258: Gotta plan this thing out ahead of time, huh?
Persia, running alongside Nez Heg, noticed the massive beast’s movements slowing just slightly. Camille signaled to Chiyome.
Both Camille and Chiyome bore the same "kunoichi" insignia—but their abilities seemed to lean in different directions.
Chiyome moved first. Born in the Mizoho Shrine Nation, she used her clan’s mark in tandem with the innate physical prowess of her feline-human form—perfect for stealth and reconnaissance. In combat…
“Use the smoke screen, okay!”
Chiyome hooked her grappling rope onto Nez Heg, swung with the recoil, and lunged straight at the giant’s front. She tossed a small smoke grenade.
It burst open, spreading a thick, impenetrable cloud across the area.
For a moment, a grunt—“Ghah!?!”—seemed to echo, but Chiyome’s voice cut right through it.
“Wait! Craft-sama! I didn’t sign up for this much smoke cover, now did I!?”
“Yeah!? You said make it wide and thick, didn’t you!?”
“There’s a limit, you know!”
We’d only had a short time to alchemize it—neither of us had gotten to test it out. Well, eh, big things cover small ones, right? No problem!
Leifan, standing guard nearby, reads my mind.
“There’s a problem, isn’t there?”
“I-I’m fine! Look—!”
A shadow diving into the smoke screen covering the head of Niedhegg. Camille.
“”Fleeting Shadow Strike””
Right after, Niedhegg’s scream echoes.
Can’t see through the smoke, but Camille’s hit a critical. The giant’s movements slowed even more.
And right on cue, from just behind us, Eva had finished her spell and locked onto the target.
“”Abyss Collapse””!
The pitch-black orb shot toward the body visible beyond the smoke screen, chipping away at its flesh!
“Ooh!”
Niedhegg writhed in pain, kicking up a cloud of dirt.
“Everyone back—get clear! You’ll get caught in it!”
Our allies burst out from the smoke and dust, but Persia charged straight at me, slamming her fist into my face.
“Ow!”
“That’s my line! My vision went black out of nowhere—I couldn’t dodge Niedhegg’s attack! Look! This lump! Right here!”
The center of the smoke screen was so thick, not even light could pierce it...
But Persia’s head was already sporting a perfect bump.
Yeah. A bump was fine.
"Like hell there's an excuse for that!"
This time I got a chop to the crown. Ouch!
I toss a Healing Potion to Persia and myself.
"Uh… maybe thick smoke means it's working well?"
"Then say so earlier!"
Fair point.
Still, dodging that massive body right in front of me is a pain. Even manors and fortresses would be scrap paper against that kind of force. Get caught in that mess, and it's game over.
Fightin' dragons, hydra, big monsters in general—no easy feat.
Some might think just keep peppering them from a distance. But if we attack, they'll hit back. Being chased by something that big? That's threat enough.
Right now we seem to be pushing through, working together. But really, it's a razor's edge. One slip, and we're done. So no room for slack. Not even a second.
While I was tightening my resolve inwardly, Jitarou smirked.
"Got 'em!"
"Hey!"
At the same time as my jab, Nizhegg burst out of the smoke screen like a grenade. A massive jaw, big enough to swallow a house whole, lunged at me and Jitarou.
"Shit, man!"
"Predictable! 'Ten-Thousand-Li Earth Wall'!"
I activated the spell I’d kept ready at all times. A thick, sturdy earth wall shot up in front of us.
No comparison to the sluggish speed and flimsy defense from the dragon fight. I’ve grown, dammit!
…Though the mana cost’s skyrocketing, too.
Boom! The earth wall slammed into Nizhegg. The sound alone felt like it’d flip us over. Defense, sure—but with that force, it’s just as good as an attack. Take that!
Crack! The sound of splitting space shook the air.
In an instant, the earthen wall shattered—rows of fangs lunged at us, trying to crush us!
“Gyahhhhh!”
