Chapter 6: 5 - Goblins?!

DAMN IT! IT WON'T BUDGE.

OH—THERE'S A SLIGHT NARROW GAP BETWEEN THE TREE BRANCHES!

If I could just use something, and some of my strength, to forcefully shift this thing's trajectory…

I hurriedly opened my backpack mid-air as the wings kept gliding me fast toward the tree.

FOUND IT!

My small barbell bar—this might work! If I can use it to reach and push the right wing, I could slightly alter my course and squeeze through the opening without slamming straight into the trunk!

No time to waste.

I braced myself and properly grabbed it with my left arm, crossing it over to the right wing. My face scrunched with effort as I channeled all my strength.

The distance between me and the tree was closing in fast.

"MOVE IT, DAMN IT!" I shouted through gritted teeth as the wing slowly began to deviate—

But the tree was too close—

ARGHH, OH NO—CAN I MAKE IT?!?

Tcrgh—

The sharp sound of both wings' ends shattering as they clipped the branches.

"Tngh—What?!?"

I made it through—barely.

Not cleanly. Not smoothly.

I glanced back at both my wings—my pupils narrowed in frustration.

The damage was clear.

"Woa—woa—WOA!"

The wings destabilized fast. Turbulence shook my body like crazy.

No. No no no—

This can't be happening.

I have to detach myself before I crash for real!

The impact had slowed me down—thankfully—but not enough. The wings were dragging me toward a nosedive.

Then I saw it—

A button on the belt around my stomach, the one that locked me into the wing rig.

Tung tung tung tung!

I spammed the damn thing in a panic as the ground loomed closer.

This wing's holding me back—I CAN'T MOVE!

WE'RE TOO CLOSE, GOD—JUST RELEASE ME ALREADY!

The sound of rushing air began to die down. The fall was slowing—

Clang! Bang!

The belt broke. I'M FREE!

—BUT WE'RE STILL FALLING.

Bshhh!

I crash-landed into a cluster of bushes, while the wings soared off into the sky—lost, drifting who knows where.

Thankfully, I managed a quick mid-air flip and landed properly right into the bush.

"Auuuugh—Oh God, that kinda hurt my knees!"

I immediately jumped up and scrambled out of the foliage.

"Haip—huh??"

I glanced down—my clothes were covered in leaves, dirt, and dust.

"Dang it… what a chore."

I sighed and started walking slowly, brushing off the dirt and smudges from my dress as I went.

Some stains wouldn't come off.

"Sigh… this'll need a proper rinse. Guess I gotta find the nearest village with a cleaning service or something."

My eyes drifted upward, lost in thought.

Wait—

I've been flying for quite a while… at least one or two kilometers…

Oh! That's a trail!

People must use that!

I fast-walked toward the path, weaving around small trees and thick bushes along the way.

Now…

Left or right?

"….."

"….."

Man… I suck at reading trails and signs and stuff.

Screw it—I'll just guess and hope for the best—

"ARGH! GO AWAY, UGLY!!"

A faint, young voice echoed from a distance.

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Tngh?!

I snapped my head toward the sound.

Left side.

Someone's in trouble?! Should I—?

Wait—

Should I really?

It's not my business… it could be a trap, like some kind of thief setup…

And I've already wasted too much time. I'm gonna be late—

Tang!

The sharp clang of blades clashing echoed through the air.

Huh—

Ehh… Maybe they're locals from a nearby village? Should I check? Should I check?!

I clenched my fists, a grin spreading on my face.

Damn it! No time to think!

I twisted my body in one smooth motion. My face shifted—serious but calm, ready.

I got into position—body lowered into a more horizontal stance, dominant leg forward, rear leg back.

I pressed my rear left leg down like I was compressing a spring.

I read this in a book—

Do this, and you maximize your acceleration…

My pupils narrowed and relaxed into sharp slits. Without hesitation, I pushed off with my right front leg— bam!—launched meters forward, the left following like a spring snapped loose.

Each of my opening, more horizontal strides stabbed into the ground, sending me forward in bursts. The form wasn't perfect, but it worked—what mattered now was speed. I had to get there fast.

"DON'T TOUCH ME—"

The voice grew louder, more panicked. I was close.

My stride shifted, from explosive stabs to cycling sprints—each leg forming a tight, powerful "4" as I sprinted. Wind screamed past my ears, pressure thickened in the air. Headwinds pushed against me, but the dress I wore, designed to aid movement, cut through it just enough.

