NOVEL WEB Chapter 82 - Side Story: Juma
Side Story: Juma
Lately, or rather, it’s always been like this, but I think I often get the short end of the stick.
I’m just a little bit stupider than everyone else, I have a hard time controlling my strength, and sometimes I say things I shouldn’t, but everyone’s so quick to anger. Especially Saura! She must be lacking calcium. I should bring her some milk. It might even help her grow a bit taller. Well, her growth spurt’s long over! She’s practically an old lady! Hmm? Is this what they mean by “saying things I shouldn’t”? Whatever.
Anyway, what am I doing right now? I’m tailing Epink! It’s easy enough, I can track him with my sense of smell, even from a distance. But concealing my presence… that’s what I’m bad at.
I’m an oni, you know? Strength is my selling point. And resilience. I’ve already had a hard time containing my strength in this human form, and now they want me to erase it completely. They’re always making unreasonable demands. But I’m a genius! I chose to be in this guild! So I’ll do it! But I wish they’d be a little more considerate.
By the way, in my beast form, I’m twice as big as I am now. I’m short in my human form, you see! My skin’s a little dark now, but it becomes a deep brown, and I’m a red oni with wild red hair. I’m cool, you know! Saura called me savage, but she just doesn’t understand!
Oh, Epink’s stopped moving. Hmm? Ah, he transformed into his beast form. He gets huge too. That strange creature with a pouch on his stomach. I’d heard that they use that pouch to raise their young. I doubt he has many opportunities to do that.
So, it developed, and the inside of that pouch became a subspace, where he could store all sorts of things, right? I don’t remember the details.
“Hmm?”
We were almost in Sainsley, when I saw a figure in the bushes. Who is that? And why is Epink so wary? …Then, Epink’s fur, which had been standing on end, relaxed. He must have recognized the person. Ah, he was blown away. An enemy?
I shouldn’t think about convenient things like “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” And we haven’t even confirmed that Epink’s an enemy. I should be wary… That bastard, he noticed me, didn’t he?
“Whoa!”
Suddenly, that guy attacked me with wind magic. Damn it, that’s dangerous! Alright, enemy! He’s an enemy!
“Wh-You, Oni! You were following me!?”
Epink finally seemed to have noticed me. Hmm, how’s that, I can be discreet if I try! Well, it was his fault that I was noticed. And just who was this guy?
“…To not notice you were being followed, you foolish beast. Well, whatever. You’re just a small fry anyway.”
“Hey, hey, hey… That’s harsh… Just who are you?”
“Hmph, I wouldn’t tell you that, not willingly. As expected, a beast’s intelligence is inferior to that of humans.”
This bastard… Stop talking like that, it’s pissing me off! But if I let him provoke me, I’d be… well, a beast. I’m not a beast!
“Hmm, you’re not falling for it. I’ll give you credit for that. Though, everything I said was true.”
Aaaagh! I’m so frustrated! With all the stress I’ve been under, I just want to go on a rampage! Dammit… dragon, dragon… just you wait, dragon…! Okay, calm down.
“You, beast.”
“A-Are you talking to me…?”
“Hmph, don’t make me repeat myself, you animal. Did you bring back the information?”
“Ah, no… But, um, I’m not comfortable talking here, with that oni…”
What the heck, Epink. Acting so submissively towards such an unpleasant guy… Eerie.
“You’re a nuisance.”
The moment he said that, turning his gaze towards me…
I felt a tremendous amount of magic power, like nothing I’d ever felt before. I leaped back instinctively.
This is bad. Very bad. Alarm bells were ringing in my head, telling me to run away, now.
“…Interesting.”
I recognized this feeling. I’d never forget it. During that war, a long time ago, he’d reduced an entire legion to dust for encroaching on his territory. He’d used wind magic that time. If he’d used anything else, I would have been incinerated. I was just a kid back then.
“You’re from back then…!”
Before I could even speak his name, a spell was cast, and then I was in the sky.
Wait, is this guy… connected to Nemo? If so, this is a serious problem. We weren’t supposed to go after Nemo.
But if they posed a threat to us, wouldn’t we have to do something?
I couldn’t help but grin as I imagined that future, a future where we’d probably end up fighting, even though we were supposed to avoid them. Well, it couldn’t be helped. I was an oni after all.
…And…
“Just how far am I going to flyyy!?”
It must have been the same wind magic he’d used back then. If so, I’d probably end up flying across multiple countries!
“Aaaaagh! What the heck! Why me!! Dammit!”
My scream echoed through the clear blue sky, accompanied by the flapping of birds taking flight, startled by my voice.
I found myself in the mountains. I must have been asleep for a while. Judging from how hungry I was, about two days? Whatever.
“This is… judging from the magical aura, it’s the mountains to the north!”
Probably! I’d been flying in that direction, so I’m sure I was right. Ah, see? A monster that’s only found in the mountains to the north. I quickly took care of it.
That bastard’s magic was incredible. It went beyond just normal wind magic. It was practically a tornado. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been blown this far.
But it felt frustrating to just go back to the guild now, after coming all this way. And I had no way to contact them. I guess I’ll hunt some dragons, as promised, and then go back. Dragon hunting grounds aren’t that far from here. A little detour, they’ll have to forgive me! And I needed to let off some steam! I’m an oni after all!
“Consider yourselves unlucky, monsters of this area! Too bad, you’re just collateral damage. Blame the unfairness of the world.”
I couldn’t help but grin as I took my weapon in hand. Ugh, it’s been a while since I went on a rampage.
My beloved sword was ridiculously large, a custom-made weapon. It was a little shorter than my human height, so I always carried it on my back. But it weighed three times my human weight. Anything lighter wouldn’t feel like a proper weapon.
It was called a greatsword, but… it didn’t cut. Well, the blade wasn’t very sharp. It wasn’t meant for cutting.
“Raaaah!!!!”
I loved the whooshing sound as it cut through the air.
I loved the feeling of it sinking into my enemies, “Bogu!”
I loved how I could feel its weight, feel the weight of my enemies.
It wasn’t really a sword, more like a blunt weapon. So why is it shaped like a sword? They’d asked me that so many times when I ordered it. Aren’t you an oni, shouldn’t you have a kanabo?
Ugh! They just don’t get it!
The reason is simple.
It’s cool!!
“Come on, you monsters! Ahahahaha! Run, run! The oni’s here!”
And so, I enjoyed myself to the fullest, hunting. Hyahh!