The wyverns roared.
The impact was so powerful that falling raindrops bounced back.
They had recognized us as prey.
Another wyvern appeared from behind them.
Now totaling five, the wyverns apparently moved as a pack.
A rare ecological trait for their kind.
"Hah..."
Facing the pack of wyverns, Henry's lips curled upward.
He revealed a ferocious grin and took a ready stance.
Bow and arrow were already in his hands.
"Heh, they're giving us a warm welcome right away."
Henry emanated killing intent.
The wyverns flinched slightly.
They instinctively felt fear.
Yet, their species' pride would not permit retreat.
They intended to consume us here.
"Hey, Captain."
"What is it?"
"Should I kill them?"
Henry looked ready to spring forward at any moment.
Her entire body was trembling in small shudders.
With what little reason she had left, she was desperately holding back her impulses.
Seeing this, I nodded.
"No problem."
"Alright! Time for some fun!"
The jubilant Henry raised his arm.
In a movement too quick to be serious, he loosed his shot.
The two arrows, fired almost simultaneously, burst into the eyes of the demon dragon at the very front.
Blinded, the demon dragon screamed.
It shook its head and charged toward us.
"Whoa there!"
Henry darted sideways without hesitation, not even minding the muddy ground, and evaded the charge.
He rolled as he sent arrows flying.
A shot pierced the demon dragon's hind leg, causing it to lose its stance.
Another arrow then punched through its forehead, the arrowhead emerging from its face.
Henry's shot had pierced its skull.
As the demon dragon toppled toward me, I cast a defensive spell.
A collision was narrowly avoided at the last moment.
Henry hadn't given any consideration to my safety.
He probably didn't think it was something he needed to worry about.
This was perhaps a kind of trust, though I’d appreciate a bit more concern.
“Come on, who’s next? Bring it on!”
Henry taunted loudly.
Caked in mud, he was more alive than ever.
Facing a flock of wyverns was sheer despair for any ordinary person.
A situation where you’d prepare for death—yet for Henry, it seemed to be a moment of pure bliss.
The wyverns growled in frustration.
They hesitated to attack, shaken by their fallen companions and wary of Henry.
Then, a high-magic signature approached.
It wasn’t another wyvern or some other wild monster.
Appearing from the side of the wyvern was Dolda, axe raised.
“Gi…ve me… your… head!”
Dolda vanished in a flash of violet lightning, closing the distance at extreme speed and decapitating a wyvern.
Kicking off a tree to change direction, he severed the neck of yet another wyvern.
The speed and power were staggering.
The wyverns couldn’t react at all.
Two heads fell into the mud.
Seeing this, Henry let out a bitter laugh.
He shrugged, looking slightly dissatisfied.
"Hey now, snatching kills ain't exactly gentlemanly. Fine, I'll take these then."
Henry loosed his arrows with casual ease, their flight paths arcing gracefully.
One arrow found the neck of a remaining wyvern.
Then, its trajectory shifted.
The sharply curving arrow pierced straight through the skull of a second wyvern, entering one eye and exiting the back of its head.
Both wyvern fell, mortally wounded.
He must have calculated the deflection upon impact. Such skill was utterly beyond my reach.
At this point, common sense had been left far behind.
Watching the wyvern collapse and die, I felt a pang of pity.
"Still... hung-ry..."
Dolda lowered his axe, his gaze sweeping the area.
He seemed to be searching for additional prey, but the nearby monsters were currently fleeing in a hurry.
They had sensed the death of the wyvern and recognized the danger.
His decapitation instinct would not be satisfied here.
Henry wiped the mud from his face and walked back toward us.
He gazed at the wyvern corpses, deep in thought.
"Hmm, were they a bit tougher than the ones back in our territory?"
"The mana concentration is higher here. It likely affects the ecosystem as well."
Based on how the fight had gone, I couldn't perceive even a shred of their supposed strength.
From a magical perspective, however, this region harbors creatures of an exceptionally high caliber. In other areas, beasts of comparable strength would be considered catastrophes. It was a place where ordinary humans could not easily venture.
" Fighting against monsters of this caliber... I can have high expectations for the soldiers' quality, then."
" I hear conflicts and wars are incessant across the entire continent. In that regard, there shouldn't be any unpleasant surprises."
" Excellent! This is going to be plenty entertaining."
" I... too... will fight. Sever... heads..."
Henry and Dolda each reacted in their own way. Both were among the most battle-crazed individuals even within the Demon Lord's Army. As comrades, they were incomparably reassuring. I intended to have them continue wielding their power in the future.