arc3 · 183-ch183

Chapter 183: Magic Stone Collection

"Alright, let's gather Magic Stones on this floor, full tilt!"

We'd reached our target, floor thirteen, and decided to spend a while collecting Magic Stones here. This floor spawns the E+-rank Slash Wolf. They rarely appear in groups, though — so against a lone one, we actually wanted to hunt them aggressively.

After a break, we stepped into floor thirteen. First up: two Fang Wolves. But the deeper the floor, the higher the monsters' level, so they were no opponents to get careless with.

By the time we got here, my ability had apparently been accepted — I was entrusted with one of them, plain and simple. Moroteyama-san and Hosomi-san took the other. Magic Stone hunting is all about efficiency, so let's finish them off quick.

I dodged the Fang Wolf's snapping bite and took its head off as we passed each other. Moroteyama-san and Hosomi-san, working as a pair, seemed able to fell this floor's Fang Wolves without any trouble too.

After we'd felled a dozen-odd Fang Wolves that way, a Slash Wolf appeared. A size larger than a Fang Wolf, its distinguishing features a faintly blue-tinged body and razor-sharp claws.

"There it is! All three of us take it on! Yukimizu, support!"

The Slash Wolf is an E+-rank monster. Since it was a rank above us, they meant to hold nothing back and go all out. First Yukimizu-san loosed the water blob at it — but the beast ignored it completely, maybe because the water's lack of killing power had already been figured out.

"Blind, coming up."

Judging plain old water to be useless, Yukimizu-san opened a different canteen's lid — and out leapt water dyed pitch-black. Given she'd called out "Blind," the plan, I gathered, was to blind the Slash Wolf's eyes with it.

To make the most of that support, we split into three directions. Moroteyama-san on the right, Hosomi-san on the left, and me at the front with Yukimizu-san at my back. From the battles so far, it had been accepted that I was the best suited to guarding Yukimizu-san. Even that Hosomi-san raised no objection on the point — though he did wear a sour face about it.

Well, a post of responsibility had been handed to me. I absolutely could not let the front be breached. With that resolve in my chest, I took my stand before the Slash Wolf. This was an experience I'd never had solo.

Feeling keenly that I was part of a party, I carefully observed the movements of the Slash Wolf and the rest.

First, the Yukimizu–Hosomi combo. The black-dyed water spread out and covered the area around the Slash Wolf's right eye. Using that blind spot, Hosomi-san closed in on it.

But the Slash Wolf itself showed not a trace of panic. Paying the black water no mind, it was sniffing away at something, nose twitching.

"Hosomi-san, please be careful. It's noticed you."

Just as Hosomi-san moved to drive his rapier in through the Blind, I realized what the Slash Wolf was doing and called a warning. I'd figured it out — this thing could locate its opponents by smell.

But Hosomi-san only shot a glance our way, ignored my warning, and drove in the rapier. A strike from a perfect blind spot — but the Slash Wolf leapt to evade it, then cleared the Blind in the same bound and lunged at Hosomi-san.

"Hosomi!?"

"Hosomi-san!?"

Moroteyama-san's and Yukimizu-san's cries overlapped. Faster than my voice could come out, I'd kicked off the ground and thrust my katana at the Slash Wolf.

"Guaaah!"

But before my katana could reach it, the Slash Wolf's huge, razor-sharp claw tore open Hosomi-san's shoulder. He couldn't help crying out. The wound was deep — but not a fatal one.

My katana cut in before the Slash Wolf could press its attack. Afraid of taking a wound itself, the beast retreated backward once.

"Yukimizu, potion!"

"Y-yes!"

Moroteyama-san's orders flew at once. At that voice, Yukimizu-san opened the lid of the white canteen, and out of it came a pale-blue liquid, flying off toward Hosomi-san. Apparently that was a Low-grade Potion — Yukimizu-san steered it and poured it down over the wound on Hosomi-san's shoulder.

"Guuuh..."

Thanks to the Low-grade Potion, the wound seemed to have shrunk a little. But a single Low-grade Potion hadn't been enough. Blood was still flowing.

"P-please, this one too."

Hosomi-san opened his pochette one-handed and took out a small vial. A Low-grade Potion was inside, presumably — he popped the cork with his mouth.

"Leave it to me."

Yukimizu-san held out her hand, and the potion came bobbing up out of the little vial Hosomi-san held — then came splashing down over the wound on his shoulder. With that, the wound shrank further, and the bleeding seemed to have stopped.

So the Water User can manipulate more than just water, huh. Being able to get a potion to someone without going near them — that's a pretty capable Job, isn't it.

Hosomi-san looked like he'd be fine now, so all that was left was for me to take this thing down, and everything would be settled.

"Hosomi-san, fall back and look after Yukimizu-san. Moroteyama-san, I'm engaging — please sync with me."

That was all I said, and I charged at the Slash Wolf. My katana, swung in an upward scoop, was batted sideways by its claw — but I rode the momentum, spun like a top, and this time swept the blade in a horizontal arc.

"Gyau!"

The Slash Wolf, just transitioning to its own attack on the force that had batted my blade aside, was slow to react to the returning katana — and took a wound at the base of its shoulder.

"Soramine. You saw my shoulder get torn up, and paid it back for me, didn't you."

Whether from the injury or not, Hosomi-san was muttering something strange. I'd torn the Slash Wolf's shoulder open through pure coincidence, though.

The beast, wounded, backed off to put distance between us — and there, Moroteyama-san lay in wait. The Slash Wolf seemed to have completely forgotten he existed; its body locked up for an instant.

"There's your opening!"

A double strike of the daggers wounded its hind legs, and Moroteyama-san promptly pulled back. Good — if he keeps to hit-and-run, the fight gets easier for me too.

The Slash Wolf growled, seething over the wounds to its hind legs. But if it went after Moroteyama-san here, it would be showing me its defenseless back. Apparently it understood that much was too dangerous, and it turned a resentful glare on me instead.

"Well, from the front or from the back, doesn't much matter to me."

I closed the distance with the wary Slash Wolf without a care.

"GAA!"

Someone once said there's nothing more fearsome than a wounded beast, I felt — but I calmly read the movements of the Slash Wolf as it steeled itself and came leaping at me, and thrust my katana up from below, straight for its heart.

Shlub!

I felt the sensation of parting flesh, and the Slash Wolf, eyes wide open, collapsed to the ground.

【You defeated the Slash Wolf】

"Soramine, forgive me. I seem to have had you all wrong. Not only did you save me — you deliberately aimed for the Slash Wolf's shoulder to pay it back on my behalf. Thank you."

Misunderstood what, exactly — Hosomi-san had suddenly gone all meek. What is this? He's thanking me, yet the chills won't stop. Probably Hosomi-san's eyes are the cause. He's been looking at me with some fevered heat in them. I'd honestly rather be getting cursed at.

"Water Users can do quite a lot, can't they."

Deciding that talking to Hosomi-san right now was a bad idea, I turned to Yukimizu-san to change the subject.

"I-I have no attack power, but leave the support to me."

Yukimizu-san answered with her head half-bowed — and for a moment, she looked like a saving angel to me.