Heibon na Watashi wa Tonikaku Hibon - Heibon 13. The Encounter I Had in the Middle of Forest

Aru~hi♪ mori no naka♪ kuma-san niー♪ deattaー♪
( One day♪ in a forest♪ I met♪ bear-sanー♪)

TL: the song

A happy children song is playing endlessly in my head. Currently, it has been half a month after Rey-sama and Tonic-san began living here.

「…………」

Currently “bear-san”, a 2 meter tall gigantic mass of pure kuma-power, was standing right in front of me. Well, if you were looking at its sharp fang and claws, simply calling it as “big bear” was really an understatement. Its eyes were blood red and saliva was flowing from the edge of its mouth.

One day, in a forest, I met a monster.

「……」

Most monsters in this forest were not really ferocious, but there were some really dangerous ones. Due to their small numbers, these kinds of monster tend to be stronger than usual. Right now, there’s no way I can stand against them.

I was just trying to fetch some water, but why my life was being threatened?

Even though I had encountered several ferocious monsters ever since I lived in this forest, I was always accompanied by people stronger than me, which is the reason I had not died yet.

However, no one would protect me this time.
The spirits were doing gestures, telling me to escape.

You don’t have to tell me that!
I knew it already!
I knew but… my legs wouldn’t move…

「hel… help me………」

I couldn’t even scream properly. There was no one who would hear me to begin with……

Av hadn’t visited these days. Rey-sama and Tonic-san went back to the royal castle to look at the state of affair in the morning and they hadn’t returned yet.

The sword on my waist and the bow on my shoulder were certainly not decorations, but the moment I pull any of them out in front of this monster, that very moment would be my last.

「…wait…… stop…… think… think, Rio… anything to survive……」

As I gulped down, I dragged my foot to move myself away from the monster. Even though the bear monster growled, it didn’t attack yet.

Yet

But I think it’s only a matter of time……
In order to calm myself, I tried to take a deep breath five times and think.

What I learned from Rey-sama.
What I learned from Tonic-san.
What I learned from Av.

It was okay.
I remembered everything.
They became my source of encouragement.

I should be able to do it.
There was no need to kill.
Just surviving is enough.
Just escaping is enough.

「I’m fine. I can do it. I can do it……」

I took another three deep breath and held the fourth.

「”FLASH”!!」

I thrust my right hand towards the bear monster and chanted at the same time.

A sphere of light appeared on my right hand and wrapped my surrounding in a dazzling light as I protected my eyes using dark magic. I confirmed that the bear was shutting its eyes and roaring, I turned away and started running.

My legs were quite stubborn so I had to clad them in wind magic to force myself to run. I was aiming for the hut. There was a special barrier Rey-sama put up that only people I trust could enter (whether they are humans, demons, or monsters). It was Rey-sama’s new magic made by rearranging a magic square. It was put up as an experiment.

And as an intrusion prevention system, the barrier is strengthened even more by magic so there’s no way the barrier would break from some random attacks.

In any case, the bear won’t even be able to chase if I ran this fast.

The sunlight leaked between the leaves and light my way through the animal trail. Even when the tree branches scratched me, even when I twisted my foot, I continued to run.

「There it is!!」

I felt relaxed for a moment but suddenly I heard a roar coming from the forest.

「…!!!」

It was not as simple as saying “my surrounding shakes violently”. The ground, the trees, even the plants were shaking from the roar. My foot stopped moving again. It was too slow to call it a “reflex” but I looked at my back against my will.

「…………………」

I could feel my breath. I tried opening and closing my mouth a couple of times, but I could not take any more air after my third one.

The bear monster was tackling through the trees and heading towards me. I could feel the ground shaking every time it took a step.

「mov… move… move! Move!!」

I scolded my trembling body and struggled to move another step. Suddenly, I heard a low growl and vibration from behind me.

「…………」

I could understand it even without looking back.
It was catching up.

As soon as I realized it, my sight was distorted and tears were falling. Even though this was not the time for crying, I could not stop it. My body refused to move.

It’s the end.
My life finally ended in a place like this.
With nothing achieved.
Nothing to leave behind.
Everything is over.

「『Duck』!!」

「eh !?」

My body moved faster than I thought.The sharp nails went past me.

「『Draw』!! Then turn around and 『Slash』!」

My body responded again.

I understood it immediately that it was Tonic-san’s 【Power of Words】that allowed me to slash one of the bear monster’s leg.

【Power of Words】 It’s an ability that makes the other person do as you say. However, it only worked as long as the words are within 10 characters. Furthermore, it can only work 3 times on 1 person. In other words, those 3 times had been used for 『Duck』, 『Draw』, and 『Slash』. I could not expect any help from Tonic-san’s ability from now on.

「Tonic… san…」
「You’re safe. But really… You’re one hell unlucky girl」

But still, Tonic-san managed to make the dumbfounded me able to draw my sword. He checked me from top to bottom and nodded as confirming that I’m safe.

Then, ignoring the rattling of the swords in my hand, he took the sword from my hand and put it aside.