While Anastasia was using Spirit Magic to transport the spirit egg together with the Centaurs...
"Grrrrrrr!"
Set, who had been inside the settlement, quickly raised a warning cry.
Rei had understood that the Dragonias' fixation on this settlement was caused by the spirit egg, but even so, the Dragonias attacking here so suddenly was completely unexpected.
For that matter, how had the Dragonias at their headquarters or bases learned that the spirit egg's power—an Abnormality so intense that even Anastasia, a Spirit Mage, had called it dense—had been excavated from this settlement? How had they known it had been unearthed?
If there had been a base right next to this settlement, that would be one thing, but Rei knew full well that no such base existed anywhere nearby.
In other words, the ones Set is warning about are the group that was already heading toward this settlement before the spirit egg was dug up. ...Troublesome. But in a way, I did expect this.
It likely meant that a group of Dragonias coincidentally heading toward this settlement had learned of the spirit egg's excavation through some means—probably the spirit's power—and had attacked this settlement more aggressively than before.
In other words... though it was truly a belated realization, this meant that the Dragonias were reacting quite sensitively to spirits.
Could it be that the Dragonias are a subspecies of spirits, or perhaps a race that has been influenced by spirits in some way...? Is that what this is about? No, but that in itself is a delicate matter.
Rei briefly entertained such questions, but in the current situation, there was something he needed to do before sorting that out.
"Vihera, we're going to intercept them. Set, same as always—kill any Dragonias that enter the settlement. You're the final defensive line."
"Understood."
"Gruu!"
At Rei's words, Vihera and Set each responded in turn.
Amidst that, Anastasia, who had been concentrating on the spirit egg, spoke up.
"Rei, the deer..."
To Anastasia, the spirit egg was certainly a fascinating object, but the deer that had traveled with them in this world were not something she could just abandon either.
Rei had left a Centaur behind as a caretaker and guard in case something happened, but... honestly, in this situation, there was nothing that could be done.
Precisely because the two deer had large antlers, it would naturally be difficult for them to make it all the way to this settlement located within the grove.
But could a single Centaur hold off countless Dragonias? The answer was, naturally, no.
"...It'll be difficult."
In the end, that was all Rei could say.
That said, it wasn't as though there was no chance of the two deer surviving.
Ultimately, what the Dragonias wanted was this settlement... and the spirit egg excavated from it.
Given that, if the deer fled, Dragonias following a commander likely wouldn't pursue them. And even if they did, the deer without Anastasia and Fana as baggage on their backs should have no difficulty outrunning the Dragonias.
Then again, from what Rei had seen, the deer had grown quite attached to Anastasia and the others. So whether they would abandon them and flee just because the Dragonias were the enemy... honestly, that was uncertain.
That Centaur probably managed to lead the deer and escape... that's the only way to think about it.
The worst-case scenario would be that the Dragonias launched a surprise attack, killing and eating both the Centaur and the two deer.
That said, there were few races as unsuited for Stealth as the Dragonias.
Since they were driven by the instinct of hunger, upon finding an enemy—finding meat to satisfy their hunger—it was only natural that they would try to tear into that flesh.
Moreover, they had to desperately tear into the prey's flesh themselves, lest their comrades beat them to it.
Under such circumstances, there was no way they could manage Stealth.
Ultimately, they needed to sink their teeth in even a moment faster than the rest of their group.
"For now, it's better to forget about the deer. We need to deal with the Dragonias coming toward this settlement. ...Anastasia, I'm leaving the egg to you here."
"Leave it to me."
Even while exchanging words with Rei, Anastasia was layering the utmost care upon care in her interference with the egg.
This was because there was no telling what would happen if the spirit egg was improperly interfered with.
...As someone not well-versed in spirits, Rei had no choice but to leave the spirit egg entirely to Anastasia.
"Alright. Then what we need to do is the same as before. Vihera and I will intercept the Dragonias in the grove. Everyone else, stand by in the settlement and protect the others. ...However, what you're protecting includes the non-combatants, but more importantly, Anastasia."
At Rei's instructions, the Centaurs who had been listening turned their gazes toward Anastasia.
That said, there was no hint of dissatisfaction in those looks.
From their interactions with Rei, they understood that this spirit egg was highly dangerous, and that only Anastasia could handle it—there was no mistaking that.
"Understood. Leave it to us. We have no choice but to rely on Rei for the battle in the grove, but..."
The one who said that to Rei was Zai.
Given the current situation, Zai understood that he could not head to the grove himself.
When it came down to it, Zai was the one commanding the Reconnaissance Unit members stationed in the settlement.
Their maximum Combat Power was Rei's group, but the main force was the Centaurs, and he was the one commanding that main force.
With that in mind, Zai spoke as if telling himself.
Rei nodded to Zai and turned his gaze to Vihera.
Without needing a single word, Vihera understood what Rei wanted to say, and headed toward the grove in silence.
Rei looked at the Centaurs one last time... then at Set, conveying his intent with a glance that asked for their help, before going after Vihera.
"Gruu!"
Set's voice of encouragement reached Rei's back, and Rei answered with a light wave of his hand.
