Hot Spring Tour – Noon Moon
“Argggaaaah!”
I pushed the ogre’s body so that it rolled off of me and to the side. When I saw its face, its eyes were rolled up into its head, and blood ran as it twitched. It was still breathing.
Then I pulled out my sword and stood up. The female had stopped and was looking at me with wide eyes.
“Hmph!”
And then I thrust the sword into the male ogre’s neck. It shuddered one last time, and then stopped moving.
“Graaaaghhh!”
Her shout echoed around us. Sorry. I cannot lower my guard while it is still alive.
She kicked the ground. She was so fast that it was like she was drawing a line through the air. However, he was clearly slower on the other leg. It was where I had stabbed.
But it only unbalanced her a little. She ignored it, and like that, a bloody fist came swinging.
My prosthetic leg kicked off the ground, and the fist passed in front of my eyes. While she was open on the other side, with no arm, that was not where I would target. As she raised her leg for a kick, I jumped and rolled away to the side, and then swung my sword into the leg she was standing on.
To them, I was an invader in their territory. But for the villagers, they were a close threat who had taken their valuable resources. So they put out a job, and I accepted. And now we were facing each other like this.
It had no way to defend against the attack, and so the ogre jumped off the ground, rotating vertically in the air to dodge it. Blood sprayed from its shoulder, creating a ring of blood in the air.
“Hyah!”
I rushed forward, right where the ogre would land. The ogre absorbed the shock of the landing with both feet bent, and then charged forward head first.
Neither of us seemed to see the other as prey now. We were opponents, fighting for our survival and future. Blade against fists. That was the relationship now.
As the head shot forward, I stopped and swung upwards with my sword. But it bounced off the arm that came down.
“Gah!”
Blood flew from the ogre’s arm. But it continued to charge, so that its horn scraped against my armor, and my shoulder guard went flying.
Even though it was in a desperate situation, its vicious attacks had not changed much. Without one arm, and the loss of its partner, it would still not back down. She was very straightforward.
I moved back, not going against the impact on my shoulder. And then I rotated around to the ogre’s back, while swinging my sword into its lower back.
“Grraggh!”
The ogre jumped forward and dodged the blade. It turned around, its eyes bladed with fire.
In that case, we should face each other as enemies that must be defeated.
I glared back. And my sword attacked the ogre.
“Aghhhhh!”
“Gooaaaaggh!!”
While glaring, sword and fist intersected. I cut the swing arm and slashed at the moving feet. With every cut, blood sprayed in the air.
In spite of having lost an arm, we were still equally matched. It was because she was now fighting more desperately.
Little by little, the ogre’s body was covered in blood. But each punch and kick had the power to flip me over.
Could I win if this continued? Probably not. I still didn’t understand its healing ability. And my own fatigue was reaching its limit. The longer this was drawn out, the more likely I was to make a mistake.
My sword hit against its fist. It bounced off, and I moved back. We both stopped to catch our breaths.
But even as my shoulders heaved up and down, I kept my eyes on it. The breeze that blew through the ridge felt comfortable against my heated body. However, it was too soon to cool down. I would have to endure this just a little longer!
I held my sword low and took one step forward. The ogre did the same.
And then another. Slowly, we approached each other. But once we were in striking distance, neither one moved.
The ogre was huge so I had to look up. Wounded and bloodied just made it more intimidating. The only thing I saw in its eyes was the overwhelming will to kill.
I took in a deep breath and exhaled. The ogre and I. Once the timing was right, we both kicked off the ground.
At the same time that she stepped, she lowered her stance and swung her fists horizontally.
“Tsk!”
That was a new one. While retreating, I twisted my upper half and swung my sword into the ogre’s side. However, it was a weak swing, and the fist came down, easily knocking it away. And then its leg prepare to rise.
Damn it. This movement at this distance was bad! I took another step back. From the lowered stance, the ogre unleashed a horizontal kick.
I managed to dodge it, my center of gravity shifting. The ogre’s leg went back to the ground, and without losing momentum, went up to its toes. The twist, and then its torso and whole body rotated. The roundhouse kick that resulted from it was powerful enough that it seemed to take the air with it.
Dodge!? No, there was no time!
I let go with one hand and reached out towards the leg. Not to block it, but to rotate myself, and sweep it aside. The kick hit my arm, and I heard the bones break, just as much as I felt it. The terrible impact blew my arm away, and my body’s rotation accelerated.
And I directed that rotation right back at the ogre. With the sword held in one hand, I spun and slammed it into the ogre. I wasn’t even aiming. The ogre raised its arm in order to block it.
The first time was a coincidence. By the second time I realized it.
The thrust that had gone through the ogre’s skin. It was magic energy manipulation. I had focused on one point, and sensed the flow of energy.
I had never focused on the energy in a sword and controlled it before. I hadn’t thought it was possible. All I did was charge it up.
But in such a desperate fight, where my focus was heightened, after continually charging it as much as I could. It had gathered energy to the sword tip. Perhaps boosting the enchantment?
“Aaaaaaggh!”
And so with all my might, I gathered the charged up energy to the blade that faced the ogre.
One side increased in brightness, while the other side faded.
The blade should have been stopped, but it sliced through the ogre’s skin, severing the arm.
Not only that, but my momentum did not slow, and the blade sunk into the neck and torso as well.
The blade suddenly stopped, and the immense pressure on my arm made my muscles scream with agony. But I could not let go, and clutched my sword desperately.
By the time it had stopped the blade had almost reached the ogre’s solar plexus.
I fearfully looked into the ogre’s face. The eyes were still open, but the fire had faded away.
I loosened my grip on the sword.
And the female ogre slowly fell back.
As did I.
I fell to the ground on my back, and breathed. After being hit by that kick, my left arm was a mess, and I could no longer feel it. I was numb and hot.
My vision from here was just the trees, flowing clouds, and a blue sky. And the noon mood far away.
I hadn’t noticed that it was visible. I was not looking at my surroundings.
But it didn’t matter for the crescent moon. It just loomed there, overlooking the land.
And so I surrendered to the feeling of the ground under my back, trying to breath as the wind blew gently.
Ah, I am alive.
That’s all that matters for now.
And so I slowly closed my eyes in the comfortable autumn air.
Bonus chapter courtesy of Photo. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome and ty for translating this chapter.
It’s an amazing novel keep doing the great work.
By the way when I open your site on the Microsoft Edge it tells that i’m using adblock wich i dont use….