Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 12

by Fujino Omori

  After a moment, color drains from the world and everything becomes quiet. Even my own heartbeat and the ripples at my feet disappear. This mentality of extreme concentration is leading me somewhere.

  My lips suck in a small breath and exhale it.

  The next instant.

  All at once, the scarlet lines up above turn toward me.

  “—Yarrr!”

  I focus all my energy into a single thrust, and then slash the glittering white blade at the speeding bullet that’s leading the flock toward me.

  It doesn’t make a sound. Not a scream, not a death cry. The body of the iguaçu simply splits in two and falls into the water behind me.

  That’s the signal for the head-to-head contest to begin.

  “—!!”

  A swirl of flashing wings rushes toward me.

  I intercept them all, Hakugen gripped tightly in my hand. As soon as my right arm swings down, I bring it slicing up again. An instant later, the next bullet barrels toward me and I bend my head aside to dodge it. At the same time, I slice through three suicide bombers with a single swing of my blade. Thirty-seven times, I intercept the head-on, high-speed attacks. The first wave of murderous swallows swoops low over the water’s surface and then soars upward before launching a second attack from all directions.

  I wield my knife at the flashes of light that rain down from the dome like shooting stars until they become a blur of speed and force.

  “—!!”

  The sharp beak of an iguaçu grazes me just above my armor. Sparks fly from my dir-adamantite shoulder guard, and my Undine cloth undershirt tears as a spray of blood spurts upward. The wound rips wider as I cut the enemy’s wing.

  Once again, I’m dripping sweat. My whole body is hot. My head feels about ready to burn off. All four limbs are screaming at me as if to ask, Wasn’t there another way? My heart argues back. The Firebolt couldn’t destroy a flock of birds because it targets only one point, not a wide area. In exchange for killing a couple of birds, my body would be pierced with dozens of holes. This really is the only way.

  My speed, which has garnered so much praise, is my only advantage.

  But my enemies are staking their lives on this fight, too—

  Each flash of light is a life put on the line. A deathblow dealt at high speed. The reason the impact is so strong is that they’re turning their very lives into attacks. They think nothing of the consequences but simply fly forward with the goal of piercing their enemy.

  That’s why I, too, have to keep on swinging my arm without pausing to think.

  —This is a contest of endurance!!

  “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!”

  I give myself over entirely to my adventurer’s instinct as I draw arc after glittering white arc around me.

  The speed of my knife accelerates.

  At the same time, my ability to accurately perceive the enemy improves.

  It’s like my intuition had been off, but now that I’ve been driven into a tight spot, my physical and mental selves are melding together—

  More, more, more!

  I think back to the continuous slashing attack that I experienced at the hands of my idol that night in the labyrinth town.

  As I remember the fierce and beautiful Sword Princess, I weave the song of my blade, pushing it as fast as it can go.

  Just at that moment—

  “—!!”

  I slice through the last bird drilling down on me from straight above.

  The glittering white blade efficiently cuts out its magic stone, and instantly the iguaçu’s body turns to ash and scatters in the wind.

  I stop, still poised with my knife at the end of its trajectory. A spray of water falls like a gentle rain on my flushed cheeks.

  My extreme level of concentration eases, and the sound of the Great Falls fills my ears. I relax my stance and look around.

  Hundreds of drop items—the severed feathers of the iguaçu—are floating in the shallow water around me.

  “…I…did it…”

  I made it through a mass outbreak of iguaçu.

  I wipe the trails of blood off my cheeks and arms and lower the hand that still holds Hakugen. My body feels sluggish.

  I was forced to make a stand, and there’s no question that I’ve used up quite a bit of time and energy in the process.

  But I’ve started to understand some things…

  Taking drastic measures is different from being reckless.

  Still, there will come a time when I have to take a risk—in other words, when I have to adventure.

  It may be a year from now, or a day from now, or maybe a couple of seconds from now. I have no idea. I’ve got to prepare for that time, in all sorts of ways.

