FROM there, we were able to reach the Sunset Forest without getting lost. Referring to the map and information I had gathered beforehand, I slowly led us deeper into the forest. We could have split up if we’d just wanted to look for horned boars, but we didn’t want anyone to get lost, so we decided to stay together.
The Sunset Forest wasn’t too bad to walk through because a modest number of trees had been cut down for lumber. Visibility was good, and sunlight dappled the treetops. It was so peaceful that I started to think it would be nice to have a picnic there. I continued at a leisurely pace, enjoying the forest’s healing ambience.
However, as we proceeded deeper into the forest, the path gradually became overgrown with vegetation until eventually, there was no path at all. We grew more cautious, but didn’t stop walking. Occasionally, we saw traces of grass being pushed aside, which must have been an animal trail. By looking at the size of the trail and the footprints, I could tell what kind of animal had passed through.
While carefully following the animal trail, I suddenly looked up and saw a rabbit hopping in the distance. Its long ears tilted toward the roots of a tree and reflected the sunlight. Montana, noticing my gaze, turned his head in the same direction and murmured, “That’s a killer rabbit. Its ears are like blades.”
“So there are monsters like that, too?”
“Yes. Its meat is delicious.”
“Wow. How fascinating. You’re so knowledgeable, Montana.”
Distracted by our conversation, Albert and Corinne also stopped and looked in the same direction. Seemingly tired from all the time spent looking down, they paused for a moment, did some neck rolls to get rid of the tension.
Apparently, killer rabbits would sometimes attack people, so Albert and Montana drew their weapons just in case—but the sight of them might have frightened the killer rabbit because it turned on its heels and fled away through the grass. I felt myself relax as I watched it leave.
A second later, though, I heard a rustling sound behind me, like grass was being shoved aside. I turned around in a panic—only to meet the eyes of a huge horned boar, which was breathing heavily.
Its sharp, twisted horn was caked in dirt. I’d definitely get an infection if that thing got me. But that would only be a concern if I even survived the fight against it. Not only was the boar’s horn impressive, but so were its tusks. I felt like if I evaded the charge from its horn, I’d probably wind up getting caught by its tusks and dragged across the ground anyway.
The monster was as wide as a man with his arms outstretched and taller than my eye level. My brain immediately conjured up the image of a small truck. It wasn’t something a human being would be able to fight head-on.
“Big,” Montana said. He sounded dumbfounded to me.
“Wh-Whoooooaaaaaa!!!” Albert’s voice came shortly after. Then he bravely tried to say something else, but in the end, all he could do was unleash a shout of terror that sounded like it had been ripped straight from his soul and echoed through the forest.
“This isn’t at all like what I imagined!” was what I wanted to scream, but in reality, I could only silently gulp and stare bug-eyed. It wasn’t that I was holding myself back from screaming. I just didn’t know how else to react.
“For now, let’s retreat.”
Montana, looking calm, took the lead and dashed away into the forest. He was quick thinking and quick on his feet, weaving his way through the trees as he ran. Though he was usually absent-minded, he carried himself with the dignity of someone who acted like an older brother to all of us, which made him dependable in times like these. That being said, I was supposed to be the actual oldest and all I could do was follow behind him, unable to make a sound.
As we raced after Montana, a destructive sound the likes of which I’d never heard before came from behind me. Curious, I turned around to see the horned boar chasing after us. The way it mowed down thick trees and snapped thin ones reminded me of heavy machinery.
“Guys! Guuuys!” Albert shouted out to us, having calmed down enough to utter words. “What the hell are we gonna do?!”
The horned boar had us fully in its sights and was relentlessly charging us, hot on our heels.
As monsters evolved, they became omnivorous, which allowed them to absorb even more mana into their bodies. To this monstrous horned boar, we were probably nothing more than a mildly speedy lunch.
“Boars aren’t supposed to be good at turning!” I called back. “We should run in a zigzag pattern!”
“Roger that! Mon, lead the way!” Corinne yelled.
