kscans

Chapter 117 - The Wolf's Howl, the Dance of Swordplay

At the northern edge of the village, on the border between the forest and the fields. Suddenly, it appeared. The Grey Wolf.

A giant magical beast cloaked in gray fur. Its total length was twice that of a grown man, and its height at the shoulder rivaled a horse. Its fur rippled as it caught the wind, its fangs were sharp enough to crush a thick daikon radish in a single bite, and its eyes were a clouded red, unabashedly revealing a primal killing intent toward humans.

What was most terrifying, however, was its intelligence and the coordinated tactics of its pack. This was no mere beast. It was a calm and ruthless hunter that identified its targets, launched surprise attacks from the rear, and sealed off escape routes before assaulting all at once.

Three of them appeared that day.

Baring their fangs and letting out low growls, they began to trample the village fields.

"It’s huge… This is a real monster…!"

The village lookout shouted in alarm and rang the warning bell.

"Get the village children to safety! It’s the Grey Wolf!!"

The moment that voice echoed throughout the village.

A single elf carrying daggers appeared on the path between the fields.

Tiris, the Dark Elf, a wind swordswoman of the Elf tribe.

She was tall with long silver hair tied in a ponytail, and she wore light armor of a pale green. The daggers sheathed at her hips clattered dryly in the wind.

"…So you’ve come, Grey Wolf. Mamoru would call you ‘small fry,’ but for now, we have to protect this place."

Following right behind her, a fluffy, swaying skirt appeared, bobbing along. pyoko pyoko.

"Big wolf isn’t scary~! Koni will protect the onigiri~!"

It was Koni-chan, the powerhouse warrior of the Troll Clan. But her appearance was more like that of a plump fairy. In an apron and with her hair in braids, she puffed out her round cheeks and swung a club as large as a great tree with ease.

"Let’s go, Koni!"

"Okay~!"

The two of them ran through the village fields, heading toward the wolves.

Someone was watching this scene from the shade of a tree at the edge of the village.

Ares Scarlet. The crybaby hero.

A hero in name only, she had begged for her life and fled her very first battle, holing herself up in an inn. But today, she had decided she would at least "go to the plaza."

And as an extension of that resolve, she decided to "see the fight through."

(Three giant wolves…? There’s no way the two of them can defeat something like that…)

The battle between Tiris and the Grey Wolf unfolded before her eyes.

But in that moment, Tiris’s body floated lightly into the air.

Her movements were as if she were melting into the wind.

She leaped diagonally, spun, and her dagger traced the arc of a crescent moon.

"Wind Dance Style 1: Swift Leaf."

She slipped past the wolf’s legs, evaded its attack, and stepped between its claws. Her dagger moved smoothly, gracefully, and surely, whittling down her opponent as if it were part of a dance.

"…Beautiful…"

The word escaped Ares’s lips unintentionally.

Even though Tiris was fighting, she looked as if she were dancing. Her swordplay seemed to repaint even the wolf’s murderous intent with beauty.

The next moment, Tiris spun.

"Style 2: Spinning Flower!"

Her silver hair, sent flying, danced like petals scattering in the night wind.

Beside her, Koni-chan was swinging her great club and sending a wolf flying.

"Heeave ho~~~!! It’s lighter than a pumpkin~!"

Koni-chan unleashed terrifying power with an innocent smile. That, too, shone dazzlingly in Ares’s eyes.

The battle was completely one-sided.

Within minutes, the three Grey Wolves lay defeated on the ground. No one in the village was injured. It was a victory born from the combined efforts of Tiris and Koni-chan.

The setting sun began to cast its light across the village sky.

Tiris sheathed her dagger and walked back with Koni-chan.

Ares jumped out in front of them.

"Tiris-san!"

Tiris stopped. Ares, breathing heavily, spoke.

"I… your swordplay has captured my heart. Please… make me your disciple! Please, teach me that sword dance!"

Tiris’s eyes widened slightly.

Then, she smiled, a soft, gentle smile.

"…Very well. You finally have the ‘eyes of a hero’."

"Eh?"

"The eyes of one who wields a sword. The light of a will that knows fear, yet still seeks to protect someone. Your eyes hold that light now."

A small hope ignited in Hero Ares’s chest. She, who had done nothing but cry and run, had now taken just one small step forward. That is what it felt like.

And so, Hero Ares Scarlet became the disciple of Tiris, the wind swordswoman.

It was still just a small step. But that one step was the certain beginning of a future.