kscans

Chapter 62 - An Unexpected Result

The day after I delivered Mokuren to Ooyama-san and discovered that Busujima-san was a chuunibyou.

A depressing Monday had arrived.

"Hah..."

I let out a sigh, too quiet for anyone to hear.

Break time started, and not a single person came to talk to me as I fiddled with my phone. Today, like every other day, I was alone.

I didn't even have the energy to dress it up as being '†solitary†'. I was just plain lonely, and the feeling was unbearable.

While everyone around me chatted and laughed with their friends, I was the only one in silence. The atmosphere, a palpable sense that I was a foreign object, pressed in on me.

Won't someone please come and talk to me? The courage to start a conversation myself... still seemed a long way off.

As if my pessimistic thoughts had been answered, a male student started walking this way.

My [Spirit Eye] caught his approach with its wide field of vision, and I barely managed to stifle a surprised yelp.

Wait, is he really coming to talk to me? W-What do I do? How should I respond? No, first, what is he even going to say...

While I was lost in thought.

—CLAP!

Suddenly, the student clapped his hands loudly near my face.

I had been able to clearly track his movements, so I wasn't particularly startled. But I couldn't understand his intention and braced myself.

"Uh, um..."

"Ah, sorry. There was a bug flying around!"

With that, the student scurried back to his group. I think his name was Ito-kun...?

He rejoined his circle of friends and started talking in a low voice. I strained my ears, trying to catch what they were saying.

Fortunately, for some reason, the classroom had grown a little quiet the moment he clapped his hands.

"What's up? Back already? You chicken out?"

"I'm not scared! A 'dare' like this is a piece of cake."

"Maybe. He's supposed to be an adventurer, but did you see how Yagawa flinched at the sound just now?"

"Right? Maybe being an Awakened Person isn't all that it's cracked up to be."

...Ah. So that's what this is.

The clamor returned to the classroom. I felt like more eyes were on me than before.

My [Spirit Eye], with its needlessly wide vision and kinetic acuity, caught all of them.

Every single one was a mixture of fear, curiosity, and caution.

...Busujima-san was going on about 'Am I scary? This cursed power of mine...!', but it's pretty common to be feared just for being an Awakened Person.

Yes, it's a common thing.

To be used as the subject of a test of courage, to be feared without reason one moment, and then underestimated the next. There's no way this place could feel comfortable.

If I could have cracked a witty joke right then, would I have been able to fit in?

Or maybe if I could have gathered with other Awakened people, like Erina-san and her friends, would we have been able to 'coexist' better?

Either way, both options were exceedingly difficult for me.

The bell rang, and everyone returned to their seats. I listened intently to the lecture, took notes.

Feeling a small sense of accomplishment from just copying down the blackboard, the bell rang again for lunch break.

"Kyou-chan, Kyou-chan! Let's eat lunch together again today!!"

At the invitation from Erina-san, who had come over from the next classroom, I hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Every time I'm with them like this, the stares from those around me become more painful.

But still, I wanted to be with someone.

*

"Dungeon time!"

"Erina-san. If you make too much noise, you'll bother the people around us."

"Okay."

"That said, don't look like there are any other adventurers here besides us."

"No, um... the Dungeon Store staff are here too, so."

After school. Once again, the four of us had come to the Lesser Treant Dungeon Store.

I felt like I could breathe a little easier than last time. Was it because not only Erina-san, but Busujima-san too, was no longer an unknown entity to me?

Ooyama-san didn't have that 'modern high school girl' vibe either, so being with her wasn't that intimidating.

...If only we were all in the same class.

We split up by gender to go to the changing rooms and get ready. I waited by the door, and soon Erina-san and the others came out with Mokuren. It seemed they had already activated it inside.

Having a custom body is convenient in this regard, too. You can activate it before entering the dungeon, which significantly increases safety.

"Alright, let's give it our all again today!"

"R-Right."

Perhaps Busujima-san's warning had an effect, as Erina-san shouted her encouragement in a low voice. I replied in a similarly quiet tone.

And so, our second round of level grinding began.

...Not that there's much to say about the early stages.

Just like last time, we'd reduce the number of attacking Lesser Treants to two, then I'd lend my sword to Busujima-san and have them attack the monsters I was holding down.

