Book 2 Ch 10
The monsters and demons were dropping like flies.
Each step Goblin Slayer took was accompanied by the sound of foes falling to Chosen Heroine's and her comrade's blades and spells.
By the time Goblin Slayer half ran, half wobbled close enough to participate in the fight, most of the opponents were either dead, dying or were keeping their distance from the great giant demon that was not fighting alone against the 3 heroes.
"Take it out. Take out the boss and the small ones will run...easier to kill." Goblin Slayer said as he positioned himself right behind the main monster.
This was a tricky maneuver to pull of, even when he was at full health, because it was all a matter of timing and familiarity with you team mate. This was why is was especially difficult since he was not familiar with Chosen Heroine's style.
He really missed his old teammates, his captains and especially Priestess, he knew their fighting style like the how he knew to properly gut and smear yourself with goblin blood!
Also, he was feeling dizzy from his wounds and fatigue.
"Gotta...gotta concentrate! When...When goblins are dead and fall down and there's no tracks in the ground I care!" Goblin Slayer said an impromptu mantra to keep himself awake, as the demon dipped forward to do a powerful frontal attack.
Now was the time!
"When my blades and guns roars and the land is not plagued by hordes, I care!"
Goblin Slayer summoned all his strength and will power and ran forward, jumping on the demon's bent forwards back and ran up his spine!
"When Slayer Keep's flag flies proud from the mound, and the goblins are dead in the ground, I care!"
Goblin Slayer reached the monsters neck and with a lasso made from the rubber tubing, he threw a great garrote around the great beast's neck!
It started to thrash left and right in and attempt to throw him of its back, but the elasticity of the wire cushioned the impact of it's movement.
Managing to get a good grip on the tubes with only hand hand, Goblin Slayer took out the King's Walking, ready to bash the monster's head, and cocked the great gun that was the warhammer's head.
"But when I haven't slayed goblins in days," Goblin Slayer said and rammed the King's Walking staff straight into the monster's left eye, upon impact the shot inside it detonated and blasted a full deck gun shot right into the great beast's brain, Goblin Slayer quickly dropped the now ruined war hammer gun.
"I will kill anyone who is in my ways!"
And as the creature was thrashing in pain, Goblin Slayer lunged forward, ripped out its remaining right eye and forced it inside its mouth!
"I SWEAR!" Goblin Slayer shouted as the rubber rubes finally gave away an he fell to he ground.
"Stop falling!" Sage did the spell that stopped Goblin Slayer from hitting the ground hard, as the demon lord fell down dead from it's wounds.
"Now it' your turn to face the might of justice!" Chosen Heroine said as she singlehandedly charged and slayed the remaining monsters.
"Stay still so i can properly use 'heal' on you." Sage said as she tended to Goblin Slayer.
"Why...why did she shout and...spoil the sneak attack?"
"That's what I always ask, what possible advantage one might get from discarding the element of surprise?" Sword Saint said in a exasperated huff.
"Unexpected actions will force you foe to charge recklessly, thus spoiling his plan." Sage answered as Chosen Heroine had, in the blink of an eye, finished the remaining monsters.
"What do you think, pretty cool, right!" She said in a cheery voice and cheeky grin.
"Why didn't you say that you did not want to follow my plan?" Goblin Slayer asked all a sudden, cutting the wind from her sails.
"Oh, sorry, sorry. But I just couldn't resist giving a great battle cry and challenge to the meanies. Did you see how I took them out, pretty mainly, right?" Chosen Heroine said with a smile and a show of flexing her muscles.
"You should have told him you didn't want to follow the plan. Not doing that to your allies is considered, very rude!"
"I agree!"
Sword Saint and Sage said, both with a nod.
"Now, now, everything turned out alright. so why don't we just move past this!"
"Why didn't you tell me that you wanted a different plan?" Goblin Slayer asked as he got up from the ground and walked until he was right in front of Heroine.
"Ah, sorry about that. But I knew that you wouldn't agree with not folowin-"
"That's not true." Goblin Slayer cut her, off surprising Chosen Heroine.
"Pardon?"
"If you had said you did not like my sneak attack plan, I would have made a plan where you charging forward at full speed would be essential to victory."
"Y-Y-ou would have?" Chosen Heroine asked surprised and confused, the same went for Sword Saint and Sage, they expected anger from Goblin slayer, it was the usual response from adventurers that were not familiar with their friends antics, but this!
This was different!
"I...I...well, I just never thought that..."
"Adventurers are supposed to talk with each other and cooperate. Priestess and High Elf Archer told me so. Warrior also said that strong adventurers are expect to do more than the weaker ones. So why did you, a hero, not talk to me?"
"I...I..." Chosen Heroine struggled with words as she look to her friends for help, they just lowered their gaze and turned away from the scene. They were starting to feel the same emotion that was coursing trough Chosen Heroine's heart.
It was shame.
"Where are you going?" Sage asked the retreating form of Goblin Slayer.
"To find and kill any surviving goblins." He said and went back to check the lair before moving on tot he castle. While on his journey there, he reloaded his handgun and shotgun.
Once inside, he finished off the wounded and those that were hiding in dark corners and small, top covered, hiding holes, then he found the hidden chamber where the goblin children were.
He raised his sword to kill them, and lowered it down with speed, when another blade stopped his attack.
"What are you doing!?" Chosen Heroine asked as she pushed him back with a follow up move.
"Killing Goblins."
"THESE ARE CHILDREN!"
"Yes they are."
"You can't just kill them!"
"Why? They are goblins." Goblin Slayer asked in genuine confusion, which made Chosen Heroine's blood run cold
"You...you killed children before."
"Of course, I am Goblin Slayer after all."
At that silence fell in the standoff between Heroine, who was standing between the goblin children, Goblin Slayer in front of her, Sage and Sword Saint who were behind Goblin Slayer and were watching the scene unfold between them with worry.
"I...I...I... can't let you kill them! These are innocents."
"So were their victims, and these ones will grown up to be nest leaders or champions, which means even more victims. That's why I must kill them." Goblin Slayer said calmly, he was not even surprise by this turn of events, somehow it always felt that it would come to something like this.
"Then the dice is cast." Chosen Heroine said, as she wiped away the tears in her eyes.
"I do not allow the dice to decide my fate." Goblin Slayer said and the two prepared to clash.
The Gods were now truly, truly entertained by this!
Wouldn't you agree?
…...
''Keeps the reader turning the pages''- Pennie Mae Cartawick, author of 'Sherlock Holmes: The Gaslight Collection'
"Think of Lovecraft and Poe, and then put on 3D glasses." -Howard Lipman- Author of the 'Delphic Oracle' and Tesla's Tower'
What if in the struggle between magic ans science, magic was the victor?
What if technology dissapeared and magic became what was used to colonise the galaxy?
What if now magic is used to wage war across the stars?
The imperial fleet's only hope for victory is the 'Hero of the Empire' Metternich. Too bad that the man many consider to be their greatest hero, is in fact their greatest coward.
Metty once more finds himself in a desperate situation on the Planet of Volun 4. Newly promoted to the rank of
Commodore, he must take command of the defeated 378th fleet cops and lead it to victory against a superior foe, and he must do that before the arrival of an even greater enemy force, while also keeping his secret cowardice hidden from his own troops, lest they turn on him.
Meanwhile rebellion stirs in the Occupied Territories, as a mysterious figure called 'Nobody' emerges to rally the rebels and lead them to victory against the Empire. But is he truly their salvation?
Enemies to his front, vengeful rebels to his rear and surrounding him are allies that may betray him at any moment.
Just another common weekday for poor ol' Metty.
-BALADA: a Song of Stars by R.