That footstep did not stop. Heavy footsteps parting the undergrowth slowly, but certainly, approached from deep within the forest toward here—toward the side where the village of people was.
Since taking this narrow path is the only way to get out to the village, I went ahead, threw myself down at the base of a large tree, and held my breath. In my hand, I gripped just a single worn-out hoe used for farming work. I had no intention of swinging it around, but I felt reluctant to approach a monster’s territory empty-handed no matter what, so I grabbed it just in case when leaving the barn.
… I am just going to watch. I am not thinking of such grand things as defeating it or driving it away, and there is no way I, with all stats at their initial values, could do that anyway. Just knowing where that thing passes to head toward the village will allow me to tell the villagers tomorrow. Where to fortify the fence, where to keep watch—knowing that and avoiding it is the absolute best I can do.
Before long, the darkness moved. Creeping out while parting the undergrowth was a black beast about the size of a dog. That shadow I saw from afar on the night I was chased from the castle can now be clearly seen at a distance where there is no room to hide. Slime-like black fur, overly long limbs, and a muddy light moving sluggishly deep within sunken eye sockets. Not just any ordinary beast. Is that a monster?
Sweat ran down my back. Do not move. Do not breathe. Please, do not notice this side. The black shadow did not even glance at the bushes where I lay prostrate, and with its nose pointed straight toward the village where houses were fast asleep, it slowly advanced its steps.
… Do not go. The bottom of my stomach turns cold in a flash. Everyone is still sleeping over there, and that child is there. If I raise my voice and draw that thing over here, won’t it reach the village? It was when I thought up to that point.
The wind direction changed.
There was no time to hesitate. The black head turned around in a circle, and the muddy eyes caught me straight on. A low sound grumbled deep in the throat.
… It sniffed me out. Thinking of running away was useless once it crossed my mind. Those limbs. They are way faster than my legs, and the moment I stood up, I would get bitten on the back and it would be over.
Power failed as if my legs had given out, and I could not move. I do not age, but I do get killed. This body is built that way, and if fangs are set into it, I will die a pointless death in a place like this.
The monster lowered its body.
It is going to jump.
It was the very moment I thought that.
Maro jumped out from my sleeve cuff.
And, it cried.
“Kyu.”
No, it was not anything cute like a cry, and in the first place, it did not reach my ears as a sound. Only, the air became heavily dense all at once. A pressure, as if the bottom of my stomach was grabbed by an invisible hand, bore down even on me who was far away.
The monster stopped right in the middle of its posture of trying to pounce, as if time had frozen right there. Its muddy eyes opened wide to the absolute limit, and its long limbs trembled in fine shakes. It cannot move.
Why, how — I had no time to think about such things. … It cannot move. Maro is stopping it. Only that pierced straight through my head.
Before I knew it, my hands had gripped the handle of the hoe again. I had never even thought that I would use the hoe which I had brought just in case in a way like this. There was no way I had any intention of fighting, nor any intention of defeating it.
But — it is now or never.
I gripped the hoe tightly with both hands and stood up. Even though my legs were shaking, I still took one step forward toward the frozen monster. Even though it cannot move, only the muddy eyes glared right at me and followed me.
I swung it down. The blade sank into the black body, and a dull, heavy impact traveled through the handle back into my arm. The monster convulsed with a start, but it was still stopped. I gritted my teeth, pulled out the hoe, and swung it up once more.
How many times did I do that? I was not counting at all. I just swung my arms down mindlessly with my eyes closed.
Before long, the impact disappeared.
— It was over.
The hoe slipped out of my hand and rolled onto the ground. The black lump no longer moved, and that sluggish light had vanished from its muddy eyes. The area was filled with a smell resembling iron, and lukewarm stuff splattered on both my hands and my arms.
… I killed it. That realization welled up belatedly. The back of my throat gave a twitch, and the contents of my stomach nearly flowed backward, so I hurriedly pressed my hand over my mouth.
In the previous world, I was the type who could not even properly kill an insect. I went and did that with these hands right now. I collapsed from my knees, and the trembling would not stop. I was scared. Even though I thought I was going to die, I am alive. … Even though I am alive, I was not happy at all. It just feels gross.
Something light landed softly on my shoulder. It is Maro. The usual completely round, warm fluff ball. With blank black eyes that did not show a single speck of that pressure from earlier that grabs the bottom of the stomach, it poked my cheek gently.
“Kyui.”
I asked that fluff ball with a trembling voice.
“…What in the world are you, really?”
There was, of course, no reply, and Maro just buried its face into the nape of my neck, moving around. Warm. Only that warmth felt unusually vivid.
I could not move for a while.