Rising Of The Shield Hero Web Novel ver

Taking a Life

Exiting the meadow, we arrived along the fringe land between the mountain and forest.
Raphtalia’s fighting style had greatly improved thanks to her experience, and her movements were more skillful too.
Our herb collecting was going well. Monsters steadily kept on coming and provided us with exp, while our luggage was being overstuffed with all the item drops.
But then 'it' happened.
Before we had only fought fable-like monsters. But now we had finally encountered our first animal class creature.

A one-headed... chestnut rabbit?
Usapiru.
That’s a weird name.

“Pyo!?”

The Usapiru spotted our presence and leaped at us, attacking with its huge buck teeth.

“Watch out!”

It targeted Raphtalia after judging she was weaker.
I jumped out to protect her like usual.
*Chomp* *Chomp*
It seemed that my defensive power was still higher than its attack.

“Alright! Stab it.”
“A... Aah...”
“What’s wrong?”
“A, a living thing, will, will have blood, right..?”

I was barely able to make sense of Raphtalia’s stuttering words.

“Deal with it, we'll be fighting these kind of enemies from now on.”
“B-,but.”

*Chomp* *Chomp*
Usapiru repeatedly bit me with its teeth.

“Brace yourself and bear with it. Or else you'll become too much of a burden that I'll have to abandon you.”

That’s right. Even if she’s my cherished slave; if she can’t fight then she isn't needed.
I'll just have to visit that perverse slave dealer and buy another slave, one who can fight properly.

“N-, no!”

Frightened with her eyes shut tight, Raphtalia stabbed the Usapiru multiple times with her knife.
Blood began spewing after she pulled her weapon out.

“Ah...”

The Usapiru died with a thud and laid motionless on the ground.
Raphtalia stared at her own knife while trembling, the scene thoroughly burnt into her eyes.
Her complexion pale, she looked as if she wanted to escape from all of this.
However, we mustn't feel any remorse.
Because we'll be fighting monsters like this again and again for hundreds, even thousands of times.

“Pyo!”

Another Usapiru appeared out of a bush and it leaped at Raphtalia, trying to bite her.

“Ah――”

I immediately prevented the attack by jumping in between the two.
Chomp!

“... Sorry. To be honest, I had to push you. Because I can't do anything but protect others. So I have no choice but to leave you with all the dirty work.”

The Usapiru was chewing on my arm while I told this to Raphtalia.

“There's no other alternative but for me to grow stronger. For that purpose, I need your help.”

If I don’t, then there won't be a future for me. The time limit is fast approaching and the waves of disaster will soon appear.
I had no confidence in my survival with how things stood now.

“... But...”
“Within one week, a world-ruining wave will spawn."
“Eh!?”
“Because of that, I want to become stronger, even if it's only a little bit.”

Raphtalia was trembling as she listened to me.

“Are you... fighting against that disaster?”
“Haha, I was told that this was my role. So I'm not doing it because I want to... Guess we're similar in that regard. I was forced to defend against the wave; there's no sense of obligation or duty in it for me."
“...”
“So, please try to understand that I don't want us going our separate ways.”