Chapter 72

"Come on, you damn hippo!"

A deep, low voice cut through the monster's roaring cry. Dially, the usually calm shield bearer, now had a fierce gaze beneath his long bangs, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor.

The giant mutated hippo, which had been called out, stood up, shaking off the frost crystals clinging to its body, and glared at the humans before it. In the next instant, its thick legs propelled its massive body forward at an incredible speed, crushing the riverbank stones as it charged. If it collided head-on, the humans would be blown away by the sheer weight difference.

This was no exception for the solidly built man with the shield. With a dull thud, his body was lifted into the air. However, the result that followed was unexpected.

Dially floated gently backward, landed firmly on the ground with both feet, and deftly killed his momentum with a heel stomp. By floating his body just before impact, he had deftly avoided the force of the collision. The monster, turning around, kicked the ground irritably.

Dially easily floated backward again to evade the hippo's next charge. The shield bearer deftly handled the enraged hippo's body slams one after another.

Before they knew it, the monster had been led to a wide area of the riverbank, where the bodies of their fallen comrades were no longer present. Several arrows were already embedded in its hind legs and back, further reddening its already reddish skin.

"Is it about time?"

"Huff, huff... anytime!"

In response to Rorolf's casual question, Dially, breathing heavily, replied. Though he appeared calm from the outside, a single misstep could have shattered his bones. Despite the physical and mental strain, the light in the shield bearer's eyes did not waver.

The shield bearer had sufficiently provoked the enemy, while the archer gradually slowed its movements with arrows coated in frog poison. The warriors, timing their attack, charged in with their preferred weapons.

A broad-axe swung horizontally, striking the monster's side fin with great force. At the same time, a spear tip, bending sharply, struck the front leg. Two one-handed axes then continuously slashed the monster's jaw as it opened its mouth to bite.

The attacking warriors immediately kicked off the ground and retreated. A large shield blocked the monster's view as it tried to chase them, but when it tried to push the shield away, it slipped away effortlessly.

The three brothers, closing in again, delivered powerful blows and then retreated. The monster, which had boasted overwhelming strength, was now being toyed with and worn down by the men's perfect coordination. As the mutated hippo's movements slowed and it bled from all over its body, Dially, who had maintained control of the battle, asked:

"Phew... how's the fighting spirit?"

"Anytime!"

"I'm ready too!"

"I'm about to overflow!"

"Then, go for it!"

At the signal, Rorolf, the eldest and most spirited, launched his attack. Gripping two one-handed axes that crackled with purple lightning, he charged at the monster with great momentum. Dodging a bite, he delivered a series of powerful blows to the base of its neck. —<Electric Barrage>!

The electric current running through its body momentarily halted the hippo's movements. Seizing the opportunity, Nylas, the second brother, spun his entire body with both axes, releasing a tremendous centrifugal force as he stepped in. —<Electric Spin Destruction>!

The monster, having lost nearly half of its front leg, swayed. Dially closed the distance in one swift motion. The hippo, its body tilted by the <Pillar Formation> that raised the ground beneath its feet, exposed its vulnerable belly.

Gugtaf, the third brother, slid in at the perfect moment, wielding a two-handed spear wrapped in thick purple lightning. —<Electric Flash Break>!

The sharp spear tip pierced deep into the flesh, breaking through the heart hidden within. The hippo, opening its mouth to a maximum, let out a muffled roar and then collapsed, its movements ceasing. Its eyes were already sealed by several arrows.

Blood gushed from the monster's mouth, and Dially exhaled a deep sigh of relief, confirming that it had stopped moving. He turned to his comrades, sharing the joy of defeating a formidable enemy without any casualties.

However, a new battle had already begun.

"What the hell, why did you stop and stab it on your own?"

"Again? This sly bastard!"

"The battlefield goes to the fastest, brother. Ow!"

"Shut up, from now on it's seniority!"

"That's too tyrannical! I'm the strongest—”

"Shut up, you sneaky bastard!"

The shield bearer sighed at the three brothers' bickering, turned to the twins, and smiled weakly. Beside the men who had fought fiercely, Tore and Sora had already finished a completely different battle.

Just a short while before Rorolf and the others had fought, a giant monster, scattering rainwater with its wind pressure, approached Tore. The man, with his sword hanging loosely, met it with his usual gait.

Just before the collision, Tore's body slipped to the right. The hippo, twisting its body as its prey moved, inexplicably swayed. Seizing the moment when its balance was off, Tore's iron sword leaped from the ground.

The blade flashed several times in an instant, and a moment later, the monster's thick left front leg rolled onto the ground. Losing its balance, the hippo's massive body tilted. The monster, growling from deep within its throat, opened its mouth to the maximum, aiming for Tore's head.

But its face twisted at an odd angle again, and the hippo tumbled clumsily to the side. Tore's iron sword, closing the distance, swung back and forth, and this time the tip of its nose fell to the ground.

Each time the monster tried to attack, its body twisted at unexpected angles, and Tore's fierce slashes took advantage of the openings. In less than two minutes, the hippo, with its front legs and face sliced, ceased all resistance and died.

Tore, having defeated the vicious monster without a scratch, thanks to his perfect coordination with Sora, nodded in satisfaction. The girl, following his lead, smiled warmly. Since fighting the red water spirit, their movements had become so synchronized that they no longer needed to speak to understand each other.

Tore silently surveyed the riverbank, now devoid of movement, as he considered what to do next. At that moment, he noticed a strange sound mixed with the rain.

Not just Tore, but everyone seemed to have noticed the sound. The three brothers had stopped fighting and were looking around.

"...There it is."

"...When did it happen?"

The twins suddenly spoke, pointing to the red muddy stream. The sound was coming from the stone mountains in the river.

Tore noticed a space on a bridge pier near the center where the rain seemed to disappear. The rain falling from above suddenly vanished at that spot.

Suddenly, the space rippled, and a figure appeared out of nowhere. A man from the Suiha clan, who had been clapping dramatically, suddenly appeared from a place that had been empty a moment ago.