Big Rat

Kangaroos used to use bows.

Kang De had no idea.

There wasn't a single bow and arrow on the island. There were quite a few bows and arrows in the archery range beneath the shopping center, but Kang De hadn't taken them out to use either.

Because he didn't know how.

Although Old Wang had taken him to the archery range before, competitive and recreational archery were obviously worlds apart from combat archery. The latter had long since faded into the river of history with the rise and development of firearms, leaving only modern archery, practiced for aesthetics, performance, exercise, and competition.

The kind where you stood still and aimed steadily.

It was no use in a fight.

Ancient battlefield archers who shot to kill held several spare arrows in their bow hands and nocked arrows on the right side of the bow rather than the left. They certainly wouldn't do something as idiotic as carry a quiver on their backs.

They underwent rigorous training, followed the experience and techniques passed down by their predecessors, and spent years, even decades, practicing and honing their skills to become killers who reaped lives on the battlefield. Kang De, on the other hand, had only spent a little over a year on the island. To think he could learn archery fit for combat without any reference material or instruction was pure wishful thinking.

So from the start, he had wisely chosen throwing axes, crossbows, and guns.

-Sir, times have changed.

Precisely because he'd never used a bow and arrow, the kangaroo had never had a chance to show him its archery... Then again, who the fuck would think a kangaroo knew how to shoot?

Kang De only knew that the kangaroo had an excellent sense of space and was exceptionally good at sneak attacks. It would often start charging from dozens of meters away, bouncing repeatedly with tremendous muscular strength before delivering a fully powered flying kick with both feet. It could land a direct hit even on a running enemy, having calculated the distance down to the last fraction.

But... a bow and arrow...

With a body like that, how was it supposed to draw a longbow?

The knight and the princess also stared at the kangaroo in surprise. They had the same question.

Kang De hesitated, then said, "If you're confident, give it a try."

After all their time together, these magical animals might be gluttons and drunkards, might be lewd and devious, might bully the weak, or might run roughshod over everyone... but they had never failed, never let him down.

The kangaroo grinned, looking very pleased.

It held the great war longbow against its chest and drew it a few times, looking a little disdainful. Then it fetched an arrow bag, stuffed it into the pouch on its belly, and signaled that it was time to go.

Kang De said, "Well then... let's go."

On the way, the knight edged closer and whispered, "Will it be all right?"

Kang De said firmly, "No problem. When I plan our tactics, I won't factor the kangaroo in. I'll leave it to do as it pleases. That way, we can keep the bad variables to a minimum."

The knight thought for a moment and didn't press the matter. After all, he had suffered a crushing defeat at the magical animals' hands and knew how vicious they were. He lowered his head and said, "In any case, I'll do everything I can. Please don't intervene until the very last moment."

Kang De nodded perfunctorily. "All right, all right. In that case, please allow me to suggest an extremely effective tactic. After we launch the attack, if you get tangled up fighting the enemy, raise your hand and tear off your wig and necklace together. Then, with the imposing bearing of a man of Goth, roar at the enemy, 'Didn't expect that, did you, stupid pointy-ears?' I think even the best-trained elves would be stunned by you."

The knight gave it a little thought and felt his brain tremble.

"...Please allow me to refuse!"

In this relaxed, cheerful atmosphere, they chatted amicably as they made their way to their destination.

The planned ambush site.

"This is the place."

The birds in the sky called out, and Pigeon flapped his wings. The target party was approaching. Kang De laid out the tactics and looked up to see the kangaroo bouncing into the jungle to one side to hide.

"...I hope it's serious."

This was hardly the time to ask why the kangaroo knew archery, and where it came from didn't matter either... Kang De only hoped the magical animal would surprise him as it always had.

The kangaroo stopped in the dense woods, its dark, shining eyes looking around.

As if calculating something.

It rested one hand on the great war longbow and held out the other paw, spreading it open. Looking at the rather small, dainty paw, it actually gave a humanlike sigh.

Then it pulled the arrows from its pouch and tossed them out. They flew through the air one by one, burying themselves deep in the earth among the nearby grass, scattered apart.

The last two arrows stuck into the ground in front of it.

It stood there, its furry ears twitching constantly as it felt the wind.

And waited for the targets to appear.

Soon, the elves' tall figures appeared on a small hill and approached.

Everything was going smoothly.

