Chapter 11: Fight Till The End

▯Goburin | Rin | Day 7 | Kuuderun Great Forest, Southern Area

Droplets of water pelted my skin endlessly. My clothes and hair were completely soaked by the rain. 

It was uncomfortable. No, the word 'uncomfortable' would be putting it mildly. I felt like going back to the cave even if I had to crawl.

Right, I wouldn't mind shoveling through all this mud if it meant that we could return immediately. My feet were already near ankles deep in it, so what's the worst that could happen.....

It was only midday, yet the skies above were clouded in a dreary gray. If I had a choice…..ah, no, it was useless to even think about it.

I'd been repeating the same words over and over again. It still did nothing to help. Without me noticing, a sigh escaped my lips.

I couldn't remember exactly how long we'd been walking for, I just knew it was quite a while.

Looking up ahead at the others, I could easily tell that I wasn't the only one having such thoughts. We held our weapons tightly, shielding against the increasingly slippery grip.

It really took all we had to keep from tripping and falling in this weather. Though a few of my friends could still be seen with leftover stains and clumps of dirt clinging to them.

Poor Sui-chan, she's not suited for this kind of thing....

Even so, none of that made any difference. We couldn't disobey 'Sir'(Ezra). After witnessing what happened earlier, I was sure that none of us had the will to speak up.

I didn't believe that Sir was a bad person. He was just a little….a tiny bit, no....he was very scary. The memory of his not-so-gentle smile and his not-so-kind eyes made me shudder uncontrollably.

It felt as though I were facing a dreadful monster. A monster that could swallow me in one bite.

It was a threat that made no sense to me. I couldn't believe something like that could possibly exist. 

Dark and extremely dangerous.

Just thinking about it again forced my breaths to quicken.

"R-Rin…I know it's difficult but don't fall behind. So...…."

Haru-chan's voice came from close behind.

I knew what she was trying to say. It wasn't the time to be absentminded. I had to focus.

"Yea…..Thanks."

I was the squad leader of both Sui and Haru after all.

Even though all of this only happened because Fuuka and Kanami decided to....

*Pa....!*

I slapped my cheeks. The stinging sensation brought me back to my senses.

No, I couldn't think like that. They were my friends. The eight of us might as well have all been sisters in a way.

.....I really hoped that walking was the only thing we'd have to do.

*Crunch…..*

Sadly, my prayers weren't answered.

Stationed in front of our path was a creature all of us had become used to seeing.

A Horned Rabbit.

Sir, who stood at the front of the group, continued walking as if he didn't notice it. 

He held two shiny brown axes in his hands. Each of us knew how things were going to play out, so we all instinctively crouched low to the ground and stopped in place.

Then—He disappeared; his presence erased.

The Horned Rabbit had already noticed us beforehand and quickly shifted away, preparing to flee.

*Fwooo—SPLGHHH!!*

At the sound of a single sharp slash, the Rabbit's head became detached from its neck. Blood gushed out of its severed stump, its deceased body falling limp.

He reappeared. 

He turned back to us while licking the leftover blood off his fingers and smiled softly.

"It's all clear. Let us resume our march."

And so we did.

None of us were surprised by this showing, it was a normal sight by now. Sir was simply stronger than the rest. We had all come to realize this.

I didn't know the full extent of his strength, but if how easily he killed Horned Rabbits, Armored Tanukis, and Night Vipers was anything to go by, then I'd have to admit that it was beyond my imagination.

I almost thought I was going crazy one time when I noticed how every single one of his prey would vanish after he'd killed it. Now, I know better. Definitely.

The ice-cold rain poured down even heavier. Sudden flashes of light in the sky were followed by a loud 'boom' that seemed like it was tearing apart.

Soon, we ended up at the face of a narrow cave entrance. It looked completely different from ours, but I could remember passing by something like this a few times when hunting.

It felt dangerous so I didn't try to go inside. My goal had been to protect my squad mates while killing, not killing while protecting my squad mates.

I still remembered Sir's words from before.

—"Your number one priority shouldn't be about what to kill. It's making sure everyone on your team is safe"

He sounded heroic that day.

"We're here.... Before we go in, I'll let you catch your breath."

Sir turned around and glanced at us with no discernible expression. The usual gentleness was gone.

It was his rare serious face.

After about five minutes, he spoke up again.

"You all seem ready enough. Here's a warning so listen closely. This won't be like hunting rabbits. If you don't stick close and work together, well....."

His lips curled into a sweet smile that I had come to love.

Yet, I shivered.

"You'll regret it."

Was all he said before turning around and disappearing into the dark cave ahead.

"W-what should we do...?"

"What else? We follow Ezra, of course..."

Kanami-san answered Sui like it was the obvious choice. I didn't disagree with that either.

"Let's hurry up and get into formation. Sir is already inside....."

"Right."

"Of course..."

Everyone looked at me, nodding their heads in urgency.

I wasn't sure if the rain had dulled their minds or what. The only thing we had to do was follow orders. Even if I complained a bit earlier, Sir naturally took utmost priority.

The inside of the cave was dark, but we could see perfectly fine despite that. And though it was also cold, I was satisfied with at least being away from the rain.

Fuuka-san led at the front, clutching her axe tightly. With Sir's warning, we knew that this trip wasn't going to be easy.

*Crik—Crik—Eep*

A strange sound rang. It didn't seem like anything natural from the walls or ceilings. This...this was a creature none of us had ever seen before.

*EEP—EEP—CRIK—KIEE!*

From above, multiple small glowing red lights revealed themselves. There were hundreds.