“Run!”
We tried to flee, but the giant body crushed us faster. We were swallowed whole—just before that, we were yanked out. When I saw those massive fangs close right in front of my eyes, I swear I was dead!
It was Persia who pulled us out.
“Both of you were too careless!”
Thanks to Persia’s strong legs, we made it. Gotta thank her later.
“Shouldn’t *I* be the one getting thanks!?”
Wait—did I just think that out loud?
“Never mind that—this snake seems to have taken a liking to us!”
From our position, hanging sideways on either side of Persia as she rode Tebasaki, we were the ones who knew it best.
They’re coming! They’re coming way too hard! Chewing on the wall-like giant fangs right in front of us, they’re charging straight at us!
“Run! Persia!”
“Running as fast as I can!”
“They’re catching up!”
“You two are too heavy! Get off! Now!”
“I’m gonna die!”
Tebasaki’s full-speed dash is insane speed—but the ride’s brutal! Can’t even cast a spell like this!
Even Jitarou’s barely hanging on, let alone drawing his bow.
“Ooooh, they’re gonna get us!”
Anyone can see that! I screamed, begging for help.
“Anyone! Just create a second of smoke cover!”
No sooner had I spoken than Nobuna answered.
“Just one second? I can manage. I call upon you. Come forth from the underworld, Ox Demon Child!”
Just ahead of us, a monster the size of a small house was summoned.
At first glance, it looked like a giant six-legged spider, but its head was some twisted horror—half ox, half human, mashed together and split in two, with two horns jutting out. That alone was enough to make you sick. And then, from its spider-like body, more spider-like legs sprouted, each tipped with sharp, cruel claws.
Worst thing Nobuna’s ever summoned!
While I was still reeling, Persia calmly measured the distance to the ox demon.
“Craft. If we pass too close, throw up a smoke screen. I’ll dodge sharp—don’t get thrown off!”
“Y-yes, I’ll do my best!”
No way we can deploy the smoke if the Tebasaki doesn’t slow down just a bit.
Still, what the hell—just called it “creepy” like it was nothing! What if it was one of Nobuna’s favorites? Then what?!
No time to think—Nizhegg and Tebasaki passed each other. Of course, Nizhegg, still clamped onto our backs, slammed straight into the ox demon the instant they met.
Come on! Ox Demon!
I’d been hoping for a miracle from the ox demon, but my hope shattered instantly. One second. That’s all it took. Its massive jaws crushed the body to pieces.
Ox Demon—!
Magic-enhanced ears and eyes caught Nobuna’s expression.
“Ox Demon’s gross. Perfect for a disposable pawn.”
Ox Demon—!
I poured every ounce of sympathy into it, then pulled out the smoke screen. Nizhegg had just fully clamped down, so for a split second, its movement slowed. Just enough. That brief pause stabilized Tebasaki’s motion.
“Persia!”
“Go!”
I slammed the smoke grenade into the ground and—boom—visibility went from white to black in a flash!
Too dense. Sunlight couldn’t get through at all!
Panicked for a second in the sudden dark, but I calmed down thanks to Persia’s voice.
“Hold on tight! Don’t let go!”
Klutching Tebasaki with everything I had, Jitarou and I clung on.
Yeah.
I’ve felt Persia’s reckless moves with Tebasaki enough times on this trip to know the danger.
In that pitch-black mess, somehow we managed to veer off Nizhegg’s straight path—doing something that defied physics, a near-vertical turn.
Freaking terrifying.
And Nizhegg, launched by momentum, would be coming back around fast.
Persia said, sharp and clear.
“This time—decide it.”
Oh! That’s badass!
"So how the hell are we deciding this?"
"What are you talking about? You're the one who's supposed to figure it out!"
"Confident as hell with no plan at all! This piece of junk knight!"
"Who the hell said I was junk?!"
Wait—decide a plan in just seconds? Me?
No way... no way... no way...!