The Tiger Clan Part 2

"Time to try my skills out! Holy Ray Sword!"

I launched into another skill, swinging my Holy Thunder Sword of Caladbolg straight

up toward the sky. A bright light formed around the blade then shot off toward the

giant, tearing the ground up in its wake.

The moment the wave of light crossed the dark giant's foot, there was a thunderous

roar followed by a bright spray of blood.

"Auuughraoooou!!!"

The scream that came out of the face embedded in the dark giant's chest sounded

almost human… but not quite. The hills reverberated with its cries.

Judging by the amount of blood, I initially assumed this to be a grave wound, but once

I got a better look, I could see that it was only a mere cut.

At the very least, this creature wouldn't make it through unscathed.

The dark giant fell back, in an attempt to protect its injured foot. However, I continued

pressing the attack.

Suddenly, all eyes of the tiger clan were on me. Evidently, they were surprised to see a

man fully decked out in gleaming armor join the fray, and I could hardly blame them.

"I won't let there be any more casualties!"

I yelled loud enough to make sure those around me could hear before lunging in once

more at the dark giant's foot, this time coming in to strike directly. There was a loud

thunk as the blade sank halfway into the giant's flesh, followed by another spray of

blood. Still, I was surprised that I wasn't able to cut all the way through, even with my

immense strength.

"Oouaaaraugh!!!"

The face in the giant's chest contorted in pain as it screamed, lifting its foot in an

attempt to guard itself from another blow.

Goemon came running up from behind me. "Muscle to stone, concussive fist!"

He punched down with his fist, now the color of dulled steel, straight into the dark

giant's other foot. There was a loud, concussive burst followed by a creaking sound. A

second later, the dark giant began to topple.

Next up was Chiyome. She dove off of Goemon's shoulders and launched herself

toward the falling giant.

Two strings of water danced around her hands like writhing snakes.

"Body to water, aqua spear!"

The strings straightened into dual spears made of water. They launched straight

toward their mark like giant arrows.

One of the spears stabbed into the dark giant's gaping mouth, while the other

embedded itself deep in its eye.

The giant let out an unearthly howl as it slammed into the ground with an earthshaking thud. Ariane joined us, her snow-white hair fluttering as she ran past me,

sword in hand and flame encircling her blade.

"Holy flame, heed my call! Devour thine enemy and burn it to ash!"

A long chain of flame arced out of her sword in response.

Ariane ran straight up the dark giant's chest and buried her flaming sword deep in its

unscathed eye.

The dark giant flailed about like a broken toy, its arms and legs twitching uncontrollably

as smoke rose from its gaping mouth. The scent of charred meat filled the air.

It seemed like it was finally dead.

Unfortunately, there was another dark giant, which was now bringing its stone axe

down toward Ariane as she pulled her sword out of her fallen foe.

A metallic clang so loud I thought my head would burst reverberated around us. I'd

managed to catch the axe with my shield held above my head, though my legs felt like

they'd buckle at any second.

I looked down at a wide-eyed Ariane. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, almost imperceptibly.

I let out a breath in relief and glared at the dark giant.

Even with my increased defense, I could still feel my arms tingling from the sheer

power of the blow. Still, it was impressive that I was able to hold my own against it in

the first place.

As soon as I felt the dark giant pull its axe away from the shield, I drew back.

Behind me, Chiyome threw several water shuriken at the giant's face in an attempt to

keep it at bay. Fortunately, this seemed to annoy the behemoth, and it fell back a few

steps.

One of the tiger clan warriors stepped away from his dumbfounded comrades and let

out a roar as he lunged in, armed with a metal club.

"You dirty bastards! You won't drive us out of our prairie. These are the lands of our

clan, the lands of the great hunters!"

The man brought his club on the giant's foot with a powerful swing, causing it to cry

out.

As if on cue, the rest of the tiger clan warriors descended upon the giant. There must

have been around thirty of them. They swarmed the dark giant's feet, knocking it onto

its back. Then they turned their attention to its face, bashing it in until the creature

stopped moving.

The valley was now home to two dark giant corpses.

The victorious members of the tiger clan let out a massive cheer. The man who'd

implored his comrades to take up their arms approached us.

"Thank you for your assistance. I take it you're from the east? And… elves, it seems?"

I turned toward the man. I figured he was a representative of the tiger clan, so I quickly

grabbed the waterskin from where it hung at my waist and gestured for Ariane to

introduce herself first.

Ariane caught on right away. "My name is Ariane Glenys Maple, a citizen of the Great

Canada Forest on the northern continent. My comrades here are members of the

Jinshin clan, also from the northern continent."

Ariane handled the introductions while I took a swig of the spring water.

