kscans

Chapter 227 - Adventure

"VVVAAAAAAAGH—!"

At the same moment Geryon’s three heads roared, the Orthrus drooling beside it began to gather mana in its maws.

It took less than a tenth of a second. A crimson flame that instantly filled my vision erupted from its twin heads.

As the veritable tsunami of fire closed in, the figure in silver armor raised its long-handled battle axe.

"Blanc!"

The axe howled as its blade swung diagonally upward in a reverse cross-cut.

It’s impossible to slice through fire, but common sense had no place here.

[Concept Interference].

The silver blade, now wreathed in a gale, bisected the crimson tsunami.

Through the parted wall of flames, I saw Geryon, which should have been hidden by the fire, in a spear-throwing stance.

From the moment I saw it to the moment its arm swung was, quite literally, the blink of an eye.

Using my precognition, I read the trajectory of the log-like spears flying faster than sound. I deflected the first with my sword, knocked down the second, and batted the third away with my left gauntlet.

After launching a volley of spears while spinning, the three-headed giant leaped. Carried by its momentum, it brought down a newly-formed spear on top of me.

In response, I took two steps back to evade. As my vision was obscured by dust and shattered paving stones, I used my ‘sight’ to dart forward, leaving the spear that was descending from directly above behind me.

Before my eyes were the giant’s legs—impossibly muscular for its deathly pale skin.

I charged forward as if to ram it headfirst, then pivoted on my left foot into a horizontal spin. Keeping low, I planted my right foot firmly on the stone floor and slid between its legs.

An instant later, with the full momentum of my spin, I slammed my flame- and wind-wreathed blade into the back of its knee. With a sickening shunk, the blade tore through skin, severing flesh and bone.

"GAAAAAAAH!?"

Losing one of its legs, the giant shrieked and staggered off-balance. I planted a foot on its loincloth and vaulted upward.

I grabbed the shoulder of the nearest screaming torso with my left hand and plunged my sword into its neck.

Grinding against bone, I twisted the hilt to shred its nerves. The wind and flame still clinging to my blade seared its flesh from the inside.

Immediately, the torso to my left tried to smash me with its shield. I instinctively turned the sole of my foot toward it, absorbing the impact with my knees. I didn't fight its strength and let myself be sent flying.

My body shot away like a cannonball. As the distance to the wall closed in an instant, I released a blast of wind from my Flügel to spin.

I planted my feet on one of the ornate pillars embedded in the wall and immediately leaped diagonally downward. Without a moment's delay, a follow-up spear struck and shattered the pillar.

But the giant’s assault didn’t stop there. Its arm swung, its spearhead carving a destructive path along the wall as it chased me.

Keeping my body facing my opponent, I kicked off the floor to escape the spear's range.

Suddenly, a massive watchdog the size of an elephant came at me from the side, jaws agape.

But I didn’t even need to glance at it. Countless lances of ice flew past, piercing its black fur.

"Gaaah!?"

"Voh!"

Cries of pain erupted from both heads as the Orthrus was sent flying, spewing blood and guts. And then she charged in, her long blonde hair streaming behind her.

All I had to do was focus on the giant before me. I swayed to the side to dodge the thrusting spear and ran toward its right—the side without a shield.

Naturally, Geryon tried to turn and present its shield. But the moment its two remaining heads focused on me, the silver giant came crashing down from above.

Blanc, its battle axe empowered by wind-based acceleration and gravity, slammed down and crushed one of the giant’s heads, helmet and all. The impact forced more than half of its five legs to buckle, exposing a clear opening.

Even so, the last remaining torso immediately turned its shield and spear toward both me and Blanc. But by the time the white shadow entered my vision, I was already closing in.

I parried the instinctively thrust spear downward with my left palm and used the recoil to launch my body upward.

Spinning horizontally, parallel to the ground, I swung my sword with one hand. The blade bit into the giant’s neck, and with the added acceleration of wind and flame, it sliced diagonally through the torso.

As my momentum carried me into the air, I shifted my gaze to the Orthrus.

It was already over. A spear of ice had pierced its torso, and a ninja sword had entered its left eye, destroying its brain. Its right head and serpentine tail had been crushed by Ukon and Sakon, respectively.

Just as I landed, the two monsters collapsed with a low rumble. As I turned to keep them in my sights, they both transformed into piles of salt of equivalent mass.

After watching them dissolve, I glanced over at Erina-san.

"Don’t hear any other enemy footsteps. All clear!"

"Got it. …Phew."

I relaxed my stance at her words and let out a small breath.

"Good work, everyone. Is anyone injured?"

"No, I’m fine."

"Same here!"

"Me too."

"Excellent. I had a feeling, but it’s a relief to see you can handle this rank without any issues."

"Yes."

Through the telepathic link, I could feel Aira-san’s relief. It seemed she’d been worried in her own way.

That made me a little happy.

Watching Ukon retrieve the drop items from the pile of salt, I looked down at the silver bracelet on my left arm.

"How is it, Kyo-chan? The collaboration piece from Shii-chan and the others."

"It’s great. The output is higher, yet it’s stable."

