Chapter 41
Echidna
Giskar wore a look of disbelief after hearing Diana’s words. Was she sane? Or had she just woken from sleep and was still dreaming?
He observed Diana closely. There were no signs of hallucinations. Her eyes were clear and lucid.
“We can’t stay here forever. We need to eat and sleep. This forest is cold.”
“…….”
“I trust Philip, but we also have to consider the possibility that no rescue will come. Who knows what might happen when night falls.”
At the mere mention of Philip, Giskar’s eyes hardened. Diana was right. If they didn’t neutralize that snake monster now, they wouldn’t survive.
“The best way for us to reach people while avoiding the eyes of that snake monster… Giskar, do you remember the way out?”
Giskar shook his head. Diana nodded.
“Even if we try, can we survive going through a place we don’t know, avoiding the snake monster, without running into other monsters?”
Again, Giskar shook his head. Diana grabbed his arm.
“When you defeat a strong monster, its lingering death energy causes weaker monsters to retreat.”
“…….”
“If we kill that monster, as long as nothing stronger appears, we’ll be safe.”
“Is that even possible?”
Diana gave a bitter smile.
“We have to make it possible.”
Echidna was the mother of all monsters. Not literally by birth, but all creatures revered her and offered her their blood and flesh. Normally, she should have been hibernating, but for some reason, she was awakened by a voice calling to her.
“Did the dragon wake me?” she wondered. But, to her delight, there was plenty of tasty prey around.
“Ahhhh, monsters!”
Echidna chased the fleeing humans, gobbling them up enthusiastically. Their hard iron armor was tough to peel off, but the tastiest things are always the hardest to eat!
[What’s this? I heard humans kill our children in winter—so it’s you lot!]
“Ahhhh!”
[Die! Die!]
As Echidna tore their heads off, blood spurted like holy water. She licked it eagerly, savoring the crimson liquid.
“So that’s why I woke up from hibernation? How convenient!” she laughed. Among humans, the fast and strong ones scratched painfully, but it didn’t matter—her belly was full.
After tearing apart a few, the others fled on their own. Echidna was thrilled. She returned to her nest, wandering.
“Hmm… where are the children? They’re said to taste the best among humans. Is it impossible to eat them? I used to enjoy catching the children who wandered into the forest.”
Echidna smacked her lips.
And then fortune came to her! A light weight stepped on her tail. She turned her head and saw a blonde girl.
The girl had long braided hair and wore a bright red cape. Her fair skin and silver-gray eyes caught Echidna’s gaze.
Ah.
Beautiful.
So beautiful! And her terror only made her more so!
Echidna gladly joined this hide-and-seek. There was a boy following her, which somehow annoyed her, but he was just prey anyway—what danger could he pose?
Echidna decided to enjoy this game. She roughly knew where they were—there was a place reeking of blood. If not there, then where?
Still, her belly was full, and she wanted to enjoy the children’s fear to the fullest. If they tried to run, chasing them would also be fun. And eating them when slightly hungry would make the taste even better.
[Come out, come out, quickly!]
She was starting to get bored. Human children are cowards, hiding carefully. Might as well eat them. She was just about ready to doze off.
Then, Echidna’s nose caught the thick scent of blood! Ah, this sweet blood! Human girl’s blood! This pretty thing had appeared just in time, perhaps sensing her hunger.
Echidna laughed with delight and moved quickly toward her. She would kill the boy immediately and play with the girl.
Pretty face, pretty deeds—maybe she’d keep her alive a little longer. Raising humans could be fun. Feeding on an arm or two when hungry and keeping her pretty face intact would be entertaining. Human flesh was warm; she’d have to restrain her to prevent movement.
Ah, what a perfect prey!
Seeing the girl’s red cape, Echidna was filled with joy.
[Where are you going? Come play with me!]
“…….”
[I’ll love you! I’ll keep a cute one like you alive for a long time!]
Interestingly, the girl didn’t run—she looked up at Echidna.
[Hmm? What about the boy?]
“He ran away.”
[Such a bad kid! Don’t worry—I’ll catch him and tear him apart in front of you.]
Echidna sang as she reached for Diana, but something scratched her hand.
“Huh?”
It was a sylph.
“Ha! A sylph? No wonder!”
She laughed. Some humans could control spirits, usually low-level ones. A wind sylph’s tantrum was quite cute.
[Oh, child. I’ll take care of this—run! That’s your role? Just with a sylph?]
Echidna flicked her finger, and the sylph flew away. Even if naturally occurring spirits and monsters are at odds, a mere sylph couldn’t challenge the mother of monsters. The child’s audacity amused her.
She reached to strike again, but this time the sylph scratched her tail. When Echidna turned, another scratch appeared on her arm.
[What?! More than one?!]
There seemed to be three sylphs. Echidna was annoyed. She glared at Diana with yellow eyes.
[You! You’re in trouble! I’ll tear off a leg!]
A few small flies might be annoying, but Echidna hesitated again. This time, her cheek was cut.
Another sylph! Cutting my beautiful face? Echidna’s expression hardened. She would kill this human girl! She swung at her, but her speed slowed.
The sylphs were holding her arm. It was as if a swarm of lepus had appeared. Had she contracted with so many sylphs? Was this girl capable of that? She stared at Diana—and at the same time, felt immense pain.
[Kyaaaa!]
She turned. Her tail had been severed! Behind it, a black-haired boy stood holding a sword. She thought he had fled—how did he wound her?
A human sword could injure her, but it shouldn’t pierce her so thoroughly! Her bones were strong, and human grip has limits. That boy wasn’t even using ki, was he?
What, what, what?!
[Aaaahhh!]
Everything was incomprehensible. Echidna shrieked in pain, thrashing her remaining tail. But the boy leapt aside. Echidna’s eyes caught the sylphs clinging to his feet. Ah, that’s why! That’s why he held my attention—he was buying time to approach me!
“Ann!”
At that moment, human voices sounded. The clashing of metal echoed. Oh no—they were surrounded! Echidna panicked.
She had underestimated them. If she had known they could summon so many spirits, she would have killed them at first sight!
A spirit user, a sword-wielding boy, and multiple humans—she was at a severe disadvantage. By the time Echidna tried to flee, it was too late.
Armored knights surrounded her.
Echidna’s eyes filled with murderous intent. Since it had come to this, she would kill everyone.
Her poison was a deadly toxin capable of killing everything in the forest. That was why she was revered as the mother of monsters.
It was a weapon given by the poisonous dragon, Fafnir.
If she unleashed her poison in anger, everything in the forest—except Fafnir—would die.
Echidna was ready to spread her poison.
But.
“Eh?!”
Echidna’s eyes widened in shock. The black-haired boy before her had leapt to an immense height, locking eyes with her.
Although she hadn’t released her poison yet, it was lethal. Why was he immune? He should have been affected at this distance. Yet he showed no sign of pain, nor did he cover his mouth.
Echidna grew irritated at the sylphs clinging to Giskar. Summoning so many to assist in swordplay—he was ridiculously strong.
But why am I seeing this from “below”?
Echidna’s gaze fell on her blood-spraying torso. Ah, my neck… She lost consciousness at that moment.
