Lokkishi, an Unexpected Encounter 'In the Rain', the Inevitability of Fate

Four monsters emerged from the darkness.

Leading them was a mutated monster, the Terminator Boar, which walked on two legs and had four arms. It stood nearly three meters tall, its massive head bearing crimson eyes that stared intently at Allen, who was a few meters away. Two tusks protruded from its mouth, saliva constantly dripping, as it snorted and gasped.

Following behind were three dog-like monsters resembling Dobermans—Assault Hounds. They bared their sharp, gleaming white teeth, constantly pawing at the muddy ground, clearly impatient to tear Allen apart.

The bonfire's light had attracted the forest's rulers.

The Terminator Boar suddenly stopped, shielding the less intelligent Assault Hounds in front of it, and squinted its crimson eyes, assessing its prey.

It sensed a threat from the weapon at the prey's waist; it had seen a long, slender weapon like that before.

In a village to the south, a terrifying male human had once used something similar to slaughter a creature even stronger than itself in just a single breath.

In front of it, the 'prey'—who only reached its waist, and was just a head taller than the four-legged Assault Hounds—raised an eyebrow.

He stepped forward with his right foot, lunging, his center of gravity sinking, and his right hand on his sword.

He smiled without a care.

Full of interest.

"It seems the village isn't far after all. I've actually encountered one of those plot-device boars from novels. Good thing I didn't venture out on my own at four years old, or if I had bad luck, getting eaten by a pig and excreted would have been quite the laugh."

"But, times have changed. Now, the one with bad luck…"

As he spoke, schlick! His toe dug an inch into the soft, wet forest mud.

"…won't be me."

Bursting forth!

His figure shot forward! Allen left a blur in his wake as he suddenly charged the monsters!

Monsters have intelligence, but not much. Seeing Allen's provocative stance, the Terminator Boar's wild instincts flared. With a roar, it shoved aside the hounds in front of it!

"ROAR!"

Like a speeding black freight train, it charged towards Allen, aiming to crush him!

In just one breath, man and monster were almost upon each other.

Just then!

"Get out of the way!"

A delicate shout, carried by a sudden gust of wind, pierced Allen's ears.

Something with a sharp aura suddenly shot out from the gloom of the forest behind the monster!

It cut through the wind and leaves at extreme speed, slicing through the accumulated leaves on the forest floor like a boat cutting through waves!

However, the instant the change occurred, Allen's black-grey pupils contracted to pinpricks. A warm current surged from his waist to his limbs.

Deep within his abdomen, the walnut-sized 'Dragon Saint Battle Qi Core Embryo' was clenched tightly by a hand called 'consciousness'! Dragon Saint Battle Qi surged out! Like a turbulent stream in a downpour merging into a great river.

It poured into Allen's limbs, following the surging river of Battle Qi!

Adrenaline secreted rapidly! His five senses and thoughts overloaded!

In just a flash!

The world 'slowed down':

The chaotic rustling of leaves in the forest suddenly quieted; the mountain wind crawled slowly across his skin; a chilling glint flowed across the Terminator Boar's massive tusks; damp moisture mixed with the monsters' stench wafted into his nostrils.

In bullet time, Allen's eyeballs slowly rotated. His gaze passed through the gaps between the monster's arms and body, clearly seeing what was hurtling towards him, carried by the wind, from behind the monster.

—A crystalline Water Ball.

Information rapidly flashed through his mind.

'Approximately 150cm in diameter. An intermediate offensive magic—Water Cannon? No, the shape is wrong. It's a basic magic—Water Ball.'

'The firing speed and water volume are close to a Water Cannon. It's an intentional increase in magic output efficiency. Choosing Water Ball is to shorten the chant and activate it faster.'

'If I continue attacking the monster, I'll also be affected by the Water Ball, so she warned me to dodge beforehand? No, there's a time difference. When she activated the magic, she didn't expect me to actively attack the monster, so she ended up making things worse.'

'Who?'

The Terminator Boar's tusks were already right in front of him, less than fifty centimeters from Allen's eyes. The powerful offensive magic, shooting forward, was two meters behind the monster.