The ‘Bracelet of the Flame Horse,’ formerly the ‘Ring of the Flame Horse.’ A simple name, but easy to understand, which I liked. Tools used on the battlefield felt better this way.

"Best of all, I can maintain the flame even when I take my left hand off the sword. It really opens up my combat options."

"Yeah! You should tell them that yourself when we get back!"

"Of course."

Just as I nodded to a beaming Erina-san, it seemed the item retrieval was complete.

Ukon was holding a red-legged, wooden carving of an ox. It was small enough to fit in the palm of my hand.

It was intricately crafted—just what you’d expect from an A-Rank drop item. It contained an immense amount of mana.

If I remember correctly, its effect was to ‘increase the wielder’s physical strength.’ Another simple ability. But for that reason, it was never a waste to have one.

The strange thing is that both Geryon and Orthrus drop the same item. They look completely different, but maybe they’re part of the same ‘lot’.

Well, I’ll leave that kind of thinking to someone else.

Erina-san took a purple drawstring pouch from her Item Box and placed the ox figurines inside.

Then, she held one of the pouches out to me.

"Here you go, Kyo-chan!"

"Thanks."

I took it and tied the string to the sword belt of my Arcane Gear.

Looking over, I saw Erina-san tucking hers into the breast of her kimono. That ninja-like outfit didn’t seem to have many places to store things, yet she managed it skillfully.

"Are you sure about this, Mia-san?"

"Yes. It will be more effective if you two have them. In exchange, please protect me properly, okay?"

I nodded in response to her gentle smile as she held her staff. Erina-san gave a thumbs-up and a grin.

We would sell these magic items, but I wanted to secure some for our own use as well. Their effect was greater than the Orc Champion drops, and they weren’t single-use.

Considering future battles, I wanted three for each of us, including spares. Not just for the members here, but for Shizuku-san, Aika-san, the professor, and Aira-san too, while I was at it.

We’d also kept the magic items dropped by the Holophagus without selling them. It was a shame that dungeon now belonged to the white dragon… Guivre, making retrieval impossible.

They would have been useful for taking that white lizard’s head. We’d have to use them carefully.

"Let’s resume the exploration."

"Right. Don’t let your guard down."

"Yes, of course."

The battle with Geryon and Orthrus was, judging by the result alone, an easy victory. And indeed, based on how it felt, they were opponents we could consistently defeat.

However, what if they came at us in numbers? If we were pincered? If enemy reinforcements suddenly attacked from the side?

Considering all that, I wasn’t sure we could handle it. It wasn’t impossible, but we’d have to take some serious risks.

Once again, the sound of our footsteps echoed in the corridor. A quick glance at Blanc showed no stagnation or lack in its mana flow. The Magi Battery seemed to be functioning properly.

As expected of the [Sage’s Nucleus]… a Philosopher’s Stone, I suppose.

The passage descended at a gentle slope, almost imperceptible to the senses. Occasionally, we’d encounter a clear set of downward stairs.

As we proceeded and neared the third crossroad Aira-san had mentioned, another warning came from Erina-san.

"Footsteps from the left passage. Number is… probably three. Two Orthrus, one Geryon, maybe?"

"Got it. We want to avoid being flanked. Let’s meet them here."

"I agree."

"Okay!"

We set up to ambush them at the corner, but a surprise attack was unlikely. Just as we had our superior ‘ears,’ they had their ‘noses.’

—Woooooooooooon!

A chorus of four howls shook the passage. Immediately, multiple sets of footsteps began charging toward us with tremendous speed.

"Ten… five… three…"

But even if a surprise attack wasn’t possible, a preemptive strike with brute force was.

At Erina-san’s count, I raised my sword and circulated my mana—

"Zero!"

"Hyaah!!"

At maximum output, I unleashed a storm of fire straight ahead.

Converging and then expanding, the heat ray, wrapped in wind, swallowed the Orthrus that burst forth.

Its massive body was carbonized in an instant. I kicked aside the scattered remains through the shimmering, superheated air and charged into their midst.

Despite its abrupt stop, Geryon immediately raised its shield. The other Orthrus bared its sharp, spear-like fangs and leaped at me.

I ducked under the beast’s descending paw and sliced its belly as I passed. Then, in the next moment, the eyeless serpent tail was lunging at me, its massive maw wide open.

I slid to evade it, and just as it passed between my legs, Geryon unleashed a thrust. In response, I blasted wind from my Flügel to forcibly sit up and block with my sword.

I parried the spearhead diagonally with my blade and, without stopping, tried to circle around to the giant’s right. But the giant wouldn’t allow it; its three heads glared at me as its six legs pivoted to keep its shield and spear facing me.

The Orthrus with the slashed belly was vomiting blood, but it planted its powerful limbs on the stone floor, turning its twin heads toward me and my companions.

Suddenly, the giant bent its knees and leaped. At the same time, hellfire fueled by mana erupted from the twin-headed beast’s mouths.

Right after I cut through it with wind and [Concept Interference], Geryon’s spear descended from directly above. I sidestepped to dodge, but a second and third spear followed in quick succession. They pierced the stone floor, each strike unleashing a wave of dust and a shockwave.

