kscans

Chapter 250 - The White Army

A white passage, above and below.

It had to be at least ten meters wide and tall. About five minutes after we started walking, I spotted something other than blue and gold decorations on the white walls.

I read the numbers and letters painted in yellow to her through my earring.

"Aira-san. Found a marker. We're at 'D-156'."

"...Right. Continue straight. You'll pass two crossroads, then you'll hit a T-junction. Take a right there."

"Understood."

"Also, just in case, Erina-kun, please check the map on the provided smartphone. I doubt this genius could make a mistake, but this dungeon is a little unusual."

"OK, senpai!"

Aira-san's responses were slightly slower than usual.

Considering she was fine just a moment ago, it was likely due to the number of people she had to navigate rather than the dungeon's mana.

As I was thinking that, Erina-san, who was checking the map on her phone, froze.

"Diagonally right... an enemy is approaching from the right side of the nearest crossroad."

"How many?"

"Two drakes, six Sachs... no, three are mounted. Ten in total."

"Got it."

Erina-san stored her phone in her Item Box and took out the Daisharinmaru instead.

Blanc and I moved to the left and right walls respectively, so as not to block her line of fire. Immediately after, I could also hear the sound of the approaching enemy.

Gracefully, Erina-san lifted her left leg. Straight up, her toes pointing to the ceiling.

"Ultimate move..."

The monsters appeared from around the corner. The drakes roared, and the white soldiers let out war cries.

The Sachs mounted on the Wyverns lowered their lances and charged, while those on foot formed a phalanx-like shield wall.

The distance was roughly 200 meters. At our combat speed, we'd be in range in moments.

But before any sword or spear could reach.

The ninja's blade was unleashed.

"'Gale! Invisible Ninjas Ultimate Attaaack!'!"

"So lame."

The words escaped my lips, but its power was immense.

The thrown shuriken's spin snared the mana in the air.

The invisible walls that should have hindered ranged attacks from dungeon-derived weapons were simply consumed as 'fuel'.

And in the Alabaster Labyrinth, where an immense amount of mana circulated...

───ROOOOAR...!!

A tornado manifested, so powerful it was impossible to even stand.

I quickly stabbed my sword into the wall to keep from being blown away. In the corner of my vision, Blanc was doing the same, stabbing its sword into the floor, while Erina-san anchored herself with her hook claws.

The Daisharinmaru, wreathed in the tornado, broke the sound barrier and flew straight ahead. The Wyverns had no room to dodge and were swallowed by the blades of wind, minced to pieces along with their riders.

Beyond them, the shield wall formed by the Sachs took the brunt of the tornado and held. Furthermore, they managed to stop the main projectile, the shuriken, at the cost of the two in the center.

The remaining four broke into a run, showing no concern for their comrades who had been shredded in the air.

"RAAAAAAYYYY!!"

Ditching their tower shields, the Sachs sprinted with spears and swords in hand. Their powerful legs closed the distance between us in a literal instant, leaping into blade's reach.

But we wouldn't let them close in for free. An icy battering ram flew like a cannonball, crushing one of them. Three remained.

"YYYYYYYAAAAAAA!"

"Hmph...!"

I pivoted on my left foot, spinning to evade a thrusting spear. My Flügel fluttered as I used the momentum to decapitate my opponent.

Immediately after, I parried a sword swing from the side with my own blade, then drove my left fist into my attacker's face without pause. A burst of flame slammed it forcefully to the ground.

I tried to crush its throat with my heel, but it dodged with feline agility. A spiderweb of cracks spread across the white floor as my foot sank in.

Through the cloud of dust, the Sachs swung its blade in a horizontal slash aimed at my neck. I foresaw it with my [Spirit Eye] and blocked it with my left gauntlet.

"Hah!"

I used wind and fire to forcibly knock it away, then brought my sword down on its head. Sparks flew as it collided with the helmet, but the blade still sank in to about its nose.

But it wasn't over. Even as it fell to its knees, it tried to grab my half-sword to restrain me.

Before it could, I kicked it in the stomach, pulled my sword free, and lopped off its head with a returning slash.

With my back to the wall, I scanned my surroundings. The one that had gone the other way had also been cut down by Blanc.

"No enemies in the area! A great victory!"

At Erina-san's carefree voice, I lowered the tip of my sword.

Moving away from the wall and back to the center of the passage, she ran without a sound to retrieve the Daisharinmaru.

"Everyone alright?"

"I am fine."

"Same here!"

Mia-san replied, lightly raising her staff, while Erina-san returned with a smug look on her face.

Blanc and Ukon and Sakon were also largely undamaged.

"But, you know, maybe it's better not to use 'Gale! Invisible Ninjas Attack!' too much in this dungeon?"

"Putting the name aside, I agree it's best to be selective about when to use it."

"The amount of mana in this dungeon is higher than I expected."

I nodded in agreement with their words and let my gaze wander.

The mana concentration was so thick it felt suffocating, many times that of Cerberus's dungeon. If a non-Awakened Person were exposed to this, they'd either instantly Awaken if they were lucky, or die within seconds if they weren't. It was that dense.

