Predator and Prey
Predator and Prey. “I’m counting on you, Six.” “Huh?” “Just hold that crazy demon off for three minutes. We’ll figure something out in the meantime….” “Confirmed.”
Life, in a way, could be called an escape from death. Therefore, existence was ultimately nothing more than an endless series of flights and repeated evasions. Or maybe not.
That was the personal philosophy of Six, the official Sherpa affiliated with the Adventurer’s Guild and bearer of the title Six-Legged. It was an imperfect shield of logic she used to justify her peculiar hobby of deriving pleasure from being chased.
Her race was Canis, the beings the Origins referred to as wolf beastkin. Six had enjoyed being pursued ever since she was very young—the exact opposite of her kin, who preferred chasing small animals like squirrels or rabbits. Yet because of that very trait, Six was actually quite popular among her people.
“Today’s prey is me!!! Catch me if you can, you frozen-toad-looking friends!!!”
“…Six is too kind.”
“She probably wants to be the hunter herself….”
“Thanks, Six… We’ll let you be the hunter next time.”
“Too much talking! Chase me instead of chatting!”
“Huff, huff, huff…!”
“As expected of Six! So fast! She’s already out of sight!”
“Six will probably become the greatest hunter!”
The region where Six’s tribe lived saw heavy snowfall. Farming was impossible there, and with no developed cities or villages nearby, food could only be obtained through hunting. The brave and agile Canis did not use weapons like bows or slings that the Felis might employ. Instead, they chased their prey until it was exhausted, drove it onward, and chased it again—then twisted the head of the completely spent animal. That was the traditional hunting method of the strong and courageous Canis.
Because of this, Six, who possessed tireless stamina and speed that no one could match, received the greatest expectations among her six siblings despite being the youngest. However, the attention from her parents and kin felt burdensome to her. So she decided to do what she did best.
“I’m going to my big brother! Everyone, take care! Don’t come looking for me!”
Escape. After that one-sided announcement, Six ran through the blizzard. She headed for the city where her eldest brother—who might or might not still be alive—had gone in search of the strong. The dungeon city of Bastion. She ran with the vague hope that something fun awaited her there.
***
‘I knew it. Coming to the dungeon city was the right choice after all!’
A lifeless head as if wearing a crow’s skin. Two eyes leaking ominous red light from empty sockets. A black coat of unknown material wrapped around a tall, thin frame.
“So there’s only one left? I don’t particularly intend to hurt you, so just come quietly, thief underling.”
Facing Raven up close for the first time during the academy’s practical exam, Six felt as excited as she had on her very first dungeon dive. ‘How can someone look that terrifying?’
Six did not get excited just because someone was chasing her. There were many conditions she considered carefully—the pursuer, the terrain, the environment, the atmosphere. To her, this horrifying demon of terror was the perfect predator who would bring her joy.
Yet even though everything about him was nearly perfect, there was one tiny, minuscule thing lacking. His attitude. There was no desperate hunger that said he would starve if he failed to hunt. He was as relaxed as if he were out for a stroll. As though he was brimming with confidence that he could catch her the moment she tried to run. It was less the bearing of a predator facing prey and more like a fisherman looking at fish already trapped in his net.
“Hah.”
‘He really thinks I’m an easy mark, doesn’t he?’
Offended by Raven’s attitude, Six couldn’t hold back her irritation and opened her mouth to speak. “Hey—”
Thud. Or rather, she tried to. “Mmph!!?”
‘What the—’
Suddenly, something hard and solid clamped over Six’s face. She couldn’t see. She couldn’t breathe properly. ‘What the hell did this crazy demon just do?!’
In a surge of instinctive fear, Six reached up with both hands to tear away the unknown thing. What she grabbed first was a thick, cylindrical stem. Following it upward, she felt five sturdy branches spreading out from a broad, flat center. ‘Don’t tell me this is…’
A hand…? He caught me from that far away? ‘H-how?!’
Six was confused. The distance between her and Raven had definitely not been close—they had been at least thirty paces apart! And what she understood even less was why her skill hadn’t reacted…
The signature skill that had saved Six’s life at least a dozen times in dungeons. Evasion. The skill that let her “evade” crises of death or injury once a day. It had not reacted to the demon’s hand.
