Chapter 144: One Who Pierced Through

***Arc 6 One Who Pierced Through, Chapter 144 One Who Pierced Through***

翠虎(Green + Tiger) = Suiko; 藍鹿 (Indigo + Deer) = Ranka; 嵐翼 (Storm + Wings) = Ranyoku

1 shaku = about 30 centimeters, 1 Jou = about 3 meters. 1 ken = 6 shaku, or about 1,8 meters.

The Suiko is 2.4 meters high at the shoulder, and its total length, including the tail, is about 6 meters.

Located northwest of the Kingdom and southwest of the Imperial State, Mount Arbyagel was home to the Kreisharana clan.

They were the descendants of the bravest and most powerful of the tribes that once flourished in the northern part of the Kingdom, around Gargain.

A war of aggression against the Kingdom of Alberan that took place about 500 years ago.

Defeated, they were driven from their land and fled to this Arbyagel to continue their resistance, but eventually they were exhausted by the endless battle.

The mountains, their natural fortress, and the power of the griffins who were their friends, could protect them, but they were worn out after losing the battle and losing the rich plains.

The certainty that they will be defeated and destroyed, and the kingdom, knowing this, continues to reject Kreisharana's offer of peace, saying that they will not talk to the barbarians.

So, risking the survival of their clan, they pleaded with the dragon that lived in Arbyagel――Yagernaus, to mediate peace.

The dragon listened to the words of the people of Kreisharana, and what is known as the Holy Spirit Covenant was said to have originated from this peace agreement between Alberan and Kreisharana.

The founding king of Alberan, who was forced to give up a war that he could win due to the absolute power of the dragon, was not happy that Yagernaus was only joining Kreisharana, so the king gathered the heads and kings of the surrounding countries and held a conference with the dragon.

The purpose of the conference was to bring harmony to a world without order, with the dragon as the absolute backing.

The great achievement of Bazariche, the founding king of Alberan, who created the Holy Spirit Covenant with an ancient dragon, was spread throughout the continent by the invasion of the powerful Queen of Alberan, Grabaraine, and the Holy Spirit Covenant was now recognized as an absolute rule in the struggle between nations.

Since the start there was no one who did not know the existence of the absolute being who once ruled the world――the dragon.

The name of the dragon was convenient for conquerors to use as a means of drawing uncivilized barbarians to the negotiating table, and for weaker nations to force conquerors to put down their swords and join them at the table.

The reason why the Holy Spirit Covenant is still recognized today was probably due to the fact that its contents are fair to all, and more than that there is the threat that the dragon will burn the entire country to the ground if the Holy Spirit Covenant is violated.

At present, there was no story that the dragon Yagernaus actually destroyed a country that did not keep the Holy Spirit Covenant.

Because of this, though the Kreisharana were well known along with Alberan, their lives were modest.

They now have a religious relationship with the former traitorous Arna Imperial State, and although they have not abandoned their ancient customs, they are not an uncivilized barbarian tribe.

However they were born in the mountains, grew up in the mountains, and buried their bones in the mountains without leaving the mountains.

They lived a peaceful, if not prosperous, life.

"I'll feed you meat later, but don't eat this."

In the forest.

A figure with a lot of exposure, with a simple cloth wrapped around her chest and waist――a girl with short black hair tied behind her ears and a lovely face said that.

She lightly tapped the head of the creature that was about to stick its head into the basket, and scolded it.

What was there was a strange creature.

It has the face of a bird of prey, like an eagle, and the body of a lion.

On its shoulders sprouted a pair of massive wings.

——Griffin.

They were the beasts used in Kreisharana that once tormented the Kingdom.

Its shoulders were as tall as a girl's waist, but it was probably still a child.

The figure that cried "Kyuruu" was somehow pathetic, contrary to its majestic appearance.

"If you're going to eat it, at least eat the one hanging on the branch. You can fly, so why are you trying to eat the fruit I've worked so hard to pick?"

The girl held up her finger as if teaching a child.

Naturally, they can only understand the cry (sound anime), but they are somewhat smarter than horses.

If she kept teaching it like this, it would eventually come to understand, but it was still a naughty child who did not listen to her.

That said it was one and a half years old.

"Well, it can't be helped", she sighed.

The griffin was the first child her brother let her take care of.