"I can't rely on [Spirit Eye] for scouting, only for premonitions. Erina-san, I'll be relying on you more than usual, but..."

"Leave it to me!"

Erina-san put away her shuriken, placed her hands on her hips, and puffed out her chest.

I gave a wry smile, looked away, and confirmed that Ukon had finished collecting the drops.

"Alright, it's about time."

"Yes. Let's go."

"OK!"

She put the gold coins in her Item Box, and we resumed our exploration. We proceeded straight to the T-junction and turned right.

"Aira-san. We've turned right at the T-junction."

"Right. Are you safe? You're safe, right?"

"Yes, we're fine."

"Excellent. We were in a fight over here too, but Sana-kun and Baba-sama took care of it, so no problem."

"That's... good to hear."

I had instinctively stopped walking when I heard they were in battle, but it seems they got through it safely.

I know the capabilities of that golem, Ariadne, well. In terms of pure output, it surpasses even Blanc.

It cost some extremely rare materials and is a money-sink that needs a full parts replacement after every sortie, but for this occasion, it's a fine machine.

"...Is the Professor okay too?"

"Yeah. She's chugging some kind of magic potion, but my Appraisal says there are no immediate issues. She'll probably be throwing up and collapsed by tomorrow, though."

"...I see."

I'd wondered what she'd use the oni horn for, but it was for a pretty high-strain doping agent, huh.

I thought it was reckless, but this whole operation was reckless from the start. All I can do is bring her a get-well gift later.

That's right. Everything depends on getting back alive.

"So, you turned right. If you continue straight for a while, you should find a room-like space. There are no side paths until then, so contact me when you arrive."

"Understood. Good luck."

"You too."

Ending the telepathic call, we started walking again.

Even though I was leaving all the scouting to Erina-san, I couldn't let my guard down. I proceeded with my nerves on edge.

After walking for about five minutes, Erina-san stopped.

"Multiple enemies, straight ahead. Two drake cavalry, six infantry. They're getting closer."

"Got it."

I leaped into the air in preparation for the Wyverns.

Just as she said, the monsters appeared from the far end of the passage.

"I'm charging in!"

With that, I accelerated. The enemy cavalry also increased their speed and rushed toward me.

They fired fireballs as if to test us. Just after I dodged them with ease...

"Tch!?"

Following my premonition, I swung my sword, and its blade clashed with a thrown spear, sending sparks flying.

What, something's...!

There was no time to think. Our relative speeds meant the enemy was already upon me.

I thought the drake would fire a fireball at close range based on the flow of mana, but instead, it used the recoil from its breath to whip its head upwards.

It unleashed a sudden kick with its hind legs, which I managed to parry with my sword. Immediately after, the second one charged, its hind claws aimed to tear into me.

"Kuh!"

I blocked with my left gauntlet but was pushed back by the difference in size. As I staggered from the impact, I saw a Sachs leap from the drake's back.

"WRAAAA!"

"Don't underestimate me!"

The white soldier swung its sword down, but I leaned my body back even further to evade. I slammed the pommel of my sword into the side of the charging enemy's head, sending it flying.

Then, I grabbed the lance of the other rider, who had made a U-turn and was charging at me.

Though I was being pushed back, I crushed the lance tip and released my Flügel to surge forward. I lopped off the Sachs's head and immediately pierced the Wyvern's back through its saddle.

I burned the screaming drake from the inside out and kicked off to disengage. In the corner of my eye, the other riderless Wyvern dodged an icy battering ram, only to be impaled by a hook claw.

───Just as I thought.

"Their skill is higher than before! Be careful!"

"WOOOOOO!"

Roaring, I dove toward the enemy infantry. I parried a thrusting spear and forcibly wedged myself into the resulting opening.

Carrying my momentum, I smashed my left iron fist into one's head, shattering it. I kicked the one next to it to gain altitude, leaving the enemy's sword behind.

I dodged a spear thrown at my back thanks to my premonition and circled around behind the enemy group. Trying to wear them down with surprise attacks from above would take too long.

A bad feeling rose in me, and that was the one thing I wanted to avoid. I had to crush them quickly.

The moment my toes touched the ground, I unleashed my wind at maximum output. Simultaneously kicking off the floor, I hit top speed in an instant.

"Charge!"

"GAAAA!"

Three of them turned to face me, raising their weapons and running.

I parried a spear thrust meant to stop me, and immediately swords swung at me from the left and right.

I blocked them with the part of my blade near the hilt and my left hand, then the soldier in front jabbed at me with its now-pointless shaft.

I deflected it with my breastplate while spinning my body horizontally. Using wind and fire, I forcefully knocked away the blades from both sides as well.

I cut down the slightly off-balance soldier in front of me with a diagonal slash and immediately leaped at the Sachs to my left.

It raised its sword above its head to block, but I swept its ankle with a kick without a moment's delay. I bisected the Sachs's neck in mid-air as its body became parallel to the floor.

Next, I sensed a sword thrust from behind with my premonition. Turning, I slammed my blade into the flat of its sword, shattering it.

