Charleschan… The Rank 5 warrior and chieftain of the Youma Clan, who wields Sorcery, had suddenly appeared here.
“Young lady. It seems you’ve killed quite a number of our people. I almost thought you were luring me here with a trail of blood.”
“…”
So she followed the trail of those I killed. Even though Monsters in the Dungeon dispose of corpses, there’s a limit to that.
【Charleschan】【Race: Dark Elf ♀】【Rank 5】
【Mana: 354/380】【Stamina: 197/210】
【Total Combat Power: 1611 (With Physical Enhancement: 2097)】
“So it’s you… If you intend to interfere with my battle, I’ll kill you first.”
Dowhill, still holding his greatsword, took a step back as if to reset our fight, unleashing Intimidation along with his gaze.
“I wouldn’t mind that… but it seems that would only benefit the young lady.”
Charleschan didn’t even bat an eye amidst Dowhill’s Intimidation and Killing Intent, merely turning her gaze towards me.
…She’s read me. I thought if the Gouma and Youma clans fell into a chaotic battle, I might see a chance for victory, but Charleschan doesn’t seem like she’ll let me escape.
“So you insist on interfering. However, we were destined to be rivals anyway. I’ll take both your head and the little girl’s, and claim the glory.”
“Can you? You? Very well. The same goes for us. We’ll deal with you just as we’ll deal with the young lady, including for our warriors you’ve killed.”
The moment their words ended, Killing Intent erupted from the warriors of both the Gouma and Youma clans.
It ended up being a chaotic battle after all, but the Killing Intent directed at me hadn’t lessened in the slightest. For the Gouma Clan, I was an opponent they couldn’t touch before because of their chieftain, and for the Youma Clan warriors, they likely bore grudges for their comrades I’d killed.
If things went badly, I might have to face both clans at the same time.
“Then… here I come!!”
Dowhill, launching himself off the stone floor, targeted me first.
I don’t know if he prioritized settling things with me or if he detested the idea of Charleschan taking my life, but I, who had been on guard from the start, leaned back into a backflip, drawing a knife from the gap in my overturned skirt and Throwing it.
“Don’t underestimate me!”
Dowhill didn’t even bother dodging the thrown knife, taking it on his forehead protector, and charged in without slowing down.
A flash from his mighty sword, swung in a wide sweep. A strike where even a graze meant death. I leaped into the air as if to jump over the sword’s trajectory—
“Nuoohhhhhhhhhh!!”
With a war cry, Dowhill’s muscles bulged, and as if blood spurted from the capillaries in his arm, he changed the trajectory of his sword at a right angle. I dodged that sword flash with a mid-air kick and swung down the Rope Weight Type Pendulum I had left aside.
GAKIN!!
The Pendulum sent Dowhill’s forehead protector flying as he twisted his neck, and amidst a faint spray of fresh blood, Dowhill’s muscles and fighting spirit swelled again as he grinned, baring his fangs. In that instant—
“—’Rot and fall’—”
” “—hk!” ”
A vividly colored magic, a distorted mix of various attributes, surged forth. Having “seen” it with my eyes, I dodged by hooking my Scythe Blade Type Pendulum onto the wall. Dowhill also evaded it by instinct, but one of the Gouma warriors who had been blocking my escape was bathed in the “Sorcery” and rotted away before he could even scream.
“Well dodged.”
“Charleschan!!”
Dowhill roared at her condescending praise, and the Gouma warriors who had been glaring at the Youma warriors all turned towards Charleschan at once, only to be intercepted by the Youma warriors.
“Human woman!!”
A Youma warrior heading towards me used magic with both hands, simultaneously firing lances of fire and ice.
“—【Magic Shield (Shield)】—hk!”
The instantly created Magic Shield blocked the fire, but the physical impact of the ice combined with it and shattered the Magic Shield.
“For Seda, dieee!”
The Youma warrior who shouted that thrust out both hands, about to unleash Karla’s specialty, 【Dragon Breath (Fire Breath)】.
Seda… was that one of the twins I defeated? Avenging a comrade—I can understand that, but I have no intention of being defeated by you.
And then—
“You’re in the way, Dowhill!”
“I’ll return those words right back to you, Charleschan!”
In the corner of my vision, Dowhill and Charleschan were crossing blades.
Dowhill closed in with terrifying speed, swinging his greatsword. But Charleschan made no attempt to enter Dowhill’s range, fighting back using the ‘Steel Thread’ that Grave, who had dealings with the Evil Race, had used.
“—【Dragon Breath (Fire Breath)】—hk!”
A radial blast of fire shot out from the Youma Clan warrior. Instead of taking it with my Magic Shield, I deflected it, redirecting most of its force towards Dowhill, who was approaching me.
“Ngh!!”