She had been taking care of it since it was born, and she really thinks of it as if it was her little sister,

The girl——Lira smiled while scolding it and gently patted its head.

Then she gave it one of the fruits from her basket.

The griffin——Larnell squealed with delight and sucked the fruit into his mouth.

One might say she was spoiling it too much again, but it was still a child.

Lilah thought this was just right, it was not a warrior griffin for fighting, but a female for breeding after all.

She patted Lanell's head as she ate the sweet fruit, thinking that everyone was being a little too strict with discipline.

"... Even so, guess we went a little too deep into the woods. Thanks to that, I was able to pick a lot of fruit though."

The abundance of fruit means that no one has come this far.

At least, it was a place where one could feel safe as usual.

If it was just tigers and wolves, it was fine, but demonic beasts like Suiko, Ranka, and Ranyoku also lived in this mountain.

Even the best-selected warriors of the village would risk their lives if they fought against them.

If she were to encounter such a beast, she would not be able to escape even on Larnell's back.

"Let's go back, Larnell. It looks kind of dangerous here."

With a 'Kyuru', as if understanding.

Larnell lowered its posture and turned the saddle on its hips toward Lira.

"Fufu, good girl, good girl. When we get home, I'll give you some deer meat."

It was when Lila said so and was about to straddle Larnell.

"Wha!?"

Suddenly, Larnell jerked up and spread her wings as wide as she could.

"What are you..."

The roar was lower than usual.

Lira soon realized what it meant.

It was the voice of a griffin, indicating alarm, intimidation, and hostility.

Larnell walked over and stood in front of Lira, and beyond it, breaking through the bushes, it appeared——

"...Suiko"

It was a tiger monster with beautiful green fur.

It has a shoulder height of eight shaku, a large mouth that can eat a person's entire upper body, and log-like limbs.

The body, which looked supple, was more than two Jou long, including the tail.

Slowly and without any caution, the Suiko stood in front of Larnell.

Lira was frightened by the sight of a Suiko for the first time, and fell to her knees on the spot.

Not even a wild griffin could stand up to it, and she had no choice but to run for her life.

The still young Larnell was no match for it, and the Suiko seemed to understand that.

The king of the forest approaches the intimidating Larnell with ease.

The distance between them was 20 ken.

There seemed to be some distance, but it was already within the Suiko's range.

If they tried to escape into the sky, they would be caught.

Despite its huge size, Suiko's movement was said to be incomparable to that of a mere tiger.

If you are going to hunt a Suiko, you have to deal with it from the sky with a javelin.

Even then, the Suikos can leap higher than the trees and prey on the hunters.

Lila's brother told her that no creature could match a Suiko at close quarters.

"La, Larnell, run away. Leave me and..."

Standing on trembling legs, Lira told Larnell.

There was a decoy.

Lila could not escape by using Larnell as a decoy.

Then Lira should be the one to do it.

Larnell is a griffin entrusted to her care by her brother.

She could not let Larnell be killed.

Determined, Lira stepped in front of Larnell, but again she stiffened.

From the direction of Lira's left hand——the one that appeared from there was a new Suiko.

The Suiko in front of her jumped to the side as if on alert, and turned its gaze over there.

The magical beast is the ruler of the forest.

No two of them can exist in the same place.

The newly appeared Suiko groaned and bared its fangs at the previous Suiko.

――A territorial dispute?

"Larnell! On second thought I take it back! Run away with me!"

Lira hurriedly climbed onto Larnell's saddle,

"Hh...!?"

――But before she could jump up, there was a roaring sound.

On the side where the new Suiko appeared, something flew through the bush and pierced the body of the first Suiko.

A cloud of blood danced in the air, and the Suiko shrieked as it rolled away.

A single spear pierced its belly.

For the third time, Lira was completely frozen in surprise.

On the side of the new Suiko, a silver shadow that danced out of the bush in her left hand's direction kicked through the stabbing spear that had pierced the fallen Suiko's chest with its heel as if pushing it further.

A high-pitched metallic sound, the heel of the boot sparks with the butt end of the spear, and the Suiko's body convulses.

The forest supreme ruler did not move again.

"Hmm, there are a lot of big meow-meows here, and they're ferocious."

It was not the language spoken in Kreisharana, but the language of the plains.

"It's good, Krische've made a meal for Gururun. It's a big game and it's just right."

The Suiko that appeared later groaned and approached the girl.

