The bears have lost their temper.

　As soon as he got a glimpse of my sword, he changed his previous gentleman mode and attacked me with his huge body dancing.

　The timing was so tightened in an instant that I couldn't even flinch.
　The roar of the giant monster's roar, the dense, color-saturated killing air, caused me to shrink up.

''Jiro!　Get out of the way!
Lord!

　I hear voices.
　My vision narrows and the world goes into slow motion.
　The bear, with its log-like arms and sharpened dagger-like claws, closes in on me.

(Yo, dodge it: ......!)

　But my body doesn't respond well to it.
　Well, it's not too late: ......

　＜Magic Sword Heart of Blood: Magic Color "Nuregara" skill activated.

　The bear's blunt claws, bam!　and cut through the atmosphere in front of me, but I was safe.
　My body automatically took evasive action and dodged the bear's blow with a single piece of paper.

'Oh, that's awful!　I could have died!　Give me a break, already.

'I won't give you a break. It looks like your sword skills have helped you now, but it's not something that can be triggered that many times. Prepare yourself!

　The bear is still trying to kill me.
　He's suddenly furious, and his murderous energy is overflowing, so he doesn't look like a C-class monster.

　Or is it that Marina looks weak from the outside when she fights, but when she's faced with a monster, she looks so strong?
　Well, the fight is over, one way or another.
　It's got to happen.

"Jirou!　Step back and set up the system for once!

　Then Mr. Shero popped up and checked the bear.
　The fiery bear also moved out of range after a strong strike by Mr. Shero's claymore.

'Jiro, my bad. This guy isn't much more than a C grade. Suddenly, it's power increased. It must have been a mimicry or something. Let's all do it!

　I knew it wasn't a C grade. But we can all do it.

I'll get the shield!　Set up the camp of Nagareboshi!

　The Meteor (Nagareboshi) formation.

　It's been a while since we were trained by Shero and Rebecca, but they also taught us a bit about how to fight in a formation.
　Among them, the Meteor Squadron is a formation laid out against powerful monsters, magical beasts, and sometimes warriors, and it's a formation in which all of us just want to beat the crap out of each other at once.
　The important thing is for the most skilled person to take on the role of a shield and kill them all while the other party is still dealing with it - but in reality, it's more difficult than you might think, since it requires a technique that allows you to work in harmony and not get caught up in mutual combat.
　Well, we're trained and we'll be able to handle it.

''Diana is spirit magic, Marina is on my right side!　Don't swing around too much so you don't get in my way!　Elepippi and Orica, stay hidden!

　Right now, it's just me, Shero, Rebecca, Marina and Deanna, 5 on 1.
　The odds are against us, but as long as the Sheroes don't fall apart, we'll win.

Jirou, don't be alarmed. This guy is Hitotsutsuzuki-grade. This is a killer that will give you goosebumps. This is no ordinary opponent.

I know, sir. And I've already been almost killed!　Hahaha!　I'm getting excited!

　I was already on a "dying high".
I have heard a long time ago that a person with the vocation of a "swordsman" would be the first to charge into the battlefield and die, and I wonder if I have that kind of background.

　It may be so--I think.
　My whole body is burning hot at the situation where we're all facing a powerful enemy!

　The bear is charging towards me.
　He's just trying to get to me.

I won't let him go!

　Shero's big sword (claymore) roared out.
　He smashed his entire body from right beside it, and even the bear, as expected, stepped on the tatara.

''Guaaaahhhh!　Get out of my way!　I want that man!

　The bear roars in anger.
　The roar of the giant fierce beast is a kind of attack that attacks with mass.
　A person with a weak heart would cower up in an instant.

　In fact, I was cowering and unable to move just now.

　But...

Let's go, Marina!　Let's do some tickling without disturbing Mr. Shero!

Yes, sir!　Vertical slicing is in effect!

What's your heart?

Don't hit the person next to you. The man beside you is the Lord. You'll be protected by Marina!　Even if it costs me my life.

'Haha!　You're supposed to put yourself first. You're overreacting!

　We had already gone into a kind of trance.
　There is no need to be swayed by the cries of a beast.




　◇◆◆◆◆◆.




　It would be about half an hour into the battle.
　The bear is still alive and well, and its demon core shows no signs of disappearing.

　It seems that bears are most wary of attacking with their magic swords, and I have been unable to hit them.
　And if there's the slightest opening, they'll go after me, even if I ignore their other attacks.
　No one has been hit by a decent bear attack yet, but I'm starting to get tired. In fact, it wasn't a situation I could afford to be in much.

　When I look at my sword, the cause of his rage, "Wet Raven's (Nuregasus) Demon Sword Heart of Blood" in the mirror of truth, it's labeled "Anti-Monster A".
　There are other things like 'Evasion Rate Increase B' and 'Absorption C', but this is the one that he's so agitated about, and he's wary of this 'Opposite Demon Beast A'.
　On the contrary, my sword attacks are very effective against bears, which are hexenbiests.

