Hmm, do you think he's the leader of the pack?

　Solstice smiled wryly and held up a large staff with a magic stone on it.
　Mr. Kilt shielded the girl on her back.

Back off, Sol. This guy's got a certain je ne sais quoi. How do you know if this thing is named after you?
Hmm?

　The girl who was told by the Golden Mark demon hunter obeyed honestly.

　Just like Kilt-san said, this hobgoblin has a strange 'pressure' to it.

(Not as much as a red fang dragon or an ogre, but.......)

　But there was a hint of a strong man.

　The hobgoblin slowly looked around.

　In front of the cave, there is a massive pool of blood.
　And in the forest, the corpses of his compatriots were piled up in a pile.

''.........Gugi, Ga''

　For a moment, sadness flashed in his eyes.

　Even demons have a heart to grieve the death of their friends...?
　I'm a little shocked.

(No ... don't be confused, Marl.)

　I'm not a jack-of-all-trades.

　Demons can kill.
　And as a human being, I need to be in a position to protect people.

　But I can't save them both.

".....

　As if to cut off any hesitation, I tightly grip the hilt of 'Marl's Fang'.

　In front of me, Illtimina-san slowly moves forward while holding the 'White Winged Spear' in front of me.

I'm going to have to ask you to back off too. The current you are still an opponent with a heavy burden.
I'm not sure.

　I held her arm, holding the spear, in my little hand.

'I'm the leader, okay?　So I'll fight.
What?

　I leave her surprised and step forward.

'Ma'am?'
Don't ever, ever touch me.

　Kilt-san and Solstice also had surprised looks on their faces.
　But Kilt-san looked at my expression and drew the great sword he was holding at the ready.

''Very well.''


　Solstice looks flustered.

This quest is your test. Do as you please until the end.

　Mr. Kilt said emphatically.

　The sisters still looked complicated.
　But they didn't want to stop me from going any further.

(Thanks, guys.)

　I took a big deep breath and stood in front of the hobgoblin.

''Gi.........?''　

　He turns to me slowly.

　--I'm the one who killed your friends.

　Willingly, he raises the Fangs of Merle.

...my plan to kill all the goblins in the world.

　Blue eyes stared at him.
　In response, a strong flame of hostility lit up in the hobgoblin's yellow eyes.

''Guaaaah!''

　clash

　With a roar, the tip of the rusty greatsword's sword is pointed at me, emitting a dangerous light.

(Come on, let's go!)

　I willfully kicked the ground from a low position and attacked the giant hobgoblin.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　At my surprise attack, the hobgoblin looked surprised.
　Immediately, it raised its greatsword and tried to intercept me.

(Too late!)　

　But that's so poorly done compared to Kilt's stance.
　I feint to the left for a moment, then dash forward to the right.　

　Dogo on.

　Just as I intended, the Greatsword falls to my left side and blows the earth away violently.

(I knew it.)

　Unlike Kirt-san, the same great sword user, he couldn't change the trajectory of his sword along the way.
　It's just a matter of force.

　The hobgoblin's sword had no 'technique'.

''Yes!''　

　I jumped into the hobgoblin's right bosom and wielded 'Marl's Fang' in succession.

　Huh, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee, gee.

　Fresh blood and sparks are flying.

(Chi.)

　I clicked my tongue in my mind.

　I cut some of them, like my arms and thighs.
　But the areas of weakness, like my wrists and ankles, were covered by rusty armor that played off the blade.

　In particular, the most crucial part - the neck was far away.

　Unlike goblins, hobgoblins are of adult stature.
　Before the dagger could reach them, they could easily avoid it.

''Gyaa!''

　The wounded hobgoblin screams in anger and tries to hit me at close range with the hilt of his greatsword.
　This is fast!

......

　tightly

　I crouched, barely avoiding it, as it played my hair.

　If it had hit him, his skull would have been split open.
　That's how powerful it was.

'Don't go away, Merle!　Keep that distance!

　Mr. Illtimina shouted.
　There was a terrible desperation in her voice.　

　--I know.

　A dagger and a greatsword.

　Me as a child and a hobgoblin with the physique of an adult.

　The difference in reach is hopeless.

(If we separate, we don't stand a chance!)

　I swing the dagger around the hobgoblin in a counter-clockwise direction, always to the right - or, for him, to the left, as opposed to his dominant hand.

　Huh, giggin, hmmm.

　Again, there is fresh blood and sparks.

　Covered in thick muscle, the slashes are shallow and not deep.

(Armor is so important, isn't it?)

　If I didn't have my armor, I'm sure I would have already won.
　Even at a time like this, I was reminded of the importance of armor.

''Gugia!''

　The hobgoblin gets annoyed at me as he stalks around me and tries to hit me with the hilt of his greatsword.

　I dodge again.

"?

　It was only my left hand that grabbed the hilt.

　The moment I noticed, I lifted the 'silvery white cuirass' of my left arm to the side of my head - and at the same time, I felt a strong impact.

　Gyaing.

　The hobgoblin's huge right fist struck there.
　The impact made my arm go numb.

(Ah, dangerous........)

　It's a ridiculous amount of stupid power.

　Stepping on the tatara, I quickly regain my footing and close the distance between me and the hobgoblin.
　The hobgoblins have a frustrated look on their faces.

