Chapter 131 - Longhorn Trail and the 20th Floor Area Guardian
Mizuki opened the door. We entered slowly, cautiously scanning our surroundings. There were no signs of monsters. A vast, dome-shaped space opened up before us, its floor paved with stone.
"I wonder why only six people can enter this room?" Mizuki asked.
"Who knows. But the symbol of the eastern monotheistic religion, which has legends of the Ark we're chasing, was a six-pointed star. Maybe there's a connection."
It was a star-shaped crest formed from two equilateral triangles.
"...Mash, are you looking for the Ark?"
Marmie asked.
"No, to be precise..."
As I started to speak to her, the door we'd come through slammed shut. Particles of light began to rain down in the center of the room. From within that glow, the shape of monsters started to form. The light faded, revealing them in full. A Grimtal stood in the center, surrounded by five Shadow Mantles. The Shadow Mantles were the same size as the ones we'd seen on the way here, but this Grimtal was even more massive. It was so tall that striking its head with my sword was impossible. Furthermore, the immense reach of its long arms made closing the distance a daunting task.
"Do they really think bigger is always better?" Mizuki mused, eyeing the Grimtal.
"Well, you've always been a fan of my size," I quipped.
"Stop saying embarrassing things and get ready to fight!"
We drew our weapons.
"...Unleashing lightning at maximum output."
Marmie raised her wand. In the same instant, a bolt of lightning shot toward the Grimtal. It was deflected by a magical barrier. With a deafening roar, the lightning and the barrier exploded. The Grimtal strode through the aftermath, closing in on us. It thrust its arm like a spear, aiming for Marmie.
"Look out!"
Mizuki instantly moved in front of her, trying to block the blow with her shield, but she couldn't absorb the full impact and was sent flying. The attack grazed past a stunned Marmie, the force of it knocking her to the ground as she lost her balance.
"Mizuki, Marmie!"
This time, the Grimtal’s arm whipped through the air, lashing down toward Marmie. Mizuki once again threw herself in the way, trying to parry with her shield, but her arms wouldn't rise—likely due to the damage from the previous blow—and she took a direct hit. Her body flew backward, crashing into the seated Marmie. The Grimtal raised its arm again, preparing to deliver another spear-like strike to the two of them.
"Fam! Get Marmie! I've got Mizuki!"
The monster's hand-blade sliced down toward Mizuki and Marmie. I dragged the limp form of Mizuki away while Fam, from the opposite side, helped Marmie to her feet and pulled her clear, allowing us to narrowly escape. Our formation now resembled the letter Y. The base of the Y was the center of the dome, with the five Shadow Mantles there. The Grimtal stood at the fork. I was with Mizuki at one of the upper tips, and Fam and Marmie were at the other.
"Mizuki!"
I shook her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open slightly. She tensed her body and winced, as if enduring immense pain.
"It hurts… When I tried to protect Marmie, Super Save activated and I started to dodge. But if I did that, I couldn't protect her, so… Mash, my whole body hurts. I don't even know where the pain is coming from."
So she canceled Super Save to block it with her shield. Fireballs shot out from the Shadow Mantles. I quickly created a water sphere to absorb their impact. That sphere was then swatted away by the Grimtal's whipping arm.
"Just drink a healing potion!"
I pulled her close, holding the potion to her lips.
"Mash, when we get back to our world, I want to walk along a ridgeline like the one we walked today. At night, we'll eat curry together, drink coffee together, look at the stars together… and spend the night in a tent together…"
"Idiot, stop talking and drink!"
"...When morning comes, we'll walk together again… and I want to bathe in a hot spring deep in the mountains together."
"I get it. We'll go hiking together. So please, drink the potion!"
A blow from the Grimtal came hurtling toward us. I tried to pull Mizuki’s body out of the way, but I could only move us slightly. A magical barrier materialized in front of us, deflecting the Grimtal's strike. It must have been Marmie's magic. I glanced over at them and saw the two standing at a distance, watching us. Marmie had the tip of her wand pointed in our direction. A follow-up barrage of fireballs from the Shadow Mantles shattered the barrier.
"Mash, I love you…"
"I love you too. So hurry up and drink the potion!"
"That's not what I mean. Say it to me, too. It's not fair that you only say it to Fam…"
Mizuki said. What did she mean, only Fam? I sent a glance her way. She was watching us, too. Her expression seemed to betray no emotion, making her feel distant and cold. Her lips moved for a moment as if she was about to say something, but she remained silent and lowered her head. Then, her gaze shifted back to the enemy. I turned my attention back to Mizuki.
"Don't say things that don't make sense. You and Fam are the same to me!"
I forced the healing potion into her mouth. She drank it. As the Grimtal prepared another attack, Marmie unleashed a bolt of lightning at it. The monster staggered but didn't stop its assault. I pulled Mizuki's body just enough to narrowly dodge the blow. If Marmie hadn't weakened it, we would have taken the full force of the attack. After drinking the potion, Mizuki lost consciousness. I frantically felt for the spot below her left breast. I could feel her heart beating against my hand. It was still strong. Her chest rose and fell gently. She was only sleeping. A sigh of relief escaped me. This is my fault. I pushed her too hard again. But I'll make them pay for this. I tightened my grip on my sword, laid her down gently, and rose to my feet.
