Chapter 303 - Now, Having Risen
—'For now, just focus entirely on 'self-enhancement'.' That was the only order I received from Ashe, with whom I had decided to seriously pursue the subjugation of the Colored Monsters.
She would handle everything related to the raid, from selecting the necessary personnel to making all the arrangements.
In the meantime, I was to dedicate all my time to adventuring and thorough self-enhancement… which was the logical course of action, really. There was no other way.
As a true newcomer, I had neither the connections nor the knowledge to dabble in preparations for a large-scale battle. If a useless person like me had time to stand around doing nothing, then I should just accept my role and focus on honing myself as a 'sword'.
Due to these circumstances, for the foreseeable future, my schedule—no, our schedule—was packed to the brim. Unlike the Four Pillar War where I ran wild alone, I had naturally pushed for my partner's inclusion, so she was already recognized by the higher-ups as a special asset (provisional).
Her grand debut will be a little later, but I fully intend to blow them all away—with this adorable bug of a character, who is every bit as formidable as a certain princess.
"—Noin."
The keyword, which had its debut in this very place, seemed to have settled comfortably on her lips. It was a stylish word that would sound cringeworthy if I smugly uttered it, but when a beautiful girl says it with a serious expression, it just works.
Her calm voice was a manifestation of the confidence she had built up. The opponent that had made her cry so bitterly in the past was now being trampled by Sora as she commanded her magic swords with a wave of her conductor's blade.
A volley of magic swords was born from the void.
The seamless blades of sand swarmed the three [Wandering Decaying Statues] surrounding the girl with no delay, riddling the hollow armors with holes with a power incomparable to our 'previous' encounter where we had suffered so much.
"…………I've gotten… stronger, haven't I?"
"Without a doubt. I can't wait for your debut."
In the lull after the battle, Sora murmured as she gazed at her empty right hand, having made the conductor's blade disappear. I raised my hand to her.
"Ahaha… I'd really rather you didn't…"
"Oh, that sounds like the me from a little while ago. It's fine, it's fine, once you get over the hump, it's nothing."
"…Says the person who is still agonizing over it?"
Ouch, her comebacks have gotten sharper, too. As for the high-five I asked for, its impact was as adorable as ever.
"Well, jokes aside, those magic swords are getting crazier. Power, flexibility, cost-performance—in every aspect, they're honestly an upgrade to 'magic,' aren't they?"
"And to think this is only its first tier…"
"That's terrifyingly amazing."
"………………"
"I'm so sorry, that's not what I meant."
I swear, I swear to God, it was unintentional.
"If you're going to say that, you're even more terrifying, Haru. You've finally started rampaging without even using a weapon."
"Well, that's…"
"Look, we have company. It's your turn."
As we bantered without breaking our stride, the figures of our next enem—foes came into view down the corridor. Hmm, a three-man cell with a hand axe, a club, and a crude sword… are they bandits or something?
Honestly, at this point, it doesn't matter how many of these guys show up—
"Alright, here we go. You better remember this and be ready, you bastards."
Knowing that these endlessly spawning armored soldiers are part of a proper dungeon gimmick, I can't bring myself to deal with them carelessly.
I threw those words at the statues, which took a stance as they reacted to my step forward. I scoffed at the pressure that once made me break out in a cold sweat and—
"Become my arm—[An=ru Galta (Hypothesis: The Wedge-Armor that Sings of the Royal Road)]."
As I swung my arm to the side, my bracelet shone, and golden-silver rays of light burst forth—my left arm was swallowed by an armored gauntlet that reached up to my shoulder.
A transparent armor composed of 'lines of light,' similar to the special form of the [Revolving Wheel Shield]. If I were to describe what this is in the simplest terms—
"Hee… —ya!"
—It would be something like a fist loaded with a greatsword.
My approach was instantaneous, closing the distance in a flash.
I crushed the several-meter gap in the blink of an eye and threw a straight, dead-on left punch.
Thwoomp—with an unnatural sound for hitting metal, the statue at the point of impact was obliterated, and the two on either side staggered from the shockwave.
However, this was an end-game dungeon, after all.
Without wasting its previous accumulated data, and despite this being the first time seeing this, it tried to adjust its stance to counter my familiar movements—not that I'd give it time to, of course.
Thwack—thwack—two clean hits, one with a backfist and one with an elbow, cleared the passage… and just like that, 'my turn' was smoothly over in two seconds flat.
"Heh, this is way too fun."
It might be late to say it now, but I don't hate musou games. To be able to experience that, even virtually, with my own body is nothing short of a god-tier game.
Togo-shi, you said a lot of things, but this really is a god-tier game.
Even if experiences vary—there's no way a game where you can fully unleash your own polished avatar upon the world isn't fun.
Hurray for VRMMOs—what's so wrong with them being different from existing MMOs?
Well, that's that.
As a price for my own delightfully inhuman mobility, I could feel an exasperated gaze piercing my back…
"No, that was still within safe limits."
"I haven't said anything, you know?"
"I saw you! You were looking at me with those judging eyes!"
"I was just thinking that Haru is still Haru today."
"I'm saner than I was back then…!"
At least, saner than back then, when my excitement would break with every battle…!
"What's wrong with that? Apparently, that side of you is popular with the public, you know?"
"Let's not talk about the public, it actually gets to me."
That's one of those backhanded compliments for idiots, like 'you're always so energetic and fun to be around,' right? I'm aware of it, but it doesn't mean it doesn't do any damage!
"Come on, let's go. We promised we'd clear it today, even if we get beaten back again, remember?"
"As if we'd lose with this—yeah, yeah, I'm coming, just a second…!"
As I tried to calm Sora, who was pushing me forward as if to express her own eagerness.
The cold corridor we walked down, carving our certain growth into the world… felt as if the eerie, dark gloom had faded considerably since that day.
What the hell is "a fist loaded with a greatsword"?