Thinking the girl would be eaten, Lira stiffened for the fourth time.

But the Suiko did not show its ferociousness and rubbed its nose against the girl's arm as if asking to be pampered.

A little later, a large horse carrying a large amount of luggage and countless spears approached the girl, and the girl patted it gently on the neck.

Then she finally looked at Lira.

"Are you okay? A little later and you might be eaten huh."

"Eh, ah... n-no..."

Lira answered while straddling Larnell.

Lila, who couldn't keep up with the sudden development, looked at the Suiko and the horse by the girl's side and got off Larnell wondering if it's safe now.

"Th-that Suiko... is it okay?"

"Suiko?"

The silver girl tilted her head and she stared at the Suiko , rubbing its own nose against her.

And the girls went 'Ah!' clapped her hands together like she finally understood something.

"Speaking of which, it matches the characteristics written in the book. Krische thought it was quite a big meow meow, but is this the one called Suiko?"

"I think no matter how you look at it, it's a Suiko and not a cat though..."

The horse's baggage suggested that the girls were traveling.

She looked young to travel, but you can't tell someone's age just by their looks.

She was wearing a beautiful cloak of fabric and a dress through this bush.

Fluffy white hat and muffler.

She did not look like a traveler at all, but Lira didn't know what life was like on the plains.

It might have been normal to travel in such an outfit.

She remembered seeing Princess Miko of the Arna Imperial once, who also wore a fluttering outfit like this.

"Oh, um, thank you very much. For saving me."

"Krische just wanted to feed Gururun, so please don't worry about it. Ah, there should be a river around here but...do you know it?"

"River?"

"Yes, Krische wants to draw some water, bathe, and cut the meat... if you know, Krische'd like you to guide Krische. The map wasn't very reliable, so Krische is a little lost."

Lila nodded at those words.

"In that case, it's probably nearby... Ah, I'll guide you."

Having the Suiko drag the Suiko's corpse.

Once on the side of the river, the girl ripped open the belly, removed the entrails and laid them in front of Suiko――which seems to be called Gururun.

She then wrapped a rope around the hind legs of the gutted Suiko and tried to hang it from a thick tree trunk, but it seemed to be too heavy, so she quickly split its body in half and hung it up separately.

She wields a curved sword similar to the warrior's sword used in Kreisharana, and it was possible that she may have a close relationship with the village.

Beautiful silver hair.

Her face was beautiful to the point of being mystical, and her jewels like purple eyes.

The clothes she wore were all of high quality, and the Suiko hunt she just witnessed was truly just a hunt.

It was not a fight.

She remembers the legend of the hunter god-fairy of Kreisharana, and Lira looked at her beautiful form, wondering if she was the fairy of that legend.

"Even though it's winter, it's pretty warm here. There's no snow."

Her skin was like snow with no tan.

The girl said while carefully wiping it.

Her well-shaped breasts and buttocks, her tight waist, and her long, slender limbs.

Her nude body was also like a work of art and was something you couldn't help but admire.

"Well, it's very hot in the summer, but in the winter it's always like this."

"...does that mean it's close?"

"...?"

The girl said, when she got out of the water, and put on her clothes, after them with a dry cloth.

And she shook her body a little and warmed her body by the fire, drying her wet hair.

"But, as expected, it's cold after all."

"S-so, you're a normal person in that way...."

Lira was a little relieved to know that even though she was a fairy, she could still feel cold.

"A normal person?"

"No, no... um, you have the Suiko tagging along with you, and the techniques you used to hunt earlier... I wondered if it was Rasherna-sama, who was said to be the god of hunters..."

"You got the wrong person. Krische is not..."

The girl looked at Lira and went 'Ah' as if she understood something.

"Krische haven't tell Krische's name yet right. Krische's name is Krische Christand."

"Krishe-sama... My name is Lira Sharana."

Lira stood up in a panic, and she bowed her head deeply.

"Krische met Gururun three days ago, and it's strangely attached to Krische, so Krische brought it along. There are a lot of Suiko around here. There's also a big, blue deer... Maybe it's because the area around here has a lot of fluffy fluffy (fuyo fuyo; Krische's name for magical power)."

"...that's probably Ranka."

A deer magical beast as tall as a hut.

It was a genuine monster that could knock down trees just by running.

