Volume 4 Chapter 21 Incarnation Of Violence
(Hu...man...? Plus, it's just a brat...)
Seeing the true nature of fear once again, Gálu was left speechless.
He never thought that the presence radiating a suffocating intimidation would be a mere human girl.
Why does this child make him feel such immense pressure?
"Y-you, weren't you the one from earlier──! "
The red-haired girl appeared, and Erinja's eyes opened wide in astonishment.
From her reaction, it seemed they were likely acquaintances.
It's hard to determine their relationship at this point, but judging by Erinja's frown, it seems difficult to say they have a good rapport.
Putting that aside for now, Gálu cautiously spoke to the girl.
"What do you want, brat? You're not saying you came to save these guys, right?"
Still overwhelmed by the girl's presence, a hint of confusion slipped into his voice.
However, this bewilderment went unnoticed, and the girl replied calmly.
"No. I'm a member of a different adventurer party. While my companions are resting, I happened to come here to get some 'water' from the nearby area."
"Huh?"
At her words, Gálu shifted his gaze to the side.
There was indeed a large river flowing from a nearby mountain.
And the girl was holding 4 water bottles in her hand.
"I looked around from atop a tall tree and found that this was the only convenient water source. But, is it safe to drink from a river in a demon's habitat?"
The girl is squinting in confusion as she looks towards the river, saying, "Hmm..."
After hearing why the girl came here, he could somewhat understand.
Indeed, this area has hardly any water source besides here.
But why is she gazing anxiously towards the "river" right now?
Especially since one of the Demon Lords, Forest King Gálu, is standing right in front of her.
"...Haha! If that's the case, you really had bad luck! You just came to fetch water, and ended up running into me!"
Gálu shows a confident attitude to assert his dominance.
The girl's intimidating presence is genuine.
However, whether that directly translates to true strength is a different matter.
While her presence is undeniably overwhelming, it's quite possible that his combat ability exceeds hers.
For that reason, Gálu continues to hold Erinja's neck firmly with a relaxed smile.
"Y-You over there...!"
"Yes?"
"C-Come help me right now...!"
"Mmm."
Amidst this, Erinja pleads for help from the girl, struggling.
She was being squeezed by Gálu, who was in a state of Instinct Liberation, leaving her completely immobile.
However, Erinja's desperate plea was dismissively brushed off by the sulking girl.
"From what I can see, it seems like quite a dangerous situation, so I was already planning to help. But when you say it like that, it makes me feel like I don't want to help..."
"W-What the hell are you saying...! Don't joke around at a time like this...! We're about to get killed...!"
Erinja glares at the girl while thrashing with her arms.
As Gálu, he could have easily slashed Erinja's throat at any moment, but he decided to watch the human's conflict for a while instead.
No, even Gálu wasn't quite sure how to act correctly in this situation.
"Hurry up! Help us out!"
"I'll pay you later!"
"Help Erinja...!"
Due to Gálu's monster traits, the 3 incapacitated companions also commanded the girl in a strong tone.
As a result, the red-haired girl, whose cheeks were getting puffier, proposed an exchange condition that was somewhat difficult for them to understand.
"Well then, if you can promise to apologize to the Kingdom's soldiers for the trouble you caused, I will vow to protect you."
"..."
Did something happen to Erinja and the Kingdom's soldiers?
Gálu had no way of knowing the truth behind that.
However, it seemed that her words had quite an impact on Erinja and the others.
They showed signs of hesitation and something that resembled regret.
But that was only for a moment, and soon Erinja relented.
"I will definitely apologize later...! I'm truly sorry for the trouble I've caused...! So, please..."
As she struggled in Gálu's grip, Erinja blinked back tears at the corners of her eyes.
"So please, help me...!"
The once strong-willed Erinja showed her vulnerability to someone else.
The companions were also staring in astonishment at the scene.
In response, the girl who had been asked for help again...
"...Maybe I'm feeling a little motivated now."
She smiled contentedly for a moment.
The air became charged with tension.
