Antagonist Protection Service-Chapter 140: Obstacle

'Well, you know. Like having a kid with no official government position be sent practically on his own for a task that feels like it should be regarded with a lot more importance, just because he's... good with beast women. Don't you think?'

[Hmmm~! I think the best thing to do is not think too hard about it! That's what I've come to discover when it comes to these sorts of stories! Mhm mhm!]

'Right... Anyway, you said you haven't read this one before right? We don't know what direction the plot is heading in, or even just who the Antagonist is?'

Foll𝑜w current novels on fɾēewebnσveℓ.com.

[Certainly, that's right! Um, of course, I'll still be here should you require assistance!]

'I know. Thank you.'

While we were on our way back, I did continue to wonder why the walled city was, well, walled. After all, it's not like there was anything in this seemingly endless expanse, and I also had yet to encounter anything like a monster or enemy that might be lying in wait for us, or even just in the distance.

"―Ah! Waaaiiit...!"

That was, until the blonde dog girl, Cassie, called for everyone to stop.

Whether instinctively or otherwise, everyone listened and immediately halted, and right at that moment...

'Huh? Woah-!'

The ground shook with a tremendous rumble, and out of seemingly nowhere, giant stone slabs began to emerge from out of the ground.

"Rockies! It's the Rockies!"

As that energetic voice pointed out again, the grey stones rose to their feet, forming a single colossus multiple storeys tall that towered over us.

"..."

Craning my neck to gaze up at the 'thing' that came and formed within a matter of seconds, I almost couldn't believe my eyes.

I had seen a lot of messed-up and disturbing stuff since joining the Service, but one thing I had yet to experience was the reality of 'monsters'. Specifically, what sort of dangers existed in these Illusory Worlds that didn't include the Protagonist.

Yet again, I was reminded that there was likely much more to each of these Difficulty ratings than what first met the eye.

'Golem...?'

Despite that, I could identify the creature that ambushed us in an instant... if it could even be called that, that is. It wasn't really an uncommon enemy in fantasy if you knew your fair share, but even still...

'This one's way too damn big, isn't it...?'

While I was still stunned by the sheer size of the thing, the others moved quickly, starting with an order from the Protagonist.

"It's a Golem! Cassie, Feanya, Katya...!"

"Yep, Master!"

"On it! Leave it to us!"

"...Master really doesn't have to be so nervous. It's just a big rock..."

Each responding in their respective manner, they shot off, rushing towards the enemy at a speed I hadn't witnessed in a long time, two on the ground and one in the air to target it from all directions.

Standing all the way back next to the Protagonist, and strangely, the dragon girl, all either of us did was watch as from the front, the dog girl Cassie jumped over a dozen metres into the air with a single leap, landing effortlessly on the Golem's right joint that connected its leg to its torso and hammering it with an impact so hard it blew the limb right out of the socket, riding it down as it fell and causing the Golem to lose stability as about to collapse.

At the same time, the cat girl Katya was aiming for its remaining left leg, digging her sharp nails in like picks to climb the flat stone slabs with no issue, slashing repeatedly at all the gaps and crevices in between.

By the time she reached the Golem's hips, its leg had already been completely severed at every weak point, already in the midst of collapse. Just before that happened, she leapt off and landed on the ground unharmed despite the crazy height, just in time to watch it fall.

Finally, the harpy girl Feanya hovered in the air above the collapsing monster, looking down at it with what seemed to be a mean grin. Moving her mouth as if saying something I couldn't quite pick up from this distance, she opened her wings up wide, upon which her body began to emit a soft, white glow.

In the next instant, a merciless hail of feathers rained down, each piercing right through the falling Golem's seemingly impenetrable stone body like arrows through silk, drilling it with countless debilitating holes.

Just as that onslaught ended, the enemy ultimately hit the ground, sending a tremendous dust cloud to fill the air and powerful shockwaves to disrupt the ground beneath my feet, making me lose balance and almost fall over.

Regaining my stability as the tremors and dust all settled, I nervously laid eyes upon the fallen monster's body, or what remained of it, wondering if that was really it.

"Master, Master! I did it, did you see! I sent the leg flying like BAM-! Did I do good!"

"Ah... Y-yes, Cassie. Well done... A-a-a-a-ah! K-Katya, you as well, of course! Good job, all of you...! Please don't scratch me!"

"..."

Slowly, with the peaceful, almost comedic atmosphere returning in less than an instant, I realised.

'...Shit.'

The biggest obstacle this time was these girls after all, wasn't it?