Ahead of us, Montana nodded and changed our escape route.
I’d assumed horned boars were smaller. To be honest, I’d imagined something a little bigger than a piglet. But a monster like this? Not even in my wildest dreams. It could have swallowed a human whole, for God’s sake.
✦ ✦ ✦
We continued running desperately until Montana suddenly raised his voice and shouted instructions to us. This was the first time I’d ever heard him be so loud.
“We can turn the tide in our favor if we can get it to lodge itself into that tree over there!”
“You sure that’ll work?!”
Montana turned his head around briefly to nod in response to Albert’s shout. “Yes. There’s no such thing as a living being that can’t die,” he explained logically. “Once it’s immobilized, we’ll whittle it down.”
His expression wasn’t much different from usual, and that unshakeable demeanor was incredibly reassuring right now.
“Oh…there it goes.”
There was a loud crash from behind me, then Montana’s head disappeared from view. I whipped around in a panic to see what had happened and saw that the boy had lowered himself further to the ground as he rolled toward the horned boar, which was now stuck in the tree like Montana had said. By the time Albert started forward a few moments later, Montana had already slashed at the monster’s hind legs and was running around to its other side.
“Tough hide.”
He’d probably intended to cut the leg in half, but it was only bleeding slightly. Montana sounded a little annoyed, and slashed repeatedly at the leg several times without stopping. The horned boar, its horn still stuck in the tree, flailed around and unleashed a roar that seemed to echo through the whole forest. Clearly, Montana had finally inflicted some damage.
Albert rushed in then, raising his sword and slashing with all his might, aiming for the leg opposite the one Montana was focused on. It was obvious they were both trying to immobilize it. Montana’s decisive action revived my flagging spirits, too, and gave me the courage I needed.
“You were right, Mon. Now that it’s not moving, it’s just a normal, stationary target.”
The sight of Corinne nocking her arrow and letting it fly spurred me on to use my magic too. I hurriedly started chanting a spell. The arrow sliced through the air and smacked into the horned boar’s forehead before clattering to the ground.
“I was aiming for its eyes, but it just won’t stand still!” Frustrated, Corinne nocked a second arrow.
This is no time to sit back and watch. My target was the neck. If I could damage the carotid artery, that would give us a chance to escape. They had invited me to join their party as a mage, no doubt so I could deliver powerful blows like this. If I didn’t do my part here, then when would I have the chance?
“Blade of wind, arise, sharpen, soar, mow.”
Corinne’s fifth arrow finally pierced the horned boar’s eye, and it shook its head wildly. Simultaneously, the tree where its horn was stuck finally collapsed, with a tremendous creaking sound.
“Pierce where I command you. Shoot, Wind Cutter.”
When I finished the incantation, an invisible blade of wind tore through the air and flew straight at my target. It shook everyone’s clothes as it passed silently through the monster’s neck. And…missed? Nothing happened.
Undaunted, I was about to start reciting my next spell when a gap suddenly appeared between the creature’s body and neck as it tried frantically to remove its horn from the fallen tree. I stopped moving, keeping my arms stretched out in front of me. With only its head still stuck in the tree, the boar’s massive body fell to the ground with a booming thud. Blood gushed out from the wound like a fountain, staining the trees and grass all around it bright red.
Albert and Montana, who’d been getting ready to fall back a safe distance to regroup, stopped in their tracks. Their eyes were wide. Corinne slowly returned her sixth arrow to her quiver while the boys, our vanguards, absentmindedly resheathed their swords.
Then Corinne murmured to herself.
“…Magic is amazing.”
Magic is amazing. I couldn’t agree more, despite being the one who’d cast the spell myself. I just stood there in a daze, my mouth hanging open.
After a while, I came back to myself, looked at the decapitated carcass, and grunted, pressing a hand to my mouth. The sight of blood and gore always made me queasy, even in movies. And the thought that I might have to get used to this kind of thing didn’t exactly make me feel better.