第１９２３堀：ヒーローは色々大変 (Part2)
To be honest, I had expected this kind of pseudo-coordination. Without the ability to deliver a decisive, sweeping blow, one would simply be whittled down from the front. This is why even a handful of high-level adventurers find themselves helpless here.
The strongest among them are barely level fifty; against a coordinated swarm like this, it is the end of the road. These ogres are in their late forties, and with twenty of them—boasting massive frames and high regenerative abilities—victory is a mathematical impossibility for the locals. Add the orc detachment to the mix, and it is a total stalemate.
Or it would be, if Nina and I weren't here.
*Gaaaaah!*
They lunged all at once. I remained calm, slipping through the narrowest of openings. I cut a path through the orc swarm, claiming an ogre’s arm as a trophy in the same breath.
*Gruagaga!*
"Wait—what?! How are you moving like that?!"
Hah. It seems the little fool is still breathing. I suppose she hasn't reached her rank in the Adventurer Guild just for show; she was busy hacking her way through the surrounding orcs. However, she has officially caught the ogres' eyes.
"Tch!"
She wasn't quite stupid enough to stand still, managing to narrowly evade an ogre’s swing, but...
"Wait—!?"
*Thoom!*
Three of them hemmed her in, timing their strikes to catch her right as she finished her dodge. That is what happens when you scream your head off in the middle of a battlefield. To make matters worse, the orcs joined the fray. Even with the level gap, having one's movement restricted by ogres while orcs chip away at you leads to a fatal accumulation of damage.
As the Guild Master mentioned, she clearly lacks experience in group combat. Under normal circumstances, no one would follow me into the dead center of an enemy formation. It is a recipe for being toyed with until death. Then again, she is proving to be an excellent decoy.
Three ogres are focused on her. Five have swarmed me. The remaining twelve are hanging back, watching for the perfect moment to crush us both. I had hoped she would at least thin out the orcs, but...
"Agh—?!"
Her reaction was a fraction too slow. An ogre’s blow connected, sending her flying. Waiting in her trajectory was another ogre, its club already raised high. If she hits that, she’ll be batted back and forth like a ball until she’s nothing more than a lump of pulverized meat.
*Sigh.* I truly loathe saving fools.
I feel no hesitation when it comes to protecting the weak or those without the power to fight, but saving a useless idiot leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I suspect this is why Yuki sometimes looks so unmotivated when he has to bail people out.
Still, I cannot simply watch her die.
Reluctantly, I swept the legs out from under the ogre poised to deliver the finishing blow. As it tumbled, I stepped in to secure her safety.
"Cough... hack... Th-thank... you..."
The impact from the ogre had clearly taken its toll. She has been an adventurer long enough to know that stopping after an injury is a death sentence, yet it was taking everything she had just to stay upright. Her knees were visibly buckling.
Therefore...
"You are out of your depth. I’m sending you to the rear."
I grabbed her arm and hoisted her up with one hand.
"Wait, what are you doing?!"
"If you could escape on your own, I would leave you to it, but you clearly cannot. I have no choice but to throw you back."
"Hah? To a lady? You wouldn't—"
"We don't have time for jokes. Your level is high enough; I’ll aim for the other adventurers. If you can manage a proper landing, they’ll take care of you."
"Wait, hold on—"
I had no intention of debating a fool. If she died from the fall, so be it.
*Whoosh!*
With a sharp pivot, I tossed her lightly, clearing her from the danger zone.
"Nyaaaaaaaaah?!"
Why did her scream sound so much like a cat? Well, it doesn't matter. For now...
"Right then. I suppose I’ll have a little dance with them."
『Indeed. Just keep it moderate. The main body of adventurers and the lord’s army are already closing in. We only need to stall for time.』
"Understood."
And so, I switched to a sword-and-shield style—a discipline I am not particularly fond of—and began picking off ogres at a steady pace while waiting for reinforcements.
Overdoing things is never wise. Besides, there will always be someone dragging you down; I suppose learning how to handle those liabilities is just another exhausting part of the job.