"Ha… ha… ha…"

I focused on each breath, maximizing every inhale to fuel my body.

Each step slammed into the dirt like a hammer—bam, bam, bam—echoing down the path.

As I neared the source, I began slowing down.

"Haip—haip—haip—haip—"

My legs dropped from high knees to a lower cycle, decelerating with control.

Then—

"Grrrh—raaaahhh!!"

"Mruuuehh—ghrggh!!"

"HA—NGH! SIS, RUN AWAY!!"

"But—"

"I'LL HOLD THEM OFF, JUST GO!!"

I ducked behind a thick tree, still catching my breath, ears tuned to every sound. I turned slightly, pupils softening as I scanned the scene.

Goblins?!?

A group of them, snarling and hunched.

—A young teenage boy, and a young girl

The boy stood between her and the goblins. His body was torn and wounded, his clothes in shreds. He was clinging tightly to one of the goblins, using it as a shield, a desperate barrier against the rest. Blood on his arm. Scrapes across his back. Still, he held on.

"SIS, I SAID RUN! BEFORE THESE MONSTERS WRECK US BOTH!!"

His voice cracked from pain and fear.

The sister stood frozen, her face pale, torn between staying or running.

…Siblings.

I could see it now in their eyes. The same shape. The same fear. He was barely 13 or 14. She was older—but paralyzed in horror.

And I knew what goblins do to their prey—especially to girls. Especially humans.

He knew that too.

That's why he was stalling. Sacrificing himself… just to buy her a chance.

The boy's eyes flicked to his sister—hesitating, frozen between fight or flight.

That one second was all it took.

WHAM!

A goblin's fist slammed into his side.

"ARGHH—!"

He lost grip of the goblin he'd been strangling, and hit the ground hard.

"AINZ!!"

His sister screamed, reaching toward him in pure panic.

But it was too late.

The goblins closed in around the boy like vultures.

Meanwhile, others turned toward the sister, creeping in with slow, menacing steps.

"Tngh—"

She gritted her teeth, her breath quick and shallow. She staggered back, hand reaching out behind her.

Her fingers found a large stone.

"PLAY AROUND AND FIND OUT!!" she shouted, voice trembling. She hurled the stone.

But it didn't scare them.

They didn't flinch.

This… this can't go on.

Without another thought, I slipped off my backpack and grabbed what I needed:

—One long butcher's knife.

—A pair of glasses.

The glasses would disguise my pupils—hide the slits, make them look rounded like everyone else. Just in case.

Despite the girl's brave front, her face betrayed everything.

She was terrified. Desperate.

Her little brother lay motionless, barely breathing.

One goblin raised a foot—STOMP!—slamming it down on the boy's chest with a cruel grin.

From the back, the other goblins began chuckling—

"Hehehehehh—"

"ARGH!!"

A sudden scream cut them short.

One goblin's neck was half-severed, gurgling in shock.

Sling—!

I stepped forward, finishing the cut. His head slid off clean.

"Uit—"

Blood squirted out wildly—

I instinctively dashed backward, avoiding the mess like it was second nature.

The remaining goblins froze.

Their snarling mouths gaped as they turned toward me, confused and furious.

I calmly looked down at my dress…

—No stains. Fiuhh!

"Now… Stereo ugly creature," I whispered, dashing forward.

Slash—!

Another goblin's head dropped cleanly from its shoulders.

"GRAHHH!"

All the remaining goblins charged at me in fury.

I stood tall and calm, unwavering.

My disguised eyes—masked behind average glasses—darted with quick precision, scanning their movements. My pupils shifted, narrowing into sharp slits, focused and analytical. I exhaled once through my nose.

Flip!

I front-flipped, gaining air, and spun midair like a blade. With a brutal swing, my butcher knife cleaved through the skull of another one mid-jump.

The others didn't hesitate—they began wielding weapons now: one of them even aimed a crude bow.

Tch. Small in number but more aggressive than I expected.

Fwip!

I ducked low as an arrow zipped past my head. The goblins circled closer, surrounding me.

"Bad move."

I dropped into a low sweep—my leg spun like a blade across the dirt. Whap-whap! Several of them were taken off their feet. Without wasting a breath, I snatched the one closest to me and dragged him up as a shield.

Thunk!

"Pshhh!"

The next arrow found its way into the goblin's own body. He screeched in pain.

"Thanks." I whispered.

With the arrow still lodged in his shoulder, I yanked it out and spun—flinging his body toward a sneak-attacking goblin from behind me. At the same time, I threw the arrow like a dart in the opposite direction.

