by Chuuni Suki
"So-"
"I won't let you~!"
However, the moment before Yue said "Soar" to activate the magic, Mini Miledi thrust out her right hand, at the same time an extraordinary pressure attacked Hajime and his party. They sunk inside the rapid current as if being pressed by something gigantic. She was probably using gravity magic to multiply the gravity several times.
"See ya~, good luck on conquering the other dungeons~."
"Gopoh... ... you, did you think we are filth!? Someday, I'll surely destroy you!"
"Kehoh... ... Unforgivable."
"Now you've done it! Fugah."
Hajime and his party let out sharp parting remarks, then were swept by the rapid current into the hole. A moment before they entered the hole, only Hajime tried to retaliate by throwing something. Along with Hajime and his party that were flushed into the hole, the water flowed out at the same speed, then the floor returned and the room regained its former form.
"Fuu~, what strong fellows~. Even so, a synergist master just like O-chan huh. Fufu, somehow it feels like destiny. Keep struggling for your wish... ... well then, I'll be busy for a while to repair the dungeon and the golems... ... nn? What was, that."
Even without the ability to sweat, Mini Miledi made a gesture of wiping her forehead. After that, she discovered an object that she was not used to seeing at the edge of her field of vision. A knife was pierced into the wall and a black object hanging from it. "What is it?", as she approached, having recalled it she finally realized.
"Heh!? This is, don't tell me—!?"
A black object, it was Hajime's handmade grenade. It was the only form of retaliation that he could have done; throwing a knife with a grenade attached, just before being flushed into the hole. Because he had used it many times inside the dungeon, Miledi already judged that it was an explosive, she immediately floated to take refuge in a hurry. Actually, the current Mini Miledi had bad magic power consumption when using gravity magic, she already spent most of it bringing them down. That's why she was unable to hold down the explosion.
Although Mini Miledi watawata, turned her heels, it was too slow. At the moment Mini Miledi turned her heels, the white room was kah, filled with a flash, and followed by an intense impact.
Inside the dungeon, "Hinyaaa—!!", a woman's scream resounded. Afterwards, there was a small golem that was seriously in need of repair, weeping, or there wasn't, was there...
On the other side, Hajime and his party that got flushed like filth were swept into the tunnel-like place by the rapid current at tremendous speed. It wasn't a place where you could breathe either, so they could only advance while submerged in the water. Somehow, although unskillfully, they desperately tried to control their bodies so they wouldn't crash into the wall and lose consciousness.
Then, at that time, in the view of Hajime and his party, many shadows passed them by. Those were fishes. It seemed the place they were swept into was an underground vein that connected to rivers and lakes. However, unlike Hajime and his party who were washed away, the fishes were boldly swimming inside the rapid current and came to pass them by.
Unbeknownst to them, one of the fishes swam beside Shia's face who had stopped her desperation to breathe. Somehow, that fish looked toward Shia.
There were eyes.
The fish. No, the human-faced fish had oldman-like eyes. Because it probably didn't know how to speak, it didn't say anything. In conclusion, Shia met the eyes of the human-faced fish. The old man-like face of the human-faced fish displayed impudence and lethargic feelings, it was reminiscent of the nostalgic Shi-ma**.
Shia who was surprised, opened her eyes wide. She panickly tried to cover her mouth with her hands after unintentionally letting out her breath. However, she was so surprised she didn't avert her gaze. Shia and the old man (fish) continued to advance inside the rapid current while staring at each other.
And, the flow of time that seemed to continue forever between Shia and the old man (fish) was abruptly ended. A voice resounded inside Shia's head.
---- Just what are you looking at.
That was added with a click of the tongue. This time Shia was unable to endure any longer. Inside the water "Bufoa!", she grandly exhaled. Certainly, the old man (fish) might be a kind of demonic beast. It probably had the special magic similar to "Telepathy." But, without being able to confirm it, the old man (fish) started to swim through the rapid current and went ahead with surprising agility.
What it left behind was a rabbit-eared girl who lost her power while displaying the whites of her eyes.
* * *
From town to town, a carriage and several horses advanced peacefully on the highway that connected villages with pakka pakka, rhythmical footsteps. Certainly, there were people riding on the horses. There were three men and a woman who were dressed as adventurers. On the carriage, sitting on the coach seat was a 15-16 year old girl and a monster... ... a giant shemale.
"Souna-chaa~n, because we'll reach a spring soon, let's rest a little there~."
"Affirmative, Crystabel-san."
