"...Fufu, you really are a strange man. Not only do you stay calm in front of a humanoid type, you even look somewhat happy."
Eve let out a low groan.
"However, I understand your reasoning for judging that the humanoid type's attacks cannot reach this far. But that only guarantees our safety. Unless we come up with a way to defeat it, we cannot move from here either."
Eve's words were reasonable.
I looked back toward the room behind us where we had spent the night.
"It does not look like we can expect any other escape routes either."
There had been no hidden doors or anything of the sort in that room.
There was only what looked like an altar deeper inside.
This ruin probably served no greater purpose than a place for rituals.
So going back inside to search for another escape route was not realistic.
"Shall we all live together harmoniously in that musty room for a while?"
I said it half-jokingly.
Eve's ears twitched.
"Hm? Does that mean we wait for the humanoid type to leave?"
"...Well, even if it turns into a war of attrition, the food problem should somehow be manageable."
The food sent through the leather pouch.
Once a day.
We would share it among everyone.
Long-term survival might be possible to some extent.
"That said, I have no intention of doing that. If we take it easy and that bastard dies on its own, it would be inconvenient for me."
I had not told Eve about my revenge target.
So I kept it vague here.
Perhaps due to tension, Seras lightly tightened her arms and raised her hand modestly.
"Um, what about the combined technique with Pigi-maru-dono?"
"Pi."
Nyo ki.
Pigi-maru in its protrusion state poked its head out from under the robe.
I lightly stroked the tip.
"Puyu~♪"
"Even if we use the same combined technique as in the Black Dragon Knight Order battle or the Ashinto battle—it would probably lose in speed. It would all be knocked down."
Those two battles had included the element of surprise.
On the other hand, the current situation had no element of surprise.
Also, it did not seem possible to combine Paralysis with the tentacle attacks.
If the tentacles were considered part of the humanoid type, Paralysis would reach them in terms of range.
I could release the skill in time with the tentacles that approached to attack.
But the "return" of the tentacles was abnormally fast.
It was like ultra-fast hit-and-away.
The tentacles escaped outside the range faster than I could finish saying "Paralyze."
The speed only dropped sharply right before they were stored back into the sewn face's mouth.
By then, the status abnormality skill would no longer reach...
The opponent's movement was faster than I could finish speaking the skill activation condition.
The same problem as with the soul eater had occurred here.
That had also been the bottleneck at that time.
The "losing in speed" I mentioned earlier included that.
In short,
"The opponent has no openings."
Yes, first we needed to create an opening.
Seras placed her white hand near her mouth with a serious expression.
"Hmm... an opening..."
"Seras."
"Eh? Yes."
"Prepare your bow and arrows."
"Understood."
Seras began preparing her bow and arrows.
Eve asked.
"Touka, are you going to shoot arrows at the humanoid type again?"
"Well, yes. But this time the target is a different spot."
I pointed to a location slightly away from the humanoid type.
Seras, who had finished preparing, stepped forward and readied her bow.
"I just need to shoot there, right?"
"I will not give a signal this time. The timing is up to you."
"Understood."
Seras drew the bowstring.
"..."
No matter how many times I saw it, just drawing the bow made her look picturesque.
Her core was beautiful.
There was no distortion.
Was it a characteristic of elves who excelled with the bow?
Or perhaps it was a gift of her undistorted personality.
It was completely different from me, who was distorted.
The next instant,
Hyu!
The arrow was released.
Zuru—Bashu!
The arrow was once again smashed to pieces.
"...Heh."
When the humanoid type had first smashed the arrow with its tentacles, I had roughly estimated its range by eye.
And this time, the position where the arrow was released was just barely outside its range.
How would it react if we took action there?
The humanoid type moved slightly before smashing the incoming arrow.
It did not simply remain stationary in that spot.
Also, another thing I wanted to confirm was—
"All right... it moved properly."
Its movement speed.
We had never seen the humanoid type move.
Was it fast?
Or slow?
I wanted to confirm that.
And,
"It looks difficult to choose the escape plan..."
Despite being a giant, it was surprisingly fast.
If it had been extremely slow, the escape plan would not have been impossible.
Or rather, it would have been easy to use a decoy.
"Even though it is a humanoid type... it has specs worthy of the name of the most terrifying monster. However..."
When that thing moved, something had caught my attention.
Something that could become a clue to killing the humanoid type...
I placed a hand on my mouth.
My index finger moved back and forth.
What was it?
What had caught my attention?
Remember.
The moment the humanoid type moved and attacked...
"...Ah, that's it."
I got it.
I found it—the opening to exploit.
Seras was staring fixedly at the humanoid type's tentacles.
She murmured thoughtfully.
