kscans

Chapter 223 - Hyakka-chan and the New World Quest, Part 6

We were in a corridor on the forty-ninth floor of the Crystal Palace. Levante consisted of Hyakka-chan, Famu, Mizuki, Myra, Marmi, and Shizuka. Walking ahead of this party were the members of New World. The two parties kept a distance from each other, wary of a sudden, deadly ambush from the enemy, to ensure that any attack wouldn't hit everyone at once. We were attacked by a horde of trolls once, but with this many people, the battle was over quickly. The only frustrating part was that the massive amount of experience points and Mana Seed drops all went to the members of New World, where Mash-kun was. The walk towards the entrance felt heavy. Was there any way to stop the fight between New World, Yuki, and Sameim, and persuade them? In the first place, I couldn't even imagine winning against Yuki and his group.

"I'm at my limit, you know…"

Shizuka, who was walking next to me, muttered.

"Is this about sex again? Just hold on. I'm not equipped for that right now."

Come to think of it, I had forgotten about the pain in my butt and crotch, but now that I'm aware of it, it's back. The pain has subsided now, but there's a sense of a foreign object in the back, and in the front, a somewhat sad feeling of something that was there now being gone.

"When I get home, I'll ask Mash-kun to put just the tip in. He'll definitely lose control and put it all the way in."

"Stop it. The one who's going to get yelled at isn't Mash-kun, it's Hyakka-chan, you know? Besides, what do you even think of Mash-kun?"

"I like him, you know?"

"Huh?"

"If I didn't like him, I wouldn't have come all the way to this city with him. If he told me not to do it with other people, I wouldn't hold back. I'm betting on the possibility that Mash will turn his attention to me."

I glanced at her, and she brought her beaming smile closer. My heart skipped a beat, and I felt it pound in my chest. I instinctively pushed her face away.

"You were able to listen to what Mash-kun said, but Ko-kun… Toratsuna told you not to sleep with other men too, didn't he? Why couldn't you listen to him?!"

"Hyakka-chan, you make a move on girls right away, but you're not used to this kind of thing, are you?"

She was still grinning. I realized she was trying to dodge my question. She was telling a big lie. But I didn't know what it was, and it was frustrating.

"Am I really that bad? I may not look it, but I'm actually quite hurt, you know?"

"What are you going to do about Ko-kun… about Toratsuna?"

"He accepted my teacher, so he'll understand if I talk to him. I'm sure of it."

"..."

There was no way he'd understand. He had left Shizuka because he couldn't stand it.

"So, did you find any trace of Toratsuna?"

She shook her head.

"I was looking carefully at first, but the scenery is always the same, and after I became the mapper, my head got all jumbled up and I couldn't focus on that, and then Famu-chan disappeared."

She had never been in a dungeon before, after all. It was probably inevitable that she couldn't maintain her concentration. Besides, from the atmosphere of the dungeon, it was difficult to search for traces of someone from who knows how long ago. From the fact that she didn't say anything, I had guessed that her search for traces of Toratsuna hadn't gone well. It was a similar situation with New World. But still, she was so distraught last night, why is she so cheerful now?

"Hyakka-chan. I need Mash to care about me, even just a little."

Her words made my heart waver, and I turned my gaze to her. She immediately smiled. That pasted-on expression she'd had for a while now was bothering me.

"You… have you given up?"

"...Because, you know, both Ko-kun and I never had to face any danger in our original world, you know? I can't stop trembling. To come to a place like this all alone, fight monsters, and be attacked by someone who throws flames around…"

"N-No, Mizuki and I were like that, but don't you forget that you were treated horribly by your teacher in the original world too! You might have been enjoying it by the end, but neither I nor Ko-kun have forgiven him!"

She grabbed the hem of my clothes.

"Then, Mash, you have to protect me! Just for fun is fine. As a toy is fine. I'll teach you everything I know. I'll do anything for you. ...Is that no good?"

Fun is impossible. I might end up wishing we don't find Toratsuna. But that's not right. I squeezed her hand back.

"Shizuka. First, I'll grant your wish. Toratsuna is alive. Won't you try to hold on just a little longer?"