The elves had no idea that three groups of their comrades had already lost their lives. They maintained only the most basic vigilance on the small island, believing the wilderness to be elven territory.

With a frail cry of alarm, the heroine made her dazzling entrance.

Miss Fulan knew the routine by now. He knew what movements would draw the elves' admiring gazes and what expressions would make them lower their guard as much as possible. He was undoubtedly a genius, a genius in every respect. Whatever a genius studied, he could learn quickly.

But the leader of this party was no ordinary arrow corps sergeant. He was Sir Halen Nigulezi, armory chief of the Wings of Wayne.

Only nobles were qualified to serve as officers aboard Royal Navy warships. Sir Halen was exceptionally well-born and had a broad outlook. Naturally, he had the intelligence to match.

"Sergeants, stay alert."

He called back the soldiers who wanted to step forward and help her, taking the war bow from his hand. A defenseless woman in the middle of the wilderness, beauty that moved him, and clothes he had never seen before-all these oddities added up to something extremely suspicious, even if the woman looked harmless.

He nocked an arrow, watched his surroundings, and said coldly, "Woman, put your hands where I can see them, then get up slowly and answer a few questions. Your attitude will determine what happens to you. If you cooperate obediently, the Royal Navy will guarantee your safety. Otherwise..."

In the distance, Kang De had already tensed, shield in his left hand and axe in his right, ready to launch a surprise attack. This attempt at seduction hadn't gone well. The enemy officer had actually seen the world.

Miss Fulan's body trembled, but beneath his frail exterior, killing intent was building, ready to erupt.

On the other side, A Xing was also ready to spring an attack from the woods.

Just then, a bowstring hummed and vibrated.

The elves' expressions changed as one.

For a race famed throughout the world for its archery, the art was etched into their blood. The elves had countless poems describing the lovely, pleasing sound of a vibrating bowstring. They were intimately familiar with the sound, and every one of them knew what it meant.

Armory Chief Halen felt deadly killing intent closing in.

The elves' terrifying talent for archery and his masterful skill took effect at once. In an instant, he raised his bow, his gaze sharp. He aimed in the blink of an eye, and with a whoosh, his arrow shot forth.

Elven archery was renowned throughout the world, standing above all nations.

In great wars against other races, no foreign archer had ever surpassed an elf. In the songs of wandering bards, elven master archers battling evil human bowmen could often shoot later yet strike first. Faced with an enemy's killing arrow, they would calmly draw their bows. The speeding arrows would meet head-on, and the elven arrow would split its opponent in two before continuing with undiminished force to pierce the enemy's throat.

That wasn't a fabrication by poets. It was a feat of archery that could truly be accomplished.

There was a bang.

Armory Chief Halen, already nocking another arrow, smiled confidently.

It was a familiar sound. Once he heard it, it meant he had shot the enemy's arrow in two.

But the rushing wind continued.

Something's wrong!

The armory chief's expression changed drastically. In that instant, he no longer had time to draw his bow again. With a furious, alarmed roar, he thrust his longbow upward to block!

With a sharp crack, the whole bow groaned. Its tough string had actually been shot through. The taut string snapped back, lashing the armory chief across the face and leaving a deep bloody welt.

A surge of pain shot through him, and only then did Sir Halen realize what had happened. The incoming arrow had not only split his arrow, but had also severed his bowstring.

Then came a second twang.

An arrow tore through the air.

Halen felt a chill at his throat. The arrow struck him, and he fell onto his back, a gurgle rising from his throat.

"Ch... champion..."

As far as he knew, only a legendary champion archer could possess such an overwhelming advantage in archery.

But why would a champion archer want to kill me?

A proud elf would never believe that a master archer capable of matching a champion archer could emerge among humans.

He strained to lift his head, clutching his wound as he looked toward the jungle, hoping to catch sight of his opponent.

The other arrow corps sergeants displayed exceptional skill, loosing volley after volley toward the source of the arrows in an attempt to force their opponent out. The grass rustled, and a shadow darted out.

As he lay dying, Sir Halen saw the figure he had wanted to see: a terrifying thing standing upright like a giant rat, leaping and darting about with a great war longbow in its grasp.

...What the fuck is that?

Blood welled from his mouth, and he died with his eyes open.

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PS1: First update... the second will come later. Everyone, get some sleep first.