AN: Short story. This isn't an introduction for a long arc.
As expected, it's impossible to make a long arc with these guys w
*zudon*, an impact sound that resounded until the bottom of stomach shook the air.
A thunderous sound and vibration that even felt as though a demon king somewhere had launched a bombardment didn't stop ringing at just once, the sound and impact were occurring in succession.
At the same time, in the rust colored world――in the great desert Guryuen, a large sand pillar rose up and the rolled up sand cloud obstructed the sunlight.
Although, what obstructed the sunlight the most wasn't the sand cloud. If there was a person here, they would undoubtedly open their eyes wide and doubted their own sanity, or escaped from reality by convincing themselves that this was a mirage characteristic of the desert.
An object that could cause any person to be like that was dancing in the sky, higher than the sand cloud and locally obstructed the sunlight.
Yes,
「「「GYUOOOOOOOOOO」」」
By the killers of the great desert that were screaming while getting launched up to the air――the sandworms.
Originally, they would lurk underground and detected their prey through sound and vibration, then suddenly leaped out from underground and swallowed their prey into their mouth that was like an excavator. That was sandworm's trait. Their difficulty to be detected and their surprise attack were the greatest target of precaution for people who were going through desert, they were a symbol of terror.
Such killers who wouldn't show their figure above ground except when preying on the prey, why would they now dancing not just above ground but even in the sky.
Of course this wasn't because they had evolved and learned the ability to fly in the sky.
The cause of that was this.
『GO DIEEEEEEEEEEE-』
Higher than the sandworms that were launched up, was an existence that was dashing to the sky. It spoke sharply like a yakuza while it descended with its rabbit ears fluttering.
The rear legs that were abnormally developed accelerated each time they kicked on the air, finally it broke the wall of air and transformed into a white cannon shot. It was the kick rabbit that originated from the bottom of abyss――Inaba.
His rush that was jointly using gravity's acceleration, Air Force, and Explosive Ground Shrinker was just like a meteor. There was no way the launched up sandworm had any way to evade, it received Inaba's heel drop kick and the middle of its body burst.
Faster than the rain of blood and flesh, Inaba kicked on the air and rapidly altered his path, without pause he performed forward somersault and pulverized the head of the sandworm that was further below.
When he rushed passed the sandworm midair his body twisted and launched midair roundhouse kick. The fluttering of his rabbit ears due to the breeze of wind was beautiful. But, the result that was brought about was the very definition of gruesome. A shockwave that flew out following the trajectory of the kick exterminated one sandworm that was beginning to fall.
In addition, when Inaba swung his leg upside down in reverse as though he was break dancing, a slash that should be called as foot sword flew out from there, cutting apart the last sandworm into two.
Inaba who landed on the ground lightly flicked his rabbit ears *fuasah* with his front leg. Right after that, flesh and blood and the corpses of sandworms rained down around him. Inaba was standing with composure in the middle of the squall of flesh and blood.
『Do you think I don't notice? Come out already yeah. If you still has in you the dignity as the lord here.』
By the way, when Inaba-san talked normally, his talk would sound like 「Mokyu, mokyukyu? Ukyu. Mokyu~~kyumokyu」. It was lovely. He is a lovely bunny-chan who in the end of his evolution had his appearance turned into pure white with his round and cute crimson eyes looking moist.
He was able to talk with human language because of the function of one of the ear cuffs attached on his rabbit ear. The ear cuff possessed the skill of "Language Comprehension" and "Telepathy", using the broadcasting function his words could be conveyed to his surrounding as though he was talking normally.
Of course, the creator was that guy.
The great desert Guryuen returned a silence like calm water at Inaba's questioning. A beat, two beat……no change appeared even after waiting.
『……Well, it ain't matter. I too don't really want to bully the weak. I only bought the fight that was sold to me. If you say you gonna tuck your tail and run away, then I won't follow. See ya.』(TN: Inaba's speech is using thick Kansai dialect)
Inaba quickly turned around and began walking toward west.
Right after that, the ground exploded.
The opponent that Inaba called out. It was a deser monster that was emitting especially strong magic power. It was a giant sandworm――to the degree that the sandworms before this looked like children. It blew up the ground and assaulted Inaba from directly below.
Inaba's figure wasn't there.
