The Blood Witch at Noon
It was past noon when Ryude wiped the sweat from his brow, using the corpse of the orc he’d just felled as a makeshift platform while he scanned the area. In the span of half a day he had already taken down five orcs. Their mana stones were easily ten times the size of a bofal bunny’s. If memory served, each one was worth a silver coin.
Man, this is seriously good money. The downside was that one mistake could end him, but despite their size they were surprisingly easy to hunt. In some ways the fatigue was actually lower than when he went after bofal bunnies.
“Hmm. Looks like there aren’t any more orcs around here. Time to head back.”
It was only the first day of orc hunting. Greed invited disaster. Besides, there was no need to push himself. He had plenty of time.
More than satisfied, Ryude slung the orc spoils over his shoulder and began picking his way out of the forest, following the trail of marked trees. That was when—
———Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
A scream tore through the air from somewhere quite close.
“What the…?”
Ten minutes had passed since the scream. Ryude was moving in the direction it had come from.
“Did I imagine it?”
After that single, final cry, nothing else particularly alarming reached his ears. Yet his instincts were screaming that something was definitely wrong.
“Hm?”
Sudden footsteps. Ryude hid himself instantly and sharpened his hearing.
Thud— Thud— Thud—
An orc. Their heavy bodies made it impossible to muffle their steps even in thick underbrush.
Wait… this one feels different.
At first listen it seemed no different from any other orc, but the rhythm was irregular. It sounded like it was searching for something.
Ryude studied the direction of the footsteps. The blue grass was lush, but he had grown used to the terrain and had no trouble securing a line of sight. From the ridge he lifted his head and peered toward higher ground.
…What the hell is that?
For a second he doubted his own eyes. There, moving through the trees, was a monster that was an orc and yet not an orc.
Black Orc…?
Normal orcs were a light brown. This one was pitch black from head to toe.
This is bad. I should leave.
It could simply be a color variant. Monsters reproduced too; every so often a strange individual appeared, just like with animals. There was no reason to risk his life hunting it. Safety first, always.
Having made up his mind, he was turning to leave when something caught his eye.
“Blood…?”
A red stain was spreading across the blue grass. Looking closer, he saw it twitch.
“Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me!”
The camouflage was perfect. Without that trail of blood he never would have noticed. Not five meters from the Black Orc, a woman was covering her mouth with one hand while clutching a man to her chest.
Ryude immediately checked the Black Orc’s movements. Luckily it hadn’t detected them yet. It looked like it would simply walk away.
Just a little longer. Just a little more.
He held his breath and watched. That orc was something he absolutely should not touch. All he could do was pray it would pass by safely.
“Urrgh…”
“Hup…!”
The wounded man let out a groan of pain. The woman swallowed a startled gasp.
God damn it.
Thud— Thud— Thud—
The orc changed direction, heading straight for them. It hadn’t pinpointed their exact location yet; its head swung left and right as it searched.
Just stay quiet. Please.
Ryude broke into a cold sweat, silently begging. His prayer went unanswered.
“W-we have to run—!”
The panicked woman burst from cover with the man on her back. The Black Orc spotted them instantly.
“GRRRRAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!”
It charged after them with terrifying speed.
“…No, they’re going to get caught.”
The woman’s physical ability was impressive—she was running while carrying an adult male. But exhaustion was written across her face, and fear slowed her steps dramatically. At this rate she would be overtaken.
Ryude moved on pure reflex, sprinting toward the Black Orc.
“This fucking life!”
It would have been better if he had never known. He should never have come this way. But he had already seen people in danger. If they died here, he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.
He kept just enough distance to guarantee his own escape. The instant the Black Orc reached out toward the pair—
Whoosh!
He hurled the dagger he’d drawn from inside his coat at the creature’s shoulder.
Thud!
A perfect hit. The Black Orc retracted its outstretched hand and turned its gaze toward Ryude.
“GRRRRAAAAAHHHH!!!!!”
