[Vol 2] Chapter 1 – Nemesis Subjugation
“Munch, Munch… Rabbit meat is just as nasty…”
Currently, Hajime was in his base hungrily munching on rabbit meat. Yes, it was the meat of the Kicking Rabbit. The master of kicking techniques which once scoffed and looked down on him, has now become nothing but food. Hajime was expecting the rabbit meat to taste somewhat better, but it was magic beast’s meat after all. It was unappetizing as usual.
Nonetheless, the entire beast was completely eaten up. After obtaining 【Iron Stomach】, Hajime felt that he was able to eat as much as he likes. Especially since using unique magic increases his hunger by a large extent, and having used it when he was killing the Kicking Rabbit, it was considered an equivalent exchange. He probably wouldn’t die since there was the sacred water, but if used excessively, the sense of hunger would strike again, making it important to think carefully before using.
By the way, the Kicking Rabbit was defeated by laying a trap. Starting by drawing water from the stream and then leading the Kicking Rabbit to the scattered water, the moment it was on the water, a burst of electric shock from the maximum output of 【Lightning Clad】 struck. With its whole body blowing out fumes, it charged as usual. Weakened from the lightning attack, it was directly shot down by Donner.
As expected, it was impossible to avoid the electromagnetically accelerated bullets travelling at 3.2 kilometer per second, its life ended with its head blown into smithereens.
“Well, first time eating the meat of the Kicking Rabbit… My status…”
Imagining an explosion under his feet, Hajime kicked off all at once. His body’s magic instantly gathered under his feet, causing a depression where his feet had stepped… Hajime flew out, diving face-first into the wall.
“Ouch——!? A-Adjusting this is hard…”
Nonetheless, a success was a success. If he continued to train after this, it seems he will be able to move like the Kicking Rabbit. Combined with his gun techniques, making it an even stronger weapon.
Next was [+Aerodynamic]. However, it wasn’t readily invoked. With only its name, it was difficult to understand what kind of skill it was. While testing around, Hajime recalled how the Kicking Rabbit was able to create footholds in the air. Hajime immediately imagined stepping onto an invisible shield in the air and then, he jumped forward, diving face-first into the ground.
“Guoooo!?”
He writhed in pain while pressing his hand into his face. After writhing for awhile, his pain subsided and he drank sacred water with a disappointed expression.
“…Well, it more or less succeeded…”
The reason he fell head-first in his forward leap was due to the half-baked foothold. In short, he stumbled and fell. [+Aerodynamic] is undoubtedly an unique magic which creates footholds in the air.
With unique magic Divine Step and its derivation skills, it somehow felt like he had gained two unique magic at one go. Hajime began training in that special mood. His target was the Talon Bear. A long distance shot could probably work, but just in case, he trained. The possibility of an unexpected monster even stronger than that magic beast appearing couldn’t be denied. In the dungeon, optimists would be the first to die. Defeat the Talon Bear and search for this level’s exit.
Hajime renewed his fighting spirit.
～～～～～～～～～～
In the dungeon passage was the figure of a blurred shadow moving at high speeds.
It’s Hajime. Hajime has completely mastered Divine Step, running on the ground and walls with Ground Shrink, occasionally making footholds with Aerodynamic, he repeatedly searched for his nemesis, the Talon Bear, using high speed movements. Originally, priority should be given towards looking for an exit, but Hajime wanted the Talon Bear dead at all cost. With his once broken spirit recovered, he couldn’t help but want to try if he was still able to battle precisely before that monster’s very eyes.
“Guruua!”
On the way, he encountered a pack of Twin-tailed Wolves, and one of them lunged at him. Hajime was calm, he somersaulted on the spot while pulling out Donner which was secured to his right thigh with transmuted wire and fired.
Bang!
Boom!
The sound of dry combustible powder exploding rang out, the bullet electromagnetically accelerated by 【Lightning Clad】, accurately pulverizing the head of the first wolf. Leaping again using 【Aerodynamic】 while still in the air, he fired consecutive shots at the charging wolves. Though not all the shots hit, he somehow managed to kill all of them before the bullets ran out.
Holding Donner under the armpit of his missing left arm, Hajime quickly reloaded and without even taking a look at the corpses of the fallen wolves, he once again broke into a run.
After a while of instant kills whenever he encountered the Kicking Rabbit and Twin-tailed Wolves, he finally discovered the shadow of his nemesis. The Talon Bear appears to be having a meal, chewing on what seems like a Kicking Rabbit. Confirming that figure, with a broad grin and a fearless laugh, Hajime leisurely walked out.
The Talon Bear is the strongest species on this level and could be called a Lord. There were many Twin-tailed Wolves and Kicking Rabbits living here, but only this one Talon Bear. Therefore, the Talon Bear was this level’s unrivalled strongest. Understanding that, the other magic beasts paid careful attention not to encounter the Talon Bear, even if they really met the Talon Bear, they would escape at full speed without even resisting. Much less an impossible task like voluntarily going towards it.
