An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world - Chapter 83

An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world

Chapter 83   Dino Dragon

From the shattered stained glass of the grand cathedral, a multitude of people pour out from the city center, their screams piercing the air as they flee in unison.

In such a dire situation, expecting coordinated movements from the security guards is out of the question.

In this world without telephones or radios, the few soldiers who regained their senses can, at best, guide the citizens to safety.

People have taken refuge inside buildings or squeezed into narrow alleyways between structures. Around the Tyrannosaurus, there are notably fewer individuals now.

It’s a horrific scene, with some trapped individuals or those who couldn’t escape being pinned down, torn apart, and swallowed.

The spectacle is gruesome.

Its head is massive. It’s still around 12 meters in length, after all.

From the castle walls, people are fleeing in droves through the main gate.

The city is now dotted with fallen braziers, with fires beginning to spread.

In the glow of that light, the Tyrannosaurus stands tall, surveying its surroundings.

It doesn’t roar.

That booming roar from earlier, was it from its throat?

Dinosaurs lack vocal cords, so it makes sense that they don’t actually roar.

There’s no feathers covering its entire body. Perhaps because it’s an adult.

During its juvenile phase, it might have had feathers for insulation. However, as animals grow larger, they must dissipate internal heat, just like African elephants have big ears.

Feathers would be unnecessary for an enlarged creature.

Birds meticulously groom their feathers when they have spare time. Larger birds tend to have longer necks for this reason. The idea of a Tyrannosaurus covered in feathers like an ostrich is purely imaginative and inaccurate.

It moves low to the ground, walking silently.

It doesn’t stomp like in the movies.

Its walking is remarkably skilled. You could even call it a model strut; despite its massive size, it moves with a feline-like grace.

Without swaying its body up and down or side to side, without making a sound, it walks incredibly smoothly on two legs. This depiction is far from the imagery in movies.

It’s not moving like the creature that was devouring the corpses. Even though it’s massive, it’s still a hunter, after all…

From the perspective of the castle walls, it’s around 400-500 meters away.

I need to get closer.

“How can we possibly defeat something like that!? Shin! It’s impossible!”

“It’s not impossible. It has weaknesses.”

“What are they?”

“Weight.”

Descending the castle steps, I stand in the city.

Then I dash through the back alleys. Since many people have already sought refuge inside buildings, surprisingly, there aren’t many around.

Holding the large-caliber rifle with both hands, I peek out from between buildings, trying to locate the Tyrannosaurus.

It’s walking slowly. No need to hurry.

It’s in unfamiliar territory, so it seems it’s not keen on aimlessly running around.

“Don’t worry, Saran. It can’t navigate through narrow passages. By moving between buildings like this, we can get closer.”

“If I feel it’s dangerous, I’ll scoop up Shin and run immediately!”

“Yeah, do that. But just hold on a little longer.”

Cautiously peering out from the second and third floors, the citizens observe.

The Tyrannosaurus raises its head with a deep, resonant rumble.

It almost reaches the height of the second floor. In any case, it’s colossal!

Balconies collapse with a crash, and people inside scream as they scramble to the back of their rooms.

Running, dashing, hiding in the shadow of buildings, I catch my breath.

Have I closed the distance to about 100 meters? I want to get a bit closer.

“Rooooar!”

Who’s that? Soldiers? No, hunters? About ten of them rush forward in an attack!

“Oh, you idiots…”

They’re casting spells, but it doesn’t seem very effective.

They throw spears, but the spears are deflected. One or two may have hit.

Now, the Tyrannosaurus stomps its feet and assaults the hunters.

One after another, the hunters are crushed, snatched up, and scattered.

I recognize them. It’s the Royal Capital’s Rank 1 hunters, Team Justice!

Were they trying to show off? They’re all a bunch of fools.

While it’s distracted, I’ll dash across the main street.

I smash through the shattered window of the building with the M700’s stock, breaking the glass wider and entering.

It seems to be a boutique. Clothes hang on numerous hangers, neatly arranged.

No one’s around; they’re not open until evening.

Distance: 50 meters.

With the gun barrel protruding through the freshly shattered window, I take aim through the scope.

The Tyrannosaurus’s weak point.

Slightly diagonally from behind…

A figure stands before the Tyrannosaurus.

A red cloak billowing behind.

It’s Blanversh!

Today’s winner of the martial arts tournament!

With a resounding roar, he unleashes an immense column of fire!

Magic, perhaps! He can use magic too! Impressive!

The Tyrannosaurus staggers back! He’s skillfully buying us some time! Thank you!

And then.

Bang!

The joint of the Tyrannosaurus’s right leg, supporting its entire weight on one foot!

A thud!

It hits! From 50 meters away, not a miss in sight.

Goooaahhhh!!

The Tyrannosaurus bellows out as it collapses, tumbling heavily to the ground!

Thud!

A spectacular fall!

Six tons of mass hitting the ground. Several ribs might have snapped.

The Tyrannosaurus, despite its injured leg, tries to rise.

Clink-ka-sha. Reloading for the next shot.

One more shot to that leg!

Bang!!

It was trying to rise, leaning to its injured side. Its entire weight resting on that leg.

And another shot was fired into it.

Crunch! The leg breaks!

Goooaahhhh!!

The Tyrannosaurus screams.

Even while on one knee, it still attempts to stand.

This time, on other leg…

Bang!!

Thud!

The Tyrannosaurus is now completely prone, immobilized on its belly.