  I always have to reach for my personal best. I have to prepare myself, physically and mentally.

  That’s definitely what first-tier adventurers do. It’s the only way to avoid having regrets.

  Now that I’ve undergone this Dungeon baptism, I feel like I’ve grown as an adventurer.

  I slip my new weapon, Hakugen, into its sheath.

  Just then, I hear a sound that catches me by surprise.

  A sound that’s totally out of place in the tense atmosphere of the Dungeon—the sound of clapping.

  “Huh?” I sputter idiotically.

  There’s no way a monster can be applauding an adventurer. Ordinarily I’d assume it was another adventurer. But there’s no sign of anyone else near the plunge pool.

  As my mind searches for another answer, I slowly look over my shoulder and see—

  “—”

  The top of the enormous waterfall leading to the twenty-sixth floor.

  And there on a crystal strand, back to the magnificent scenery, is a fishtail covered with translucent green scales. In contrast to this lower body the same shade as the emerald-blue Great Falls is a faint indigo-blue human upper body.

  She has smooth, clear skin; a pair of bare, well-shaped breasts; long hair the same color as her lower body; and in place of ears, two cute fins. Her eyes are resplendent jade.

  I gasp at the sight of this beautiful “girl” as she shakes the shells and pearls decorating her hair.

  “A mermaid…” I mumble.

  I can’t take my eyes off this creature who is endowed with such un-monster-like beauty.

  As if to praise my display of martial skills against the iguaçu, or perhaps out of pure admiration, she smiles and innocently claps her hands.

  “Oh brave warrior, oh strong hero, oh covetous, cruel champion. Prove your desire for the queen’s girdle.”

  A song was being woven.

  The sonorous chant threaded its way among the ferocious howls of a monster. Aisha dodged her enemies’ claws and fangs, casting her spell even as she assaulted them with her podao and long legs.

  It was a Concurrent Chant.

  “My famished blade is Hippolyta!”

  A moment later, the Amazon—who had been chanting at the same time as she attacked and evaded multiple monsters—finished her spell and unleashed her magic.

  “Hell Kaios!”

  Her podao, which she had thrown onto the ground, threw off a huge cutting wave like the fin on a shark’s back that shredded through every monster in the party’s path. It sliced through not only a number of tough blue crabs but also the devil mosquitoes hovering in the air and even a large-class aqua serpent.

  “Damn! It even works in the water!”

  “Bell Cranell is something, but Antianeira can hold her own…”

  Welf, who was guarding the party, and Ouka, who was carrying one of the wounded, stared fearfully at the spectacle. The Hell Kaios had moved off land to cut through the water, laying bare the streambed as it blew away every obstacle in their path.

  As water flowed back into the streambed with a rush, Aisha—who had been fighting the monsters single-handedly—swung her podao onto her shoulder and looked back toward Welf.

  “Okay, let’s get going while the path
is still clear. If they surround us, even I won’t be able to protect you guys completely.”

  “Fine words from someone who just wiped out a whole pack of monsters by herself…” Daphne muttered at the outstanding second-tier adventurer. She was carrying Luvis over her shoulder.

  For now, the party had left defense to Aisha while the others carried the wounded elven adventurers. As they began to once again move through the labyrinth, Lilly rustled around for a Dual Potion and handed it to the sweaty Amazon.

  “Miss Aisha, are you all right?”

  She paused to reach her hands out to a small cascading waterfall and noisily gulp down some Dungeon water.

  “Want me to be strong and say I’m just fine? Seriously, though, the reason I can keep going like this is because I have support from your insane magic swords,” she answered, wiping her mouth.

  Ouka, Mikoto, Daphne, and even the weak Haruhime were carrying the Modi Familia adventurers. Cassandra had Chigusa on her back, which meant that five members of the party were unable to fight. No matter how hard Aisha fought for them, it was an extremely risky breakdown in terms of proceeding through the lower levels.

