We chased after Grave and entered inside a forest alongside the highway in a marshland where it was said that Grave is hiding.

Before this Viro had gathered information in the adventurer guild. It seemed that this area had the lake water flowing into it and the ground was always muddy. There were small swamps dotting the area everywhere acting like invisible pitfall. It was a dangerous place for those who weren’t familiar with the area.

It wasn’t difficult to stand guard over this place. That too was because of the highway here that was leading to the neighboring country was more like a “bridge” that connected the flat grounds and rocks being interspersed in the strategic positions throughout this area.

Although it was called a bridge, it wasn’t something like in imagination. It was just something simple that didn’t even have any handrail, made from driving wooden stakes into the quagmires and placing thick wooden planks on top of them for people to cross.

It was just that kind of simple bridge, but some kind of magical or alchemical medicine was used on the woods so that they wouldn’t be worn down. Wood type that was strong against the humidity of this area was also used for the foundation, so this highway that took 30 years to be finished when it was created 100 years ago was so strong that it wouldn’t even waver when a large horse carriage passed through.

In other words almost everyone who passed through this area would use this highway. The monsters also understood that armed humans used this highway to pass through, so they were avoiding it, making this highway some type of safe area. Someone could just stand watch over this highway to find out everyone passing through this area.

That was exactly why our party consisted only of agile people by taking that into consideration too. We intentionally didn’t use the safe and convenient highway and advanced through the forest by jumping from tree to tree.

According to Samantha herself, she only learned Stealth as 『a lady’s pastime』 so it was difficult for her to travel stealthily but, even if there was someone keeping watch over this area, it should be difficult for them to detect us because there was the existence of the safe highway that would take their attention.

.

「Long time no see, Viro.」

「Grave....」

「........」

It hadn’t been half a day since we traveled through the forest along the highway that Grave showed himself in front of us. I didn’t know how he found us but, I could only call this a bad luck.

At this point our strategy to launch surprise attack on Grave had been rendered meaningless. We moved from the forest where the footing was bad to on top of the bridge that was the highway.

From the start our chance to successfully discover the hiding Grave and caught him in surprise was only around 50%, but the reason why Grave didn’t run and showed himself instead because we didn’t have heavy warrior with high attack and defense power....or rather, Grave’s reason was clear from looking at his combat strength.

.

▼Grave　Race：Human?Rank ５

【Magic Power：２１５／２２０】△30UP　【Stamina：３２８／３６０】△10UP

【Overall Combat Strength：１４２５（With Body Strenghtening：１８４８）】△209UP

.

His combat strength had increased drastically since the last time. Just how hard he had trained?

After someone reached rank 5, ?just increasing their status by one point was already a considerable improvement. According to the information that Viro received from the black ops, Grave should be level 5 only in swordsmanship and martial arts, but some of his skills other than those must have already reached level 5 too.

Grave who was just barely rank 5 before had become a genuine rank 5 now.

But more importantly....Grave’s gaze was directed toward “me” rather than Viro and Samantha. It gave me an indescribable chill.

「Grave..... You know our reason for coming here right? Do you have any intention of surrendering?」

「That’s a stupid question Viro. I have something that I must do. Even if the old woman over there is the “Sandstorm Witch”, one of the founders of the Rainbow Sword, she isn’t any threat to me.」

「Hi hi hi, it has been a long time since I’m called with that name. Do you think that you can win if it’s against the current me?」

Samantha’s senile act instantly changed into an air of battle readiness after her true identity was seen through.

Grave didn’t show any sign of retreating even knowing that Samantha was a rank 5 sorcerer. Until now I only fought powerful enemy because I 『couldn’t retreat』, but Grave looked like he was intentionally choosing the option of 『not retreating』.

Was his current strength and the reason of his confidence lied in his tempered skills or his conviction....the visible combat strength wasn’t something absolute. Just like how I believed in myself and defeated powerful enemies, perhaps Grave also had “something” similar.

Grave’s way of living was mad, but I could understand some parts of it. But after coming this far, I understood that there was a fundamental difference between Grave and me.

Grave who was talking turned his gaze from Viro and Samantha toward me once more.

「Let me ask you this instead....Aria. You are a “rabid dog” just like me. And like me you won’t be able to become a dog of the government. The current world is too cramped for a human like you to live in. Come to my side. If you do I shall give you a place to belong.」

「You──」

「Viro.」

Viro was about to flare up at Grave who was holding his hand toward me before I stopped him. I stepped forward in front of Viro who stood to protect me and faced Grave who was narrowing his eyes right from the front.

「I refuse.」

「Hou....why? Is it due to your sense of duty for the princess?」

Grave moved only his lips to make a cynical smile at my flat rejection. But──

「That’s a part of it. But that’s not all.」

My answer had been decided by the time you laid your hand on her.

「Grave....you have become Elena and my “enemy”.」

Do I need any other reason to kill you?

「Hihhyahhaaaa!!」

Samantha laughed at that moment while firing multiple Stone Lances.

Nearly ten stone lances shot at Grave from the sudden surprise attack. Grave used two magic swords that he already held without even showing when he drew them out to parry and crush the stone lances.