But now, that impossible thing has happened.
“Yo, Talon Bear. It has been a while. Was my arm delicious?”
The Talon Bear narrowed its sharp glint. What is this creature before me? Why is it not showing its back before me? Why is its body not cowering in fear, its eyes not reflecting despair? Faced with a situation it has never encountered before, even the Talon Bear was somewhat baffled.
“It’s a revenge match. First, I’ll have you understand that I’m your enemy and not your prey.”
Saying that, Hajime pulled out Donner and pointed the muzzle directly at the Talon Bear. While in that stance, he questioned his heart. “Is it scary?” The answer is no. His eyes did not become dark with despair, neither was he trembling in fear. There was only, the pure desire to survive and to kill the enemy.
The ends of Hajime’s lips naturally lifted, making a ferocious smile.
“Kill and Devour.”
Simultaneously with that declaration, Hajime fired Donner. Bang! An explosive sound resounded as the Taur Stone bullet travelling at a super speed of 3.2 kilometer per second approached the Talon Bear.
“Guuu!?”
The Talon Bear immediately threw itself on the ground to evade. It didn’t dodge after sighting the bullet, the evading measures was even slightly before the gun discharge, perhaps a natural reaction in response to Hajime’s bloodlust. As expected from this level’s strongest Lord. That reaction speed didn’t match its huge body of over two meter. However, it wasn’t able to dodge completely and a portion of its shoulder was gouged out, staining its white fur with blood.
Anger dwelled in the Talon Bear’s eyes, it seemed like it had recognized Hajime as an ‘enemy’.
“Gaaaa!!”
Raising a roar as it charged at a staggering speed, even the earth trembled as it extended a thick, long paw from that huge two meter body. Its approaching figure gave off an overwhelming intensity.
“Haha! That’s right! I’m an enemy! Not an ordinary prey you can simply hunt!”
Despite being in the midst of that immense pressure exerted by the Talon Bear, yet, Hajime’s fearless smile didn’t even falter. Here is the turning point. Hajime’s left arm was eaten, his spirit broken, his change of heart, he was going to eliminate the magic beast which was the cause of all this. This is an essential ritual in order for him to move on after this. Hajime was convinced that if he didn’t do this now, his heart would surely “give in”.
Hajime fired again towards the charging Talon Bear. Just as the super speed bullet aimed between the Talon Bear’s brows was about to hit, the charging Talon Bear dodged aside. No matter how he looked at it, that reaction and its large size still didn’t match.
The Talon Bear timed its attack and swung its paw by making use of the power from the rush. It seemed to have invoked inherent magic as its three claws appeared to be slightly distorted. In Hajime’s mind, the memory of the Kicking Rabbit being bisected despite having already dodged those claws resurfaced. Hajime barely avoided by stepping back with his full power.
Instantly, claws coupled with a strong gust passed through where Hajime was at just moments ago, though it didn’t connect, three deep claw marks were engraved on the ground. The Talon Bear irritated at its prey escaping, roared. But at that moment, “Cling! Cling! Cling!”, it was sound of something rolling over to the Talon Bear’s feet. Lured by the sound, the Talon Bear turned its gazed towards its feet and found a rolling dark green ball-shaped object about five centimeter in diameter. The moment the Talon Bear became aware of it, that object flared up, releasing intense light.
That was a 【Flash Grenade】 Hajime made. The principle was simple, pouring magic into the Green Light Stone until it was just short of its limits, then applying a thin surface coating in order to prevent the light from escaping. Furthermore, compacting and inserting the combustible powder from the crushed Combustion Stone at the center part, the combustible powder connects the inside to the surface like a fuse. Then igniting the combustible powder that was sticking out on the surface using 【Lightning Clad】, the compressed powder will slowly catch fire until it arrives at the center and explodes. As the light had already been accumulated to its limits, after breaking the Green Light Stone, it will emit intense brilliance. By the way, the time from ignition to explosion had been adjusted to three seconds through considerable hardships, and was his prided gem.
Of course, the Talon Bear did not know of such a weapon and looked into the flash, temporarily losing its vision. Recklessly swinging its two paws as it impatiently roared. It appeared to be in panic from that strange condition of not being able to see anything.
Hajime didn’t miss this chance, immediately aiming and firing Donner again. The tremendous power of the electromagnetically accelerated bullet hit the left shoulder raging Talon Bear’s, blowing the entire arm off.
“Guruaaaaa!!!”
That immense pain which it had never once experienced before in its lifetime, the Claw Bear let out a dreadful shriek. A large amount of blood spouted out from its shoulder like a water fountain. The left arm which had been blown off spun round and round as if dancing in the air, before finally losing its momentum and falling to the ground.
