Yamiyo no Hotaru

Chapter 110

　Giant blue dragon sword swung by the giant frog, creating a resounding sound as it descended from above.

　Large and small coins danced in the air. Gold, silver, and copper coins scattered around. Crystal balls were shattered, and coral was slammed against the walls, causing fragments to scatter and glisten in the light.

　'(*＞∇＜)ﾉ Kyaa! Sparkling and shining!!'

　"You're saying such carefree things...!"

　While facing the scene unfolding before me, I cursed at the white spider, who was making light-hearted remarks, while continuing to defend myself. I was forced to defend, constantly on the defensive.

　How much time had passed since we intruded into "Kaeru Taishō no Ma (Room of General Frog)"? Surely not more than a hundred count. Yet, I was already gasping for breath, fully occupied with dodging the youkai's spear strikes. The youkai's techniques with the blue dragon sword, despite being a monster, were top-notch. Top-notch martial arts, top-notch spear technique—they were undoubtedly superior to me.

　The difference in strength was overwhelming. Yet, the reason the battle continued, in a sense, was due to the balance of power being equalized by several factors.

　One of the reasons was the difference in physique and physical structure. Despite the youkai's skill and strength, its massive body inadvertently created blind spots and delayed movements. The weapon, the large blue dragon sword, made it difficult for the youkai to perform intricate movements. The frog's body, designed for quadrupedal locomotion both in water and on land, was inherently less efficient in bipedal combat compared to humans.

　The second reason was the use of terrain and tricks. For instance...

　"Like this...!!"

　Instinctively, I hid behind a luxurious marble phoenix statue that dominated the treasure vault. I used it as a shield. Immediately after, the youkai's sword struck it mercilessly, and it exploded into pieces. It was a marble statue that might have been worth several hundred ryōs.

　'(. >д<) What a waste!!'

　"Ah, you've got to be kidding me!"

　Amidst a very rare agreement, I kicked the pile of copper coins at my feet toward the frog's face. In response, the frog's tongue shot out with bullet-like speed, trying to catch me. I evaded it with a quick twist of my body and ran away at full speed.

　'You're so tricky, aren't you?'

　But then, the youkai frog leaps at me in a frog-like leap. It closes the distance with the speed of a cannonball.

　'Σ(; ﾟДﾟ) Papa, it's coming!!?'

　"As expected...!!"

　In a split second before being crushed from behind, I used my spiritually enhanced leg strength to leap sideways. And then...!!

　'Huh!? Grrr!!?'

　The youkai frog, with its jumping resembling a bullet, collided with the protruding treasure spear. It hit the belly with full force, and the frog screams.

　'(｀･∀･') Is it done!?'

　"Stop setting flags, damn it!?"

　I interjected with a desperate voice against the irritating remarks of the white spider. Predictably, the frog got back up, rubbing its belly in apparent pain, but there was not a single scratch on its body. It seemed that the mucus and fat had managed to protect it from harm.

　'Ugh, are you done? A mere human is persistently struggling!!'

　"Thank you for your compliment...!"