About thirty minutes after entering the dungeon, Busujima-san and the others finally reached the requested 'LV: 5'.

'I've confirmed with my skill. They've reached the target level.'

"Yay! Congratulations, Ā-chan! Shī-chan!!"

"Congratulations."

"Th-Thanks...?"

"...Yeah."

Erina-san threw her hands up in the air, and I looked around before giving a small round of applause.

However, the two of them had strange expressions. Hmm? Were they that tired?

"What's wrong, you two? Aren't you happy?"

"No, I am happy, but..."

"This leveling is several times faster than I expected. My brain can't keep up."

To Erina-san's question, Busujima-san replied with a wry smile, and Ooyama-san with her usual scowl.

I see. It's true that reaching level '5' in two days is a pretty fast pace. I think it took me a little longer.

It felt like a long time, but looking back calmly, it was an incredible speed. It's no wonder Busujima-san and the others were bewildered.

In that case, the leveling method I came up with was the right one. I should pat myself on the back.

...Though, I can't think of a way to use this method on myself. A method, or rather, a connection?

"I get it. But it's gonna get tough from here, you know? It's hard to level up in 'F' rank anymore, so we'll have to get promoted to 'E'. And from now on, Kyou-chan won't be there to gwa-shee! for you!"

"Yes. I'm aware."

"That was the plan from the start."

"That's the spirit! There are three heading this way right now, so let's give it a try!"

"! Y-Yes!"

"Right...!"

Busujima-san handed me the sword and immediately took out her crossbow.

Just as she drew the string and loaded a bolt, the Lesser Treants came into view.

'Gigi!'

'Gi! Gi!!'

As the monsters with cave-like eyes glared at us, Busujima-san tried to take aim.

But this was apparently her first time shooting at a moving target. The arrow she fired hit the wall and clattered to the floor.

"Mokuren, get in front!"

Following Ooyama-san's command, Mokuren advanced with its shield raised.

Two of the three monsters attacked the golem with their sharp, spear-like arms, while the remaining one slipped past and charged at Ooyama-san.

"You...!"

She met it with a high overhead swing. She missed and hit the floor, but it forced the monster back. Sparks flew between her warhammer and the stone floor.

In the meantime, I backed away with Erina-san to watch the fight. If things got dicey, I'd have to jump in.

"—[Cursefire]!"

One of the two monsters battering Mokuren's shield burst into flames. Black fire enveloped its stump-like body, gradually causing it to wither.

That one fell backward as if it had lost all strength.

'Gi, gigi...?!'

"Hah!"

Ooyama-san hooked the pick-like spike of her warhammer onto the Lesser Treant's right leg and pulled with all her might, toppling it.

The monster, which had fallen on its backside, tried to get up immediately, but her downward swing came first.

With a cracking sound, the hammer smashed into the Lesser Treant. Wood chips flew, but it seemed to have withstood the first hit. However, a second blow finally silenced it.

The one engulfed in black flames lay motionless, and the one that was shattered had already turned to salt.

Only one remained. Mokuren, shield still up, slowly closed the distance. The range was too close for the creature to stab with its sharp arms, so it could only resort to flailing strikes.

They couldn't penetrate the steel shield and armor, and Ooyama-san took advantage of an opening to knock the last one down from the side.

After that, just like before, the hammer reduced the Lesser Treant to splinters.

The one afflicted by the curse also turned to salt, and Busujima-san and the others let out a breath. Seeing that, I also breathed a sigh of relief.

They're more stable than I thought. I've never encountered four at once in this dungeon, so they should be able to handle it just fine.

...Still, is it arrogant of me to think they're still a bit reckless?

"Yeah! Nice work, you two! You took them down perfectly!"

"Yep."

"Yes. And it's all thanks to your cooperation."

Ooyama-san, with her warhammer slung over her shoulder, and Busujima-san, who had collected her bolt and the coins, smiled.

Erina-san, nodding in agreement, turned her gaze to Busujima-san's crossbow.

"But Ā-chan, I still think that weapon's lacking in attack power. You can handle it with one hand, but it's hard enough to kill a normal person with it, let alone a monster."

