First Dungeon Exploration (2)

First Dungeon Exploration (2)

'Vvaaaah!'

The kobold let out a battle cry and charged at me.

Its speed was on an entirely different level from the Skeleton's. It rushed toward me at a speed that rivaled a professional athlete's.

It kept its torso firmly hidden behind its shield while raising the sword in its right hand. I felt my throat tighten at the sight.

However, I had already lined up my aim. Despite being intimidated, I somehow managed to move my index finger.

The trigger was pulled, connecting to the Scroll inside. Mana flowed in at the same time, activating the loaded spell.

'Scroll: Wind Bullet'

The invisible blow sent dust swirling through the air, faintly revealing its outline.

But only for the briefest instant. The wind hammer shot out at high speed and struck the kobold's shield head-on.

With a violent cracking sound, the wooden shield shattered. The impact didn't stop there—it twisted the fur-covered left arm into a grotesque shape and staggered the kobold backward.

'Gyaaah!?'

The monster's brief scream filled my chest with relief more than joy.

But it wasn't over. I immediately used the lever action to eject the empty Scroll case, then loaded the next round.

I aimed at the kobold as it continued running toward me, its left arm hanging limp and useless.

I fired. The wind hammer aimed at its heart went slightly wide, but struck its right chest. The kobold's right chest caved inward with a dull crunch.

Blood poured from the fallen monster's mouth, and it convulsed for several seconds. Then it stopped moving completely.

Even so, I kept the staff trained on it while working the lever. I hesitated over whether to fire one more time just to be safe, but somehow stopped my finger, remembering that my ammunition wasn't infinite.

The kobold's body began turning into black haze. I felt mana flowing into my body and let out a small breath.

I lowered my weapon and picked up the small stone lying on the ground while keeping watch on my surroundings.

'Magic Stone'

This was the core that allowed a shadow-form monster to exist in the living world, and it was called that without any embellishment. Its corpse vanished when defeated, leaving only this behind, making the whole thing seem even more like a game.

Magic stones were high-purity mana crystals with a wide variety of uses. Perhaps this was the 'good thing' the self-proclaimed Demiurge had mentioned.

I turned toward Takanashi-san and Inoue-san and lightly held up the magic stone in my hand.

"I-I did it...!"

"Congratulations, Yahiro-kun."

"Congratulations."

Inoue-san smiled brightly, while Takanashi-san nodded expressionlessly.

I had been acting on instinct when fighting the Skeleton, but now I could feel my lips curling upward at the sense of accomplishment that came from defeating a monster.

"Um, what should we do with the magic stone? I heard online that, as a rule, the person who defeats it takes it home, or everyone decides beforehand who will carry them..."

"The person who defeated it can take it home."

"I-I understand."

While imagining the pocket of my backpack, I held the magic stone up toward empty space.

The little stone vanished from my hand as though by magic. Well, in a sense, it really was something like magic.

The Spirit Armor was truly convenient. It required no maintenance or carrying, and it even had an ability like this.

...Though some people used it for crime.

The bombing and smuggling cases committed by Gifted people that I had seen on the news flashed through my mind.

Returning to the subject, I removed the magazine from the staff and tucked the weapon under my arm. Then I took out spare Scrolls from my backpack and reloaded the ones I had used.

"That really is an unusual staff and Scroll."

"Yes. The Scrolls don't have very much power, but they're extremely convenient, so..."

I gave an embarrassed smile beneath my menpo at Inoue-san as she looked at me admiringly.

My Scrolls were less powerful than normal ones. Combining information from the Internet with what I had heard at the orientation, I estimated their destructive power at about half.

However, they were smaller, and above all, faster.

Normal Scrolls took about two seconds to activate after mana was infused into them. Mine took less than 0.1 seconds. They activated the instant mana flowed into them.

Combined with their small size, that made them usable like bullets. Even though their power was low, a Self-Defense Force member at the orientation had said they were more destructive than a handgun.

Considering everything together, I was confident they were in no way inferior to normal Scrolls.

...Well, making them was a little difficult.

If becoming Gifted hadn't increased my dexterity, I doubt I could have made even one.

After attaching the magazine to the staff and putting it away in its holster, I turned my gaze toward Takanashi-san.

"Um, then, it's Takanashi-san's turn next..."

"Understood. Then please navigate for us."

"Y-yeah."

Takanashi-san nodded firmly and drew her military sword.

The blade was just under fifty centimeters long. It had only a slight curve and a faint hamon. It felt extremely short for a Japanese sword. It reminded me of the military sword carried by a Showa-era Army pilot I had once seen on television.

I let her take the lead and took out my smartphone and blacklight.

As we walked, I couldn't help directing my gaze toward her back—or rather, toward her rear.

No. This was a dangerous area. I didn't have the attention to waste brainpower on something stupid, Yahiro Kota!

I gave myself a mental scolding and focused on navigating. After turning three corners, my ears caught the faint sound of footsteps.

"Ah."