“Even though it’s coincidence, but this is just too good.”
It was not Hajime’s plan to aim at that left arm. He still hasn’t mastered gun handling to that extent yet. After fighting against the straightforward charging Twin-tailed Wolves over and over again, he was unfamiliar with the movements of a recklessly raging target, making pinpoint shooting even harder. Therefore, it was completely by chance that Hajime has taken away the very same left arm that was once taken from him and eaten.
Hajime once again fired at the rampaging Talon Bear whose sight had not recovered and was in pain. Even when confused, the Talon Bear’s feral instincts reacted to the killing intent as it evaded to the side. Using 【Ground Shrink】 to pass by the Talon Bear, Hajime moved back where the left arm has fallen. Then, the Talon Bear which had slightly recovered stared at Hajime, who was raising and displaying its left arm, with eyes filled with immense fury.
Then, he deliberately bit into it. Like a feeding magic beast, blindly using his strong and powerful jaws to shred and chew the meat. Just like how the Talon Bear once did, the nightmare where your own arm being eaten right before your very eyes was reproduced.
“Ahhm, munch, the meat tastes as nasty as ever… but I wonder why does it feel tastier than other meat?”
While saying that, Hajime became cautious of the crouching Talon Bear which was glaring over. The Talon Bear didn’t move. Its eyes were not clouded with fear despite in a situation where a part of its body was being eaten, it seemed like it would not make any careless movements before it regained its vision.
Regardless of the situation, Hajime continued his meal. Before long, an abnormal change occurred. Just like the first time he ever ate magic beast meat, a fierce pain began to pulsate.
“Ugh——!”
Hajime hurriedly drank sacred water. Though the pain was not as severe as that time, he still found himself down on one knee, his face distorted from the intense pain. It appears that the Talon Bear was special as compared to the Twin-tailed Wolf or Kicking Rabbit, that pain was generated as a result of taking in a large amount of power.
However, the Talon Bear couldn’t care less about such circumstances. Seeing an opportunity, it roared and rushed. The crouching Hajime didn’t move. Just as history was about to repeat itself, with the Talon Bear trampling over him, Hajime’s mouth broke into a smile.
Pressing his right hand straight onto the ground as he wrapped his hand in lightning, he released a maximum output 【Lightning Clad】. It travelled through the liquid on the ground surface to where the Talon Bear was, mercilessly striking it.
The liquid on the surface of the ground was the blood of the Talon Bear. Like a water fountain, it had scattered a sea of blood. After picking up the Talon Bear’s left paw, Hajime had violently displayed it in order to scatter the spilling blood, connecting their respective locations with a pool of blood. Eating during a fight was nothing more than a show he had put on on a whim. Having that pain assault him after eating the Talon Bear was unexpected, but his original intention was to lay down a trap. Deliberately eating before its eyes was in order to fuel its anger, causing it to charge over. Of course, this plan was somewhat crazy, but as long as he achieved the desired result, all was fine.
The moment it stepped into its own pool of blood, an intense current and voltage instantly overran its body. Nerves were destroyed, flesh was burnt. As for maximum output, the unique magic that Hajime obtained was incomparable to the original. He was unable to release lightning attacks like the Twin-tailed Wolf, and his output was only half that of the wolf. However, it was still more than enough to cause temporary paralysis. Incidentally, if this power is directed towards humans, it wouldn’t be strange for their blood to boil.
“Groooowl”
The Talon Bear let out a low growl as it collapsed into its blood pool, causing a tremor to run through the ground. It glowered at Hajime, with eyes still full of sharp killing intent.
Hajime returned a straight stare as he endured the pain and slowly stood up. Then, pulling Donner out from its holster to put an end to all this, he pushed the muzzle against the Talon Bear’s head.
“Become my food.”
Those words were accompanied by the pulling of the trigger. The shot bullets executed their master’s will faithfully, pulverizing the Talon Bear’s head.
The gunshot echoed within the dungeon. The Talon Bear did not avert its eyes up till the very end, neither did Hajime.
It wasn’t as refreshing as he imagined. But, neither was it futile. It was simply something that must be done. For the sake of survival, in order to earn the rights to live in this area.
Hajime simply closed his eyes and faced his inner-self once again. Then, he reaffirmed his determination for survival. I dislike fighting. I want to avoid pain. I want to eat till I’m full. And… I want to live. Shatter the unreasonable, no mercy for anything hostile, everything is for the sake of survival.
Continuing to live like this… then… I want to go home. The inner depths of his heart appealed.
“Right… I want… to go back. The others can do as they like. I will go back using my own methods. Fulfilling my wish. Whoever hinders me, no matter what kind of existence…”
Eyes widened, Hajime’s mouth lifted into a fearless smile.
“KILL!”
～～～～～～～～～～