She just said something pretty terrifying so casually.

I was slightly taken aback by Erina-san, but I agreed with her. That crossbow really is weak.

It has its advantages, like portability and a short draw time, but with that thing, you couldn't expect much attack power even against goblins, which it's relatively good against. It's only good for harassment, at best.

"Do you really think so...?"

"You could either go all-in on curses, or maybe switch to a sling! Or maybe you could do something to the arrows? A bigger crossbow... might be hard to handle."

"...I'll think about it."

Busujima-san unstrung her crossbow and put it in her backpack along with the drop items.

Keeping that in the corner of my eye, I scanned our surroundings. Since Erina-san hadn't said anything, I assumed no enemies were coming, but...

"So, what should we do? Head back for today?"

"Yes. I'm fine for today, but..."

"How about we test your big shuriken at the end?"

Ooyama-san looked up at Erina-san with her sharp eyes.

"I'm here, too, so it's probably a good idea to make sure you can use it properly."

"Hmm... you sure?"

"I don't mind."

"I'm fine with it, too."

"...Um... I'm fine on time, too, but is it already finished? That shuriken."

I just gave her the materials yesterday. Did she really finish it overnight?

As I wondered about this, Ooyama-san puffed out her chest proudly.

Her large breasts were emphasized through her leather vest. She's short, but she's stacked...!

"I started making it about a month ago, so all that was left was to fuse the final 'materials.' Besides, how could I not work when faced with such high-quality materials? Of course I pulled an all-nighter."

"No. Coming to a dungeon after pulling an all-nighter is just... not a good idea."

"Don't worry. I slept during class."

"That's not reassuring at all. I'll show you my notes later, but you really should pay attention in class, you know?"

"...Yeah."

Busujima-san put a hand on Ooyama-san's shoulder with a smile, but her eyes weren't smiling.

We've only known each other for a short time, but I feel like I'm starting to understand their relationship.

Ooyama-san, the type who acts before she thinks and can act, and Busujima-san, who thinks before she acts and can't act otherwise.

It's not about which one is better, but I think they're the kind of pair who can support each other.

I overheard during lunch today that they've known each other since elementary school.

That's nice. I wish I had friends from way back in the same school...!

"Hehehe. Well then, if you insist... it's time to unveil the 'Daisharinmaru'!!"

Erina-san pulled the giant shuriken from her [Item Box] with a smug look on her face.

As for the name, Aira-san and I spent about an hour in the evening persuading her.

That was a close one... If we had let Erina-san have her way, it would have been named the 'DX Kyou-chan Model Giant Shuriken Ā-chan Shī-chan Erina Special,' a name that gives me a headache just thinking about it.

Seriously, what possessed her to even consider that name?

Incidentally, one of the reasons it took an hour to persuade her was because Aira-san piped up with 'You're not going to put my name in it...?' This caused Erina-san to start coming up with even more bizarre names.

But I digress. Back to the dungeon.

"Alright. Let's find a Lesser Treant and throw it. Tonight, the 'Daisharinmaru' thirsts for blood!!"

"It's evening, and they don't bleed, you know."

"Shut up, Kyou-chan! I sentence you to the oolong tea punishment!"

"The what?"

What the heck is an oolong tea punishment? Is she going to cover my face with a towel and pour oolong tea on it...?

No, in her case, she most likely said it without thinking. Erina-san sometimes speaks without her brain being engaged.

"Found one! Around the next corner, a little further ahead! Charge!"

With the giant shuriken... the 'Daisharinmaru'... in hand, Erina-san started walking with high spirits.

After exchanging glances with Busujima-san and the others, we followed her.

As expected of Erina-san, her scouting was a complete success, and there were two Lesser Treants exactly where she said they would be.

'Gi! Gigi!'

Naturally, the Lesser Treants noticed us too. They let out a sound like rustling branches and started running towards us.

Normally, I would step forward and draw my sword, but this time it's an experiment for the 'Daisharinmaru.' I'll just watch for now.

"Rinzaki style, secret technique!"

Erina-san lifted her right leg high as she swung the shuriken back.

Her leg was stretched so straight, toes pointed, that it looked like a standing split. My eyes were drawn to her white thighs and the brief glimpse of her inner shorts.