There was only the giant body of the sandworm that pushed out until more than a hundred meter instantly, it looked like a tower that suddenly appeared right in the middle of desert.
Was Inaba whose body as a monster was comparatively small swallowed whole in a flash by this sandworm……
Right after it looked like that,
『Not just your movement, even your instinct is dull huh. This is the end yeah! Lament your own stupidity――pass to the next life ya!』
A black spot was created inside the blazing sun. The true identity of that was obviously, Inaba.
The moment the giant sandworm leaped out, Inaba kicked on its jaw at the same time and flew up high to the sky.
The powerful leg that was swung down along with a piercing yell cut across the pointed up jaw of the sandworm along with an impact, without pause the cut and impact ran until the ground like breaking piled up roof tiles with a punch.
The rabbit ears of Inaba who stepped on the ground went *fuasah* once more.
A beat later, the twitching giant sandworm was cleanly split into two and collapsed to left and right.
『If you want to pick a fight with me, at the very least wait until you can win against the monsters running rampant at the bottom of the abyss's bottom……hey, you cannot hear me anymore huh.』
Inaba shrugged with his rabbit ears and turned around, this time for sure he aimed toward the western sea and rushed using Multi Ground Shrinker.
『Even so, as I thought the monster on the surface ain't satisfying to fight yeah. If it's like this, perhaps I should go to the palace even I gotta wait for a bit, so I can fight that cheeky rabbit or Ou-sama again huh.』(TN: Ou-sama = king)
Inaba was letting out her complaining of dissatisfaction while sprinting explosively in a speed where even the surrounding desert looked blurry.
Currently Inaba was separated from her employer and also friend Suzu.
In the first place she became Suzu's subordinate monster was to become stronger. But his wish wouldn't come true in the present-day Japan. Of course, if he actually accompanied Suzu to Japan, he would also be able to do mock battle against Shia or Hajime or others, but as expected there was no way he would be able to fight against them every day with how busy they were.
And so, Inaba was traveling from place to place that had enemy that seemed strong, like the deep part of the northern mountain range and the sea of forest, the interior of great canyon Raisen, the lowest level of abyss, and so on. But for the current Inaba, there was finally no more enemy that could give him a hard battle.
Training, and then growing from that itself was what Inaba was living for. Heightening his martial art and knowing his own limit was exactly his life work.
He wanted to proof that even a monster could reach the height of martial art in the end of hard work, that his kick was able to reach the top of the world.
For Inaba who was such a martial artist, his current situation where he found no battle that could make his blood boiled and his flesh danced, where he had to cross through the verge of death, was honestly a really withering situation for him. It was to the degree that his rabbit ears were completely limp compared to usual.
『Boredom and stagnation are exactly the greatest enemy. Yosh, if I cannot find anything after searching for a bit, I'm gonna head to the palace and wait until Ou-sama open the gate. It also has been a long time since I met Suzu-han. If that Ryuu person made Suzu-han cry……I'm gonna split open his head.』
After about a few hours of dry desert sound that fluttered his rabbit ears.
Inaba who crossed the desert with astounding speed finally arrived at the western sea. There was the 【Sea City Erisen】at the coast, but Inaba's destination wasn't there.
Inaba came here to meet someone. He was going to meet a friend that he suddenly remembered amidst his days where he was starting to feel boredom. 'Come to think of it, I haven't showed up my face to him for long already', he thought.
Inaba took a step forward from the coast. Inaba didn't fall to the sea. Dark red ripple was spreading under his feet, making a firm foothold midair.
Like that Inaba rapidly left toward offshore by walking above the sea.
And then, when he reached a spot where soon it would be hard to even see the coast, Inaba took a really deep breath, and he called loudly at the one he came to meet.
『BO~~~~~~~~SS, LE~~~~~~~~E!!』
The loud telepathic yell spread out like a ripple. The call that was filled with magic power and magnified by artifact would reach the radius of 100 kilometer if it was done seriously.
Inaba focused his rabbit ears for a while to look for any reaction.
And then……
『DON'T SCREAM, SO LOUDLYYY~~~~!! Which idiot is doing this huhhh!!?』
An angry yell of harsh voice came back. The voice sounded pointlessly dandy, but it contained sullenness as though the voice's owner had just gotten woken up from his sleep by someone screaming into his ear using a megaphone.
