Chapter 73
"All right, let's go."
Rinka took a deep breath and began chanting.
"The First Sword is the Final Sword――beneath the blades that clash lies hell; take one step forward into the Path of Asura."
When Rinka finished chanting, a red battle aura enveloped her, and her whole demeanor changed.
Gone was her earlier hesitation. Now she wore a battle-hungry smile.
The effect of 【First Sword】 erased all fear and hesitation, leaving her focused on nothing but fighting――annihilating her enemies.
The embodiment of battle, Rinka let out a war cry and charged toward the Mega Ants.
I followed close behind her.
One.
Two.
Three.
――――.
Rinka's sword strokes precisely slipped through gaps in their exoskeletons, slicing into the Mega Ants' necks.
Each time Rinka swung the Deathbone Sword, the Mega Ants' heads came free of their bodies, and blood fountained into the air.
After wiping out the Mega Ants near the entrance, Rinka went in search of new foes and plunged into the nest――.
The Mega Ant nest consisted of a single broad main passage that ran straight to the deepest point, along with countless narrow, winding tunnels.
Several to a dozen Mega Ants lurked at the end of each tunnel, and upon hearing the commotion, they came crawling out in droves.
――There were more than fifty of them.
They blocked the main passage like a wall and advanced toward us.
"――【Intimidation】"
I activated 【Intimidation】, which I'd gained access to by purchasing the 【Spirit Enhancement】 Skill.
Its effect stiffened the Mega Ants, stopping them in their tracks.
Taking advantage of the opening, Rinka charged without fear and swung the Deathbone Sword in every direction.
A flurry of strikes that precisely targeted the Mega Ants' vital points.
One slash, one kill.
Each time Rinka swung her sword, another Mega Ant lost its life――.
For three years, Rinka's Skills hadn't improved, and her adventurer rank hadn't risen.
But during that time, she continued to hone her swordsmanship.
She never gave up or ran away, steadily building up what she could do, one thing at a time.
A little faster, a little stronger, and a little more precise.
The mastery she'd gained by stubbornly continuing to swing her sword.
With 【First Sword】, that mastery could finally come into its own.
Corpses piled up like a mountain.
A girl stained red with splattered blood.
She looked more alive than anyone.
"――Wind Cutter"
"――Wind Cutter"
"――Wind Cutter"
"――Wind Cutter"
"――Wind Cutter"
I, too, kept firing blades of wind at the Mega Ants' joints.
Against Mega Ants with their hard shells, this was more effective than Fireball.
"Rento-san, let's go."
"Yeah, let's go."
We pressed on deeper into the nest――.
As we cut down the Mega Ants blocking our way, Rinka and I reached the deepest part of the nest.
Commonly known as the Queen's Chamber.
There, the Mega Ant queen――the Queen Mega Ant――awaited us.
A domed space opened up before us.
There were even more Mega Ants than before――no fewer than a hundred.
They surrounded the queen in layer upon layer, trying to protect her, and let out an unpleasant warning screech: 'Grrrreee!'
It was like a great chorus.
The swarm surged toward us like an avalanche.
A dense, unbroken black tide bore down on Rinka and me.
"――Water Flow"
"――Water Flow"
"――Water Flow"
I unleashed a torrent of water, created with water magic, at the Mega Ants.
The Mega Ants collided with one another, and the current carried them away, sweeping up others along the way.
The damage itself wasn't much, but it stopped their charge and threw the entire swarm into confusion.
"Rinka, now!"
Rinka nodded at my signal――.
"Now, let's begin――the slaughter."