Chapter 39 – My Partner Saves My Life a Bit Too Much (Yuzuriha’s POV)
No matter how many times Yuzuriha slashed and slashed, the ogres kept springing up in front of her.
Yuzuriha is not lagging behind the ogre, no matter how high class mutant it is. However, if she continues to slash at the massive body of the ogres, which is packed with muscles, the tip of her sword will naturally become heavier.
Yuzuriha was a fool, she thought to herself as she swung her sword.
When the three of us were ordered to go on a mission to the Ogres’ Great Forest, Yuzuriha was furious, but at the same time, deep down, she thought ‘it will somehow work out.’
The number of ogres emerging from the Great Forest has been sporadic compared to previous years, especially in the last few years when they were known to have become dejectedly few in number.
Whether the ogres have become more docile compared to the past or they have entered a weakened period as a species, both Yuzuriha and probably the neighboring country as well, foolishly considered such a possibility.
The reality is just the opposite.
The well-trained mutant ogres were patiently waiting for the right moment to bare their fangs—!!!
Ogres are already dangerous monsters, capable of destroying even a small town on their own.
The level of danger jumps when it comes to its variants.
Moreover, the ogres in this Great Forest had undoubtedly trained and trained to fight organically and systematically.
Not only the Ogre General, but even the Ogre King is lukewarm.
Perhaps the Ogre King has further mutated and evolved, honed over many years by the King of Kings, the ruler among rulers.
“Yuzuriha-san, you’re breathing unevenly! Calm down!”
“S-Sorry!”
“We need to be patient right now! If we endure, we will definitely find a way out!”
“Yes, of course—!”
Suzuha’s older brother must have eyes on her back, Yuzuriha thought seriously for a moment and immediately smiled wryly.
Now Suzuha’s older brother and Yuzuriha and the others were back to back, facing ogres that were attacking them from all directions.
The proportion is 180 degrees, with Suzuha’s brother alone.
The other half, 180 degrees, is divided between Suzuha, Yuzuriha and two Amazons.
This is the difference in ability between me and Suzuha-kun’s older brother!
One side has one person and the other side has four.
That’s why it’s not natural for the difference in ability to be four times.
It goes without saying that it takes several times more strength than the difference in numbers to overcome the gap in manpower.
The difference in strength between ourselves and Suzuha-kun’s older brother is at least ten times, if not more. I was so excited to have Suzuha-kun’s older brother as my partner, but I’m such a shameful and pathetic woman. And yet—
Yuzuriha involuntarily twisted the edges of her mouth,
—But why am I so excited?
It was so shameful to have fallen into the ogres’ trap and gotten her partner, whom Yuzuriha had chosen, caught up in it to the point of risking his life.
She was frustrated to death that she was so far behind her partner’s abilities.
She felt so pathetic that she could only protect a quarter of her partner’s back, which she’s supposed to be protecting.
However…
Even if that is the case…
Yuzuriha was so joyful to be fighting to the death back-to-back with her partner.
There seems to be no end to the number of ogres…! I will probably die here, back-to-back with my partner…!
Yuzuriha doesn’t think that’s a bad thing either.
It doesn’t feel bad at all. In fact, she feels like there’s no better way for her to die than this, at least in terms of how she goes out.
She’s sorry she got her partner into this, but she’ll ask for forgiveness in the afterlife by serving as a dedicated and absolute submissive maid in Valhalla forever—”
“Yuzuriha-san.”
Suzuha’s older brother’s sharp voice brought Yuzuriha back to herself.
“When I give the signal, let’s switch our positions and hold off the enemies for one… no, two minutes with all your might.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I will get the head of the Ogre King.”
Yuzuriha wondered if such a thing was possible.
“The Ogre King, who is in command, is getting impatient and is gradually approaching us from a safe zone. He’s hiding his identity well, but he can’t hide the location of the instructions and the quality of his magic.”
Even though she was told that, Yuzuriha didn’t seem to realize it at all.
The same seems to have been the case with Suzuha and the two Amazons.
“If we can take him down, the command structure will collapse and the rest of them are just ordinary ogre mutants. But he’s a coward, so our chance to strike is probably only once. If we let that chance slip and he retreats to the back, it will turn into a long battle where our chances of winning will be greatly diminished.”
“Yes.”
“So, Yuzuriha-san, can I ask for your help?”
“Yeah. Even if I die, I’ll give you two minutes.”
“No, I’ll manage in one minu—”
Before Suzuha’s older brother rebutted,
“You first asked me to give you two minutes. You trusted me to do it. I will do whatever it takes to live up to that trust.”
“…Sorry, but that would be very helpful.”
“What are you apologizing for? You’re my partner, there’s no need to apologize.”
This was the first moment, beyond Yuzuriha’s innermost thoughts, when she directly called Suzuha’s older brother “partner” directly to him.
But of course, they couldn’t afford to worry about that.
“Well, Yuzuriha-san. I’ll leave it to you.”
“Yeah, I got it.”
After a short exchange…
The time came surprisingly quickly.
“Three, two, one—Now!”
“Haaah!!!”
With all her might, Yuzuriha switched places with her partner, and Suzuha’s older brother’s body was thrown back over his shoulders as if he had been hurled by the ogres.
Of course it was a mimicry.
And Yuzuriha didn’t have a moment to worry about that.
Is this the kind of pressure my partner was enduring from the ogres!?
The simple calculation is that the number of enemies quadruples.
Attacks are constantly being launched from both sides, and Yuzuriha and the others are desperately trying to avoid combination attacks.
After 101 seconds, Yuzuriha thought she had lost it…
The attack on Yuzuriha, which had prepared her for death, loosened like a broken thread.
It was clear that the Ogre King had been defeated.
You really are something… Even though we’re so far apart, you managed to save my life again, just in the nick of time…
“My partner saves my life a bit too much,” muttered Yuzuriha to herself.
