Clash with the Forest Spirit King Kokoririon

* * *

GA, KIIIIIIIIN!!

A hard sound echoed through the sanctuary of the spirits.

It was the impact sound of the Spirit King's staff, swung down with the momentum of his jump from the hollow of the giant tree, and Emi's arm, raised for defense upon noticing the surprise attack, clashing.

At the same time, a shockwave was generated.

Originating from the Spirit King's staff and Emi's arm, it spread out in a sphere as a tremendous storm, tearing off and blowing away the flowers of the shining flower garden and felling the trees.

The Forest Spirit King Kokoririon, his surprise attack thwarted, landed on the ground and backstepped.

He distanced himself from Emi.

In the meantime, the Spirit King's staff... defied the laws of physics and remained in the air, attacking Emi with a high-speed vertical rotation!

"Rah!!"

Against that blow, which would have broken a normal person's bones and rendered them combat-incapable in a single hit, Emi met it with her fist.

In other words, she punched back!

Then, in this exchange, it was the Spirit King's staff that was outmatched.

While scattering fragments from the part that had clashed, it flew far away... however, once again ignoring the laws of physics, it suddenly changed its flying trajectory and returned to the Spirit King.

ZASHU!!

The staff, piercing the ground with a sharp sound, had its upper part completely shattered and shortened, but... in less than a second, it returned to its original length.

From the edges of the damaged part, multiple branches grew, supporting each other and twisting together into one, repairing the staff!

Grabbing the resurrected staff, Kokoririon took a combat stance against Emi, and here, he finally spoke.

<<<I will not ask you to state your name... You have invaded with such a large-scale attack. I cannot imagine that you would obediently leave behind traces that would lead to the celestial being behind you.>>>

His words were filled with murderous intent, and if a normal person had been in this place, they would have died of shock from the power of the Spirit King's 【Intimidation】.

That was the level of tension that filled this place.

Emi's reply was.

"...What are you talking about?"

It was a truly simple and brief, and largely confused, word.

...That was only natural.

The Forest Spirit King Kokoririon believed that Emi was an apostle sent by a faction hostile to the Spirit God Pirisuyu, and that her purpose was to harm Kokoririon's beloved child Mishtille, and to damage Kokoririon, and by extension, Pirisuyu.

But, however, there was no such fact anywhere.

Emi Rune is just a traveler.

She is just a traveler who carelessly entered the Spirit Forest and ended up in a conflict with the spirits.

There is no background of her aiming for the life of his beloved child, or being an apostle of the gods.

...The fact that, as a result of her counterattacks, she has hunted down almost all the spirits living in the Spirit Forest by herself is a battle record far too dangerous to be dismissed as "just a traveler", but...

In any case, that's why.

Emi had no choice but to be dumbfounded by Kokoririon's one-sided assumptions.

<<<However, do not think you can die an easy death. Even if you do not speak information out of loyalty, I will not stop my hand from tormenting you... That despicable nature of aiming for my beloved child! I will never, ever forgive you!!>>>

"What are you talking about?"

However, Emi's dumbfounded appearance only seemed like an act to Kokoririon.

"She's playing dumb, and making a fool of me."

That's all he could see.

The flames of anger swirling in Kokoririon's heart began to burn even more fiercely!

<<<I fight for love!! For this love that scorches my chest... I will annihilate a wicked one like you, down to your very soul!!!>>>

As soon as he shouted that, Kokoririon leaped backwards with tremendous force... kicked off the trunk of the giant tree towering behind him to gain momentum and struck at Emi with his staff!

"What are you—! Talking aboooouuuut!?"

Emi, while confused by Kokoririon's incomprehensible words, continued to parry his staff attacks!

She dodged the one swung down from the upper right by stepping back!

Then Kokoririon, with that momentum, spun once and unleashed a horizontal sweep!

Emi avoided a direct hit by swinging her left arm up with all her might from under the rapidly approaching staff, deflecting its trajectory!

Kokoririon, his blow deflected, was about to lose his balance... but he didn't!

The Spirit King's staff, which had been knocked upwards by the impact from below and left Kokoririon's hand, but once again ignoring the laws of physics, immediately returned to Kokoririon's hand as if drawn to it!

And Kokoririon... with the sharply pointed tip of the staff, thrust at Emi's face with all his might!

Emi... caught it with her teeth!

And she chewed it up—bakibaki—swallowed it, and reduced the staff's reach!

