Hot Spring Tour: Couple
“Graaa!!!”
The male roared upon seeing its wounded mate.
I held my sword in front of me, ready for it to come.
It looked like it would charge at any moment. However, it must have remembered our fight the other day, as it stopped and glared at me.
“Me-zroi-tar-mez-rei. Protection!”
I was happy to get the extra time. I caught my breath, and recast the protection magic. The weakening light grew strong again as it enveloped me.
In the end, I had not been able to take down the female before the male arrived.
Was I disappointed? Of course, I was. However, it was expected in a way. The sounds of combat and her shouts. It was just a matter of time. Heroes arrived when someone was in danger.
“Graaaggh!!”
The male ogre roared. I felt like it was saying, ‘You did well up until now. I will take it from here.’
The ogre’s muscles tensed, and then a moment later, released with a cloud of dust.
It kicked off the ground at a high speed and shot towards me for a drop kick. It came like a missile, ready to explode. However, something so bold would never hit me!
I stepped to the side and then moved forward.
“Graaah!”
What leapt into my vision, was the female, who had charged. It was a pincer attack!
I had still kept my guard up towards her. Just because he had appeared, it didn’t mean she would take the bench.
As the female rushed towards me, I lowered my stance. And then just as I predicted, she unleashed a low kick.
As they were tall, they tended to do that when I lowered my stance. Besides, I might thrust again if they tackled.
I stepped to the side while there was still enough distance, and then turned on my ankle and swung my sword with a backhand. Targeting the achilles heel. Well, it probably wasn’t called that here.
A distance where my sword tip would barely reach it. With that attack, the female slightly raised her foot and dodged it. That was fine.
The movement changed our positions, and we turned to face each other. Behind her, I saw the male, who had gotten back up from the drop kick. Now I would not be pincered.
“Goaaa!”
And then it was back to exchanging blows with the female at a high speed. I dodge a kick, and my sword bounces off. However, I was being pushed more than before. The reason was the male. I had to keep changing my position so he did get behind me.
Things were moving so fast, that one mistake could delay my reactions. And they were looking for an opening.
And so slowly retreated while desperately trying to keep up. Annoyingly, sweat was dripping profusely down my forehead. Still, I wasn’t the only one having a hard time. She was bleeding too… Huh? She isn’t bleeding!?
There was still a visible wound on the neck. However, in spite of the vicious movements, there was no blood flowing from it. It had not been the deepest cut, but a neck wound should not stop bleeding so quickly. Perhaps there was some kind of healing ability or skill.
Finally, the male stood behind the female. The time had come for me to fight both at the same time. He was waiting for a chance to attack. And so I glanced towards him and grinned.
“Gaarrrraa!”
And then he shot forward. His fist swung from the side. However, the female had just been about to kick, and so she lost her balance and stepped back.
I ducked under his arm, and slipped my sword under its shoulder. But he jumped back without being hit. And then the female moved forward.
As the leg came, I rotated my raised sword and cut down towards its knee.
She dexterously turned her body and used her leg to swipe the blade away. And then the male charged with a forward kick.
“Woah!”
I moved out of the way, the legs of the two ogres crossed as they stood on one leg, and their movement stopped.
I had no time to breathe during their chain of attacks. However, in terms of speed, it wasn’t as fast as when it was just the female. I could do this!
The pressure coming from the both of them was overwhelming. Just the power of their eyes made you want to run away. However, they were not good at coordinating. Ogres weren’t monsters that lived in packs.
In that case, perhaps it was safer to be in the front than the back.
“Hyah!”
I swung down towards the male’s shoulder. It bounced off, but I struck again at the arm.
The closer I was, the harder it was for the other to attack. Humans were too small for such larger monsters to attack at the same time.
The ogre moved back while swatting away at my sword. And then the female thrust out with her claws.
“Tsk.”
Not the strongest attack, but a fast one. I managed to hold my sword at an angle and sweep it aside. There was no time to rest, and this was all I could do. The only reason I could deal with both, was because I was facing them. However, this strategy had a large hole.
First, if one of them moved to my side or back, I would suddenly be in deep trouble.
If they were good at cooperation, they wouldn’t fixate on facing me head on. But thanks to my provocations, they kept charging. However, that could easily change if I stepped back at the wrong time.
Then the other thing. It was tiring.
The male’s massive arm passed in front of my eyes. The wind pressure alone caused my sweat to fly off.
His attacks were heavier, and his reach longer. However, he did not attack as often as she did. If anything, he was easier to deal with. Still, it was all I could do to maintain the current situation.
The battle with the female had drained me more than I expected. Soon, it would be difficult for me to keep Mine Breaker charged up.
The orcs were still taking turns attacking. Also, as he had just arrived, the male was still full of energy. And so he ignored the small cuts and continued to attack. I was still puzzled by the lack of bleeding from the female. It seemed like I was the only one getting weaker by the second.
“Arrrrghhhh!”
I shouted in order to steal myself. If I lose spirit, it will end. That was one thing I knew for sure.
My swinging sword targeted joints and vitals. The ogres fists and kicks passed me by a hair’s breadth.
One mistake and I would be dead. The repetition of attacking and defending is draining. But I had to stay focused.
Just then, as the female dodged my blade, she staggered and leaned to the side. If she was alone, this would be a perfect opening. However, the male’s attacks left no time for a follow up attack.
And now the two were not overlapping, and had space to attack me at the same time.
“Goaaaarggh!”
From the front and side, they came at once. The male unleashed a kick from the side, the female swung down with her fist. I would be turned to minced meat if I was hit by both.
“Gah!”
I ducked under the male’s leg. Then I lept to the side and rolled, before leaning on my prosthetic leg and pulling myself back up.
And then…the prosthetic leg slipped.
“Wha-!”
Was it just a bad spot, or was I too tired? In any case, the ogres did not miss the opportunity.
“Goaaa!”
The male ogre seemed to laugh at me. Was it revenge for all the times I provoked it!
It stepped forward, and one leg moved backwards in the air.
Like it was going to kick a soccer ball. I would die if I got hit by that.
If I got hit, that is!
“Hyaaah!!”
Showing an opening had made it less careful with its attack. It had stepped forward, and its body was close. And it was too late to stop the kick now. It had finally shown an opening!
As if falling forward, I swung my sword around from the side. Aiming for its thigh.
“Graaaahhh!”
The small gap between the hard skin. But the blade cracked it open with precision. And I felt the blade cleave into the flesh.
And then blood sprayed in the air. The leg came down, but turned to the side.
Like that, the ogre crumbled to the ground.
Thank you for another chapter