Riot Grasper - Volume 2 - Chapter 6.1

2nd Volume, 6th Chapter 【The Blow of Resurrection】 1st Part

——It was really bad.
I could sense my 『death』 approaching.

A pressure that far surpassed the intimidating air exuded by the enraged Blood Ogre back then. My respiratory tract gave in to the pressure as my breathing went out of order.
The fear didn’t emanate merely from numerical inferiority of the skills Lv.
What made my body tremble was something indiscernible.

What was called 『death』 was scary.
Whether I would be able to reincarnate if I died again, honestly, I had not the slightest idea.
When a human found themselves in the clutches of death, they would tend to have just one thought.

『I want to live.』

I found myself in the very same situation.

This might be the most basic instinct……planted in all creations.

The first thing that came to my mind was to run away.
However, the opponent in front of me was a demon. Avoiding the battle was already not an option.
If I showed my back, I don’t know as to what kind of an attack I would receive from behind.
Judging from her skill constitution, she was proficient at everything be it short range, middle range or long range.

With a few m (meters) of distance between me and the opponent……the possibility of running away was nonexistent.

This fellow’s skills Lv, even if I say so myself, was abnormal.
Over Lv3 across the board. What’s more, Monster Tame had reached Lv4.

Or I should perhaps say, the opponent possessing a unique 《Great Talent Precocity》 just like I possessed a unique 《Scholar’s Knowledge》 was the cause.
Accelerated growth of the skills……come on!
I heard that a great talent bloomed late. If it could be perfected early, it would be threatening.
What’s more, she was a demon.

《An Evangelion to the Servant (Servant Reinforce)》——reinforces the user’s followers. The rate of reinforcement depends on the Lv.
……Since it had a pseudonym assigned, it must be a rare skill.

The combination of it and Monster Tame skill would be quite effective.
The only relief for me was the mount being out-of-commission after having crashed into the swamp.
I glanced to the side. Although it seemed to be alive, there was no sign of movement.

If I were attacked by it, I could only sob.

If it were impossible to escape, I could use the mount as a shield for negotiation……however, I was not sure if she held the mount dear.
I was afraid that it would turn into a beehive when the time came.

「Aah, I only have a word of advice for you.」

All of a sudden, the demon before me slammed the spear vigorously onto the ground.

「You seem to be peeking at Luna, but……」

Luna……is that the name of the mount?
She probably noticed my glancing toward it.

「If you intend to do something bad to Luna, drop it.」

「If you did any such thing, I would kill you without mercy. Not just that, I would kill that beastkin girl, too, no matter where she ran off to. And then, your parents, siblings, friends, everyone. I would crush everyone.」

……Although I found that she treasured the mount, I also found that using it as a shield would be the most foolish of ideas.
However……did I really make her say that much?

「Is that so? Well, then I’ll do nothing to that mount. However……」

I pointed to Lim and Rook in the back.

「Likewise, if you tried to lay your hands on them or any of my acquaintances, I would kill that mount or whatever, too. Whether I can win against you or not, I wouldn’t know unless I tried. You can snap my body in half or tear it into a thousand pieces, but they are just fellow travelers.」

Upon my words, a faint smile surfaced on the demon’s face.

「……For a human, you have some nerve. Fine. After I have killed you, if they run away without turning their hands toward me, I will spare them.」

「——You listening, Lim?! If I lose, return to the town! Don’t challenge her!」

After shouting with all I had, I resolved myself.
I wasn’t resolved to die, though.

I was resolved to survive.

——Then, how do I win……?
The first idea I was stuck with was to steal her skills and weaken her.
This morning, I had already used Thief’s Godly Skill twice on the Slimes.
Although the skill points of Light Magic skill that I could steal had become insignificant, I decided to retain it for now.

The remaining attempts were four. The success rate wasn’t even 50%.
If all went well, I would be able to steal two.

Which ones do I go for? That said, I don’t think I can visually confirm 《an Evangelion to the Servant (Servant Reinforce)》 or 《Monster Tame》 in this battle.
Besides, for the sake of 『victory』, I had better weaken her by stealing martial arts or magic skills.
For argument’s sake, even if all the remaining attempts succeeded, the opponent would still have means of attacking.

My skill box had space for three more.
Actually, if I could steal three, it would be more than enough, but what after that?

Even if discarding were possible, it would be Rear Ultimate Secret Move——the final form 《Theft Discard (Grasper End)》. Besides, I would not succeed all four times even fortuitously.

Before that, can I even touch the opponent?
Whether it was actually a death match or not, I wouldn’t know if I didn’t see.

I could hit her hard with my Front Ultimate Secret Move which I had been practising……but it wasn’t complete yet.

Out of Spirit ・Ability ・Body, I had already lost in Ability and Body.
However, my Spirit was somehow braced.
I was able to fend the fear, that was seeping into my body, off with the support of the instinct called attachment to life.

——The one who launched the offensive first on the calmy postured opponent was I.

I lightly exhaled; after which, my body burst forth as if an explosive had been triggered.
I grasped the sword, which I had been wielding in one hand, with both hands in order to unleash its full power.
Considering the Lv, only Sword Arts, which had reached Lv3, could stand toe to toe.

Even though I were waiting to steal the skills, I would first like to know the difference between my and the opponent’s ability.

Previously, when I blocked her attack on Lim, both of us used just one hand.
Because I had been pushed back at that time, keeping a hand unused was not possible.
While attacking with full power, I would switch to one hand when I found a gap——and steal.

I could also use magic, but even the opponent understood that it was not suitable for close quarters combat.
My adversary, the demon, seemed to be intent on using spear, too.

——The sword strike I unleashed was easily blocked with the spear.
Nah, the ‘easily’ part might be my own opinion.
However, it was the first time my sword skill was so splendidly negated ever since it progressed to Lv3.

「This time, it’s going to be my turn——」

The opponent fired——consecutive thrusts.
Although I had experienced such a thrust, which was rather pointed than linear, against Bays-san, I wasn’t accustomed to it.
Her speed was faster, too.

I handled it somehow with the sword. However, if the opponent gained the upper hand in terms of the number of hits, I wouldn’t be able to handle it completely.
I frantically dodged the ominous strikes by a hair’s breadth——no, while receiving red cuts on my skin.

You……bitch……!

Some sweeps were added in between the thrusts, too. However, I warded the direct hits off. All the while, I cut the distance to the opponent.
I was bleeding from all over my body. However, I was being healed immediately by Vitality Enhancement.
Therefore, as long as I didn’t receive a fatal injury, I would be fine.

The difference in ability was clear.
A difference the current me wouldn’t be able to overcome.

The opportunity to steal would never come if didn’t create it myself.
One step. Another step. Even though I was getting wounded, I kept taking steps forward.

As if flustered, the opponent took a step back, moved exaggeratedly and unleashed a thrust.

「O……raaa!」

I shifted the trajectory in order for the attack to slide over the sword fuller. As it grazed my ear and came to a premature end, I advanced further.
With this, I got through.

I switched the sword, which I was wielding in both hands, to one hand, and cut the distance to the opponent’s bosom in one breath.

——First up, that Spear Arts……