Jujutsushi Wa Yuusha Ni Narenai

Chapter 111: Two Pieces of Scale

That guy, who defeated those Yakuza-like monkeys and their boss like he were some sort of a madman, suddenly appeared before us.

「Uwaa, this guy is bad news …」

It was absolutely obvious at a glance that we're no match for this guy.

It would have passed off as a rhinoceros but the problem lay in its SIZE. Most of its features bore resemblance to the big animal but with a height and width a dozen times the I once saw in the zoo. What’s more, it’s a dozen times bigger than that delicious Great Boar.

I might be able to offer some sort of resistance if I were using a variety of my curses …  But I couldn’t imagine myself winning against this guy, it was simply gargantuan, and we're unfortunately weak in the face of such a powerful opponent like this.

「BURURU!」

This giant Rhino seemed to be the same type as that Great Boar. It gave off this appearance of the guy who would charge toward us on sight. Or should I say that this guy had been prepared to charge at us, I mean look, he’s already scraping the ground with one of the forelimbs!

「GUGAGA.」

「We can't, Rem. Let's focus on dodging that charge.」

I felt like thanking Rem for her show of loyalty by standing in front of me to shield me from that Rhino but alas, there was nothing to gain here even if Rem shielded me from the incoming assault. In the end, she would end up as a useless sacrifice.

The most we could do right now was change the trajectory of the rushing great boar. And, bear in mind, this Rhino's was double the size of that great boar.

Having said that, dodging to both sides was almost impossible, running away and showing our back against a charging enemy was even more idiotic than the first idea. Since we couldn't escape to the side or retreat … Our choice was to escape from above.

Fortunately, there was a splendid, towering tree above us lending us its thick, overgrown, verdant branches as a shelter. Thus, we escaped above with my blackhair and Arachne Rem's thread, carrying Rem the 1st along with us. I reckoned this giant tree should be strong enough to withstand one charge of that Rhino.

After that―― Welp, let's think about that after we're out of the first danger!

「Come at us!」

「BURU, BUGOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」

Thus, the giant Rhino rushed at us with an intensity that rivaled a dump truck. Yup, it was terrifying indeed, moreover, it's fast. This giant rhino was basically rushing toward us at top speed.

Oh crap, I might not make it in time. That huge horn might pierce my body in mid-air.

「UWAAAA, GO! BLACKHAIR BIIIIND!」

I, who got a goosebump imagining the worst possible future, threw blackhair's rope with all my might.

GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

My body was swaying like leaves in the midst of a storm, at the same time that roar felt like it ripped my eardrums apart.

Ah, is this the end of me. Or maybe, I've already died?

「UWAAAA! What the―― Ouch!?」

My entire body was attacked by a powerful shock after I experienced a brief floating moment. The dull pain was running through my entire body … but I was still alive for now.

Should I say that I didn't even suffer from major injuries? I, who was feeling grateful for my luck, then propped up my body with an unsteady gait.

In hindsight, I surmised that I couldn’t only receive such minor damage if I were to be really struck by that giant rhino’s charge from the front.

But my doubt was resolved immediately.

「Wha-Wha-What the……. Hell is that?」

THAT thing was huge. It was even bigger than that dump truck-like Rhino. It was of a different class. As a demon, no, it was of a completely different level compared to the demon.

I was deeply moved to the point of forgetting my own fear in seeing THAT thing’s grandioseness and the overwhelming burly and powerful air around it. The reason being, THAT was the very embodiment of 『Strongest』 being in my imagination.

「… Dragon」

Ominous crimson scales, a long and flexible tail, a pair of long horns that growing from either side of its head, and lastly flame spark that spewed from its mouth every now and then.

Fire Drake・Salamander.

There was no other name befitting its appearance both in games and anime, it had the figure of fire breathing dragon with a pair of wings.

「W-WOOOOOOOOOW….」

Its figure bore too much resemblance to salamander but this another world just showed me a genuine wild existence through and through right in front of me.

It seemed like that Salamander nose-dived and captured that rhino when it was in the middle of rushing toward me. And I, a frail and insignificant human being, was blasted away by the aftermath of the collision of the two titans.

