Kanna no Kanna

Chapter 6 : Ice giant draws near!

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// TN : typos to comments please //

// Oh, if you are wondering, t.i.tle is a pun to encounter messages from Dragon Quest//

Chapter 6 : Ice giant draws near!

Finally some visual confirmation, huh? With a body completely made out of ice that’s over 3 meters tall, it’s a giant completely made out of ice. It’s also translucent with several colors, but white is the more prominent one. The appearance is like a giant armor without a neck and on his hand it has a gigantic sword fit for his size.

「………… This is one of those guys known as Ice Golem, huh？」

「You know about golems? They are man-made life created by pouring magic power into them; it’s an automatic doll」

The Frozen Golem stands in front of us in a way that perfectly blocks the entance.

Obviously, it won’t allow us through so easily.

「………… Can you beat it？」

「I wonder? For golems, the basics is that their capacity changes greatly depending on who created them; and it’s easy to tell that to make a golem of that size one needs considerable skill.」

The motion she performs to ready her sword is the same one she did when fending off the wolves; however unlike then, now clear traces of tension could be seen in her face.

「I’ll face this guy… Kanna, in the mean time use the gap and take away the ojou-san, just leave this place. Since he is a guard, he won’t give chase if it means leaving.」

「………… Roger」

I could feel weight in my mouth as I blurted a positive answer. I’m aware that her plan is certainly the most feasible… But having no choice other than using Real as a decoy is something that feels pretty d.a.m.n bad…

「Don’t worry, after exchanging some blows; I’ll be sure to run away as well, I don’t have any suicidal tendencies.」

She only barely sided her face and then smiled at me.

That face, it struck me heavily.

I took the chance to see the girl on my back; she was shaking with fear. Her sight was not directed at me nor appealed for any requests… However, now I can only smile just like Real has.

I can’t die in a place like this, our two hearts are probably engraved with these same words; if not, we would have never had made it outside that castle.

「Well then…………………… Let’s go!」

Real advanced, wielding that heavy giant sword and with enough power that her steps crushed the ground; with enough speed that I wouldn’t think of possible. I also added power to my legs, taking a stance that would allow me to run at any time.

The right time is when Real attack lands square; once that’s done the guardian will set his aim fully on her… She will probably concentrate her attacks to leave a gap for me to escape, it’s simple; but we can only proceed with a plan like this; that’s why, I need to pull all of my effort there.

The golem reacts to Real’s movement brandishing his own sword.

It was then, only few seconds away from their swords engaging, that the golem jumped. A large jump unthinkable for such large ma.s.s…

With great momentum added, Real’s sword struck nothing; her balance completely broken. There is no way that I’m just going to watch this till the end, I don’t have that time… Because even while it’s on the air, I can tell that the landing point of the golem is right behind Real, the place I had planned running towards to.

「HEY– YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING MEEEEEEE!!!」

Up until now in my life, this has to be the most excellent, worthy or respect ultra fast reaction I have ever had; before the golem reached the highest point of his leap, my body was already sliding sideways to another direction. The giant gave a strong swing to the location where I just was, gravity and body strength worked together to pulverize the floor’s surface with a ground shattering impact. The aftermath of said impact struck my legs… Once again I made use of a yet to be seen in my life sense of balance to keep myself standing and made a beeline towards the entrance.

It was then when I felt a shiver in the temple of my head, trusting that feeling I bent my whole body forward; when I was half bented, I had the sensation of a large ma.s.s that created winds pa.s.sed through the place where my head would normally have been. My face collapesed to the ground… When I directed my eyeline there, I noticed the giant ice sword was sweeping the air, the golem had thrown it.

「Are you safe, little girl?」

「I- I’m safe…………」

After hearing that terrified reply, I stood up and turned around to check the golem; from the now empty arms of the golem ice stretched giving out a cracking sound, within seconds a new sword was created.

「Give me a break…」

I once again readied to break into a run, at the same time the golem was readying to throw his new sword!

「DEYAAAAA!!」

A great shock ran through the side of that enormous body, Real hammered that arm with a tremendous attack with that giant sword which is as big as a person. While the difference in volume was obvious, Real strike was espectacular enough to completely overwhelm the body of the golem; the frozen giant flew for a moment to then crash loudly into the ground.

「That’s some outrageous power」

Even if it’s from an ally, that great power is enough to bring chills to my spine.

「Retreat now, Kanna!」

Sadly I have no time for a.s.senting words, now is the time to run quickly towards the entrance.

However, reality seems to be cruel…

The ice t.i.tan forcefully threw his sword even from a knocked down position; the target is not Real nor me… and thinking that it failed a throw would be an overly hasty conclusion. The giant ice sword landed on top of the exit that I was just dashing towards to.

The impact of a great ma.s.s and speed is exactly what would correspond to the description, the vecinity of the tunnel was completely destroyed; it came broking down with a large DOOON sound effect. I can’t immediately compute the scene in front of my eyes, thus my own run towards that place was not stopped and I set foot on where the exit once was.

