Make Up Your Mind.

“Well, yeah, it doesn’t really resemble a monster hazard. Those are supposed to involve a massive surge in monsters.”

“Right.”

As they talked and walked, Kikori suddenly thought of something.

Come to think of it, there had been a time when an orc had strangled a goblin to death.

If he thought about it, what had the goblin done that made an orc kill it?

What kind of “something” was worth paying with its life…?

“…Did the goblin kill an orc, or something?”

“Are you talking about an anomaly?”

“Yeah. I saw a goblin get killed by an orc. Doesn’t that mean the goblin killed an orc first?”

“…If that’s the case, then that’s—”

Kuon, who had been resting a hand on his chin as if thinking, jerked his face up.

“Kikori!”

“!? Guh!?”

Kikori hurriedly dodged a stone thrown at terrifying speed.

The stone that whipped past right next to his face left a small cut on his cheek.

It had only grazed him… and even that much. He didn’t even want to imagine what would’ve happened if it had hit.

And then… “it” appeared, rattling stones in its hand.

A massive green frame. A necklace made of the skulls of something… non-human, and a cleaver-sword and armor worn over its body.

But that gear… looked like an orc’s.

No—was it actually an orc’s…? But then, that thing was—

“…A goblin.”

“It’s not a hobgoblin. It’s something else… something different… I see, an anomalous evolution!”

“Then it’s a Big Goblin! Let’s do this, Kuon!”

“Huh, seriously!?”

“You think it looks like it’s going to let us go!?”

The Big Goblin was grinning, but it was still letting stones clatter in its palm.

If they turned to run, Kikori didn’t think they could dodge what came next.

“We have to take it head-on…! Make up your mind!”

“…Okay…!”

Kikori raised his axe, and Kuon readied his iron staff.

At the two of them, the Big Goblin let out a “Gihih” laugh and drew its arm back to hurl a bundle of stones.

“Kuon! Jump sideways!”

“Yeah!”

The instant the two leapt in opposite directions, stones blasted through where they had been like buckshot.

And in that same moment, both Kikori and Kuon were already charging.

They didn’t need a signal. Almost simultaneously, Kikori and Kuon burst in from both sides.

Kikori swung his axe down at its legs, while Kuon thrust his iron staff into the Big Goblin’s flank.

It had seemed like perfect teamwork, but—

The Big Goblin jumped upward, and it all came undone.

“Wha—”

“Huh…?”

The two retreated in a panic. But if it jumped, it had to come back down.

They just had to strike it then.

Zushin. The impact of its landing shook the ground.

It was almost pure instinct. Kikori ducked, and the Big Goblin’s cleaver-sword swept over his head.

From the other side, Kuon lunged in—only to be blown away by a single punch, staff and all.