Chapter 39: Reach It

Apparently losing interest in the man, the grand crocodile began searching for new prey. Its gaze settled on a group of evacuating children.

Eve was the one leading them.

“Eve, it’s looking at you!”

Eve’s expression changed when she heard my warning.

“Everyone, run!”

At Eve’s shout, the children ran in the direction opposite the grand crocodile.

“I’m scared!”

Though panicking, the children fled with all their might. But not all of them could move. One child froze in terror.

The grand crocodile seemed to decide the child was perfect prey and deftly moved its six legs to close the distance.

“I won’t let you touch this child! Wind Bullet—Vint Patrone!”

Eve drew her rapier and assumed a stance, cloaking the blade in mana. She thrust, and a bullet shot from its tip into one of the grand crocodile’s right eyes.

“GRAH!”

Even the grand crocodile’s eyes were vulnerable, and it let out a short cry. But its momentum didn’t stop. If anything, it lunged at the child with an expression twisted by rage.

“Look out!”

Eve leaped toward the child with all her strength and shielded them from the grand crocodile’s charge. But part of its body clipped her and sent her flying.

“Eve!”

I shouted at the top of my lungs.

What should I do…? Eve crouched there, clutching her left arm with her face twisted in pain. It was probably broken.

I grabbed a piece of rubble at my feet and hurled it with all my strength. It didn’t seem to hurt the monster at all, but I succeeded in drawing its attention toward me.

“Soldiers! There are still townspeople everywhere! Get them to safety! We’ll stop this thing! We brought a weapon to do exactly that!”

I held up the large barrel as I addressed the nearby soldiers. To be honest, they weren’t likely to be much help. Perhaps they couldn’t make sense of who we were, because they were slow to move.

“Do you bastards want everyone wiped out!? Anyone with their hands free, deal with the red crocodiles around us!”

The soldiers finally sprang into action at Diller’s rebuke. They didn’t want to die either, and guiding the evacuation or fighting red crocodiles was the safer option.

The grand crocodile turned toward us as though yet more foolish prey had wandered into its path.

“I’ll handle the small fry!”

Colin, Diller’s subordinate, began fighting the red crocodiles with a hammer in one hand. His movements were sharper than I’d expected.

“Boss… This is what it all comes down to, you know?”

Diller spoke with a small smile, but his face was drenched in sweat. He must have been terribly nervous too. Failure meant instant death.

The modified extending iron rod was gripped in his hands.

“Let’s go!”

Then Diller moved. His movements were faster and more efficient than I’d imagined. I immediately ran behind him. The instant the grand crocodile began moving to respond, Diller launched a red ball into its eyes.

It was a spice bomb.

“GRAAAH!”

The fact that one of its right eyes had already been destroyed by Eve’s attack helped tremendously. The red ball struck both remaining eyes cleanly, and the monster screamed.

Diller didn’t miss the moment its mouth opened with that scream. He shoved the extending iron rod upright between its jaws.

“Extend!”

At Diller’s shout, the rod lengthened powerfully, forcing the grand crocodile’s mouth wider. But the monster’s bite strength was immense, and the rod stopped growing after it passed one and a half meters.

“It won’t go any farther! Boss!”

Diller released the rod and retreated.

“Right!”

I pulled the cord from the barrel and hurled it toward the open mouth. The barrel traced a perfect arc through the air, flying straight toward the grand crocodile’s maw.

We’ve got it!

The instant I thought that, a sharp cracking sound came from the extending iron rod. It couldn’t withstand the grand crocodile’s bite.

“Please!”

Without thinking, I prayed to the gods. Just hold until the barrel reaches its mouth.

But my prayer went unanswered. In the next instant, the rod shattered into pieces.

The barrel was already about to enter its mouth, and the grand crocodile bit down on it with all its strength.

Immediately afterward, a tremendous explosion engulfed the monster.