470 Not Quite a Game of Tag
The following morning, I woke up early and got ready to depart for the kingdom yet again. That said, my things are all inside my magic bag so I don't have anything to do in particular.
It's not like I have to go to the kingdom if I'm heading for the federation, this route is simply the shortest.
There is another route, but that one necessitates a long detour with no rest areas in between.
"Welp, time for another long jog. Alrighty!"
I fired myself up as I left the commercial city behind.
It's nice when you have an objective. All thoughts about the coliseum are swirling in my mind.
How is it like? What kind of specialties do they sell there? What are the gladiators like? What kind of rules do they put in place for entertainment's sake and such.
The more something occupies your mind the shorter your trip feels.
But then someone decided to show up after a long while here.
"Meow~"
Yep, Chimera.
"Oou... Been a while huh. I forgot about you. Hm? What?"
Chimera came close and smacked my legs with its fore legs while glaring at me.
I always had an inkling that I could tell what Chimera says to a degree.
(I know this is fantasy and all, but please can't you not with 'Tamer' thing? Like being able to communicate with monsters and such... please no.)
Chimera suddenly took a step back and lowered its bump.
Then it jumped up with its claws directed at me.
It's not scary when Chimera does this in its kitten form.
But it's still a magic beast. Hence, I deemed it was dangerous and dodged the jump.
(...Hm? Does it still remember my promise to play with it? I see, no wonder it's in a bad mood...)
It's my fault for completely forgetting the promise I made myself.
Even if it was something I randomly came up on the spot.
It must have been important to Chimera and yet I took it lightly.
"Ah, Chimera. Sorry to keep you waiting. I'll play tag with you till you've got your fill today, how about it?"
Thus I said to fulfill my promise. I'm sure that was the right thing to do.
But that was truly careless of me. I'd soon regret it.
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I mentioned how I never get tired no matter how long I run. But this time, I do feel ever so slightly fatigued.
The toll on my mental is especially severe. Why you ask?
"Uooooooo!"
Because I've been dodging Chimera coming at me with its claws from all directions as I run with all my might.
All the people I passed by on the road were rooted in their place dumbfounded as I side glanced at them.
I can't afford to mind them.
Even the slightest mistake would end with my clothes getting torn to shred. The clothes I just bought.
Chimera isn't holding back at all. My clothes are my problem. Don't have to do with Chimera.
It's in fact enjoying itself. I can tell it's been getting more and more spirited every time I dodge its attack.
It doesn't care about what will become of my clothes or my mental state. That's only natural. It's a magic beast. No matter how cute it looks.
I'm not even gonna test out what happens if Chimera's claws hit me.
I did entertain the possibility of my abnormal body warding off those claws just fine, but I just can't bring myself to get hit by those sharp-looking claws. In fact, I really shouldn't get hit.
I got cold feet the one time its claws missed me and left a 5 cm deep mark on a big tree behind me.
And that was Chimera in Kitten mode. That startled me bad.
(That depth can't be right considering its claws' length! Heck, its legs didn't even touch the tree! Which means some sort of energy flew off its claws!? Is it physically? Or magically?)
Another classic of fantasy. If a sword could send out destructive slash with a swing, then Chimera could do the same with its claw in its cute Kitten Mode, and it wouldn't even give me a chance to stop and wonder the marvel as it kept lunging at me.
Not in Tiger, or Lion Mode, but in its cute Kitten Mode.
I dunno if it was terror or anticipation that fueled me.
"Uooooooooo!"
I lost count how many times I screamed. This game of tag kept going on until the kingdom.
I ran all the way from the commercial city throughout the entire day.