After walking front, Hibi suddenly stops and turns to look at me.
Then, she closed her eyes and chanted “Tei, res” in a soft voice.
I think she said that before when she used telepathy. But still, I remember she chanted those words using〖Mind Speak〗before, I wonder if it affects her concentration.
She doesn’t seem to be using it every time though.

【“The treatment shelter is that way. That’s where the traveler is.”】

As planned, Hibi used〖Mind Speak〗to transmit me the news.
I try to make myself smaller and hide behind one of the buildings.
Then, I slightly extend my neck and look towards the direction of the treatment shelter.
Looks like there’s some distance between each building.

That’s most likely where the Manticore is.
When everyone inside goes out, I’ll rush in immediately and check whoever or whatever remains inside.
The moment I confirm that it’s a monster, I’ll wreck that shelter place before you get a chance of doing anything.
In order to reduce casualties, that’s the only way.
When the other people of the Lithuvar Tribe sees the Manticore’s body, they’ll be convinced right away.
As I waste my time thinking of all these things, this also gives the Manticore more time to think of a counter-plan as well.

I’ll end this in an instant.
When it comes to status, mine is higher.

From the treatment shelter, a one-legged adult is seen coming out and is being assisted by a child.
I subconsciously look away from that.
I forgot that this village is literally right next to a forest housed by tons of dangerous monsters.
This should be common here.

I think that everyone in the shelter has already evacuated.
Goz should be coming to inform us soon……

“It’s Ryujin-sama! Ryujin-sama is here in the village! Hibi-sama, why have you not informed me about this?! N-No, I should not be asking you that now, I must tell everyone……”

An old, raspy voice came shouting behind me.
When I turned around, it was a crooked old lady.

“…… Forgive me, but now is not that time for that. Please stay away from the treatment shelter and join the others in the meeting room. And, warn as many of the others as well on your way.”

In the worse possible scenario to happen that the Manticore would rampage in the village, I can count on Hibi to lead the villagers away from the treatment shelter.

“What could be more important than Ryujin-sama?! For a shrine maiden such as yourself, you are spouting a lot of nonsense!”

W-Well… I actually came here because of that problem.

“L-Listen, Ryujin-sama told me……”

When Hibi was about to say something to the old lady, I suddenly felt an uneasy presence.
I immediately turn to see what became of the treatment shelter.

Three boys and girls were about to leave the shelter.
One of them was Goz and the other was a child.
And, the third one… was a tall woman wearing a worn out robe.
It looks like Goz is desperately trying to not let the woman leave the shelter.

No mistaking it, that woman is the aforementioned traveler.
We were supposed to deceive her, yet she’s trying to get out as fast as possible.
W-What now? If I don’t think of something soon, something bad’s going to happen.

The woman’s slightly visible eyes hidden by the robe’s hood looks somewhat, if not, a little bit similar to that of the Manticore’s.
And, that rough-looking brown hair also looks similar to the Manticore’s mane color.

Once I check out its status…… I’ll know its identity immediately.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
Species: Manticore
Status: Humanized Lv9 • Poisoned (small)
Lv: 73/80
HP: 226/453
MP: 130/142
Attack: 206 (413)
Defense: 114 (228)
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

I knew she was suspicious from the start.
My hunch was right the entire time.
I hurriedly pull my head back.

Hang on, its MP hasn’t gone down that much in the slightest. Just what is the meaning of this?!
Even when I chose an evolution that gives me an enormous pool of MP since〖Human Transformation〗costs so much of it, what kind of hax is this?!
…… No, now’s not the time for that. I need to calm down.

The poison didn’t do much at all.
Seems like that’s all of the evacuees.
But, what should I now? Those two are still there after all.

The sounds of their footsteps are slowly getting further away.
According to Hibi’s instructions, they’re being led towards the meeting room, if I recall.
I need to start moving soon.
S-Should I withdraw from here?
No, I can’t do that.
I still don’t know what mess that suspicious Manticore is going to make, after all.

