ch101-ch120 · 104-ch104

Chapter 104: The Other Me

"Yes, that's Umemoto-san, all right."

'Blue Shadow'—Kinoshita Ao—confirms Umemoto's face.

If this turned out to be a case of mistaken identity, it would be no laughing matter.

"An acquaintance of yours?"

Kasumi-san picks up on it and asks him back.

"No, I've never actually spoken with him... I just always watched him struggling, you see."

Umemoto had it rough?

No, wait—I heard he was bullied and killed his old party members in revenge.

Ao-san carries on of his own accord.

"You see, if you take a scout-type as your first main job, you're in for a world of hurt. I was lucky—Kaito was always right there beside me, so I never suffered the way Umemoto-san did."

Blue Ocean was originally just one party in a university adventurer circle.

The first two members of that party were Ao-san and Kaito-san.

Ao and kai: Blue Ocean.

Kaito-san had been flagged as a promising 【Shielder】 from just after the dungeons opened.

But the story of how Ao-san picked 【Scout】 first and had an awful time of it is famous.

"By the time all five of us were together, we sailed through to Triple and took our high-rank jobs. My scout-type hardship was well behind me by then, but I still couldn't help worrying about the other scouts who were struggling. Umemoto-san especially—I'd heard he'd been thrown out of his party..."

The circle had over a hundred members at its height in the first dungeon boom, but a year in, the boom moved on and the place emptied out.

Blue Ocean, too, was supposedly down to just Ao-san and Kaito-san—and that is when their blazing advance began.

The joining of 'Sword Saint-chan,' Hoshino Chiharu.

From there they shot up to Triple in no time at all, and then Quadruple.

"I'd heard through the grapevine that he was doing well in another dungeon, and that set my mind at ease. But on the way here, I found myself thinking: if I'd taken one wrong step, I might have ended up just like Umemoto-san..."

To scout-types, Ao-san must be someone to look up to.

He went from a job that draws the short straw to 'Japan's Number One Adventurer,' after all.

But at the same time, the jealousy aimed at him is every bit as fierce.

'That guy just happened to land a good party, that's all.'

'If Sword Saint-chan were in MY party, I'd be Quadruple too.'

"So—thank you. For stopping Umemoto-san. For stopping a man who might have been the other me. Truly, thank you."

The other me, huh...

Seems even 'Japan's Number One Adventurer' had his own feelings about this whole affair.

"Hey. Were you the one who defeated the 【Berserker】?"

It's Sword Saint-chan.

The mood had just gone quiet, and she cuts straight through it, planting herself in front of Kasumi-san with her question.

This is simply the kind of girl she is.

A natural-born Berserker.

When Sword Saint-chan joined Blue Ocean, she was already a Double-Rank adventurer...

By then, her old party could no longer keep up with her, and she'd broken through Floor 20 solo.

The story goes that she joined Blue Ocean precisely because Kaito-san—already famous as a 【Shielder】—was there.

Word is, when she broke through Floor 30, 【Berserker】 was among her high-rank job options.

When the fans heard that...

'Well, yeah. Of course it showed up.'

'It'd be weirder if it hadn't.'

That is how famous her love of battle is—those were the reactions it got.

"I did. Is there a problem?"

Huh? There's an edge in Kasumi-san's voice, too.

"Your job?"

Sword Saint-chan keeps up her imperious questioning.

"...【Spear King】."

No backing down on this side, either.

Kasumi-san answered her honestly.

"Did the 【Berserker】 use 【Frenzy】?"

Her hand is resting on the sword at her hip...

Huh? Isn't this heading somewhere dangerous?

She wouldn't just attack us out of nowhere... right?

"Most likely."

Kasumi-san's grip tightens on her spear...

Can I make it in time?

(【Charge・Shield】. 【Charge・Shield・Agility Up・High】. 【Charge・Shield・Endurance Up・High】...)

"Truly?"

Sword Saint-chan looks over at me, standing beside Kasumi-san.

Why is she looking at me?

(...【Charge・Shield・Strength Up・High】. 【Charge・Shield・Armor Enhancement・Shield・High】. 【Charge・Sh—)

The next instant, Sword Saint-chan's sword is at my throat...

"Would you like to die?"

A beat later, Kasumi-san's spear is pressed against Sword Saint-chan's throat.

"A buffer?... Was I mistaken?... But I see how the trick works now."

With a spear at her throat, she shows no concern whatsoever—she just tips her head to one side with a little clunk.

A cute gesture.

"......"

"Okay, okay. That's enough. Sorry about that, my bad. Could you lower the spear? And Chiharu—care to explain why you did that?"

Ao-san claps his hands—pan, pan.

Even so, Kasumi-san's spear does not lower.

"It's nothing... I just gave the delinquent adventurer his scolding in Asuka-senpai's place."

"...Hm."

Hearing that, Kasumi-san lowers her spear.

So that means it can't be helped, is that it?

Sword Saint-chan goes on, looking at me.

"Too slow. Ao-senpai would have buffed the entire party in that one instant. And you lean too hard on your skills. If you can't do anything unless your skills activate, you're not cut out to be an adventurer."

She's grading me!

And she had me down as a buffer earlier—she's got me all wrong...

Well, I do buff myself—so maybe she's not wrong?

And on top of everything, 'Japan's Strongest' just told me I'm not cut out for this.

Devastated...

"Hmmmm."

"...Your movements are amateur. Get some proper training."

A follow-up strike!

Leaving those parting words behind, Sword Saint-chan disappears into the 'Gate to Floor 1.'

The rest of them follow.

"Umemoto-san looks like he's suffering, too. Best we hand him over quickly."

Ao-san goes after them.

Apparently, the scolding from the Queen has been called off.