ch301-ch320 · 320-ch320
Chapter 320: This Nurse Is Ridiculously Cute
"Grrr. This is going nowhere!"
I hide inside the 'Left Hand Gate' and let Aikawa's attacks wash past.
It was an attack that sheared through even a charged shield—but apparently even it can't cut a 'Gate.'
Step out of the Gate's shadow, though, and I die.
I did manage to beat the helmet warrior and the black armor, but it took my leg in the process.
I can't close the distance in one step anymore.
Maybe it knows that, because Aikawa's skeleton just spams long-range attacks without moving an inch from its spot.
(What the heck IS this slash, anyway?)
Does 【Idol】 have skills like this?
Unleashing a barrage that even 【Charge・Shield】 can't block—that's straight-up 【Idol】 cheese.
(What's my way to win?)
If I can't move, my only option is attacking through the 'Eye Gates.'
Problem is, that means sticking my face out of here.
First, I position the 'Right Eye Gate' somewhere easy to attack from.
Then, watch for an opening and stick my face out.
The moment the next slash lands on the 'Left Hand Gate'...... NOW!
(【Gate】! 'Aiming'!)
I yank my face back and thrust the spear into the 'Right Eye Gate.'
It hit...... I think.
Felt shallow, though?
The slashes have stopped......
(【Charge・Spear・Weapon Enhancement・Spear】 【Charge・Spear・Magic Up】 【Charge・Spear・Endurance Up】 【Charge・Spear・Strength Up】 【Charge・Spear・Agility Up】)
Charge first, then carefully peek out.
"Pye......"
I catch a glimpse of her waving her left hand and duck back in a panic......
"M-My hair......"
This is one of those things that'll be fixed when I wake up, right?
But she wasn't holding a sword.
Or rather—her right hand was gone.
She must have blocked with the sword, been unable to withstand 【Charge・Spear】, and vanished along with her right arm.
But it wasn't a fatal wound, huh......
"！?"
【Presence Detection】 reacts!
Another one's coming.
Soushi?
Throwing something...... charms?
(Knives!? Ah......)
Flying at me: knives.
I deflect the first with my right gauntlet—but from behind it, a second knife comes on the exact same trajectory......
Dodging it carries me right out of the 'Left Hand Gate's shadow.
A slash.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Aikawa swing her left arm through.
(Ah, dea...... not dead?)
It hurts.
But it only sliced across my body's surface—not that bad.
Because she has no sword?
No—did the dance effect expire?
Either way, if there's no instant-death attack, I can do this.
(【Gate】!)
I put out the 'Right Eye Gate' and dive through.
Coming out behind Aikawa......
(Got it!)
Aikawa's skeleton turns—and blocks with her left hand.
She parried the shaft, not the spearhead, so 【Charge・Spear】 didn't activate.
(But the killer right!)
The 'Charge Armor' gauntlet!
With a swoosh—she back-steps and dodges.
......She dodged and got careless?
('Armor Shot'!)
Rocket Punch.
It slams dead center into the back-stepping Aikawa skeleton, pulverizing her upper body—magic stone and all.
Third skeleton down—my first-ever defeat of an Aikawa skeleton.
(Where's the other one? Gah—【Gate】! Tch, hyper mode's run out......)
The gauntlet flew off into the great beyond, so 'Charge Armor' is off the table.
Useless, isn't it, the Rocket Punch!
Soushi's skeleton keeps hurling knives from a distance......
All I can do is put out the 'Left Hand Gate' and block.
The fallen knives might be seeding 'charms,' so I have to be careful.
But—these movements......
(This one...... isn't Soushi? Huh? A ninja? Huh? Is this...... 'Blue Shadow'?)
Looking closely: a ninja, blue scarf streaming.
Why 'Blue Shadow the Ninja'?
Is Soushi cosplaying?
The movements aren't like the 【Enchanter】 or a 【Talismaneer】 either.
If it were Soushi throwing things, it'd be kitchen knives, not knives.
(No time for this. 【Gate】! Ghh—【Gate】! 【Gate】! No good.)
Just beat it, for now......
But I can't pin it down.
My leg's shot, so I can't catch up.
It never stays in one place, just keeps moving.
Even when I put out the 'Left Eye Gate,' it's already gone by then.
The seconds just keep ticking away......
(Huh? One more...... this one too?)
A new black shadow on 【Presence Detection】.
'Blue Ocean' again.
(Oh no—it's coming. Won't make it. 【Gate】!)
The reinforcements had my attention, and my watch on the sky went slack......
A fireball explodes at point-blank range.
(AAAAAH hot—no, seriously, how many of these do I have to beat!?)
Next time. Next time for sure......
Clear it...... wake up...... want to see...... Kasumi-san......
︙
︙
I wake up......
"Haruki-san? Haruki-san! Doctor! Doctor! Haruki-san woke up! Somebody, quick!"
Too bright......
This isn't... home?
"Wh-Where...... is this?"
My voice won't come out right.
"Dr. Amamiya's hospital. Thank goodness...... I thought you might never wake up. Uu."
Hospital?
"Why...... a hospital?"
I push myself up.
My head is clearing.
Apparently I'm lying in a hospital bed.
I can't remember properly.
What happened, that I got carried to a hospital?
"You were practicing skills with Aikawa-san and suddenly collapsed. And then you didn't wake up for three whole days. I was so worried. But thank goodness—truly, thank goodness......"
Three days!?
What about school?
Wait—which Aikawa?
Aikawa Natsuki?
No, hold on......
"Haruki!"
Ah—Soushi, ......and Aikawa.
So it was that Aikawa after all.
"You're awake, then?"
A doctor in a white coat and a nurse come in too.
This nurse is unbelievably cute.
And she's got...... mufufu.
Maybe I should just stay hospitalized?
This could be a fun hospital life.
No—I want to go to school too......
Would commuting to school from here be a problem, I wonder?
"Hey, Haru-kun! We were worried about you!"
"Calm down—he JUST woke up."
Haru-kun?
Are you Soushi's mom?
Come to think of it, Soushi is oddly sweet to Aikawa.
Takes after his mother, I guess?
"Quit sticking up for him! Watanabe-san was worried SICK and cried the whole time, you know! Say you're sorry!"
She did collapse right in front of Aikawa, apparently.
I made her worry.
"O-Okay. My bad. But—who's Watanabe?"
There's nobody named that in our class, right? Watanabe......
And anyway......
Who IS this person who's been crying in front of me this whole time?
"Eh?"
All five of them cry out in unison.
Ah, she looked up.
This one's a beauty too.