Chapter 24: Gathering Friends


    “… So, Satou-san is really”


    I got a breakdown of their current circumstances from the ss Rep. In a fight where a troop of Goma had brought along Red Dogs as their hunting dogs, the girl named Satou died. Her vocation was Archer, and during the fight she was acting as support in the rear. But with thebination of Goma and Red Dog and with suchrge numbers to boot, got surrounded, and their backs were open.


    ss Rep and Natsukawa-san tried to go help, but their hands were already full dealing with enemies of their own. The fight dragged on until around half the Monsters were defeated, at which point, they seemed to retreat as if sensing their enemy was too much. And along with their retreat, the Goma undoubtedly took along the Archer girl as their spoils.


    The other two in tatters, they somehow managed to keep walking until they reached the current Fairy Square, would be the story.


    “I, I… thought, it was all over… but then, Souma-kun and Sakura-chan, came along and, I’m just so d, we can still survive… Uuuu!”


    “There there, it’s alright Minami. With four of us here, we can definitely, get through this”


    Natsukawa-san was gushing in tears once again, it was painful to watch. For now, it’s better to leave her consoling and calming-down to Sakura.


    “I thought, I was ready for this… but hearing about deaths, really stings dammit”


    “There’s likely been many more, not just Satou-san”


    Seeing ss Rep’s heavy sigh, There’s no way, is what I didn’t say irresponsibly.


    “And actually, right before Satou-san, Futaba-san was also, you know…”


    “What, why!?”


    “She, she wasn’t suited to fighting. And after getting cut by Goma we had no way of healing her, and”


    What the hell, dammit. At that time, if only Sakura was there… we could’ve, we would’ve saved her. We could’ve prevented the ss Rep from having to make the cruel decision of leaving wounded friends to die.


    “Shi-… I won’t say it was a good decision. But with these things going on, we need to get everyone together all the faster. I don’t want anyone else, dying so helplessly”


    “Everyone huh… Yuuto-kun, only three can escape, that info has reached you right?”


    To ss Rep whose face took on anotheryer of cloudiness as she asked, I slightly nod, affirming her query.


    I think it was when we got to our third Fairy Square. The divine gate at the very depths of the dungeon, and the cores needed for its function. And that wretched limit of 3 who can enter that gate. That memo had already found its way to me.[1]


    “There could be people who’ll attack us you know”


    “You’re, probably right”


    “Even ones who could betray at thest minute”


    “Yeah, doesn’t sound impossible”


    “So you’re saying, you’ll still be gathering them?”


    Everyone wants to survive. And no one wants to die. Even by stabbing others in the back, even if it’s just them, they’ll live on using any means— people who think like that, exist too. And I’d bet, a majority of us think like that. As a human, it’s their natural survival instinct.


    “ss Rep, we’ve got 4 of us here”


    “… Yes, you’re right”


    “I don’t, want to abandon anyone. Sakura, you, Natsukawa-san. If you asked me to cast one away, I can’t do it. Also, if you ask me to sacrifice myself for the 3 of you, I wont do that either”


    “Fufu, quite selfish aren’t we. Or should I say privileged?”


    “May seem that way in this situation. But I’ll be taking that selfishness, and make it real, no matter what. I won’t abandon a single one. Everyone that’s still alive, I’ll have them all get back to Earth!”


    I’m not giving up. More so when there’s already been deaths. My resolve just solidified even more.


    That’s right, I wanted to overturn this unreasonable scenario, that’s why I wished for power. That’s what the hero’s for.


    “Sigh… Sorry, forgive me Yuuto-kun. I was, only being pessimistic there… In the beginning, I too, truly, faithfully, wanted to believe that”


    No, don’t worry about it ss Rep. You can’t help but get depressed in this ce


    After losing 2 people back to back, even the ever calm and intelligent ss Rep would be at her limit. All the more when before we came along, they’d just recently lost Satou-san and were down to two. Their own lives were in a precarious situation.


    Keeping calm through all that, just isn’t possible.


    “Monsters are strong, but with everyone with their vocations gathered, we can surely resist. With all of us here, maybe we could even find a way for everyone to use the divine gate, and in the worst case, we can just get out on foot”


    At the very least, this world has a human inhabited kingdom. There’s no way it’s the case that we’d walk around the whole, only to discover that it was full of savagends without the presence of mankind. Keep walking, and we’ll eventuallynd on some human habitation.


    “When Yuuto-kun says it, it sounds you can even do the impossible”


    “We got our vocations right, I think we can do a lot”


    Not just mybat-only powers, there could be someone specialized for survival too. If we can get someone like that, our ability to cope would be much higher than trying out stuff ourselves.


