Seeker 289

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Chapter 289. Reunion

── Going back in time a bit, to Musou Daichi──

"Finishing blow──[Three Strikes]!"

I unleash a skill attack towards the Hill Giant.

The three thrusts delivered in an instant fiercely pierce the giant's body.

The impact sends the Hill Giant flying, crashing to the ground with a rumble.

In an instant, its form dissolves into black mist and disappears, leaving behind magic stones on the ground.

"All right, that's the second one down."

I pick up the Hill Giant's magic stone while casting healing magic on myself.

With this, the Hill Giant's magic stone I obtained is the second one.

After parting ways with Gelzer, I finally reached the second Hill Giant I was aiming for, and here we are.

And here, the notification of mission completion came.

───────────────────────

Mission Defeat 4 Giants Completed!

All party members gain 40,000 experience points!

New Mission: "Defeat 10 Giants" (Obtainable Experience Points: 100,000)

Current Experience Points:

Musou Daichi: 156,6854/1573489 (To Next Level: 6635)

Kodachi Kazane: 1414986/1417965 (To Next Level: 2979)

Yuzuki Hotaru: 1500551/1573489 (To Next Level: 72938)

───────────────────────

Nice. It feels like finishing one bowl of mission accomplishment after another.

Well, if the next one involves 10 giants, this might be the end of this quest.

Moreover, if I've defeated the second one for the mission accomplishment, either Kazane or Hitaru must have defeated one of the Hill Giants.

Considering even the Fire Giant defeated in the dungeon of flames and ice is included.

So, at this point, our party has secured at least three Hill Giant magic stones.

Since there were 5 Hill Giants in this field, our victory is practically assured now.

The only thing to worry about now is how Gelzer will act next.

I doubt he'll quietly kneel down and lick my shoes, admitting complete defeat.

Will he nitpick on something, or──

"At any rate, it's time to meet with Kazane and Yuzuki."

For now, I decided to aim for the other side of the river and start moving.

Whether it's Kazane or Yuzuki, they are on that side, so it wouldn't hurt to move closer.

"Senpai! I defeated one Hill Giant!"

After a while of traveling, I encounter Yuzuki riding a griffin, waving her hands vigorously from above.

The Griffin descends to me, and Yuzuki jumps off, landing in my arms.

"Whoops. Good job, Hitaru."

"Hehe~ Senpai, I want you to praise me~"

I hug Yuzuki, tightly embracing her delicate body, and pat her head.

She seems very pleased, rubbing herself against me like a puppy.

"Good to see you're safe. Any injuries?"

"We're all good. But Grif-chan got hit by one of the Hill Giant's rock throws."

"Kwaa~"

"Got it. I'll heal you right away. [Grand Heal]!"

I cast healing magic, and the Griffin's wounds heal, its HP fully restored.

Monsters like Giants, though specializing in close combat, surprisingly also employ ranged attacks, so we can't underestimate them.

"Grif-chan, you did great too. Well done."

"Kwaa~♪"

I pat the Griffin too, and it responds by happily rubbing against me, much like Yuzuki.

Their reactions are alike.

Or rather, Hitaru's reaction is quite animalistic.

"Senpai, haven't you met up with Kazane-san yet?"

"Ah, yeah. Kazane should be around here soon if everything goes smoothly."

As we were talking about that, a voice echoed from afar.

"Daichi-kun, help meeeee!"

""──!""

There's no mistaking it. It's Kazane's voice.

"Senpai!"

"Yeah, let's hurry!"

Yuzuki and I, along with the Griffin, dash towards the direction where the voice came from.

We hardly encounter any ogres along the way.

Someone—probably Gelzer or someone—must have cleaned them up as they advanced.

Soon, we arrive at a place where a stone bridge spans across the river.

From there, we spot a figure in black attire sprinting towards us at full speed.

"Kazane!"

"Daichi-kun! I made it, I escaped!"

We meet up with Kazane around the middle of the bridge.

She jumps towards me, and I catch her, spinning once before setting her down on the bridge.

"Thank goodness. I was really worried for a moment there."

"I called for help. Are you okay, Kazane?"

"Yeah, for now. But──"

Kazane turns her gaze towards the direction she came from.

A moment later than Kazane, a burly man wielding an axe appears.

"Hah, hah... damn it, she managed to meet up with her friends. That fast woman."

Gasping for breath, Gelzer glares at us.

It seems he was tracking Kazane.

Since Kazane asked for healing magic, I cast [Grand Heal] on her as well.

Her damage is neatly healed.

"So, Kazane, what's the situation?"

"Um, well, I might have provoked him too much, but he went berserk. 'I don't care about the match anymore. I'll kill you, violate you, starting with you, you black-clad woman,' he said."

"...Huh?"

Here I go again, getting angry.

What's wrong with him?

Can I seriously just get rid of him?

Honestly, this is way beyond the line already.

As humans, as adventurers, we've long surpassed the territory where we should avoid conflict.

And at that moment, the situation took another turn.

"Gelzer-san!"

"What's going on, what's the situation!?"

"This is..."

Behind us, Gelzer's companions appear.

Two men surround Gelzer and a female archer adventurer.

We find ourselves sandwiched between Gelzer in front and his companions in the rear, somewhere around the middle of the bridge.

Seeing this situation, Gelzer grins and declares.

"All right, you've come at the perfect time. Let's kill them! We'll offer this arrogant brat and girls as sacrifices!"