I couldn't help but worry about how quickly things would get awkward if the water's

effect wore off while we were in the midst of discussions.

I took my helmet off, took my place at Ariane's side, and made eye contact with her.

"And this here is my fellow elf…"

"Arc Lalatoya. I'm a new member to my village, but I'm pleased to make your

acquaintance."

"Kyii!"

Ponta peeked up from around my neck and let out a loud cry.

"And this is my travel companion, Ponta."

"Kyii!"

The man nodded and lowered the gigantic club down from his shoulder, resting it on

the ground with a heavy thud. He puffed out his chest and introduced himself.

"My name is Aene Wilhe, chieftain of the Whilee people, one of the six clans that roam

these great plains. While I wish I could spend more time properly welcoming those

who have come to our aid in our most dire hour, unfortunately, I must get my injured

brethren back to our camp. I understand you have some business with us, but I ask for

you to be patient while I tend to these matters."

I nodded as I slid my helmet back over my head. "Chieftain Aene, my abilities may be

of service. I can heal the wounded, if you like."

A look of surprise washed over the man's face. "Please, by all means. I'll return to the

village and have some of my people come here to assist you."

The chieftain smiled broadly before hurrying back toward their camp. Once he was

out of earshot, Ariane looked up at me with a skeptical eyebrow raised.

"For a moment there, you had me thinking you were actually a nice guy. But you're just

trying to get in their good graces, aren't you?"

I let out a short laugh. "I got my chance to meet the tiger clan, didn't I? Having them be

in my debt could definitely help in the red nail negotiations."

She shook her head. "I don't get it. You don't really care about money, but you're

absolutely fixated on food."

"What's so bad about that? Besides, don't you think it's more in the elven spirit to favor

the hunt for good food over the acquisition of wealth?"

Ariane screwed her face up. "One of these days, I'm going to need to ask some specific

questions about how you view the elves…"

I'd already turned away from Ariane and had begun enthusiastically making my way

toward the field of battle to provide aid to the wounded. I heard her mumble

something from behind me; she sounded embarrassed.

"And… thanks, Arc. For helping me back there."

Her timid behavior somehow brought a smile to my lips. Back there… I assumed she

was talking about using my shield to protect her from the dark giant.

"Oh, hmm?"

I rubbed at my chin and turned back, trying to lock eyes with her. However, Ariane

kept jerking her head to the side and refused to meet my gaze. I ended up slowly

walking circles around her.

I could suddenly feel eyes on both of us. Though neither said anything, Chiyome and

Goemon's gazes carried with them an almost physical pressure. Giving in, I hurried

away toward the battle field.

"Ah, right. I'll get on that healing."

***

After dealing with the fallout from the dark giant attack, we were invited to a corner

of the Whilee camp, where the chieftain's hut was located.

The camp itself wasn't all that big, serving as the home to fewer than a hundred or so

people.

Now that I was up close, I was able to confirm my original impression of the homes

here looking like yurts. The buildings consisted of windowless, circular frames with a

thick, white cloth pulled tight over them. Inside, they were illuminated by the same

crystal lamps I'd seen back in the elven villages.

The interior walls were decorated with the bones, fangs, and other body parts of

various animals, while the floors were covered with several intricately weaved rugs.

The entrances and ceilings were made for members of the tiger clan, all of whom were

more or less Goemon's size, and felt rather large compared to the quarters I was used

to in human towns. Even the room itself was quite spacious, giving me the impression

of a hotel lobby.

With all of us here, however, the chieftain's home felt more than a tad cramped.

Aene sat in a chair facing the four of us, while several of his tiger clan warriors sat

around the perimeter of the room, leaning in closely.

Everyone in the room was absolutely rippling with muscles, either just as large as

Goemon, or even larger. It was quite an impressive display of physical prowess.

Chieftain Aene interrupted my thoughts and broke the silence.

"I can't thank you enough for your help, Arc. I see that Ariane here keeps herself

surrounded by good subordinates."

Ariane tried clearing up the chieftain's misunderstanding. Apparently, he was under

the impression that Ariane was our leader, and that I was one of her subordinates. It

did make a degree of sense, considering she'd been the first to introduce herself.

"Ah, I see. So, you're travelers, you say? My apologies, Arc. All the same, I'd still like to

express my gratitude."

After his brief apology, he offered up his thanks once again.

The soldiers around the room shuffled about a bit, uncomfortable looks appearing on

their faces.

A hulking woman stepped from behind the chieftain's chair and shot a harsh look at

the men sitting around the room.

"Are all of you going to just sulk around like babies because you needed someone to

clean up after your little hunting expedition? If you think it's okay to mutter about

someone else getting praise, then you've got another thing coming! I'll smack you right

upside your stupid heads if you do that again."

