บท 26: Retreat

"Scree!"

It even bypassed Kai's detection range. However, it wasn't because Kai didn't hear the centipede moving around in the ground. Kai did hear the movement in the ground. Still, unlike movements on the surface, Kai couldn't pinpoint the movements inside the ground because the sounds blurred with each other.

When the centipede came to the surface, even Kai was shocked by its appearance.

The centipede suddenly attacked Ayaka with its giant mouth. Although this centipede didn't look poisonous, that big mouth alone seemed to possess powerful strength. If one were to get bitten by that mandible, their bones might break and they might even die.

"Ayaka!"

Ayaka was surprised by the sudden appearance of the centipede. After all, it was even able to bypass Kai's detection range. With that sudden shout, she snapped back to her senses and saw that the centipede was trying to bite her.

She immediately jumped backward to avoid the bite.

Kai then moved to her side and said, "Sorry, I didn't detect this centipede."

Ayaka realized that she was too dependent on Kai's ability. Even after she started to learn everything about it, when she came to this damn*d world with Kai, she forgot about it and relied on Kai yet again.

She shook her head and said, "No, it was my fault. I shouldn't have been too dependent on you. Anyway, keep it for later. We should deal with this centipede first. I'll go as the vanguard, and you'll support me."

"All right," Kai nodded.

He looked at Ayaka with a smile. It seemed that she had matured. He remembered the first time he met her. She was just an innocent little girl who puts too much thought on her emotions whatsoever.

Meanwhile, the current Ayaka, she should be able to get far stronger... and hopefully, one day, he would be able to trust his back completely to her. It wasn't that he didn't trust his back to her. He indeed trusted her, but he couldn't completely do so.

After all, this world was only a replica. Even if they were to die in this place, they would still be fine. But in the outside world, once they died, it would be over.

From what he heard from others, when one faces death, they wouldn't be able to think or use their hundred percent.

Kai nodded and immediately went around the centipede.

When the centipede saw that, the centipede immediately chased Kai with its giant body. Of course, Ayaka wouldn't let it have its way.

"Burn to Cinders, Flares!"

The fire flew toward the centipede's back.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Her magic exploded on the centipede back. Unfortunately, it didn't even leave a scratch on its back. It seemed that the centipede could resist fire. But Ayaka's objective had been achieved.

The centipede turned its body back to Ayaka.

"Scree!"

"Come to me," Ayaka said, trying to taunt the centipede. A magic circle then appeared behind her as she voiced, "Fire Wings!"

The moment her wings appeared, she flew to the sky to force the centipede out of its hole.

The centipede had yet to show its entire body this whole time. But from this alone, they could see that the centipede would be more than ten meters in length.

Ayaka tried to force the centipede out of the ground. Surprisingly, before she managed to force the centipede out of the ground, it suddenly ignored her and turned back to Kai.

"Oh no you don't," Ayaka said while making a magic circle.

"Firebirds!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Once again, her attacks were rendered useless. It ignored Ayaka's attack and continued to rush toward Kai

"Kai!" she shouted.

Of course, Kai also noticed this. Kai dodged to the side.

However, the centipede seemed to have anticipated that as when he dodged to the side, it turned its head toward Kai.

"!!!" Kai immediately swung his sword toward its big mouth. Obviously, Kai was losing in this exchange.

But Kai had never expected to win this in the first place. He used his sword to support himself in moving his body.

When he swung his sword, he changed his center to his hand and moved the rest of his body upward to dodge the incoming mouth.

He then landed on the centipede's back. He tried to attack the centipede's back, but it was too hard. He said, "Change of plan."

"We're going to weaken this thing first."

"How?" Ayaka asked from the sky.

"Cut its legs one by one until it can't move. Then we'll kill it. Focus your magic toward its legs. Or you can come down here and help me bring down the centipede here."

Ayaka nodded. She then dove down from the sky and charged toward the right legs.

Seeing that, Kai immediately moved to the opposite and cut the left legs one by one.

"Scree!" The centipede suddenly turned its body upside down. Both Ayaka and Kai were surprised to see how elastic the centipede's body was. They tried to attack its legs again, but its head had arrived in front of them.

The head attacked Ayaka.

"!!!" Ayaka sweatdropped. She immediately covered her body with her flame and made as many flame armor parts appear on her body.

She looked like a female knight, covered in full-body armor. The difference was that this armor was translucent red since it was made by fire.