    “Well, we’ll manage. And one of these days, we should meet up with Ryuuichi too”


    “Ho-hold it right there, where did his namee from!”


    I mean, if it doesn’te up now, when will it, is the feeling.


    “Geez,ughing at me? How rude”


    “Ahaha, sorry, my bad. Well, I was thinking it’d be great to get him soon too. That guy’s pretty much the only one I can leave my back to in all those fights”


    “Sigh, It’s not like you don’t get into a fair bit of trouble yourself, I hear”


    “Truly unfortunate, I happen to be a victim myself”


    “I wonder about that”


    Seems like my character is in jeopardy of being dubbed a battle-maniac, but yeah, I’m d that ss Rep’s a bit more lively now.


    “By the way, what sort of vocation do you have Yuuto-kun? Looks like it wasn’t too hard for you getting here, is it perhaps quite strong?”


    “Ahh, my vocation— right, uhm, don’tugh ok?”


    Rest assured, she affirms in a cool smile. Alright, I’ll be taking your word for it then.


    “… My vocation, it’s Hero”


    “Ahahaha! He’s really a Hero!”


    “C, ss Rep you liaaaaarrr!”


    After the 4 of us had regrouped, following a bit of rest, we head back into the dungeon with the purpose of finding the other students. Though I say find, for the time being, we’re only following where the Magic Compass points. The others should be advancing ording to this too, so we’re bound to meet up at some point.


    “I guess, they aren’t wasting time… Natsukawa-san, are you all set?”


    “Yep, no prob! Souma-kun’s fighting beside me now so it’s super reassuring”


    We were walking along a wide path, and raising moans from in front of us, came a flock of Zombies. That being the case, Natsukawa-san was in her usual bright and cheerful self, and readied her weapon. A knife in her right hand, and a kitchen knife in her left. The former was taken from a Goma, and thetter seems to be inherited from Futaba-san.


    Her having the ability to attack head on, she had alone yed the part of vanguard. I don’t care what vocation there is, a single girl having to battle Monsters all by herself is seriously harsh.


    I’ll protect her, is not something I have enough strength to im at this time. I can’t win, I can’t protect them with just me. So right now, please lend me strength everyone.


    “Leave your back to me Natsukawa-san, I’ll definitely protect it”


    “Nihaha, t-thanks, Souma-kun…”


    She’s blushing, and avoiding my gaze for some reason, but it looks like a happy shyness, so I’ll take it as hering to trust me a little. With a reliablerade, you can rx your heart more, and function more calmly, and less recklessly.


    Great, now I just have to perform well, and let Natsukawa-san feel she can rely on me, let’s do that.


    “Nii-san, Minami, I’ll put on the Enchants now”


    “Mm, Yeah, appreciate it”


    With Sakura’s Holy Enchant cast on my sword and Natsukawa-san’s knives, we’re all set forbat. But that Sakura, why’s her mood so bad? Her tone felt a smidge thorny.


    “So yeah, Ryouko-chan, leaving cover to you! Souma-kun, let’s go!”


    “Yeah!”


    des, glowing with holy brilliance, in hand, Natsukawa-san and I both gained speed with high walk, and dove into the mass of Zombies.


    “Geez, nii-san and Minami, too reckless the both of you!”


    Having triumphantly returned with Natsukawa-san after eliminating the Zombies, we had gotten Sakura mad.


    “S-sorry Sakura-chan. But but, Souma-kun was with me, and I could fight really cozily? And it got a bit fun I guess?”


    “Ah well, I guess I went a bit carried away, sorry about that”


    Seeing Natsukawa-san’s fighting ability first hand, I ended up getting a bit excited myself. There’s no way you can find a girl who can fight and move to nimbly in our original world. But witnessing that power, the current me was so overjoyed, and being able to fight shoulder to shoulder with that was so much fun— well, I guess if you selfishly go wild like that, of course she’d be mad.


    “Isn’t it fine Sakura? Look, they did so well, the two of us didn’t need to lift a finger. Souma-kun’s terribly strong, so Minami can go fight without a worry”


    “Yeah, I’ll protect Natsukawa-san with my life if I have to”


    “Niha! T-that’s, Souma-kun, I…”


    “There’s no point if you get hurt nii-san!”


    “No problem, at that time, can’t you just heal me Sakura?”


    “Seriously! That’s not the—”


    I thought I said something pretty obvious, but as if I just poured more oil into the fire, Sakura became increasingly furious. Good grief, guys are obviously supposed to protect girls. What’s she getting so mad for.


