It so happened that a field exercise was taking place at just the right time, so I sent the vampire kid off to participate.
The location was a forest where low-level Monsters inhabited — a so-called beginner hunting ground for leveling up.
Monsters in this world were classified by danger rank, and the forest in question apparently only spawned Monsters around danger rank E.
Danger rank E — that put them on par with the frogs from the Great Ello Dungeon.
No matter how you sliced it, those weren't opponents the vampire kid would struggle with.
The danger rank system had apparently been established originally by the Human race, with the rank indicating the threat level when six human adventurers faced a single Monster.
So what did that mean exactly? If a danger rank B Monster showed up, six rank-B adventurers fighting it together would be evenly matched. That sort of deal.
In other words, a rank-B adventurer didn't necessarily mean they could handle a danger rank B Monster solo. In practice, they'd need to be six times as strong.
That said, the minimum adventurer rank was apparently rank D. Anyone could reach that rank just by registering — so even ordinary folk could call themselves rank-D adventurers from the day they signed up.
Because of that, everything below rank D was essentially a rough gauge based on Monster strength. There was a huge gap between a fresh-out-of-the-gate rank-D adventurer and one who'd received proper training.
Plus, some rank-D adventurers were the type who never even fought Monsters — they made their living gathering herbs and whatnot. Not exactly reliable.
Well, if you started splitting hairs like that, there'd be gaps between a rank that someone had just barely achieved and one where someone was on the verge of ranking up. It was all just a rough guideline in the end.
When fighting a Monster solo, the typical practice was to lower your expected match by one or two ranks. A rank-B adventurer would target rank-C Monsters, for example.
Incidentally, my original species, the Small Lesser Taratect, was danger rank F.
Danger rank F.
Danger rank F!
Just how weak was that? They were literally saying anyone could beat one.
Anyway, enough side talk.
The vampire kid continued her hunt through the forest.
Dissatisfaction was plastered all over her face. The Monsters were too weak, offering no real challenge — that clearly wasn't sitting well with her.
I'd heard from Mela that a vampire's fighting spirit wasn't about wanting to trample the weak, but rather wanting a proper bout against an equal or superior opponent.
Thinking about it that way, danger rank E Monsters were far too little for the vampire kid to get anything out of.
Well, not to worry. I'd prepared a partner that fit her criteria perfectly.
The ogre I'd been subtly guiding had arrived at the forest.
Since I couldn't use Appraisal, I had no idea what the ogre's current Status looked like.
Actually, calling him "the ogre" anymore wasn't quite right. He'd evolved.
Perhaps due to the repeated slaughter, his Level had risen and he'd undergone Evolution.
His once-hulking frame had shrunk down to roughly human size. But even though his body was smaller, the power radiating from him had only grown.
By my estimate, he was roughly on par with the vampire kid.
A horn had sprouted from his forehead — this form was one you'd call an oni.
The surprise was the oni's face. I knew it from somewhere — it was Sashijima-kun.
According to
I'd known the oni was a reincarnator, but I'd never known who he was. Huh.
Both Yamada-kun and Oshima-kun had been worried about Sashijima-kun's whereabouts, asking the teacher about him several times. The teacher had seemed like he knew something about Sashijima-kun — maybe he'd caused some trouble in Human race territory and they'd had to pin a location on him?
If you considered both the reincarnators in the elf village and those at the Human race academy together, you could work backward and figure out who was who.
Oh, right. When you thought about it that way, you could identify the oni by process of elimination. Duh.
Not that I'd never figured it out — more like I'd never bothered to. That was me for you.
Well, the oni's true identity didn't really matter.
What was interesting was why he'd ended up looking like his past-life self.
When I'd become a Taratect, I'd gotten Wakaba Himekishi's face. Did Monsters, as they evolved toward a humanoid form, take on the face they imagined? The face they were most familiar with?
If so, it made sense that your past-life face — the one most ingrained as "your own" — would be what you ended up with.
How would the vampire kid react to Sashijima-kun's face?
She didn't react at all.
The moment they met, combat was underway.
It was supposed to be a touching reunion between reincarnators.
Huh?
Had the vampire kid not noticed?
Or had she noticed and just ignored it?
Hmm.
My vote was for "didn't notice."
But I couldn't rule out "noticed, but this guy looks strong, so who cares!" either.
Well, whatever.
She'd clashed with him exactly as I'd planned. Poor oni, but he'd serve as a stress-relief outlet for the vampire kid.
After that, regardless of who won, I'd put them both to sleep.
First move — initiative went to the vampire kid.
"I can't hold back anymore!"
That was the kind of energy behind her charge.
The vampire kid had really grown into quite the splendid brute.
She slammed her greatsword down at the oni.
He tried to block with the sword in one hand, realized he couldn't take it, and brought the second sword in his other hand to bear — barely managing to stop the blow.
He'd probably intended to catch it with one hand and counter with the other. But the vampire kid's attack was heavier than he'd expected, and he'd panicked, pouring everything into defense.
"F-Fufufu. I stopped it. You stopped my attack. Fufufu!"
O-oh boy.
The vampire kid was wearing a dangerous grin.
"This is battle! For the first time in my life! Fighting with everything I've got!"
Just how pent up had she been?
This girl was totally losing it.
If there was a Battle Junkie Title, she'd have unlocked it for sure.
Not that such a Title existed.
The vampire kid activated magic and Skills.
The oni braced himself in response.
I watched from the sidelines, snacks in hand.
Fight-o.
Munch munch.