　Out of the corner of my eye, Illtimina-san and Solstice have blue faces. Kilt-san also has a difficult expression.
　That's how close it was to a crisis.

(We're not going to lose!)

　Gathering my courage, I wield The Fangs of Marl.

　Hyun, gee, hyphen.

　The hobgoblins are a bloodbath, even though they are all shallow wounds.
　But I'm starting to run out of breath too.

　Whether the hobgoblins would be weakened by blood loss first, or my strength would be gone and my speed would be slowed down... it was a battle of patience.

''Ha, ha, ha.''

　Hyphenated.

　There's no way to break the ice.
　Even the hobgoblins look distressed.

"Guggyaaaah!

　He, too, is already trying to increase his spacing as much as possible, not only with the hilt of his greatsword, but also by waving his thick arms around and trying to kick with his legs.

　I, too, desperately try to avoid it.

　--that's when.

　The hobgoblin who released the kick slips with his own spilled blood as he returns to the ground.
　He loses his balance.

(My neck ... close!)

　I jumped at the chance of a thousand judgemental corners.

''--No!''

　Kilt-san's warning and me sticking out my dagger with all my might were simultaneous.　

　Thud.

Oh.

　The hobgoblin's left arm caught the dagger aimed at his neck.

　The hobgoblin grinned.

(.........Invited?)

　Realizing this, I panic and try to pull out the blade.
　But I can't pull it out.

　The hobgoblin had tightened the muscles in my left arm and was holding the blade down.

''Guccia!''

　The hilt of the greatsword is attacking me.

　Not good.
　This is really bad.

　The only way to fend it off is to let go of my Merle Fangs. But if I let go of the fangs, I'm just a kid who's lost my fighting fangs.

　This is the turning point between life and death... and I'm realizing it.

(THUDDING)

　At that moment, something popped inside me.

　At the same time, I grasped the hilt of Marl's Fang with both hands, holding it tightly.
　Using it as support, I leap.

　Thang.

　The Great Sword passes under my body with a tremendous wind pressure.

　Floating at a height of about my own height, I kicked the surprised hobgoblin in the face with both feet as hard as I could.

　Doggone it!

AGAH?

　The hobgoblin screams and falls back on its back.
　With the impact, "Marl's Fang" escapes from my left arm, and I land on the ground.

　But the pause, was wide open.

'No, Marl!'

　I hear Iltimina-san scream.
　Solstice's expression is strained, and Kilt-san tries to run over here with her great sword at the ready.

　But we can't get there in time.

　The hobgoblin is bleeding from its nose, but in a fit of rage, it holds its greatsword at its side and swings it sideways at me.

　BOOM!

　There's no getting around it.

　So I'm going to.

(poised, dropping)

　As if someday, he held the dagger at the top and dropped it straight down.

　Gigiin'

　Sparks scattered, and the 'Marl's Fang' and the Greatsword collided with each other.

　-- and the thick greatsword slashed, from the middle.

　Spinning like a windmill, the slender chunk of metal iron flew through the air, reflecting the light, and then stabbed into the ground.

''........Huh?''
What?
What?

　The three demon hunters are taken aback and stop as if time has stopped.

　Staring at their broken weapons, even the hobgoblins have a look on their faces, not knowing what has happened.
　On its halted neck.

　hum

　I ran 'Marl's Fang' with the returning sword.

　For a beat.

　And the fresh purple blood spurts out at once.　

''.........''
..........

　I locked eyes with the hobgoblin.

　And he was about to say something.
　But before he could, the light disappeared from his yellow eyes and he fell straight to the ground, douchebagged and on his back.

　--The hobgoblin was dead.

'....Hmmm...'

　I exhaled heavily.

　Maybe it was because it was a light dagger, or maybe it was the result of the five days of training, but my body was able to withstand the last sword technique I used.

(Thank God...)

　When I was relieved, my arms and legs shook.

(Oh ... I was really nervous, wasn't I?)

　I'm freed from that, and I sit there, stone-faced, as I've lost some of my strength.

　And.

Merle!

　The three of them rushed towards us, with Illtimina-san in the lead.
　As it is, I'm hugged tightly by her, which I love.

　Mugu.

(Wap?)

"Oh, Merle, Merle!　Well done!

　With a squeal of delight, she rubs my face against her soft cleavage, repeatedly rubbing her cheek against my face.
　The sweet smell of it makes me a little nervous.

'You're going to do it, Merle!　I couldn't believe my eyes, little fellow, little fellow!

　crumpled

　Kilt-san also stroked my hair roughly with an excited smile, as if he was showing me for the first time.
　''Nah, it hurts a bit.

''What, you're so cocky for a merle to be a complete unscathed winner!

　bassin

　Solstice's little hand clapped me on the back, as hard as it could.
　But contrary to the words, the girl's face was a big smile, very happy.

　I was taken aback by the joy of the three of us.
　Then I thought.

(I see. ........I was able to repay everyone's trust.)

　I was relieved to have survived, and I finally realized that fact.　
　As soon as I realized it, I felt a shivering joy come over me.

'Yeah ... yeah, I did it, me!

　I shout out.

　While receiving the blessing of the three of them, I laugh and raise the 'Fang of Marl' like a battle cry towards the blue sky.

　That beautiful blade reflects the sun's light and glistens with a glittering glow - it's a beautiful blade.