Chapter 124: Rescue
–If I go too wild, it’ll look suspicious. I need to hold back a bit.
Yuma entered the fray, holding back his power. He stomped on the head of the Salamander in front of him, swung his club, and fended off two more. He then kicked away a Salamander that pounced at him, punched it, and smashed it with his club.
In just three seconds, six Monsters turned to sand and vanished.
Okawara and the others were speechless at the spectacle.
“Hey! Are you alright?”
As Kanzaki, who had arrived later, tried to approach Okawara, two Salamanders attacked from the side.
“–You bastards!”
He crushed one with a thick Hexagonal Rod imbued with Water Magical Power and split the head of the other.
Tanaka, who was screaming “Uwaaaah” behind them, somehow managed to defeat a Monster that came at his feet with his Water Vein Dagger.
Kanzaki spoke to Okawara, who was cowering with a pathetic look on his face.
“Hey, what happened to ‘I’ll help you if things get dangerous’? You’re the one being rescued!”
“W-What did you say! Who said anything about needing help?!”
Okawara glared at Kanzaki while still sitting on the ground.
Smoke was still rising from his head.
“Don’t act tough. Your entire Seeker Clan is barely clinging to life!”
When Okawara looked back, the members of his clan, their battle suits charred black, were sitting down with exhausted expressions.
“Hey! You guys–“
The moment Okawara tried to yell, a Salamander slipped past Yuma and pounced.
“Hiiiiiiii!”
Okawara let out a pathetic scream and tried to scramble away. Kanzaki said, “Good grief,” and smashed the Salamander’s head with the handle of his Hexagonal Rod.
“We’ll hold them off here, so you guys get out of here!”
“W-What’s with the small-timer acting so high and mighty…”
Okawara glared at Kanzaki, but the Seekers from IBI behind him said, “Is that so?” “Then, we’ll take you up on that…” and began to scurry away.
Okawara shouted, “Hey! You guys!?” but no one came back.
Turning around with a bright red face, he saw the new recruit from D-Minor single-handedly putting up a heroic fight.
“Our new guy is amazing, isn’t he? Looks like you don’t have anyone like that,” Kanzaki said.
Hearing those words, Okawara grimaced and ran towards the exit with faltering steps.
Kanzaki snorted and headed to assist Yuma.
“President! It looks like it’s more dangerous over there,” Yuma said.
When Kanzaki turned his gaze as Yuma told him to, he saw the Sakura Port Seeker Clan fighting in tatters.
It seemed they were trying to buy time until the other Seekers could escape the Dungeon.
However, they were surrounded on all sides by a horde of Salamanders and were unable to move. Their leader, Minazuki, had injured his left arm, but he was still swinging his Longsword with his right hand and fighting.
“Yuma, let’s go!”
“Yes!”
Seeing the two charge into the horde of Salamanders, Tanaka shouted, “W-Wait, please wait!” and chased after them, drenched in sweat.
◇◇◇
“I’ll handle this! You guys clear a path to the exit!”
Minazuki tried to find a way out while slashing at the attacking Salamanders with his [Waterfall Sword].
But the situation was hopeless. They were surrounded by Monsters, and even more were closing in.
–At this rate…
Minazuki tried to at least let the members of his Seeker Clan escape, but that too was extremely difficult. Just when he thought that–
“Hey! Are you alright?”
A large man scattered several Monsters and approached.
–There were still Seekers who hadn’t evacuated!?
The man crushed the Salamanders with a thick club imbued with Water Magical Power. The attacks unleashed from his powerful arms, and the Magic Enchanted Armament he wielded, which he had never seen before.
–Probably a custom-made item. If so, he’s a veteran… he looks like a very skilled Seeker.
However, what Minazuki was even more concerned about was the hooded man who came with the large man. No, because his face was completely hidden, it was impossible to tell if it was a man or a woman.
But Minazuki judged from his build and movements that it was a man.
His movements were not those of an ordinary Seeker. He moved with terrifying speed, striking down Monsters one after another with his club.
He was holding the [Water Vein Club], but it was not glowing blue.
In other words, he wasn’t using magic. Nevertheless, the Monsters he struck turned to sand and died instantly.
–It’s just like Tennoji-san from Elceed…
However, Minazuki dismissed that thought. The Seekers gathered here were all from small and medium-sized companies, B-rank and below.
There was no way such a strong Seeker would be here.
“We’ll take it from here. You guys evacuate quickly!”
Minazuki shook his head at Kanzaki’s words.
“I can’t do something so irresponsible! My company has been entrusted with the first floor by Elceed. You guys should evacuate quickly!”
“Is this really the time to be saying that?!”
While Kanzaki and Minazuki were arguing, Kanzaki kicked away a Salamander that had crawled up from the side.
Minazuki let out a short “Hii” and cowered.
“You guys are just getting in the way! We’ll be the rearguard, so get out of here!!”
As Kanzaki said that, he glanced at Tanaka, who was struggling to defeat the Salamanders.
“Tanaka-san. Yuma and I will open a path, so take these guys up!”
“O-Okay!”
Tanaka, with sweat on his brow, pulled on Minazuki’s arm and said, “Now, let’s go!”
“Yuma, let’s do it!”
“Understood!”
The two concentrated their attacks on the Monsters blocking the path to the exit.
The Seekers from Sakura Port followed suit, intimidating the Monsters with Water Magic and somehow managing to reach the exit.
“Tanaka-san, I’m counting on you to take care of them.”
“Y-Yes. What about you, President?”
“Yuma and I will hold off the Salamanders here.”
“Eh!?”
“If we don’t, they’ll end up getting to the surface. While we’re holding them back, call the Self-Defense Forces! Bullets should work on Salamanders.”
“B-But…”
Kanzaki smiled and called out to Tanaka, who was hesitating.
“It’s okay, Tanaka-san! Yuma and I won’t lose to guys like these. Now! Go!!”
Tanaka, while worried, went up to the surface with Minazuki and the others.
◇◇◇
“Alright, then…”
Kanzaki stood in front of the Cave leading to the surface and looked around.
The first floor of the [Red Dungeon], with its dry plains and rocky areas. There, countless hordes of Salamanders were closing in.
“Where are these guys even coming from?”
Kanzaki, looking weary, held up his Hexagonal Rod and asked Yuma, “Think you can handle it?”
“Probably… I think I’ll be okay.”
It sounded unreliable, but Kanzaki sensed a definite confidence in Yuma’s words.
The Salamanders, with flames erupting from their heads and backs, attacked in swarms. Yuma crouched down and placed his right hand on the ground.
Liquid Metal flowed out all at once, spreading like a thin puddle of water across the area. The moment the Salamanders passed over it, Yuma exerted his power.
Hundreds of blades, like a bed of swords, protruded from the Liquid Metal, piercing the Monsters’ bodies.
More than thirty Salamanders turned to sand and vanished in an instant.