ch101-ch120 · 101-ch101

Chapter 101: The Receptionist Is a Losing Flag 【Watanabe Kasumi】 Part 6

SIDE: Watanabe Kasumi (Haruki's Girlfriend)

My vision went black...

No—it had already gone black.

"......sumi-saaan."

I can hear him.

I turn around.

"Kasumi-saaan."

He's running toward me.

"Why..."

The obvious question slips out of my mouth.

(He came to save me...)

Holding back the tears, I shout.

"Don't come over here!"

You mustn't.

That alone, above all...

Pressing a hand against my aching side, I take a step toward him, then another.

Presence behind me... but I can't take my eyes off him anymore.

He gives me a single wink.

A shadow at my back.

I don't even need to turn around.

He protected me again...

As he came running, he used the 'Left Eye Gate' to cut me off from the 【Berserker】 man.

"Haruki-san!"

The pain keeps me from moving forward properly, and just as I'm about to fall, Haruki-san catches me in his arms.

"Kasumi-san! You're hurt? Let's run. 【Gate】. Those people over there too."

He thrusts out his left hand—a 【Gate】. Which makes it the 'Left Hand Gate,' then.

The destination should be the warehouse on Floor 1.

But...

"There's still one more party on Floor 15. They should be back at the campsite before long. If that happens, they'll run right into it..."

"The 【Berserker】 does seem to have already flipped his switch, doesn't he..."

"That's right. An emotionless killing machine, I'd call it. I doubt talking will get through to him..."

Umemoto emerges from the shadow of the 'Left Eye Gate.'

"I'll take him from here... please, at least you get out first, Kasumi-san."

Saying that, he leaves my side and heads toward Umemoto.

"No..."

Maybe it's because I let my guard down, but the pain in my side feels stronger.

The me of right now couldn't land another blow on that 【Berserker】...

With a clang, Haruki-san's shield takes Umemoto's attack.

In the instant they break apart, Haruki-san's nagamaki slashes across Umemoto's left hand.

(Just as I thought...)

Haruki-san and Umemoto are a terrible matchup for each other.

In that one instant.

The moment Haruki-san failed to finish him with his first strike, Umemoto had already lost.

Umemoto held the advantage in both strength and speed.

Which means he'll use it...

Haruki-san will get serious.

Anything but that...

(Because my resolve... because my own resolve fell short...)

If only this wound weren't here...

Is there something—anything—we can do...

"Eeeh? Where is this? ...Who am I?"

That voice?

"You're... Shiraishi-san! Why are you here?"

I startle.

She came out of the 'Gate,' didn't she.

"??? And you are?"

"It's me. Watanabe."

I raise my helmet's visor and show her my face.

"Oh, Watanabe-san. It's terrible. I seem to have lost my memory. I was supposed to be in your warehouse, but the moment this black board suddenly appeared, I was somewhere I've never seen... When did I even come here? This is a dungeon, isn't it? Why would I be in a place like this? Is that pig over there an orc? I could really go for a tonkatsu set meal... I can't remember a thing."

She seems disoriented from traveling through the 'Gate.'

"Please calm dow—urgh."

The suddenness of it made me forget all about the wound at my side.

Trying to walk over to Shiraishi-san, I crumple from the pain.

"Huh? You're hurt? That's bad. Let me see. Goodness... 【Heal】. The wound is closed, but it might not be fully healed. One more 【Heal】."

Now I can... now I can do this...

But...

I can't make up my mind.

My fingers are trembling.

"Hm? Is that you, little boy? Is your opponent by any chance that murderer? His face is in a terrible state, isn't it?"

"I have to hurry, or... or it'll all be pushed onto Haruki-san."

Haruki-san's skill has a time limit, set by his MP.

Before that time runs out, he will use it.

To protect me...

"Hey, you're pale as a ghost. Don't move. It's all right. Your little boy has him completely overwhelmed."

"I can't. Haruki-san is still holding back. I have to do something before Haruki-san steels himself..."

No matter how many times his arms and legs get cut down, the 【Berserker】 keeps moving.

"What is that? Is he healing? Doesn't that hurt? Could it be—you can't win because he heals?"

Not only does he feel no pain, he doesn't even give a thought to his own life.

He abandons defense entirely and presses his attacks.

A terrible matchup for Haruki-san.

If Haruki-san releases 【Charge・Spear】, even a graze would blast a human body to pieces...

"If Haruki-san wills it, he can defeat that 【Berserker】 whenever he pleases... but if he does, that man called Umemoto will die..."

...He would kill him.

He could kill him at any moment.

The moment Haruki-san steels himself...

"You have to kill him to stop him? That's... Oh—hey? If you cut off a leg, would it go back to normal?"

Cut off a leg? Under normal circumstances that alone could be fatal...

"I've heard that if you reattach it right away, even a low-rank 【Heal】 can put it back on. And even if it doesn't take, it'll at least stop the bleeding, so he won't die. Do something. Otherwise your little boy is going to become a murderer."

If that's the case, I might be able to...

I watch for my chance.

A surprise attack on the legs...

"Shiraishi-saaan, heeelp meee—"

That's right.

"There are wounded on the other party's side too. Please take care of them."

"Leave it to me—you handle this side. Oh, and the cleaner the cuts, the better, all right?"

Shiraishi-san really is dependable.

"Beer ticketh right here... pleathe, take thethe..."

"Beer tickets? Sorry, sweetie, I don't drink."

"Heal tickets. One-time free 【Heal】 coupons. I have five of them, so please, use these."

"Unbelievable. So that guy really was a genuine otherworlder. We can win this!"

I won't allow it.

I won't let Haruki-san become a murderer.

Killing my presence, I hide myself in the shadow of the 'Left Eye Gate' Haruki-san deployed.

Waiting for the moment his back is turned completely...

(Now! 【Slash】)

I burst out from the shadow of the 'Left Eye Gate' and loose a single horizontal arc.

A 【Slash】 released from a spear carrying three layers of weapon enhancement—【Weapon Enhancement・Spear】, 【Weapon Enhancement・Naginata】, and on top of those, 【Weapon Enhancement・Spear・High】.

With that single stroke, I succeeded in severing both of the 【Berserker】 Umemoto's legs.

"Kasumi-san."

"Haruki-san, are you all right?"

In that instant.

The 【Berserker】, both legs severed, starts to move.

Using only his arms, he launches himself at Haruki-san.

I was behind him—I couldn't even move to shield him...

A goblin's knife—since when?!

"Haruki-san!"

And there, Haruki-san gives me a wink...

(...So cool.)