Apparently, some of the warriors had reservations about the healing I'd done earlier.

The muscle-bound woman took up a position beside the chieftain and crossed her

huge arms across her chest as she shot a death glare at the warriors lining the walls.

She was massive, nearly as tall as Goemon. Compared to the other warriors in the

room, she actually looked rather slim, but this was nothing more than a trick of the

eye. Next to Ariane or Chiyome, she'd be absolutely huge.

Her skin, or what I could see of it through her tiger-striped fur, was the color of bronze,

and she had a voluptuous chest that was nicely propped up by her crossed arms.

Overall, she had a rather refined look about her.

All the other warriors in the room instantly went quiet and looked down at the ground.

The chieftain shrugged sheepishly and glanced over at the woman next to him.

"Apologies about that. This is my wife, Yugah."

Yugah offered up a charming grin. "Yugah Aene's the name. I'm sorry about that. You're

our guests and all, but these guys here… they don't even warrant the title of warriors.

Those giants have been whittling away at our clans. Even though we were able to get

our people to safety, we'd sustained many casualties. I'd like to thank you on behalf of

these worthless idiots here."

After healing the wounded on the battlefield, Chieftain Aene had brought us back to

one of the houses in the camp, where I'd found even more injured people.

At his request, I'd used my healing magic on all of the people in the room. One thing

that caught my eye, however, was that the majority of the wounded were women and

children.

Apparently, they were the survivors of the initial attack.

I brushed off what I'd done. "It wasn't all selfless. We came here with our own reasons

to speak to you and your people. If you'd like to return the favor, I'd be honored if you'd

at least entertain my request."

Aene slammed his fist onto his knee and shot me a rather intense look. "That's right,

you mentioned that before. You've come this far to meet us, so I'd like to help you as

best I can."

The warriors lining the room murmured at this, but another sharp look from Yugah

quickly silenced them.

It's not like I was looking for some sort of doctor's fee, so I figured I might as well get

straight to the point. Upon hearing my request, Chieftain Aene, his wife, and all the

other warriors in the room looked at me wide-eyed, and with more than a little

suspicion. Ariane let out a slight sigh off to my left.

To my right, Ponta played with Chiyome's finger. Goemon was sitting on the ground,

his eyes closed tight.

"So… you mean to tell me that you came all the way out here in search of the red nail?

And even brought driftpus across the great plains to accomplish this?"

Aene burst out laughing. Then his shoulders slumped and he looked at the ground, his

expression apologetic.

"I'm sorry, Arc. Unfortunately, my clan does not have any red nail to offer you. You see,

it's grown by another, larger clan farther to the east. It's not all that popular among us,

so those who wish to obtain it go and barter for themselves."

Aene let out a heavy sigh and rubbed the back of his head.

"In that case, could one of your people take me to the clan that harvests the red nail?"

A predatory look flashed across the chieftain's eyes. "The giants you helped us defeat

come from a place known as the Black Forest, down south of here. They very rarely

venture this far, but lately they've been showing up more and more often here in the

prairie. We'd heard warnings from the clan off to the west about this, but we never

imagined that the giants would actually come to us. I'd like to take a band of my

warriors to go visit the Ena, one of the largest clans."

Though he didn't say it directly, I could tell what the chieftain was getting at—the

driftpus we'd ridden in on were from the Ena clan.

"Can we go with you? We can handle a giant or two if they come our way. I promise we

won't slow you down."

The chieftain smiled and gave a firm nod. "Really? That'd be great! There are still

giants roaming around out there, and we're a rather small clan, so I'll need to leave

warriors behind to fend off any attacks."

So, we'd just be their backup, if needed. Basically… mercenaries.

This idea actually brought back fond memories.

I glanced around at Ariane, Chiyome, and Goemon to gauge their agreement. Chiyome

and Goemon nodded silently, while Ariane affirmed my decision with a gaze.

Well, that settled it.

We'd spend the night with the Whilee clan in a tent they prepared for us then head off

to the Ena clan's camp the next day. We would be accompanied by Chieftain Aene and

ten of his strongest warriors.

Even given the sheer fighting prowess of the tiger clan, they would undoubtedly suffer

casualties if they had to fend off a dark giant attack alone. Making matters worse, they

could only afford to send so many people to the Ena camp.

However, now that we'd actually taken on a dark giant, I was pretty sure I had a feel

for how they fought and felt assured that the next time we met it'd be much less of a

one-sided battle.

The only issue was whether we'd be able to safely make it to the Ena clan's camp. I

glanced over toward Ariane who was polishing the Sword of the King of Lions while

deep in thought.

