Chapter 1: Yuuji A “Hiki-NEET” Evolves into “Loner NEET”
Part 9: Yuuji, Exterminating Goblins (Temporary Name)[1]
「So something long huh........ That’s true I think. But it will be impossible to battle adjacent enemy if suddenly it become one versus many. When the next time that goblin-ish creatures comes again, I need to record a video, greet them, if that’s not good then attack them. For now, let’s check the mysterious barrier on the gate.」
It was dawn on the next day after the goblins' uproar. Today Yuuji also speak to himself in a loud voice.
Since at outside there were hostile mysterious creatures that wielded clubs, for the time being the harvesting was postponed, today he decided to check the mysterious barrier.
He walked on the earthen path inside the house yard that stretched from the entrance to the gate. He slid the black latticed gate door with clattering sound.
「Uumm, since the opening and closing is normal, it made a sound though. For now, let’s strike this from the outside.」
So he murmured, Yuuji and Kotarou then pass the gate to outside. He held a trekking pole and lightly struck at the gate
*Gan...*!
「FU-!?」
Before it strikes the gate, the trekking pole collided with an invisible wall and recoiled back. He approached the gate, he stretched his hand towards the inside. It passed by. From the gaps of gate lattice, he stretched his hand again. It passed by. He poked the gaps with trekking pole. It hit the invisible wall. “What are you doing?” Kotarou stared at Yuuji with a confused expression.
「This is...... I have confirmed the existence of mysterious barrier for now. Is it to protect from attack? Let’s try to throw a stone from a little distance away. Also how about the surrounding hedges? Is it possible to attack from inside?」
He go to a separate place from the house with Kotarou and threw a stone towards the house. It hit the invisible wall. It hit what seemed to be the barrier at yard boundary that keeps continue higher into the sky. Yuuji kept throwing stone repeatedly, but as expected it always repelled by the mysterious barrier.
「Yeah, I have made a full circle check, it will protect against attacks. Wonderful. I don’t know the strength though, for now since the house is safe it’s cool. What is this I wonder? What do you think, Kotarou?」
Yuuji tilted his head to the side. Kotarou stared at Yuuji with a blank expression. Well whatever, Yuuji opened the gate and went towards the yard. He stopped thinking about complicated things.
「Next is, could I attack from the inside? The first is trekking pole. Humh!」
*Gagiin....*!
The trekking pole hit the metallic gate and made a very loud noise. Yuuji spontaneously dropped and cowered behind his right hand. Kotarou dropped down and concealed her ear while curling herself with frown.
「Ou....... I can attack it normally....... However the loud noise is painful . Sorry Kotarou. But with this I can safely attack as I please! If it only goblins then I could win easily!」
Seeing Yuuji shouting, Kotarou seems wanted to share her opinion, “Really? Isn’t that a flag?” That’s correct.
From the inside of the forest, a “gegyagugya” voices could be heard. Different from last night, today the goblins arrived at the house while the day was still bright.
「They really come! Set the camera, greet them, hedge clippers! Alright Kotarou, I and Kotarou, we are one!」
For some reason Kotarou counted as combat participant. Maybe because you can attack as you please? Yuuji quickly activated the camera on the tripod. Of course it was in video recording mode. Then with hedge clippers in his hand, he turned his head to the gate, and stopped moving.
「What the..... There are five of them...」
“Gegyagugya” “*Gangan*” sound came from beyond the gate as five goblins struck at the gate with their clubs. Even if he knew that he was safe behind the mysterious barrier, he was intimated by the ugly appearance of undisguised hostility.
「Konichiwa. Hello. Ni Hao. Bonjour. Gutten Tag. Hola!」
Although he already thought that it would be useless, Yuuji addressed them with greetings in various languages that he googled last night. The goblins didn’t react at all. It feels like they were shouting “gegyagugya” in high spirits. “What are you doing?” Kotarous seemed to want to give her point of view so she ran to Yuuji.
「Camera, ready. Greetings, failed. The last thing is to kill the goblins. If I don’t exterminate them now I can’t go harvesting. It can’t be helped...... Let’s do it, Kotarou!」
Yuuji shouted as if to cheer himself on. He held the hedge clippers timidly, and opened the scissors widely.
While muttering his mantra, he prepared the hedge clippers. His hand was trembled so his couldn’t aim well. By the way this guy, on the first day when he try to leave the house he also saying nonsense words like 「I don’t have any enemies.」 But now in front of him, they existed. But it was different character from Former War Demon[2].
Maybe because she had became impatient that Yuuji was not moving at all, Kotarou ran towards the gate.
Between the gaps of lattice at the gate, Kotarou thrust her front paw and clawed a goblin. Kotarou’s claw hit the goblin’s thigh and from that small wound, blood was shed. That blood's color was blue.
Maybe because he was encouraged by Kotarou’s bold attack, by the lack sense of reality from the blue blood, Yuuji stopped trembling.
With hedge clippers in his hand, one step, two steps. Maybe because the goblin didn’t recognize it as a weapon, it didn’t try to avoid when its neck was put between the gaps of the scissors. He gripped the handle with all of his power and with both of his arms he closed the scissors in one move.
*batsun...*!
The neck was severed by the hedge clippers, and from the goblin neck blue blood vigorously gushed out. The goblin collapsed. The four remaining goblins noticed their comrade’s death and they became more furious in striking the gate with their club, but their attack was obstructed by the invisible wall.
Yuuji was lost in the heat of battle and swung the hedge clipper recklessly. Open, insert between, close, and sometime stab.
・
・
・
*woof...*!
When Yuuji regained his sense because of the bark from Kotarou, the five goblins already lie down defeated, near them was a blue sea of blood. “Are you okay?” Kotarou stared at Yuuji. What a reliable girl. She’s a dog though.
Despite Kotarou being worried by it, Yuuji opened the gate and staggered outside. In front of the goblins, he stood still and dumbfounded. Kotarou got close to Yuuji’s foot. Then at that time,
“Gegyagyaa...!”
It was a goblin with severed left wrist, crushed left eyes, and covered by wounds. It stood up and with the club it held aloft in its right hand, it swung the club downward towards Yuuji.
Maybe because of the intent to kill that was poured at close range, or maybe because of the gruesome appearance from that soul who prepared to die while trying to get revenge, Yuuji stood still as he stared at the club that was swinging down.
It was too quick, Yuuji would soon meet his demise. Even if he still didn’t have any girlfriend.
Suddenly, a flash of a pale brown shadow jumped out, and bit at the goblin throat. With the momentum from the lunge, she struck the goblin with her body, and pushed it down. All without separating her mouth from the collapsed goblin, was it because of her wild instinct?
*Goki* With a sound, the goblin’s neck snapped and it really died for good now.
*Auuuuuuu!*
As if she was proud of the victory, she stepped firmly on her four limbs, puffed her chest, and then Kotarou howled.
Thus, Kotarou play a great role in Yuuji’s first battle.
☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽
This might be just my theory, but it seems that it was Kotarou that received a cheat and not Yuuji....
[1] The original is (仮) that means temporary or provisional name
[2] Is元戦鬼 a name of Japanese Youkai? My google result come empty (except for Kamen Rider)