Interference successful.
‘This worthless skill! Why, why isn’t it activating?!’
Six felt a deep sense of betrayal at her trusted skill’s silence. Was this how a believer felt when abandoned by their god? But the demon had no intention of considering Six’s feelings. The pressure of the hand gripping her face grew stronger. Was he trying to crush her head?
‘This is just an exam, you crazy demon! Ease up! Do you want to go to the underground prison?!’
Unable to speak, Six attempted to communicate with Raven through body language. Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!! With the sharp sound of wind being sliced, dozens—hundreds—of kicks rained down toward Raven. The Gale Kicks that could turn even a 5th-tier monster into pulp in an instant struck at him.
‘Why, why aren’t they hitting?!’
Yet only the occasional knee or instep caught on a solid forearm. Raven’s figure remained untouched. It felt as though she were fighting an invisible ghost. ‘Ugh, I can’t breathe.’
Operating the body naturally required breathing. But with her nose and mouth blocked by Raven’s hand, Six couldn’t draw proper breath. Thud…. Her struggles quickly weakened. Six’s chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried to circulate the remaining oxygen in her body to stay conscious.
Then—
Screeeech…! “Mmph mmph mmph!!!”
Her body began to be dragged rapidly along with her head. She tried to resist with the powerful legs honed through over a decade of running and escaping, but without enough air she couldn’t hold on. Were demons truly this strong? Memories of teasing Regina Gura flashed through her mind like a panorama as Six was helplessly dragged somewhere.
And then—
Thud! “Urgh!”
A heavy impact struck her abdomen, bending Six’s waist like a half-eaten watermelon rind. ‘This damn…’
Strength drained from her body in an instant. At the same time, the pressure on her face lessened. Thump! Six’s knees sank into the grass. Then her upper body collapsed powerlessly toward the ground……
Grab. ‘…?’
A firm, long hand seized the nape of Six’s neck just as she was about to naturally pretend to faint. In an instant, she bid farewell to the soft ground beneath her knees. ‘Six fainted, ing….’
Six hung limply from Raven’s hand like a puppy being carried by its mother, putting every ounce of effort into acting unconscious. She didn’t want to get hit anymore. Six liked being chased, but she hated pain. So please put me down, Mr. Demon. I think I’m going to throw up.
***
Kkyurururuk!!!
A bold cry from a small animal echoed in her mind. Judging by how cheerfully it rang out like a red-tailed hawk that had succeeded in its hunt, it seemed Kkachi had successfully subdued the rat hiding behind the contractor.
“Then, three left now?”
“Eek.”
While holding the thief who had been pretending to faint by the scruff of his neck, I wrapped him up with Mutation-created ropes and tossed him into a corner before focusing on the scent tickling my nose. At first, the pervasive scent of fear from all directions had made it hard to pinpoint the prey’s locations, but now that I had adapted somewhat, I could distinguish subtle differences in the scent’s concentration and direction.
Following the strange pull, the sharp beak of the Plague Doctor Mask turned like a compass. ‘Behind me?’
The direction of the fear had shifted. “Did they go to the contractor?”
While I was chasing one rat, the other two seemed to have joined the contractor. I wasn’t particularly worried since Kkachi was there, but I still quickened my pace toward the contractor. This was supposed to be an evaluation of my abilities. It would be awkward if my familiar ended up doing more than me. Of course Kkachi was part of my power, but promising the contractor “Just trust me!” only to freeload off Sir Kkachi’s bus would be shameful.
“Aaaagh! What is this?!”
“Stop, stop following me already!”
“Oh. Impressive.”
After a few kicks, I spotted the thieves struggling to avoid the black tentacles. Beside the contractor, who was clapping in admiration at their flashy movements, lay the first thief I had subdued—completely motionless and limp. He wasn’t dead, was he? Worried that I might end up having to dispose of an actual corpse if I kept watching, I sent a mental warning to Kkachi to go easy while kicking off hard.
But—
“…?”
At some point, my vision was facing the grassy ground. This was…… a wire trap? “The crow should play with this body instead.”
Where do you think you’re going?