River's Hunger Under Starlight
It had been a little over two hours since we left the city under the night sky dotted with stars. The flat road that had stretched on for a while finally ended, and a long bridge spanning a massive river came into view. Sunlight reflected off the wide river surface in dazzling sparkles, while the wind carried the scent of water as it swept across the bridge. The area was relatively quiet, but people were still steadily crossing.
Halfway across the bridge, a strange, wet wailing sound echoed from somewhere. "Tch, ugh..." It felt like scales brushing under my skin, and an ominous chill crept in. And then—
"...M-monster!!"
A merchant ahead peered over the edge toward the river, spotted something, and screamed. He abandoned his handcart and bolted back the way he'd come.
"Chreeek."
Another bizarre howl rang out, and something burst through the river surface, crawling up onto the bridge. A grotesque form entangled with slimy scales and damp flesh, its head replaced by a massive gill and a single eye. It drooled as it slowly lifted its head. Eyes mad with frenzy. A primal hunger fiercer than any beast's.
In an instant, chaos engulfed the bridge. Terrified pedestrians scattered in all directions, and the monster charged after them. But its gaze wasn't on the fleeing crowd—it was fixed solely on me.
My first encounter with a real, living monster was... far more terrifying than I'd imagined. The bridge seemed to shake beneath me, my lips went dry, and I couldn't catch my breath.
"...Ugh, ugh..."
I stumbled back instinctively, but my legs wouldn't move further.
"Stay back."
That was the moment. Something brushed past me.
—Whoosh.
A beat later, the wind hit my cheek, and I realized someone had dashed in front of me.
"Sis?"
It was Reina. Her back flashed by like lightning.
—Slish.
I didn't see her hand move or her sword draw, but the sharp sound of air slicing and the whoosh of something passing brought me back to reality.
—Thud...
The monster's bulky body, which had been barreling toward me, split cleanly in half and slowly collapsed to the ground.
Reina approached quietly afterward and placed a gentle hand on my head. For some reason, that touch put me at ease. The tremors running through my body gradually subsided.
"You okay?"
"...Y-yeah..."
Only then did my breathing steady. Soon, Vivian, who had been watching the situation, examined the fallen monster's corpse and muttered,
"...The Sweeper of the Waters, a Grievgal?"
"Something was off about this one."
"Yeah... GrievGals are smart enough to know humans retaliate if attacked. They rarely strike first unless provoked."
That was when it happened. A ripple of movement stirred beneath the water's surface.
"Tch... Chree, tsuu... Jek..."
Splitting the waves, scaled bodies began crawling up onto the bridge one by one. One, two... easily dozens by my rough count.
I shrank back again. The trembling I'd just quelled returned.
"Want me to handle it?"
Vivian asked lowly, but Reina shook her head.
"Nah. Not that many. I'll take care of it."
"Fine. But don't screw up your strength control like last time and wreck the bridge. We can't pay for damages this time, you know?"
"...I know."
She stepped forward. The blade slipped from its sheath like water, glinting briefly in the sunlight.
"...Ha."
With a short sigh-like breath, the monsters charging toward me began collapsing one by one.
—Whoosh, whiiish...
In the blink of an eye, winds whipped chaotically, flesh tore, scales flew, and blood arced through the air. After that fleeting moment, only the bridge strewn with monster corpses and Reina calmly flicking blood from her sword remained.
"...Incredible."
The words slipped out in awe before I knew it.
...
..
.
That night...
We pitched tents at a suitable spot for camping, ate dinner from Reina's cooking, and chatted.
"Today's been weird, right? We've run into monsters way too often since leaving the city."
Reina brought it up first, and Vivian replied in a cautious tone,
"I agree. Getting attacked by monsters twelve times in a day on the road between cities—which isn't even a dangerous area—means something's wrong."
"Some kind of anomaly? Feels ominous."
"Hmm... Carlos, do you know something?"
Carlos, who had finished eating and was sipping tea alone, responded calmly,
"No. But the monsters we faced today seemed more frenzied than usual... almost out of their minds, I'd say."
"Someone controlling them?"
"Not that. I already checked for any signs of manipulation."
Listening to them, I hunched my shoulders unnecessarily. I feared they might discover this was all because of me.
What happens if they find out?
If they learned I'd contracted with some possible demon, gaining immortality but cursed to attract monsters... how would they react?
Cursed one, devil worshipper, heretic, traitor...
Nothing good came to mind.
"..."
Just then, my eyes met Reina's.
"!!"
"Teresa?"
I forced a smile to hide it, but it must have looked awkward to her.
"...H-huh?! Y-yeah?"
"What's wrong? You look pale."
She suddenly stood and came over to me.
"..Uh, n-no... I mean..."
And then she hugged me tight.
"It's okay. That was scary today, huh?"
"...?"
Her embrace was surprisingly warm.
"No need to be scared. I'll protect you."
"...U-uh..."
I'd never realized being held like this could feel so reassuring. Guilt tugged at me for some reason.
...
..
.
Late into the night. I tried closing my eyes over and over to sleep, but my mind was too tangled. Maybe some fresh air would help—I stepped out of the tent and scanned the surroundings. Far off, where the firelight didn't reach, Reina sat alone on a rock, quietly still.
Reina sis?
Sitting without even a lantern, her back somehow looked lonely.
Before I knew it, I'd approached silently and sat beside her.
"Can't sleep?"
"Yeah."
I followed her gaze and looked up at the sky. The night sky was breathtakingly clear, packed with stars so dense they seemed ready to pour down.
"Pretty, right? The stars here."
"Yeah. I don't know other night skies, but this one's really beautiful."
"...I guess this is your first time really seeing one."
"Not the first. Probably just too young to remember."
I tried recalling the night skies from my past life, but even those were too faint.
"Sorry... shouldn't have brought it up."
"It's fine. I can see them every night now."
The mood felt heavy, so I changed the subject.
"Hey, sis."
"Yeah?"
"How'd you get so strong?"
"Me?"
"Yeah... You took down all those monsters so easily, over and over."
Reina tilted her head, then flashed her usual playful grin.
"Heh heh... I am pretty strong. Hmm, how'd I get this way~?"
"Can you teach me how to get strong like you?"
"You wanna get strong, Teresa?"
"Yeah."
"How strong?"
"Hmm... Strong enough to take down average monsters on my own."
At least I didn't want to get eaten. I needed the power to protect myself.
"Hmm~ I see. Wanna get strong, huh..."
A flicker of delight crossed her face.
"Daily consistent training, maybe~?"
"Training?"
"Yep. Nothing beats steady conditioning for building basics. And don't skip meals—plenty of nutrition's key. Especially in your growth spurt; gotta eat well."
"No amazing sword techniques or secret arts?"
"Heh. Steady training is the amazing secret art."
She placed her hand on my head again, stroking my hair.
"...U-uh..."
"You can definitely get strong. Don't rush—just keep at it steadily. You've got talent."
"...Talent? M-me, really?"
"Yeah. I guarantee it."
Looking at her face, she wore an enigmatic smile.
Can I believe her?
Is she teasing because she doesn't wanna tell? Or... maybe it's okay to trust her.