The shemale called Crystabel was the manager of a dress store in Brook town who Yue and Shia were indebted to. Also, the girl that sat beside Crystabel was the inn girl of "Masaka Inn"; Souna Masaka. Although for some reason her name is always able to surprise anyone, she is only a normal girl who has a lot of curiosity and too much pink elements in her brain.
These two were currently returning to Brook town from a neighboring town escorted by adventurers. Because it could be understood that Crystabel was as strong as an oni, it harvests a lot of clothing materials by itself. To get all of the materials at the same time, it left the town. Souna was taking advantage of it hearing that a relative in the neighboring town was injured, she represented her parents who were unable to leave the inn to deliver a get-well gift. The adventurers originally came from Brook town, having finished their job, they incidentally became their escorts.
There was only one day of travelling left until they returned to Brook town. Crystabel and the others decided to rest at the spring on the side of the highway, at noon.
Crystabel and the others who had arrived at the spring were preparing to have lunch on the spring's levee after letting the horses drink the water. Souna who wanted to get some water approached the side of the spring. Then, the moment she scooped the water by dipping the container in the spring,
GOPOh! GOPOGOPOh GOPANh!!
Those sounds suddenly rang out, then bubbles suddenly started spouting from the center of the spring.
"Kyaa!"
"Souna-chan!"
Souna raised a scream and fell on her butt, Crystabel immediately carried her in one arm and returned to where the adventurers were. Even at that time, the bubbles that spouted out became more intense, until finally a water column with a height more than ten meters appeared.
This spring was commonly known as a resting place along the highway, and this kind of phenomenon had never once been reported. Therefore, Crystabel, Souna, and the adventurers could only open their mouths in surprise while blankly staring at that, without being affected by the rain-like drops of water, they only looked at the huge water column.
Following that,
"Douwaaaaa--!!"
"Nnh----!!"
"... ... ... ..."
From the water that spouted out without losing momentum, three people... ... the screams of two people could be heard as they came out. Spontaneously "What the-!", said Crystabel and the others with their eyes popping out. The trio of humans that came out were blown off ten meters above while screaming, and just as it is, they were thrown to the opposite side of Crystabel and the others and DOBONh!, fell while making that sound.
""""""... ...""""""
"Wh-what on earth happen-..."
The adventurers and Crystabel were speechless. Souna's mutters represented everyone's feelings.
* * *
"Gehoh, gahoh, ~~kh, t
hat was awful. I will surely destroy that guy next time. Yue, Shia. Are you okay?"
"Kehoh kehoh... ... nn, I am okay"
Having somehow managed to get into the water's surface, Hajime confirmed Yue's and Shia's safety after cursing. However, only Yue replied to him.
"Shia? Oi, Shia! Answer me!"
"Shia... ... where are you?"
Even as they called out to her, there was no sign of her in the surroundings. Hajime hurriedly dived underwater to search for her. Then, as he thought, Shia had sunk to the bottom. Having lost her consciousness, she was unable to float because of Doryukken's weight.
Hajime took out a compressed super-heavy mineral from "Treasure Box" and used it as a weight replacement to immediately dive, then he carried Shia up.
He went to shore while dragging Shia. Shia was laid upside down, her face was pale with the whites of her eyes showing, while her breathing and pulse stopped. Maybe because she saw something unpleasant, she had lost consciousness with her face looking like it had a cramp.
"Yue, do CPR!"
"... ... C-... what?"
"A~, like I said, secure her breathing..."
"???"
Having seen Shia's condition, he told Yue to do CPR, but Yue only had "?" floating overhead. In this world, there was probably no such thing as CPR. Because there was no wound, drinking the Holy Water wouldn't help, and would just hydrate her even more. Yue was weak at healing magic, she couldn't possibly know any magic that was capable of making Shia let out water or to pinpoint massage her heart.
Although the exact moment when she lost her consciousness wasn't known, there was no time to argue. Hajime, with grim determination performed CPR to the unconscious Shia.
And naturally, well, there was mouth to mouth, Yue who saw that immediately became displeased, but because she understood that was the only way to save Shia, she could only quietly watch. That's right, she only jii and ji-, stared at him.
Hajime tried to ignore Yue's inorganic gaze with all his might and repeatedly performed CPR.
'Geez, when I think back, to be dying right after everything is over... ... you're truly a regrettable fellow.'
In his mind, he let out those abusive words, and after doing artificial respiration for who knows how many times, Shia finally vomited water. Hajime turned her sideways so the water wouldn't block the trachea. It was a situation where he completely covered her body.