Chiyome sat at the dinner table, expressionless, while she ate a spice-laden cookie that

had been prepared for our dinner. She looked like a chipmunk with it stuffed into her

cheeks. Goemon had stepped out earlier, saying that he wanted to observe how the

tiger clan warriors trained.

Having already finished its own dinner in record time, Ponta was sleeping on my lap,

rocking back and forth like a ship adrift at sea.

It all felt like just another peaceful day. Everything seemed right with the world.

***

We left early the next norming while the sun was still barely cresting the horizon and

made our way northwest toward the Ena camp.

Thanks to the incredible speed of the driftpus, the whole journey took less than two

days, just as Chieftain Aene had said. The outlines of the camp came into view at the

edge of the horizon around noon on the second day. Off in the distance, I could make

out the distinctive shapes of the yurts.

According to Aene, over 400 members of the Ena clan lived in the camp. This was a bit

of a surprise to me at first, considering it was the largest clan on the prairie. However,

upon reflection, it made sense. After all, with dark giants and other monsters roaming

the land, it wasn't easy to grow and spread your population. Only the strongest

survived.

The tiger clan were nomadic. They survived by hunting, though I also spotted some

domesticated animals near the homes. These goats—or something like that, but they

lacked the distinctive horns of a mountain goat—were covered in long, white fur. Aene

called them uumoh. Their long fur was used for weaving, and it was especially valuable

in bartering. But with all the recent giant sightings, they'd been unable to bring much

back to Fobnach in the east.

After filling us in on the Ena clan, Chieftain Aene led us into the camp.

No one took much notice of our sudden appearance. I got the sense that most of the

people around here were already aware that Aene was the chieftain of the Whilee clan.

This wasn't true for all of us, of course. Ariane, a dark elf, and I, in my full suit of armor,

stood out like sore thumbs, drawing all sorts of stares.

However, there was something else about the general vibe of the camp that caught my

attention. Everyone seemed to be on edge. I wondered if it was just my imagination as

I examined the faces of those who'd gathered outside to watch.

As we approached the center of the camp, Aene recognized someone and hopped off

his driftpus, approaching the man with a large smile on his face.

"Houwe! How've you been? To think that the Ena chieftain himself would come out to

meet us. How did you know?" Chieftain Aene greeted the large, tiger-like man standing

in the clearing at the center of camp.

"I heard reports of your impending arrival. I see that you've brought quite an… eclectic

group with you." As he spoke, Houwe looked over at me with great wonder in his eyes,

as if he were sizing me up.

This man was by far one of the largest and strongest-looking members of the tiger clan

I'd seen yet. He was just shy of three meters, standing about a head taller than Aene.

His entire body was covered in bulging muscles, almost like a form of fleshy armor,

and his skin was marked by countless scars. Houwe had clearly seen many battles in

his day.

Goemon started glowing slightly as he summoned up his spirit magic, as if

unconsciously challenging the hulking mass that stood before us. Aene, however,

seemed to take no notice of the tense atmosphere and asked Houwe about the recent

goings-on at their camp. Then he turned the conversation back to us.

"Two giants appeared near our camp a couple days ago."

Chieftain Houwe raised an eyebrow at this and nodded gravely. "So, they're starting to

move farther east. Did you take any casualties?"

He cast a glance at the warriors behind Aene, apparently aware of what kind of fighting

abilities they could bring to bear.

Aene told Houwe of the battle between his clan and the two giants, and how we

showed up just in time to lend a hand.

Chieftain Houwe let out a loud, exasperated sigh, much like the warriors back in the

Whilee camp had.

"I'm glad you were able to make use of this healer, but to accept the help of someone

outside the clan on the field of battle…"

The disappointment was clear on Houwe's face. However, Aene simply laughed it off

and smiled.

"My men said the same thing, but Yugah put them all back in line."

Houwe seemed taken aback by this and averted his gaze. "I-I see. Well… uh… Please

don't mention what I just said to her."

Seeing the powerful man in front of us go wide-eyed at the mere mention of Aene's

wife brought to mind an image of the burly woman. She had quite an influence on

people.

Sensing my gaze, Houwe cleared his throat and took on a serious look once more.

"Actually, the timing of your arrival couldn't be better. The other chieftains will all be

gathering here so we can discuss the giant situation. Some of our camps have been

laid to ruin at their hands, so we're putting together a plan to wipe them out."

Aene let out a heavy sigh. "I see… Given how far they've roamed, I thought that this

might be a possibility, but—"

Before he could finish, Houwe interrupted him. He'd been staring at me for some time.

"By the way, where did your new friends get these driftpus they're riding?"

Houwe's face was tense. I told him the same story I'd told Aene the day before.

