kscans

Chapter 121 - 121

Inside the S-rank exclusive training facility built within Shinonome Academy.

"Naoto, don't take the enemy's attack head-on. If you block it like that, your weapon's durability will run out in no time. I'll do it, so watch."

Havate skillfully deflected the attacks fired by the training machine.

"Like this. You deflect it so it doesn't hit you or your allies."

"G, got it."

Konoe Naoto wondered how he could so easily deflect attacks with such a thin, short sword, but with attacks coming one after another, there was no time to ask.

He just kept enduring, making sure the attacks didn't reach his comrades.

"Yeah. That's it, just like that. Ah, Kazuma-san. Naoto doesn't need healing yet. If you use it now, we won't be able to withstand the fourth wave of attacks that's about to come."

"Is that so? Roger."

Havate also gave instructions to the healer, Ichinose Kazuma.

"Naoto is very accurate with his own health management, so he'll signal if he's in real trouble."

"But I still can't tell which attacks are high-power even though they look normal, so when one of those comes, please heal me early!"

"Okay!!"

"Next is Shingo-san."

Kurosaki Shingo was showering the distant enemy forces with a rain of bullets, continuously whittling down their numbers.

"What's your advice for me?"

"That's a good barrage. Maintain it."

"...I was just trying to show off for everyone, but do I have to keep this up? My arm is starting to go numb."

"That's a good barrage. Maintain it."

"Uh, well. My arm, you see..."

"That's a good barrage. Maintain it."

"...Yes, sir."

Hayate and the others fought to protect Sakino Mei, who was drawing a magic circle and chanting for Explosion, a powerful blast magic that combined all attributes. Shingo held down one corner of the training machine army that was attacking from all four directions.

Nagumo Ryunosuke, who had been defeating enemies in another direction, returned and confronted Hayate.

"Hayate, isn't this a bit too many!? How long is this going to last!"

"Who knows?"

"Who knows... what! Are you messing with me!!"

"You never know how many enemies will appear in a new dungeon. There's no point in training where you can see the end."

From now on, they would be entering dungeons that no one had ever challenged before. Being the first in the world to enter means having no information.

Although the dungeons that have appeared in the real world have almost perfectly traced the specifications of the game FWO, there have been changes, like the fake Hayate.

There is a possibility that the specifications of small fry monsters and other things will change in the future depending on the Goddess's mood.

"Don't always fight at full power. Fight efficiently. It'll be easier if you make the enemy's attacks hit other enemies. You can parry too, right, Ryunosuke?"

"I certainly can, but doing that in real life requires a lot of concentration."

"You need to be able to maintain that concentration for ten minutes."

"T, ten minutes!?"

To parry an enemy's attack, one must accurately identify the attack line and align their weapon with that line. He was telling him to keep doing this feat, which requires extraordinary concentration, for ten minutes straight.

"A minimum of ten minutes. After fighting for ten minutes straight, take a breather, then fight for another ten minutes straight. Let's get to where we can repeat that!"

"No, there's no way that's possible."

"I can do it."

"Ugh, guh... Ah, fine. I just have to do it, right!"

"Go for it!"

After seeing Ryunosuke charge back at the enemy, Hayate went to the remaining female members.

"Everyone over here is doing great."

"I'm already used to your unreasonable demands, Hayate."

Shinonome Rena was continuously prioritizing and eliminating the strong enemies in the distance that Shingo's attacks couldn't finish off.

"Honestly, it's pretty tough, though."

"If Hayate-kun says we can do it, I'll do my best!"

Hatori Suzuka and Takemiya Hazuki were working together to defeat the enemies approaching from a different direction than Ryunosuke.

As for the remaining member, Mei...

"Wow, such incredible concentration."

Completely unchanged from when there was no fighting around her, she was silently and diligently drawing the composite magic circle and chanting.

"Ah, sorry! One got through!!"

An enemy's magic that Naoto couldn't block landed near Mei, but she remained unfazed.

She trusted her comrades that no attack would hit her.

"She trusts everyone. Especially Naoto, I guess."

Naoto was perfectly protecting Mei so that no direct hits would reach her.

Not only that, but he was also preventing enemy attacks from entering a three-meter radius around her so as not to break her concentration. It seems he just happened to make a mistake this time.

"Naoto's got skills, too."

"Sorry to keep you all waiting! I'm ready."

Mei's chant was complete.

Above her head, a ball of compressed magic of all attributes was formed, shining like it was on fire.

"Finally."

"Been waiting for this!"

"There's someone who can use that magic."

"The aura is insane. Looks strong."

Just then, the fourth wave of training machines appeared. They climbed over the wreckage of the first three waves and closed in on Hayate and the others.

"Everyone, do you trust me?"

In this situation, they couldn't even get a moment's rest without using a wide-area magic that would involve their allies.

Could they trust her? They had no choice but to trust her.

The entire class was of one mind.

"""Of course!!"""

"Go for it!"

"We're counting on you, Mei!!"

"We have high expectations of you."

"At least half of them."

"If you can, take them all out."

"Thanks, everyone! Here I go... Composite magic activate, Explosion!!"

When Mei clenched the hand she had pointed at the sphere, a strong beam of light was emitted from it.

The ring of light that was released converged on the sphere. Everything gathered at a single point, and the sphere came to a standstill.

It seemed like the activation had failed, but then a crack appeared in the sphere, and...

From that point, a destructive blast wind raged, destroying everything.

"...Um. Is everyone okay?"

"Whoa. Seriously no damage."

"The power is incredible."

"It wasn't even a matter of trusting you."

"I didn't even know what happened."

Havate and the others were all unharmed.

And the virtual enemy machine deployment port was also destroyed by the overwhelming power, making it impossible for the next enemies to come out.

"There were supposed to be three more waves... but, well, I think we can use this method to stop enemies in a dungeon too, so let's just call this a clear for now."

And so, the first day of the Hayate-style dungeon clearing course, hard mode, came to an end.