“*Hic* *sob* huhu…” 

The chestnut curls on the small girl’s head shook as she cried while walking through the dark forest at dusk.

It had already been a while since Sophie had wandered into Easteria Forest and her small body was almost at its limit. Still, she was doing her best to continue walking with her mud-covered shoes, but…

“Aaah!?”

Perhaps unable to lift her legs due to her tiredness, Sophie tripped on the roots of a thick tree, lost her balance, and fell.

“Ouch! U-uwaaaaaaaah!”

Her palms were scratched and wounded when she used them to break her fall. She finally cried out from the pain and anxiety, but it was not a wise decision.

Hearing her cries which echoed throughout the forest, a group of suspicious beasts drew near her and whispered amongst themselves. 

“Gaoa… waru?” (A human… What should we do?)

“Uu~, waurukuaoruun?” (Hmm, it’s a cub from the nearby village, isn’t it?)

Four pairs of animal ears and tails poked out from the bushes. These beasts were known as Kobolds, and they came from the litter that was born during the spring of the previous year. They were over a year-and-a-half old and were bigger and more muscular compared to the other Kobolds due to their training with Blazer and Ax.

Because they were equipped with iron spears and loincloths created in the workshop of the floppy-eared Smith, it was quite easy to hunt down a small girl like Sophie, but the current situation was not as easy as it seemed.

“Gau, gurua kuaorua garuaufu kuwaon.” (If I recall correctly, Boss told us not to attack anyone coming from the pack in that village.)

“Wau, garuu guawo garuaauu…!?” (But didn’t Master tell us not to show any mercy towards strangers too…!?)

Suddenly, one of them picks up a different scent and stops mid-sentence. Everyone followed suit and they all increased their focus on their surroundings as their ears stood up in attention. It seems that it wasn’t just the Kobolds who were attracted to the little girl’s cries as they detected some faint rustling from the bushes across them.

“Hiah, wh-what? Kyaaaaaaah!!”

In response to the noise, the child looked up and she saw a huge centipede monster rise from the bushes. She was frozen in place as she screamed and could only step backward after a while, but… the enormous centipede was not looking at her as it stood stock still.

While its first target might have been the poor little girl, it seems to have noticed the presence of the other group as it lifted its massive body from the ground and got ready to pounce. 

In an instant, the centipede monster, known as the Grow Centipede, and the Kobolds who were looking at each other, attacked at the same time!

“Gih, giiiiiiiiiiih!”

“Waaaaaah!?”

One of the four Kobolds pushed the young girl away as they scrambled to evade the giant centipede’s bite while two more roared to warn their nearby packmates.

“AWOOOOOOOOOO!!”

Fortunately for them, the Kobold settlement was nearby, so it was possible to ask for help since it was going to be difficult for them to deal with the giant centipede even though it was four against one.

That said, if they just left the enemy alone, it might endanger and take innocent lives from their pack, so the young Kobolds decided to risk their lives and readied their iron spears as they unleashed a battle cry.

“ORUAAAAAAAAH”

“UWOOOOO!!”

“Giiih!!”

As they roared, two Kobolds positioned themselves on the enemy’s left and right sides and thrust out their iron spears, but they failed to pierce it as their speartips merely slid against the giant centipede’s rounded exoskeleton and were flicked away when it shook its body.

“Uh, guwaaaah!?”

“Kuuuh, aaaaaaah!!”

As soon as the Kobolds, who were unintentionally thrown off their stance, picked up on the sound of cutting wind, the giant centipede had already used its thick antennae as a whip and made shallow cuts on the Kobolds’ abdomens as it sent them flying.

“Gaouh!!” (How dare you!!)

“Voruaah!” (Die already!)

The two remaining Kobolds were enraged as they helped their comrades retreat after they were flung away in a bloody arch. They then held up their iron spears and used their full force as they launched an attack from both sides, but…

“GISHAAAAAAH!!”

The giant centipede quickly swung its head and tail and blew off the advancing dogmen.

“Uu, auu…ah…” 

“Kahah, gauvofaruu…” (*cough* I think my ribs broke…)

The two Kobolds who used their bodies to break through the enemy’s hard carapace coughed up blood and were unable to get up from where they landed.

“Varuoaan!!” (Let’s buy them some time!!)

“Wafuh.” (Yeah.)

To protect their immobile companions, the Kobolds whose bellies were shallowly cut with the centipede’s antennae tried to divert the enemy’s attention while checking on them, but… Eventually, they were also knocked down with the giant centipede’s tail.

“Gigi, giii, giiiiiiiiiiih”

The Kobolds prepared to face their fate as the giant centipede slowly opened its huge jaws while it approached them. But at that moment, a Holy Spearman from the Kobold race appeared in a flash and launched a full-powered slashing attack straight at the enemy’s mouth! 

“Giiiiiiaaaaaaahaaaaaa!?”

“Kuah, guruaau!” (Geez, it’s so stubborn!)

Lancer couldn’t help but curse as she released her spear handle and retreated as she was no match for the giant centipede who thrashed around with incredible force despite sustaining wounds on the inside of its mouth due to the spear strike.

Immediately after, Blazer, who had hidden his presence and was looking for the right timing from the treetops, launched himself from a low position and rotated his body as he dove straight into the thrashing giant centipede! 

“Voruou, gauoh!” (Tear it to pieces, Severing Tailblade*!) *formerly Zantetsuo

At that instant, his tail, which was surrounded with unexplainable magic power, slightly extended as it cut through space itself and easily cut through the giant centipede’s hard body.

“Gi!? Giaaaah… Giiiiiii!!”

“Gaoruva, kuua…” (This guy is too tough…)

Blazer blurted out as he landed with one hand on the ground and looked at the giant centipede who was still wriggling even though it had already been cut in half. 

“Waoan, guauou! Guruu kyuaaauuh.” (Blazer, please take care of the rest! I have to tend to their injuries.)

“Uu, kyuuh… Au, kuruau.” (Uuugh, it hurts… but we’re saved.)

“K-kyuaua… gauu.” (S-sorry, big sis…)

As Lancer used healing magic on their injured brethren, Blazer held his Longsword in a backhanded grip and relentlessly stabbed the giant centipede’s head until it stopped moving.

After he was done, he followed the pungent smell that had been bugging him since earlier and saw the small human girl who had wet herself while she was hunched over and unable to move.

“Uwaaah, huhu…”

(A human cub, huh… this is going to be troublesome.)

The tall, skinny Kobold sighed as he placed a hand on his forehead…