B-Rank Monsters and C-Rank Monsters.
There’s a huge wall between these two ranks.
It’s the presence or absence of Skills.
Many Monsters of B-Rank or higher possess Skills.
The Skill the Stealth Wolf possesses is—[Stealth].
It’s a Skill that hides one’s form from enemies. Depending on its proficiency level, the degree of concealment varies greatly.
Their shadow fades.
Their presence vanishes.
Their form becomes invisible.
The Stealth Wolf’s [Stealth] had rendered its body completely invisible.
“Ah, a cry.”
Tsukasa turned towards the direction the sound came from.
It was the sound of a howl.
Of course, in this case, the cry held meaning.
“So it hides itself while its underlings hunt the prey, huh?”
Hound Wolves emerged from the surrounding forest.
Their numbers exceeded twenty.
“Is this an infinite spawn, I wonder?”
“Probably. The Boss Room enhances the Boss Monster’s abilities. It’s best to assume there’s no summoning limit.”
It’s best to assume the Hound Wolves will continue appearing endlessly.
At least, that’s better than underestimating the threat.
“Well then, it’s hide-and-seek,” Tsukasa said.
“Are we the ones who are ‘it’?” Keiichiro retorted.
Defeating the Hound Wolves won’t end this.
They had no choice but to find the Stealth Wolf hiding with [Stealth].
“But, we need to clear things out a bit, right?”
Saying so, Tsukasa backstepped to create distance.
Perhaps due to this movement, the Hound Wolves fixed their aim on him.
Forming a pack, the Hound Wolves pursued Tsukasa.
It was just like a hunt.
If there was one difference…
“Hyaaah!”
—it was that the one being chased was stronger.
Tsukasa’s Knife slit a Hound Wolf’s throat.
“Trap Set—[Arrow] + [Flame]!”
A dry clapping sound echoed.
Simultaneously, a pillar of fire erupted from near Keiichiro’s hands.
The dragon-like flame swept away the Hound Wolves in its path.
“I can’t use this in enclosed spaces, but it’s convenient for annihilation.”
He couldn’t just scatter flames in an enclosed space like a Cave.
But on a plain like this one,
he could unleash the flames without hesitation.
The Flame Trap didn’t possess the same killing power as a Slashing Trap.
However, it was better suited for dealing with large numbers.
“Hmph—!”
Keiichiro and Tsukasa dashed swiftly across the battlefield.
Each moved in a different direction, scattering the pack of Hound Wolves.
When facing overwhelming numbers, the iron rule was to never stop moving.
If one stopped and got surrounded, the battle’s outcome would be decided.
Conversely, if one moved faster than the enemy—they could pick off the stragglers left behind.
“Hup.”
Keiichiro accelerated using an Arrow and cut down a Hound Wolf that was beginning to stray from the pack.
“Hmm. It really is an infinite spawn,” Tsukasa sighed while dodging the coordinated attacks of the Hound Wolves.
Keiichiro and Tsukasa had been defeating Hound Wolves continuously.
And yet, the number of enemies on the battlefield wasn’t decreasing.
Reinforcements were being sent in sequentially.
“Well then, guess it’s time to start searching in earnest.”
Keiichiro was now convinced this wouldn’t end until they found the Stealth Wolf.
Therefore, he decided to act.
“Tsukigase.”
“What is it, Kageura-oniichan? Could it be, you wanted to hear my voi—”
“Can I leave the pack to you alone for ten seconds?”
“Roger!”
Without asking Keiichiro’s intention, Tsukasa gave a salute.
His reply was lighthearted, showing no sign of pressure.
“[Arrow]!”
Keiichiro stepped on an Arrow and accelerated.
His destination—the grove of trees at the edge of the Boss Room.
“[Arrow] + [Slash]!”
Keiichiro placed Arrows facing in all directions.
Then, he fused Slashing Traps onto them.
Slashes radiated outwards from him.
Unleashed in every direction, the slashes cut down the surrounding trees.
“This should be enough ammo.”
Keiichiro began preparing for his next move.
☆
“Mm-hmm!”
Hound Wolf claws closed in from front and back.
Tsukasa twisted his body to dodge them.
“Ei!”
Tsukasa switched to a reverse grip on the Knives in both hands.
Just like that, he stabbed the Knives into the heads of the Hound Wolves that had left themselves open in front of and behind him.
Tsukasa paused.
Aiming for that moment, more Hound Wolves surged forward.
Therefore, Tsukasa spun his body around, keeping the Knives embedded in the Hound Wolves.
Centrifugal force pulled the Knives from the Hound Wolves’ heads.
The corpses, flung from his grip, were hurled—colliding with the Hound Wolves that were attempting a follow-up attack.
“Hm…?”
Tsukasa caught sight of something at the edge of his vision—Keiichiro preparing something.
That alone was enough for Tsukasa to guess what he should do next.
“Tooh!”
Tsukasa leaped straight up.
A jump of about three meters.
Simultaneously—a barrage of trees flew towards the space beneath him.
