“ShieeaaaAAAHH!”
“FUGOH!?”
Among the four of us who attacked the herd of saber boars, Henblitz spearheaded the bulk of the ambush.
One of the boars that happened to be right there when we jumped out. Although it recognized us by the sound Henblitz made when charging in, it was unable to react to his blade. Henblitz made a splendid horizontal sweep, and both of the saber boar’s front legs were chopped off with a single stroke.
I think it’s a good decision. It’s not like you absolutely have to kill them, the point is that they can’t fight. In that situation, the easiest thing to aim for would be the front legs.
By the way, compared to the skull, the bones, and muscles of ferocious monsters are by no means soft.
Because Henblitz takes out both of them in one stroke, his power is also tremendous. And there is no doubt that a longsword that can withstand such an impact is also a wonderful product.
“OuriYAH!”
“Doryaaa-ssu!”
Landrid and Kuruni also slashed at the saber boas as they charged ahead. The former cuts off the opponent’s charge and fighting spirit by thrusting and then rounding up, aiming at the nape of the neck on the backswing. The latter had once again finished off a saber boar with a single blow from above.
… It’s certainly a tremendous power, but if this experience becomes a strange habit, it’s a bit of a problem.
At best, a grand swing from above as your first move is for when a surprise attack is successful or when the opponent is unbalanced from the start.
This only worked because it is a monster opponent who does not have intelligence and tactics, and it will not go well in battles with other humans who do have skills and tactics. I’ll give her some guidance later.
“Yoishyoutto.”
“Bumoh…”
Well, I can’t just watch them fight all the time, so I have to work hard.
I avoid the charge of one saber boar coming at me and strike its abdomen while passing each other. Without much resistance, my sword cut through half of its torso and let out a splatter of blood.
It has a sharpness that does not dull no matter how many times you cut with it. This longsword is just one piece of Valder’s soul, and its performance is terrifyingly high. From the moment I got my hands on this sword, I knew I had to become a swordsman worthy of it, but I still don’t know when I’ll finally be able to wield it with pride.
“BoAH! BuuraAAH!!”
At the end of each successful first strike, that stupidly big saber boar who seemed to be the boss started roaring in irritation.
Well, it is a sudden and devastating ambush while he reigns as the alpha. No wonder he is angry. I’m not going to miss him.
“BugoGOH!”
Apparently, the Boss’s order was not to escape but to intercept. Even though the first strike went well, there are still more than 10 of these boars alive and well. If we run away with this on our tails, that’ll just be what the Boss wants.
In other words, you don’t have to think about the opponent’s escape for now. Nice, I don’t have to think too much about the damage to the village in the current situation.
“They’re coming! Just be careful of a pincer attack!”
“Right!”
The surprise attack was successful, but with this, the battlefield was temporarily shifted.
What we do doesn’t change, but the difficulty increases. This is because the opponent will completely recognize us as an enemy, and that remaining number will attack at once. It’s not just about attacking, it’s also necessary to successfully survive multiple attacks. It’s exactly the place where the swordsman’s skill can be shown.
“PugiIIII!”
Having heard the Boss’s roars, it subordinate saber boars began to charge at once.
Their attacks are basically charging straight ahead. Therefore, dodging a single attack itself is not that difficult in theory. However, in actual battles, negative emotions such as fear and fright will start showing their faces.
In reality, it’s a heavy object, much heavier than a human, rushing at you with tremendous speed, so it is very possible that no matter how good your swordsmanship is, you will be paralyzed. As far as this is concerned, experience is more important than skill and tactics.
“Sei…!”
“Uoriyaaahh…!”
Well, the people who are here now are elites who have accumulated a lot of battle experience. There are no rookies here who would flinch at a saber boar charge.
The opponents have speed. Their power is terrifying. But there is no strategy and no intelligence.
As long as I can identify the situation, I’m not green enough to lose to this level of skill, and I haven’t even trained as they have. Let me finish it properly.
“BugoGOOOOOHHH!”
“Otto, it looks like the Boss himself is coming in,” I said.
I wonder if each of us killed 2 or 3. Having seen his herd be halved, the saber boar Boss roared and charged at us, as if it couldn’t stand by any longer.
“BUGOH!”
“Otto!”
Perhaps because I looked the weakest among the four, the stupidly large boss rushed towards me at full speed.
Oh no, it’s pretty agile for its size, isn’t it? Besides, the tusks that are its deadly weapon are also insanely big and sharp. If you get even one hit from this, you’d die instantly. Furthermore, the weight difference is too much, so even if the fangs don’t hit head-on, just colliding with it will be extremely dangerous.
As expected, he was just leading the herd. It didn’t seem to be a shoddy small fry.
“Bumoh! PUGOAH!”
“Like I thought, you’re not going to be so docile, are you?!” I snapped.
The saber boar boss is shaking its head left and right at the same time as it rushes. That alone is troublesome, but it seems that he can also brake suddenly. Even though he’s a monster, he’s quite intelligent.