"Ahh, I see. Two members of our clan went out on patrol and never returned. I suppose

these are their mounts." Houwe let out a groan and closed his eyes for a moment. Then

he looked back at me. "Arc, was it? These driftpus are invaluable to our warriors.

Would you be willing to return them to us?"

I returned his gaze and raised a single finger in the air. "I have no problem returning

these two mounts. However, I would like to make one request of you, as chieftain of

the Ena clan."

Houwe's whole body perked up at this, as if a bolt of lightning had just run through

him. "Hmm, how interesting. You plan to make a request of me, chieftain of the Ena,

one of the six great clans of the prairie? What, pray tell, is it?"

A broad grin spread across his face as Chieftain Houwe shot me a steely glare. Right as

I was about to discuss my terms, however, a loud ruckus broke out near the entrance

to the camp. Everyone turned to see the source of the noise.

An injured driftpus was crashing through the camp.

Houwe's eyes went wide. His voice boomed as he shouted out orders. "I want all

women and children to get out of the way! Men, subdue that driftpus!"

As soon as the orders were given, several people—likely warriors—took off in a run

after the driftpus as it frantically wound its way through the camp. Before they

reached it, however, the driftpus slumped down, apparently exhausted, tossing its

young rider to the ground.

Houwe made his way over, shoving onlookers out of the way as he tried getting closer.

Being outsiders, Ariane, Chiyome, Goemon, and I decided to stay back and watch as

the events unfolded. Meanwhile, Ponta summoned up a gust of magical wind,

sweeping it high into the sky, where it could get a better look at what was going on

before drifting back down.

"Kyi, kyiii kyiii!"

Ponta offered up a report on what it had seen as soon as it landed atop my helmet,

though, unfortunately, I couldn't understand a word of it.

Chieftain Houwe's voice boomed out from the crowd. "Someone get Bauh the healer

here at once!"

Several people responded, stumbling over each other as they rushed off deeper into

the camp. Presently, a hulking figure pushed their way roughly through the crowd

toward the young person held tightly in Houwe's arms.

The rider's breathing was labored, and their left arm appeared to be cut quite deeply,

judging by all the blood.

Aene nodded in my direction. I nodded back and immediately summoned one of my

spells.

"Please excuse my interference. Heal!"

A warm, bright light formed around the injured person's left arm, then into the wound.

It was almost like watching a film in reverse as the bone mended itself together and

the flesh closed over it. Then the light disappeared, and the wound was gone.

The crowd let out loud cries of surprise as the scene unfolded. No one was more

surprised than Chieftain Houwe, though. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates as he

looked back and forth between me and the young member of his clan. Slowly, the boy's

eyes fluttered open.

"You're awake! What happened? Do you remember anything?"

The young boy was startled by the chieftain's voice and looked around, confused. He

stood up slowly.

"Huh?!"

Apparently, even this this was too much exertion, and he teetered about for a second

before collapsing to the ground again.

"Though his injuries are healed, this spell cannot return the blood he's lost. He will

need to rest for now."

The chieftain nodded and waved over two men standing nearby. He instructed them

to bring the boy back to his house. However, right before they took him away, the boy's

eyes fluttered open again, and he spoke to Houwe in an unsteady voice.

The boy's voice became weaker and harder to hear with each word he rasped out. The

chieftain perked up his ears and leaned in close.

"Near… the camp… Giants. Thirty… maybe more… They're… I saw them at…"

Now well and fully spent, the young boy slumped back, his arms dangling limply at his

sides. Houwe sent the two men off. His rage was readily apparent. His eyes flashed,

and a vein in his forehead throbbed, making the man look almost like a demon.

"Call all the chieftains! I want any warriors not dedicated to camp defense to prepare

themselves for the hunt!"

His voice boomed. The silence of the camp was shattered as the clan let out war cries

and began preparing for battle. The children were quickly pushed indoors while the

warriors' spouses helped them don their armor. The warriors cleaned their weapons

to prepare for the hunt.

Amid all this chaos, Houwe approached us. "I'm sorry, but…"

I put up a hand to stop him.

I wasn't exactly sure what the chieftain was going to say, but I figured it had something

to do with the aftermath of the upcoming battle with the giants.

After all, the clans didn't seem too keen on asking outsiders for help.

Not only would my request be put aside until the giants were slain, but there was also

the risk that the tiger clan could be wiped out by the incoming horde.

If that happened, I'd never get my hands on the red nail.

According to the boy, there were around thirty giants approaching.

Seeing as how the tiger clan, a group known for their fighting prowess, had struggled

to defeat even two giants, it seemed all too likely that there would be massive

casualties if they faced off against thirty. Was I supposed to stay here in the camp,

despite all I could add to the fight? I had to say something.