Keiichiro had used [Arrow] to launch a large quantity of timber.
The purpose was to annihilate the Hound Wolves targeting Tsukasa in one fell swoop.
Timing it for when the Hound Wolves converged on Tsukasa’s position, Keiichiro unleashed a volley of wooden projectiles.
Caught in the barrage of wood, the pack of Hound Wolves was sent flying.
Upon impact, a cloud of leaves scattered into the air.
(With this, the Stealth Wolf will have to call for its allies,) Tsukasa thought. He had found a lead to pinpoint the Stealth Wolf’s location.
(Make the Stealth Wolf howl now that the obstructions are gone.)
It needed to howl to call its allies.
He had heard it several times before, but each time, the interference from the Hound Wolves had prevented him from attacking.
But now, the Hound Wolves were wiped out.
The Stealth Wolf was currently in an extremely vulnerable position.
(The next time I hear its cry—I’ll be able to pinpoint the Stealth Wolf!)
If they could just strip away its final bastion, the [Stealth] Skill—it would be over.
Tsukasa focused his hearing, determined not to miss the Stealth Wolf’s cry.
And then—
(This—)
Tsukasa sensed it.
The sound of breathing—coming from behind him.
“Crap…!”
Tsukasa reflexively adopted a defensive stance.
An impact jolted through the Knife he held ready.
“So the plan was to thin out your enemies before your position was revealed by howling, huh?” Tsukasa laughed, even as cold sweat trickled down his back.
He had been focusing solely on the Stealth Wolf’s howl.
However, the Stealth Wolf had opted for a direct attack on Tsukasa instead.
If his reaction had been any slower, the attack would likely have struck him directly.
“But, now I’ve found you.”
The Stealth Wolf’s form materialized.
“Wha—!”
However, it was Tsukasa who was astonished.
The attack he had blocked…
it was—
(A tail…!) It had been a sweep with its tail. Therefore—
“Dam—”
Crunch. Pain flared in his side.
The Stealth Wolf’s foreleg had struck from the opposite side of Tsukasa’s guard.
Tsukasa, relieved after blocking the tail attack, had completely overlooked the attack swinging around from the opposite direction.
“Nngh…!”
Struck hard in the side, Tsukasa’s body went flying.
It wasn’t enough damage to break bones, but being caught by surprise delayed his reaction.
He was about to slam into the rock face, but—
“Nice fight.”
—Keiichiro caught him.
He praised Tsukasa’s efforts, showing him that he had successfully fulfilled his role.
“Leave the rest to me.”
Keiichiro gently lowered Tsukasa to the ground.
However, in that brief moment, the Stealth Wolf had vanished once more.
“It disappeared again?” Tsukasa asked.
“No problem,” Keiichiro replied.
Keiichiro responded to Tsukasa’s words. He smiled—
“Even if I can’t see it, I know exactly where it is.”
Crunch…
A sound echoed.
It was—the sound of leaves being crushed underfoot.
“Even if its form disappears, it doesn’t physically cease to exist.”
Ultimately, the [Stealth] Skill is merely a technique for hiding one’s form.
The fact of its physical presence remains unchanged.
“That’s why, on a battlefield littered with this many leaves, just walking around reveals its location.”
The spot where the sound originated.
The spot where leaves lay unnaturally crushed.
The Stealth Wolf was there.
“Trap Set————[Quartet]!”
Keiichiro’s figure vanished.
He accelerated at a speed that defied visual tracking.
Combined with his black equipment, his form became a black flash.
“Ah————”
—There was an Adventurer known as [White Lightning].
Kurenai Hagane.
The nation’s strongest and fastest attacker, an S-Rank Adventurer possessing the [Valkyrie] class.
And the female Adventurer leading the strongest Party.
The origin of her moniker stemmed from her high-speed combat, which resembled white lightning.
Watching Keiichiro’s movements brought her to mind.
White and black.
Though its color was different, Keiichiro moved with the speed of a lightning flash—
“Subjugation complete.”
—and cut off the Stealth Wolf’s head as he passed it by.
The Stealth Wolf stood stock still, unaware even of its own death.
And in the end, it never realized it was dead until its body dissolved into particles.
“Amazing… Amazing, amazing…!”
Such words escaped Tsukasa’s mouth completely unconsciously.
The words, not meant for anyone else, echoed in Tsukasa’s mind.
(I’m feeling it…)
Tsukasa’s heart leaped.
His body flushed with excitement.
Just watching his figure brought a natural smile to Tsukasa’s face.
Strong, and kind.
And above all—thrilling.
(Right now… I’m feeling like Kageura-oniichan is my destiny…!)
Someone who could change his world.
If such a person existed, it could only be him.
There was something about the young man named Kageura Keiichiro that made Tsukasa feel that way.
Keiichiro’s image color was “Black”.
Kurenai’s image color was “White”.
If Keiichiro were to gain an epithet from now on, perhaps it would be one that contrasted with “White Lightning”.