NOVEL NEXT Chapter 23: Takatsuki Makoto faces the giant
The shining giant warped its mouth as if happy and began talking.
“…People, huh.”
Low.
It was as if he was speaking from a giant speaker in a low tone that reverberates right down to the pit of my stomach.
Fuji-yan is still holding his head muttering something.
Nina-san has taken a stance with Fuji-yan at her back.
Lucy has her mouth wide open with a pale face.
I pulled the hand of Lucy, got close to Fuji-yan and Nina-san to the point our shoulders are almost touching.
I am maintaining my calm with [Clear Mind].
Fuji-yan has a dungeon escape item.
Right now he is panicking, but using that to get everyone to a safe place is the best choice. It would be best to gather at one place as much as possible.
But let’s watch the situation for a bit first.
The reaction of the Detection is weird.
This guy might not be a bad guy, that kind of positive thinking appeared in my mind.
“…Let me thank you. The seal has been undone thanks to you guys.”
Did we do something?
My eyes naturally went to Lucy.
“?!”
Lucy shakes her head to the sides.
‘It is not me!’, is the face she is making, but didn’t you touch the magic crystal a few moments ago?
Was it Lucy?, is what I thought, but it wasn’t.
“It was me… Using [Appraisal] was a bad thing…” (Fujiwara)
Fuji-yan answers with a trembling voice.
“…I was defeated in the war and was casted a petrification seal… That seal may have weakened after a long passing of time, but it wasn’t something I could undo on my own. I needed someone to be aware of me.”
“Huh…there’s things like that too, huh.” (Makoto)
But if that’s the case, then it is not as if Fuji-yan is at fault.
“Anyone would appraise that giant crystal. It can’t be helped.” (Makoto)
Fuji-yan may be depressed by it, but he didn’t mean harm.
“…Your average eye cannot break through my seal… Unless you have the God Eyes that can see through even the disguise of Gods.”
“God Eyes…” (Makoto)
Did Fuji-yan have a skill like that?
No, he said Appraisal, so maybe it means that his Appraisal skill is god-like?
“My Appraisal isn’t god level, you know…” (Fujiwara)
Fuji-yan denies my conjecture.
“…I don’t know… But the seal was undone… That’s what matters.”
Meaning that we saved this giant, basically.
Words get through him and it doesn’t look like we will get attacked.
That’s what I was thinking.
“…I am hungry.”
Until he said that.
The giant was staring intently at us.
Oi oi, aren’t we your benefactors?
Don’t look at us with those eyes.
A chill ran down my back.
“[R-Return]!” (Nina)
Nina-san takes the item from Fuji-yan and activates it.
What a relief! I didn’t know how to use it.
We four were covered in light and when the light went out, we were standing in front of the cave.
We are safe now.
No, not yet.
“Let’s move away from here.” (Makoto)
This place is dangerous.
“I-Is it okay to leave that?” (Lucy)
Lucy asks in a scared voice.
“Let’s go back and report it to the guild!” (Nina)
It is as Nina-san says.
“…”
Fuji-yan is still depressed.
“Let’s all return to the city. That guy from before might be chasing after us.” (Makoto)
Everyone nodded lightly and we were about to return to the city when…
*Crack!*
The ground in front of us swelled.
It was visibly changing to a humanoid shape.
And then, it began to shine dully.
“…Where are you going?”
This is bad…
What’s with this guy?
We can’t run away from him.
“Goshujin-sama! Please run away!” (Nina)
Nina-san heads towards the giant.
“Y-You musn’t! Don’t fight him!”
Fuji-yan shouts in panic, but it was too late.
Nina-san’s kick was about to hit the head of the giant.
*Bong!*
A dull sound like hitting a bell echoed.
The giant just waited to get kicked.
Could it be that it is slow?
“…Wait.”
The giant’s right hand moved.
“Eh?” (Nina)
Nina-san intended to move away as soon as she finished the attack. She tried to do exactly that…but the giant’s movement was so fast that she couldn’t react.
The giant looked like it moved slowly.
But by the time we noticed, the fingertip of the giant had slightly touched Nina-san.
Nina-san was sent flying.
“Gahagh!!” (Nina)
*Blam!*
She crashed onto a faraway tree and collapsed.
Seriously?! Nina-san is a Silver Rank, you know.
He defeated her in a single hit.
“Fuji-yan, what is that?!” (Makoto)
“It said that it is an Evil Giant God that incurred the rage of the Holy Gods… According to my Appraisal, the seal had been undone… That’s all I could tell.” (Fujiwara)
Evil Giant God…
It certainly is a dangerous sounding title.
“Fuji-yan, please heal Nina-san with a healing item. I will buy time with Lucy.” (Makoto)
“Understood! Please don’t push yourself.” (Fujiwara)
Fuji-yan runs towards Nina-san.