  To make up for the imbalance, Welf and Lilly were playing exquisite backup with their dagger-style Crozzo Magic Swords. Their high-speed, high-power attacks had taken down quite a few monsters that Aisha was unable to reach, and thanks to their combined efforts, the party had thus far been able to proceed without great danger.

  “I wish we could have used Malboro…” Lilly said.

  “Didn’t we just hear that water-dwelling monsters aren’t very sensitive to smells from land? The enhanced species doesn’t seem to be able to smell, either. Anyway, if we let out that god-awful smell right now, it just might finish off these wounded elves!”

  Welf was half-joking as he responded to Lilly’s comment about the Malboro stink bags, which kept monsters away by releasing a hideous smell. However, his words did little to lighten the feeling of tense urgency consuming the party as they continued through the blue crystal labyrinth.

  Just then, Aisha, who was leading the party, started in surprise.

  “Miss Aisha?”

  “Is it a monster?”

  “No, those footsteps sound like—adventurers.”

  Aisha’s words startled Lilly and Welf. As she had predicted, no sooner did they round a corner with a cave entrance in it than they bumped into a group of adventurers.

  “Dormul, is it you…?”

  “Luvis, Luvis!! Ye are alive!!”

  The elf raised his head from Daphne’s shoulder. The dwarf shouting his name had eyes as narrow as threads, a big nose, and at around 170 celches was quite tall for his race. His head and body were covered in brown heavy armor, and both hands gripped battle hammers.

  Lilly and the others guessed right away that these must be the Magni Familia adventurers Luvis had spoken about.

  “Mr.…Dormul, is it? We are of Hestia Familia, and we are on an expedition,” the prum announced.

  “Oh-ho, the kin of Rabbit Foot! So that enhanced species attacked you, too…?”

  One look at the ivy-tangled Chigusa was enough to tell Dormul what had happened.

  His party consisted of four members, all of them hearty Level-3 dwarves dressed in tough full-plate armor. But the battered state of that armor spoke to how worn down the party had become.

  Without exception, each member was parasitized by a vine.

  “You guys can move? Even with those plants on you…?” Ouka asked in amazement. The dwarf laughed off his comment.

  “Yo-ho-ho! We are dwarves! Far stronger than those weakly elves!” he said in his thick accent.

  It was clear from the black circles under his eyes, however, that his words were mere bluster. Most likely, he was pushing himself through a forced march for the sake of his party.

  “Yes, you damned dwarves are far better than us burdensome elves…” Luvis said with a self-mocking laugh. But the dwarf lost his taste for banter when faced with his limp former rival.

  “Eh, Luvis…what good will that kind of talk do…?” he said, exhaustion spreading over his face as he looked at the haggard elf he would normally relish quarreling with.

  “Dormul…did you find the party our quest was searching for?”

  “…Aye, we found them. Their corpses, that is…They were at a safety point below this level.”

  Luvis raised his delicate eyebrows, and Dormul nodded gravely.

  “A safety point?” Lilly said, parroting the unexpected words.

  “Aye. They were hidden where no one would find them. They had bite marks all over them, and their corpses were shriveled and dry. Those vines were wrapped around them, and flowered at that…”

  “S-so that means…?”

  “Aye. The enhanced species was lying in wait at the safety point, and it killed the adventurers.”

  Shock shot through Lilly and the others.

  Monsters couldn’t spawn in safety points. The enhanced species had launched its surprise attack knowing full well that adventurers at a safety point would have their guard down. It had waited for its prey to make themselves vulnerable.

  “I thought I was beyond surprise…but that monster knows a damn lot of things it shouldn’t,” Aisha said. Her irritation and disgust expressed the feelings of the whole party.

  A monster that had learned the habits of adventurers. It was unheard of.

  “That rumor about it being even worse than The Bloodstained Troll may not be far from the truth,” the Amazon added.

  “Do you have any more information? Anything you can tell us about the enhanced species’ habitat or its weak points…?”