"Are Fam and Marmie okay?"
I faced the Grimtal, holding my sword in a middle guard stance.
"Yes. Marmie and I are fine. How is Mizuki?"
"I gave her a healing potion. She'll be alright, but she's in no condition to fight."
"..."
I could tell Fam was holding her breath. In every battle, Mizuki had always been the one supporting the party, never once falling. We had always fought under the assumption that she would never go down.
"I'll take down the Grimtal. I need you two to handle the Shadow Mantles behind it."
"Master… you do intend to win, right?" Fam asked, her voice tinged with anxiety.
"Of course. How about you two?"
"...We'll be fine. Fam and I can win. We are the strongest adventurers of the Mu race," Marmie answered. Fam nodded in agreement.
"What's the 'Mu race'?"
"...The Mu race is the Mu race. There are three of us now."
"...Whatever. I'm counting on you. But Fam, if things get dangerous, don't hesitate to use your special skill. If you need Racshell's power, just shout. I'll summon her without a second thought."
After seeing them both nod, I returned my gaze to the Grimtal.
The room flickered with the light of Marmie's lightning as Fam charged toward the Shadow Mantles. I took another moment to observe the Grimtal. It was tall and slender, its body swaying back and forth like a snake slithering across the ground. A single eye stared down at me. I wondered if it had any depth perception. As I thought, with my height and reach, my blade would never reach its head. And then there were its long arms. Even with the length of my sword, I couldn't match their reach. Dashing into its range to land a blow on its torso would be difficult. Dodging its whip-like slashes and spear-like thrusts would be a herculean task. It was like fighting a tower. On top of that, Mizuki was unconscious behind me. If I left this spot, the monster would surely finish her off. I had to stay here and, no matter what, cut this enemy down. I swayed the tip of my blade slightly, inching forward to bait an attack. The monster took the bait, lunging with a thrust. I used the momentum of its attack to step in and swing my sword. My target wasn't its body, but its fist. Blade and fist clashed. A loud clang echoed as a hard impact, like striking metal, shot up my arm. I pushed through the recoil, completing my swing. This sword could cut through anything. A sharp pain shot through my body. Half of the Grimtal's severed hand-blade was embedded in my right thigh. The other half lay on the floor.
"Ugh…"
The monster pulled its blade out. An unbearable agony coursed through me. It was a miracle I was still standing. I took a slow step forward, but my foot was numb, devoid of sensation. Still, I readjusted my stance into a middle guard and closed the distance.
"Come on."
At my taunt, the Grimtal lashed out with its undamaged arm like a whip. I stepped in, aiming for that arm, and slashed. The pain in my leg made it impossible to plant my feet firmly. But I focused my awareness on my left hand, on the power in my pinky finger, and brought my sword down with precision. I felt the satisfying feedback in my arm. This time, I took no damage. The severed arm flew past me, hitting the wall behind me and falling to the floor. I turned back to the monster and took a step forward. The monster took a step back. I closed the distance again, and it retreated once more. I wanted to lunge, but the pain in my leg felt like it would give way.
"...You're in the way. Don't back up over here."
Marmie's voice echoed. A moment later, a bolt of lightning pierced the monster's body. It reeled back violently, then fell toward me as if its strength had vanished. I swung my sword and severed its head. The Grimtal was enveloped in particles of light and disappeared.
The door at the far end of the room opened. Fam and Marmie had finished clearing out the Shadow Mantles. Fam was collecting the kunai she had used in the fight.
"...She looks dead. Is she okay?" Marmie asked, looking at Mizuki.
"She's not dead. And if she looked dead, then she wouldn't be okay."
Her words made me anxious, and I stumbled as I tried to rush to Mizuki's side. Fam quickly caught me, supporting my body.
"Master, you should drink a healing potion, too."
I drank the potion Fam offered me. I could feel the pain beginning to subside. Leaning on her shoulder, I made my way to Mizuki. Her chest was rising and falling in small movements. She was breathing. I placed a hand on her chest and checked her heartbeat as well. She was okay. As I relaxed, I noticed Fam was watching me with a cold stare.
"I-I did grope her! And I might have had some impure thoughts! But that's not it! I was just checking her heartbeat!"
I desperately tried to explain, but I couldn't tell if I'd cleared up her misunderstanding.
"...Well, I'm glad she's alive. I'll carry Mizuki, so Fam, you carry Mash."
After saying that, Marmie grunted, "Heave-ho," and grabbed Mizuki by both ankles, preparing to drag her toward the door.
"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on! Can't you be a little gentler?"
I hurriedly stopped her.
"...She's too heavy any other way."
"But if you do it like that, everyone will see Mizuki's underwear! Have some decency!"
"...I see…"
Marmie nodded, letting go of Mizuki's legs. She then adjusted the hem of Mizuki's skirt.
"Fam, sorry about this, but could you take me through the door first, then come back and help Marmie carry Mizuki?"
"Understood."
Leaning on her shoulder, I headed for the door.
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