kscans

Chapter 224 - Hyakka-chan and the New World Quest, Part 7

The dragon opened its mouth again. The surrounding air was sucked in. Its scale-covered lungs inflated.

"Mo! It's going to use its breath attack again!"

"...I know."

Marmi raised her wand. A drop of sweat trickled down from her forehead, and she wiped it away with the back of her hand. It couldn't just be because of the heat from the crimson flames the dragon had unleashed. Her expression didn't change, but perhaps holding out multiple times was difficult. Chihiro stopped Marmi as she was preparing her magic.

"It's okay. I'll block it. Hyakka, stay behind me."

He took a step back with his right foot and lowered the tip of his sword, holding it by his side. It was a waki-gamae stance. I wonder if he also practiced kendo. The thought briefly crossed my mind, but now was not the time for such things. I trusted Chihiro. Looking at his back, a strange power welled up from within me. Driven by that impulse, I readied my lance and got behind him.

"Master…"

Famu also gripped her crescent blades and stood next to Hyakka-chan. Mizuki, too, seemed to intend to fight still, and came closer. Her footing was unsteady, and the hand gripping her sword was trembling slightly.

"Myra, please heal Mizuki."

She nodded and held Mizuki from behind.

"Wait, I can still fight!"

Mizuki struggled in Myra's arms, looking焦った.

"It's okay, leave this to us. But I'm counting on you for the finishing blow. With Mizuki's Super Kill, it'll be a single strike."

I said that, but I had no intention of letting her fight anymore. Super Save had already activated several times. She might have reached a level where she was impervious to normal attacks. Furthermore, the activation rate of Super Kill would also be higher. Her next blow might be the one to defeat the dragon. Even in her current state, she was stronger than Hyakka-chan. But I didn't want her to fight in such a distraught state. Levante wouldn't be able to function without her. But for now, I wanted her to receive healing and calm down.

"Here it comes!"

Chihiro shouted sharply, directing our attention forward. The monster had already finished preparing to breathe fire. Its mouth was wide open, and deep in its throat, a vortex of flames churned faintly. At that signal, Chihiro ran. Famu and I followed his back. Crimson flames were unleashed with a roar. Chihiro leaped into the flames without hesitation. His jumping ability was not that of a normal person. Physical enhancement must be part of his special skill's abilities. He closed in on the dragon's mouth, which was several times his height, in an instant. Then, he swung his sword in a single horizontal slash. The demonic aura that had been rising from the white blade swelled up and was released all at once. The crimson flames were extinguished, turning into a white mist. Hyakka-chan and Famu ran under him as he danced in the air. I poured all the mana I had into the tip of my lance and thrust it at the dragon's belly. A solid impact was transmitted through both my hands. The tip of the lance broke through the golden scales, and the dragon's fresh blood splattered.

"KISHAAAAA!"

The dragon's body writhed greatly, perhaps to escape the pain. Then, it roared and swung its claws down with all its might. I tried to raise my weapon to defend, but the lance was stuck deep in the dragon's body and I couldn't pull it out. That momentary loss left me with no escape.

"Master!"

Famu swung her crescent blades up from below, as if to parry the dragon's claws, and absorbed the impact. A momentary stalemate. But the dragon's overwhelming power won out, and her arms were pushed down. Just as Hyakka-chan and Famu were about to be crushed, Chihiro slashed at the dragon's arm from above. The severed arm flew over Chihiro and Famu's heads and fell behind them. The heavy thud echoed behind us.

"GISHAAAAA!"

The dragon roared again. No, this must be a scream from losing its arm. We couldn't let this chance slip away.

"Mo!"

"...I know. Lightning Magic, Lightning Strike!"

Marmi had been waiting for that moment too. A high-output bolt of lightning shot from the tip of her wand and struck the lance lodged in the dragon's belly. In an instant, the electric shock enveloped the dragon's massive body. The smell of burning stung my nose, and the dragon's giant body collapsed. The vibration was transmitted to the floor and spread throughout the room. After a while, silence fell.

"Did we get it…"

As I approached the dragon to retrieve the lance that was still stuck in it, the monster's eyes glowed red again. It raised its upper body and bared its fangs. Deep within, the flicker of flames was already there.

"This is bad! It's going to use its breath attack again!"

I instinctively tried to dodge, but there was nowhere to hide. And behind me were the members of Levante.

"Hyakka! I'll protect you!"

Chihiro rushed past the焦るHyakka-chan and charged. But he couldn't maintain his momentum and stumbled, stopping on one knee. He was out of mana. The activation time of his special skill, [White Sheath Blade], was reaching its limit.

"Kuh…"

Still, he stood up. He started walking again, but his steps were heavy, and he stopped after two, three steps. At that moment, another shadow crossed by. The shadow snatched the sword Chihiro was holding and ran. It threw itself into the approaching crimson flames, a vortex of intense heat and hot wind.

"Famu!"

She swung the sword in a single slash. The sword's aura was released from its blade, extinguishing the dragon's breath.

"Not yet!"

She slashed again with the return stroke. The sharp blow tore into the dragon's neck, and a large amount of blood gushed from the wound. At the same time, the dragon's body faded away like mist. The space that had been the Area Guardian's room also disappeared like a mirage, and we returned to the original dungeon corridor.