And then, from the three footsteps, one of them suddenly stopped.
After that, the two footsteps also stopped.
If I remember right, that Manticore should also have〖Presence Sense〗too.
Did it… spot me?

In that case, I shouldn’t be hesitating any longer.

“Ryujin-sama?”

Hibi’s voice reaches me.
I ignore her words and reveal myself from behind the building.

“Gru~uooooooo!”

I run.
As fast as I could.
Remove all these needless thoughts about the Manticore and just focus on beating the life out of it.

When the traveler saw me, her facial expression drastically changed.
I’m sure you remember me beating you to a pulp the last time we met, right?

The Manticore swung its arm in the air.
The robe gets torn apart and the claws from a large beast appear.
That Manticore just undid the〖Human Transformation〗on only one part of its body.

“Gwaah?!”

Goz gets flung away by force and is rolling on the ground with his body getting knocked over and over on nearby obstacles.
When he finally stopped rolling, he was drenched with blood. Seems like his shoulder was slashed by the Manticore’s claws.

“…… T-Traveler-san?”

The child slowly stepped away from the Manticore.

“Gru~uooo!”

I raise my claws and shoot〖Wind Slash〗at the Manticore.
The Manticore used its other human hand to grab hold of the child and barely avoided the wind blade.
Blood spurted from the cut shoulder, but it was too shallow.
The wind blade cut a tree behind them instead.

The Manticore looked at the fallen tree with a backward glance and made a grim expression.
And then, it grabbed the child’s neck and held it like a human meat shield before rushing this way.
Are you telling me that you’re going to use that innocent child to block my next attack?! Is that what you’re saying, you monster?!

This is not good.
It has a hostage now.

“A… ga ~a! N-, no…… help me……”

Since it’s holding the child’s neck, the child is basically getting choked right now.

The Manticore clearly despises me.
Its face is starting to change.
Its hair is also getting darker and longer, and its eyes are also turning more and more like a wild feral beast by the second.
The white part of its eyes is turning yellow, and the skin around its face is also darkening.
And, from its human mouth, came out jaws with sharp fangs sticking out.

“Gebaha~a~aaa!”

The Manticore opened its mouth wide and released a loud roar to intimidate me.
The child got so scared, he's not muttering anymore.
Then, the Manticore took the child with it and ran towards a nearby building.

That Manticore bastard… why’d you have to come to this place of all places……
I know that my actions are limited because of that hostage and all, but why are you heading towards a deadend.

In the meantime, I approach near another building.
Immediately after thinking about the worse possible consequences, the Manticore breaks open a hole in the village wall.
It completely undid its humanization.
The Manticore then extended its front legs and jumped off the ground with its hind legs, and from the air, the beast makes its escape.
It landed on its front legs and then ran and ran and ran deep into the forest.

I already expected it, but it’s still damn fast.
I’m not confident enough that I can catch up to it even at my full speed.

I thought about giving chase for a moment, but then, I noticed the child that it held hostage before collapsed on the ground.
Why did I have to dwell over the consequences near that building back then when I should’ve known that it would just slow me down.
That Manticore just leaves children in the dust so it could buy more time, how low can you get.

“Gru~u~ooooooo!!”

As I cry in frustration, I spread my wings and soar to the skies, and I shoot two〖Wind Slash〗at the running Manticore’s back, although delayed, I shoot a third one.
The Manticore jumps at the side to evade them.
And, the delayed shot was able to graze through the Manticore’s back.

“Geba~aa!”

The Manticore screams in pain, but continues running without pause.
It then shot a needle ball on the ground from its spiky tail and jumped a great distance between us. It’s no longer within my reach.
After breaking down the village’s wall, it ran away just like that.

It’s still quick on its feet as always.
It pains me that I didn’t kill the Manticore on our first encounter.
I need to think of a full-proof plan to take it down in one fell swoop next time.