Since I was summoned, several months have pa.s.sed.
Meanwhile, I lived with Arisa, training, and hunting majuus.
My magic and my magic power also grew, and I became able to fight small majuus alone, and medium majuus with Arisa’s help.
(Incidentally, it seems that majuus are divided into small-scale, medium-scale, large-scale, and special-scale.
Arisa-sensei said that it was divided like this because most of the time, majuus surpa.s.sing large-scale majuus aren’t confirmed.)
One night, while scattered about on the sofa, Arisa said.
By the way, Arisa was wearing her white rabbit pajamas.
It very much suited her.
“Ed, I think it’s fine for us to move onto the next step now.”
“……What does that mean?”
While *mosomoso* stroking my head, Arisa said that in a soft, coaxing voice.
(What is this completely white girl thinking……?)
I felt the danger with my body in many ways, and I got a shudder along my spine.
“We’re going to crush this forest’s boss.”
……
Boss. Does that mean the strongest majuu?
“……Why?”
“It’s the only majuu that my mentor couldn’t research about.”
The disciple continues the research of their mentor.
It’s something common, even in my previous world.
“……Also, because the threat of this forest will lessen?”
“That too. Generally it’s said that if the boss majuu is defeated, the vigor of the remaining majuus is reduced. That’s why, if we finish that matter, our range of actions and safe range will greatly increase. You’d be able to leave the laboratory and go out to the towns, for instance.”
⸺Town, huh?
I haven’t met any people other than Arisa.
I’m sort of looking forward to it.
“Arisa, if it’s you and me, can we beat the boss?”
“If it were just me, all I could do is freeze and restrain it, but with the current you, we can definitely defeat it.”
Saying that, Arisa took the white rabbit stuffed animal she was hugging in both arms, held it with one hand, and used her other hand to *ges.h.i.+ges.h.i.+* thrust into it.
Without retorting, I just thought……that rabbits exist in this world too
“What kind of majuu is it?”
“It seems to be a big bird. Alone, all I can do is constrict it and prevent it from flying.”
This time, Arisa used both her hands to *gui* constrict the stuffed animal.
(……Don’t you feel bad for the rabbit stuffed animal?)
Anyways, so it was a big bird, huh?
I’ve never fought with a flying opponent before.
Well, since Arisa said she wouldn’t let it fly, the majuu won’t fly though.
“……I understand the main points. When will we go?”
“……Oh, you decided pretty quickly.
In the worst case I thought I’d have to resort to seduction to lure you in though……”
Arisa *chirachira* sent sidelong glances from behind the stuffed animal.
(……As if your seduction would work. Arisa, you’d get embarra.s.sed and not be able to do it properly, and I’d make fun of you?)
When I motionlessly stared at her, Arisa who seemed to be thinking something stupid reluctantly entered the subject.
“……Th,that’s right. A week from now at night, let’s go on the night of Luune.”
⸺The night of the full moon?
“I got it. I’ll start preparing for then.”
Since Arisa said we could do it, there’s no need to worry.
I list what I’ll need in my head.
“Yeah, I’ll be counting on you, Ed.”
Contrary to her words, the eyes Arisa looked at me with were a little lonely.
A week later, illuminated by the moon, we steadily proceeded into the depths of the forest.
We were running on a bad road.
In order to kill the boss of this forest.
Suddenly, a bear majuu jumped at us from the trees.
“⸺! Arisa!”
“I know!”
To the sudden majuu, I completely change my state of mind.
⸺Immediately kill it. That’s all.
“⸺Ed!”
The moment Arisa looked at the bear, she froze both its legs and both its arms.
“⸺s.h.i.+!”
In a moment, 5 of my knives skewered the bear’s head.
After a few twitches, the bear majuu stopped moving.
While looking at the bear majuu’s big, sharp teeth and claws, I wipe my cold sweat.
“Fuu, sudden things like that aren’t good for my heart……”
“Let’s go, Ed, we have limited time.”
Without even looking at the bear’s carca.s.s, Arisa proceeds ahead.
I also followed after her.
With the majuu from before, I remember Arisa-sensei’s lecture.