"I see, there are a lot of magic beasts that Krische've never seen before. It's good that they're big and have a good flavor, but it would be nice if the meat was a little softer. Gururun was very happy to eat it though."

This Suiko was what Krische met three days ago when she was dismantling a giant blue deer――Ranka.

A big meow meow that threatened her even while looking frightened.

Krische had already encountered and killed several of them, but the meat was tough except for the belly, and the amount was too many, so Krische didn't really want to kill it.

For Krische, who grew up in a hunter's family, it's not very pleasant to kill an animal that she couldn't even finish eating.

The deer she had killed wasn't small enough to be finished all by herself, so she cut off some of its meat and gave it to the Suiko as a test――After that, she spent three days with this Suiko.

Lira looks at the girl in amazement.

Due to its large size, Ranka was a more formidable magic beast than Suiko in some cases.

But this girl probably hunted it all by herself.

Krische skinned the tiger hanging from the tree and cut off the meat from its girth and roasted it on the fire.

The limbs were stringy and hard, but the belly meat was reasonably tender and fatty.

"Do you want to eat too Lira?"

"Eh, um...if I may"

When someone hunt a magical beast, a feast would be held in the village.

The meat was usually eaten by the men, as it was believed that eating the meat of the beast will give you its power, and Lira never tasted it.

Krische sprinkled salt and spices over the meat to slightly adjust the flavor and adjust the heat.

The fat dripped and bounced on the fire, and the smell of the meat tickled her nostrils, making Lirah's stomach rumble.

"Um, does this bird eat child meat too?"

"Huh? Ah, yes... Griffin is an omnivore, but they would prefer to eat meat."

Krische cuts off one of Suiko corpse's legs and places it in front of Larnell.

The precious Suiko meat――it was so luxurious that Lira looked at Krische uncomfortably, wondering if it was really okay.

"This is a griffin... it flies in the sky, doesn't it?"

Krische ignored the gaze and looked at the griffin's wings and waist saddle.

"Yes, she is only one and a half years old, but she can fly with someone my size. Compared to adults, her flying still has a long way to go though."

Krische nibbled at the grilled meat while looking at Griffin with interest.

As if waiting for that, the Suiko finally took a bite of the meat that was placed in front of it.

Even as Lira was surprised that the Suiko seems to have completely recognized Krische as its master, she receives one of the skewers and bites into the meat.

The fat-dripping belly meat has a rich flavor, with just the right amount of salt and tangy spices.

It probably had to do with how it's cooked. It tasted better than any meat Lira had ever eaten.

"delicious......"

"... Hmm, it smells a bit... Krische didn't drain enough blood. It would have been nice if Krische could have caught it alive."

It was insane to catch a green tiger alive.

Lira withdrew a little, but she was dumbfounded by Krische who calmly said that.

She regarded the green tigers that the warriors risk their lives to challenge as mere prey to hunt.

Lira was getting more and more confused about this girl.

She wasn't a normal human being, and it was easier to be convinced if someone told her the girl was a hunter god, just as Lila thought she was.

The girl took a frying pan from her back while giving the horse a radish.

She melted the fat in the frying pan, and then roasted the cut pieces of meat over the fire.

The rich aroma of the meat tickled Lira's nostrils again and made her drool in her mouth.

The technique was brilliant, the meat was lightly seasoned and cooked, and the juices were transferred to another pan, where they were used to make a sauce with wine, honey, and fruit.

Then the meat was cooked again, placed on a wooden plate, cut into pieces, and topped with the sauce――a full course of the most exquisite meat she had never tasted in the village.

The seasoning, the degree of cooking, all of it was so delicious that her cheeks might fall off.

Krische continued to cook, looking happy to see Lira eating the delicious, delicious meat.

First appetite rather than trivial questions.

Lira tasted the meat with Krische until she was full, and then she wondered about the family name, Christand.

The name Christand did not sound familiar to her.

However, none of the Imperial State people who visited here had a surname.

"Um, is Krische-sama by any chance...someone from the Kingdom?"

Even though a person from Kreisharana hates luxury and usually wore simple clothing, they could tell if the clothes the other person was wearing were of high quality or not.

The hat and scarf are hand-knitted of woolen yarn, but the wearer wore a smooth, seamless, high-quality cloak and dress.

At the very least, she is not a mere commoner.

She must be a member of the upper class in her circle.