Does this person have no shame!? Thank you very much!?

"One-Legged Tatara Throw!!"

Yeah, that has absolutely nothing to do with her family. It's a rip-off of what some baseball player did.

That retort popped into my head, but I didn't have the luxury of saying it.

It's not because I was focused on Erina-san's leg or her shorts. This [Spirit Eye] doesn't have its enhanced vision and wide field of view for that.

—The flow of mana in the dungeon had changed.

"!?"

Slurp. With incredible speed, mana began to swirl around the Lesser Treants.

Before I could even comprehend what that meant, another change occurred.

—GYUOH...!

The 'Daisharinmaru' accelerates by releasing wind from its four blades, but just before it hit the Lesser Treants, it 'ensnared' the swirling mana in the air.

[Concept Interference].

The skill, likely fused into the 'Daisharinmaru' by Ooyama-san along with [Mana Conversion], reacted to the magical 'defense' and activated automatically. The shuriken gained an additional burst of speed in mid-air.

As a result.

—GUOOOOOOOOOOOH!!

"Huh?"

Accompanied by a gale fierce enough to be a small tornado, the 'Daisharinmaru' bisected both Lesser Treants at once.

Its momentum didn't stop there. It continued forward, scraping against the wall with a grinding sound, tearing through roots and vines as it went.

It seemed to have finally stopped over ten meters away, embedding itself in the floor with a sharp clang.

A gaping gash was carved into the wall where the blade had passed.

After watching the bisected Lesser Treants turn to salt, myself, Erina-san, and Busujima-san all turned to Ooyama-san at once.

Okay, what the heck was that!?

"Eh? What is this? I don't know. Scary..."

The creator herself, bewildered.

Seeing Ooyama-san's dumbfounded expression, I judged that she didn't know what was going on either and spoke to my earring.

"Aira-san, did you see that?"

'Yes... I saw it, but I didn't understand a thing. My kinetic vision isn't good enough to use [Appraisal] on it. On the other hand, were you able to discern anything with your eyes?'

"I did see the flow of mana in the dungeon change the moment Erina-san threw the shuriken. Also, it looked like the [Concept Interference] embedded in the shuriken wrapped up the mana swirling in the air, increasing its speed and destructive power."

'...Why did the flow of mana in the dungeon change?'

"I don't know. It didn't look like the Lesser Treants did anything..."

'I can't say anything for sure. There are too many unknowns. We'll have to investigate this further at a later date.'

"Understood."

Just as I finished my telepathic conversation with Aira-san, Erina-san returned after collecting the 'Daisharinmaru' and the coins.

"Kyou-chan, Kyou-chan! Did you see that?! Amazing! So amazing! It was probably thanks to your materials, right!?"

"P-Probably...? But there's a possibility that Ooyama-san's skill had something to do with it..."

"Either way, it's amazing! Yay! My 'Daisharinmaru' is invincible!"

I had no idea what the principle behind it was, but at least Erina-san's 'lack of attack power' seemed to be resolved.

However, I'll have to be careful where I use this thing, given its power and range. It was fine this time because the passage was long and straight, but if used in a narrow space, it could ricochet back at worst. And we still don't even know what caused the mana flow to change in the first place.

As I was thinking about this, someone grabbed a firm hold of my loincloth.

I looked down to see what was going on and met Ooyama-san's eyes.

She was smiling, surprisingly.

"Yagawa."

"Y-Yes?"

"From now on, I'll be the one to cut your nails. Let me."

So... blatant...!

Ooyama-san looked up at me with sparkling eyes. And, naturally, her large breasts were right there in my line of sight.

...What a troublesome person. Did she really think I would fall for such an obvious attempt at material gathering?

"Yes, please!"

Lesson learned. When you're mentally worn down and someone uses their feminine wiles on you, even if they're unaware of it, you'll fall for it easily.

So this is what it feels like to speak without thinking. Wait, you're saying it's not the spinal cord connected to the brain? Well, most nerves pass through the spinal cord, so it's fine.

After that, Erina-san and Busujima-san intervened, and the topic was dropped for the time being.

...Could it be that I'm an incredibly easy guy...?

For a moment, I became a little scared of myself.