Lucy is chanting at my side.
Normally, she wouldn’t make it in time, but the giant is taking its time when moving. But I don’t know if he will be making that mysterious move that he did when attacking Nina-san.
“[F-Firestorm]!” (Lucy)
This time she made it in time.
A fire storm even bigger than the time with the Griffon was swirling with the giant at the center of it.
“Incredible, Lucy! That’s High Grade Magic.” (Makoto)
“I can succeed 1 out of 10 times!” (Lucy)
So you pulled a 10% chance.
I thought ‘don’t go crossing a dangerous bridge like that’, but I don’t think a normal spell will be working against the giant.
The firestorm was burning continuously as if it were trying to burn the sky.
“Alright, it should have damaged it somewhat. Let’s run together with Nina-san and Fuji-yan.” (Makoto)
“W-Wait, I am not used to High Grade Magic, so I might have gotten a bit Mana Dizzy.” (Lucy)
It is something that a low mana person like me can’t relate to, but people with high mana like Lucy seem to get dizzy as if they were drunk from alcohol after using a strong spell and activating the mana from their whole body.
Fuji-yan is using the healing item on Nina-san.
Good, with this…
The ground trembled.
The birds in the forest all flew away at the same time.
I could hear the scared cries of animals from far away. It might be the cries of monsters.
When I hesitantly turned back, I could see the giant slowly coming out from the firestorm.
“…Unscathed?” (Lucy)
The voice of Lucy is trembling.
If I didn’t have Clear Mind, my heart might have broken too.
An enemy that the High Grade Magic of Lucy isn’t effective against.
An enemy we cannot deal with.
I want to run away, but the enemy is using a strange movement method.
“Lucy, run away with Fuji-yan and Nina-san.” (Makoto)
I tell her in a low voice.
“A-And you, M-Makoto?” (Lucy)
“I will buy time.” (Makoto)
“[XXXXXXXXXXX (Water Overflow)], [Water Magic: Mist].” (Makoto)
I change the generated water from Spirit Magic into mist.
The surroundings get covered in mist in an instant.
“…Spirit Magic, huh.”
I hear the low tone of the giant.
“Lucy, go.” (Makoto)
“B-But!” (Lucy)
“Fuji-yan is an important friend of mine. I am counting on you.” (Makoto)
“…I won’t forgive you if you die.” (Lucy)
“Alright.” (Makoto)
She is saying the same thing as the Goddess.
But it is rare that the Goddess isn’t saying anything herself.
Give me some advice here…
*Thum!*
The mist is dyeing my vision completely white, but the giant seems to be heading our way.
Lucy ran to where Fuji-yan is.
The vision is zero, but Lucy’s ears are good.
She should be able to regroup with him.
Okay, let’s do this.
[Stealth].
I activate my skill.
The plan is simple.
I take away the vision of the enemy with the mist and cut him with the Goddess’s dagger, and then once again hide with Stealth.
It is a haphazard plan that relies on the enemy stopping its feet not knowing where I am.
A giant that Nina-san’s kicks and Lucy’s magic doesn’t work on.
It is like confirming that my magic won’t work, but if it is the dagger of the Goddess…
*Thum! Thum!*
The footsteps were getting closer.
I hold my breath and wait for the giant to pass.
I was planning on getting it from the back, and if possible the ankle.
If I do that, I should be able to stop his movements.
“…What are you doing?”
“?!”
The giant’s hand was stretching to where I am.
Why?!
Stealth isn’t working?
This is bad! I am gonna get caught!
If that happens, I won’t be able to escape.
No, I would get eaten.
[Evade].
The giant’s hand got despairingly close, but I swung my dagger like crazy while I activated my skill.
I felt no hit.
I luckily managed to escape from the hand of the giant.
I am saved.
“What did you do?!”
The giant’s voice suddenly sounded furious.
“You…”
The voice that sounded gentle until now had anger mixed to it.
The ground shook and a gust of wind removed the mist.
“Eh?” (Makoto)
1 finger of the giant…is missing?
I cut it off?
I didn’t feel like it hit at all though.
“…Where did you get…that dagger?”
Would it be better to be honest and say that I got from the Goddess?
“That’s something that’s beyond the hand of mortals…”
“Eh?” (Makoto)
By the time I noticed, the giant was in front of me.
I didn’t even have the time to avoid it, my body was grabbed.
I can’t run away.
With both hands of the giant restraining my body, the giant brought me close to his face.
He looked at me with a gigantic eye that was about the same size as my head.
I-I am gonna be eaten!
Aah, my adventure has ended here…
“Wait!”
What resonated was the voice of the Goddess from the heavens.