Two Giants are visible.
Encrid walked forward.
Ziba, Geom Nares, the woman who made jokes, Hira, Rem, Ayul, the things the Westerner showed, the jokes they made.
These thoughts came to mind while walking.
Is it worth protecting? I believe it is.
"I'll devour everything!"
A shout resembling thunder erupted from the Giant's mouth.
Encrid did not stop walking, nor did he take his eyes off the two Giants.
Can one perfectly gauge their skill just by watching?
No.
Then, does it seem like he would lose?
No. Absolutely not.
Encrid didn't feel like he would lose. Not in the slightest.
The tribesmen called the two best fighters among the Giants monsters.
Among the Westerners who spoke of Giants, some showed fear, while others forcibly mustered courage.
Encrid felt their gazes on him.
Their eyes, their stares, their worries touched his back. He felt it.
He could still see the Giants. They filled his entire vision. Because of them, the other things in the West couldn't be seen properly.
"It's dangerous to go alone!"
A Westerner, who harbored feelings for Ziba's mother, shouted from behind, showing hostility.
Is that so? Is it dangerous?
He didn't know.
But it felt like something he could do, something he wanted to do.
"One isn't enough!"
The Giant said as he looked at Encrid. He regarded him as mere prey. A man walking with a sword strapped to his waist, yet he was seen as food? These things had no sense of judgment.
Encrid raised his head and looked into the Giant's eyes.
All he saw was hunger and greed. Nothing else. It was no different from a beast.
It might as well be called a monster.
Ting.
He loosened the latch on the scabbard with his thumb and drew Aker. The blade revealed itself in the soft sunlight.
"Don't interfere."
Encrid spoke. It was directed at Rem, who was following him.
Rem frowned and asked back.
"Really?"
Why was he going out alone?
"I think the stronger, better fighter should go forward."
Instead of answering 'really', Encrid gave a different response. A firm declaration of intent.
"…This is ridiculous. Seriously."
Rem muttered.
It was true that Encrid was currently stronger than Rem.
The two Giants had reddish skin.
Encrid was curious about the color of their blood.
He kept moving forward and at some point, he stopped. He was now at the perfect distance to be struck down by the Giant's club.
Even after the battle in the city of Oara, Encrid hadn't neglected his training.
Rem had been a sparring partner, and Luagarne had also helped.
Sometimes, even Dunbachel would spar with him.
Encrid was the same as always. He repeated the same things. Training and practice.
When all of this was mixed within the flow of time, a small bud began to form inside Encrid.
What he had learned from Knight Oara, what she left behind, and the results of his repetitions came together as one.
The petals of the bud slowly began to unfurl.
"Is it only the two of you?"
Encrid asked as he raised his sword.
There were those who found joy in peace.
And there were things that destroyed that peace.
What stood before Encrid were those things.
The ones who destroyed peace, who threatened the West, its people, and their lives.
* * *
Luagarne instinctively gripped the hilt of her Loop Sword.
'What is this?'
Encrid was the same as before. No, he wasn't the same.
He swung his sword. A long downward stroke. Toward the empty air. No, that wasn't it. The Giant's foot appeared in the spot where his sword was heading.
The Giant had tried to kick Encrid.
In other words, Encrid had anticipated where the foot would move and swung his sword ahead of time.
It was a feat made possible because he read the movements of the Giant's muscles.
Swoosh, slash!
Aker's blade gently sliced the top of the Giant's foot. It cut and shaved as it passed by.
The Giant slammed its fist down toward Encrid, who was already dodging.
Encrid moved with Frog's Step, shifting to the side.
It seemed like his weight was shifting to the left, but then his body darted to the right.
Boom!
The fist struck the ground for nothing. The earth trembled, dust billowed up, and dirt and stones flew everywhere.
"You little…"
The difference in skill was clear.
The Giant knew nothing of training, practice, or effort. It was simply born different.
The fact that it had survived and boasted so much meant it was strong.