Dowhill instantly swatted the flames away with the magic of his greatsword. Charging forward with the same momentum, Dowhill cleaved the Youma warrior who had unleashed it in two with a single strike, from shoulder to hip.
I extinguished the flames I couldn’t completely avoid with 【Water Flow (Water)】 and braced myself for Dowhill, when Killing Intent flared up from the side.
“Get back!!”
Charleschan, whose subordinate had been killed, arched her eyebrows and stabbed a small knife into her own palm.
The moment they heard her voice, the Youma warriors leaped back. Seeing that, I recalled the Sage’s curse, activated by self-harm.
“‘Perish’!”
With “blood” and “self-harm” as catalysts, Charleschan’s Sorcery activated. A crimson mist, like blood smoke, spread out, and I surmised the gutter-colored magic I saw was a ‘virulent poison.’
Taking this would be bad. Judging from the cost and activation speed, it probably wasn’t a poison that would cause instant death, but if I, with my reduced stamina, were to take it, it could be fatal.
Dowhill must have understood that too. He stepped forward as if to shield his subordinates, drawing his greatsword far back—
“—【Hell Slash】—tt!!”
The Rank 5 greatsword Battle Art, 【Hell Slash】’s quadruple-damage strike, was unleashed.
“Kuh.”
The greatsword’s Battle Art, the Sorcery’s poison—I was in a position where dodging either would get me caught in the other. I was forced to make an instant decision.
Which was better? Neither. It’s all the same. Deciding that in an instant, I was about to step towards Dowhill, who would have an opening after unleashing his Battle Art, rather than dodging, when the roar of a beast echoed through the Dungeon.
“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!”
A jet-black Shadow wreathed in violet lightning. The beast, sprinting like a tempest, leaped into the very heart of the raging Sorcery and Battle Art, sending my body flying with a tackle.
An impact like jumping off a castle wall over ten meters high assaulted me. But you (・・) understand, don’t you?
Thrown into the air, I instantly lightened my body to receive the impact with the soles of my feet. I soared nearly ten meters through the air and, as if prearranged, landed right next to the “beast” that had touched down at the expected spot.
“…Nero.”
“Graa.”
As I murmured his name, the giant, jet-black Phantasmal Beast, Nero, reflected me in his eyes and faintly curled the corner of his mouth as if smiling.
At the appearance of a high-tier Rank 5 Phantasmal Beast, Dowhill furrowed his brow, while Charleschan’s eyes widened in alarm.
I see… so you came. I already feel a sense of nostalgia, and joy as well. But there’s no need for many words between us. I simply touched Nero’s back lightly with my fingertips as he stood beside me.
“We can do this, right?”
—Affirmative—
Time to counterattack. Nero shot forward like a black gale, his tentacle and my left arm intertwining.
The warriors faltered at the sudden appearance of the Phantasmal Beast. When Nero sent an unlucky Gouma warrior who was in front of him flying like a cannonball, Dowhill, instantly regaining his composure, charged in to attack.
“A mere beast!!”
Dowhill could probably hold his own against Nero. However, having just unleashed a Battle Art, Dowhill couldn’t immediately use another, narrowing his options.
“Wha-!”
“Haaaaah!!”
As Nero braked sharply, I was flung towards Dowhill. Dowhill immediately counterattacked, but without a Battle Art to worry about, there was no need for me to dodge widely.
I dodged just enough to let the blade graze past, the greatsword’s magic adding a new tear to my skirt. I aimed a kick at Dowhill with that leg, and the moment he blocked it with his elbow, I used that as a pivot, spun, and pierced his shoulder with my Black Dagger.
“Little girl!!”
Don’t meet force with force. Don’t clash magic with magic.
Nero, superior in strength and speed, attacked Charleschan-san, while I confronted Dowhill-san head-on.
“Damn you!”
Charleschan-san unleashed Steel Thread at Nero, but it was repelled by Nero’s fur.
Sparks of lightning scattered from Nero’s tentacles, disrupting Charleschan-san’s Sorcery. She then wounded her palm again, her eyes transforming like a dragon’s as she prepared to use what seemed to be her trump card: physical enhancement.
And Dowhill-san, that battle maniac, also wore an irrepressible grin. His arm, swung with brute force, forcefully dislodged the tip of my dagger. Before he could establish his greatsword’s range, I surged forward even further, intending to unleash a dagger Battle Art—just then—
“””!?”””
Suddenly, a glowing magic circle appeared not only beneath Dowhill-san and Charleschan-san, but also beneath my and Nero’s feet, and its light enveloped us.
This is… a Teleportation Magic Circle!?
A candidate has reached the lowest floor of this Dungeon. Therefore, those who are qualified shall be summoned.
The Teleportation Magic Circle that suddenly appeared.
The voice of what seemed to be the “Dungeon’s Spirit” that was heard.
Next time: What is it that it seeks?