『Oo, it reached out just with a yell. My luck is really good yeah.』
A few minutes after waiting while saying such easygoing thing, *plop* what showed up its face out from the sea was a fish with a human face that looked like a middle-aged man――that person (?) Leeman. (TN: The katakana of Leeman can also mean salary man in Japan)
『What's this, ain't this Inaba. I thought it was an idiot from somewhere.』
『Really sorry, boss Lee. I picked the fastest way to find you boss. You were sleeping?』
The two congenially conversed.
Actually, these two were acquainted with each other. It was after the legendary decisive battle was over during the one month before the return to earth. Hajime went to show his face to Leeman and Inaba who accompanied him met Leeman at that time.
As fellow monster who had strong ties with human, especially with Hajime, the two hit it off and since then their relationship grew where they could call each other friend.
Inaba scratched his head while apologizing. In respond to that Leeman splashed around the sea surface while shaking his head.
『I didn't sleep. Recently, the west from here is a bit noisy, so I patrolled and straighten up the idiots who got too rowdy. After all my wife and children cannot feel peaceful because of their noisiness.』
『Nothing beats your family in good health. ……But, acting stupid in the turf of a friend of the godslayer……those guys really don't value their own life eh. Well, normal monster cannot think anything like that though.』
Inaba sat down on the midair foothold that he created within inches above the sea surface while saying that with his rabbit ears swinging in amusement.
Leeman who was lightly bobbing on the surface beside the foothold was also throwing his gaze in a relaxed gesture in order to enjoy himself in the idle talk with his friend that he finally was reunited with after a while.
『I'm not that much of a big shot. If it's not for Ha-bou's meddlesomeness, my strength is only to the degree where I can command the dweller of sea a bit. I'm just a trivial old man. It's uncomfortable that a lot of people, including you are strangely paying me respect, so stop it.』(TN: Ha-bou, the bou is like calling the other person sonny.)
『That's because boss Lee is Ou-sama's lifesaver after all. It's natural that you were paid respect about that much. As the proof of that, ain't boss got gifted with a lot of artifacts? There was even some human who schemed or got loud tryin' to get their hand on boss's artifacts but got their just desert in the end, ain't that right?』
Just as Inaba said, the human faced fish Leeman's name was actually relatively well-known among the humans.
After the legendary decisive battle, naturally the historians and poets were making a lot of tales and poems that extolled that godslayer demon king. Amidst all that tales and poems, they identified the true identity of Leeman who Hajime meet during the one month before his return home, the interviewed a certain rabbit eared girl, and then they circulated the conspicuous service of Leeman far and wide.
When Hajime's party was about to get eaten by the monster lurking in the bottom of sea since the ancient time――the Evil Eater, he came running in their predicament, and by himself he bought time and gave them the chance to recover from the hopeless situation.
The historians said. If at that time Leeman didn't come running, the world would lose the mean to oppose the mad god and perhaps the world would perish.
――A human faced fish monster that was also the close friend of the godslayer demon king Leeman
It was recognized as a legend that spread far and wide through the continent.
Leeman let out a deep sigh, however, he then glared sharply at Inaba.
『You are prattling about artifacts or being lifesaver, but you yourself is also outrageous.』
Leeman's gaze turned toward the several ear cuffs fixed on Inaba's rabbit ears. Every single one of those ear cuffs was national treasure class artifact that ought to be managed by the palace, they were Hajime's quality product that currently were becoming super rare legendary artifact in Tortus.
And then above all else, was Inaba's popularity that was surpassing Leeman. After all,
『The only monster that became an ally of the demon king party by his own will, someone who fought through the Holy Precincts――Kicking King Inaba. Whether it was the hundreds of corpse beast soldiers, or the mighty and unequaled monsters of Holy Precincts, they weren't allowed to stand before his technique, right? Kukukuh』
『Sto, stop it already boss. I didn't do anything big. I only helped a bit so Suzu-han could talk with her friend. I'm the one who really didn't do anything much.』
Looking at Inaba whose rabbit ears folded down powerlessly with a troubled face, Leeman raised a pleasant laugh.