As usual, Arisa was standing in front of me with her white coat, gla.s.ses, and pointer stick.
“Got it Ed?”
Saying that, Arisa tapped the surface of the wall with her stick.
“Majuus are separated into small-scale, medium-scale, large-scale, or out of standard.
They’re mainly distinguished by the size of their bodies and the amount of magic power they possess.
Well, ‘they’re separated by their combat ability’⸺this recognition is good enough.
The important thing is this.”
She pointed to a place labeled ‘large-scale’.
“Large-scale majuus and above have places where they’re decisively different from small and medium majuus.
What do you……think about that, Ed?”
“They have magic power that can’t be compared with small or medium majuus…something like that?”
I had been s.p.a.ced out and ignoring her until then, so I said something I randomly thought of.
“Well, of course large-scale majuus have overwhelmingly more magic power than medium-scale ones.”
Arisa-sensei pushes up her gla.s.ses, and puts her hands together.
……As expected of a specialist, her gesture suits her.
“But, they’re fundamentally different. Once you reach large-scale, majuus become able to use magic. This means that they can attack anything that enters their sight, just like magicians. It’s said that if a large-scale majuu were to appear in a town, the area would be destroyed in just a few hours.”
“……Are they that dangerous?”
“Not only do they have physical abilities overwhelmingly superior to humans, they also shoot magic at anything that enters their sight.
Can’t you understand this threat?”
Arisa rotates the pointing stick with her index finger.
“Of course, people who can’t use magic will be one sidedly trampled on, but even with magicians freely shooting magic at them, it’s difficult to capture. To defeat a large-scale majuu, you need someone to defend from its attacks, someone to restrain it, and someone to attack it. It’s said you’d need 30 average magicians.”
“……Hey, Arisa, what size is the boss that we’re going to defeat?”
In response to my question, Arisa placed her pointer stick on the desk, and smiled at me with her hands behind her back.
“⸺Naturally, it’s large-scale.”
After the bear majuu, nothing really happened, and we reached the target cave.
Arisa turned to me, and said:
”……Ed, we’re almost at the boss’ nest. Is the strategy alright?”
“First, you’ll freeze and sever its wings to render it unable to fly. Next, you’ll freeze its limbs to restrain it. Then, I cut off anything that seems to be a threat. Finally, I’ll thrust my knives into the crown of its head.”
Arisa nodded at my words.
“Also, always attack from the majuu’s blind spots. If you can’t attack from behind an obstacle. In the worst case, hide behind me. Got it?”
“Yeah, I got it.”
Saying that, I patted Arisa’s gray hair.
“……Please keep that for after we’re finished.”
Arisa takes my hand and moves it out of her hair.
She looked at me as if blaming me.
Arisa seems to think that I couldn’t help myself from doing that.
In spite of myself, I laughed at myself speaking as if I was taking the initiative.
(⸺We seem to be tense, both you and I.)
“Yeah, I’ll wait until after we’re finished with this Arisa.”
When I childishly returned her words, Arisa’s face turned red and she hung her head down.
⸺But, we only relaxed like that for a moment.
“……Let’s go.”
“……Yeah.”
We put on some goggles that Arisa brought that allow you to see in the dark (it seems to be a kind of magic tool), and entered the cave.
When we advanced through the cave, we found a big hollow deep inside.
⸺Inside there was an overwhelming presence.
What was in there was the boss of the forest.
What was in there was an overwhelmingly strong creature.
What was in there was:
Sleeping. It was curling up its huge body.
There were sharp teeth lined up in its jaw, and wings on its back.
It had 4 limbs with long hooked claws, each as thick as my body.
On its long, thick tail were countless long, sharp barbs which would be easy to skewer people with.
I felt myself trembling with excitement, which I’ve never done until now.
“……Wait, wasn’t it supposed to be a bird?”
I joke a little, and look at Arisa.
“It has wings and it flies……it’s just like a bird, right?”
Arisa too had a terrifying smile that I’ve never seen before.
It was ghastly, chilling, crazy expression that showed no leeway at all.
That meant that even for Arisa, she had to bet her life for this battle.
The boss of the forest was⸺a dragon.