Finding something like a spirit egg means this Dragonias matter is finally approaching its climax. Given that, I can't let the Dragonias have the spirit egg here.
Determined to take down the Dragonias more thoroughly than ever before, he stepped into the grove.
"Rei, it's fine if we split up, right?"
"Yeah. Based on past experience, the Dragonias will definitely come after you. But... that's only if they behave as before. Honestly, I don't know if these Dragonias will act the same way as before, so be careful."
In the past, the moment Dragonias spotted Vihera, they would attack her immediately, trying to devour her flesh above all else.
But that was only how things had been before. With the spirit egg discovered, and Dragonias that had presumably sensed it now attacking, there was a high probability that things wouldn't proceed as usual.
But if they wanted the spirit egg... could it be that the Dragonias have some connection to spirits?
He thought this, but Rei couldn't believe that beings ruled by hunger like the Dragonias had any connection to spirits.
At the very least, the spirits Rei knew of were not the kind of existence that the Dragonias were.
...Of course, Rei had seen the effects of Spirit Magic, but he had never seen a spirit in its pure form.
Moreover, the world of Elgin and this world were entirely different worlds.
Given that, even if they fell under the same category of "spirits," there was a very real possibility that the spirits themselves differed from those in Elgin.
"I know. But personally, I wouldn't mind if they were that kind of opponent. Fighting the Dragonias, they always come at you to the very end with that unyielding spirit of theirs, but their offense inevitably becomes simplistic. If that changes..."
That would be preferable.
Vihera's expression said as much, and though Rei showed a hint of exasperation, he nodded in understanding.
"I see. Then give it your best. I'll do reasonably well on my end too."
Rei figured that saying anything more would be pointless, and considering Vihera's strength, there was no need for him to meddle. He left it at that without further caution.
If things truly got dangerous, he could always go help—that was also a thought he had, truthfully.
Rei and Vihera parted ways and each scattered into the grove.
They had fought the same way before, so this was a fighting style Rei was comfortable with.
Dragonias did not break the trees growing in the grove.
He didn't understand the reason why, but if they moved without breaking the standing trees, they would naturally get stuck and unable to move... and once they stopped moving, Rei would take them out from behind using the Twilight Spear, which was easy to wield even in the grove.
It was a method that only worked against Dragonias led by a commander, but it was an effective way to take them down quickly.
That said, that was only if this Dragonias attack was the same as before.
Given that these Dragonias had attacked immediately after the spirit egg was excavated, it would be unreasonable to think this attack was an ordinary one... the same kind that had occurred several times before.
As if confirming Rei's expectations, the sound of trees breaking could be heard from within the grove.
Not just one or two, but many.
Just as I thought. ...Even though I expected it, this situation is still not good.
Previously, even when the Dragonias were packed between trees, unable to move, and being hunted one-sidedly by Rei, they had never broken trees as long as a commander was present. Seeing them now breaking trees without hesitation—ruthlessly—made it obvious that the attacking Dragonias' behavioral pattern was different from before.
...That said, from Rei's perspective, if the Dragonias were willing to break trees, it only gave him an advantage in battle.
"Vihera, fight to your heart's content!"
They were already far apart, so he didn't know if she could hear him, but Rei shouted toward Vihera... and then he himself slipped between the trees without drawing a weapon.
Long-handled weapons like Death Scythe and the Twilight Spear were naturally difficult to use in a grove like this.
Normally, he would have had the Twilight Spear in hand to kill Dragonias that were stuck between trees, but if they were going to destroy the trees for him, Rei could fight in such an opening where he could use Death Scythe, making the battle easier.
That was, if anything, exactly what Rei wanted.
As he moved... thanks to his speed, it took less than a few minutes for his destination to come into view.
There, as expected, the very scene Rei had predicted lay spread out before him.
Closing the distance with the Dragonias that were destroying the surrounding trees as they pleased, Rei drew Death Scythe and the Twilight Spear from his Misty Ring.
As I thought, the fact that they've started destroying the trees... is because the spirit egg was dug up. I could feel the spirit's power strongly enough to see it.
Whether this influence was good or bad, Rei couldn't say... but regardless, having secured a battlefield where he could swing Death Scythe freely was a good thing, and he reconsidered—
"Nmaenkanja!"
One of the Dragonias, noticing Rei's approach, bared its claws and fangs and attacked, rejoicing that meat to satisfy its hunger had arrived.
"Don't think such a simple attack will work!"
Ducking low, he dodged the sweeping right-handed strike while passing by the Dragonias's flank, severing its torso with Death Scythe, and then crushed the head of another Dragonias that had lunged at him from directly behind the bisected one, using the Twilight Spear in his left hand.
Without killing the momentum from his run, Rei plunged into the midst of the Dragonias swarm.
Under normal circumstances, that would be nothing short of a suicidal act.
But even so, given the current situation, it was indeed the optimal solution for Rei.
After all, the only ones around were Dragonias—not a single ally was among them.
In other words, he could attack every enemy he encountered without holding back.
And... just as he intended, Rei rampaged through the midst of the Dragonias swarm.