Perhaps in response to my voice, Takanashi-san immediately took up a fighting stance.

She moved close to the wall on the left, lowered her stance, and held both hands slightly below her chest. Her left hand hovered near the guard instead of gripping the hilt.

It looked less like a Japanese sword stance and more like the way knives were held in action movies.

"Is it an enemy?"

"Yeah—no, yes. Up ahead. One just beyond the corner."

"Understood."

She answered briefly and advanced step by step.

Unfortunately, the stone her toe touched made a slightly louder sound than it should have.

It was quiet enough to ignore in daily life. But inside this tunnel, it echoed strangely.

'Vvvv!'

A growl reached us. A moment later, a kobold leaped out from around the corner.

It held a spear. The weapon was roughly two meters long, giving it an obviously longer reach than ours.

'Woof!'

With that single bark, the monster charged. It was just as fast as the previous one. Holding the spear in both hands, it brought the sharp point rushing toward Takanashi-san.

But she was frighteningly calm.

"Hss."

Just as I heard her small battle cry, she knocked the spear shaft aside with the back of her left hand.

At the same time, she had leveled the military sword in her right hand and thrust it into the kobold's neck.

By the time I realized it had struck, the blade was already moving to the right. It was pulled free, tracing a red arc through the air with the monster's blood.

'Guaaah.'

Blood bubbles spilled from the kobold's mouth. But its yellow eyes had not lost their will to fight.

Its throat had been cut, but the monster was still moving—though the winner had already been decided.

Takanashi-san's left hand gripped the spear shaft, while the military sword in her right was thrust into the kobold's left chest. The blade came free with a wet sound, as though stirring its flesh.

A supple leg struck the weakening monster in the stomach. Looking down at its body as it was kicked away, Takanashi-san tossed the spear behind her and immediately readied her military sword again.

It was a smooth, seamless series of movements, with no hesitation or wasted motion. Beneath my menpo, I stood there with my mouth hanging open.

Before I knew it, the kobold's body had vanished into haze along with the spear lying on the ground.

Takanashi-san picked up the magic stone and turned toward us.

"I finished it. Shall we switch?"

I nodded awkwardly to her, whose pale cheeks were faintly flushed.

"...Amazing, Takanashi-chan. Did you happen to learn something like that?"

Inoue-san asked her with wide eyes.

Takanashi-san gave a small nod.

"A little. Military hand-to-hand combat."

"I see... It was different from kendo, too, so that makes sense."

I nodded inwardly along with their conversation.

So it was military hand-to-hand combat. Before the Day of Return, I would have wondered where she had learned it, but these days, it wasn't strange at all.

There was at least one such school near the station. It was an unsettled age, what with monsters appearing and certain Gifted people causing trouble. There must have been demand for it.

...But close combat, huh?

I took the lead and drew the hand-and-a-half sword from its sheath instead of using the staff.

"Huh? Yahiro-kun, you're going to fight with a sword?"

"Yes. Um... this is a test, but Inoue-san is here too, so I thought I should get used to it while I have the chance."

Wanting to compete with Takanashi-san had almost nothing to do with it. I couldn't honestly say it had nothing to do with it at all, though.

But the reason I had just given was far more important.

Inoue-san thought for a moment, then nodded.

"All right. But don't push yourself, okay?"

"Yes."

After answering her with a nod, I readjusted my grip on the sword.

The blade was about one meter long. It was single-edged and extremely simple in design, except for the gold pommel and guard.

The thick blade was slightly heavy. This sword, also called the 'Mongrel Sword,' felt strangely familiar, perhaps because the Spirit Armor had created it from my own mana.

After walking for about five minutes, we heard enemy footsteps again.

I stopped and raised my sword after giving a hand signal. A kobold appeared beyond a gentle curve ahead.

'Vah!?'

The kobold let out a startled cry, as though it hadn't noticed us.

I thought, Perfect, and charged while raising my sword. The enemy had a shield and mace, but it hadn't taken a stance yet.

"O-oohhh!"

Carrying the momentum of my charge, I raised my sword as hard as I could.

───Clang!

"Gwooh!?"

The tip struck something hard.

What? A trap!?

I reflexively looked up and saw the blade scraping against the ceiling.

As I leaned back and froze, the kobold raised its mace. I hurriedly pulled my sword back as well.

I had exposed an opening, but my pure physical ability was superior. Keeping an eye on the blade's position, I raised it again.

"Aaaaaah!"

I shouted to encourage myself and swung the sword down in a diagonal cut. It struck the shield the kobold had raised.

With a cracking sound, the blade bit deeply into it. Just as I was about to force it farther in, the kobold twisted the shield.

"!?"

The sword was pulled, and the hilt nearly slipped from my hands. I poured strength into all four limbs and yanked hard, determined not to let it take my weapon.

The kobold's eyes widened, apparently because my strength had exceeded its expectations.

'Gaaah!?'

The kobold, which had been raising its mace, lost its balance. When I forcibly completed my swing, the shield broke apart completely and the enemy staggered.