"No, she can't block it. It's too strong to be blocked with that armor." Kai had a bad feeling when he looked at that armor. Although the armor was powerful, he had a feeling it couldn't block the centipede's bite.

He channeled every ounce of his magic to his feet and made a single jump.

He appeared in front of Ayaka in an instant. "Remove your armor."

"!!!" She was utterly clueless about what he wanted to do. After all, she couldn't dodge this attack, so she intended to block it with her fire armor. But Kai suddenly appeared with god-like speed and told her to remove her armor.

He never looked at her again as he was too focused on the centipede in front of him. He made a magic circle.

"Oscillation Shield!"

This was his improved shield skill. He felt that something was wrong with this centipede. He didn't know what it was, but his instinct was tingling this entire time.

The centipede bit his magic shield instead of Ayaka.

"Kh!" Kai was struggling to maintain his shield.

Ayaka was confused by this. But a crack suddenly appeared on Kai's magic shield.

"What?" Ayaka was surprised to see Kai's magic shield crack. She asked inwardly, 'Is this his improved shield or is it his normal shield?'

She doubted as she knew how powerful Kai's improved shield was. It was able to block the full blow of an A-rank magical ape that was known for its strength. But to think a centipede managed to crack it. It was unbelievable.

However, she didn't have time to think about that. Without Kai giving her any instructions, she immediately hugged him from behind and pulled him out with her Fire Wings.

Both of them managed to avoid death. She sucked a cold breath when she realized that bite alone would have crushed her armor and killed her.

"Scree!"

The centipede didn't attack them again. Instead, the centipede moved toward the ground and went back into the ground.

When they saw the centipede go back into the ground, they let out a breath of relief.

"We're safe," Ayaka said with an apparent tone of relief. She even forgot that she was still hugging Kai from behind.

When she finally realized it after a moment, her face flushed red. She wanted to say something to Kai, but Kai suddenly pushed her to the side.

(Grumble, grumble)

Kai picked up another sound from behind. The centipede wasn't running away, nor were they safe. The centipede came out of the ground and tried to strike them from behind.

Kai indeed couldn't pinpoint the centipede when it was inside the ground. But the moment it came out of the ground, Kai could immediately recognize it.

He pushed Ayaka aside and made a magic circle.

"Oscillation Shield!"

"Scree!" Even though Kai made his improved shield, the centipede didn't bite him. Instead, it headbutted the shield with its giant head.

"Boom!"

Because Kai couldn't fly, after he pushed Ayaka away, he started falling. And with the headbutt from the centipede, it gave him even more momentum. He finally crashed onto the ground at an incredible speed.

"Ack!"

He spat blood when he crashed onto the ground. Even though his front was protected, he couldn't protect his back without his magic power. But because he crashed onto the ground with such great momentum, even his magic power couldn't protect his body.

"Kai!" Ayaka shouted. She looked at the centipede that was charging toward Kai again with hatred.

"Scarlet Explosion!"

She made a big explosion beside the centipede. She knew that her fire magic was ineffective to the centipede. But she didn't use this magic to hurt the centipede. Instead, she used the explosion to push the centipede away. Or at least, so its attack would miss Kai.

"Boom!"

The explosion appeared beside the centipede's head that was only two meters away from Kai. But because of Ayaka's Scarlet Explosion, the centipede that was charging toward Kai was pushed to the side a little bit.

Although it couldn't completely blow the centipede away, it was enough to make the centipede miss.

Seeing that it missed Kai because of the explosion, the centipede went back into the ground, planning to launch the same attack again.

But Ayaka immediately dove to Kai and pulled him out of the ground.

Unfortunately, before they managed to get away, the centipede came out again and tried to strike them.

At this particular time, Ayaka used her new skill. She said to Kai, who was clenching her hand as she flew. "Hold tight!"

Kai didn't know why she wanted him to hold tight, but he immediately held her hands tightly.

A magic circle appeared on her feet.

"Boost!"

A small explosion suddenly appeared on her feet. Because of that explosion, she managed to get away from the centipede. The explosion gave her a boost on her momentum at the last second.

After that, they didn't fight the centipede anymore as they continued to flee. This was Ayaka's decision, and Kai agreed with her decision as it was the most reasonable one.

He then led them to a cliff. Kai had checked the cliff and confirmed that there were no monsters there. He wanted them to make a battle plan for later if they were to meet the centipede again, but inside, they both hoped that they wouldn't meet it again.