Drifted Into a Reversed World ~ The One Method for Me, a Japanese Guy, to Survive in a World Where Men and Fertility Are Scarce ~ - 22

Chapter 22: A Horde of Goblins

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“…”

The outstretched hand never grasped Sota’s shoulder.

Having regained her reason in an instant thanks to the roar from outside, Elraine felt the sensation of the blood draining from her face vividly. There was no way she didn’t know the weight of the crime of attempting sexual contact without a man’s consent. At best, it meant over a decade of imprisonment. Depending on the man’s testimony, she wouldn’t be able to complain even if her head were struck off on the spot.

Elraine pulled her hand back as if it had been repelled and hugged herself.

(What on earth was I trying to do…)

Utterly pale, Elraine was tormented by a ringing in her ears so sharp it was painful. This was because she felt extreme stress at her own foolishness in nearly pinning the man down.

“E-Elraine-san…? Are you okay?”

The youth in question, Sota, peered into Elraine’s face with concern and gripped her shoulders as if to support her. Ordinarily, the touch of those large, masculine palms would have sent her heart soaring, but coupled with her sense of guilt, she could only manage a dry, hollow reaction.

“I-I’m fine. More importantly, Sota-sama, please stay here. It doesn’t seem like the Empire, but it’s still an enemy attack…”

“Yes, but you don’t look well at all, Elraine-san…”

“I am fine.”

Leaving only those words behind, Elraine left the room as if lightly brushing off Sota’s hands.

“Elraine-san…?”

Sota could only watch her go, standing there in blank amazement.

“What happened?”

As soon as Elraine left Sota’s house, she confirmed the situation with a nearby soldier. The soldier approached Elraine—the brains of the unit—in a state of slight panic.

“It’s a horde of goblins. They likely caught the scent of a man from somewhere. A… a staggering number of them are approaching.”

“Direction and details on the numbers.”

“At the two o’clock position, just under a hundred and fifty…!”

“A-A hundred and fifty…!?”

Elraine’s voice cracked.

Goblins were monsters that looked like hungry ghosts, characterized by pointed noses and bulging eyes. They were quite troublesome opponents who could handle weapons and possessed a certain degree of cunning, despite their weak physical strength. Everyone in the human race loathed these monsters because of their abominable habit of dragging human males into their burrows to exploit their seed. However, even if they were lured by the scent of a man, a count of one hundred and fifty was staggering. It just went to show how powerful the pheromones Sota gave off were to this world.

“In any case, do not let the villagers leave their homes. Then, prepare your equipment and take up positions at the two o’clock direction. At this point, we have no choice but to clash with them head-on.”

“But Elraine-sama, we only have thirty here… Most of the unit was left behind at the Great Forest, and in terms of combat power, it’s just too… Shouldn’t we focus on retreating?”

“Are you telling me to just sit back and watch the destruction of this village? Besides, their target is Sota-sama. They likely intend to block our path of retreat. That means we must also consider the possibility of further ambushes. In that case, the lowest risk is to meet them here without scattering our forces between offense and defense. We have to do it.”

Elraine barked out her strategy—if it could even be called that—in rapid succession before sternly commanding them to “Go.” The soldier straightened her back and hurried away.

“I must protect him…”

Muttering softly, Elraine gripped the hilt of the sword at her waist. In her eyes burned a fire of resolve and the will to atone for her earlier insolence.

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About three minutes had passed since the clash between Firis’s unit and the goblin horde. It was one melee after another. Although the initial collision occurred away from the village, the momentum of the goblins was terrifying, and the battlefield had spilled over into the village itself.

(Elraine-san…)

Sota was peering outside the house through a small gap in the window curtains. Even if the strength of an individual goblin was weak, if a one-on-many situation was created, even trained soldiers would find themselves in a difficult fight. The sight of the female soldiers he had traveled with until just now being slaughtered by monsters right before his eyes was far too cruel for Sota. He felt something hot welling up from his stomach, burning his throat. Sota gripped a fire poker that had been near the fireplace, moved away from the window, and glared at the door with his back against Firis’s bed as if to guard her.

(It’s okay. Elraine-san and the others are strong knights, just like Firis-san. There’s no need for me to worry.)

Even with his eyes closed, he could vividly feel the ferocity of the battle. The sound of wooden buildings collapsing as if a wrecking ball had hit them, the bone-chilling death cries of goblins, the screams of villagers being killed helplessly after their homes were breached… Every bit of it was a reality that could never be experienced in modern Japan. A fear different from that of killing other humans crawled up Sota’s spine. Just as he placed a hand on his chest to try and calm himself, a familiar scream pierced Sota’s eardrums. That voice was—

“Elraine-san…?”

It might have been someone else. However, in his state of extreme tension, Sota could no longer stand still.

“Guh…!”

Sota gripped the fire poker tightly. He understood in many senses what he was about to do… no, what he was about to get himself into. However, he was a “man” with a kind soul. He could not choose an option that would leave him with regrets.

“Alright!!!”

He slapped his own cheeks hard, checked the key to the house, and took a deep breath.

…One, two. Here I go.

He couldn’t afford to spend any more time than that.

“Firis-san, please wait for me.”

After making one big decision, Sota burst out of the house. Of course, he didn’t forget to lock the door for Firis’s sake.

“This is bad…!”

The moment he stepped outside, the scene before him made him turn pale. Combat was unfolding everywhere in his field of vision, but at a stable further down directly in front of him, Elraine was kneeling with blood streaming from her head. Three goblins were surrounding her with clubs in hand, intending to torment her. Witnessing that scene, Sota’s actions were faster than the wind. He gave a roar and sprinted at full power while raging, slamming violently into one of the goblins directly in front of Elraine.

The goblin, knocked off balance, let out a high-pitched shriek at the sudden occurrence, but it was short-lived. The tip of the poker Sota wielded burst through its eyeball and gouged all the way to its brain. Every part of Sota’s movement, which might have made one think he was a first-rate assassin, was mere coincidence. However, that success caused adrenaline to flood Sota’s brain, granting him confidence.

“Come on! I’m your opponent, you monsters!”

Sota stepped forward, breathing fire to shield the wounded Elraine.

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