As someone famous once said, "You'll never get what you don't ask for."

"Can we join in the hunt?"

If I ever wanted to get my hands on the red nail, I'd need to make sure that this battle

ended in victory.

Chieftain Houwe looked me straight in the eye. After a moment of holding my gaze, a

slow smile formed on his lips and he slapped my chest.

"Whatever it is you seek, I promise that I, chieftain of the Ena clan, will do what I can

to repay you!"

With that, Houwe turned on his heel and went off to prepare himself for the upcoming

fight.

Ariane, who'd been watching the negotiations, let out a heavy sigh. Before I could say

anything, she put a finger up to stop me.

"I'm going with you. I'll do even better than last time." Her lips curled into a smile as

she gazed off to the west.

Apparently, she still couldn't shake off what had happened in the last battle.

I'd originally intended to join the tiger clan alone, but when I turned to look at

Goemon, it was clear from the smile on his face that he also wanted to be in the fight.

He looked ready to unleash death on his enemies.

Then I turned to Chiyome, who was standing silently at his side. She responded in her

usual, simple manner.

"Same here."

It looked like the whole party was ready, blood pumping excitedly through their veins.

Being a skeleton, I didn't have a drop of blood in my body. But on the battlefield, I'd

still look out for those who did, and make sure that none of it was spilled.

***

Less than an hour later, the tiger clan warriors had assembled for battle and were

marching out of the Ena camp.

Aene and the other chieftains had offered their own warriors to join the emergency

giant-hunting party, bringing the final count to around 150 warriors, all mounted on

their own driftpus. The warriors formed a long trail heading toward the camp the boy

had come from, the one recently destroyed by giants. The heavy footfalls of the

driftpus caused the ground to rumble underneath us.

I followed the train of warriors ahead of me, but I had little clue which direction we

were actually moving in at this point.

Off in the distance, I spotted several mountains rising from the horizon, but everywhere

else I looked there was nothing but endless grass and rolling hills.

An hour or so after we left camp, Ariane started shifting around, muttering about how

her back was sore. Something about the upcoming battle was making her anxious.

"You're going to fall off if you keep moving around like that, Ariane."

I glanced over my shoulder only to find Ariane's snow-white eyebrows raised, her

voice imploring.

"Aaaarc, can't we take a break? I can't feel my butt anymore."

The jostling of the driftpus made Ariane's large chest bounce as we moved. She looked

like she was almost at her limit. Fortunately, she didn't seem to notice where my eyes

were focused.

Sadly, stopping wasn't an option. If we rested here in the middle of the prairie, we'd

quickly be left behind and wouldn't know how to catch up to the group.

Besides, no one else seemed keen on taking a break.

The warriors around us seethed with anger and a desire to slaughter the giants that

had attacked their comrades. They also seemed quite used to riding long distances

and didn't show any of the discomfort or pre-battle jitters that Ariane was having.

I glanced over at Goemon to see how he was holding up. As expected, he was his usual,

stoic self.

Chiyome was standing on the saddle behind him, steadying herself on the heaving

mount by holding Goemon's shoulders. They looked a little like a circus act, though

part of me wondered if this was Chiyome's way of combatting the same troubles that

afflicted Ariane's rear.

The warriors of the tiger clan riding near us also seemed to take great interest in

Chiyome.

Meanwhile, Ponta excitedly waved its cotton-like tail to and fro from above my head

as it looked out at all the troops. It tapped the top of my helmet excitedly and mewed

to get my attention.

"Kyiii! Kyi!"

I turned my gaze to the head of the column and spotted a camp sitting atop a small hill

in front of us. A moment later, I noticed the outline of a giant lumbering along, gnawing

away at the upper torso of a member of the tiger clan.

It let out an awful, unearthly shriek.

The warriors shouted out epithets as soon as they caught sight of their murdered

comrade, their thirst for blood rising by the second.

"You bastards!"

The moment my eyes focused on it, the giant let out another cry that caused the

ground beneath us to tremble.

"Ugraaaaaouuu! Graooooaaaaawll!!!"

Despite its human appearance, the dark giant's scream sounded less like words and

more like a beast's call. It raised its massive stone hammer and began running straight

toward us.

Other dark giants wandering around the camp responded to the cry, raising their own

weapons and rushing forward.

In total, I counted five giants coming toward us and five or so hanging back at the

camp, searching for something. This was nowhere near the thirty giants the injured

boy had spoken of.

The chieftains near the front also seemed to notice this discrepancy and began

scanning our surroundings, looking for other giants.

However, as I looked out at the vast plains, I couldn't spot any hills or other features

large enough for twenty giants to hide behind.

