Chapter 221 - Hyakka and the New World's Quest IV
The wound vanished, and Hyakka-chan stood up. A slight feeling of discomfort remained, but it was nothing to worry about.
"I want to go after Samuemu. Fam, where are Mizuki and the others?"
"Over there… probably."
"Hmm, probably? You were always the one snatching the map from Mash-kun and acting as the mapper."
Her occasional, hesitant pointing was unnerving to watch from the sidelines, but it was a role she had taken on herself.
"It's Hyakka's fault! Shizuka looked bored, so I let her be the mapper. But the map she drew was a complete mess, and now we have no idea where we are!"
"…"
A sudden wave of anxiety washed over me. No, Levante was supposed to be thriving with Hyakka, who had swapped bodies with me, leading Mizuki and the others.
This spot with the treasure chest was a dead end. The opposite side from where Fam said "over there" was a T-junction. She had appeared from the left. Samuemu had also fled in that direction.
"So, where is Levante?"
"Like I said, over there… probably…"
I pressed her as she pointed uncertainly toward the T-junction.
"…They're to the right."
"Liar! You came from the left!"
She must have spotted Samuemu and gotten carried away chasing after her. She was still breathing heavily. I sighed and patted her on the head. While I was at it, I stroked her dog ears as well. Then I turned to face the still-alert members of the New World party.
"I want to go after Samuemu with Fam."
I was worried about her, but after hearing Fam's story, I was also concerned about Levante. If possible, I wanted to meet up with them as soon as possible. They were saddled with the dead weight that was Shizuka, and Fam, a key part of their combat strength, was here. Mash-kun was unreliable as a fighter, which meant Mizuki was essentially their only front-liner. If they were attacked by a horde of trolls like we were, she wouldn't be able to hold them off alone.
"How?"
Chihiro asked.
"We'll have to search this floor for her tracks."
I couldn't think of a concrete plan. She might have already left the dungeon, but she must have had a reason for coming to this floor. I had a feeling it wasn't unrelated to Shizuka's partner, Ko-kun—no, Toratsuna. Etowan stood up. He seemed to have finished healing as well. He stomped his foot on the floor, testing it.
"It might be a trap. I doubt that little girl came to this floor alone. They could be using her as bait to lure us in for an ambush."
As he spoke, he picked up the small sword she had left behind and gripped its hilt. The blade was smeared with fresh blood. His and Hyakka-chan's.
"Next time I see her, I'll stick this in her heart."
"Don't say such dark things. She's just being threatened."
"You don't understand the situation at all, do you? And you've forgotten you were almost killed just now."
Etowan clicked his tongue and tossed me a red ribbon.
"It's from the treasure chest. It has a defensive effect, so you should wear it."
It seemed he had an appraisal ability as well. The ribbon tying Hyakka-chan's ponytail was faded in places, clearly having been used for a long time. I knew without asking that it was a gift from Chihiro. I wondered if he would mind. I looked at him, and he nodded. I tried to replace the ribbon with the one from Etowan, but I couldn't do it properly. As I fumbled, Sierra helped me.
We continued our search through the dungeon, chasing after Samuemu. Along the way, we fought a group of trolls, but with Fam distracting the enemy, the destructive power of Moos and Korne on the front line was amplified. Fam weaved through the trolls' clubs and swung her crescent blade in a wide arc.
"Kikuichimonji!"
The vacuum wave released with her sharp cry struck a goblin archer who was drawing its bow in the rear.
"Gyaah!"
The enemy, hit by the surprise attack, screamed and dropped its weapon. Without even trying to retrieve it, the monster fled for its life. Seeing this, its fellow goblin archers also began to flee one after another.
"Alright, let's finish them off!"
Korne's voice boomed. Moos also roared and struck a troll. Chihiro followed, with Hyakka-chan bringing up the rear. I couldn't pierce a troll's body without landing a mana-infused blow, but by dodging their attacks with quick movements and gradually accumulating damage, I could eventually defeat them. However, before I could finish one off, Korne and Moos would always step in to help. After the battle, Fam received a rough welcome from Korne and the others. She was mobbed and grimaced. I watched them from a distance.
"We don't need Hyakka in the New World anymore! When we meet up with Levante, let's trade Hyakka for Fam!"
"Hey! That's too harsh!"
Etowan was overjoyed. The most Hyakka-chan could do was offer a retort.