Both of them had the self-awareness that they were monster. Both of them ended up having deep relationship with the savior of mankind through a strange fate, but originally monster was the enemy of mankind. Both of them didn't even have a shred of hostility toward human, but even so, having praise and respect from those humans directed to them made them felt really awkward.
『And, what's your business here?』
Leeman asked to change the mood.
『No, I don't really have any business here y'know. There is no more enemy here that can fight me satisfactorily, so at the next chance I got I'm thinking to go to Ou-sama's place. At that time I won't be able to meet boss for the next while, so I showed up before that.』
『What a diligent guy. Well, thanks. When you meet Ha-bou, tell him I said hi.』
『Got it ya.』
After that Leeman and Inaba talked about the recent happening.
Two monsters getting heated up with old man talk in the middle of nowhere on the ocean. One side was talking with excessively dandy voice, spinning wording that was excessively suggestive, while the other side was using Kansai dialect. Boke & tsukkomi were bursting flowingly in their talk.
In the middle, hearing Inaba who was dissing Shia, Leeman smiled wryly while remonstrating Inaba 「Don't treat the missy like an enemy too much okay」 and so on, the time was flowing while they were getting heated up talking about Shia.
But a little while after that, Leeman-san suddenly muttered 『Nn?』 as though he noticed something and he turned his gaze toward faraway.
『Boss, what's up?』
『……The sea, is crying.』
It wasn't chuuni. Leeman wanted to say that the residents of sea that weren't sea monster were moving about in fear it seemed.
Inaba's eyes narrowed and he gazed at the sea at the west. Leeman also frowned while nodding.
『……Just now, I said that at the west it was noisy right? It seemed that it was flowing this way from really far away. I once went to investigate when the sun had set enough, but there wasn't anything particularly strange. But, it was curious.』
『Curious? What is?』
『The monsters straying this way. All of them, they felt like they were scared.』
『Scared……. Is boss sayin' that something is happening at really far away there? And that something made the scared monsters to wander this way, is that it?』
『It's just my guess in the end though.』
It was really suspicious. But, at the same time Inaba's heart leaped. If it was unknown then that was great. If it was a threat then that was even better. Boredom and stagnation was exactly Inaba's greatest enemy.
『Good thing I'm here, boss. The wandering monsters are coming here again right? Bring me along too ya. It's better the more helper there are right? Let's protect the peace of the sea with high spirits yeah.』
『……Good grief, someone like you. You are talking about peace with that kind of cheerful face? That's just your battle maniac in full force.』
『I ain't a battle maniac. I'm a martial artist. Fighting strong enemy is just what I'm lookin' for. Even if boss don't bring me along, I'm still gonna follow you.』
Leeman who shook his fin as though wanting to say 'good grief' in exasperation turned a glare toward Inaba.
『Can you fight underwater huh? I'm not going to babysit you okay?』
『I cannot fight underwater. But, if they want to kill me, they have to jump out from the sea. I just need to provoke them ya. Besides, look, I look delicious right?』
『You are rabbit after all. Your appearance that is.』
Inaba was laughing 'ha-ha-ha-ha', to which Leeman was making an expression that seemed like he was enduring headache as though to say 「I won't say any more」 while right after that, he let out a powerful telepathy.
That telepathy was to guide the living things in the sea. It was a measure so they wouldn't be vainly killed by the monsters pouring in from the far western sea, to protect the sea environment (Leeman's sphere of daily life).
At the same time, an abnormal pressure of fighting spirit was emitted from Inaba. His fighting spirit that was perfectly controlled reached out toward the west.
Inaba grinded his rabbit legs for warm-up while he was making a fearless smile and made his rabbit ears went *fuasah*.
『Come on, let's go yeah, friend of godslayer.』
『Good grief, can't be helped. Let's go already, kicking king of holy precincts.』
Saying that, the two rushed toward the chaotic west.
AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.
Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.
Recently, I'm thinking that middle-aged old man is nice huh.
Harsh old man, cool old man, absurdly strong old man.
Old man who is unperturbed no matter what happened, and can deal with it like adult.
I want to try to write story with that kind of old men as the main characters someday.
That's all from Shirakome.
PS
The latest chapter of comic version Arifureta is updated.
Yue is cute. I can see various Yue.
If you are interested it can be seen at the homepage of Overlap-sama, so please try to have a look.