It swings its head, opens its mouth, and issues a menacing warning towards Blanversh in front of it.

The Tyrannosaurus’s weakness, I pondered it for quite a while.

“It’s the legs,”

In the end, that’s where my conclusion led me.

The Tyrannosaurus shares similarities with birds. Though it didn’t evolve into one due to its extinction, the two-legged, feathered ancestors of the Tyrannosaurus eventually gave rise to birds.

Opting for gigantism to survive the harsh world of dinosaurs, the Tyrannosaurus channeled all that strain into its legs.

The Tyrannosaurus’s lifespan is a mere 30 years, with no fossils found indicating a longer life.

The constraints of growth for a dinosaur that increases significantly throughout its life are set there.

Any further growth would hinder its ability to support itself. At a size of 12 meters, that’s the threshold for a Tyrannosaurus, corresponding to about 30 years of age.

Just like a bird, Tyrannosaurus bones are hollow, reducing weight.

It’s all about lightening that heavy load.

Glass-like legs.

Tyrannosaurus fossils are inevitably marked by fractures somewhere.

Whether in the legs or ribcage, it’s believed that when it could no longer sustain its massive frame, it died and fossilized.

Moreover, the Tyrannosaurus’s legs are like those of a bird, where there’s nothing beneath the skin but bone.

Muscles don’t encase them. They’re supported by long tendons extending from the thighs.

That’s the spot to target.

In the brief moment of its one-legged stance, supporting its entire 6-ton weight, if even a part of the bone could be shattered, the pressure of those 6 tons would cause the bone to break. Injure the tendon, and it’ll tear on its own.

A creature with four legs might escape. But with two legs, once one is broken, there’s no hope.

It unfolded just as I had anticipated.

Instead of the thunderous stomping like in the movies, I was certain when I saw the smooth and seamless gait. The way it walked was designed to minimize strain on its legs.

Tyrannosaurus experiences its most significant growth between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Afterward, its growth slows down.

Scientists believe that this pace of growth is set, but I have a different perspective.

It’s not that the growth rate slows; it’s probably because between twelve and eighteen is when it can consume the most food. After that, it likely becomes unable to find sufficient sustenance.

In its younger years, during a time of swift growth and when its body was still small, Tyrannosaurus would have run, leapt, and pounced on prey with agility. As it matured, however, its own weight would have limited its movements, transforming it into a sluggish dinosaur that could only feed on carrion. Eventually, before reaching its full lifespan, it might have been unable to secure food and perished.

Roarrrr…

Tyrannosaurus continues to menace, jaws agape.

At that moment, Blanversh unleashes a barrage of spells toward the creature.

The soldiers have gathered, armed this time with spears.

Incapacitated and writhing on the ground like a snake, the Tyrannosaurus is bombarded with spear after spear.

They pierce through with a distinctive thud. A torrent of blood flows.

While zombies might survive such bloodshed, there’s no way any creature, except perhaps supernatural beings, could withstand such massive hemorrhaging.

The battle is all but won. It’s just a matter of time.

“…It’s okay now.”

“I’ll find a way, Shin…”

“Alright, let’s get out of here before they find us.”

As I touch Saran, I can feel her trembling.

Well, it’s no wonder she’s frightened. That thing…

I holster the gun, pick up the spent casings, tuck them into my pocket, and we make our hasty retreat.

I must admit, I really wanted to see the Tyrannosaurus up close.

Even as a child, I used to delight in looking at dinosaur encyclopedias, and even as an adult, whenever there was a documentary about dinosaurs on TV, I’d make sure to watch it.

But here, I need to restrain myself, hold back.

I’m armed with a gun that can take down a Dino Dragon.

If word got out that there’s someone in this kingdom who possesses such a weapon, I can’t predict the consequences.

Pretending not to know is the best approach.

All the credit will go to today’s victor, Blanversh, for taking down the feat.

That’s probably for the best.

Among the masses of citizens still fleeing, we pass through the main gate of the city walls and step outside.

As everyone is dismantling their tents and preparing to flee, to my astonishment, members of Ballistes are still having a barbecue right in front of our tent.

“What are you doing? We need to get out of here.”

“We were waiting for you guys. So, how did it go?”

“Today’s champion, Blanversh, took it down.”

“Whaaat?!?”

The Ballistes members are utterly surprised.

Well, that makes sense…

“Truly remarkable, Hero.”

“To take down a Dino Dragon…”

“That’s quite the accomplishment.”

“Absolutely splendid…”

“I’m in agreement.”

“But you know, I kept hearing this thumping sound, like ‘Bang, Bang.’ It sounded like Shin’s gun.”

“Well, that’s our champion for you. He was blasting magic spells.”

“How dull. So Shin’s grabbing the spotlight again, huh?”

“That’s some unnecessary meddling. It wasn’t like there was a chance for us to shine.”

Even though it’s the middle of the night, people around us are getting their carriages ready for departure.

“I think we’ll be safe for the rest of the day. We should head back with Bal.”

Huh? Where’s Bal?

“Master has returned to the guild in the capital. It’s an emergency situation, after all.”

I see. So we won’t see him until tomorrow morning.

“Well then, I suppose I’ll turn in and get some rest. I’m exhausted.”

“…You manage to sleep soundly, Shin.”

And so, amidst the cluttered makeshift campsite outside the city walls, Saran and I settled into a large sleeping bag inside our tent and drifted off to sleep.

Here I am, a makeshift pillow for Saran. Well, why not? It’s just for tonight.