Hunt [3]

We were in trouble. With both Hugo and Marlene down it seemed like this wouldn't end well for us.

Sophie was still hanging on somehow, but she got too busy blocking and partying the swiped and bites from the wyvern to be able to attack.

'I have to do something!'

In my head, I didn't have the choice but to run. Sophie had already become a friend, as well as someone who shared the same experience as me. I couldn't let her die.

I tightened my grip around my daggers and started to concentrate on my breathing.

It was scary. A monster the size of a small cabin, with claws sharp enough to tear metal and the strength to crush boulders.

But there was no other way. I couldn't carry Hugo and Marlene away to safety, hell I'm not sure I could even carry Hugo by himself, and I knew that Sophie wouldn't leave them.

But the problem was the difference in ranks. There was no way I would be able to land a fatal strike as a Rank II. That meant I would have to overclock myself a lot.

'This is gonna hurt...'

"Sophie! Keep its attention! I have an idea!"

Still struggling against its attacks she shouted back at me, "Why the fuck are you still here! Get out of here! If you die we lose everything!"

Even though she said that she kept fighting against the monster, making sure she had its attention.

I started to move forward slowly, step by step as to make sure the wyvern didn't react to my presence.

When I came in range for my step, I started my overclocking. As the consequence of absorbing too much mana would be my breaking down, leading me to a swift death, I made sure to conglomerate the mana as slowly as possible.

The first few steps felt familiar, but when I got to a whole major Rank increase pain exploded throughout my body.

*Crrzt*

Streaks of lightning started to coil around me, letting out distinct sparks and buzzing sounds.

My head started to cool down, with time slowing down as I felt myself breaking my limits.

I still held my sights on the monster in front of me, which had at this point fully noticed my presence but because of Sophie's intervention was unable to do anything.

The process continued and the pain started to escalate, but at the same time get numbed down as my head started to shed unnecessary emotions.

At this point I had no idea what simulated Rank I was at, all I knew was that even though my body was beginning to break apart, it wouldn't be enough.

'I need more!'

I kept going until my vision started to blur a bit and a voice reached out to me from within.

'-Stop it, child. This is enough.'

Refocusing my gaze, I watched the battle in front of me. It was a standstill between the giant and the monster, with no one landing any real strikes.

Then the wyvern went for a bite, stretching its neck out a bit in order to reach Sophie.

*[Lightning Step]*

Before the giant lizard had any time to react I arrived just next to its neck.

Collecting all the mana I could muster I stabbed at its neck with the brothers in my hands.

*[Discharge]!*

*BOOM*

A pulse of kinetic energy blasted through the throat of the wyvern, powerful enough to also send me flying.

As I was soaring through the air, my vision blackened and the last thing I remember was Sophie catching me in her arms.

****

Pitch black darkness, the familiar

'-You stupid child.'

Inside of the depths of myself, I was faced with the purple woman reprimanding me for what I had done.

'-Why do you hurt yourself so much? Why not just run away and leave the pain behind?'

It was a logical viewpoint to have. There was no apparent reason why I had to continue fighting. The wyvern was just a symbol of my continued struggle.

Why did I continue to strive for something I didn't need? Did I really need power? Did I have to be strong? I already had my answer.

'I don't want to run away anymore. I don't want my life to be dictated by others, nor do I want to live a life devoid of happiness. I want to make my own path.'

'-Oh sweet child, you are already so strong, yet you are so immensely weak. Just remember, nothing is forcing you to keep on fighting, there is always another way.'

And with that, I opened my eyes.

****

"Miren!"

I was met by Misa assaulting me, putting her arms around my neck on the bed. I was back at the base, currently in the room that me and Misa were occupying during our stay.

"How are you feeling? Are you alright? Do you need anything?"

She bombarded me with worried questions about my well-being, once again reminding me of an anxious mother.

Feeling my body a bit, I couldn't truly say that I was fine. It felt like my entire nervous system was on fire, my limbs pulsing with pain.

But I was used to pain and I didn't want Misa to know how it felt, "I'm fine, my body is just aching a bit."

"Bullshit."

Sophie's voice rang out in the room and she stepped forward towards the bed.

Looking up at the woman I got to see a new emotion on her face; anger.

"Your entire body is in shambles, our physician has already confirmed your condition. Oh, and this is after we have fed you potions like they were water."

There was nothing for me to say, she completely exposed my little white lie in front of Misa who, in turn, exploded with worry.

"Is that true Miren?! Does it hurt a lot? Why would you do this to yourself!"

At this point she was pretty much crying, tears forming in her eyes.

'Guess there is no point in lying...'

"Okay, fine. It hurts... a lot. But I'm used to it, so just give me a couple of days and I'll be fine."

The amazon intervened once again, "A couple of days? You should be happy if you get up before we send you back to the academy! Your body is completely fucked!"

It was unusual to hear the normally calm but positive Sophie use such harsh language.

'Why is she so angry?'

I didn't understand her exaggerated reaction. Didn't we all survive? Didn't we kill the wyvern?

I could only stay silent.

After getting reprimanded by Sophie for a while, and listening to the worried words of Misa they finally stopped.

Sophie turned around, "Misa, let's let him rest for a while. He needs it."

"Mm, you're right."

Misa stood up after kissing me on the cheek and started to walk with Sophie out of the room.

Just before they made their exit the tall girl turned her head to me once more.

"Anyway, thank you, Miren."

****

It was an act of insanity. Miren had suddenly shouted at her to keep the wyvern occupied, signaling he was going to try and attack it.

A Rank II killing a Rank VI monster?

Nevertheless, it wasn't like I had much of a choice. If it weren't for the fact that Hugo and Marlene were knocked out I could maybe try and go all out, but with them here it was impossible. If I activated my [Berserk] there was a big chance they would get caught in the fight and I wouldn't be able to think clearly enough to stop it.

I could see the little man in the corner of my eyes, purple lightning coiling around his body. It seemed like he was charging up for an all-out attack but the weird thing was that as he charged up his aura changed.

The presence of a Rank II disappeared, and in time his presence ascended past even a Rank III.

'What the fuck is happening with Miren?!'

At that time the wyvern tried to catch me in its jaws, to which I successfully dodged backward.

After that, all I could see was a purple flash and in the next second Miren was soaring through the air.

Somehow I managed to catch him but he was already knocked out.

I quickly looked back at the monster but there was no need. It was already dead. Miren had somehow succeeded in killing it, pretty much by himself. Its throat was almost completely torn apart, only a sliver of it held it together to its body.

'What a monster...'

After giving all of my party members a potion we made our way back to the base as quickly as possible, but Miren was out for four days.

While he was unconscious I had our physician check the state of his body. His verdict was not good.

"-I would be surprised if he isn't a cripple after this. His muscles are split, his bones have crumbled and his nervous system has blown up."

Yet after all this, he has the nerve to try and lie about his condition to Misa? I couldn't hold myself back.

How much pain had he experienced to be able to smile like that when most people would need strong drugs just to keep their sanity?

Suddenly my struggles in this world didn't seem as hard anymore.