Chapter 29 – The fight begins. Mom the archer and Bradd the puncher skillfully fight, but the forces of evil only increase.

Bradd’s body spins gracefully.

From a distance, it looks like an innocent girl is dancing and twirling around in her skirt.

But the back of his fist swung out and caught the flank of the demon dog.

It was a merciless blow that struck right near the dog’s heart.

「Take that! For Mary and Joshua!」

A moment later, a hollow metallic sound rang out,

He did it! He stopped its heart!

I clenched my fist as I was sure of his victory.

Any monster can be beaten by that.

It was a finishing move that could stop any monster’s heart if it hits.

「…tch!」

But Bradd frowned and jumped back.

The demon dog flashed its fangs as it attempted to bite him.

It had taken that heart-stopping move and nothing had changed.

I was astonished when I saw it’s massive shadow approach Bradd!

Then I looked over at Gallam, still just sitting there.

And the other dog than the one, Gald, which he was attacking, had also flanked him and was going to attack from the side without him knowing it. There was no way to predict how Bradd would dodge their attacks.

The two dogs had calculated their attack well…and I was terrified.

The two had determined that Brad was a tough opponent and thus were going to attack him together, and Mary was lying on the ground, so Bradd was no longer able to protect her!

The dogs had already figured it all out!

Bradd is going to be killed!

「Well, my arrows are faster than them…」

I heard the sound of a string pulled.

My mother stood above me and had shot arrows from her bow, through the door in the saloon, towards the demon dogs.

She had timed it just perfect, it seemed.

If Bradd was unable to help Mary, then she would make sure to hit them with her arrows instead.

The demon dogs quickly circled behind Bradd, using him as a shield from the arrows.

These dogs aren’t just massive, but they’re very smart!

「OUuuooaa!」

I screamed!

Bradd! Avoid her poisoned arrows!

「Don’t worry Scarlet, I won’t be outdone by anyone. This is just to make them dance a bit…snake strike.」

She stood stock still as she said so, quietly.

The arrows that she had shot sank quickly before they hit Bradd…into the ground?!

She missed?!

However, the arrow then skimmed over the ground and bounced up in a V-shape. It went between Bradd’s legs and flew at the demon dogs.

「Weew! That was close!」

Bradd was shocked.

Let’s pretend we don’t know what the arrows were close to hitting there.

I’m a pure maiden…so I have NO idea.

And so Bradd’s body, which the dogs wanted to use as a shield, had blocked the dogs sight.

Also, since the arrows jumped up between Bradd’s feet, they were difficult to predict…there was no way those dogs could dodge them.

And so there was the sound of the arrows hitting something.

The two bodies of the demon dog swayed a bit.

Both?! Not just one?!

「Bow skill – snake slither」

And my mother exhaled with the next shot.

This was the bow technique that twists around obstacles, as we saw her shoot before.

She shot them right after the “snake strike” shot.

Like the first arrows, these went around the blind spot that Bradd caused and hit the two demon dogs again.

Wait, isn’t my mother a bit TOO strong?

But I saw her frown.

「No…they’re not dead. That’s not just fur.」

And looking back over, I saw the two arrows bounce off of the dogs and fall to the ground.

「No! Cornelia! These guys have something strange on them!」

Bradd warned mom while he began defending himself from the demon dog attack.

I see! It’s some kind of armor that’s disguised as fur!

That’s why that deadly heart stop attack didn’t work at all!

「Ah! I see your little heart stop technique was stopped itself! Now you’ll see why nothing in this world can defeat my demon dog!」

The old man danced a bit and jumped…then he took a breath and said,

「Even so, seems that this talented lady is back as well…what a disappointment that the Shylock’s information is worth such a pittance. But even your magic arrows are no match for these demon dogs! They are the strongest!」

Seems that this demon dog trainer knew about mom.

He seemed to remember that she was quite strong, and was relieved that her arrows didn’t kill his precious dogs.

The two demon dogs begin their attack of Bradd and Mary as if they were already victorious.