As the red-haired girl leaned slightly forward, Gálu felt a faint sense of anxiety.
Yet he maintained a facade of calm, tilting his head while snickering through his nose.
"So, how do you plan to save her? The moment I put strength into this right hand, her head is going to come off!"
If he really wanted to, he could stop Erinja's breath in less than a second.
In fact, he was confident he could snap her neck with ease even after seeing that girl move.
However, the girl showed no signs of panic, smiling as she placed her water bottle on the ground.
"Please, go ahead and try. I can move 'anytime'."
"...Oh really?"
She spoke as if provoking him.
This made Gálu feel intense anger, even more than usual.
The Forest King roared in a rage.
"Then! Try to save her──!"
A chill ran down his spine──!
In that moment he tried to gather strength in his hand.
But an incredible cold wave surged through his back, and at the same time, he saw "red hair" flicker at the edge of his vision.
Gálu instinctively released his grip from Erinja's neck and pulled his arm back.
Immediately afterwards, a red blade dropped down right where he had been extending his arm.
"──!"
Following his sense of crisis, he quickly stepped back from the spot.
When he looked, that girl was standing right near where he had been.
"Oh, that's pretty fast. I thought I cut your arm."
"..."
He can't help but want to retort that this is his line.
No, it's way more than that.
This girl is terrifyingly fast.
When did she manage to sneak into his space?
When did she draw her sword?
He couldn't even see her first step as she moved.
Before he knew it, he saw her red hair swaying next to him.
(What the hell... who is this brat...!)
The sheer speed left even Erinja and the others in shock, their eyes wide.
And then, belatedly, Gálu realized a truth.
The reason the girl had shown such composure was that, in reality, she was confident she could help Erinja at any moment.
Even if he tried to take some action, she was within range to stop him the instant she sensed his intent.
A bead of sweat ran down Gálu's forehead.
In response to him, the red-haired girl once again dropped a provoking remark.
"Should I hold back?"
"..."
──Should I hold back.
There was no need to ask what she meant.
Gálu immediately realized she was asking whether he would stop fighting.
At the same time, a burning rage welled up in his mind.
Who the hell does she think she's talking to?
Is she assuming she's won just because a bit of cold sweat is forming?
(I'm the Forest King Gálu...!)
Provoked by the mocking words thrown at him, Gálu's anger reached its peak.
"I'll smash you to pieces──!"
Like a carnivorous beast, Gálu planted his hands and feet on the ground and kicked out with all his might.
He dashed forward with blinding speed, plunging his right hand's claws into the girl.
Feeling pressure from the overwhelming force, Erinja let out small gasps...
"!"
The red-haired girl accurately tracked Gálu's rapid strike with her eyes and deflected it with her sword.
A blue vein was etched further into Gálu's forehead.
Frightened by the intensity, Erinja pulled her companions away to safety, and just after that, a fierce clash began between Gálu and the girl.
Gálu lunged with his beastly claws.
The girl raised her sword to parry the attack.
In response, the girl swung her sword.
Gálu used his sharp claws as a shield to defend against it.
From the outside, it looked like both sides were locked in a fierce battle without yielding an inch.
However, the reality was completely different.
(What the hell is this weight...!)
Every time Gálu took the girl's hit, he ground his teeth.
It wasn't just about speed.
This girl had reached a far superior level in terms of raw strength as well.
For now, he was managing to hold his ground, but if he let his guard down, he felt he could be blown away to the other side of the forest in an instant.
"You brat, don't get carried away──!"
Gálu couldn't help but glare at the girl.
Using his monster traits, he schemed to restrain her body just like with Erinja's companions...
"Hah!"
For some reason, the red-haired girl did not stop.
Without losing her light and graceful movements, she swung her sword, and Gálu, shocked, barely dodged it.
He felt no sense of his movements being inhibited, even slightly.
The monster's traits were completely ineffective.
This ability is less effective against those with considerable mental strength, but it still slightly dulls their movements.
The fact that it's completely ineffective suggests that the girl's mental strength is extraordinarily powerful.
And...
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