Though I couldn't see the moment when it caught its prey; its prey was currently dangling lifelessly in the vice grip of the Salamander's rear legs.

In spite of its giant frame, that Salamander sprung from mid-air at ultrasonic velocity to the point that rhino failed to notice its existence. I was almost convinced that one kick from the Salamander's leg was enough to rupture the rhino’s internal organs. On top of that, the rhino also suffered from the stabbing wound as Salamander's claws dug into its body.

That rhino, twisting its body, let out a pained cry. The Salamander bit the rhinos's neck with its fire breathing mouth―― Flame sparks spewed out from the rhino's orifices for a moment and then, its movement ceased.

That Salamander's flame could have baked the rhino's head from inside. What a terrifying finishing move!

The Salamander who howled as if celebrating its victory flapped its giant pair of red wings and flew into the skies again, bringing along its prey with it, or it was what I thought happened in between the moment I heard the roar till it fell on the ground.

Suddenly, that Salamander looked in my direction.

「AH!?」

It noticed me! Did it only notice me now, after all this time!?

I felt like a frog being stared at by a snake. Nay, the difference between me and that dragon was more than that. I mean, this guy could easily hunt down the rhino who was one step away from killing me, it's definitely the apex predator of this area.

「Nay, that's not it….」

Maybe because of the salamander's raison d'etre along the lines of "A lion won't hold back even if it's just hunting a rabbit.", I saw it opened its mouth to fire a scorching red fireball.

No matter how I looked at it, it was definitely a preliminary movement before it fired its fire breath.

Fuck, isn't that an overkill against small fry like me?! I resolved myself to die in this place as the dragon fired its fire breath toward a small fry like me who would die with just a graze of its claws.

Maybe, nay, I will definitely turn into charcoal if I get burned by this fire breath.

Give it up, please reconsider your action, I mean you're going to get yourself killed too by my 『Pain Return』 if you fired your fire breath at me. No matter how strong a salamander’s resistance against fire, you're bound to die by fire if you use that breath on me. I laughed in the face of death for meeting this unfair enemy. In this place, a small fry like me wasn’t even regarded as a worthy opponent―― Nor could I  negotiate on equal terms with a wild dragon.

Hyuuuu―― Booo!

Thus, the raging crimson flame fired.

「UWAAA!」

My body, moving on its own accord, approached the raging crimson fireball. That crimson fireball was travelling at an incredible velocity, but perhaps because I was about to die, I strangely could see it clearly in slow motion.

I'd never fought other fire breathing demons aside from Orthos, but I knew that guy’s attack was just a child play. The one I was facing against right now was a genuine dragon breath. I found that this attack was the same as the one used by Tendou-kun to exterminate those army of Jiras … nay, this one’s firepower was even greater than Tendou's.

The Salamander's giant fireball which was even bigger than mine was packed with ICBM-like explosive power. There might not even be specks left of me if I got hit by that ICBM-like fireball.

Moreover, I, who shouldn't have anything to use against that overpowered breath attack was ――

「It's HOOOT!」

Inadvertently I screamed aloud as the fireball  exploded close to me.

My ears rang due to the proximity of the explosion, my body which was exposed to the heat waves rolled on the ground and finally stopped after hitting a tree.That hurts!

「I-m… Alive!」

I slowly stood up, despite all the pain and shook my head. I was puzzled.

Why did I survive that attack? Did that salamander intentionally miss its target? Nay, like hell that dragon would lose control of its own fire.

When I looked carefully now, I saw that the fireball had flown several metres above my head, and then exploded in the thicket behind me.

In short, that Salamander wasn’t aiming at me from the very beginning, instead it was aiming at the other monster behind me!

When I turned around to see what kind of monster it was―― I found out that it was a giant monster dozens of times my height.

「You must be kidding me, is it T-Rex!?」

The image I had seen countless times inside a picture book on dinosaurs during my childhood appeared before me.

The giant frame that rivaled the Salamander was supported by two strong and big hind legs. Its hands-like fore limbs, horizontal body, huge head, and long tail was definitely that of a carnivorous dinosaur like Goa.

However, unlike the human sized Goa, the power of this ancient giant carnivorous dinosaur was simply off the chart. I mean, I never expected to see a giant sized one like this guy.

