* * *
“Migyaaaaa! Migyaaaaa!”
In the continuous pattering rain, across the field used as a magic practice ground, the three-eyed topopolock monsters were glaring at me from the forest’s edge.
Aggressive and dangerous creatures that attack humans too.
Their numbers, judging just from those visible now, were probably no less than 100.
There must be even more deeper in the forest.
Their cries were loud enough to drown out the rain.
Though partially obscured by the gray clouds, as the rising sun gradually brightened the surroundings, the hopeless disparity in forces became clear.
Facing them was just me alone, standing with the mansion behind me.
Still covered in the mud and blood from before, wearing my master’s hand-me-down Grim Reaper wolf outfit that was likely nearing the end of its lifespan.
…I defiantly glared back at the three-eyed freaks.
I won’t let them take a single step further.
Here is someone who accepted an unclean wanderer like me as a friend.
I now have something I want to protect.
I don’t know if their den collapsed or what, but…
If you’re going to try harming what’s precious to me…
…be prepared.
“Migyaaaaaa!!!”
Likely the leader, with a slightly larger body and longer horns than the others, one topopolock let out a cry.
“Migyaaaaaaaa!!!!”
After a momentary silence, the other topopolocks joined in with a unified roar.
Then they charged towards me.
The swarm closing in with thunderous rumbling was like a tsunami.
But I can’t falter.
First, I’ll strike down their vanguard!
Activating【Body Strengthening】at full power, I scooped up some dirt from the ground and used【Solidify】.
Then,【Stone Throw】.
…Gyun!!!
“Migyaa…!?”
The pebble I released, leaving the sound behind, pierced through the long-horned topopolock leader and several others in a line, killing them.
Without delay, I unleashed Intimidation towards the surrounding area.
“Mim-migya!?”
“Migya-gya-gyaa!?”
“Mee-mig-gya! Migyaaaaaa!”
Unable to withstand my Intimidation, some topopolocks became confused and stopped in their tracks.
However, this was not enough to halt the momentum of a stampede-level horde.
The ones that stopped were simply leapt over and trampled by the subsequent wave pressing forward.
Alright, now it’s showtime!
I began firing an【Infinite Pebbles】barrage.
Continuously mowing down the topopolocks charging towards me from the left and right.
The pebbles could pierce through multiple targets in a line, so it was fairly efficient.
In my current state, I was essentially a never-ending machine gun as long as I was grounded.
Through training, a single body could become a machine gun!
Long live this world of swords and magic!
<However, Emi! The muddy ground from the rain is forcing you to expend extra magic power on【Solidify】! This situation can’t continue indefinitely!>
Oh, an unforeseen weakness of【Infinite Pebbles】has been exposed here!
Its vulnerability to rain!!
Or rather, correction – I’m already out of ammo! When my magic power runs out, I run out of ammo!
<If you don’t find some way to keep replenishing your magic power, you won’t be able to stop that horde!>
Told to keep replenishing magic power, but…!?
“Migyaa!!”
Suddenly, a single topopolock assassin leapt out from my blind spot!
This one… A topopolock assassin!
It must have concealed its presence and advanced ahead of the horde!
But you’re still an idiot, as always!
Shouting before attacking defeats the purpose of concealing your presence, doesn’t it?
Just like last time, I grabbed the leaping topopolock assassin by the neck, crushed it, and finished it off.
In that brief opening, the wave of topopolocks advanced a bit further.
I resumed 【Infinite Pebbles】firing.
My magic power was draining rapidly!
And somehow, I was getting hungry too!
<Well, of course your stomach is growling after expending so much magic power this rapidly!>
…Huh?
So, Extra-sama…
If I fill my stomach, will my magic power recover?
<Yes! It may take some time, but! Emi’s ability to digest and absorb magic power is considerably faster than an ordinary person’s!>
I see? I see, I see.
I glanced at the fallen corpse of the topopolock assassin at my feet.
I can replenish my magic power after all.
Right here on the spot.
Slurp
Ah, I’m drooling already.
* * *
A few minutes after Emi’s decisive battle against the topopolock stampede began.