Chieftain Houwe, the leader of this impromptu hunting party, directed the charge

straight toward the oncoming giant by waving his weapon around in the air and

pointing it straight ahead at our target. All of the warriors behind him let out a war

cry and raised their own weapons in response.

"Hooaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"

One by one, the tiger clan warriors broke from formation to make passes at the dark

giant's legs, slashing as they flew by.

I heard a dull thud as each weapon found its mark. The dark giants returned the favor,

swinging their weapons with powerful arms, the earth erupting with each missed

blow.

It wasn't long before the tiger clan began taking casualties. But all wasn't lost. One of

the tiger clan warriors scored a critical blow on one of the dark giants' feet, causing it

to lose its balance and fall to the ground.

The warriors wasted no time swarming the fallen giant, thrusting with their weapons.

It seemed to me like they had the numbers to take on these five giants alone, so I

decided to go after the remaining five back at the camp and use my magic to wipe them

out.

I tugged my driftpus to a stop so I could begin casting my spell. Ariane let out a sigh of

relief as she slipped out of the saddle. She scowled as she rubbed her tenderized

backside. Apparently, it had taken more of a beating than I'd thought.

I turned my gaze toward Goemon and Chiyome, who'd realized what I was doing and

were coming to join us.

I decided to use the same summon magic I'd used in the battle against the hydra. I had

quite a few area-of-effect spells, but I worried that if I were to cast one on the camp,

I'd risk wiping out any survivors hiding in the surrounding area.

But as I learned back in Leibnizche, there were no assurances once I unleashed a

demon. This time, I figured the safer method was to use a demon that performed a

more benign function: drawing the giants away from the camp. Or at least, that was

my hope.

"I'm going to wipe out the giants at the camp. Ariane, I want you to wait here for me."

"Wait, what?"

I took off toward a small clearing and called forth my summoning spell.

A large, magical rune appeared on the ground in front of me and began glowing. I

focused my mind on the demon I wanted to join me on the battlefield.

Back in the game, I only used a small selection of demons, neglecting many of the

others I'd collected, so it took me a moment to recall its name.

"Hmm, I swear it was on the tip of my tongue…"

I was certain I had a lower-class demon with all sorts of skills for weakening and

debuffing my enemies. The rune continued glowing patiently as I frantically searched

my memory. Unfortunately, the only names that came to mind were those of high-level

demons. I wracked my brain to no avail.

Ariane called out to me. "You aren't actually thinking of calling forth another monster

to fight these giants, are you?"

She sounded worried that the tiger camp would be a repeat of the Hilk church

destruction back in Leibnizche. I might be a tad absent-minded, but I wouldn't forget

something that serious. But at this point, it would probably be easier to fight the rest

of the giants one by one than stand around trying to come up with the right spell. In

the midst of my doubts, I caught sight of a shadow flying past Ariane, coming straight

toward me.

Ariane sensed the movement as well and spun around to face the oncoming figure, but

she wasn't fast enough. I shoved her out of the way just before she could be struck by

its glowing blade.

The incoming attacker didn't slow as it closed in on me, driving its blade straight

through the gap between my chest armor and helmet, right into the cavity of my skull.

I lost focus, and the summoning rune faded away.

Fortunately, Ponta had been absorbed in the unfolding battle and had been sitting atop

my head, well out of harm's way. If my little companion had been wrapped around my

neck, as it usually was in combat, well… I don't want to think about what might have

happened.

Instead, startled by the sudden attack, Ponta summoned up a large gust of wind, flying

high into the sky.

The wind ruffled the hood of the assassin's heavy black cloak.

"Ooomph!"

"Hah?!"

Sensing my opening, since my opponent's sword was still stuck in my helmet, I

summoned all my strength and swung my fist. But I only caught air as my opponent

jumped deftly back.

"Arc!" Ariane called out to me, her face clouded with worry. I waved my hand to let her

know I was okay.

Ariane looked incredulous at my dismissive gesture, but then a look of understanding

washed over her face as she recalled that my armor was essentially empty. Her

amethyst cheeks flushed in embarrassment at having screamed out my name like that.

To be fair, the blow would have been fatal if I were in my elven form. I wondered if my

opponent realized that their sword had struck a hollow cavity.

My cloaked opponent came running back in, a sword extending from each hand and

red eyes glowing brightly from deep within their hood.

"Whaugh!"

"Arc!"

Ariane tried standing up, but grimaced in pain. I must have pushed her a little too hard.

After all that time in the saddle, she'd probably pulled a muscle in her lower back.

Maybe this was for the better though. Our opponent was clearly powerful, and facing

off against them could put Ariane in danger.

