(Why...?) I breathed, my thoughts a scrambled and frantic mess.
(Why is this happening all of a sudden?)
As you can probably tell, things hadn't taken a peaceful route; in fact, after the appearance of the group of ogres, things had become everything but peaceful. It turns out monsters aren't exactly known to be very diplomatic in most cases, they live by the whole strength-makes-right philosophy, so almost immediately things had escalated into a full-blown brawl.
Ranga was currently fighting a guy in all red who I assumed to be their leader from the way the others seemed to move around him. The tempest wolf was clearly on the back foot but was definitely holding his own; his claws as well as his teeth were both dangerous and the redhead clearly knew it.
As for Rigur and Gobta, they were working together to take on another one, a large, dark-skinned ogre that definitely had the most beastly facial features of all of them. He was probably the largest and most physically imposing of their group, and that massive warhammer he was swinging around was definitely proving a hazard for the two hobgoblins.
Of course they weren't our only problems, mainly because of the two that were standing off in the back. One was a seemingly young woman with pink hair, a woman who looked the most human of all of them. She was also the one who I suspected had put our companions to sleep if the magical pulses I was detecting from her were anything to go by. And then there was the second one, someone my senses were warning me about: an old, grey-haired man who was definitely the most dangerous of the whole lot of them from what I could tell from the few glances I got of him.
As for myself, well, I was currently trying not to get pummelled and beaten by a large, scary looking, purple-haired woman swinging around a spiked mace. Honestly, the only reason I hadn't had my skull caved in yet was because my Wind Speaker skill was pulling a ton of weight so to speak, allowing me to scramble out of the way just in the nick of time.
Unfortunately, I didn't really have time to take in her appearance, or appearance of any of the others for that matter, considering she was currently attacking me. Despite this however, I was able to take note of three details about her: she was wearing a lot of purple, had a singular horn growing out of her forehead and... errm... well, let's just say her chest was distinctly eye-catching and leave it at that.
(I mean seriously... the first time I leave town and I'm immediately getting pulled into this kind of situation! What kind of luck is that?!) I yelped internally; however, I was noticing something odd as the fight dragged on.
(They're attacking us but... why do I feel like they're not trying to kill us?) I was freaking out, there was no doubt about that, but the process of analysing everything grounded me enough to stop my body from freezing up in anxiety. (The wounds that they have inflicted so far aren't fatal, yet they definitely could have done more if that was their intention, so wh-?!)
My thoughts were interrupted when a foot collided with my stomach, sending me to the ground. The feeling of the air being knocked out of my lungs temporarily stunned me, however I wasn't able to stay still for very long as the wind around me picked up again. I rolled to the side, my senses urging me along, just as the spiked mace came down, colliding with the space where my legs would have been a second ago. Panting, I scrambled to my feet, now with some distance between me and my purple-haired attacker.
"Can... can we just... I don't know, talk this out...?" I asked, holding up my hands in surrender.
My only response was a low growl followed by a mace being swung in my direction once again. "G-guess not!"
(These five... they are really not ones for talking, huh...?) I thought, trying my best to keep out of her range.
However, just then I realised a slight error in that previous thought. (Wait a second... five? Wasn't there six of them?)
"My lady!" Suddenly Ranga's voice rang out as the wind around me sharply shifted once again. "Watch out!"
"W-what are you...?" I went to respond but stopped when I noticed a blue flicker of motion out of the corner of my eye.
(Oh...)
I turned my head just in time to see the shimmering edge of a katana heading straight for my side, the blue-haired ogre wielding it being the exact one who had seemingly vanished from the fight. In the moment I had no idea he was actually aiming to wound me; instead, I genuinely believed he was about to try and cleave me in half. And so I panicked, my pupils dilating as I reacted without thinking, my Death's Sight sub-skill activating almost immediately.
For a fleeting moment his body froze as we made eye contact, his katana slowing for just an instant. And then... something bizarre happened. Something inside of me just seemed to scream to life. Flashes of distorted memories flickered through my mind as my body suddenly became completely relaxed. I don't know what it was but it felt partially familiar, hollow, empty, cold, yet it also filled me with a feeling of something ancient, and even prideful in a way.
Whatever it was, whatever this abrupt shift was, it didn't change what happened next. My emotions vanished, fear, panic, anxiety, everything was swallowed by instinct. My mind snapped into focus as that primal feeling completely took over while the world around me blurred. Simply put, my body moved on its own.
My hand shot out, seizing the blade in one swift motion. My wings flared wide a split second later. Before anyone realised it I was in the air, flipping up above the extended blade. For a moment time seemed to stop but it didn't last; in an instant my body twisted as my leg careened around in an arc, slamming into the side of the ogre's head and sending him flying.
My feet hit the ground a second later, just in time to watch as he skidded to a stop several dozen metres away, sending up a trail of dirt and debris into the air. Blood dripped from his weapon, which was still very much in my hand, the sharp edge digging into my flesh as I gripped it, adrenaline pumping through my veins.