　Shero-san uses her superhuman sword skills to catch the bear's attacks, injure it, and then dive underneath it to strike a blow.
　Honestly, you could win a one-on-one fight, right?　It's so strong.
　What is this berserk.

　Marina is repeatedly using the length of her halberd to attack on the other side of Ms. Shero.
　Thrusts, swipes and strikes down.
　The bears rarely attack Marina (I don't know if they're targeting her in order of attack power, but they seem to ignore almost everyone except me and Mr. Shero), but sometimes I'm so close to taking a bite out of one of the bears that I cringe.
　Marina is a little too brave for that.

　Rebecca deftly manipulates the big bow that Shero usually uses for hunting, and consistently hits her attacks (Kodawari's headshot).
　Since the Meteor Squadron is best with three melee attackers, that's why they're in charge of long-range attacks this time.

　Deanna uses spirit magic to stretch the grass beneath the bear's feet and try to get to its feet, but it's not very effective, only occasionally throwing it off balance a little.
　Still, though, it would make a big difference if it's there or not.

　I was making attack avoidance a supreme priority, but I was also attacking a little bit at a time when I saw an opening.
　I couldn't possibly fight as bravely as Marina did.
　It would be inappropriate to call it a safety margin, but if you are attacked, you will surely die. Furthermore, if I was the only one who was unable to fight, there was the possibility that I would be wiped out by that alone.
　We can't do things the wrong way.


''Whoa!

　Deanna's spirit magic takes the bear off his feet and shows him an opening, and then she slashes him with her kesa.
　Shards of light fly from the slice.

　The bear - or rather, the monster - is not sure how well the attack is working. That's because it doesn't bleed, and it doesn't slow down.
　It should have accumulated a lot of damage by now. ......

　Hmm. I wonder if this guy can't die yet, .......

　It was a light-hearted quest challenge, but it turned out to be an unexpected one. I don't know what I'll do if the rewards are shoddy or if I can't clear the quest itself to begin with.


Jirou!　Don't lose your mind!

What?

　By the time I heard Rebecca's shout, the bear with its twin eyes dyed deep red was in front of me.

　I didn't mean to be caught off guard.
　But he was probably starting to lose his concentration after thirty minutes of battle.
　Thirty minutes of offense and defense that would lead to instant 'death' if he got one good one. It was stranger that I couldn't run out of steam.

　This time, the bear was determined to kill me, and he was swinging an arm as big as my body.

　I can't stop or kill this bear's attacks with my own strength. If I try to do that, I will be crushed for sure.

d*mn it!　Averted: ......!　(See if you can make it in time: ......!)

　The bear's deadly blow is coming.
　I realize clearly in my compressed consciousness that I'm not going to make it.

　--I'm not going to make it.

　With me not wearing any protective gear, there is no way I can get past this attack.
　My left arm is messed up from the complex fractures and trauma. If it's only an amputation, I'll be fine.
　My left lung is ruptured, my left ribs are totaled, and they're lodged in my heart and liver, leaving me unable to recover.

　It wasn't a cool thing to be prepared for, I simply accepted reality and gave up.
　By dying myself, this bear might be able to lower his pent-up energy.
　Ah. I should have at least written a suicide note.


"I killed him!　Hexenbiest killer (number four)!

　The bear's great arm roared.


''Lord which one!''

　That moment.
　A purple shadow jumps out in front of me.

　It pushes me away, and as it is, it attacks the bear itself--

Madden: "......

　The shadow was splattered with blood and splattered away.
　Then it rolls to the ground 10 meters away.
　He falls down, bleeding, but with a satisfied smile on his face.
　In your hand, as proof that you have now achieved some kind of "guidance", there is a light purple spirit stone--


　--Two instructions were given to me at once!

　--The other part of your guidance is a secret if you don't mind.

　--You are protected, my Lord. At the cost of your life.


Marinaaaaaaah!


　At that time, Marina told me that she had received two instructions.

　One, she said, she'd prefer to keep it a secret if possible from me.

　She seemed genuinely happy and laughed that it was an anniversary.

　He was gung-ho to achieve the guidance .......


'Marina....... Stupid ...... really stupid ......, to hell with guidance. You should have just ignored it, that thing .......

　Even if you've accomplished the mission, it won't do you any good if you're dead!
　Shit!　Marina needs a better education!
　I don't see how you can ever admit to sacrificing yourself for the sake of others!



'You have interrupted me again!　But this is one less man. Don't think that this kind of sneaky tactics against me will last forever!

...... Shut up, you honey bear.

　Anyway, we need to treat Marina as soon as possible now.
　If I have to, I'll bring a doctor over here to help. Otherworldly secrecy?　That's not the kind of thing you can weigh against life.

　For that, we need to get rid of this bear as soon as possible: .......

"Deanna, enough with the magic. Take care of Marina. Rebecca, take care of her too.

Hey, Jiro!　This is not something that can be done by breaking ranks!　Even without Marina, we all have to do it together: ......

'It's just me and Mr. Shero, we can handle it. I'll take care of Marina: ...... please!

　I turned to face the bear.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more information on this topic.