<<<Tch... What are you!!>>>

Apparently flustered by having his weapon suddenly eaten, the Spirit King retreated once with his staff and gritted his teeth.

"Those are my words..."

While chewing the staff—bakibaki, boribori—Emi was dumbfounded.

Suddenly, he attacks while saying incomprehensible things.

He's completely unreasonable.

Come to think of it, all the spirits in this forest are like that.

<I told you, didn't I? Spirits are idiots.>

Emi could only agree with the words of her resident in her mind, Omake-sama, from the bottom of her heart.

They revere themselves, and look down on others.

Although there were exceptions, this is the basic stance of spirits.

Because they believe they are right.

Because even if they are wrong, they think they can just beat them down with force.

In other words, because they believe they are a superior, higher species.

This is what happens.

...When they face someone with equal or greater power than themselves, they receive a harsh retaliation!

<<<GUHAAAA!?>>>

The next moment!

Emi deployed a nozzle from behind the combat armor she had created with her magical power!

While jetting dark black magical power, she furiously closed the distance to Kokoririon, and with a fist filled with her irritation towards the spirits, she punched him in the stomach with all her might!

Kokoririon, involuntarily letting go of his staff, was sent flying, and hit his back against the giant tree of his dwelling!

However, his eyes were still glaring at Emi.

Even while being sent flying, Emi perceived his eyes staring straight at her.

She perceived his undiminished hostility!

"RAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

That's why, a follow-up attack!

A few moments after Kokoririon collided with the giant tree, Emi arrived there and punched him in the stomach again!

<<<Gu>>>

And when Kokoririon's right arm twitched, she immediately punched his right arm to prevent any subsequent movement!

<<<Gi>>>

When his left arm moved, she punched his left arm!

<<<Go>>>

When his right leg moved, she punched his right leg!

<<<GAAAAAAH!?>>>

When his left leg moved, she punched his left leg!

A complete lockdown!

By the way, during that time, she punched his stomach many times over!

It's a hellish stomach punch rush!

The impact of Kokoririon being punched was transmitted to the giant tree, and from above, large leaves shining like jewels danced down, illuminating the sanctuary glitteringly!

<<<STAAAFF!!!>>>

However, Kokoririon was not just a sitting duck!

While receiving the furious stomach punch rush, Kokoririon screamed that!

"!!"

Then, suddenly attacking from behind Emi was the Spirit King's staff!

With a high-speed vertical rotation, it struck at Emi!

Sensing its presence, Emi reflexively turned around and punched the center of the staff!

With that, the Spirit King's staff broke in two... but this opening was a golden opportunity for Kokoririon!

<<<Hah!>>>

Using that time, Kokoririon... escaped from Emi's rush.

Kokoririon's body turned into countless tree leaves and completely disappeared from the spot.

And he reappeared at a considerable distance from Emi.

The Spirit King's staff, broken in two, also flew as if to follow its master... and the two separate pieces pierced the ground at Kokoririon's feet.

And then, each of them extended branches that twisted again to repair the damage... and became two staves.

Kokoririon grabbed those two and held them in both hands, and roared in anger!

<<<YOU!!! Even if you are an apostle, for a lower creature to commit such violence against me... the Forest Spirit King Kokoririon!! I WILL NOT FORGIVE YOU!!!>>>

<Ah, this man was the Spirit King, wasn't he!?>

Although it's very late to be saying this.

It was only at this point that Emi and Omake-sama realized that the spirit they were currently fighting was the master of this forest... the Forest Spirit King.

"The... Spirit King of the Forest..."

No... she had a faint feeling that it might be so.

The enormous magical power that he constantly displayed from his body as if to show it off.

The durability, which seemed to be completely unaffected no matter how many times she punched him.

And above all, his arrogant attitude.

Somehow... she had guessed that he was the Spirit King of this forest... or at least a spirit of a very high rank.

However.

"For that, isn't he weak?"

The reason Emi and Omake-sama couldn't be sure that Kokoririon was the Spirit King was his weakness.

Somehow, this man, even though he seemed to be fighting seriously, was weak.

It seemed as if he was not making any use of the talent he possessed.

<Well... he is a King. Since his subordinates will fight for him, is it not necessary for him to be strong himself?>

Omake-sama said that, and showed a certain degree of understanding.

Emi also... understood that argument.

She understood it, but.

"In that case, Akashital from earlier was much stronger, and more king-like."

She let out what she thought, just so.

<<<Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y... YOUUUUUUUUUU!!!>>>

And that one word... enraged the Forest Spirit King Kokoririon!