Chapter Twenty-eight: A Mr. Hungry Bear in the Forest, Is Death Awaiting Us?
The massive bear’s claws came swiping down toward the elderly man who could barely maintain his stance. Imagining the red substance that would surely splatter around, I instinctively squeeze my eyes shut.
But.
“The Lucky Clover party, was it? At the request of your member for rescue, we of the Gourmands have come to lend a hand!”
“Oh… Kent made it in time, then…!”
Before I knew it, Mr. Ville had caught up. Nervously opening my eyes, I saw Mr. Ville shielding the old man, blocking the bear’s arm with just his sword. As He deflected the bear’s arm, its massive body staggering backward from the force.
My frantic thoughts of "How dashing! Amazing!! So cool!!!" competed with the calmer "That cat boy’s name was Kent?" as I struggled to maintain my composure.
The old man covered in grievous wounds crumpled to his knees, still shielded by Mr. Ville.
“Bind!”
“Oh God, have mercy!”
With Ms. Aria’s clear, piercing voice ringing out as she leaped soundlessly from the cabin, a shining silver net-like object appeared. In an instant, it enveloped not only the fallen beastman and the kneeling girl—who also seemed elvish?—but even the wheezing old man, transporting them all to Ms. Aria’s feet in the next moment.
A net-capturing technique…?
I can hear them groaning and see them moving, which means they’re still alive.
And Mr. Xenon, having finished preparations already, waved his staff, bathing them in the same pale blue light as before and quietly mending their wounds, just like with the cat boy.
“Your wounds are healed, but your lost blood and stamina will not recover immediately. Please rest for a while.”
“…You guys are…?”
“…The Gourmands. That cat person asked us for help.”
“Ah, Kent did! Thank you, thank you so much!”
As Ms. Aria’s binding net dissipated, the three leaned against each other and slumped on the ground. Xenon spoke soothingly to the beastman, who seemed most severely injured, while the beastman slowly lifted the head, still not grasping the situation. The elf girl, with widened eyes, either surprised by the presence of a completely unknown party or relieved by Ms. Aria’s brief explanation, blinked tearfully with a sense of relief.
As the tension seemed to dissipate, the beastman leaned back, supported by the elf girl, who was now shedding tears, gently stroking her friend, both of them embraced by the old man.
This group seems okay now…
The feeling that we made it in time before it was too late welled up warmly in my chest, filling my heart. My tightly clenched lips relaxed, and I let out a relieved sigh. The faint taste of iron on my tongue suggested how tense I had been… the habit of biting the inner part of my lip is hard to break…
‘GuuaaaAAauaaauuuuu!!!!!’
My momentarily loosened nerves were abruptly interrupted by a deep, guttural roar.
With dull golden eyes glinting ominously, the red-furred bear let out an earth-shaking roar. Whether from frustration at its prey being snatched or delight at more food presenting itself…
The beast’s echoing bellow make every hair on my body stand on end.
A terror far beyond that bird earlier courses through me.
The fact that I manage to refrain from screaming is perhaps thanks to the mental discipline of Survival or the advantage of being inside the sturdy camping car.
That’s right! Mr. Ville and Mr. Ed were still fighting it!
Sweeping my gaze over, I see the massive bear raging with fiery eyes, consumed by anger over its prey stolen away. With every swing of its thick arms, capable of easily dispatching a human, sparks of red fire dance into the air. The flames falling to the ground and singeing the grass beneath its feet are no illusion. They are undoubtedly flames with real heat and substance!
But why would a bear be surrounded by fire…?
My clenched palms are damp with sweat. However, I have no spare attention to be bothered by it as, with each furious swing of the bear’s arms, more and more sparks scatter, gradually coalescing into multiple large fireballs.
Could it be… that bear, it can use magic too?! Come to think of it, what did the cat boy… Mr. Kent call that bear?
Oh, right… ”fire bear”…
At the edge of my vision, the gray bear with a mane-like tuft of red fur seemed to sneer with its amber eyes contorted in a sinister manner. At that moment, countless fireballs, each larger than a basketball, surged forward with bullet-like velocity and force, matching the swings of the bear’s arms.
“Like I’ll let you!”
With a grin brimming with murderous intent, Mr. Ed’s arm swung out.
In an instant, a wall of ice materialized, encircling the Camping Car, Ms. Aria, and the adventurers she rescued.
The glass-like transparent ice wall showed no signs of melting despite taking numerous fireballs head-on.
‘GAAaaAAAaauUUUaaaAAAaaaA!!!!!’“What? Is that supposed to be magic? Are you stupid? Are you trying to get yourself killed? A flint would be more useful, you know?”
‘GYAaaaaaAAAAAAaAAAgyyAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!’Thwarted by the ice wall that effortlessly extinguished its flames, the great bear continued stamping and roaring madly. Even the embers it scattered were shot down by the glistening shards of ice Mr. Ed unleashed like stardust. Openly mocking and taunting the enraged great bear as it fruitlessly swiped its claws again and again, none of the bear’s sharp claws, as long and thick as an adult’s fingers, could harm Mr. Ed. It was because Mr. Ville’s sword, maneuvering between Mr. Ed and the great bear, deflected and repelled everything.
“I bear you no particular grudge, but if this continues, you’ll endanger other adventurers.”
‘Gya!!! GRuuuaAaaaaaAAAA!!!’“Then I’ll send you off without too much suffering—Blade Breaker!!!”
He simply steps powerfully forward, entering the great bear’s space, then with a burst of his spirit kicks off the ground and leaps up.
A silver flash sears through my retina.
The rampaging bear momentarily tenses its body, taking one step, then two… seeming to stagger, and as it moves, a red line resembling a collar encircled its neck.
What is that…?
As I tilt my head, the bear’s head also begins to tilt. Before I can even react with a "huh," the bear’s head falls with a thud.
“…Huh?”
In the blink of an eye, the decapitated bear’s body erupts a geyser of fresh blood from the severed crimson stump before crashing down with an earthshaking thud.
Just like the bird from before, its massive mound of a body disperses into black ashen particles and vanishes.
The head, covered in red fur, also turns to dust like the body, scattering into the wind.
“…Strange… it put up less resistance than I expected.”
Having landed after leaping over the dissipating bear, Mr. Ville shook off the gore clinging to his blade with a ringing sound before sheathing it at his waist.
His muttered words as he watched the scattering ashes were likewise swept away by the wind…
The translator’s corner
The bear’s roars were originally in English.
thank you for translating <3
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