　...... What, if you think about it, it's the same training I always do with Shero-san. The only difference is whether your opponent's weapon is a large sword or a claw.
　The only difference between the two is that neither will kill you.
　You're right. Simple.

　I interrupted Shero's bear in the middle of the fight.

"Mr. Shero, here he is.

'The...... Giraud?'　Are you okay, dude? ......

'It's okay, let me do it. ...... I have to do it.


　The bear said something to me, but I don't need words to deal with the beast.
　It's just a matter of getting rid of them as quickly as possible.


　The claws of the bear are swung down with a hair-raising wind noise, but a closer look reveals a monotonous movement.
　But if you look at it closely, it's a monotonous motion. There's no concept of feinting, it's honest and straightforward.
　I just shifted my body a half-step to the left to get this over with.
　Defenselessly slicing up the opponent's right flank in a counter-like manner.

＜''Demon sword correction, damage is tripled against the demon beast.''

　The bear is upside down from the attack, spinning his body around quickly and extending his arms to try to reap me off.
　I evade this with a backstep.

＜Demon sword correction, evasion rate has increased.

　He thrusts his sword into the neck of the bear, which showed its defenseless back with the momentum of the rotation.
　Fragments of glitter violently fly away.

＜''Critical hit.''
＜Demon sword correction. The criticality rate for hexenbiests has been increased.
＜Hexenbiest Damage is tripled against hexenbiests.

　A bear with bright red bloodshot eyes bites and attacks like a beast.
　It's a nasty attack, charging at you with its entire body, but I'm sliding through the crotch to avoid it.
　But I'm sliding between his legs to avoid it.
　I raise my sword as we pass each other.

＜Demon Sword Correction: Damage is tripled against the hexenbiest.
＜Demon sword skill "Absorption" has been activated. Your strength is restored.

　Before the crotch is out of the way and our system is in place, the bear turns around and extends an arm.
　I dodge it forward. The claws slice through his clothes, but it's not a problem.

＜Demon sword correction, evasion rate has been increased.

　With that momentum, he slams his sword into the bear's face.
　Shards of glitter fly off violently, and the bear's body flickers.

＜''Critical hit.''
＜Demon sword correction. The criticality rate for hexenbiests has been increased.
＜Hexenbiest Damage is tripled against hexenbiests.
＜Demon sword skill "Absorption" has been activated. Your strength is restored.

　......
　............
　.................. ...

　Cut, dodge, slash, dodge, dodge, dodge, slash.

　But I've refined my movements to specialize in just that.

　The bear's attacks, which were big at first, were getting smaller and smaller as he dodged once and for all.

　It wasn't tiring. Every time 'Absorption' was activated, all the tiredness was lifted away. He could probably fight for hours.

　After dozens of attacks and defenses, the bear, which had amazing durability, finally broke his knees.

''...... guuuuut. I didn't expect that I would be defeated ....... What an irony that this would result in the growth of a monster beast killer without a plan. ...... I'm the fourth Hexenbiest killer. My name is Arcus of Polaris. Do not forget that name--

You're going to die quickly.

　He said something, but I flashed my magic sword.

　The bear disappeared as a grain of light, leaving behind an oversized magical crystal.
　What is this, Arcus of Polaris, a big figure and a cute name.



　◇◆◆◆◇





　Come on!　Now, get Malina--

'Oh!　You're the best, Lord!　I didn't expect to beat him by myself, and Marina would have feelings of unworthiness of her status beyond respect.

!!!?

...... What is wrong with you?　It's as if he's seen a ghost.

'Oh ...... that?　Well, Marina ......?　Was your injury okay ......?

It's all right, sir.

　Marina tilts her head back with a smile without a scratch in front of her.
　It's not as if she's high from battle, seeing a mirage, or dreaming.
　In reality, there is a healthy Marina there, as if the attack from the bear was a lie.

"Well, Marina!

　I threw my sword and hugged Marina.

'Ugh!　Ugh, wow, wow. It is an unexpected development. It is a blue sky heckling. I didn't know there was such a reward. Hawaawa.

"Marina ....... I'm so glad you're safe. ...... I thought I'd be the one to go to .......

'Hahaha ....... Oh ......, Lord which ......?　I am crying, sir. ......?

............

　My tear glands only loosened up from the reaction to being released from an unprecedented state of tension all at once.
　I didn't want them to see my face, so I continued to hug Marina while dressed with my back to everyone.

'Ko, this is a bad idea. It's not good in the double sense of the word.

　Marina writhes as she runs her mouth about strange things.

'Oh, Lord, it's alright, alright ....... Marina will always be with you. Weep on Marina's chest .......

　Suddenly, Marina is a motherly figure.

　I'm in a hug (I thought I was hugging her, but I was hugging her!) , I felt that certain heat, and I felt my strength slip away with relief.

'Oh, shit. I think I might be losing my mind.'

It's okay, Lord, it's okay, ....... Marina is holding you properly ....... Nuh-uh.

　I was in a hug, with Marina catching me.

　It's hard not to look good in this moment.