The Two Leaders

The question, then, was how to deceive it.

How could trolls tell humans apart? Maybe if they lived together long enough they would have a few ways, but this was not nearly long enough. Practically speaking, it would be by appearance, especially clothing. As such, Nfirea and Enri had worn the same rain capes and ponchos.

Next, they had to keep it from differentiating between the two of them via its sense of smell, and the herbal juice was meant to take care of its keen nose.

Enri had prepared two traps based on scent — one was to use the ogre-stink to halt it in its tracks, and the other was using the stench of the herbs to disorient it.

After she got her breathing under control. Enri began stealthily moving to the next house.

She crept into the darkened interior of the house, peeking at the situation outside. With a ‘ dong’

sound, Nfirea ran inside. At this moment, Enri ran out again from the back door by which she had entered.

But then Enri realised that the troll wasn’t following her, even though she had run out of the house.

The troll snorted and looked at Enri and the house. Its ugly face contorted even further. She guessed that the look on its face might be surprise.

Cold sweat beaded on Enri’s throat. She touched herself unconsciously, and her hand came away, sticky and wet.

“…Its nose is used to it?”

After getting used to the smell of the herbs, and smelling the fear in her sweat, the troll seemed to have realised that there were two humans.

The troll raised its hand and smashed it deeply into the house. Nfirea ran out again. However, his footsteps stopped, and he didn’t look like he was going to flee.

“Enri! Run away! I’ll buy you some time!”

“―Idiot! Run with me!”

“It’ll definitely catch up with us! Even if we use the houses as shields!”

The wide-eyed Enri saw Nfirea smiling.

“I’m stronger, so there’s a higher chance I’ll survive if you leave me behind!”

Nfirea cast a spell, and his body was enveloped in a bubble of soft, gentle light.

He continued smiling to Enri, who had lost the power of speech.

“And besides ― I want to protect the woman I love.”

Nfirea turned toward the ferocious monster, raising his fist and pointing his thumb to himself.

“Come on, big guy, I’ll play with you! Come have a go if you’re hard enough! 「Acid Arrow」!”

Nfirea kept taunting the troll, while firing a green arrow of acid at it. As it hit, steam rose with the sound of hissing and bubbling, making the troll scream in agony.

The troll fixed its rage-maddened eyes on Nfirea. It paid no more attention to Enri.

“Go! Go and get help!”

It would be foolish to waste time here.

“―You’d better stay safe!”

Saying that, Enri ran.

The troll didn’t look like it wanted to follow.

Frankly speaking, his chances of survival were zero. There was an overwhelming difference in their respective physical capabilities. And there was no way he could triumph over a foe that needed gold-ranked adventurers to beat.

It was a hopeless battle, and being able to hold on for even a minute was worthy of praise.

“Yup, I’m going to die.”

Nfirea smiled bitterly as he watched the troll, who was approaching him warily.

It could not regenerate damage caused by acid and fire. Because of this, the troll was especially careful around Nfirea, who could defeat its greatest ability. It was laughable that it had to act so cautiously around a foe it could finish off in one blow.

“Well, that works for me. 「Hypnotism」!”

The troll’s hostility seemed unchanged. It seemed to have resisted the spell.

Realizing that it had been targeted by a spell, the troll charged.

The gigantic body approaching him was like a scene out of a nightmare.

“If it worked, I could have held on a bit longer… no such luck. Ahhh, what a shame.”

Nfirea seemed to have given up. This was because it was a completely unwinnable battle, which had crossed the line from bravery to recklessness. But even so―

―He had to buy time for Enri.

With that thought in mind, Nfirea leapt into action.

Making note of the troll’s upraised left arm, he ran forward and to the left. Seeking life in death, he plunged head-first into danger to reach the safety beyond it. The troll’s fist followed him, and the wind of its passing ruffled his hair. And in front of Nfirea, a mighty foot kicked out at him like a moving wall.

Nfirea’s vision spun wildly as he flew through the air, his body making cracking sounds like shattered tree branches.

He hit the ground hard and rolled several times, like a piece of discarded rubbish.

Pain coursed through Nfirea’s body, which was still rolling over the ground. He was in more pain than he’d ever been in his life.

“No, I somehow managed to survive. That’s amazing. I’m amazing…”

This was because of the effects of his defensive spell and the fact that the troll had been unable to kick with all its strength. Ignoring the pain that shot through him with every breath he took, Nfirea stood, and loosed another spell.

“「Acid Arrow」!”

The pursuing troll stopped in its tracks, wary of the pool of scorching acid at its feet.