Just then, the members of New World who were walking ahead stopped. It was the place where we had fought Yuki and the others just a while ago. There was no sign of the enemy. Famu was carefully observing our rear. There seemed to be no sign of the enemy there either.

"They ran away…"

As we joined up with the members of New World, Etowan was the first to shout. A long sigh escaped me. I had no idea what the best course of action was. The problem had just been postponed. Famu, Mizuki, Shizuka, and the members of New World were all still left with their anguish.

"Let's stop exploring for today and go home."

At Hyakka-chan's words, all the members of Levante nodded.

"I want to take a bath and freshen up."

Mizuki raised her arms lightly and stretched. The swell of her chest was emphasized, and her healthy thighs, visible from her lifted skirt, were dazzling. As I was admiring the view, she quickly returned to her normal posture and held down the hem of her skirt.

"Don't forget you're Hyakka-chan!"

"Heh, it's useless to hide it. I'll get in with you and see everything. You, Famu, Marmi, and Hyakka-chan. Tonight is the festival of the four smooth emperors! Let's all pluck Myra's!"

"Are you really that stupid?! I'm definitely not getting in with you!"

As we were talking like that, Mash-kun approached.

"You have a bath?"

"Wanna come?"

Come to think of it, do they have a place to stay? Are they planning to live in the tents on the outskirts with Kalpana and the others? If Famu and I move to the separate building, they could use the floor above the dining hall, and we could all live together.

"I want to freshen up too, but…"

As Mash-kun hesitated, Etowan grabbed his shoulder.

"We're going to explore this floor a little more. I can't explain it well, but this floor is strange. There's something off about it. Besides, with this guy around, we can earn some extra cash."

Chihiro and the other members also nodded.

"I see. You can come over later."

When I said that, Mash-kun nodded. We parted ways with the members of New World and started walking towards the entrance to the floor. That was when the scenery around us seemed to waver, as if it were distorted.

I could see a door in the distance. It was the door to the Area Guardian's room. The space behind us also began to warp, and the scenery started to change. This sensation was the same as the one I had felt in the dungeon in the city of Richel.

"It's Ema's special skill!"

She has a special skill that allows her to summon and fight with the monsters she has defeated. But we have no reason to fight her anymore. We should have reconciled, and it was Yuki who killed her partner. If this is her doing, I can't make sense of the situation.

"Huh? Huh? What's happening?"

Shizuka frantically looked around at the changes happening around her. Famu and Mizuki were walking at the front, and there was no turning back now. It would be bad if Shizuka, who can't fight, was trapped in this room. Thinking I should at least get her outside, I instinctively shoved her out of the distortion.

"W-What are you doing?! I don't want to!"

She clung to Hyakka-chan's arm and wouldn't let go.

"Hey! Just wait outside quietly!"

"Absolutely not! I'm staying with you!"

I tried to shake her off, but she clung on desperately. While we were struggling, the space closed, and the surroundings completely transformed into the Area Guardian's room.

"Dammit, is it Hekatonkheires again…!"

I scanned the room and my eyes widened at what was sitting in the center. It was a dragon, its giant body coiling like a snake as it floated in the air. Its red eyes, beneath deer-like antlers, looked down on us.

"Dragon of the Great Cosmic Origin!"

The golden scales reflected an eerie light. It also looked like the silhouette of a fish showing its white scales underwater.

"Huh? What did you say?"

Mizuki asked. It was a chuunibyou-esque, sparkling word I didn't want to repeat a second time. She must be asking again on purpose to humiliate me.

"The Dragon of the Great Cosmic Origin, the dragon that Yuki summoned with his special skill earlier!"

As I hesitated, Famu, who was standing next to Mizuki with her crescent blades at the ready, answered for me.

"Senpai summoned this dragon to attack us?"

"I don't know. It didn't become a space like this last time."

Famu answered Mizuki's question again.

"Myra, Marmi, it attacks with its claws and a fire breath. Its destructive power is incomparable to the phoenix we fought the other day. And Famu can't use her special skill anymore. I'm counting on you for defense."

At Hyakka-chan's words, they both nodded.