It’s a little annoying not being able to hit effectively due to the sudden stop and swinging of the head keeping me from getting close.
If it’s a normal opponent, it’s fine to go around to the side and slash, but in this case, the head and fangs are too big, so it’s necessary to go around in wide turns to avoid getting hit. And then, of course, my sword won’t reach.
As expected, I don’t want to try throwing my sword here. I don’t think it’s impossible to hit, but I don’t have confidence that I can kill it with one blow. I have to refrain from becoming unarmed in a situation like this.
“Master Beryl!” Henblitz yelled between engagements. “I’ll help!”
“It’s okay!” I yelled back. “I want you to cut the others down in the meanwhile!”
There’s little need for there to be two of us taking on the boss. So, I refuse.
To put it the other way around, it means that this Boss’s attention is nailed to me alone, so let’s go with the strategy of having the other 3 people cut down the surrounding minions.
So then, what can we do to break the status quo?
No matter how big and fast the saber boar boss is, its power, speed, and sharpness are inferior to the Named we have faced so far.
Xeno Glaive was faster and sharper. Lono Ambrosia was more annoying and winning against it was a lot tougher.
Compared to them, I have some leeway, but if I set up a physical strength match-up, I will definitely lose. I can’t wait too long.
Probably the safest and surest way is for me to buy time against the Boss, have the other saber boars be exterminated in the meantime, and finally the 4 of us will hit this guy after surrounding him on all sides.
You don’t have to take unnecessary risks. I know it in my head. And to the extent that I can choose that option, I am confident that I can dodge a single attack from this guy. I’m a little worried about my physical strength, but I haven’t worn out much so far, so I think I’ll probably be fine.
“… Haa, I’m also a swordsman at heart after all,” I said.
“BugoOOO!!”
But, that’s no fun.
Yes, it’s not fun.
My thoughts were drifting away from what I should be thinking in such a tense situation, to the extent that it would be a bit difficult to argue reasonably.
Was I the type to enjoy thrills that much? If anything, wasn’t I the type that emphasizes safety and wants to carry things out reliably?
In this situation, I can’t scold Kuruni for challenging a saber boar head-to-head, to begin with. It’s important, who’s mouth such words are coming from.
Perhaps, if I had only served as a swordsmanship instructor in Bidden Village, I would not have come to this conclusion. A special instructor for the Rebelio Knights, who became that after being suddenly confronted by Alexia. Since then, my life plan has changed drastically.
No, it might be difficult if asked if I had planned my life properly until now. Still, life in Baltrain was full of turbulence and charm, and I encountered many things that I would never have experienced in the countryside. It’s both good and bad.
I think it may be so. Such a colorful life may have reminded me a little of the dreams I had when I was a child.
In other words, how close can you get to the heights of being a swordsman?
A desire for strength, plain and simple. Curiosity about martial arts. A spirit of inquiry into technique.
And then, the baseless confidence that I can do it.
I can feel them springing up. A rebuke from my heart flies, wondering what I’m doing behind the back of this level of opponent.
That’s right. The people called swordsmen are, by nature, selfish people. Everyone takes pride in the fact that we are the best, and we put our lives and pride on the line to sharpen each other. Jump into the endless spiral of battle with joy and courage.
Isn’t this the sight I’ve always wanted since I was a child?
“… Fuuu.”
“BumoAAAH!!”
Without resisting my smoldering feelings, I naturally straightened up and stood my ground. It’s not like I’m how I t used to be, flying and dodging the saber boar’s assault.
If I mess up with this, I’ll probably get seriously injured. If I do it poorly, I will die.
However, strangely enough, I didn’t feel the fear of death, nor did I feel the anxiety that I might fail.
“…”
I exhale the remaining air in my lungs and inhale as much as I can instead. Pushed by the momentum, I could feel my nostrils flare open from the force.
“KiiEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!”
“!?”
I roared, putting my unwavering resolve into my battle cry.
Well, it’s surprisingly pleasant to stand your ground and shout with all your might, isn’t it? I knew it in theory and I should have been doing it in the past, but when did I stop doing this? The memory of the last time I let out a battle cry is quite distant.
At that point, while making excuses, I was far from the realm of martial arts that I should aim for.
“PUGOOOOO!!”
“-!”
As if responding to my spirit, the boss of the saber boa rushes forward. In front of me was a magnificent pair of tusks that were thicker than my arm.
I will not dodge. It is already too late to take that action. The moment I took this stance, there is no option other than to intercept.
“-Shyu!”
From the middle stance, extend one leg, and one step back. Instead of moving forward, the entire lower body is bent backward from the waist down, letting the opponent charge in to close the gap and attack with sufficient power when we’re in lethal range.
“Bugyoo…!?”
Snake Strike.
The technique was so named because it stops the opponent’s charge as if constricting it and counterattacking at the same time.
Just after I and the saber boa crossed paths at almost zero distance.
The saber boar’s charge catches me by the edge of my clothes.
And the tusks that this monster was so proud of, my sword strike cleanly severed them at the base.