「Hah hah! If my fist doesn’t work, what about this!?」

He jumped back, stuck his hand down his skirt, and pulled out his sack.

Oh lord, not all this again.

…it’s not a SACK…they were bags. CLOTH BAGS…geez…what an imagination you have.

But Bradd does have a lot of dangerous stuff inside that skirt of his.

A bag was thrown to the left and right, hitting each nose of the demon dogs deftly, the contents being dispersed in a cloud.

There was a flashy white dust, and the two demon dogs, which were running right at him, had the dust go right into their faces.

It was a quicklime stimulant powder ball, I found out later.

「Take that! My two hidden balls!」

I tried to explain off the dirty joke, and now you’re trampling over it Bradd!

It made me blush…that can’t be the normal line you say when you use that attack, right?

The dogs coughed after inhaling the substances, and tried to rub their noses with their paws.

They didn’t whine, but they simply scratched away at their faces.

Bradd quickly jumped at them and touched each of their necks with his fingertips, in a strange inverted shape. He even did so while squeezing his knees together so that his skirt wouldn’t reveal any other “weapon.” Do you really have to go THAT far, though?

「You might have armor on your body, but your neck is bare!」

He said coldly.

「BYEEEE!」

「No! Get away! Gald! Shass!」

The trainer screamed, but it was two late.

Bradd’s attack had done its work without the two dogs even having time to react.

「First, you two, think of…Mary’s sorrow!」

There was a bursting sound that echoed out, and the two bodies of the dogs bounced off the ground into the air.

Almost like they had been hit by an invisible electric shock.

They laid on their sides, white eyes rolled back in their heads, foam coming from their mouth, slight tic-like convulsions.

Piss flowed from the dogs’ haunches.

Behind them, Bradd spun in their air and landed gently.

The demon dog trainer screamed, and began running down from the kill in a scramble.

「Their carotid arteries have been completely stopped. Without blood, their brain dies. Look, it’s happening even now. Nothing to help them.」

Another technique that Bradd developed which manipulates blood.

A magically vivid yet horrific technique.

He looked down at the dying dogs with an unnaturally stern look.

「You dogs might be unable to judge right from wrong, but you did do what you were told. If you hold a grudge, then hold it against that owner of yours that used your to murder others.」

Still, there was a slight tinge of mercy in Bradd’s face.

「Bradd…sorry…I…」

Mary tried to apologize through her tears at Bradd greeted her with a smile.

「Okay, I like your tea Mary. If I can beat this last one quickly, then some tea…」

Is she going to brew some, NOW?

「…can you teach me how to brew some correctly?」

Wait, you want her to TELL YOU?

Are you really getting into this maid business?!

Mary finally smiled and nodded to Bradd, who was smiling.

It was strange how he could dispel all anxiety just by being htere.

Even though he was dressed as a maid, he was still the oldest son in the “Lawless Crew.”

And he would become the strongest assassin when he grew up later. That breathtaking technique that lives up to its name…but now he’s playing with skirts and tea? Why is he ruining my memories?!

「You can stuff a lot into these frilly skirts. I guess that’s why women wear them. Maybe I should recommend this to some of the men in the “Lawless Crew.”」

What the hell was Bradd thinking?

There is no WAY I am interesting in seeing a bunch of macho middle-aged men from the “Lawless Crew” running striding about in SKIRTS.

Or rather, all in maid clothes.

STOP IT! NOW I CAN’T BLOCK THE IMAGE!

Those men and their inner beasts are going to have outward beastness as well.

After all that horror, I saw something even more horrific happening, and I froze.

The demon dog Gallam had been watching the situation up until then, but now was rushing towards Bradd.

「Bradd, look out!」

Mary screamed when she saw the dog.

He’s too fast! He was just on the hill a second ago!

How fast can that thing go?

I could see that the thing had twice the size of the other demon dogs.

If those two were whirlwinds, this dog’s a hurricane!

You can feel the hostility from this dog as it approaches.

Not so much of a beast as a monster.

And little, flared, green eyes, like tiny drops of burning phosphorous.

