Yuki's Shouts are like a Lullaby

My ass is in pain. It hurts a lot, as if it were a living fire. “Yuki, why are you so mean?”

“Stop wasting time and focus, you won't be able to do it alone," she says, getting ready. "That monster that cut your butt is coming for more."

Although the idea is that I learn to fight on my own,There's a horde of small level three and four monsters. Ten of them! I need her help. They are tiny, which makes it hard for me to fight them. I think Daichi could easily crush them, but I have to crouch and break my spine.

I look away a few metters, and I see him. He is waiting for us on higher ground while relaxing, away from the forest where the monsters spawn. We're just on the outskirts of the forest, and these damn beasts are making my life impossible.

Daichi won't lift a finger unless we're in real danger. Yuki helps a bit by covering my back and being an extra set of eyes. I take care of defending against the monsters’ attacks and delivering the finishing blow. Actually, I do everything.

We're here to train, and it's only been a day, and I'm already at level six. A significant part of going from level four to level five was thanks to the completed mission. These little bastards give barely any experience and a few Kobrex coins. A fragile sword costs around a thousand coins; I'd have to kill about two hundred of these monsters.

I only hunted sixty-six and I'm not giving up.

I charge to attack them. Some pass me and head toward Yuki. I manage to stop a couple, but three aim for her.

They run fast and jump a lot, waving the tiny pointy weapons that have cut me several times. The only deep cut was on my ass and it still burns. They have two colors and various shades of blue and green, bulging eyes, and just rags for clothing. It’s a damn plague.

I run back to Yuki, constantly running to catch them all. "You don't have to shout every time you run and attack, Kaiko," Yuki says as she dodges and disarms two of the little monsters and evades the third.

"Let me be!" I'm not going to let her tell me how to move or shout! "I can handle each one of these damn things."

I finish off two of the closer ones, and their blue blood splatters on my face when they die. Ignoring the blood, I run toward Yuki. I have to kill them before she does, so I can get more experience.

Yuki dodges and leaves them to me. It doesn't change anything for her, but I have to put in twice the effort. No, triple effort! Or even more! I must become stronger and face the giant wolves of the other day on my own. I can feel the strain in my jaw from clenching it so tightly. I have to relax and flow, like Yuki says, but it’s hard not to stress.

It's unbelievable how physically wrecked I am. This is my path, and I'll train as much as necessary! I'm going to prove to both of them that I'm powerful enough! to the people in the city and the bar too; they won't laugh at me anymore.

I manage to take down two of them, and their tiny heads go flying through the air, disappearing into blue dust. I think about another question for both of them: Why blue dust?

“Stop getting distracted in the middle of a fight!” Yuki shouts from behind. When I turn, I see her finishing off the third one. "Concentrate, you fool!"

"Ow, ow, ow, don't shout so much, Yuki," I ask as I get up and stretch my body.

She walks over to me angrily, "I'll shout as much as I damn well please!" She kicks me in the back and pushes me toward the remaining monsters. "Five left and more are coming."

I turn to look at her as I rub the spot where she hit me. "More? I don't want to get covered in blue blood or that dust."

“Oh I’m sorry My Lady, I didn’t know that you don’t want to get dirty,” Yuki takes a step toward me, and I take one back. "You want me to hit you?" Her aura seems to turn malevolent and freezing; I can almost see the grass freezing with each step she takes.

Before I can answer her, I hear the scream of a slightly larger monster; is it level five? I glimpse over my shoulder and see it about to make a horizontal slash, and I decide to jump. Almost a meter high, somehow. I easily dodge it and land on top of it, thrusting my sword into its neck. I quickly spin around and slice another one in half before it jumps to attack me.

I can see more and more emerging from the forest, as if drawn by the death of their companions or because I'm an easy target among the others. These bastards are running now!

There are twelve within range, but some are far behind. These damn things just keep respawning. I thought I'd have more time to rest, but it seems I barely have. One comes directly at me, moving slowly. It's time to try something new.

"Don't throw your weapon to attack, for god's sake, Kaiko!" I roll my eyes; Yuki won't leave me alone. My sword hits its mark and a blue dust exploits it. My sword gets stuck in the grass.

I run to retrieve the weapon before more of these creatures come, and I try a new ability.

Fast dash.

I feel myself propelled with each step, like I'm running at an impossible speed. Although I'm not very stable and almost lose my balance several times, I end up colliding with a stone, nearly falling forward right onto my sword!!

I manage to stop just in time and grab it. I sigh and take a deep breath; that ability knocked out all the air of me.

"You useless idiot, look up!" Yuki shouts, I do it and my heart stops for a second. One of these monsters is jumping right at me. I hold the weapon between my two hands and aim.

Fast dash.

I leap upwards, and the sword pierces through the monster entirely. Although its blood splatters all over me. As I land, the remains of the monster turn to dust. I fall without landing properly, almost bending my leg. "Moron! You have to be more careful with your abilities!"

"I KNOW!" I shout in frustration.

"It doesn't seem like it. Here come two more, get ready!"

"Kaiko, one's coming from the left, level six!"

"Kaiko, grip the weapon properly."

"Don't use the dash on muddy ground!"

"You idiot, that one nearly got you!"

"Here comes a fat one; you won't be able to pierce it in one strike!"

"Kaiko, open your eyes! Come on!!!!"

"That one nearly killed you, Kaiko! Lift the weapon properly!"

"Come on, Kaikooo!"

I'm so fed up, there are still several hours until evening. I don't know who's more annoying, these damn monsters, Yuki screaming, or Daichi reading and relaxing at the top, far away from this crazy shouting.

"Kaiiikooooo!!!!"