Following through with the momentum, I sent it flying with a punch from my left gauntlet. The enemy stumbled back but re-gripped its broken sword like a knife.

"AAAA!"

"Raaah!"

I dodged the stabbing attack that came like a body blow, and as I passed, I severed its right arm.

With a returning slash, I buried my blade in the nape of its neck and lopped its head off.

Taking a few steps back, I readied my sword and glanced toward my allies. I'd thought they might need help, but it looked like they had just finished up as well.

Two of the Sachs were frozen solid, and the remaining one had a ninja sword through its heart from the side, with Blanc's two-handed sword embedded in its head.

After pulling her blade free and a few seconds of vigilance, Erina-san nodded.

"No sound of other enemies. All clear."

"Got it... phew."

Walking to avoid the drakes and soldiers that had turned to salt, I regrouped with them.

"Erina-san. Is it just me, or..."

"Yeah. It's not just that their skill has improved. It feels like they 'know' how we fight."

"I thought so."

At our conversation, Mia-san frantically touched her earring.

"Nee-san! The enemies' movements are strange! They're learning our movements!"

"...Hold on a second. ...Yeah. The same report just came in from other adventurers."

A bitter voice came through the telepathic link.

"It seems the monsters are sharing their senses with each other. For parties whose battles have dragged on, enemy reinforcements have arrived almost without fail."

"How troublesome."

"Indeed. And at your location, it's still difficult to rendezvous with other parties. If you go lower, the floors get narrower, so there's a chance, but..."

"Understood. We'll aim for decisive battles as much as possible."

"Please do. With your skills, you should be able to overwhelm them even if they know some of your moves."

"...Yes."

I swallowed the weak words that almost escaped and nodded.

An adventurer must be positive. If you lose in spirit, you can't win even winnable battles.

It might sound like pointless motivational talk, but in truth, one's state of mind is no laughing matter on the battlefield.

"More importantly, are you and the others okay, Nee-san? Should we, or at least some other adventurers, come to guard you...?"

"No need, Mia. You just need to focus on your own enemies. Don't worry. Thanks to Baba-sama, this cannon has some interesting uses. I won't be defeated so easily, and if it comes down to it, I'll just teleport all over the place and escape."

"...I understand."

Mia-san squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then opened them.

"I believe in you. My sister is someone who can be relied on, but only when it really counts!"

"Damn right. ...Hmm?"

She chuckled, then ended the call.

"Let's go. We need to defeat the Guivre as quickly as possible."

"Yes."

"Yeah!"

Nodding at Mia-san's words, we started walking again. We could forget about collecting drop items for now.

It was a race against time. The ridiculously large gold coins were tempting, but not worth our lives.

And so, we continued down the straight path.

After walking for about ten minutes, the entrance to a huge room came into view. There was no door, so we could see inside clearly.

It was a space with an unusually large number of pillars, each thick and decorated with blue and gold, standing at intervals of over ten meters. It vaguely resembled the underground temple-like flood channels in Tokyo that I had seen on TV before.

Perhaps because it would be difficult to fly in there, there were only infantry in sight.

Ten Sachs were waiting. At this distance, I opened my mouth to ask Erina-san to launch a preemptive strike with her Daisharinmaru.

In that instant, a chill ran down my spine.

The Sachs, with their shields turned towards us, began to bunch up tightly. They pressed the edges of their shields together, forming something like a giant cocoon.

Behind it, mana swirled. As if melting, and then, as if mixing.

"You've got to be kidding me...!"

"Kyo-chan!?"

I instinctively broke into a full-speed charge.

The distance was around 500 meters. For me, I might just make it.

At maximum output, I sprinted, tearing up the stone pavement. The ground shattered under my feet, the debris scattering behind me, ravaged by the wind.

I closed the distance in just under four seconds. I slammed my flame-wreathed sword into the cocoon of white shields.

The shields shattered as easily as eggshells.

But my blow was stopped by the massive greatsword beneath them.

"Ngh...!"

A deafening roar echoed through the vast space. It was a room so huge it made the passages so far feel narrow. Here, in this place lined with pillars like a temple, a single monster emerged from the crumbling cocoon of shields.

With a grinding shriek, the locked blades were pushed back.

The white warrior that stood up was a giant, easily over two meters tall. Its limbs were as thick as logs, and its armor, a combination of fur and thick cloth, seemed to have more decorations than the others.

And then there was its helmeted head. On its face, four eyes swiveled and stared.

The eyes, which had been darting around during our sword lock, suddenly snapped to face me.

Those eyeballs had no whites or pupils. They were just pure white, yet I knew.

Their focus had locked onto me.

"■■■...!"

"Kuh...!"

The blade it swung with one hand sent me flying. I didn't try to resist, instead leaping back and readying my sword again.

"This is just getting ridiculous...!"

Just when I thought we couldn't afford a long battle, this happens.

Just as Fafnir had done back then───the Sachs had fused.

Beneath a magnificent mustache, the four-eyed swordsman bared its teeth. Its stance was as refined as any of the mighty warriors I had ever faced.