Thud!

"Boom. Headshot."

I smirked without looking.

The sister, who had been frozen in awe, suddenly snapped back into action. She sprinted toward her brother.

"Ainz! Quick, we need to run!" she gasped, kneeling down to pick him up.

"Uhuk! Sis… who's that??" the boy asked weakly, wincing.

"Don't talk! Just rest— She's… a guard maybe? Adventurer? We just need to get out of here!"

The boy, still lying on the ground, looked up with trembling eyes. His gaze fixed on me—the slim figure, dressed in a windswept outfit, agile and graceful but clearly powerful. His eyes shimmered with a quiet sense of hope.

Eight down. Only a few left.

One of them, perhaps desperate or too stupid to think, roared and charged straight at me.

"Idiot."

I pivoted—my leg snapped up in a clean high kick, slamming into the side of his head. His body jerked, stunned—

Thankfully, I wore a fitted, long, dark spandex underneath so no accidental flashing!

Before he could recover, I lunged forward and soared slightly into the air.

Thwack!

My knee landed flush into his jaw like a crashing wave.

CRACKED

A loud sound of bones snapping filled the air.

His jaw, skull, and most importantly—his neck—all broken.

He's dead.

I was still in the air after the high knee, and I used my legs to kick his body, launching myself even higher mid-air, gaining momentum and distance—towards the last goblins on the opposite direction.

In a flash, I spun—double jump kick, both legs striking two goblins straight in the head.

CRACK!

The force was enough to break their necks and send them into a violent 360 head spin as they collapsed.

I landed and did a fast spin with one leg, blending a ninja's fluidity with a ballerina's elegance.

The very last goblin?

He panicked.

Turned.

Started running away in fear.

Wush wush wush—Sap!

The butcher knife I threw stabbed the back of his head with such force, it launched his body several meters forward after the impact.

I stood there.

Didn't even look at the direction I threw it.

My head tilted down, left arm still raised from the throw like a cool guy.

Then—

Peek

I opened my left eye.

WOAH LMAO I HIT THAT, THAT'S A DAMN TRICKSHOT—OH YEAH!!

I turned my head and body fully in excitement, hopping a few times like a kid who just won a match no one believed in.

"Yoohooo!!"

I clenched both fists in front of me, bouncing with joy like someone who just pulled off the clutch of the century.

OH WAIT—THE SIBLINGS!!

My expression shifted instantly as my head and eyes darted around looking for them—

There! I spotted them!

I rushed, then slowed into a fast walk as I approached, keeping my dress and glasses intact.

The boy had his head down, clearly exhausted. The sister sat beside him, glancing between her little brother and me—her expression filled with worry.

"Hey?? Are you guys okay??" I asked out of concern.

My face relaxed, brows curved downward, the corners of my lips dipping with sympathy.

"Thank you, Miss!" the sister answered, her voice filled with relief, still embracing her brother tightly.

"Your brother— is he alright?? Need me to find a doctor or healer or something?" I offered, raising my right hand in a gentle gesture.

The boy looked up at me, finally.

His eyes were hazy, exhausted… but there it was.

That glimmer of hope.

I narrowed my eyebrows slightly, voice calm but firm, "Hurry up. Let me bring your brother on my back."

The sister blinked, caught off guard for a moment—

Then nodded with resolve.

"Al-Alright!"

She helped lift her brother onto my back as I squatted down.

Compared to her, the boy was quite big. But compared to me?

He was small to medium—especially since I'm still in my original height form.

Once I made sure he was secured on my back, I stood up straight and looked at the sister, expression dead serious.

"Show me the way."

"Follow me," she nodded quickly, breaking into a fast walk along the same trail path I hesitated at earlier.

I hurried behind her, adjusting my pace to keep up while making sure the boy on my back was stable and safe.

The boy slowly opened his eyes again.

In that faint gaze, flashes of memory danced—

That figure of the tall girl with big, cute glasses… wearing a literal dress, stylishly taking down goblins like it was some kind of show.

He smiled, tired but clearly impressed.

Then he realized.

Wait…

He's currently on that same cool girl's back.

He shut his eyes, his body slightly stiffened in embarrassment, especially when he became aware of the warm, firm yet soft feeling of their hero's back

"Hnn…"

A tiny, shy, involuntary grumble escaped from him.

Huh? The kid's awake?

I sighed softly, lips curling into a gentle smile as my expression relaxed.

Poor little guy.

Still smiling faintly, I followed the sister deeper into the path ahead.