Worse, I wasn't even armed. My sword and shield were still on the driftpus, since I

hadn't expected I'd need them while summoning a magic spell. Even with the rest of

the tiger clan fighting nearby, I had to admit that this was a novice mistake.

A loud metallic clang echoed around me as I felt a sword strike my armored gauntlet.

They were fast, and easily managed to evade my feeble attempts to strike back.

However, they still seemed to be unaware of the fact that there was nothing but a

skeleton inside my suit of armor. Once again, they thrust a sword into a gap in my

armor and hit nothing but air.

I saw another opening and threw my whole body behind a punch aimed straight at

their face. The air whooshed around my fist as I came within a hair's breadth of hitting

my mark. But even though I missed, the wind caused my opponent to lose their

balance temporarily.

I launched another punch, in the hopes of finishing them off, though once again my fist

met nothing but air. They leaped high into the air, over my head, and landed behind

me. I wasn't expecting to end up fighting the chef of the infamous straw hat pirates out

here.

Both swords came straight for my neck, crossed at the hilts like a giant pair of scissors.

Even though my armor was mostly empty, I wasn't eager to find out what would

happen if the bones in my neck were severed. All I could do was let the fates decide

which was stronger: my opponent's offensive abilities, or my bones.

Or so I thought. My opponent leaped high into the air and landed behind me again,

trying to beat a hasty retreat. Suddenly, I heard a heavy clang.

"Arc, are you okay?"

Chiyome ran up to me. She'd just saved me from certain doom.

"Thanks, Chiyome."

I felt a cold sweat run down my back—even though I knew this was technically

impossible—as I let out a sigh of relief. I rubbed my neck to make sure it was still

connected to my body.

The would-be assassin lowered their swords and stood by silently, their dark cloak

billowing in the wind. A large gash ran down it, likely caused by Chiyome's attack.

The assassin yanked away their hood, revealing a man with pointy, animal-like ears

sprouting out of a head covered in black hair. His skin was a light shade of blue, and

he had glowing red eyes.

With his tail hidden underneath his cloak, I couldn't quite tell his species, but judging

by his ears alone, he appeared to be feline, like Chiyome and Goemon.

As soon as he revealed his face, Chiyome broke from her usual calm demeanor and let

out a cry.

"S-Sasuke?!"

Judging by her trembling voice and the look of shock on her face, I was able to put two

and two together. Sasuke was the name of one of the Jinshin clan's six great fighters,

and the man that Chiyome looked up to like an older brother.

Assuming this was the same Sasuke, that raised a lot of questions. What he was doing

down here on this continent, and specifically all the way out in the prairie? And why

was he trying to kill us?

Chiyome's face suggested that this man was the real Sasuke. And in case there was any

doubt, Goemon's surprised expression confirmed it.

"What are you doing here, Sasuke? And why do you look like that?" Chiyome's voice

was unsteady.

Sasuke's red eyes narrowed as he readied his dual blades. It was as if he hadn't even

heard what Chiyome said.

"Fwauaaaaaauuugh! Ngraaaaaaww!"

Out of nowhere, the five dark giants lumbering around the camp broke into a mad

dash, charging straight toward us. The tiger clan warriors finishing up the first batch

of giants spread out at the sight of the newcomers, but it quickly became apparent that

the giants were only interested in us.

Sasuke glanced at the oncoming giants then back at me. He jumped high into the air,

did a somersault, and ran off. Chiyome took off after him.

"S-Sasuke, wait up! Just what's going on here?"

But the older man was far too fast for Chiyome, and he quickly outpaced her.

Goemon came up behind Chiyome and wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug,

putting an end to her pursuit.

"Get your hands off meeee, Goemon! Let! Me! Gooo!"

The young girl squirmed about to no avail. As Sasuke grew smaller and smaller in the

distance, Goemon spoke to her in a low, steady voice.

"Look closely, little one. He's not the man he used to be."

I wasn't exactly sure what he meant by that, not being a member of the Jinshin clan

myself.

Chiyome, however, seemed to understand. She went silent, casting her gaze down at

her feet. Though her expression didn't give much away, I could tell that whatever

happened, it was a big deal.

Ariane broke the silence. "Arc, over there!"

Off in the distance, I could see the dark giants, who only moments ago had been

rushing toward us, fleeing in the direction Sasuke had gone, wailing as they ran. It was

almost like he'd been… a decoy.

But it didn't make sense. With all the tiger clan warriors around, why would they

suddenly change direction and chase after Sasuke? Had they been looking for him all

along?

"Just what's going on here?"

But I could hardly hear my own question, as my voice was drowned out by the cries of

the tiger clan outside the camp.

Judging from all the cheering, the last giant had finally fallen.