Kuzu Inou【Ondo wo Kaeru Mono】 no Ore ga Musou suru made Chapter 104

104 War in the Forest 5  Encounter 2

Akai and I cooperate while evaporating the Variants' heads.
I didn't count it, but I think we have defeated about 300 of them.
We continued fighting for more than an hour and decreased the number of the enemies……That was what we were doing, but…

「……This is too much……no matter how you look at it……!!」

They kept coming out even after we defeated them.
Who the hell produced this much……!!
Anyway, there's too much. Our extermination speed can't catch up with it at all.

「Hey, Serizawa……you're losing your breath. Are you okay?」

Akai who fought beside me, calls me out.
I want to say "No problem, I still can go on", but……

「……This might be a little……bad……」

To be honest……not a little, but it's really bad.
I seemed to be scared of the crowd of the Variants, and I charged towards them from the start with almost full power. At first, my condition was good, but……when I think calmly, there's no way I can defeat them continuously at such pace.
I jumped too soon without thinking of the consequences. As a result, I'm at this mess. I'm severely in need of water and oxygen. And also, due to the shock of the high speed movement of 『Ignition』, my intestines were rocking violently, so I'm feeling considerably sick. I feel like I want to vomit.
It's about a little more than one hour since the battle started. My body is very exhausted already. I'm not that weak to complaint just by some blows and scratches, but this is bad. I totally made a mistake in the stamina allotment.
My knees are starting to shake.

「……I overdid it from the start…………if this goes on, I will definitely…………die……!」

It's not like I'm not confident of my stamina, but this is something of another level. Battles after battles. Fierce battles after fierce battles. It's parade of battles to the extent that I want to praise myself for not getting any serious wounds.
In addition, while my stamina is being depleted, they keep on coming out.

……Don't tell me they spawn infinitely……?

「……Hey, already exhausted? There's still more to come, you know?」

It somehow sounds like I'm a weak guy, but I'm a healthy guy and I have some stamina. This guy is a little weird as he can still be composed even after running and fighting for more than an hour.

「……Haa……haa…………Ah, I want to rest……!!」

Of course, the monsters in front of us, won't let us rest.
But I can't run anymore. I have reached my limit. If I move any further, I will definitely die due to lack of oxygen.

In order to survive at this place……
……I need to conserve energy. Energy conservation battles.
From now on, I need to use the super-energy conserving tactics. I have no choice.

But how can I do that?
Is there a good idea……
I think desperately while lacking of oxygen.
……Somehow, something like shooting a beam from my hand…… ……Ah, shit!!! I can't think properly……!!!

「……Dammit, what should I do……!!」

……No.
Beam?
Wait a minute.
……That's not impossible.

Combining 『Heat Cut』 and 『Heat Up』……right. I might be able to do it.
But I need time to concentrate for a while. During that time, I need Akai to protect me.

「……Akai……stay on my side for a while…………please don't throw me away, okay? I can't move for a while from now on. Protect me」
「O-Oh……?」

While saying such disgusting words, I image the 『Heat Cut』 long and thin, and concentrate on my right index finger……and fire a line of heat towards the Variant's middle forehead.

「『Heat Ray』」

I won't think of a name for it. Because I have no time for that.
The line of light fired from my finger, hit the targeted point, and the next moment, the Variant's head becomes red……and blows up.
The blast blows the Variants around all at once, and also moving down the nearby trees.

「……Holyshit……this is much more powerful than expected……」

That's a miscalculation, but it's fine. I can use this. I have such conviction.

「Hey, Serizawa……just now……?」
「From now on, I will fight with that. Because I don't want to move anymore. So……protect me from now on, okay?」
「……O-Oh……?」

And I fix my legs on that spot, narrow down the target to 10 Variants in front, and fire continuous lights from my right index finger.

「『Heat Ray』」

Bobobobobobo!!!
Receiving a way thinner ray than the previous one, the 10 Variants' heads blew up and their bodies crumbled.

「……Okay, looks like I can adjust the power」

This is honestly a technique that requires concentration.
I need time to concentrate on the target, and there's a lag before it's fired.
I think it can't be used in a melee. But my aim is to recover my stamina now.
This is fine.
With this, I can at least rest my legs while fighting.

「I rely on you, Akai. I won't be moving from here for a while. Protect me as if protecting a stone statue」
「Ah……understood」

Replying shortly, Akai jumped in front while scattering fireballs in order to attract the Variants. At his back, I who have became a fixed battery, blow up the Variant's head one after another.
First, the closest ones. When they are all dead, I move towards the further ones. Once that's finished, I will search for the ones that are in my range, and crush them one after another.
It's just like a shooting game, but it's not exhilarating at all. If I don't know that they are formerly humans, I might be able to enjoy this a little.

「……It's finally starting to decrease a little」

Breaking the crowd of monsters, I can see the forest. ……We're through.
Although it's only one part, we broke through the crowd of monsters that I thought to be infinite.

I can finally see some hope.
We might return alive.
The moment I thought so, I can see the figure of a human at the end of my vision.

「Why……human?」

It's no mistake. There are two humans walking inside the crowd of Variants.
What I see is a man wearing a dark colored suit, and a skinhead man with a large build. They are walking alongside.

「It's not chaotic as expected」
「Ah. Looks like there is an excellent commander」

The two of them were talking about something, and they head towards us.
When I thought about that……they suddenly appeared in front of us.
Just like that, they walked towards us once again.

「Hey, is that in calculation?」
「That is in the calculation error. Not a problem. There is no change of plan」

……Who are they?
What just happened? How did they get close?
The surrounding Variants don't have any interest at them for some reason. Then, that means……

「……So that's the said one? We shouldn't kill him, right?」
「Ah, it is a trouble if he hatches now. However, it is troublesome to have him nearby……blow him away」
「Roger」

The next moment, the air around them, distorts.
And the man wearing a dark gray suit, disappeared.

「……That was close!?」

Just when he disappeared, a kick flew towards my nape.
I dodge it by a hair's breadth.

「Hey, you dodged that one」

The man said that while looking at my face calmly.
……I have no time to hesitate. I received an attack. These guys are enemies.

「『Heat Ray』」

I fire the heat ray to his shoulder.
But the heat ray that should be going straight towards him, distorts and misses.

「Don't do such dangerous things, Boy」

I fire another heat ray, but it misses again. As I thought, I can't hit him.

When doing so, the man throws another kick. He's fast. But I can dodge it.
I try to take distance from him by activating 『Ignition』. My body felt a light impact, and I can feel acceleration. But and yet……it's strange. Something's wrong.
I should have moved.
And yet, why the distance between us is still the same?
When I was bewildered, I was kicked on my stomach.

「Kuha……!?」

By that kick, my body flies up to the air. And when my body became stiff due to the pain, the man points his palm towards me.

「You're tired after working so hard, right? Just have a rest」

Shit. He's going to attack. I need to dodge.
The moment I thought so.

Don.
My whole body received an impact. I was blown away violently, and my vision blurred. I felt a lot of my bones broke by that impact.
Upon feeling that much, I lost my consciousness.

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