    “But we have to practice our teamwork, so go a bit easier on the tension next time”


    After a bunch lecturing from Sakura, we decided to adopt the ss Rep’s n, and resumed our trek through the dungeon.


    Until now, with only Sakura and me, we could take care of small scale packs of monsters. Now, with a swift, close-quarters fighter, the Thief, Natsukawa-san, and wielding a range of offensive and defensive Ice Magics, the Ice Mage, ss Rep, joining us, our fighting potential doubled, no, it likely rose a lot more.


    To be honest, I don’t feel we’ll lose no matter how many Zombies or Red Dogs get thrown at us.


    “—Nii-san!”


    “I’m fine on my end! you three get the other one!”


    Having arrived at a particrlyrge Forested Dome, we were attacked by arge pack of Red Dogs. The one leading the pack was arge sized Boss Dog I’d seen for the first time. Two of them at that. Maybe they’re a male and female couple. The two of them weren’t leading their own individual packs, but worked together splendidly, and came at us with tactics and teamwork you’d never expect from simple dogs.


    If it was just me and Sakura, we’d be taking on quite a bit of risk with these numbers… but now we had reliablerades. So it doesn’t feel like we’ll lose at all.


    “Tri sh!”


    My 3-hitbo sh was agilely dodged by the Boss Dog and only cut the air. As if saying, I can see right through you, the Monster grinned crookedly— A simple dog in the end, I guess. Since it fell for such an obvious faint.


    “—Got’cha!”


    I sharply throw a knife. Since I hadunched Tri sh with only my right hand, my left was free. And there, I used Force Boost to shoot a knife, so even the bulky skin of the Boss was deeply pierced.


    “Gyau!”


    Its side hit dead-on, the Boss raises a pained cry. And the opening created, proved all too fatal.


    I closed the distance, and before it could regain its stance, I dropped the Boss Dog’s head with sh.


    “You did it, Yuuto-kun”


    “Yeah, good job on your end too”


    As I had ended the Boss Dog, the three of them seemed to have also defeated the one on their end. Well, with Sakura and ss Rep’s concentrated Ice and Light, along with Natsukawa-san’s knife talents, something like a Boss Dog won’t evenst half a minute.


    At the point where the pack whittled down enough to allow us to approach the Bosses, the match was already over. With both their Bosses done in, the ones remaining quickly fled.


    “…Mm, this is”


    When I went to collect the cores from the bosses, like with the Armor Bear, they turned to grains of light and vanished.


    Acquired Skill


    Ignis Protection(Fire Resistance)


    Decreases damage received from the Fire attribute


    A mechanical message floated into my mind.


    I see, so this turning into light and disappearing is a sign that I’m receiving Acquired Skills. Since the glowing particles look like they’re being sucked into my body, it could be that the powers from Monsters are being absorbed with magic.


    At any rate, it’s easy to understand. Plus, this disappearing and only leaving the core made for easy collection and was quite convenient.


    Like that, our dungeon capture has been proceeding swimmingly. Plentiful battle potential, and reliable friends. Piling on experience, me and everyone else unlock more powers from our vocations and continue to grow stronger.


    However, I had yet to witness the true menace of the dungeon. Even though I’d been once broken by the Armor Bear, with so much positive progress, I started to forget how were confronting death in the truest sense of the word.


    And the event that made even this foolish me jut open my eyes, happened when we reached a big, the biggest stone-built area I’ve seen yet.


    “—KyaAAAAAAAAAA!”


    A scream, like the tearing of silk, echoes. There’s a fellow ssmate there being attacked, we could tell without anyone saying a thing.


    We dash full speed into the room where the scream came from. Please, make it—


    “Out of my wayyyyy!”


    There, we found a horde of Goma, thergest one I’ve ever encountered. With their same dirty figures, crude weapons, these ck, goblin-like demons of gluttony. But their numbers don’t even phase our current strength.


    I cut into the horde without hesitation. Natsukawa-san was right behind, and cover fire came flying from Sakura and ss Rep. Stepping over the in corpses of Goma, we cut open the path, and made it to the center of their siege in no time.


    And there we saw—


    “Ah, Souma-kun!? It’s Souma-kuuun!”


    “What, Souma!”


    Two familiar girls. One, a frail girl smaller than even Natsukawa-san, who gave the impression of a small animal you’d want to protect. The other, valiantly dual-wielding a rusted pair of long and short swords, an imposing girl with a long ponytail being something like her defining appearance.


    Both my ssmates. And both, my friends.


    Takanashi-san and, Asuna!


    Thank god, as far as I see, both of them still look fine. The smaller one is Takanashi Kotori. The one with the swords, Kenzaki Asuna.[2]


    Maybe Takanashi-san lost her weapon, as she was just standing there shivering. As for Asuna, she stood in front as if protecting her.


