidaemon calmly, dread masked his face.

Aise took a step forward. “A-alright, I’ll use my wind blade next…”

Though she readied her Crynetic Sword, she looked terrified.

T-t-t-t-t, ts-ts-ts-ts.

The Rabidaemons were forming some kind of plan together. Roaring, they both acted simultaneously.  After two evaluative attacks, the creatures had likely determined Shuou’s team to be easy opponents, moving to capture their prey in earnest. Displaying perfect coordination, they closed in on the squadron in a zigzagging pattern.

“They’re coming at the same time,” said Aise. “What should we—”

Looking back and forth, she indecisively pointed her sword frontwards and rearwards.

”Aise!” Shuou yelled.

Sorry about this.

Apologizing in his head, Shuou planted his foot in Aise’s back.

“…Huh?”

Once Shuou had pushed her, Aise passed Kumokari and Jiro, protruding from the squadron on her own. As she stood bewildered before the looming Rabidaemon, Shuou called out to her back.

“Aise, your shield! The Forticrystal!”

“What…?” she asked. “Oh!”

Extinguishing her Crynetic sword, Aise expanded a Forticrystal in front of herself. At almost exactly the same time, the two Rabidaemons attacked the squadron. Aise’s Forticrystal blocked the front assault flawlessly, but from behind, the Rabidaemon in charge of hunting continued to target Shuou unabated. Incomparable to the other creature’s attacks up until this point, the hunter assailed Shuou with its powerful, right paw.

No need to worry.

Shuou could see everything. He could see the Red Agate’s final step, its paw raised high overhead. Likewise, he could see the cloud of dust and pebbles whirling in the air.

The sweeping claw aimed for the upper half of his body. Though the assault would be easy to dodge, Shuou chose not to move. As the hunter’s sharp claws rent the air, he waited until they were just out of reach, shifting only a little to evade the attack.

The hunter must have thought it had brought down Shuou. Blood should have splattered, the stench of iron wafting from it. However, neither of these things occurred, its claw slicing through the air in vain.

For a moment, the hunter looked confused. The creature licked its nose, searching for the scent of blood. Though it only lasted for a single heartbeat, Shuou’s eye caught this moment.

Closing the distance between himself and the Rabidaemon, Shuou – using all the strength he could muster – stomped on the smallest toe of the creature’s left foot. This produced the dry sound of a tree breaking, and the Red Agate emitted a high-pitched howl. Jumping rearwards, it rolled onto its back, exhaling in anguish.

This should buy us some time.

Turning, Shuou looked in the direction of Aise and the others. Though Aise’s wind Forticrystal had blocked this Red Agate’s assault, the creature hadn’t retreated. Instead, it continued pressing its paw against the Crynetic shield.

It’s trying to break its foot through.

Multiple layers of overlapping, wind aligned Crynetic Energy formed Aise’s green Forticrystal. Her power, which had blocked a claw sharp enough to slice through rock in a single cut, was magnificent. Even so, the problem lay with the person handling that ability.

“Ugh—” she groaned.

As the Rabidaemon’s momentum began to push her back, Aise could no longer remain standing, her legs buckling. Finally, she fell to the ground on one knee.

“Kumokari, Jiro!” yelled Shuou. “Aim for its forelegs!”

Looking at each other, the two nodded, stepping forward to strike furious blows with their weapons. Kumokari’s heavy axe bit into the Red Agate’s right foreleg, which was pressed against the Forticrystal. At the same time, Jiro’s dagger pierced the creature’s left foreleg, which supported its body. Both of its forelegs wounded, the Red Agate rolled onto the ground, howling as it crawled into the forest to escape.

That’s one down.

He could still sense something from behind.

“I made it.”

The moment Shuou turned around, Shitori’s voice reached his ears. He found her with both knees on the ground, holding a large globe of water in her hands. As a Crystalier, she could handle powerful Crynetic Energy, but her attacks required time to unleash. Shuou wondered if she’d been quietly building up energy in the midst of this bloody battle. This came as quite a shock to him. Based on her usual words and conduct, he hadn’t expected her to provide any reinforcement.

The remaining Rabidaemon glared at them, it’s left forepaw hovering in the air. Bearing its fangs and raising its tail, the creature maintained its combative stance. Aiming for the Red Agate, Shitori released her Crynetic Energy, pale and sparkling.

“Firing the Hydroglobe!” she cried.

As if she’d miscalculated, the large globe of water collided with the ground right in front of the Rabidaemon. Nevertheless, it’s tremendous power gouged the earth, flinging broken pieces of the ancient Alabaster Road at the creature.

A thunderous sound rang out, a cloud of dust whirling in the air. When their field of vision cleared, the squadron found the Red Agate rising on unsteady legs, it’s body trembling. The thoroughly wounded Rabidaemon disappeared into the forest, shaking its bloodstained form all the while.

“We did it…” said Aise. “We did it, everyone!”

Jumping up from her sitting position, she high-fived Kumokari.

Jiro bounced up and down as well, expressing joy with his entire body. “We won… ish! We did it… ish!”

“I can’t believe it…” said Borge. “You lot drove away those Rabidaemons without losing a single companion.”

From Shuou’s back, the former mercenary expressed his admiration, his breath still reeking. Since they’d escaped the danger, Shuou lowered him onto the ground. He then called out to Shitori, who was sitting on her backside and staring absentmindedly into the empty air.

“Are you okay?”

“…Probably,” she said, light sweat dampening her unruffled expression.

Shuou held out his hand to her. “You were amazing.”

Taking his hand, Shitori donned a beautiful smile he’d never seen before. “Thanks,” she replied, resting her weight on Shuou as she stood.

“Ah—”

Because he’d pulled too hard, Shitori sank into Shuou’s chest as she stood. Her sweet scent and the feel of her soft bust through his clothes caused Shuou’s heart to leap.

“A-ahem!”

Shuou moved his neck, which creaked as if rusted in place, finding his companions smirking while Aise glared at him with narrowed eyes. The moment he noticed their gazes, Shuou took a step back, coughing once to hide his embarrassment.

“So you give Shitori a loving embrace, but you kick me in the back, huh?” asked Aise, speaking lower than usual.

“Given the circumstances, I thought that was the best thing to do,” said Shuou.

“Even so, you kicked a woman in the back, pushing her in front of a Rabidaemon. Don’t you owe me a word of apology?”

“I did apologize.”

“When? I didn’t hear anything.”

Come to think of it, he hadn’t spoken his apology out loud.

“Uh, well…” he began.

Cold sweat trickled down his back.

“See!” cried Aise. “Go ahead and apologize. I’ll even accept your belated contrition. I’m pretty generous, after all.”

Shuou didn’t think a truly generous person would say such a thing, but to avoid adding fuel to the fire, he chose to remain silent.

“Anyway, I’m glad everyone’s safe,” he said. “Once we’ve rested for a little while, let’s resume walking until it’s dark.”

“Hey, don’t decide things on your own!” yelled Aise. “Wait! Are you even—”

The squadron rested for a while, laughing at Aise as she continued following Shuou around. After combining their strengths to overcome a crisis, the team was in good spirits.

Shuou looked at the sky. Though the clouds had been light gray up until yesterday, they had darkened in color. He hoped they could reach their destination before it started raining. Nonetheless, he gazed at the sky – laden with heavy clouds – for a long while.

Original text: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4006r/7/