The Heavenly Slaughter Star Goes Hunting
Rionne and Undine whispered from their hiding spot in the tree.
“Aww, our little Enoch…! Look at him toddling along like that…!”
Does that look like toddling to you? Is there something wrong with your eyes?
Rionne was losing her mind over how adorable he looked just walking, but to Undine’s eyes, it was anything but cute.
That cunning little brat. Today’s the day I expose his wicked true nature!
Undine smiled with dark satisfaction. The way he walked was suspicious from the start. The same kid who had perfectly copied Rionne’s stepping technique after seeing it only once was suddenly waddling around like this? It was a laughable deception.
Come on! Show us what you’re really made of!
Undine’s smile deepened.
Enoch scratched the back of his head. For some reason, it felt like someone was staring at him. He looked around, but there was nothing in sight. Must be that annoying fly again. The blue pest that constantly got between him and Rionne was surprisingly skilled. It was only natural that the current Enoch couldn’t detect her presence.
“Ah.”
While deliberately stumbling along, Enoch spotted a cluster of round, black mushrooms. Deer antler mushrooms. He stuffed them into the large bundle he’d brought and straightened up. All that remained now were a rabbit, three yin grass, and a few other common herbs. Everything except the rabbit could be found nearby, so it shouldn’t take long.
With the noticeably heavier bundle slung over his shoulder, Enoch scanned the area for his next target.
Rabbit and deer mushrooms. Guess dinner’s going to be barbecue tonight.
He hummed a carefree tune as he walked, then spotted something else. Three yin grass—the herb whose leaves felt slightly cold to the touch. It was mainly used to reduce fevers. He figured he was gathering it in case he ever got sick himself.
Roughly ten minutes later, Enoch had collected nearly everything on his list. Only the rabbit remained. Strangely, though, there were no animals in sight today. Normally by this point he would have seen at least one or two rabbits or deer.
“Hmm…”
After a brief moment of thought, Enoch headed deeper into the forest. It didn’t seem particularly dangerous, and if anything went wrong, Rionne would handle it. If she hadn’t followed him… well, that would be disappointing.
The deeper he went, the denser the trees became and the darker the surroundings grew. Birds with strange cries flitted briefly between the branches. Enoch considered catching one but shook his head. Meat had to be rabbit. At the very least, deer or wild boar would be better.
Did the universe take pity on his earnest wish?
Shiiiiik———!!
At the sound of a massive snort, Enoch’s ears twitched. It was a wild boar. He was about to hide and approach stealthily when the sound started getting closer.
Thud!Thud! Something heavy slamming into obstacles. Crack!Thwack! The unmistakable sound of trees snapping and falling.
“Oh…?”
Soon, a tree right in front of him toppled like a frail maiden, and a massive figure emerged. It was, without question, a wild boar. An absurdly huge one. The creature was easily the size of the house he shared with Rionne. Enoch swallowed hard at the size that completely defied common sense.
With a body that big, we could eat for months.
Strangely enough, the larger these beasts were, the more delicious they tasted. According to Rionne, the abnormally large ones usually contained mana.
“Dinner menu.”
Crackle!
Electricity surged across Enoch’s entire body.
Shiiiiik——!!
The boar exhaled a boiling breath full of rage. Then, in the next instant—
Both the boy and the boar charged at each other.
Rionne panicked and hopped around in distress. Strangely, the tree she stood on didn’t budge an inch despite her frantic jumping.
What do you mean, what do we do? He’ll handle it just fine.
“Shouldn’t we help him!?”
What kind of nonsense is that? You’re the one who trained him.
If he couldn’t beat a single boar, he might as well drop dead. Undine lay lazily across a branch and watched the fight with complete disinterest. Two contestants: the arrogant little brat and the inexplicably furious wild boar.
After thinking about why the boar was so angry, something occurred to her.
Ah, is this the family of that boar from before?
The one the brat had bitten in the neck last time. If this was its family, it made sense. Creatures like that usually had some strange ability, so it wouldn’t be odd for it to recognize the boy as its family’s killer.
Undine’s eyes sparkled as she crunched on the dew clinging to the branch.
Kya…! Nothing beats dew when you’re watching a fight!