Those magic swords that could deflect sorcery were a threat but, what was even more astonishing was that people with half-baked strength wouldn’t even be able to divert sorcery that powerful and would get lethally wounded. That wasn’t the case with Grave.

「So it turn out like this just as expected-!」

Although he was complaining, Viro quickly reacted and circled to Grave’s side while launching throwing knife.

「──Pain──」

I also followed along and fired darkness magic. I wouldn’t hold back anything against Grave as the opponent. He had already seen all my trump cards anyway from our previous battle.

「HAAAAH!!」

But Grave exhaled and endured my Pain with a shout of “fighting spirit”. He also deflected Viro’s knife with his sword.

Last time Pain would be able to stop him just for an instant, but now even that single instant was too much to hope for.

*DAN!* Grave kicked on the highway’s plank so hard his foot might stomped through the wood. With that he leaped toward Samantha.

「In your dream-!」

*GIINN!!*

Viro got between them to stop him. He blocked Grave’s sword with his mythril knife, but he got sent flying due to the difference in strength and physique.

「Shit-」

「Move aside boy-!」

Samantha’s level 4 earth magic Sandstorm was activated. Grave hurriedly dodged at the same direction with Viro and let the magic flew past him.

I threw my slash type pendulum at him in that moment. Grave jumped down to dodge the blade. Viro who was still lying on the ground slid on the floor and kicked at Grave’s foot.

Grave seemed to be cautious against me and threw hidden weapon toward me while blocking Viro’s kick with his own kick.

Samantha didn’t let go of that chance and fired Stone Shot like it was a rain. Grave sensed that he wouldn’t be able to dodge that and held up his swords before unleashing powerful mana.

「──Vorpal Blade──」

It was the Battle Technique of one-handed sword that was released not with one sword in hand, but with two swords. The dozens of Stone Shots that would be unavoidable if it was me were cut down completely.

「....Is that all?」

「........」

As expected Grave is strong. He fought the three of us head-on while managing to keep the fight even or even advantageous for him. It wasn’t only because of his skill, but he also possessed the courage that enabled him to calmly make the decisions even with death breathing on his neck.

Grave took a step back to rally himself and stood in the position where he could keep the three of us within his field of vision while taking a fighting stance with his weapons.

「It’s not only Viro, even you Aria has become so strong that you’re unrecognizable from before. As expected it will be dangerous to fight the three of you head on like this. It should be the time soon....can you hear it?」

Had he prepared some kind of plan? All of us kept our vigilance toward Grave in respond to his words even while straining our ears. We could hear the sound of something getting closer from afar.

「I called it to this land. I have a complete understanding of its action.」

A violent presence is approaching. Powerful mana gushed out....this is──

.

『GUAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!』

.

The roar of a “beast” cut through the sky.

A huge black panther appeared from inside the forest by mowing down the trees on its way. Viro let out a hoarse voice seeing it.

「A Coeurl....!」

So this is the ancient mythical beast Coeurl.....

Its figure that was so ominous it looked beautiful stole my attention for a moment.

I didn’t know whether Grave called it here or that it had a reason why it had to come here. But I could feel something like “anger” toward human from its eyes.

But what I understood here was that Grave wasn’t the only that we had to deal with. This mythical beast was also included. Knowing that, I immediately moved to Samantha’s side to guard her.

But the mythical beast ignored Samantha and me. It attacked Grave and Viro without hesitation. The two whiskers that grew from its ears attacked like whips.

「Kuh」

Viro immediately blocked the whip with the flat of his knife. Grave hid himself behind Viro to use him as shield.

Grave just now said that he 『called』 the Coeurl here? In that case the Coeurl’s target was possibly Grave, but for the Coeurl to attack the two males, was it because it was unable to differentiate the subtle difference between humans?

It could only differentiate between child and adult, or male and female, that’s all. It felt like Grave knew that and tried to focus the Coeurl’s target to Viro using that knowledge.

It would be bad for us at this rate. Even if Samantha could get away from here just as we planned at the beginning, Viro would definitely lose his life in exchange.

If what Grave said was true, he must be confident that he would be able to get away from the Coeurl by himself even if Viro got killed.

「....Fuu」

I pushed down my feeling that was growing fearful to the bottom of my heart together with a sigh. I fixed the mythical beast’s figure within my steady gaze.

Then....it couldn’t be helped.

──*GON!!*

『GUAOOOOOOOOO!?』

The weight type pendulum that was strengthened with centrifugal force and mana struck the Coeurl’s head when it was about to pounce at Viro, diverting its attack slightly.

「Aria-!!」

「....It’s fine.」

Viro’s voice sounded reproachful. ──But this was the “best” option at present.

Viro was stronger than me but, he was an orthodox type of scout and it would be difficult for him to fight the Coeurl.

Samantha was also stronger than me but, a sorcerer like her couldn’t deal with the Coeurl.

Then──

I moved. At the same time the Coeurl’s whiskers snapped like whips. I used the mantle I took off as bait while rotating acrobatically to dodge. The weight type pendulum that I tossed from an unseen position struck the Coeurl’s head from its side.

『GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!』

Mythical beast Coeurl....your opponent isn’t Viro.

「I’ll draw away this thing!」