    “We’re saved! Souma, and looks like there’s others too”


    “Yeah, we got Sakura and ss Rep with us”


    “I’m here too!“


    “Aah! Minami-chan!”


    Arriving slightlyter, Natsukawa-san went and stood mirrored to Asuna covering Takanashi-san from the other side. With this, we have me and Asuna in front, and Natsukawa-san in the rear, all protecting Takanashi-san. I’m scared to think what would’ve happened if we were only a stepte.


    “Asuna, anyway for now, we’ll be cleaning up this horde”


    “No, the horde isn’t much of an issue. Souma, don’t panic, but look over there…”


    Cold sweat dripping down her cheek, I follow Asuna’s darkened expression.


    There were Goma there, standing armed like the one’s around us. No, not them, further back, there’s something.


    “T-the hell, is that…”


    It was a fairlyrge shadow. The shadow, no, that thing had the same jet ck skin as the Goma. But as if the species waspletely different, it was big. Cleary taller than me, at around 2 meters. And not only tall, it’s body can be said to be muscle itself. It wore a robust armor of muscle akin to body-builders.


    But those muddy yellow eyes, and that dirty, blood-smeared wide mouth on its face, forces you to see it as nothing but a Goma.


    “GU, GUGe, GeGE”


    It looked at me, and itughed. Andughing, with that mouth, it was biting on something, some red meat— no, it was munching on a human arm.


    “Wha!?”


    “… That’s, Kousaka“


    Wh-what. That, that torn off arm that’s be Goma feed, you’re telling me it belongs to Hiroki.


    Kousaka Hiroki, he was my friend. No, you could even say a best friend. I’ve known him since 2nd year(8th grade) middleschool, and he’s the guy I’ve known second longest after Ryuuichi.


    I relied on him a lot. He always tried to cover for me when I ended up ditching out of habit. Of course, even in the dungeon capturing, he’ll surely help out. He’ll ally with us, I’ll depend on him, we’d berades… that was supposed to happen.


    “No, way…”


    “Sorry Souma… I wasn’t strong enough, Kousaka, I couldn’t save him”


    No Asuna, you have nothing to apologize for. I mean, Hiroki, that guy loved you.


    Surrounded by all these enemies, there’s no way Hiroki won’t help fight with you. It was supposed to be his chance. It was your chance to show off to Asuna dammit. Asuna had dered she wouldn’t recognize any man who wasn’t strong; it was supposed to be his greatest chance to get close to her.


    But then, ahh, why, what the hell… what’s with this tragic end… no way. There’s no damn way.


    “Sorry but Souma, there’s no time for grief. Look, that thing there, it’s strong. Kousaka was a Knight, and it cut him down in one stroke.“


    The Goma swallowed down Hiroki’s arm whole, it looked at me again andughed. As if its delicious prey had increased, it was amused.


    So Kousaka was a Knight. I don’t know what kind of skillset that came with, but it was undoubtedly one centered on fighting. And it took down that Kousaka in one shot. This guy should be immensely strong… No, its power must be from that weapon it’s holding.


    “Asuna, that sword is”


    “A Demon Sword, you could say. And that de, its surrounded in that red fuzziness, I don’t think I’m just seeing things there”


    In it’s right had, the Goma held a single sword. A Odachi with quite a long de. Just as Asuna said, from those pristine waves on it’s de, an ominous crimson aura gushed forth.[3]


    This one’s evidently on a whole nother lever from the average Goma. Could be their Boss. Seeing as that have this many of them, but not a single one’s attacking, it would seem the Boss wants to personally kill its prey.


    At any rate, we needed to face this Boss Goma, along with itsrge number of remaining Goma troops.


    “Souma, I’m d you guys came but… It’s still gonna be a tough fight. You ready?”


    Ready, she says. You know that question’s pretty dumb, don’t you Asuna. At this stage, there’s no point asking.


    Cause they— they killed my friend. No way I’ll forgive them.


    “We’re going Asuna. We’ll avenge Hiroki—”


    Removed from fear and doubt, I face the Boss Goma blocking the way, and went for the kill.


    ________________________


    [1] Change: transfer gate → divine gate, I think it’s slightly better? Again, 天送門 is the raw.


    [2] It’s kinda unimportant but Kotori-tan… her name looks like this 小鳥遊 小鳥, the characters repeat so I guess that’s interesting. 剣崎明日那 Kenzaki Asuna… has 剣 — ken — sword in her name.


    [3] A pic topare different swords. look for the Odachi.