Chapter 43: The Black Bear and the Crimson Sword

The monster lifted its head from its gruesome meal.

Bits of flesh and blood clung to its snout, dripping onto the forest floor.

It was a sickening sight, but the two figures observing from a distance remained composed.

Evrys, her hand gripping her sword, felt disgust but not fear.

For Iris, this was a familiar scene. Such sights were not uncommon in the North.

But that didn’t mean they could ignore the creature.

Evrys tightened her grip on her sword.

The monster, catching their scent, turned its head towards them.

Perhaps it was still hungry.

Or perhaps it was enraged by the interruption.

It roared, then lumbered towards its new prey.

Its black eyes swept over the two figures.

Small and tall.

The smaller one looked weaker.

So, naturally.

The monster charged at Evrys.

Intending to crush her beneath its massive bulk.

It was a formidable attack.

But the monster had made a grave mistake in choosing its target.

Or rather, what seemed like a logical choice.

Had it known that in this world, a small child could be far more dangerous than a woman, it might have made a different decision.

Unaware of its error, the monster charged, expecting to flatten the girl.

Then turned its attention to the darker-haired figure standing nearby.

Or, it tried to.

Thwip.

The price of its misjudgment was an eye.

A long, clean gash appeared across its massive face.

Black blood spurted out.

Evrys, the one responsible for the wound, calmly wiped her blade.

The monster’s flesh and blood stained the ground.

It roared in pain, flailing its claws wildly.

Evrys and Iris quickly retreated, unwilling to be caught in the blind attack.

Black smoke billowed from the monster’s wound.

Bubbling and hissing.

Then, the wound closed.

Leaving only a faint scar.

The monster blinked its remaining eye, as if in disbelief. Then snorted.

“…What is that?”
“Its regenerative abilities are astounding. We’ll have to decapitate it in one blow.”
“That’s what I was—”

As if understanding their words, or perhaps acting on instinct.

The monster reared up.

Protecting its neck.

Evrys stared up at the creature, her face grim.

“Does it… understand us?”
“…I doubt it.”

Either way, this wasn’t going to be easy.

Having risen to protect its neck.

The monster began to walk on its hind legs.

Its movements were clumsy at first.

But it quickly adapted.

Its massive size meant it closed the distance between them in just a few strides.

Evrys and Iris backed away, maintaining their distance.

There would be no more reckless charges.

But the claws and sheer mass of the creature were still a threat.

“Should we have gone for the neck from the start?”
“…Even you make mistakes, Evrys.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing.”

As they circled the monster, they observed its movements.

Having learned its lesson, the monster seemed unwilling to repeat the same mistake.

Its intelligence was unsettling.

Now walking upright with surprising agility.

The monster’s speed increased.

If they didn’t deal with it here and now.

The casualties would be catastrophic.

But if they went too far…

The monster might simply wander off in search of other prey.

Evrys decided to engage.

She had a feeling she might figure something out in the heat of battle.

Before Iris could object, Evrys moved into the monster’s attack range.

“Evrys!”

A claw swiped at Evrys.

Dodging was better than blocking or deflecting.

She nimbly sidestepped the attack and slashed at the monster’s leg.

The blow connected.

But as black smoke seeped from the wound, it began to close.

The monster stomped its foot, trying to crush Evrys.

She dodged and slashed again.

Same result.

Dodge, slash, heal.

The cycle repeated endlessly.

Evrys began to suspect that even decapitation wouldn’t be enough.

As she watched the black smoke swirling around the monster.

A sense of familiarity washed over her.

“Iris.”

She called out to Iris.

Who was watching the fight with a tense expression.

“…Yes?”
“Can you hold it off for a moment?”

Another claw swiped at Evrys.

She arched her back, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Then darted towards Iris.

The monster followed.

“I think I have an idea, but I need to concentrate.”
“How long?”
“It shouldn’t take long. Can you do it?”
“I’ve observed its movements.”
“Then… I’m counting on you.”
“Understood.”
“…If you’re in danger, run.”
“…”

Without a word.