I didn't have time to breathe, however, because he wasn't my only opponent after all. My senses flared to life a moment later, the wind around me picking up as if in warning. Like a puppet on a string I pushed myself out of the way just as the purple-haired ogre appeared behind me. She swung her weapon down, cracking the ground where I once was. I dropped the weapon in my hand, eyes locking onto her as I activated one of my sub-mind scripts.
Suddenly, my shadow split into dozens of tendrils that sprang forward. To her credit, she was able to knock away a few of them, bashing through their forms as they snaked toward her. Sadly for her, though, she couldn't stop them all. A few of them were able to wrap around her mace, while others wrapped around her legs and pulled them out from under her. She hit the ground hard, struggling to break free as the shadowy tendrils began to restrain her.
Before I could fully take her out of the battle, however, instincts flared again, my senses screeching one singular word in my head. Danger. I didn't even have time to process that before my body was moving again. I turned off the skill in alarm, the tendrils dissolving into nothingness as I shot backwards. Regrettably, I wasn't quick enough. I saw a flash of white out of the corner of my eye, and then...
Pain. My feet dug into the dirt as I made distance, scarlet fluid staining the earth. It took me a moment to realise what had happened. I could hear the shocked cries of my companions but I ignored them. My focus was fully on the scene in front of me where a new figure now stood, the old man. He had taken action, seeing that I was about to take out another of his fellows he had made a move to stop me, cutting off one of my wings before I could even notice his approach; the feathered appendage now laying in the dirt several feet away from me.
I didn't scream; I'd felt worse pain before, after all. However, the pain did serve a purpose. Like cold water being poured over my head, the pain seemed to snap me back to reality, and immediately all my emotions returned. My mind was overcome by a mixture of fear, confusion and, strangest of all, fascination. I watched as my severed wing slowly lost its colour before crumbling into ash; even the blood that had poured from it a second ago turned to nothing but ashes. A second, bone and muscle growth formed where it had once been attached, flesh knitting itself back together at astonishing speed as my natural regeneration kicked in.
[Conditions have been met. The skill "Pain Resistance" has been acquired.] I heard a familiar voice speak in my head, not Great Sage but something else, however in that moment the pounding of my own heart drowned it out.
(H-how... how the... how did I do that?) I panted, my mind raced to process the events.
(I don't... I don't know how to fight... I don't know how to do any of that... I don't even have a skill that can let me do that... so... so how did I...?)
I was momentarily frozen, my mind trying to process what had just happened. Thankfully, in that time the old man didn't continue to press his attack; although he did remain transfixed on me, his gaze a mixture of alarm and... interest? Either way, my unexpected actions had seemingly put a temporary pause to the fighting, allowing my companions to break off from their opponents and move to my side.
"Lady Suu!" Rigur called as he arrived next to me along with Gobta, both clearly wounded.
As for Ranga, well, he placed himself between us and the ogres, growling loudly before glancing back and asking, "Are you alright?"
It took me a second to answer that, although I was eventually able to speak up. "I... I'm fine..."
"I'm just... just a bit shaken... that's all..." I breathed, still rather rattled.
(Still though... how did I do all of that?) I thought, as my wing finished regenerating.
Honestly, if it wasn't for my current bewilderment I would probably have found the process of my appendage literally stitching itself back together in real time to be both fascinating and disturbing. Unfortunately however, I currently had other, far more important things to worry about, one of which was the ogres that had gathered back around the one I had kicked in the head. He had very clearly been knocked out by the impact, yet despite this the other five showed no sign of wanting to back down.
Seeing that I was alright, Gobta couldn't help but blurt out, "That was awesome, miss! Since when were you able to do that?"
"I... don't know..." I shook my head slowly, causing him to look at me somewhat confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Focus." Before I could answer, Rigur's voice pulled us back to the situation at hand. "This isn't over yet."
"Indeed." Ranga growled, eyes still locked on the ogres.
(R-right...) I thought, letting out a long breath as I steadied myself. (I can figure everything out later; right now we have... more... huh?) I trailed off suddenly.
Just when it seemed things might break out into even more violence, I felt the wind pick up again; however, this time it wasn't a warning. In fact, it was the exact opposite, instead of alarm it felt almost joyful, warm even. My body relaxed slightly a second later as I realized who it was, and from what I could tell, I wasn't the only one who noticed their arrival.
"Lord Rimuru?" Rigur exclaimed as the person in question finally came into view.
"Master!" Ranga woofed, tail wagging.
"I'm so glad you got here on time, sir." Gobta also added, sounding genuinely relieved, not that I could blame him.
For a moment Rimuru just stood there, a strange mask covering their face, one that seemed to make it impossible for me to sense him with my Magic Sense skill. I would have asked how he could see with it on since it didn't have eye holes, but this is a world with magic, so the answer was kind of obvious.
Anyway, he appeared to just glance around for a second, taking in the situation before finally speaking. "Sorry I'm late. Now, would someone mind filling me in on the situation?"
(((A/N. So, how was it? The first fight scene of the remake, did you enjoy it? Either way, thank for reading, and as always, power stones and reviews are appreciated.)))