Chapter 39: The Black Hero

Author: Kurohitsuji
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2086fk/40/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

I have Ring search for monsters while I fly high, and hunt goblins one after another.
High-speed approach, one-hit disengage.
I’ve gotten quite used to it.

When I take one down I come to the ground once, snap the canine, and put it in the item box.
I’m deliberately not counting, so I’m looking forward to the tally.

Flying is a bit tiring, though.
I couldn’t use magic so I’d never experienced it, but once mana drops past a certain amount, it seems fatigue sets in.
Safer to put rests in between, maybe.

I confirm there’s nothing around and come down for now.
A bit tired. And it’s actually cold when you fly.
Maybe I should buy a winter cloak or something.

I sit on a fairly large rock and nibble some of the dried sweet potato I keep on hand.
Sweet. If I can use the item box, putting food in that might work too.
Come to think of it, living things are no good, but how far does that go.
Whether a bled carcass will go in is a big deal, I think.

I mean, the fact that I’m thinking about hunting meat instead of buying it means I’ve been dyed quite a bit.

“—Mana reading: approaching.”
“Oh. Goblins again?”
“—Affirmative: two.”
“Okaaay. Shall we knock them out quick.”

I put the rest of the sweet potato in my mouth and draw the handguns from the holster.
I check the map, check the direction. The forest, huh.
Well, two or so, no need to fly.

I take a stance with the handguns and look at the map.
Nn? Wait?
Two red points coming this way, and a green point seems to be chasing from behind them?
Ah. Someone had their eye on them first?
Then they’re still far; I’ll leave it.

No other readings coming this way, so I return the handguns to the holster and sit on the rock.
A little stretch. Maybe I’ll go home in a bit.

That’s what I think, and then.

The trees in the forest I was looking at are cut down in a single sweep, clean.

…Fah!?

Eh, what was that. A sword? Too long for that, right? Some kind of magic?

“—Warning: mana pattern, similar to Ouka.”
“Eh, the one from the ruins?”
“—Negative: however, it is similar.”

Kin to that black me, then?
Yikes. Anyway, combat stance.

“Ring!”
“—Sakura-Drive Ready.”

“Ignition!”

Pale crimson rises. I feel like the amount of mana-light has been increasing compared to before.
Well, this isn’t the time to say that.

In the forest, past where the view opened up, there is one human figure.
A tall form, hooded in a robe from the head. A drawn sword dangling from the right hand.
The long hair showing through the gap in the robe is black.

For a Hero, something’s off.
It should be able to see me, and it comes closer, swaying, without a word.

Suddenly, that right hand twitches.
I duck on a bad feeling, and several stray hairs get cut away.
This thing attacked out of nowhere.

Yikes. I got attacked and I don’t really know what was done.
And it has a person’s shape, but the presence isn’t human-like.
First I’ll close and suppress it. Think after that.

I trail pale crimson and run.
Zigzag. So it can’t settle an aim.
Close. I put a muzzle on it and fire. But it just tilts its head, tsui, and dodges.
Can it see the rounds, this thing. What kind of eyes does it have.
Then I spray with both hands.
I deliberately don’t aim, and let it rip, pulling the surroundings in.
The next instant the black one’s right-hand sword changes shape.
With that lengthened blade it knocks down only the rounds that would have hit it.
I see. That’s what cut the trees just now.

The right hand swings toward me. Backing off is bad.
I dodge as if falling diagonally down, put a hand to the ground, and use that to go forward.
I have to close more. This thing has more reach than me.
And the edge is too good. If I take it poorly it might cut through the gun butt too.

Close. From near enough to feel each other’s breath, I shoot the gut with Inferno in the right.
But it draws back fast and dodges. It spins as it is; I smash the left handgun.
It hits. But it’s shallow.
My gaze crosses blood-like red eyes.
And a smile that tears like a warped crescent moon.

This thing is sneering.

I take my stance again. Hips low, left hand forward, right reverse-grip beside my face.

I turn and slip the thrust longsword, and from below I bat up the following sideways sweep with a gun butt.
I jam a muzzle into the wide-open gut and fire. I confirm it punches through.
I kick it away and shoot both shoulders. Hits. I kick the jaw up in the arch and fire into the open throat.
I spin as I am, leap, and kick the chest away.

I keep the stance and watch. But the black monster is slammed into the ground and doesn’t so much as twitch.

It doesn’t turn to dust like the last one, though.
I don’t drop the stance, and stay wary.

Five seconds. Ten seconds. And suddenly.
It springs up like a clockwork toy and brings the extended sword down.
I kick the earth and slip the attack I’d expected.

That’s what I thought.

I consciously compress mana to the maximum and fire.
Leaving the sound of splitting wind, I blow the black humanoid’s head off.

A shadow fading into black dust.
All right. Is it over?

“Ring, recon the area.”
“—No mana readings in the vicinity.”
“Copy. Situation over confirmed.”

I scatter remnants of pale-crimson mana-light and put the handguns in the holster.

Ah geez, that scared me. What even was that.
It looked smart, but it attacked whether it was monster or human.
And it was like the one in those ruins. Is there some connection.

Suddenly. I find a silver card lying where that one fell.
Ah. The one in the ruins had one of these too.
I pick it up and hold it to the light.

…Oh? The writing is a little different from the last one? There might be a few kinds of these.

“Ring. Analyze this one too, please.”
“—Acknowledged: analyzing in parallel with the previous card.”
“Please.”

Hnn. This is a bit hard to know how to handle, though.
Anyway I’ll try talking to Glad at the guild.