This time, I had my opening.

I stepped on the scattered wooden pieces and swung the sword upward in a reverse diagonal slash.

The blade tore through fur and crushed flesh with shocking ease. Along with the sensation of breaking something hard, the kobold's small body was sent flying.

"Ugh..."

I groaned softly at the unpleasant sensation that traveled back through my hands and the blood splattered across my body.

I desperately wanted to wipe away the lukewarm blood. Even though it wasn't human, the sensation of taking a life filled me with an indescribable disgust.

Even so, I somehow kept my eyes on the kobold lying spread-eagled on the ground.

Its body immediately turned into black haze. The splattered blood vanished as well, and I let out a relieved breath.

I pointed the blade at the ground and relaxed my shoulders. I had somehow defeated it with a sword. That reassured me, but remembering how it had happened made my cheeks twitch.

It had been a pathetic performance, even by my standards. More importantly, I had shouted far too loudly for someone in a dungeon.

"Good work, Yahiro-kun."

"I-Inoue-san..."

When I turned around, Inoue-san was clapping softly with a gentle smile.

"About that just now..."

"It's all right. Everyone makes mistakes like that. I even tripped inside a dungeon when I was starting out. So don't worry about it."

"Y-yes...!"

Inoue-san clenched a small fist to encourage me.

She's so kind! Grandma is so kind!

But Takanashi-san, standing a little diagonally in front of me, was...

"...? ... ...!"

She was making all sorts of strange faces.

Her expressions themselves barely changed. Yet she would furrow her brows in confusion, then give a small nod as though she understood, and next look up at empty space while clenching her fist.

I had no room to talk, but she was acting suspiciously.

What is with this woman...?

For now, I returned the sword to its sheath. During the clan entrance test, I decided to focus on the staff.

＊　　　　＊　　　　　＊

About thirty minutes after entering the dungeon, we safely reached the exit.

It was an oval gate surrounded by the same white haze I had seen at the containment site. We passed through it and escaped outside.

I looked around the concrete enclosure, then turned back and saw the gate and the iron door beyond it.

I let out a huge sigh of relief when I realized we had returned to the first room.

"You both did a great job."

I turned my gaze forward at Inoue-san's voice and saw her smiling brightly.

"You both passed the clan entrance test. You really worked hard."

"Y-yes...!"

It took me a moment to understand her casually delivered words: We had passed.

But joy immediately welled up inside me. Beside me, as I made a small fist pump, Takanashi-san nodded deeply, looking moved.

"I wish I could hold a welcome party for you at the café right now... but today might be difficult. Is that all right?"

Inoue-san deactivated her Spirit Armor and glanced at her wristwatch.

"Sorry for asking so suddenly, but are you both free tomorrow at three in the afternoon?"

"Um... p-probably."

At the word welcome party, I considered making up some plans, but somehow managed to nod.

I was about to join a clan. I-I had to develop some social skills...!

"I have no problem with that."

"Then come to the café at that time. I'll treat you to some exceptionally delicious coffee."

"Th-thank you..."

"I'll gladly accept."

"Yes! Look forward to it!"

I did my best to keep my cheeks from twitching at Inoue-san's happy smile.

...Hang in there, Yahiro Kota. Surely, once you entered society, you wouldn't be able to escape welcome parties and events like that...!

Apparently, while the place was called a 'labyrinth,' adventurers had settled on calling it a 'dungeon,' so I should use that term from now on too.

The thought of a mission to match my first dungeon clear sent an unpleasant sweat down my back.

＊　　　　　＊　　　　　＊

Trying desperately not to reveal what I was thinking, I returned to the café with Inoue-san. We decided to settle how to handle the magic stones after I officially applied for my adventurer's license at the government office.

Then she saw us off with a smile, and I started walking toward the bus stop. But...

For some reason, Takanashi-san was right beside me.

...No, seriously, why?

I glanced at her. Takanashi-san was looking around us as though she were wary of something.

Come to think of it, she still wasn't carrying a backpack. She was completely empty-handed.

The Spirit Armor's storage function shouldn't be usable except while it was deployed, barring a few exceptions. I had heard that partial deployment might make it possible, but... how did it actually work?

"Um, Takanashi-san..."

"Yes. What is it?"

She looked at me with a sharp expression, and I tried to put a little distance between us.

For some reason, she closed exactly that same distance.

"Um, are you taking the bus too, Takanashi-san...?"

"Yes. It seems we use the same bus."

"I-I see..."

Apparently, she hadn't been following me. But even so, what was with this distance between us?

Whether or not she knew how confused I was, she thought for a moment and then...

"Yahiro-san."

"Y-yes."

"Would you come to my house with me after this?"

"...Huh?"

"Thank you."

"What?"

"Then let us go."

Had she taken the confused sound I made as agreement?

Takanashi-san gave a deep nod, looking quite satisfied.

...Wait. Could this be some new kind of honey trap?