"Shizuka, you go to Myra's side too…"

She had been clinging to me since before, but now her body was rigid, and she was trembling uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry, Hyakka-chan… I-I'm so scared, I-I can't…"

She had completely lost her nerve. I tried to carry her over to Myra and the others, but it was difficult to support her with Hyakka-chan's weak body. In the meantime, the dragon roared and lunged at Famu and Mizuki. Its sharp claws were aimed at them. Famu, perhaps from her previous experience facing it, feinted and then dodged with a swift movement. Mizuki stumbled and blocked with her shield, but the impact sent her flying.

"Kya!"

She couldn't regain her posture and fell. The dragon pressed its advantage, its sharp fangs aimed at her.

"Mizuki!"

She rolled to dodge the blow and staggered to her feet. Her eyes were glowing red. Super Save had activated. But there was a deep gash from a fang on her right shoulder, and fresh blood was flowing.

"I-I'm fine…"

Mizuki tried to reset and face the dragon. But her hand was empty; she wasn't holding her sword.

"Damn it… My sword…"

She had dropped it when she took the hit earlier. She frantically tried to run to her sword, but the monster lunged, trying to impale her with its claws. She was a step too slow, but she blocked with her shield, only to be sent flying in the opposite direction from her sword. Famu attacked, trying to draw the monster's attention. She slashed with her crescent blades, but the hard scales were impenetrable.

"Famu, the one Maryanne taught you!"

"I'm already gathering my mana."

Famu slashed again, but her blade still couldn't get through. Mizuki took the opportunity to run for her sword, but the dragon's tail struck her. She fell again. I had never seen her like this. Mizuki was completely off her game. She was shaken up about Yuki.

"Shizuka, I have to go help Mizuki."

"I-I'm sorry, but I can't do anything!"

She was sobbing now, too. The frustration of being unable to do anything tightened my chest. The dragon's body floated up lightly. Its eyes shone with an eerie glow, and its massive mouth opened wide. It was going to breathe fire.

"...Everyone, gather around Hyakka-chan!"

Marmi, while preparing a spell, ran over to us with Myra. Famu pulled Mizuki back with her. There was no time to hesitate. I had no choice but to use the special skill Mash-kun had told me not to.

"Special Skill, [Peacock Gong]!"

In that instant, a fan-shaped bronze plate appeared in mid-air. The plate, glowing a reddish pink, began to play a rhythm with a unique tone. As if to drown out the melody, the dragon roared. The space trembled as if it had cracked. And before the special skill's effect could activate, it unleashed a torrent of crimson flames.

"...Make it in time! Magical Defense Barrier!"

Marmi pointed her wand, and a barrier like the film of a soap bubble formed. But the barrier evaporated in an instant due to the scorching heat.

"...Not yet!"

She activated multiple barriers, layered on top of each other. The barriers were destroyed one after another, but the last one barely held against the breath, and we escaped a direct hit. I looked around. The crimson flames had burned everything around us, and all that remained was the small area protected by her barrier. The smell of burning and the heated air distorted my vision. In that distortion, like a mirage, a boy stood with his back to us, holding a lance. He turned around. A face so well-formed he could be mistaken for a girl. And a gentle smile.

"Did you call? Big Sister."

Guided by the melody of the Peacock Gong, Chihiro appeared in response to the summons.

"Chihiro! Uh…"

A special skill that calls forth a person etched deep in one's heart. Peacock Gong. If Hyakka used it, Chihiro would always appear. She had sworn never to use this special skill. To protect Chihiro no matter what. She didn't want to call him to a place of peril and put him in danger. But Hyakka-chan had used it. I had to make an excuse to him and Hyakka. I had to explain the current situation to him. I had to apologize for summoning him to such a deadly place.

"Chihiro…"

As I tried to speak again, he pressed his lance against my chest.

"If Hyakka calls my name, I will come running, no matter where Hyakka is. I will protect Hyakka, no matter what happens. Let's defeat that dragon together."

Chihiro smiled again. Then he turned to face the dragon.

"Special Skill, [White Sheath Blade]!"

As he shouted, his form shone with light, and the clothes he was wearing transformed into a white ceremonial robe. And in his hand, he held a tachi. From its blade, a faint sword aura, almost like a demonic energy, rose up.