"Phew…"

A sigh of relief, whose it was I couldn't tell, was heard. The sword Famu had been holding, and Chihiro's white robe, also disappeared, and he returned to his original form.

Immediately, Mash-kun and the others appeared.

"What happened?!"

"We were attacked. We fought Yuki's special skill, the Dragon of the Great Cosmic Origin."

"What?! And Yuki?"

Mash-kun looked around. But besides the members of Levante and New World, there was no one else. There was still a possibility of being trapped in the Area Guardian's room again. But I didn't think it was an ability that could be activated repeatedly. We should assume Yuki and his group have left.

"That guy…"

I explained that the space had changed into an Area Guardian's room and we were trapped. That it was similar to the ability of the transmigrator Ema we had fought before, and that we had fought the dragon Yuki had summoned in that space.

"Are there still other transmigrators besides them?"

I couldn't explain that. I still couldn't imagine that Ema was on this floor and used her special skill in conjunction with Yuki. I pictured the face of the black panther kin, Riley. I didn't want to think that she had become an enemy again. Mash-kun strode up to me. He raised his arm and slapped Hyakka-chan. A dry sound echoed in the corridor.

"Wh-What are you doing?! Even my own father never hit me!"

I stroked my cheek. I could feel that part of my face swelling up as if it were burning with heat. Mash-kun must have forgotten we had swapped bodies and hit me with all his might. It hurt so much that tears welled up in the corners of my eyes.

"Are you stupid?! You've been hit plenty of times! If anything, Chihiro has hit you many times!"

Chihiro has hit her before? But what is wrong with these siblings?

"I told you never to use that last special skill! Don't drag Chihiro into danger!"

"Why are you so overprotective?! Then why did you choose this ability?!"

"That's… in this world, there are no smartphones, no maps, no GPS. If we get separated, it's over."

For when they get lost? Come to think of it, the white horse from "Prince on a White Horse"

also had the ability to take Hyakka to a desired location. Besides landmarks like towers and inns, it could also take her to where a person was, as long as her mana lasted. That's why New World was able to meet up with Levante earlier. It seems she really doesn't want to be separated from Chihiro.

"You want to be together that much? If you like him that much…"

Before I could finish, Mash-kun covered my mouth. She frantically looked around, but everyone else just looked away awkwardly. Even Chihiro was the same. It was no secret to anyone that Hyakka felt more than sibling affection for Chihiro.

"Let's talk about that later. Just the two of us. Okay?"

I also had things I wanted to say to Mash-kun. But this wasn't a conversation to have in a place where there was a low, but still present, possibility that Yuki and his group were lurking. He was also covering my nose, and it was getting hard to breathe. I wonder what would happen if Hyakka-chan died while we were swapped like this. I'm curious, but it's not something worth risking my life to test. When I nodded, Mash-kun let go of his hand.

"So, what's the plan? If you're leaving the dungeon, let's go back to our house together."

I asked the members of New World. Chihiro had used one of his special skills. He had two left, but it was better to take the safe route. As I was thinking that, Etowan shook his head.

"No, it seems like Yuki and his group are gone, but I still want to investigate a little more. I can't explain it well, but this floor is strange. There's something off about it."

He walked over to Shizuka and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Well, don't get your hopes up."

Then he walked past her. Chihiro and the others followed him. It was a corridor with the same scenery continuing endlessly. Many people must have explored this floor and fought monsters before. But there were no such traces left, just a sterile space. And yet, he's saying he's found a clue to Toratsuna? As I watched their backs, Mash-kun slapped me on the butt.

"I'll come later. We'll talk then, okay?"

Before I could nod back, he ran over to New World.

We finally made it back home. We were only gone for a day. And we had only spent one night in this house. And yet, it was strange how just thinking of it as my own home made me feel relieved. Patricia was waiting for us at the gate.

"We're home."

When I said that, she looked at me as if I were something bizarre. I had forgotten I was in Hyakka-chan's body. She had stayed behind to organize the house, so she hadn't gone to the nomads' place. In other words, she didn't know that Hyakka and I had swapped.

"Um… where is Mash…?"

she asked Marmi.

"...We left him in the dungeon."

"You left him there all alone?"

"...No. The members of New World are with him."

"I see. Then why is Hyakka-san here?"

"...She said she was coming back."

Patricia tilted her head. The two of them were having a conversation that didn't connect. Patricia looked around at everyone, then glanced at Famu as if seeking help, but she didn't seem to understand the meaning of her gaze. She must have used too much mana in the last battle. No, maybe she's thinking about Sameim again. Her concentration seems to be gone. We had already dropped Shizuka off at the Star Union family's house. I entered the dining hall with Patricia, Famu, Mizuki, Myra, and Marmi.

"Actually, I have a letter for Mash."

"Oh yeah?"

I tried to take the letter she was holding, but she quickly raised it up.

"Wh-Why are you being so mean?!"

I stood on my tiptoes and reached for it, but I couldn't reach the letter.

"What have you been up to this whole time?!"

Patricia scolded me. I thought a fist was coming next, but she seemed to hesitate.

"...Patricia, let that person read it."

Marmi threw me a lifeline, but she didn't seem to intend to explain the situation.

"Huh, but…"

I snatched the letter while she was hesitating. But before I could check it, Famu took it from me. She immediately broke the wax seal.

"It seems to be an invitation. The sender is… Clovis Leafkraut…"