Its color was black from the tip of its nose till the tip of its tail. Upon seeing its shiny-metallic black scales that covered its body, I was convinced of its ability to withstand the Salamander's breath. And it really endured that breath attack.

GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

As if returning the welcome gift, the T-Rex's huge jaw opened wide―― What the hell is that sparks-like thing in its mouth. Don't tell me thunder breath!?

With crackling sounds, a bright purple electric discharge appeared on the surface of the T-Rex’s black scales. This electric discharge radiated even brighter from the area around it's back all the way to its tail, it's as if it was gathering the electrical power in its entire body.

[TL : Godzilla's breath?]

The next instant, dazzling lightning fired from the T-Rex’s mouth.

「WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」

Thus, the giant monster's breath attack exploded in my vicinity for the second time today. My back went flying and hit a tree when the shockwave reached me.

「T-That's hurt, ah, UWAAAAAAAAAAA!」

I who tried to stand up was once again pulled back and crawled on the ground instead.

The T-Rex that had just fired its breath attack was rushing toward the Salamander with a loud roar. They said that the T-Rex’s maximum running speed was 50 km/hrs, but that thing's velocity was clearly more than 100 km/hrs.

The moment I thought that I was going to be trampled to death, it was suddenly jumped high above me. It landed right at the place where the Salamander had slaughtered the poor Rhino, causing a small scale earthquake.

The roars of the dragon and the dinosaur overlapped.

Upon a closer look, the Salamander retreated to dodge the T-Rex's lightning breath, leaving behind the Rhino's corpse.  The T-Rex used that chance to snatch the Rhino's corpse.

Salamander's wrathful roar erupted seeing the T-Rex snatch its prey.

「UWAAA! STOP, STOOOOP!」

My insignificant cry couldn't reach the two giant monsters who were fighting a deadly battle to claim the Rhino's corpse.

I couldn't do anything but crouch in my hiding place and wait for the storm to pass.

I simply didn't care about what happened later. All I could feel was the tremor, and the thunderous war cry of the two giant monsters.

A while later, I noticed that the thunderous sound caused by the kaijuu-level battle was getting farther and farther.

[TL : Kaijuu ; giant monster like godzilla]

「Ha, Hahaha …. I'm … Still alive!!!」

I had stopped counting by now and once again rejoiced in the fact that I’d survived.

Almost all the trees in my surrounding had been mowed down due to the kaijuu battle. The fact that I saw that battle up close and survived felt like a miracle.

Upon a closer look, I saw a huge trail toward one direction as if telling me the direction that those two kaijuu went in. When I strained my ears, I could hear a dragon roar-like sound being carried away by wind.

「Rem, Arachne, thank god both of you are safe.」

「GAGA!」

「KISHA!」

When I raised my face, I saw both Rem and Arachne above me as if protecting me from the debris. Their show of loyalty really touched my heart. Thanks, Rems. You girls bravely stood your ground to protect me despite facing against that nonsensical level battle.

Thus, all of us miraculously survived that storm.

Nevertheless, having witnessed a non-standard monsters battle … I once again revised my evaluation about the other world monster. As expected, the likes of Gomas, Dogs and Monkeys were no more than small fries, there were far more terrifying monsters.

「Oh God, please do not make those kaijuu the boss of this area…」

I started to get extremely worried.

However, a good thing did happen to me.

「O-OOOH, The-These are the… Salamander's and T-Rex's scales!!!」

Because both of them were of the same rank, it was natural that their tough scales peeled off during the battle. I wondered how many crimson and jet black scales I could find in the vicinity. Though you couldn’t say that the splintered scales were beautiful, they were still precious materials for me.

『Firedrake's Scale』：Splinter of Firedrake's scale. Despite being a young individual at the beginning of its adult age, these scales were tough and fireproof.

『Giant Earth Dragon's Scale』：Splinter of Giant Earth Dragon's Black Scale. Despite being a young individual at the beginning of its adult age, these scales were tough and lightning resistant.

This was what my 『Intuition Pharmacy』 told me when I compared the two scales.

「Those monsters were … Young ones?」

Thus, I trembled in fear imagining the future growth of those two young kaijuu.