"About what just happened when it smashed the arrow... there was a different sense of discomfort from the first time..."
As expected of the renowned princess knight.
Seras had not missed "that moment."
"Seras."
While watching the tentacles return to the sewn face's mouth, I said.
"That intuition of yours is correct."
I picked up a small pebble at my feet.
I threw the pebble with force.
The pebble hit the ground below the stairs, bounced slightly, and fell.
"Eh?"
Seras furrowed her brows in confusion.
"This time... it did not move...?"
The humanoid type did not even react to the flying pebble.
"Mumuu... Muu~n... Mu...!"
It was just groaning creepily as usual.
"I see. So if it is too far outside the tentacles' range, it does not react."
It did not smash every single thing with its tentacles on pure reflex.
Or perhaps it judged whether there was intent to attack.
It might decide whether to move after determining that.
In that case, we needed to take an action that would make it judge this as an "attack."
"Pigi-maru."
"Pigii!"
I gave instructions to Pigi-maru and began preparations.
"Touka-dono? So you are... going to use that power after all?"
—Crack—
"Certainly, using the same method as with Sibito or Ashinto would not work. However... after seeing the humanoid type's movements earlier, I thought of one move."
An attack relying on numbers would probably be meaningless against that humanoid type.
Therefore, this battle would be decided in an ultra-short decisive fight.
—Crack—
Once a path to victory became visible, there was no need to hold back.
The decisive moment of the match would be a single instant—
"Muu... I had only heard about that form from Seras, but..."
"Hm? Ah, that's right. This is the first time you've seen this combined form, Eve."
"U-umu. Should I call it fusion between human and monster...? I see, so this is the power that destroyed Ashinto."
"It feels more like 'connection' than fusion. Well... it does feel more like fusion though."
—Crack—
All right.
Preparations were complete.
"Seras, shoot another arrow at that same spot."
"Another one? Understood."
Seras took out an arrow from the quiver on her shoulder with a fluid motion.
I leaned close to her ear and whispered,
"Just barely outside the range—can you do it? I want to make it think we have intent to attack as much as possible."
Just in case, so the humanoid type would not overhear and realize.
While still holding the bow, Seras whispered back.
"No problem. I just need to put killing intent into it, right? Please leave it to me."
She was reliable.
After my signal, Seras released another arrow.
The spot I had her aim for was the same as before.
Just barely outside the range of the humanoid type's tentacles—
"!"
Seras, who had released the arrow, looked startled.
On the other hand—my prepared attack also misfired.
"Pi?"
"...It didn't move this time either."
The first arrow had been smashed by the tentacles.
But it did not react to the second arrow.
That bastard,
"It judged there was no need to move this time either."
It might have sensed that we were testing something.
Unlike the pebble earlier, the killing intent should have been conveyed clearly...
I see.
That humanoid type is not as insensitive as I thought.
"In other words..."
I turned back—toward where Slei was.
"From here on, we need an 'attack worthy of making it extend its tentacles.'"
A real attack, not a feint.
It could not be helped.
At that moment, Slei trotted over.
"Pakyu~"
It turned the magic power supply crystal toward me.
"..."
This guy... could it be...
Had it sensed what I was about to make it do?
"...Slei, let me apologize in advance."
"Pakyu!"
That was a cry of resolve.
There was no reluctance or fear.
Fufu.
A small laugh unintentionally escaped.
In this situation, of all times.
It had guts in a way that was almost appreciated...
Slei's gaze held nothing but trust.
Absolute trust in me.
"..."
I felt a slight pain in my chest, but right now I had no choice but to rely on Slei.
I turned around.
"Seras, Eve, from now on I will—"
"Touka."
Eve grabbed my shoulder.
"I will take on that role."
She had quickly realized what I was thinking.
Eve turned her head toward the outside of the ruin.
"A half-hearted feint will no longer make that thing move."
"...You catch on quick."
"Fufu, even so I am still the blood fighter once called the 'strongest' in Monroy. Besides—"
Eve looked at Slei.
"I am better at handling horses than you are."
That was an undeniable fact.
"...It is dangerous."
"Fufu—of course I am aware. Besides, you should understand too. Your chances of winning will be higher if you focus on the decisive blow."
I let out a breath.
"Understood."
Both Slei and Eve.
They seemed to have made up their minds.
I deepened the connection with Pigi-maru even further.
—Crack, miki, piki—
I could not afford to lose these two here.
Absolutely not.
"Slei, Eve."
I spoke with a vow in my voice.
"I will definitely finish it."
I began supplying magic essence to Slei.
A sure-kill blow.
I will definitely kill it.
"――――――――"
The offensive against the humanoid type begins.