Rei and his companions stepped out onto the prairie after noticing a group fleeing through the trees, spurred by Hasta’s plea not to leave fellow adventurers from his own city to their deaths.
The sight awaiting them was simultaneously exactly what they had expected and entirely beyond their imagination.
It was expected that they would find four adventurers being pursued by a Gamelion. It was a common enough scene: hunters who had come for the Gamelions that only appeared during this season had found themselves outmatched and were now running for their lives.
The unexpected part, however, was the creature chasing them. While a typical specimen was supposed to be around three meters long, this Gamelion boasted a massive frame that seemed like a cruel joke. It was nearly three times the size of the one Rei and Hasta had just slain.
Rei and Hasta both recognized the creature instantly. While processing their departure at the city gates, Ranga had warned them about reports of a Rare Species Gamelion.
"..."
Rei turned to look at the stunned Hasta.
Even a standard Gamelion was a Rank C monster, making it an opponent clearly above the level of a Rank D adventurer like Hasta. In their previous encounter, Hasta had managed to sever the creature's tail, but that was the extent of the damage he could deal; without Rei’s intervention, he likely would have been killed.
Now, the monster bearing down on the forest was a Rare Species, treated as a full rank higher than its common counterparts. It was a Rank B monster—a creature with strength equivalent to an Orc King or a Spriggan. It was far more than Hasta could handle.
"Hasta."
"...Yes. I know. I’m no match for something like that. Should I pull back into the forest?"
"That would be best. While you're at it, try to calm those four down and explain the situation."
"Leave it to me. I’m useless in a fight like this, but I can handle that much."
Rei had expected Hasta to insist on helping, so he felt a hint of surprise as he gave the orders.
Had Rei and Seto not been there, Hasta surely would have tried to do something on his own. Fortunately, he was accompanied by outliers. Seeing as Rei could dispatch a normal Gamelion with a single effortless blow, Hasta understood that trying to interfere with a Rank B equivalent monster would only make him a liability. Knowing one’s own limits was one of Hasta’s greatest virtues.
As they had their brief exchange, the distance between the forest and the four adventurers steadily closed.
However, a life-or-death game of tag against an 8m Over Rare Species Gamelion—one based on a rabbit’s physiology—was a losing battle for the humans. The gap between the adventurers and the Rare Species was shrinking faster than the distance to the forest.
Despair was etched into the adventurers' faces, a clear sign that they felt death's cold hand reaching for them, yet they sprinted toward the trees with everything they had, clinging to their only hope.
Given the Rare Species' size, fleeing into the forest was a logical choice. With such a massive body, it would find it impossible to weave through the dense timber. Even if it tried to plow through the trees, its speed would be significantly reduced.
(I didn't expect it to be this fast. If I use magic now, I'll catch those guys in the blast since they're too close to it. Best to step in and force some distance between them first.)
Rei muttered the thought to himself and kicked off the ground. Seeing Rei move, Seto flapped his wings and soared into the sky, intending to launch a surprise attack from above to provide support.
"Don't come this way! Run! Get out of here!"
The warrior-like man leading the fleeing group spotted Rei and screamed a warning. Rei ignored him—or rather, he shouted over the man as he closed in.
"I’ll take it from here! Get to the forest! My companion is waiting for you!"
"But—!"
The man reflexively tried to argue, perhaps judging Rei to be a mage because of his slender build, but it was already too late. Rei and the adventurers passed one another in a blur. Rei’s gaze was now locked firmly on the Rare Species.
"D-don't die!"
Leaving only those words behind, the adventurers continued their mad dash for the trees.
Without a glance at their retreating backs, Rei swung the Death Scythe in a wide arc toward the Rare Species, which was now less than five meters away.
"Flying Slash!"
He unleashed the skill to halt the beast's momentum. The blade of compressed air flew forth, but...
"Gaaaa!"
Sensing the power behind the attack, the Rare Species barked and leaped high into the air.
True to its rabbit-like nature, its jumping power allowed it to clear the Flying Slash with ease. Moreover, it was a vertical leap; the fact that it didn't try to close the distance with Rei, who held a magic item, spoke to the creature's high intelligence.
Swish!
The moment Rei heard the air being sliced, he swung the Death Scythe with reflex speed.
Clang!
A metallic ring echoed across the prairie.
"Gyan!"
The Rare Species shrieked. Rei glanced at the ground for a split second, his brow furrowing as he saw a three-meter-long, rope-like object fall to the grass.
(Right. Its body is three times larger, so it makes sense for its tail to be three times longer than a normal one. At least I don't have to worry about that whip-like tail anymore.)
"Ga... Gaaaaaaa!"
The beast seemed infuriated that its tail had been severed so effortlessly. It roared, baring fangs that were far larger and more menacing than the ones Rei had seen earlier.
But Rei wasn't about to be cowed by a roar. He leveled the Death Scythe, pouring magic power into the weapon as he began his chant.
"Flame, burn my enemies according to my will."
Flames roughly thirty centimeters in diameter gathered at the tip of the Death Scythe.