It hadn’t done much damage, but it had successfully drawn its attention. The Black Orc now charged straight at him.
The startled woman looked back at Ryude, but he didn’t spare her a glance. He simply sprinted along the ridge.
All I have to do is run.
This wasn’t a fight. He just needed to escape, hide like they had, and make it home. A simple plan.
But like life itself, things rarely went according to plan.
———SWOOOOOSH!!!
The air exploded. A spear hurtling at monstrous speed. Ryude noticed it too late; by the time he turned, it was already upon him.
“Shit.”
Dodging was impossible. He reflexively drew the sword at his waist and held it in front of him.
BOOM——!!!!!!
“Gah…”
The sword shattered instantly and flew skyward. The spear, its power reduced, spun wildly and bounced away. Ryude couldn’t absorb the impact. He was hurled backward at terrifying speed and slammed into a tree.
“Cough… hack…”
It had all happened in the blink of an eye. He couldn’t breathe properly. Gasping, he watched the approaching figure.
Thud— Thud— Thud—
The Black Orc, victorious in its hunt, walked slowly toward its new prey. His vision blurred. The same terror of death he had felt once before washed over him.
I might have to sacrifice an arm—
Then it happened.
Slish—
The Black Orc’s spear froze inches from his face. The motion was unnaturally abrupt, almost artificial. Ryude blinked in confusion. When he looked up, his eyes widened.
…What?
The Black Orc’s head—three times the size of a human’s—had been sliced clean through like paper and was now flying through the air.
What the hell just…
There had been no warning. No sound. One moment the head was attached; the next it was gone. That was all.
——Thud.
The massive body collapsed, tearing up the grass and shaking the earth. Only then did Ryude see who had done it, and his breath caught in his throat.
That person is…?
Shock sealed his mouth. He recognized her. She was the woman who appeared in the newspapers every single day. The Blood Witch.
Like Ryude, she possessed the rare black hair seldom seen in this world. Her eyes were dyed the color of blood, exactly as her title suggested. But her appearance was secondary. What made the world fear her was the overwhelming power she wielded.
“…………”
His reflection appeared in those crimson eyes. Just her stare made his blood run cold. He clenched his teeth so hard his whole body trembled as he fought to stay calm.
“Can you walk?”
Her red eyes seemed to pierce straight through him. At her single sentence every hair on his body stood on end. Leaning against the tree, he couldn’t move a muscle or even open his mouth.
When he remained frozen, she continued to stare at him with the mild curiosity one might show a passing insect.
“Why do you say nothing?”
The pressure was suffocating. Ryude forced his pounding heart to slow and finally managed to speak.
“…I’m fine. I can move.”
“So you finally open your mouth.”
“Sorry.”
“Never mind.”
Apparently finished with him, she turned and began to walk away.
“The sun will set soon. Return quickly.”
“I will. Um… thank you for saving me.”
After much hesitation he offered his gratitude, but she had already vanished.
—
A full day had passed. He barely remembered how he had made it out of the forest.
“I finally feel somewhat normal again.”
When the Black Orc’s spear had struck him, the pain had felt like his ribs were being crushed. Yet after a day’s rest he only suffered from muscle aches. His body was surprisingly intact.
“Haah…”
Now the worries came rushing in like a tidal wave. First came relief at still being alive. Then concern for the people he had tried to help. And finally, the person who had saved him.
“Ugh, that gave me chills.”
Even the memory was oppressive. That power that overwhelmed everything.
“Why was she even there?”
To appear at such a perfect dramatic moment—it was almost like a movie scene. He had a feeling he would never forget the instant he saw her.
“Oh.”
Something else occurred to him. The sword destroyed by the Black Orc. The one he had bought after scraping together every last coin—five silver pieces.
Ryude glanced at the mana stones piled in the corner of the cave. Five stones, each worth one silver.
“……It’s all the same shit.”
Fuck.