Bab 30: Chapter 29: Mutation
Arthur had once been part of the "chuunibyou" crowd himself, so he completely understood the actions of the two girls. In unfamiliar environments, sometimes the only way to cope with anxiety was by retreating into fantasy.
For a certain period of time, he had used the same method to get through one of the toughest phases of his life. Knowing this made him feel even more empathetic towards them.
Though Arthur wanted to help them, he had noticed Black Cat's wariness the previous night. Under the current circumstances, approaching them rashly might lead to misunderstandings.
Arthur rubbed his temples but suddenly smiled. Here I am, worrying about how to help others when I haven't even sorted out my own problems. I really have too much free time. He shook his head with a wry smile, watching the two girls bicker playfully. Laughing softly, he prepared to leave.
However, something unexpected happened. In what should have been a low-level training area, a boss-level monster suddenly spawned in the grassy plains. Worse yet, it appeared right between Black Cat and Rikka.
Black Cat reacted swiftly, sensing something was wrong the moment the monster spawned. She shoved Rikka out of the way and immediately drew her short sword, stabbing at the newly appeared creature—a boss-level monster known as the Devourer.
Her intention was clear: to hold off the boss monster so that the lower-level Rikka could escape.
"Run! I'll hold it off!" Black Cat said, her expression unusually calm. Her beautiful eyes were locked onto the monster, and her sword flashed like lightning, leaving a gash on the Devourer.
The newly spawned boss monster snarled in rage, its blood-red eyes fixed on Black Cat. Its mouth, filled with sharp fangs, made it look far more like a predator than a simple wild bull.
"Roar!!" The Devourer bellowed furiously, lowering its horns to charge at Black Cat. Its powerful hind legs propelled it with terrifying speed—speed that even Black Cat couldn't fully evade.
"What?!" Black Cat's eyes widened as she was struck by the horns, sent flying. Luckily, she managed to block the hit with her sword at the last moment, avoiding instant death, but her health dropped dangerously low.
"Black Cat-chan!" Rikka cried out, shocked at how quickly the situation had spiraled out of control.
"Damn it! Don't come over here!" Black Cat gritted her teeth, standing in front of the charging monster. Rikka, however, stubbornly planted herself between Black Cat and the Devourer, her single-handed sword held in a shaky defense.
"You idiot, what are you doing? Run! It won't be able to catch up with me!" Black Cat was furious that Rikka hadn't fled and instead stood her ground.
"No way." Rikka's voice was filled with determination. "From the very beginning, back in the Town of Beginnings, Black Cat-chan, you've always been looking out for me. Now it's my turn to protect you."
"You fool..." Black Cat knew exactly how strong—or weak—Rikka was. Without her help, Rikka had struggled even against regular monsters. Now, against a boss-level monster, there was no way she could win.
"Get out of here!" Black Cat demanded.
"No!" Rikka's gaze was resolute. Despite her usual fears, this time, with her best friend behind her, she couldn't retreat. Without Black Cat, she'd probably be dead in some forgotten corner of this world already.
"Eternal Spear!" Rikka shouted suddenly, pointing at the Devourer charging towards them.
"You idiot!" Black Cat groaned. Perhaps, in a moment like this, chuunibyou served as a way to forget fear. But there was no way Black Cat would let her friend take the hit. Just as she tried to stand and push Rikka out of the way, she saw something incredible.
The charging Devourer was suddenly sent flying.
Embedded in its head was a spear, dealing significant damage.
"What? When did you become so powerful?" Black Cat's mouth twitched, thoroughly confused by this "Eternal Spear."
"Eh? Hehehe, let's go again! Eternal Spear!!!" Rikka exclaimed excitedly, never expecting that her attack would actually work.
However, no spear appeared this time, and the Devourer, enraged, turned its attention in a new direction.
Both girls followed its gaze and saw, not far away, a man standing with a relaxed stance, still in a throwing position. A streak of light shot forward, smashing into the Devourer and pinning it to the ground.
It was a massive sword, gleaming in the sunlight.
"Sorry to interrupt your emotional moment, but I think we should deal with this guy first," Arthur called out, scratching his face awkwardly as both girls stared at him.
"Look out!" Black Cat's eyes widened in alarm as the Devourer, having shaken off the sword, charged at Arthur with renewed fury.
Arthur narrowed his eyes, fully aware that this would happen. He had been preparing for this moment from the start.
Single-handed sword upper-rank skill!
Blazing Flower!!
Activate!!!
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If you want? You get to read the next chapters before anyone else! Just go outside and touch some grass [don't ask what I was on, while writing this]
— Bab baru akan segera rilis — Tulis ulasan
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone