Chapter 64 : Honor and Pride (2)

From the faint vibrations echoing from inside the tunnel, I could hear the story from outside.

The bow’s monster.

As expected, it seemed that she was still in B City.

And now, what she was targeting was surprisingly the vessel named Okami Hoshino.

‘In the original work, these two had no connection at all?’

So why were these two trying to come together now?

Many thoughts passed through my mind.

But for now, I decided to push those thoughts aside.

Because the issue I needed to solve right now was not that.

Snatch.

I immediately came out of the tunnel and got in between the two of them.

The young lady Hoshino, who had tried to grab the devil’s hand in search of power.

I snatched her wrist along the way.

Of course, the condition mentioned by the bow’s monster was incredibly peaceful according to the standards of monsters.

But still, I didn’t want to see the young lady calmly sipping tea while people were dying.

“What is this?”

“…! A horned mask monster?”

“?! A horned mask? Then, you’re the one who has been known as a kindred killer?!”

“Grk?”

In the meantime,

A strange ringing sound that I had never heard before came from the bow’s monster.

A kindred killer, huh.

Who could that be? I looked around, trying to figure it out.

“You’re the one! You!”

She carefully placed her hand on her conscience and pointed at me.

Immediately, as if realizing only now, the bow’s monster’s sharp voice echoed.

“Yeah… It’s definitely you! The strange horned mask, golden hair, and dark red exterior… everything matches what I heard!”

“Grk?”

Heard, huh.

Am I that famous?

“It’s the form that the older brother, the swordsman, talked about when he said he killed you!”

“Sword…”

“Grk grk?”

‘Older brother?’

Ah, now that I think about it, the weapon series had a setting where they were all family.

Of course, the mother was the monster of the weapon.

The relationships of siblings changed depending on the era they were created in within the <Monster Frontlines> universe, which also had a deep tradition.

Among them, the bow was created after close-range weapons like spears and swords.

Since it was never mentioned in the original work, I hadn’t paid much attention to it, but it seems that she and the swordsman’s monster were siblings.

“Did you come after me this time? The horned mask?”

“Grk grk…”

Forget about targeting me, you were the one who first picked a fight with our young lady.

You want to downgrade the lively attribute I just revived back into a depleted one, don’t you? As the one who raised her, could I just watch quietly?

Since this guy was as annoying as the swordsman’s monster,

I reached out with the intention of subduing him quickly.

But then.

“Horned mask monster.”

“Grk?”

The young lady Hoshino called me from behind.

“Are you here again… to protect me?”

“Grk!”

If it were another question, I might not have known what to say, but for this question, I could proudly nod my head.

I stroked her fox ears.

“…!”

No matter where you are, I’ve decided to protect you.

That’s why I ran with all my strength. I can’t say that, though, so instead, I gently stroked her fox ears.

Then, the cold atmosphere from a moment ago turned bright, and the young lady’s usual smiling expression returned.

“Thank you.”

“Grk grk.”

“But this time, it’s okay.”

“Grk?”

However, as if to let me know she was no longer a child, she shook her head and passed by me, facing the bow’s monster head-on.

“I want to defeat that guy.”

“Hmm?”

“Grk grk…”

“If I just keep getting help from you, it’ll be the same as ten years ago. I’m the horned mask monster, and I want to catch you. So, can you just watch this time?”

She had transformed into a monster, and now she wanted me to just watch.

Of course, I could do that.

Because no matter what, I was the young lady Hoshino’s only playmate.

“Didn’t I easily subdue you earlier? Hoshino.”

“Yeah.”

“But how are you going to catch me, when even your speed can’t even reach my toes?”

“Of course, it would be impossible on my own.”

“…?!”

At that moment, a large horizontal slash flew towards the back of the bow’s monster, who was smiling leisurely.

“Ugh!”

The one who ambushed was none other than Zero.

Sensing it with just her instincts, the bow’s monster quickly bent down and narrowly avoided the attack.

“But if it’s the two of us, it’s a different story.”

“I agree.”

Because of momentarily losing balance, the bow’s monster was left with a gap.

In the world of ‘professionals,’ that brief moment was a huge opportunity.

“Fourth form of the wolf’s breath – Mutual love and help.”

Pa-at.

It was truly a perfect example of a thrust.

In that moment, as if the tip of the sword were an arrowhead, the sharpness that concentrated in one point turned into light and passed through the body of the bow’s monster.

“Keugh?!”

It was the limit of my current abilities, achieved through perfect concentration and optimal timing.

Although I couldn’t secure complete victory with this strike, the fact that my sword had touched the first-class level for a moment made Hoshino smile.

“Is this guy?!”

“I… will never contract with you.”

“!!”

“I will walk my own path with my sword. That’s the mindset of a princess from the Okami family, alongside the sword’s ancestors.”