"Fireball!"
As soon as the spell was ready, he swung the scythe and launched the sphere of fire.
The projectile traveled at a speed that would have been unavoidable for most low-rank monsters. However, his opponent was a Rank B equivalent monster. Because its base was a rabbit, its reflexes and raw speed were exceptional.
"Gaa!"
With a short cry, the Rare Species leaped to the side to evade the Fireball. It immediately tensed its hind legs, intending to capitalize on the opening after the spell to make Rei pay for its tail, but...
Voom!
"!?"
The Rare Species reflexively turned toward the sound, only to see a terrifying pillar of hellfire two meters high incinerating the ground where the fireball had landed.
Even the grass of the prairie, toughened by the magic power of the Forest of Magic, was reduced to ash in an instant by Rei’s flames.
(...Good. Now the Rare Species can't ignore me. It has to worry about being blasted from behind. The guys in the forest should be safe for now.)
Hearing the footsteps of the adventurers entering the forest behind him, Rei conspicuously funneled more magic power into his Death Scythe.
"Ga... Ga, Gaaaaaaa!"
The monster seemed to realize it was being pressured. Unlike its previous roar of anger, this cry sounded more like it was trying to bolster its own courage.
"Magic Shield!"
Answering the beast's cry, Rei closed the distance. As he moved, he activated his skill, deploying a shield of light before him.
"Gaaaaa!"
The Rare Species sensed the impending danger. Judging that it would be killed if it didn't act, it bared its massive fangs in a desperate attempt to intimidate the boy.
It was a gargantuan beast, over 8m Over in length. Its maw was large enough to swallow Rei in a single gulp. Even if it couldn't swallow him whole, it believed that injecting its venom would surely end the boy's life.
"Too... slow!"
The monster used its explosive leaping power to lunge forward just as Rei entered its range.
Clank!
The fangs that should have pierced Rei were stopped cold by the shield of light. Almost simultaneously, the magic-infused Death Scythe whistled through the air.
"!? ...Gyan!"
Recognizing the lethal blade, the Rare Species reflexively tried to block the attack with its Right Ear Blade.
Against a standard longsword or spear, that organic blade might have held firm—it might have even shattered the attacker's weapon. But the weapon Rei wielded was a magic item, forged through Beast Magic and empowered by his own immense magic power. The ear blade offered no resistance at all, being severed cleanly. Rei didn't stop his momentum; he flipped his wrist, redirecting the blade back toward the monster.
"Power Slash!"
He triggered a second skill in rapid succession.
"Gagyaaaaaa!"
Though the skill sacrificed some sharpness, the raw impact of Power Slash was devastating. The Rare Species, despite its hide's natural resistance to blades, was sprayed with its own blood. It let out a scream unlike any heard before as it was blown back nearly five meters. It tumbled across the prairie, carving a deep furrow into the earth for several more meters before finally grinding to a halt.
"...No way."
In the forest, the leader-like man muttered the words in disbelief. He was the same warrior-like man who had spoken to Rei earlier. The fact that he could even speak was a testament to his willpower; his companions were so stunned they had forgotten to breathe.
A child who looked no older than sixteen, barely 160cm tall and seemingly fragile, had just sent an 8m Over Rare Species flying.
Even Hasta was caught off guard by the sheer scale of the power on display, his eyes glued to Rei.
Under their collective gaze, the Rare Species struggled unsteadily to its feet. The aura of death it had used to terrorize the adventurers was gone, replaced by a broken, half-dead desperation.
Rei felt their stares but didn't relax his guard. He had dominated the fight thus far primarily because his opening move had neutralized the creature's tail—its only long-range option. Without that, the battle would have been far more difficult.
"..."
Rei kept his eyes on the wounded beast while stealing a glance at the sky. Seto was circling above, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
(Alright. If I drag this out and let it escape, it’s all for nothing. Time to finish this.)
Rei intentionally swung the Death Scythe in a wide, theatrical motion.
It was a blatant feint from a distance where he should have used Flying Slash. Because the Rare Species had seen the power of that skill earlier, it feared the possibility. It gathered the last of its strength and leaped high into the air to evade the expected projectile.
"Guruuuuu!"
A vertical leap was exactly what Rei wanted.
Trapped mid-air with no way to maneuver, the Rare Species looked up to see Seto diving toward it with a thunderous roar. The griffon combined its own weight with the terminal velocity of its descent to deliver a crushing Eagle Claw Strike to the monster's skull.
Physically, the Gamelion was four times larger than Seto. However, the raw power of an A-Rank monster, the boost from the Bracelet of Herculean Strength, and the sheer momentum of a high-altitude surprise attack culminated in a terrifying display of force.
Crunch!
The sound of the Rare Species' skull shattering echoed across the plains, drowning out the difference in their sizes.
"Hah!"
As the beast slammed into the earth with a massive thud, Rei closed the distance instantly. He swung the magic-charged Death Scythe in a blur of silver.
Slash!
The blade passed through the monster's neck with a clean whistle, and the Rare Species Head was sent spinning through the air.