"Still, to grow this much in two months…"
Korne muttered admiringly. The person inside Hyakka-chan tried to say it had been two months for him too, but the center of attention was Fam. She laughed shyly and took a step back. She looked down and lightly scratched her cheek, trying to get through the situation. Just when I thought that, she broke out of the circle and ran over to me as if escaping.
"There's no sign of Levante or Samuemu nearby."
I tilted my head at her words. Samuemu had fled, so that was understandable, but it seemed she might have chased her farther than she realized.
"That's right. This dungeon is huge. I can sense monsters, but no people."
Etowan nodded in agreement with Fam.
"How about we leave the dungeon for a bit? We can ask around about what kind of party Samuemu was in. And if her target is us, she'll probably follow."
"Her target is the otherworldly heroes, meaning us?"
"Well, there might be something on this floor, though."
I answered Chihiro with a nod.
"Hey, what about the quest? We haven't hunted a single goblin archer yet."
Etowan interjected. I wondered if goblins from the lower floors wouldn't count. They were versatile and attacked with various weapons, some of which were bows. I understood that goblin archers were a subspecies of goblin, but I couldn't accept it.
"That worry might be gone…"
Etowan suddenly looked up. At the end of his gaze, from the shadows of the corridor, a new horde of trolls appeared.
After repeated battles, we had made our way back near the entrance of the floor. By then, we had defeated several goblin archers and collected the items for the quest.
"Samuemu was like a different person."
Fam murmured beside Hyakka-chan. She looked down at the corridor. The floor was made of stone tiles. These tiles glowed with a faint green light, making torches and other light sources unnecessary in the dungeon.
"What was she like?"
"It's hard to explain. But to me, she's like the sun. Energetic, always there, kind, straightforward, quick-tempered, dazzling, warm, reassuring, encouraging, someone I admire, but also a little lewd…"
Her disjointed words painted a picture of a normal friend, one that didn't match the image of the dagger-wielding Samuemu from before.
"How was she lewd?"
"Hmph!"
"…Never mind…"
She glared at me for a moment, but her gaze quickly dropped back to the floor.
"Samuemu is not the kind of person who would attack people with a weapon. She would never hurt anyone!"
"Don't people change? You used to cry whenever you were attacked by monsters, didn't you?"
"Hmph, even you, Master… Even you were lonely and bought me!"
She derailed the conversation and retorted defensively. I only meant to say that people change, but I regretted saying it in my usual tone.
"…Fam."
When I stopped, she also stopped and turned around.
"What is it?"
"You're right, Fam. I didn't want to be alone, so I bought you. That's why you must never leave me alone. From now on, you and I will be together."
"Master… I understand. We are two parts of a whole."
Fam averted her gaze but nodded deeply. I wanted to believe that now she wouldn't act recklessly on her own when she saw Samuemu. I knew it was a cowardly way to control her, using myself as a shield. But it was also my true feeling. I would be with her no matter what. I would vow it as many times as it took.
"But…" Fam murmured, turned her back, and started walking.
"Please say things like that when you're in your own body!"
I couldn't help but smile wryly at her words. I took her hand again.
"I promise, with Samuemu and…"
As I was speaking, Etowan, who was walking at the front, raised his arm to signal us to stop. He stopped as well. Samuemu was standing ahead of us.
"She can even hide her presence…"
Etowan instantly drew his dagger. It was the one Samuemu had left behind. He aimed its blade at Samuemu and threw it with all his might. She dodged it with practiced ease, the blade grazing her face, and caught the hilt. Her strong gaze glared at us. Her lips were pressed into a firm line. Without a word, she pointed the tip of her dagger at us, lowered her stance, and prepared to fight. In response to her pressure, the members of the New World party drew their weapons.
"Samuemu!"
Fam cried out and stepped between them. It was the same scene as when Hyakka-chan had done it earlier.
"Tch."
Etowan's click of the tongue echoed. He, too, began to move, just as he had before, to get behind Samuemu.
"Samuemu! Your voice… Let me hear your voice!"
Fam cried out again. Her voice seemed to make Samuemu hesitate, her face twisting slightly. But she bit her lip as if to hide her wavering. It was in that instant. Etowan ran along the edge of the corridor, circling outside Samuemu's line of sight to get behind her. As he tried to slip past her, she swung her small sword. Etowan dodged the white blade with a leap and landed behind her. Moos and Korne were already running after Etowan, and Chihiro followed them. No one gave a command, but with beautifully coordinated teamwork, they instantly surrounded Samuemu.