I retreated in an S-pattern to avoid them, only to be met by a shield bash, as if the giant meant to crush me with its entire body.

I couldn’t take that hit. This time, I leaped forward to evade the crushing shield. Dust from the shattered floor filled the air, and a log-like spear pierced through it, coming right for me.

I caught the spearhead with the flat of my blade and, without resisting, let the force send me flying toward my allies. My precognition warned me of a beast’s foreleg aiming for the back of my head, and I spun with a backhand fist to forcibly divert its trajectory.

As I swapped places with the Orthrus, the serpent tail bared its fangs without a moment’s delay. I deflected its snout with my pommel and used the recoil to spin horizontally, aligning my blade with its long neck.

My wind-and-flame-wreathed blade seared through its jade-colored scales. Just as I severed the tail, Blanc leaped over us and charged the giant.

Shrieking from the loss of its tail, the Orthrus’s twin heads turned to the silver knight that had passed over it. Seizing the opportunity, I leaped back toward the wall, and into the now-clear line of fire, lances of ice immediately shot forth.

One of the giant beast’s left hind legs was pierced, and a scream echoed through the passage. Taking advantage of the opening, I unleashed a maximum-output blast of wind from my Flügel and dashed past the staggering Orthrus.

As I passed, I slashed at its left foreleg. It wasn’t a clean cut, but I severed the bone.

With the watchdog collapsing completely off-balance behind me, I leaped into the battle ahead.

In the fight between Blanc and Geryon, a storm—in a not-so-metaphorical sense—was raging. The former was attacking with brute force, while the giant was skillfully using its three shields to mount a defense.

It was a brief stalemate. And then, my blade joined the fray.

"Oooooh…!"

The three heads grunted, trying to create distance. But unfortunately for them, I had the advantage in mobility.

Seizing the opening as it retreated, the battle axe struck the core of a shield. The golden shield shattered, and the massive arm beneath it was torn apart.

As a spray of dark, viscous blood filled the air, I charged. Instead of slowing, I accelerated with my Flügel, passing by its flank and searing through two of its legs.

With a short scream, the giant lost its balance. I scraped the floor with the soles of my feet to reverse direction and took flight. From the opposite side, Blanc also leaped, releasing wind as it did so, and we attacked from both sides.

The battle axe clove one of the torsos in a diagonal slash, and my longsword simultaneously lopped off two heads. My momentum carried me higher as I glanced toward the Orthrus. That fight seemed to be over as well; the massive black beast lay collapsed on the floor.

Landing softly, I remained vigilant. Keeping the two giant bodies that were turning to salt in my vision, I put my back to the wall and scanned my surroundings.

Then, I heard that familiar, laid-back voice.

"No other sounds! No more enemies!"

"Got it. Good work."

"Good work, everyone."

"Nice work!"

I let out a breath of relief, lowered my sword, and turned to Mia-san.

"How’s your mana? I imagine you’re using more than usual."

"No problem. I’ve gotten stronger too, you know."

Mia-san puffed out her chest with a slightly proud smile, clenching her fists.

I nodded in return and quickly looked away. This girl could be so unguarded sometimes; it was bad for the eyes. I had to be careful not to let my gaze drift toward her accentuated chest.

While Ukon collected the drops, I spoke to Aira-san through my earring.

"Battle over. We’ll resume exploration after collecting the drop items."

"Understood. From the sound of it, you’re all safe. Just don’t get lost because of the fighting, alright?"

"Right. From the path we were on, we go right, correct?"

"That’s correct. That dungeon is quite large, so getting lost would be a disaster. It’s not impossible that you might find the next marker, get into a fight, and then move on without confirming your direction."

"I’ll keep that in mind."

The chances of getting lost were low thanks to the paint markers and Aira-san’s navigation, but the more we moved, the more we’d be worn down.

We had the upper hand in battle, but we were still expending energy. I wanted to avoid any unnecessary consecutive fights.

Steeling myself once more, I confirmed that Ukon had given the drops to Erina-san and Mia-san. Seeing Mia-san put the wooden carving into her pouch, I rested the flat of my sword on my shoulder.

"Well then, shall we go?"

"Let’s go!"

"Yes…!"

In contrast to the ever-energetic Erina-san, my voice and Mia-san’s were a little tense. And that was understandable. It wasn’t just because it had been a while since our last dungeon.

The cause was our ‘destination.’

First, we would head for the exit secured by the Self-Defense Force.

And after that—

We would challenge this dungeon’s master.

This wasn’t a chance encounter, nor were we rescuing someone under attack.

We were here because we had chosen this ‘trial’ for ourselves.

To defeat that dragon, we had to be able to do at least this much. To overcome a catastrophe beyond all existing ranks.

We had no intention of going to a B-Rank or lower dungeon for a warm-up. We had hesitated long enough. We couldn’t afford to stand still any longer.

…Though it was a little embarrassing for me, the one who had agonized the most, to be saying that.

Pushing those thoughts to the corner of my mind, I forced my heavy, instinct-driven legs forward with reason and grit.

Down a passage that gently sloped deeper and deeper underground, keenly feeling the presence that awaited us at its end.

We continued our ‘adventure.’