「…the chief of the monsters is coming!」

Bradd says and gets ready to stop him.

But the difference in size is massive…Bradd might be a child, but it looks like a mountain is chasing him down.

「Okay. Now’s the time.」

Then, more sounds of arrows.

Mother calmly grasped the movement of the demon dog Gallam and shot arrows as she timed its approach.

Also, if you looked carefully, she was leading the dog’s approach.

She was moving the line of her arrow in anticipation for an opening.

Even in front of this monster, both of them hadn’t lost any of their cool…they were amazing.

It made me admire it all over again.

But, mother, that arrow seems like it will miss Gallam by quite a bit, if it flies as it does!

「No, this is fine. This bow will never betray your mother…technique, sickle!」

And so the arrow suddenly shook to the side.

Even so, if she says the technique of every shot she makes…

「It’s the iron rule of the Melville’s…make the shot complex and improve yourself.」

I see!

And so you have to shout out whatever technique you’re using?

Maybe I should rename my own style when I learn?

“Squiggle arrow.”

Maybe the real complex you’ve got is with your bust size? Is that your complex?

This isekai world romance is really taking off!

…but even more than that, where is the arrow now?

The tip of the arrow is headed toward the face of Gallam!

She knew that everywhere else was covered by armor, after all.

From Gallam’s point of view, it probably seemed like it appeared in front of his face.

No way to dodge!

Hit him!

I clenched my fist as I said.

The arrow was supposed to sink right into him, but it easily just bounced off of the dog.

WHYYYY?

The demon dog didn’t even try to dodge, just kept rushing in with no stopping.

「There’s no way.」

Bradd was stunned.

Still Bradd pulled out a throwing knife immediately and tossed it at the dog. It just bounced off the charging dog’s body.

「Try this!」

Brad twisted his body, aiming at Gallam’s neck and squeezing his fist.

There was a sharp sound like the clap of hands.

It was the blood flow stop technique that he had dropped the other two dogs with earlier.

…twice, no, thrice!

「Dammit all…you don’t even try to dodge~! …Stupid dog…!」

Gallam refused to dodge and took all of Bradd’s attacks straight on.

His body was so sturdy that everything just bounced off.

Bradd didn’t damage him at all.

Also, after Bradd kicked the dog five times, the dog just shook it off like he would after getting caught in the rain.

It was alike Bradd was trying to kill the demon dog with a fly swatter.

Usually Bradd was so disinterested in opponents, but this one kept his hands full.

「Damn, I can’t win…this is too much…」

I could still see Bradd was smiling, but the ends of his smile were trembling.

「You’re always looking at me like you can kill me…」

I know what he means.

You can’t beat such an opponent. He’s just too strong.

No matter how tough Bradd is, this monster was too much.

He can’t use that heart stop attack on the thing wither.

Even with no armor, mom’s arrows and Bradd’s techniques were just too weak to hit the beast.

But Bradd had no choice with Mary behind him.

「Oh…my children…!!」

The demon dog trainer arrived next to the two demon dogs.

「No…no… not my greatest works of art! I’ll never forgive you! Kill, Gallam! Kill them all!」

He said, as he wiped the foam from the dogs’ mouths and ordered the biggest dog to attack.

Some work of art.

Not even a museum would exhibit those things.

And now Gallam, who had held back all of his attack power, really began the attack.

I could see Bradd’s complexion change to a look of even more frustration, like running from an avalanche.

「Mary! Get away! If you don’t, I can’t escape!」

Bradd screamed, and Mary, who had been in a daze, jumped up.

「But Bradd wants to protect me, I can’t just run…」

She hesitated.

「Whatever, just protect Scarlet! Leave me behind!」

After Bradd yelled at her, she began to run towards us.

Gallam didn’t even try to chase her.

He thought he could kill her whenever he wanted to.

When his eyes shine in that distorted way, I could tell he was ridiculing the faltering resistance of weak humans.

「Don’t laugh at me! I’ll do what I can! Don’t mock this desperate human! Stupid demon dog!」

Bradd said to inspire himself as he challenged the demon dog Gallam.