Ch-11 Defeat a Goblin.

 It would be great if I could leap out like a hero and defeat the goblin, but I know better than anyone that I'm not that kind of person.  

This wasn't a storybook battle. The goblin was like the guy who took down Ishiguro from the judo club with one punch. You don't get a second chance.  

The only way to kill him was to strike at the right time.  

I wasn't confident, but I knew the only chance was a vital blow from behind - either the head or the neck.  

The head was the easiest target, but if I couldn't crack its skull, I risked a counterattack. The neck seemed to be the better choice. Even if I couldn't separate the bones, driving a blade halfway into its neck would almost certainly be fatal.  

No, goblins are living creatures, aren't they?  

For a brief moment, my faith wavered, but I forced myself to focus on the goblin's movements.

"N-Noooo~!"  

Kagurazaka tried to escape, but the goblin blocked her and knocked her down.  

"Kyaaah~!"  

The goblin straddled Kagurazaka-san, its attention focused entirely on her.  

"Somebody help me! Noooo~!"

Now was my chance.  

Gripping the hatchet with both hands, I approached the goblin from behind, holding my breath. Summoning all my strength, I swung the hatchet horizontally with everything I had.  

I felt a muffled resistance, but I swung harder. My hatchet hit something hard, and a jolt of pain shot through my wrist. The shock forced me to instinctively drop the axe.  

"Ugh."  

The pain in my wrist was intense and I could barely move it.  

I looked at the goblin. The hatchet was buried in his neck. Kagurazaka looked stunned as she stared at me through the goblin.  

"Guh, guh, guh."  

The goblin made a sound like a crushed frog and slowly turned its head toward me.  

"What?! No way!"  

The goblin, with the hatchet still in its neck, was now facing me.  

Fear gripped me.

The sight was utterly horrifying, but I ignored the pain in my wrist. Frantically, I grabbed the axe and yanked it free. Blood gushed from the goblin's neck as I swung again and landed another blow.  

"Gweh."  

The goblin collapsed instantly, blood spurting from its wound. Then, just like that, it was gone.  

"It's gone... Did I do it?"  

The goblin was gone, along with all the blood that should have been splattered everywhere.  

I had never fought a monster before, so I couldn't be sure if it was really over. For a while, I just stared at the spot where the goblin had been, waiting for it to reappear. But there was no sign of it.  

It seemed as if I'd actually defeated it.  

"Miyazaki-kun!"  

"Uh, yeah, Kagurazaka. Are you okay?"  

"Yes... Whatever. Thanks for saving me."  

"I'm glad it worked out."  

"I thought I was done for."  

"Yeah, that was close."  

"Ah! Where's Ishiguro-kun?"  

The panic of the fight had made me forget about him. 

"He doesn't look well, but he's breathing. Someone call an ambulance!"  

One of my remaining classmates confirmed his condition.  

"Thank God." Kagurazaka sighed in relief, then turned back to me.

Tears were streaming down her face.  

"Miyazaki-kun, that was scary! Waaahhh!"  

As I helped her to her feet, she clung to me, sobbing uncontrollably.  

It was no wonder. She was a high school girl who had been attacked and held down by a monster - it was a nightmare.

I wished I could have acted faster to save her.  

But it was the best I could do.