“What is that sound?”

Laila asked in a tense voice. Eustar gripped her shoulder reassuringly and lowered his voice.

“It’s the whistle sound of our troops.”

Eustar’s body lowered as if sinking into the darkness. Laila followed suit, crouching down while mulling over the lingering sharp sound in her ears.

“It seems our target has appeared. Can you see it, Laila?”

Laila broke off the branches obstructing her view and turned her head towards where the troops were moving. She could see Felix, and behind him, the movements of Marg’s unit approaching in formation.

Laila said,

“There’s one more monster.”

She leaned forward, steadying herself on the damp tree roots.

“It’s bigger in size.”

“That must be the female.”

Eustar said.

“What about the monster we caught? Is it approaching?”

Laila nodded.

“It’s gotten much faster.”

Eustar could also feel the rumbling sounds shaking the ground becoming more frequent. Just then, there was a sharp sound from the ring on his right hand, followed by Felix’s voice.

“Lord Eustar, can you hear me? We’re not far, but for some reason, the reception isn’t good.”

Eustar replied,

“There’s some static, but I can hear you. Go ahead.”

After a brief silence, Felix’s voice came through again.

“We’re rapidly approaching the target. My unit and Marg’s are following behind. Tiltil’s unit has gone to the left. Lord Eustar and Lady Kristrad, please wait on the right side.”

Before he could respond, the ground suddenly shook as if an earthquake had struck, and a long roar filled the valley. It was a sound that seemed to shake and crush one’s heart. The female’s cry was louder than the male’s.

Laila said,

“The bigger one seems to be the female, but it’s hard to distinguish by appearance.”

“We’re closer to the female. If the other troops’ movements are restricted, Laila, it might be quicker for you and me to step in.”

“I’m not sure if I’ll be of much help.”

After considerable practice, Laila had become somewhat proficient with a sword, but she was still not ready for the frontlines of battle.

Since Eustar or other troops usually handled most tasks requiring physical strength, she hadn’t had many opportunities to gain practical experience.

However, Eustar smiled gently as always.

“You’re always helpful to me.”

The dark clouds heavy with moisture completely cleared, and bright moonlight began to pour down. The Tentinella troops hid themselves deeper to avoid attracting the monsters’ attention, but they soon realized it wasn’t necessary.

As the approaching male’s speed increased, the female’s roars grew louder, and a tense atmosphere could be felt.

“Once, I happened to see camels mating. It was the strangest sight I’ve ever seen, but I think today’s experience might top that.”

At Felix’s sudden comment, Laila bit her lip with a strange expression. Eustar sighed and said,

“Thanks for making me imagine camel mating, Chief Felix. Is this that ‘don’t think about elephants’ thing?”

“I assure you that wasn’t my intention. I apologize for adding an unnecessary image to your mind, Lord Eustar.”

It was then.

—Grooowl……! Grrrr……

—Grr, grrr……!

Boom, boom! Boom…! The sound of the monsters swiftly crawling shook the ground.

Laila and Eustar watched tensely as the two monsters drew closer. The next moment, their hard heads collided with an explosive sound.

“…What was that just now?”

Eustar muttered blankly. The monsters rammed their heads together a few more times, then started pushing against each other with their foreheads, growling like they were having a horn fight.

Suddenly, Laila said,

“It’s a scream.”

Eustar turned to her abruptly.

“What did you say, Laila?”

But before she could answer him, Laila sprang to her feet. It seemed her body moved before her mind could think. Slashing away at the obstructing branches, Laila ran forward shouting,

“Eustar! We need to attack now! This is mating behavior! I can hear screaming!”

Eustar shouted,

“Felix! Separate the monsters right now! We’ll each take one and deal with them!”

From various dark parts of the forest, the Kiron branch members rushed out.

Baron from Tiltil’s unit swung a morning star larger than an adult’s head, striking the male’s shell. Though the shell was undamaged, the collision of heads separated, and the monsters began to rampage.

—Grooowl—! Grrrk, grrr……!

As her unit separated the male, the larger female staggered backward. Laila drew her sword and ran towards the female monster, assessing the contours of its shell.

Muge had said to stab the weak spot near the armpit. And to open it in one go, like shucking an oyster…

“Child, I’ll give you something nice.”

