Chapter 16 Skirmish
I knew I’d been underestimating this fantasy world and everything it could throw at me. Of course, I would. It was inevitable—my subconscious just wasn’t registering threats the way it should. Escaping Felor unscathed, fighting wild beasts and goblins, triumphing every time—it had all given me a false sense of security. Even winter couldn’t slow me down; we outran it. I fought a frost troll and won.
How could I not start growing an ego? It wasn’t just a human flaw—it was a sentient one. Success after success, no matter how dangerous or grueling, chipped away at the caution I should’ve been holding on to.
Now, here I was, running through the forest, spreading fire like a madman. My breaths were shallow, my chest heaving as exhaustion gnawed at my strength. Every spell I cast felt like a punch to my gut. My magic wasn’t just draining—it was hurting me, and I knew I couldn’t keep this up forever.
Every patch of forest we cleared and blackened, we retreated, only to move deeper and spread the fire further. The flames consumed everything, their roar drowning out the sounds of the night.
“How long?” I managed to ask, my voice hoarse.
Chunky padded alongside me, his fur smudged with soot. “It has been a day, boss,” he replied, his tone steady despite the chaos around us.
I paused for a moment, catching my breath and taking in his words. Boss. It hit me then. Chunky, and the other cats too, had always called me by my name—Kaiser. When had that changed? When had they started seeing me as their leader, not just their companion?
The realization should have been comforting, but it only added to the weight on my shoulders.
“It is almost dawn,” Chunky continued. “We should regroup with the others and make our escape.”
I nodded, wiping the sweat from my brow. The forest was still burning, but the fire was no longer under my control. It had taken on a life of its own, devouring the dry underbrush and leaping from tree to tree. The sky above was painted a deep orange, the smoke blotting out the stars.
“Let’s go,” I said, my voice firmer now.
“AAAHAGH~!” The scream tore through the forest, unmistakably human.
Chunky’s traps had done their job. Somewhere behind us, one of the soldiers had stepped into a pitfall lined with jagged daggers. The sound of pain echoed in the burning woods, but we didn’t stop. There was no time to gloat, no time to care. We had to move.
Chunky and I raced toward the rendezvous point where Lucky’s unit was supposed to regroup. The air was thick with smoke, and every breath burned my lungs. The flames we had spread earlier had turned the forest into a chaotic and unforgiving battlefield.
When we arrived at the clearing, only Scruffy was there, his fur matted with soot and dirt.
“Scruffy,” I called out, my voice hoarse. “Where’s Lucky? Where’s the rest of the unit?”
Scruffy’s ears twitched, and he padded closer, his expression grim. “We got separated,” he said. “They’re getting desperate, using their mages to clear the area. Thankfully, they don’t have a water mage. Instead, they’re using earth and fire mages to keep the forest fire from spreading.”
I cursed under my breath. The enemy wasn’t just reacting anymore—they were adapting.
“How were you separated from the others?” I asked, glancing at the Kaiser System for answers.
[Followers: 36]
Two cats gone. When had that happened?
Scruffy shook his head. “Lucky’s fine. We tried to attack their supply chain like you ordered, but it was a trap.”
Damn it. Outplayed. These bipeds were finally taking us seriously.
“The others?” I pressed, my heart sinking.
Scruffy’s tail flicked anxiously. “We’re severely outnumbered. Two of our cats fell in battle. Mary got hit by a stray arrow. Lucky refused to leave her behind, insisted on saving her. Felipe volunteered to lead the enemies away from the injured.”
Felipe. I glanced at the system again. He wasn’t marked as dead. His fate was unknown, which meant there was still hope. But hope wasn’t something I could afford right now.
“Lucky, why?” I muttered under my breath. “Why be so righteous? You should’ve left Mary behind.”
The logical part of me knew that sacrifices were inevitable in war, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept.
Scruffy’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “What’s the plan, Kaiser?”
I straightened, forcing myself to focus. “Lead us to Lucky,” I said firmly. “It’s a retreating battle from now on. We regroup, we retreat, and we survive.”
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Our party of three moved swiftly through the smoldering remains of the forest, Scruffy leading the way. The air was heavy with the stench of smoke and charred wood, and every step felt like we were traversing the aftermath of a battlefield.
“How’s your invisibility ring holding up?” I asked Scruffy, keeping my voice low but firm.
He glanced back, his expression as calm as ever despite the chaos around us. “I’ve got two more spells left,” he replied. “The ring recharged at dawn.”
Good. We’d need every trick we had to survive what was coming.
As we pushed forward, a massive burning tree lay across our path, its fiery branches crackling ominously. It was a barrier, one that could easily stall us if we didn’t act fast.
“Let me have a go at it!” Chunky declared, his deep voice rumbling with enthusiasm.
Before I could respond, Chunky launched himself at the fallen tree. His powerful body collided with the wood, shattering it into two smoldering halves. He stood amidst the debris, his fur singed but his pride intact.
“Path’s clear,” he grunted, flicking a bit of ash off his ear.
“Nice work,” I said, motioning for us to move.
We pierced through the burning section of the forest, the oppressive heat giving way to a greener, untouched expanse. For a moment, the sight of fresh grass and unburned trees was a relief—until we saw what waited for us.
A ragtag group of seven stood before us, their weapons drawn and their eyes filled with murderous intent. Soldiers, adventurers, and mercenaries, united in their hatred for us.