However, the upper class of the Imperial State――a priest, doesn't not give their surname because they have abandoned their surname.

That said, she didn't look like a merchant, it was that kind of process of elimination.

"...? Yes."

"I-I knew it..."

Lira made a troubled face.

People of the Imperial State were allowed to visit here, but not people of the kingdom.

It was 500 years ago――but there were still many people in the village who showed disgust and hatred towards the people of the kingdom.

Kreisharana does not tolerate the people of the kingdom, even if they are travelers.

"This is the land of Kreisharana. I don't know if you know it, but the people of Kreisharana hate the kingdom, so you better get off the mountain early."

"That's just right. Maybe Lira is also someone from Kreisharana, right?"

"Huh? Um, yes...just right?"

Could she be a messenger of the kingdom or something?

Lira hastily straightened her back.

"Krische, is looking for a dragon now."

"..Yagernaus-sama?"

"Yes, I was wondering if someone from Kreisharana knew. Krische knows the dragon is in this mountain, but Krische doesn't really know the exact location."

An audience with the Holy Spirit.

This was a big deal.

Even the people of the village were not allowed to approach it except when offering tribute.

"If you want an audience with Yagernaus-sama, you must first ask the elders. Besides, even if the Kingdom suddenly asks for an audience, whether it will be granted..."

"I see, it's not an audience, but it seems troublesome after all."

Krische put her fingertips to her lips and stared at Lira

It's a cute gesture, but somehow a chill ran down her spine.

"What do you mean it's not an audience?"

"Krische wants to ask Lira for guidance. ......Krische came to kill that dragon called Yagernaus."

"... Huh?"

"Krische wants the heart of a dragon", said Krische.

With a snap, the blade was pressed against Lira's neck.

She moved so fast that Lira didn't even notice that the blade had been pulled out.

"Krische doesn't want to kill Lira, who Krische just helped out, and Krische also doesn't want to be killed by Lira, That's why Krische wants Lira to respond honestly."

"Eh, uu...K-Krische-sama, you're joking, aren't you?"

"No. Krische is not joking, Krische is serious."

With a troubled face, the girl named Krische looked into Lila's eyes.

The jewel-like purple color just let out an inorganic sparkle.

"If Lira can't guide Krische, Krische 'll have to go and ask each and every one of the people in the Kreisharana clan. Please think about which is more important, faith or village, and decide what to do."

Lira recalled the figure of the girl who killed Suiko as if she was hunting a rabbit.

Faith or village——she was asking seriously.

Larnell noticed the situation and spread her wings and roared menacingly.

In front of Larnell, the Suiko was standing in its way.

"Krische doesn't really want to do bad things. But if Krische were to look around randomly, Krische sure Krische'd run into one of you and end up killing each other, right? Krische would have to kill them if they got in Krische's way, that's why as much as possible Krische is asking Lira to do this to avoid that."

The blade didn't even twitch.

It was really not a joke or anything.

The strange look she saw earlier told her that the words weren't just a joke.

She was serious when she said that.

"Krische's aim is not to Kreisharana, but the heart of a dragon. But if Lira says that she won't guide Krische, Krische can only think it can't be helped... so please think carefully before answering."

Lira gulped.

A dragon is not just a mere creature. It was a fundamentally different existence from magic beasts.

Its power can destroy even nations and distort and change the terrain.

——A dragon slayer. It was not a sane behavior.

It was a reckless barbaric act, like stabbing a blade into the heavens.

But she said that she was going to kill the dragon on top of being aware of that.

"Please reconsider. No matter how strong Krische-sama is, challenging Yagernaus-sama is too reckless. If you touch Yagernaus-sama's wrath, even the kingdom you live in will perish."

Lira imagined the catastrophe that would happen in the future and said so.

It was not just about her own life.

In some cases, the enraged Holy Spirit could destroy everything in the vicinity.

"It's okay. You don't have to worry about that. A dragon can't do that."

as if it were an indisputable fact.

As if it were an absolute principle.

The girl, just, asserts with her purple eyes.

"Because that dragon is going to be killed by Krische."

Lila didn't know.

The words were not a joke, nor were they reckless - it was the distorted and crazy Alberan in front of her.

For what she desires, the only one who would not hesitate to thrust her blade into heaven.

She is the one and only cursed sword that pierces everything that stands in its way.