When the heavy fist hit the ground, the terrain changed. Beyond the crater, amidst the rising dust, a thin line was drawn.
Luagarne narrowed her eyes.
The line curved?
A curved line was drawn like a thread.
Frog could guess the meaning of that line.
It was Aker. It was Encrid.
The sword he wielded contained something of Oara's technique.
A continuous stroke of breath, creating a line that slashed through the Giant's arm, shin, and waist.
Splurt!
The Giant's waist was deeply cut, and blood gushed out.
Despite the fur it wore, it was useless.
Aker was sharp, and the one wielding it commanded his Will.
The dust remained, but finding Encrid within it was easy.
Two blue lights were visible.
The owner of the blue eyes stepped on the Giant's foot, then kicked its knee and soared upward.
"Ugh!"
The Giant screamed and flailed its hands in front of it.
It even dropped the club it was holding.
"I'll help!"
The other Giant charged, swinging its open palm.
The Giant with the wounded waist targeted Encrid, who had climbed up its chest, and clapped its hands together.
Bang!
Of course, it was a miss. Like trying to catch a fly, the two hands clapped together, and the other Giant, who had rushed in to help, ended up striking its companion's chest with a loud thud.
"Argh!"
The Giant screamed.
Encrid had already leaped over the Giant's shoulder and landed behind it.
He hadn't just jumped over. While scaling the Giant, he had drawn his Gladius and sliced its back like carving a wall.
"Aaaargh!"
The Giant's screams erupted again. Its waist, legs, arms, and back were all dripping purple blood.
The Giant, now kneeling on one knee, flailed its arms wildly.
The one trying to help gripped the club with both hands and swung it diagonally at its companion's back.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind blew away the dust.
Encrid had already vanished from the spot.
The club missed once again, and with a squelch, the kneeling Giant sprouted a new nose right in the center of its face.
The name of that nose was Aker.
Encrid pulled out the sword that had pierced from the chin to the face.
Splurt.
As the sword broke through bone, blood gushed out.
Purple blood flowed from its face, and the Giant's body tipped forward.
Thud.
One of the Giants fell headfirst to the ground. A Giant who collapsed, headfirst, like Ziba's mother.
But one bowed in gratitude, while the other had simply become a corpse.
"What are you?!"
The remaining Giant shouted.
Was it an opponent who needed to talk?
No.
Encrid swung his sword again.
Luagarne, being a Frog, did not sweat.
Instead, she repeatedly moved her tongue and rolled her eyes.
'A Knight?'
No, that wasn't it. But even when looking through everything he had seen and heard, this was something new.
'He's not a Knight.'
If anything, he was somewhere between a Knight and a Junior-Knight.
In other words, he was probably the strongest Junior-Knight on the continent.
He wasn't a Junior-Knight, but he wasn't a Knight either.
He couldn't freely wield his Will, but when needed, his strikes, forged with willpower, never failed to emerge.
Just like a moment ago.
The speed of his steps when dodging the Giant's club was different.
And the speed of his thrust afterward was different as well.
The thrust was similar to the one he had used when killing the ghoul before, and the Giant couldn't even think to dodge it before it died.
The remaining Giant was terrified. Its eyes rolled as it spoke.
"I don't actually taste good!"
The three Giants he had encountered before had some intelligence, but this one didn't.
It only spouted nonsense.
"I'm not going to eat you. I'm leaving! I'm going now!"
There's a rumor that Giants are stupid, but if they were truly dumb, they wouldn't have survived until now.
It wasn't that all Giants were dumb, just that this particular one was exceptionally unintelligent.
Encrid looked at the Giant with the half-severed wrist, his arm limp.
To Luagarne's eyes, it seemed like Encrid was preparing for the final strike, but to the Giant, it looked like he was just letting his guard down.
"Are you trusting me? Thanks. I have lots of treasure. I'll give you treasure."
The Giant spoke as it took two cautious steps forward.
Two Giant steps should have been called strides, but because the Giant was treading lightly while watching for an opportunity, it looked more like sneaking.