  “Nay. It attacked us as we were hurrying back to Rivira, I’m sorry to say…We beat it, we slashed it, but it seemed to feel nothing. Even our trustworthy thunderbolt magic swords didn’t do much…”

  “So, as we suspected, the only thing that clearly works is Mr. Bell’s Firebolt…” Lilly said.

  “Which means its weak point must be fire…Li’l E, would you take out the red magic sword? I’ll use that one,” Welf responded.

  He had been carrying a thunderbolt-type dagger, but now he took the longer blade that Lilly withdrew from the backpack and stuck it into the sword belt slung crosswise over his back.

  “What does yer party plan to do now? Given our condition, we beg that ye let us join with ye…”

  “Not a problem. It is the rule of adventurers to help one another in times of trouble. Lilly and her companions will make our way to the connecting passageway on this floor and establish a base there,” the prum said, acceding to Dormul’s plea before quickly explaining their plan. The dwarf agreed, then glanced at Daphne, who was still holding Luvis. She jumped as he boldly walked toward her.

  “Give him to me! I’ll take that weak piece of baggage!”

  “Dormul, you—”

  “Don’t get me wrong! I’m ashamed to say we can’t fight much, and we’ve used up all our items and magic swords! But…we can still do the work of a supporter!”

  He snatched Luvis forcefully from Daphne and threw him over his broad shoulders. The other dwarves did the same, taking the wounded elves from Mikoto, Haruhime, and Ouka. Luvis looked at them in surprise, but Dormul cut him off by spitting on the ground, as if to say, Don’t you dare thank me for this.

  Meanwhile, Lilly and the others were marveling at the toughness of the dwarf race. No one could be counted on more than a dwarf at a difficult time like this. That was one reason adventurers often recruited them as heavy fighters.

  “Th-thank you very much! I don’t know how to express our gratitude…” said Cassandra.

  “You’ve really saved us, thanks!” added Daphne.

  “I-it’s nothing! Brute labor is the work of dwarves! This is no job for d-d-d-d-dainty little ladies!”

  The stammering dwarf turned away, flushed to his ears, as he answered the two beautiful girls—Cassandra with her droopy eyes that aroused the desire to protect and Daphne
with her wide-open, slanted pair. They were so attractive they had even invited flirtation from Apollo. The reactions of the other aged dwarves weren’t much different.

  Even Lilly, who was practically allergic to adventurers, giggled at their behavior.

  “I’m glad they’re such pleasant fellows,” she said.

  “Okay, guys, if everything’s been sorted out, let’s get going,” Aisha said.

  The group obeyed. Although their numbers had swelled with the addition of the dwarf supporters, they moved more lightly now. Ouka and the others were able to resume their fighting roles.

  “By the way, what happened to Bell Cranell? Uh, ye—lovely renart?”

  The nervous Dormul directed his question toward Haruhime, who was even more beautiful than Daphne or Cassandra.

  “…Um, Master Bell is…”

  Behind them, Lilly grasped the belt of her backpack tightly in both hands as she listened to their conversation.

  The sound of clapping is still ringing through the cavern, mingled with the crashing of the waterfall.

  Like a child, the mermaid looks into my dazzled face with her sparkling jade eyes.

  Judging from her appearance, she would be a little older than me in human years—probably around Aiz’s age. Her under-pearl hair ornaments look perfect on this girl from the water’s edge.

  A monster that claps for humans…I know of only one type of monster that displays such a friendly attitude.

  “Are you…?”

  I manage to form a few words despite my dazed state. She tilts her head adorably, opens her eyes wide, and brings her hand to her mouth as if to say, I really shouldn’t…

  No way, this can’t be what I’m thinking—

  Just as an image of Wiene’s face flashes across my mind, something interrupts my thoughts.

  “AAAAAAA!”

  “?!”

  The sounds of wings beating air and high-pitched cries are coming from high above. I look up and see a flock of harpies and sirens. The monsters soaring through the upper realm of the cavern have noticed me, and their eyes glitter exactly like hawks peering down on their prey. Of course—there’s no way they could have failed to notice the racket I made fighting the iguaçu…!