Old-fashioned Development

"Waaah---!"

Amid the ruins, a raggedly dressed boy lay sprawled on the ground, staring at the Servo-skull before him in utter terror. He picked up a stone beside him and desperately hurled it at the Servo-skull.

The Servo-skull did not take an attack of this level seriously at all. It merely swayed slightly and dodged the stone assault, which had no accuracy whatsoever.

But this only made the boy even angrier. His anger surpassed even his fear, driving him to regain his strength.

"You... You actually look down on me? You're nothing but a mere member of the Demon Race...!"

Roaring, the boy got to his feet, grabbed a tree branch, and glared viciously at the Servo-skull.

"Come on, kill me! Even if you kill me, I'll never surrender to monsters like you!"

Although his legs were trembling, the boy still desperately glared at the Servo-skull standing before him.

Just then, darkness suddenly descended.

"Is this the brat?"

"Huh?"

Hearing the voice from behind him, the boy froze for a moment before turning around. Then he saw a terrifying being standing behind him, as tall as a mountain and clad in pitch-black steel armor, looking down at him like a giant bear. A crimson gleam flashed through the eerie skull's eye sockets...

"Waaaaaahhhhhhh!!"

At that moment, the courage the boy had finally managed to muster vanished instantly. Merely being watched by that red gaze filled him with fear and a sense of danger, as though he were about to fall into an abyss thousands of meters deep!

"Honestly, big brother, leave this to me at a time like this!"

Just as the boy's mind was about to go blank, a clear, sweet voice suddenly rang out. Hearing it, the boy seemed like a drowning person clutching a lifeline thrown to