As the female opened its mouth wide, a voice flowed out. It was a distorted, artificial-sounding voice, but almost identical to a human’s. Laila felt goosebumps rise on her arms.

This one might not roar like the male, Laila thought. Perhaps mimicking human voices is its way of crying…

If that was true, it was utterly chilling. This monster must have lured children in this way. Children who lost their way, trapped in the hallucinations it created.

“Come this way.”

The monster’s massive front leg swung towards Laila.

“Laila, duck!”

Just before the rock-hard front leg could strike her head, Eustar shouted from behind.

As Laila lowered her body almost reflexively, a threatening sound swept over her head. Having failed its attack, the monster opened its mouth wider and howled as if frustrated.

“Come here, come here. This way…”

Eustar’s body, sword raised, charged forward. But when the monster turned its back shell, the blade struck its hard chest and bounced off.

Sliding backward from the force he couldn’t overcome, Eustar quickly regained his posture and rushed towards the right side without a moment to catch his breath.

“Eustar, above!”

“I know, Laila! It’s just… not going as planned!”

Bang! Another explosive sound made Laila’s ears ring. Sparks flew where Eustar’s blade grazed the monster’s skin. It was something that wouldn’t happen unless it was exceptionally hard rock.

Throughout this, faint screams continued to be heard.

Laila knew the sound was leaking from inside the monster’s shell. She could hear the voice of that boy, Pin, whom the girl had mentioned, crying out for help.

—Please get me out of here! It hurts! Please!

“Damn it!”

Now even Eustar could hear Pin’s screams. There was a sound of something scratching and pounding from inside the shell.

Felix and Marg’s units rushed to support Eustar and Laila, but the monster stayed in place, merely turning its body and deflecting all attacks.

This is too disadvantageous, Eustar thought. We should have opened the monster’s shell in one go, but we failed. Carelessly stabbing the knife could hurt the child inside. But we can’t keep wasting time like this…

“Get out of the way, Felix!”

Felix, who had been looking for an opportunity to attack the monster with a mace that seemed too heavy for him to wield, suddenly stepped back at Laila’s thunderous shout.

The distance between him and the monster widened sufficiently. Only when she was sure that Felix wouldn’t get hurt even if surprised or if there was a mistake on their part did Laila move swiftly.

“Eustar, here!”

Instead of the long sword, Laila took out a dagger from her pocket and shoved it between the monster’s shell and exoskeleton.

Attacked in a sensitive spot, the female monster that had been stationary started to twist its body, perhaps prioritizing defense over digestion. However, Laila gripped the dagger’s handle with all her might and held on.

“Quickly, Eustar!”

“Be careful, Laila!”

After saying that, Eustar vertically thrust his long sword into the gap that Laila had slightly opened with all her strength and body weight.

—Grrrk……! Grrr……! I’ll give you this……! I’ll give you thiiis……!

Terrible cries, screams like wails echoed. Using the embedded sword as a support, Eustar twisted his body hard with his left knee as a pivot. His upper body tensed against the tremendous resistance.

“Stop muttering, monster!”

Suddenly, there was a ripping sound. As the female’s shell separated from its exoskeleton, a child covered in slippery mucus and a pile of skeletons spilled out.

While kicking away the falling shell, Eustar used the recoil to steady himself and supported Laila’s shoulder as she nearly bounced off.

“Cough! Cough…!”

Laila hurriedly caught the child. As the shell detached from its body, the female’s mouth opened as if it would tear.

The huge monster, which had looked like a horrific hybrid of a turtle and a human, collapsed with a thud as it lost its shell, just as Muge Olga had said.

Eustar urgently asked,

“Laila, is the child safe?”

Laila nodded towards him. It meant the child was safe.

The child wouldn’t stop crying. He was out of his mind from the shock of being captured by the monster and the terror of being trapped inside the shell for so long.

Imagining the child’s fear of having to protect himself in the dark belly of the monster, Laila felt her whole body tremble.

“It’s okay, it’s okay now.”

“Cough……! Ugh, sob…!”

A loud scream and a cracking sound were heard from Marg’s unit as well. The monster’s terrible cry shook the forest before quickly falling silent.

Then silence fell. Laila wiped off the unpleasant mucus that had soaked the child’s entire body with her bare hands, while kissing his damp forehead and comforting him in a quiet voice.

“Don’t worry, it’s okay now. We’ll send you back to your mother.”