"Kuh…"
It was a groan, but it was the first time Samuemu had made a sound.
"The two little ones over there are crying and begging for you. So I'll say this, for what it's worth: resist. Don't drop your weapon. If you do, I'll kill you."
Etowan spoke in a joking tone. But his murderous tone showed he hadn't forgotten the blow to his foot. Hearing his words, Samuemu's body seemed to relax, and her hand gripping the small sword loosened. Seeing this, Fam took a few steps closer. At that moment, a figure lurking around the corner of the corridor revealed itself.
"Yuuki!"
It was the first time I had heard Chihiro raise his voice like that. I too gasped at the sight. It was undoubtedly Mizuki's senpai, Yuuki. He held his hands out in front of him, radiating an extraordinary killing intent.
"Fam, special skill! Protect the members of the New World party!"
At Hyakka-chan's cry, Fam broke into a run. But Yuuki was the first to act.
"Special Skill, Dragon of the Cosmic Progenitor!"
As Yuuki shouted, a tremendous amount of energy filled the space, and a giant dragon materialized behind him. Its body was covered in golden scales, and its vicious claws and sharp fangs gleamed menacingly. Its long, serpentine body writhed, and its red eyes, which shone with an eerie luster, opened wide. At the same time, its long, slit mouth opened wide, revealing a flash of sharp fangs. With the dragon's roar, a torrent of crimson flames was unleashed. It was an inferno of super-heated flames that could melt anything. The space around Yuuki and the dragon distorted, shrouded in a reddish-black haze. Fam stood in its path.
"Master, I will protect you! Special Skill, Yata no Kagami!"
A moment later, Fam also unleashed her special skill. A giant, shining circular plate materialized, separating the torrent of flames from our space. We narrowly avoided being burned, but a blast of hot air that felt like it was searing our lungs blew past. The dragon's attack didn't end there. It closed in on the Yata no Kagami and swung its sharp claws down. The impact caused the Yata no Kagami's light to flicker as if it had momentarily vanished. A high-pitched sound, like metal striking metal, rang out, piercing our ears and making the surrounding heat tremble.
"Master!"
Fam turned to me and shouted. The Yata no Kagami was about to be destroyed.
"I know!"
I had to come up with a countermeasure while she was protecting us. But my options were limited. A special skill could only be countered with another special skill. Hyakka-chan's special skills were "Prince on a White Horse," "Messenger of a Sleepless Night," and "Kujakumonkei." Hearing Yuuki shout his special skill, I thought it was a very chuunibyou-like name, but ours were just as fairytale-like. Only the last one had a different feel to it; this must be the skill she had told me to keep secret. There was no time to hesitate.
"Special Skill, Prince on a White Horse!"
I raised my hand and shouted, and from somewhere, the sound of hooves echoed. I looked behind me to see a beautiful white horse rearing up and neighing. It was probably a size larger than a normal horse. The horse shook its head and urged Hyakka-chan to get on its back.
"Where did the prince go? Don't tell me it's me!"
I couldn't help but retort to the white horse, but it just stared at me with its large, black eyes. The tension had been broken, but there was no time to waste; every second counted. I etched this firmly in my mind so I wouldn't forget. When I mounted the horse, white wings sprouted from its back and it gave a single flap. I tried to touch the wings, but my hand passed right through them. They were wings of illusion.
"Quick, on the horse's back!"
Hearing Hyakka-chan's voice, the members of the New World party ran over. Just as Fam got on, the mirror was shattered by the dragon's claws. And the surroundings were engulfed in a sea of flames. In the center of it all, Samuemu stood frozen.
"Samuemu!"
Fam reached out her hand. But she didn't try to take it.
"Samuemu, Samuemu! Take my hand!"
Fam stretched out her arm with all her might. But she, as if resigned, simply stared at Fam. Still, Fam leaned forward, trying to grab her. I held her tight from behind so she wouldn't fall. At that moment, Samuemu's body suddenly moved. She slapped away Fam's outstretched hand. Samuemu's body was engulfed in flames, and Fam's anguished cry was also swallowed by the fire and disappeared. To escape the flames, I spurred the white horse on.