And a second later, the 'lights' as I had called them previously were not, in fact, lights, but the eyes of colorfully winged creatures.

*KIEE—KIEE—KIEE!!!*

"Oh....!?"

"Ah, no....!"

"D-defend, stop staring and defend!"

"Haru! Take the left side! Attack and retreat!"

A large number I couldn't be bothered to count began swarming toward us. They were half our size, but their claws and fangs looked even more vicious.

Sir was nowhere to be seen, so the only option we had was to give it our all in this fight.

"Gah!"

*SPLCH!*

I swung my dagger, cleaving through the chest of a winged creature. Taking note of my squad mates, I moved in their direction as best I could while fighting off any flyers that approached.

After the initial panic, everyone returned to a state of complete focus. We weren't weak little goblins anymore. We were people who had to kill what we ate every day.

"Swap places with me! I'll take care of the rest! "

"Don't let these fuckers get behind you!"

"On your left!"

"Got it!"

"Watch closely, they're sneaky bastards!"

Yes, we had all more or less taken on Sir's way of speaking—But that's besides the point. Without any major injuries on our side, we managed to whittle down the numbers bit by bit.

Our individual teammates didn't normally consist of all eight of us, so we had to adjust.

By the climax of the battle, I had ended up taking point, commanding each person to their position. I wasn't sure why exactly, but it felt a lot more natural than expected.

"Hold out until the end! They're finished!"

My voice echoed across the cave and they responded by attacking aggressively. The other side had the initiative at the beginning, but we were now free to go on the offensive as we pleased.

For no reason at all, the corners of my lips rose into a smile.

The many dead winged creatures around us created a powerful image in my heart.

How fun…

These kinds of battles, I...I believe this was when I started to enjoy them.

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▯Ezra | Ra | Day 7 | Goblins Den

The sound of thunder still scares the shit out of me.

—I'm gonna go jerk off in a public bathroom.

It's like seeing a beautiful woman walk up and start talking to you out of nowhere.

'Listen to mommy', she says. But her voice has the same bass as a reindeer's.

Could you trust such a thing?

Not only would my life be in jeopardy. My chastity would also be up for sale.

There are some things that can never be expected. Being carefree is at the top of that list.

I want to rest comfortably on a fluffy couch while drinking a can of beer. I want to sit there for months and develop all kinds of health issues.

Sadly, this can never happen. The world is against me. No matter how much I beg and plead, I won't be allowed to die a painless death.

Kidney failure? Never heard of it.

Heart failure? That must be a new fast-food restaurant.

Anyways, we had arrived back at the cave. The girls all wore solemn expressions as if they'd just returned from war.

Can't say it's too far off the mark though.

Their levels had increased after killing so many Seven Colored Bats. They had become a lot stronger than before.

How nice. All it takes is a little push to get things off a cliff. This is exactly why birds send their young tumbling down the nest. 

You have to learn how to fly at some point, right?

By the way, this was done with no ill intentions. I had nothing in mind when making them march through the rain and murder shit. 

No, it wasn't punishment…..it wasn't...

Really. Believe me before I moan in your ear.

"Tch....."

I clicked my tongue reflexively.

"Is something wrong, sir?"

Oh, is that Rin-tan...….?!

You've become more outspoken, haven't you Rin-tan...…

"I'm perfectly fine. May I ask how you're doing?"

"O-oh…I-I'm only glad to be speaking to you, sir….."

"Is that true...?"

"O-of course!"

"See, this is why I like you Rin, you're so honest."

"Ah, w-well, that's.....!"

She fidgeted her hands nervously. A crimson hue had spread across her cheeks.

For someone who commanded others so fiercely, that is insanely cute. 

It makes me want to do something barbaric. Like having a naked showdown with a gorilla.

"Rin-chan...."

"Y-yes, sir?"

"I'll be appointing you as commander for tomorrow's battle. Be prepared."

"Uh, uhm….I'll do my best....!"

Rin put on a confused but determined expression.

Ah, she didn't know that we'd be facing the orcs tomorrow, huh.

That will indeed be a surprise for the ages.

I can just imagine the looks they'll have on their faces.

Haaaaa... Really. I need a fucking book.

***

[][—<<Personal >>—][]

True Name: [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Name: Ezra(Ra)

Rank: 1

Race: Goblin(New Species)

Gender: Male

Level: 38 —> 63

Job-class: Shadow Lord

Subclass: None

Shadows: 33 —> 88

DP: 125 —> 15,400 —> 400

[—[Stats]—]

Strength: 75 —>105(E-)

Endurance: 65 —>90(E-)

Agility: 110 —>135(E-)

Magic: 70 —>100(E-)

Intelligence: 72 —>87(E-)

Luck: 15(F+)

Free Stat Points: 125 —> 0

[—[Personal Skills]—]

• [World Language] • [Stealth] •

[Shadow Extraction] •

 [Shadow Preservation] •

[Presence Detection] • [Detoxification] •

[**Armor**] • [**Silent Butcher**] •

[**Unarmed Combat Mastery**] •

[—[Inherent Skills]—]

Goblin: • [Unique] • [Dominance] • [Precocious] • [Rape] • [Cunning]

 • [Demon Tribe Factor] • [Night Vision] •

[][—<<——— >>—][]

[You have purchased: "Black French Terry Long Pants" x1]

[You have purchased: "Black Linen Dress" x7]

[You have purchased: "Meteoric Iron Long Sword" x3]

[You have purchased: "Meteoric Iron Dagger" x2]

[You have purchased: "Meteoric Iron Bearded Axe" x4]

[You have purchased: "Chain Mail Armor Full Set x12]