Rionne shot Undine a glare for suddenly launching into commentary, but the spirit didn’t care in the slightest.
“Undine, you really…”
Rionne let out a long sigh. Still, just as Undine said, the fight was completely one-sided. Enoch was dominating the boar. He had opened with a surprise lightning step that left a serious wound, then calmly used footwork to land precise checks. The worry that had been building inside her quietly vanished, replaced by a teacher’s swelling pride.
“Ah!”
Rionne clenched her fists. Enoch had pressed his hand to the ground and secretly left behind a magic circle. The boar charged straight into it without realizing—
FLASH—————!!!!
Lightning erupted from the earth toward the sky, slamming directly into the creature’s belly.
“Did you see that!? Did you see!?”
In their lessons, he showed almost no progress with other magic, but his lightning magic was advancing at a frightening pace. Having the authority of lightning certainly helped, but even so, his speed was extraordinary.
Before she knew it, Rionne had forgotten her worries entirely and was cheering for Enoch with everything she had.
“Go, Enoch…!!”
The boar’s breathing grew ragged. Enoch observed it carefully. He couldn’t tell if it was faking exhaustion or not. In that case, there was no need to get close.
Thump——
Mana waves pulsed outward in time with his heartbeat. He hooked the ring with his finger and began to draw.
Fast. Strong.
Thanks to the lightning authority, he could skip many steps. He erased the circuits for current generation and output, replacing them entirely with pathways dedicated to speed and destructive power.
“Grrruuugh…!”
The boar seemed to sense the threat and snorted violently. Then, squeezing out its final reserves of strength, it charged at Enoch.
A creature this unnaturally large was dangerous just from its sheer mass. But what was even more threatening was the mana it contained.
WHOOSH—!
The boar’s eyes flashed red as it suddenly accelerated. It was surprising, but Enoch remained calm.
“Tear. Burn. Kill.”
The chant represented the personal image a mage held for their spell. With those brutal words, Enoch took a slow step forward. His body advanced at an angle. At the same moment, the boar’s tusk grazed his side. If the distance had been even a fraction closer, it would have punched a hole through him—but Enoch didn’t even flinch.
Instead, he thrust out his hand and completed the spell.
“Lightning Bomb.”
A sphere of condensed purple electricity shot toward the boar. The creature tried to veer away in panic, but the magic was faster.
RUMBLE——————————!!!!
Thunder roared as the forest was instantly bathed in brilliant purple light. Birds burst into the sky in terror. Animals held their breath.
Enoch, having used too much mana, patted his slightly sore chest and stared at where the boar had been.
“Hmm.”
Before his vision even cleared, a mouthwatering aroma hit his nose. Convinced the boar had been perfectly roasted, Enoch waved his hand.
WHOOSH—!
A gust of wind laced with lightning swept the smoke away. Just as he expected, the boar lay dead on the ground, thoroughly cooked.
Enoch swallowed the drool threatening to spill from his lips and walked over.
“Hehe~.”
A hum of delight escaped him at the thought of their bountiful dinner. Rionne would praise him, right? He couldn’t wait.
Rionne, who had watched the entire fight, hesitated.
Should I help him carry the boar back?
A creature the size of a house wouldn’t be easy for Enoch to haul. But if she stepped in now, he would realize she had followed him…
If he has half a brain, he’ll butcher it and bring back the good parts.
In the end, Rionne let Undine convince her and returned home first. She waited for Enoch with a mountain of praise ready—until suddenly, CRACK!
“Ah.”
Trees in the forest shattered as a giant roasted boar burst through. Enoch scratched his head sheepishly, then waved enthusiastically.
“Errand complete!”
Maybe I should tell him to value the trees a little more. Rionne pondered for a moment.
That evening became a barbecue party. After much internal debate, Rionne had ended up showering Enoch with praise and throwing the celebration.
Sigh. Hopeless parent. Idiot.
Undine grumbled as she took a long swig of whiskey. Rionne happily sipped her own drink, then noticed Enoch’s sparkling eyes and asked,
“Do you want to try some?”
He nodded without hesitation. Rionne smiled softly and poured whiskey into his cup.