Taking advantage of his carelessness, I hit him with this surprise attack.

Seeing Hoshino pointing her sword at me, the bow’s monster clicked his tongue.

It was a rare talent I had found after a long time.

Was I really going to have to give up like this?

Even now, blood was still flowing from the side that had been completely pierced.

It was a painful mistake.

I had tried to maintain a good relationship through conversation, but who would have thought that this ‘backing’ was what was protecting Hoshino in the end?

‘At least, the one good thing about this misfortune is that he’s not moving thanks to Hoshino, right?’

But even so, I’m not sure about the two in front of me.

That horned-mask monster doesn’t seem like it’ll just let me go…

Click.

Clack.

“Krurk?”

“Huh?”

“Ah…!”

A cat cornering a mouse suddenly encountered a puppy… No, a bear.

In a situation where being torn apart was inevitable, was there no choice but for the monster with the bow to surrender? Just as such bitter thoughts crossed their mind—

“Two monsters spotted ahead!”

“Neither of them are bat monsters!”

“It doesn’t matter. Exterminate all remaining monsters in B City!”

“No, stop…!”

“They’ve arrived. But if possible, I’d recommend retreating.”

“The same goes for me!”

Hope began to sprout again on her face, which had been shrouded in despair.

“The moths to the flame…”

“Krurk?!”

“Rushing in without knowing their place.”

The monster with the bow, who had been holding an arrow in one hand all along, swung their arm.

Instead of aiming through a bowstring, they simply threw the arrow past the three people’s shoulders—

Towards the advancing military force of dozens of armored vehicles.

A crude, imprecise throw.

Yet, as the arrow soared in an arc, the tip began to spark with a dark red glow.

Boom.

“Gaaah!”

“Guh…!”

“Ambush! We’re under attack!”

The armored vehicles, which were barely capable of withstanding small arms fire, were easily pierced.

The supporting troops were thrown into chaos.

“Well then, we have no choice but to part ways for now. But we’ll meet again, Hoshino.”

“No! Stop right there, monster with the bow!”

As everyone’s gaze was fixed on the overturned armored vehicles, the monster with the bow pulled up their hood and leaped onto the rooftops of the surrounding buildings.

Of course, Hoshino wasn’t about to just let them go.

With swift, fox-like movements, she chased after them, determined to track them down.

But—

Shh.

Shh, shhh.

“!!”

In the midst of the commotion, arrows suddenly rained down from impossible angles, striking only the military troops with deadly precision.

Even arrows thrown by hand had easily pierced armored vehicles.

And now, fired properly from the bow, their power was exponentially greater.

The speed was so intense that even Hoshino, a top-tier A-rank, could barely keep up.

Clang.

Chaaang.

“Guh…!”

“Isn’t that… Princess Hoshino?”

“Whoa… I’ve never seen her in person before.”

“This isn’t the time to be amazed! That monster on the rooftop is classified as a First-Class Threat—one of the ‘Great Beasts!’”

“A… A First-Class Threat?!”

“No way… We only have equipment meant for Second-Class Threats. Doesn’t that mean we have to retreat immediately?”

“So go back! No, if you try, you might get caught in the crossfire. Hide between the buildings, out of sight!”

Even their armored vehicles weren’t enough to shield them.

And with time, the rain of arrows only grew heavier.

Hoshino was beginning to struggle to hold them off alone.

But she wasn’t alone.

She had an ally—someone who would fight back-to-back with her against the horned-mask monster.

Tap.

“Zero?”

The one she had recently considered a friend.

Unlike Hoshino, who had been backing toward the soldiers, the homunculus named Zero charged straight at the monster with the bow.

“Zero, what are you doing?! I can’t protect everyone here by myself!”

“Then don’t.”

“…What?”

“My mission from Councilwoman Avanka is the extermination of monsters threatening B City. And after calculating the situation in my head, pursuing the monster with the bow is a more valuable action than protecting the troops behind you.”

A support unit of heroes—easily replaceable.

Soldiers—born to die in battle.

That was the cold conclusion stored in Zero’s mind.

To her, losing a few “useless humans” wasn’t a good enough reason to let a First-Class Threat escape.

“Oh my. This artificial human is sharper than I expected.”

The monster with the bow grinned in amusement.

Then, raising an arrow high into the sky—

It suddenly split into hundreds of arrows.

“Uaaaaah!”

“They’re coming down!”

A deadly rainstorm of arrows fell with pinpoint accuracy—

Each one aimed precisely at a soldier’s head with zero margin of error.

Snap.

“?!”

“Tsk…!”

At that moment—

A figure darted through the falling arrows, snatching them all from the air with impossible hand movements.

A being with inhuman strength.

A predator who killed their own kind.