Iris charged forward.

Evrys’s voice called out after her.

But Iris didn’t turn back.

She ran towards the monster.

Evrys closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Focusing.

Trying to recall the feeling of the power she had unleashed in the forest.

The monster turned its attention to Iris.

Iris knew, logically, that this was a reckless decision.

Unbecoming of the heir to the Winterhoff Dukedom.

But her mind was consumed with a single thought.

She had to help Evrys.

Iris and the monster clashed.

A claw swiped at Iris.

She dodged, recognizing the attack pattern.

But up close, the monster was much faster than she had anticipated.

She barely managed to avoid the blow.

There was no time for a counterattack.

She retreated, putting some distance between them.

‘I was too hasty.’

She had made a mistake, but she had learned something valuable.

The monster’s claws were incredibly powerful.

A single scratch or puncture would be devastating.

The enraged monster charged again.

Having observed its fight with Evrys, Iris easily dodged the attack.

She saw an opening.

She wasn’t supposed to attack.

Evrys had asked her to hold the monster off.

But a desperate desire to reach Evrys propelled Iris forward.

She lunged, swinging her sword.

The silver blade traced an arc through the air.

Slicing into the monster’s belly.

But she had overextended.

Her blade, instead of cutting through the monster’s flesh.

Became lodged.

Trapped between its thick hide and muscle.

The black smoke stopped swirling.

The wound remained open.

‘Oh, no.’

Iris immediately released her sword and jumped back.

The monster’s jaws snapped shut where she had been standing.

Having eliminated the immediate threat.

The monster turned its attention back to Evrys.

The sword remained embedded in its belly, only the hilt visible.

It charged again, this time on all fours.

Iris had no choice but to dodge.

She rolled across the ground, narrowly avoiding the attack.

She was covered in dirt, but there was no time to brush it off.

She scrambled to her feet.

Drawing the monster’s attention.

She saw Evrys, her eyes still closed.

‘I can’t let it get to her.’

Iris threw rocks and shouted at the monster, trying to draw its attention back to herself.

But the monster seemed to have lost interest in Iris.

It had spotted Evrys.

Who was still vulnerable.

“Evrys!”

Iris’s voice didn’t seem to reach her.

Iris gritted her teeth and ran towards Evrys.

‘This is my fault.’

‘Because of my recklessness.’

She ran as fast as she could.

But she couldn’t outrun the monster.

The monster reached Evrys first.

Iris screamed as the monster’s fangs sank into Evrys’s small abdomen.

Just before impact, Evrys’s eyes snapped open.

She gripped her sword with both hands.

A flash of light erupted from the blade as it pierced the monster’s head.

A spray of blood.

The monster roared.

A sound unlike anything Iris had ever heard before.

It thrashed its head in agony.

Tossing Evrys’s small body back and forth.

Evrys tightened her grip on her sword.

The sword had given her strength.

Erased her fear.

She couldn’t let go.

Not while Iris was still in danger.

Light and black smoke swirled together.

The monster’s wounds showed no sign of healing.

It thrashed for a few more moments.

Then collapsed.

Thud.

The sound of its massive body hitting the ground reverberated through the forest.

The impact threw Evrys clear.

She landed heavily, still clutching her sword.

Blood gushed from the wound in her stomach.

Iris’s face paled.

“I’m… okay…”

Evrys rolled onto her back, the sword still clutched in her hands.

She lay still.

Her vision blurred.

‘Am I dying?’

Despite the blood loss, she felt no fear.

Perhaps because of the sword.

Iris’s face swam into view.

Her expression was distraught.

Iris leaned closer.

Evrys reached out with her free hand and caressed Iris’s cheek.

“It’s… not your fault.”

‘Maybe this is what I deserve…’

‘The broken game is correcting itself…’

‘I shouldn’t have left the mountains…’

Evrys felt tears falling onto her face.

Then everything went black.