Assault. 16:22

Arc 13 begins.

The name ‘Purple Dual Rings’ probably won't ring a bell for a lot of you, so in this arc I'll explain a few of the story's proper nouns and other terms down in the afterwords. Use them to jog your memory on all sorts of things!

That way, you'll be fine even if you've forgotten what happened before!

The Saikanan Highway is a historic road running straight through Hamejika, the Golden Continent, from east to west.

Stretching from Ashgo in the west to Raybreak in the east, this highway had long carried crops harvested in Tezonka to dining tables across the continent, and imported goods shipped out of Ashgo to the treasure vaults of the royalty and nobility of every nation.

It was a road truly worthy of being called the great artery of the Golden Continent.

But that was in the past.

For all sorts of reasons, from the opening of new trade routes to advances in farming techniques in many regions and the coup in Ashgo, fewer and fewer people have been using this highway.

And all the more so in early winter like now, with light snow flurrying down.

That was why, for the past few days, Emi had kept walking the highway without passing many people.

Westward, ever westward.

It wasn't that she had any particular reason to head west.

It just so happened that the direction she started running in after leaping out of her beloved base was west.

That was all.

“............”

Drawn by the snow that had brushed her cheek ever so softly and gently before melting away, Emi lifted her gaze from the endless, antiquated cobblestones.

When she looked ahead, far, far away, at the end of a highway that seemed to go on forever, the golden evening sun was sinking.

The cobblestones, the tips of the pampas-like plants growing around them, and the trees of the forest spreading out nearby, which held only a few withered leaves on their branches.

Every one of them glittered beautifully, even as each one cast a deep, dark shadow.

Emi narrowed her eyes at the glare in spite of herself.

Once again, light snow danced down, vanishing as if absorbed into her attire, which was murky black with a rusty red surfacing now and then.

That attire was something Emi had created using her special ability.

What did that mean? She had wrapped her body in 【Black Arms】, a special ability she had newly devised.

This supernatural magic power construct, which hadn't let even a Golden Bear's lightning through, kept out even the cold outside air.

In other words, wrapped around your body, it kept you warm.

So Emi always kept these 【Black Arms】 wrapped around her body, wearing them like armor to keep out the cold.

Since it made movement difficult, she didn't wrap them around her limbs.

She wrapped them round and round her torso.

Which was why she now cut quite a peculiar figure: a murky black, rugged, spiky ball of rock with arms, legs and a head popping out of it.

The rare few travelers she passed all stared at Emi, dumbfounded......

“Dark Spiky Rock Man......!?”

they muttered.

And then Emi's superhumanly keen ears caught those words, they got a light dose of 【Intimidation】, and they ran off, white as sheets.

Out in some deserted demon realm it would be one thing, but even Emi wasn't entirely unembarrassed about wearing such an oddball getup on a highway.

But the 【Black Arms】 attire kept out the cold and kept out attacks so well that it blew away drawbacks like being a little embarrassing and a little hard to move in.

Besides, once she got used to them, these 【Black Arms】 could change shape more freely...... Emi was certain of it.

Why, she was sure they could even take on a more refined shape, something like actual clothing.

Hence, partly to get the hang of controlling 【Black Arms】, she was once again the Dark Spiky Rock Man today, pressing on along the highway.

Fortunately, Emi didn't pass anyone on this day.

Furthermore, bloodthirsty monsters rarely appeared on the highway, making it a truly peaceful and quiet day.

Inevitably, Emi's vigilance toward her surroundings was beginning to fade slightly.

<We're getting rather hungry, aren't we?>

Omake-sama's carefree words echoed in Emi's mind.

“............”

......True.

Time to head into the forest and hunt a deer or something?

Silently patting her 【Black Arms】-clad belly, Emi tossed that casual reply back in her head.

With her abilities, hunting creatures in the forest was extremely easy.

Spot some prey, close in with one little hop, lop off its head, and the flesh and blood were hers.

Fortunately, the forests in this area were very lush, and since many deer, boars, and Topecchogo lived there, prey was easy to find.

Even if she started hunting now, with the sun going down, Emi would easily make it in time for dinner.

......Of course, she could do this because Emi was quite a powerhouse.

In particular, the deer around here are dangerous: some have antlers sharp enough to fell great trees with ease, some sprout jet-black wings, some breathe fire. So, everyone, even if you get a little peckish while traveling, please don't go wandering into the forest on a whim. Promise, okay?

But, still.

To put it simply, on this day Emi's hunt went badly even with all her skill, and it would be the dead of night, under a sky full of shining stars, before she could start eating the deer meat she had finally found.

Why?

......Because a fierce battle was about to break out right here and now, and all the creatures who sensed it and grew terrified would flee deep into the forest.

“DROP, DEAD, YAAAAAAAAH!!!”

With that utterly crude, boorish bellow in a deep, gruff voice, Emi's day, which had seemed set to end in peace, was ruined in an instant.

“......!?”

Caught completely off guard, Emi whirled around toward the voice, toward the very forest she had been thinking of entering to hunt.

And naturally, her eyes caught the figure of the sudden attacker.

It was a giant, surely more than 3 meters tall, charging straight at Emi with ferocious speed, fists raised.

【Ashgo】

A country whose name, at least, has popped up every so often until now.

【Raybreak】

A country located in the eastern part of the Golden Continent.

The setting for Arc 2 and Arc 3.

Though she isn't aware of it, Emi is originally from the Raybreak Kingdom.

【Tezonka】

The setting for Arc 8 and Arc 9.

Apparently there's an ancient ruin called “Saikanedon's Tower,” but it wasn't on her route, so Emi skipped right past it.

【Deer】

Wings or no wings, fire or no fire, once the narration has flatly called them “deer,” they are deer.

By the way, deer-type monsters like the “Electrideer” (Arc 3) and the “Kenzan Deer” (Arc 7) have already appeared.