I quickly took stock of their lineup.
* One archer: a male gnome, already nocking an arrow.
* Two robed casters: a male dwarf and a female human, both murmuring incantations under their breath.
* Two spearmen: human males, their stances practiced and disciplined.
* One dual-wielding warrior: a female orc, her twin blades gleaming in the sunlight.
* One sword-and-shield fighter: a male human, who stepped forward and shouted in the Common Tongue.
“I am Alvin of Iron Wall! Face me, vermin!”
His voice echoed across the clearing, his bravado almost laughable if it weren’t for the sheer tension of the moment.
I switched to Cat Tongue, my words sharp and commanding. “Chunky, take on the Alvin guy! Scruffy, prioritize the casters!”
Both of them nodded, their eyes narrowing as they prepared to charge.
The gnome loosed an arrow, and I dodged to the side, my paws skidding on the soft grass. Alvin raised his shield, his stance solid as Chunky barreled toward him like a wrecking ball.
“Get wrecked,” I muttered, my tail lashing as I darted toward the archer.
I summoned a ring of fire around myself, the searing flames crackling in defiance. The two spearmen hesitated, their eyes wide with fear as I dashed under their raised weapons. Fire magic was powerful, but it demanded relentless focus. Even the slightest distraction could shatter my control, and in this chaotic battlefield, distractions were everywhere.
The dwarf caster raised his staff, a chunk of earth forming midair as he prepared to hurl it at me. Before he could complete his spell, Scruffy appeared from nowhere, his claws slicing clean through the dwarf’s throat. The caster crumpled to the ground, his staff rolling away uselessly. It helped that the dwarf had been a small fella to begin with.
The two spearmen retreated, their resolve shaken. I seized the moment, unleashing two firebolts that crackled through the air toward them. They dodged, but the flames forced them to keep their distance.
Suddenly, three arrows whistled toward me. I zigzagged across the clearing, narrowly avoiding each one. The gnome archer was quick, his aim deadly, but he wasn’t prepared for my retaliation. I cast a fireball directly at him, only to watch it dissipate against a shimmering forcefield.
From the corner of my eye, I caught the robed human woman muttering an incantation, her hands glowing faintly. A cleric, then.
Scruffy lunged at her, his claws poised for a kill, but the dual-wielding orc intercepted him with a swing of her blades. Scruffy growled, retreating into the shadows and vanishing from sight.
I turned my attention back to the so-called Alvin, who was charging toward me with his shield raised. From my peripheral vision, I saw Chunky arc through the air, his massive body aiming for the man, but Alvin ignored him, pouncing straight at me instead.
I dodged left, narrowly avoiding a shield bash that sent clumps of earth flying. His sword came next, a blur of steel that I barely leapt out of the way of.
Two spears thrust at me from opposite directions. One grazed my side, a sharp sting that drew blood, but I twisted in time to avoid the other. Gritting my teeth, I took a deep breath and cloaked myself in flames, the heat radiating outward in a brilliant inferno.
The spearmen hesitated but didn’t back down. Instead, my display of power seemed to embolden them, their confidence swelling as they relied on their reach.
Big mistake.
I watched their movements carefully, tracking the paths of their spears. When one lunged, I sprang into the air, using the shaft of his weapon as a springboard. From there, I pounced onto the other spear, my claws gripping the wood just long enough to launch myself toward the orc woman.
She didn’t see me coming. I unleashed a torrent of flames at full power, engulfing her in a searing blaze. “AAAAAAAGH~!” Her screams filled the clearing before she collapsed, her charred form crumpling to the ground.
The human cleric woman scrambled to escape, panic etched across her face. Before she could get far, Chunky tackled her from behind, the force of his massive body snapping her legs with a sickening crack. She screamed, but her cries were cut short as Chunky bounced back and crushed her skull with a brutal strike.
Another scream followed, this one from the gnome archer. His small body fell limp as blood sprayed from his slit throat. Scruffy emerged briefly from the greenery, his movements swift and precise before vanishing once more into the shadows.
The battlefield was ours, but the fight wasn’t over. My breath came in ragged gasps, my magic reserves running low, but I couldn’t stop now. This was survival.
Three of them were left: Alvin of Iron Wall, still clutching his shield and sword, and the two spearmen, their faces pale with terror but their grips steady.
I licked my paw briefly, an instinctive gesture that almost made me laugh at the absurdity of the moment. Then I straightened, my tail swishing behind me as I stepped forward.
“Now comes your turn~!” I declared, my voice carrying the unmistakable cadence of human tongue, though it was layered with the rolling growl of my cat accent.
The two spearmen exchanged uneasy glances. One of them, a younger man with a shaky grip, took a step back. Alvin, however, snarled, his lips curling into a sneer.
“You think you’re clever, don’t you, vermin?” Alvin spat, slamming his sword against his shield. The clang echoed through the clearing, a desperate attempt to rally his courage—or perhaps his companions’. “You’ll regret underestimating me!”
I tilted my head, amused by his bravado. “Underestimate you? No, no~! I simply don’t care about you enough to waste my fire.”
That earned a laugh from Chunky, who stood to my right, his massive form towering over even Alvin. Scruffy remained unseen, but I could feel his presence lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Now, how could I scare these fools to death?