It kept watching Encrid's reaction before suddenly swinging its club.
At the same time, Encrid swung his sword.
His next strike, now with Middle Sword Technique mixed in. His foot fell as Encrid's body slid forward.
Of course, Rem was the only one who could make sense of what was happening.
It was a sword strike of such caliber.
As his body moved forward like a line, the curve of the sword he wielded became a blade that cut through anything.
Crunch.
The sword cut through muscle, bone, and nerves.
The club once again crashed into empty space.
"Grk."
If more than half of the internal organs were severed, with a cut from the chest to the stomach over a span of a hand's width, instead of speaking, foaming at the mouth would be more natural.
And yet, the Giant's vitality was so great that even in its final moments, it staggered backward.
Encrid blocked the Giant's foot with a punch.
Thud!
Crunch.
The flesh on the foot tore, and the bone jutted out. Blood splattered again. And the Giant died.
Silence, tranquility fell.
Encrid casually wiped his sword on the dead Giant's fur clothing. The area was soaked in purple blood.
Though it was a cloudy day with some sunshine, days like this didn't entirely block out the sun.
Just as if predetermined, the clouds parted. Sunlight poured down.
It was more brilliant than ever.
The chief, who had been watching, was half on the verge of tears.
In reality, the greatest tribe in the West was on the brink of collapse.
Despair comes in many forms.
Foreign sorcerers, curses, Giants.
They had removed the curse, but there was no relief.
Because the Giants remained.
But now, the Giants were dead.
The stone that had been crushing and killing their tribe was gone.
The stone was shattered by the stonemason who now stood bathed in light. No, he turned back and then turned around again, showing his back.
His gaze was now focused on the land of the West.
"I can finally see it now."
He said, gazing at the horizon.
Beyond the beautiful plains, the line that extended was truly beautiful.
The chief wept.
To hold back tears wasn't something Westerners did.
"Welcome the great warrior."
The chief said.
It was a heartfelt cry born from overwhelming emotion.
It was the highest praise for the one who saved their tribe.
"Welcome the warrior!"
Someone followed the chief's shout.
Hira, who had woken up from sleep to witness this, had her mouth wide open.
She had been surprised when she saw him fighting the twins, but this was something else.
He had crossed a line. He was a monster. His skills and abilities were monstrous.
The man Rem had brought had taken care of the tribe's threat. The sheer fact of it sent chills down Hira's spine.
"Ahhh."
Hira let out a breathy sigh, feeling a thrill similar to the one when she was possessed by a spirit.
Some of the sorcerers shuddered in awe.
The warriors who protected the West clenched their fists.
Geom Nares, who knew Rem's abilities, also knew that Rem alone couldn't have dealt with two Giants.
That was why he had come out, donned his armor despite his injuries, and brought his totem.
But now, there was someone ahead who had cut down the two Giants, not even together with Rem, but by himself.
"He's not just a little better than Rem."
Geom Nares muttered.
The difference wasn't just slight; it was significant.
Of course, this was because Geom Nares didn't know Rem's current state.
But even Rem had a similar feeling.
'I'm starting to feel a bit impatient.'
He didn't mind losing to Encrid.
But this, this was different.
Sorcery was necessary.
Encrid was stepping into unknown territory, moving forward, using his sword as a staff.
Rem didn't intend to just watch.
And so, the hero who had ended the tribe's threat with his sword looked at the horizon, then turned back and made a request.
"Some water to wash with."
The Giant's blood felt too sticky for his liking.
"Savior!"
Someone shouted.
The fever, the excitement, such things engulfed the entire tribe.
It was intense.
"This is crazy. The Dawn Bird might cry over this."
Geom Nares added.
The Dawn Bird doesn't cry. It moves with the sun.
For the Dawn Bird to cry was an expression of amazement.
Geom Nares sat down. To be honest, he didn't have the strength to stay standing. And then, he began to worry.
'I suggested sparring.'
Maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all.
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