Every cell in his body screamed, urging Allen to move and dodge immediately!

But a chilling sensation came from the scabbard in his hand.

It extinguished the 'alarm' in his mind.

A smile slowly bloomed on Allen's lips.

'Get out of the way?'

'I could, but there's no need. North God Style—Combat Faction.'

'Drawing the sword is always the first move.' 'Twenty Slashes!'

His pupils contracted again, Allen's eyes almost becoming three-whites. His muscles tensed, and his reaction was astonishingly 'fast':

He dodged the boar's tusks by a hair's breadth; he ducked and swayed past the sharp claws that followed; and he sidestepped past an Assault Hound, meeting its gaze.

He moved like a butterfly flitting through flowers, weaving through the gaps between the monsters' bodies.

Dancing with his body was the hazy glow of the bonfire.

The light flickered rapidly around Allen's body five times in a rhythmic pattern, as if reflected by some smooth, sharp, high-speed moving mirror.

The light extinguished.

Allen bypassed the monsters and stood directly in front of the rapidly approaching Water Ball.

He was still in the stance of someone gripping a sword.

As if he had never drawn it.

At this instant:

Reflected in his constricted pupils, the Water Ball, bathed in the orange glow of the bonfire, rapidly expanded, engulfing Allen's entire vision.

It was just a hand's breadth from his face.

But Allen simply watched the Water Ball, not even blinking.

Where his gaze fell, a white line emerged on the surface of the sphere, running vertically, and ripples spread outwards across the water.

It split.

Neatly divided into two halves, it brushed past his hair and cheek.

The sword's owner shifted his eyes to look at the cross-section of the Water Ball on his right cheek — the bonfire's light dyed the undulating water, creating vibrant, dancing orange ripples.

Exquisitely beautiful.

Allen blinked.

With his movement, Dragon Saint Battle Qi calmed, but time

surged forward!

The world roared!

Leaves clapped in applause! Mountain winds rustled his clothes! The scabbard was firm and warm! Turbulent currents forked and whistled past his head!

BOOM!!!

Explosions echoed from his left and right rear! Two trees, as wide as clasped hands, fell in response!

However, the four monsters directly behind Allen remained frozen in place, as if time had stopped for them.

Whoosh!

Someone stepped on fallen leaves, running urgently out from the shadows of the forest.

Allen looked up at the source of the attack magic, whose figure was now revealed.

A look of surprise crossed his face, quickly followed by one of realization.

He lowered the hand that was resting on his sword.

This movement manipulated time; with a shhhk sound, the large heads and necks of the boar and hound slowly dislocated.

Plop, plop, plop, plop.

They fell to the ground.

Four sounds, corresponding to four "Twenty Slashes."

But the light reflected from his blade had clearly flickered five times, hadn't it?

—The tree trunk behind him, broken by the split Water Ball, provided the answer.

Ssssssss...

Blood erupted like a fountain from the monsters' cleanly severed necks, raining down in a crimson spray.

Amidst the sound of the 'rain'.

A small figure, wearing a magic robe, carrying a large suitcase, and with a hood pulled up, ran into the firelight.

Under the hood, her blue bangs were edged with a green glow in the firelight. She sniffed her small nose and stared wide-eyed at Allen in surprise.

He scanned the newcomer's face all the way down to her boots, which didn't reach her knees. In the bonfire's glow, black socks constricted the 'god's' sturdy, taut calves, creating a faint ring of raised pale skin.

The admiration in his eyes was impossible for even the night to conceal.

He smiled and spoke.

"You dodged it. Thanks for the warning."

The 'girl,' whose two dark blue braids almost reached her knees, panted slightly. She looked at the 'child' before her, bathed in blood, only a head taller than herself. Listening to his somewhat young voice, she glanced at the headless monster corpses behind him and the tree trunk that had been snapped by the Water Ball, cut in half by a single slash.

She parted her lips slightly, then looked at the tree not far away that had been snapped in half by the Water Ball, her expression somewhat bewildered.

Dodged it...?

She didn't know how to respond to his words.