Touching the mountain of rubble that covers the only exit, I am forced to finally face reality.

「Perfectly trapped…………」

Deprived of the sole means of escaping, a complete sensation of despair fills my body.

Even then, I refuse to give in to hopelessness and I refuse to release the power on my feet; the reason being the extra 『weight』 I feel on my back.

「Blocked in every direction.」

Before I realized Real was already at my side; I felt her breathing on my shoulder… It looks like she had already gave some blows to that giant.

「The person who made that golem surely has an amazing ability. Someone who is able to perform such a precise automatic control, is already worthy of the royal court of most countries」

「And how amazing is that？」

「With 10 people like that, you can overturn thousands of troops fighting without any tricks」

「That’s monster level…」

Once said that, just for a milisecond; Real’s eyes weavered.

「Ah, Real; please hold this a little」

「Ah？　O- Oi, Kanna!」

I forcefully pa.s.sed the girl to Real before she could said anything; then I made a dash without stopping.

From when I started moving, the ice giant switched his course to me.

「「Demolish it」, Real!!」

Just once, I pointed my finger beind her.

「ーーー!!。 d.a.m.n, so I have to do this！」

Real instinctively got my intention in an instant and readied her stance towards the blocked escape way. It really is mysterious, ever since we meet, she can read my intentions perfectly with me only varely phrasing some words about it.

「Don’t die like this, Kanna!」

After such outcry, Real mows down the blockade horizontally with her sword; a great deal of rubble was blown away with each swing.

The ice golem completely ignored Real’s actions and kept turning as to always face my direction– So it was true…

It’s unknown why, but this giant has designated me as the target from the start.

Thinking back, since it appeared; the golem attacks have always involved me in some form, while completely ignoring Real whose firepower is the only threat.

Originally I had no way of ruling out that it wasn’t me, but the village girl that was in my back; but after leaving her with Real the fact is that he isn’t even looking at her right now.

Understanding that much it becomes simple, I just need to fill in the role of decoy that originally Real a.s.sumed. I’ll get his attention and Real will dig the way out; this is what’s know as the right person in the right place.

If there is a problem with this isーーーー。

「UUUOOOOOOHHHH!!!」

The giant gave yet another jump, strongly swinging it’s blade from an overhead position, he did this by the time I was screaming.

ーーーー The problem is that I need to survive until the excavation work on the exit is done.

「My parallel world life is way too filled with Violence–」

While renewing my resentment towards that princess and her whole family for having selfishly called me here, I increase the distance between me and Real. It’s true that I’m the target now; but there is no guarantee that it won’t switch to Real later.

Probably it’s because such a large object can’t ensure other means of fast movement; but the giant kept chasing me with leaping attacks again and again. Each time I narrowly dodged I felt as if my soul was being chipped away, I kept a zigzag shaped evasive route and I’m fully aware that the moment my legs fail; It’ll be my last. Probably it’s due to the fear of becoming minced meat, but right now keeping my balance while running at full strength is quite the ordeal…

Ever since arriving at this world, I have tasted it G.o.d knows how many times; that 「chill runs down my spine」 feeling which is now warning me about each and every time the giant makes a leap.

Right now the feeling is slightly different…

I turn my sight to notice that the Golem is taking different action than before. He is not straddling for a jumpstart, he raised overhead that giant sword; is he going to throw it again?

But he did not threw it; he stabbed deeply at the ground with it, smashing the surface. After that, a countless number of icebergs popped from the ground, that large amount of mountain swords came lunging, directed at me while crushing everything on their way. The speed was much lower than throwing the sword, but the targeted area increased many folds…

I barely escaped a direct hit from the group of raising icebergs; but the aftermath of the attack bulged the ground and sent me flying.

「Kuh…………-」

Not landing head first was the only fortune, my back struck the ground and I was send rolling. The force of the impact made me discharge a lot of oxigen from my mount, that made my field of vision blink reddish brown.

After hitting on a metalic object, my rolling was stopped.

I felt as the pain ran across my body as if it was cracked. I somehow lift my upper body; I was thrown quite far away from the straight line of icebergs; I guess that’s the true meaning of being blown away. Checking the starting point of the iceberg attack, I noticed that footsteps of the golems where drawing close.

「KANNAAAA!!」

Real stopped the work on the entrance and ran towards the golem… The distance is just too far appart, while the golem movements are slow; the distance to covered with each step is just too different, the golem will get here long before she does.

I withstand the pain in my body, and stand up by forcing my knees.

「d.a.m.n b.a.s.t.a.r.d………… Don’t screw around!」

If there is pain, that means that I’m still alive. Since I’m alive, it’s natural that I can move my body… I glare the approaching ice giant, I clench my own teeth as if to break them and pour more strength into my legs.

「Nuhーーーー Gaahhh」

As if they had run out of oil, every joint in my body screams in pain; but I manage to stand up. The ice giant is no longer in sight…

I don’t have time to be immersed in despair nor leeway to remember how to be afraid.

What only matters is surviving.

Keep moving forward, you can’t afford to give up here!

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