"Kehoh kehoh... ... Hajime-san?"
"Ou, it is Hajime-san. Geez, don't die because of somethi-!?"
While continuing to display an amazed expression near Shia who was laid down and choking, Hajime showed a somewhat relieved expression. Shia who could only blankly look at Hajime, suddenly, gabacho!, kissed him as she embraced him. It was an unexpected action, so Hajime who was close to her failed to avoid it.
"Nnh!? Nn-!!"
"Amuh, nchu"
Shia held Hajime's head with both her hands, wrapping her legs on Hajime's waist to keep a hold on him and without any reservation her tongue invaded his mouth. Hajime was unable to shake off Shia who used her herculean strength to hold him.
To tell the truth, during the many repeated artificial respirations, Shia somehow knew she was kissed by Hajime. Although she was unable to move her body, her consciousness had already returned. It was probably a situation brought by her using body strengthening the moment she drowned.
Having kissed many times, Shia's feeling-o-meter was blown off. To not let him escape, she completely held Hajime's body then losing herself, she returned Hajime's kiss.
On the other side, Yue who saw such a spectacle... ... was perplexed and displeased. Although she was displeased by it, she didn't try to stop it. She whispered, "Only this time, as a reward...", in small mutters. Apparently, she took Shia's feelings into consideration and seemed to allow it as her reward for working hard inside the dungeon.
"Wah wah, what!? What's with this situation!? A-amazingly... ... wet, while entangled with each other... ... so, so intense... ... even though it's outside! H-how abnormal!"
That was the conclusion that came from the excessive delusions of Souna-chan; the inn girl. Following that, "Ara? Certainly you are...", Crystabel tried to remember Yue and Shia while wriggling its body. Then, with flames of envy inside their eyes, the male adventurers desperately tried to control themselves from drawing their swords, while the female adventurer looked at them with cold eyes.
Now, with Shia stuck to him, Hajime lift his body up. Then, he intensely grasped Shia's plump butt.
"Anh!"
Shia unintentionally let out a gasp. In the next moment, without loosening his grasp, Hajime PEIH!, pulled and peeled Shia off then threw her into the spring just like that.
"Ukyaaaa!"
DOPANh!
Looking at Shia being dropped into the spring while screaming with a skeptical gaze, Hajime fixed his hair while breathing roughly.
"Th-there is no time to be careless at all. Attacking right after resuscitation... ... even I can't read that move."
Towards Shia who was immediately crawling out from the spring like Sadako, Hajime displayed an expression as if he was shivering.
"Uu~ that was cruel~ even though Hajime-san also did that~."
"Haa? That was just a life-saving action... ... rather, you, were you already conscious that time?"
"U~n, although I could only feel it... ... I somehow knew what happened. For me to be kissed by Hajime-san, uhehe."
"Stop that laugh... ... listen, in the end that was a life-saving action, there is no other meaning, you know? Don't expect anything weird, okay?"
"Is that so? But, a kiss is a kiss. The time for dere will come faster if this keeps up."
"Never. Rather, Yue. Help me stop her."
"... ... Only this time... ... but, because Shia had worked hard... ... No, but..."
"Yue~? Yue-san Ya~y"
Toward Yue who kept looking at an empty space while continuing her murmurs, Hajime was only able to let out a sigh while thinking, "This one is also hopeless." Then, he looked toward Crystabel and the others that had come near to check on Hajime and his party.
His gaze moved from the adventurers, it stopped for a moment toward Souna. Then when he saw Crystabel, he returned his gaze toward Souna. It seemed he preferred to not see that.
Having been gazed at by Hajime, Souna's body twitched then shook, and her face immediately blushed.
"So-sorry for the interruption! P-please don't worry about us and continue!"
Crystabel picked Souna up by the scruff of her neck, who tried to turn her heels after saying those words. Then, they came straight toward Hajime and his party as it is. Because of the monster approaching them, Hajime tried to pull out Donner, but Shia next to him said, "Ah, manager-san", with a tone as if they were acquaintances and they continued talking.
As a result, their current location turned out to be one day away from Brook town, Hajime and his party decided to revisit the town. Taking advantage of Crystabel's carriage, they were spoiled by it. Their wet clothes were changed on the way. While talking about various things, they advanced under the warm sunlight with the horse's footsteps as the BGM.
Together with a new companion, Hajime conquered the second dungeon. While laying down inside the wagon and watching the sun shining brilliantly, Hajime thought about what might happen on his journey from now on and a smile floated on his face.