At this stage, even the lesser topopolocks were feeling dread towards that small black-furred human who was their enemy.
The comrades who had been with them just moments ago were killed with ridiculous ease by the pebbles that human fired, the ground now blanketed with their corpses.
Scary. I want to run away.
That was their honest feeling.
However, the larger boss topopolocks in the back ranks would not permit such cowardice.
While unable to speak words like humans, topopolocks were intelligent creatures with a social structure.
They had to obey the orders of their superiors. Defying them was forbidden.
Even now, the cry to “Advance, kill” from their boss echoed across the battlefield.
There was no retreating.
Steeling their resolve, they glared at the black human.
Then, that human began acting differently than before.
The human, who had been continuously firing pebbles with both arms moving too fast to track, now picked something up nonchalantly with one hand while maintaining the pebble barrage with the other.
“!!!!!!”
When they realized what it was, unease rippled through the topopolocks.
It was the remains of the brave comrade who had charged ahead of the horde to ambush that black human.
Their advance involuntarily halted.
…And they trembled.
Crunch crunch, munch munch…gulp
Along with the patter of rain, the sound of chewing echoed across the briefly quiet battlefield.
The keen ears of the topopolocks picked up the unpleasant noise, try as they might to block it out.
The sound of the black human gnawing through the bones as they devoured the brave one’s remains.
Humans were an intelligent species to be wary of, capable of using magic.
But eating their flesh would make one stronger. Their flesh was delicious.
Such was the knowledge about humans that the topopolock elders had long taught the youngsters.
Yet within that knowledge, there was no mention that humans could be such dreadful monsters.
No warning that humans would commit such vile acts.
Their homes were buried in soil, invaded by water, now utterly destroyed.
From here, they would proceed to the human world, to claim it as their new home.
Any humans they found would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Humans would become an endless food source!!
That was what the massive boss had proclaimed to the topopolocks before their invasion march, filling them with glee.
To them, humans were merely prey, nothing more.
Never could they have imagined that they themselves would become the hunted instead.
Perhaps 10 seconds had passed.
The black human swiftly finished devouring the brave one and carelessly flung away the remains.
Then…
“…Moreeeee!!!”
With that cry, they vanished in an instant.
No, they moved with a speed too fast for the eye to track.
Before they knew it, the black human was standing right before them.
…The start of a new nightmare.
The black human swung their right arm, swung their left arm.
That simple motion alone sent their comrades’ heads flying.
Mud and blood sprayed, heads soared.
In the blink of an eye, the lives around the black human were reaped into silent corpses.
The black human, gripping two comrades in each arm and one in their mouth, moved in an instant once more.
They reappeared in the same position as before – in front of what seemed to be the den they were guarding.
There, the human deftly chewed and swallowed the one in their mouth without using their hands, then resumed firing pebbles with both arms.
Once again, the frontline comrades began dropping in droves.
No more.
No more!
No more!!!
Fear dominated the thoughts of the topopolocks.
The boss’s orders? Who cares!!
That human is a monster!
There’s no way we can defeat such a monster!!
One after another, the topopolocks began retreating back towards the forest.
Those who mustered their courage to charge the human were instantly pierced by pebbles and slaughtered.
A single small black human against a countless, innumerable topopolock horde.
Anyone would have bet on the topopolocks’ victory in this battle.
Yet the victor was the small human, and the loser was the topopolock horde.
Yes, the topopolock horde…had lost.
They had lost.
The topopolocks’…”horde” had lost.
…However, “she” had not yet given up on victory.
Trampling the pathetic fleeing comrades underfoot with her massive legs, “she” slowly advanced forward.
“She” had a dream – to create a new, bountiful paradise as their new home.
“She” had pride – having long reigned as the strongest of the horde.
“She” had responsibility – as the boss, for leading her fellows to this battlefield.
And above all else…
“She” had…
Thud!!!
With the lesser soldiers now gone from the battlefield, what appeared before Emi as she devoured the corpses to recover her magic power was…
A mottled, monstrously huge topopolock towering as tall as a small house.