ch321-ch340 · 340-ch340

Chapter 340: The Thrust with Nothing in It

"A welcoming party. Thoughtful. Did you call ahead?"

We arrived at the Chiba branch, and there at the entrance stood Watanabe-san, as always.

"No way. If I called ahead, you'd be the one to disappear, right? So you must have been waiting for someone else. In this cold, no less."

Watanabe-san does look cold.

Normally she never shows even a hint of it.

She just worries that I might be cold and urges me to get inside quickly......

(Why does she go this far for me?)

"Oi oi, Haruki. You are loved."

"Huh? You waited for Haru-kun? In this cold?"

"Reverse it—what else COULD it be. Right? ......Hm? You make an interesting face, don't you. What emotion is it, I wonder, that puts that expression on you?"

"Interesting face" isn't that a bit rude?

Apparently 'Sword Saint-chan' and 'Blue Shadow' don't think much of me.

I apparently met them once before, but what on earth did I do......

"That's the face of a man who doesn't get it. Go on, Haruki. Go hold her hand or something, warm her up."

"Far too old-fashioned. But I would like to see what expression Watanabe Kasumi makes if you do."

The minivan carrying us pulls up in front of the branch entrance.

From the three cars parked front and back, what look like bodyguards pile out briskly—but faster than any of them, I dash out......

"Huh? Haruki-san? Why would you—"

"Kasumi-san! What are you doing out here in this cold?!"

Actually holding hands is a bit too high a level for me, so I take her by the hand and lead her into the branch instead.

Her hand is freezing.

Still holding it, we go straight into the 'Dungeon Gate.'

Whatever the temperature outside, the Chiba branch is in springtime all year round.

Maybe not warm, exactly—but at least it won't feel cold.

"Haruki-san. Why are you with 'Blue Ocean'?"

"That's MY line. There's still a good ten minutes before I'm due, you know? And you're this cold......"

'You are loved.'

'Reverse it—what else COULD it be?'

I've lost my window to let go, and I'm still holding on.

By strange coincidence, a hand-warming after all......

"Haruki-san......"

Somehow this has become a nice atmosphere......

"Emergency, emergency, emergency, ssu! Formation X-Y-Z, ssu! Enemy attack, ssu! Hiramatsu-san to deploy, ssu!"

Fuyutsuki-san came rushing up from the surface, and we yank our hands apart in a panic.

"Honestly, newbie! What are you doing! It was just getting good!"

The voice comes from the reception counter.

The big sis with whitish hair and tanned skin, the very picture of a gyaru—Akane-san.

"Ugh, what a pain."

Hiramatsu-san is beside her, too.

Another evacuation drill, huh.

What am I supposed to do, I wonder?

Normally they tell me not to leave the warehouse, but we're right in front of the 'Dungeon Gate'—should I go back up to the surface?

"I see—so THAT'S the face you make......"

'Sword Saint-chan' is there—when did she enter the dungeon?

And the other two come in as well.

"Good, I thought we'd lost you. Watanabe-san, we'd like a word. Haruki-kun, will you join us?"

"Hold it—first, fight ME!"

Please take that up with Hiramatsu-san.

"Yukiya, later...... Chiharu, what do you think?"

Oh? Is that the read-their-strength thing?

I wonder what level Watanabe-san is.

Yukiya-san was Level 49 in the last video of his I saw......

"He's gotten considerably weaker than before. That can happen......? So the memory loss is real. How does he look to you, senpai?"

"Huh? Oh, that way...... Hmm. At the very least, he holds no hostility toward me. Quite the opposite, I'd say. He doesn't seem to be thinking anything bad at all."

Well, I am a fan.

"What do you people want? If you have business, I will hear it. Do not approach this person! ......Haruki-san, please go up to the surface."

"Hold. I have business with Haruki too. And I want to see his form. He shall fight me."

"Huh? Is that all right?"

If Ao-san is 'Japan's Number One Adventurer,' then 'Sword Saint-chan' is 'Japan's Strongest.'

If the strongest wants to give me instruction, there's nothing I'd like more.

"Haruki-san! You mustn't! If it's a fight, I will take it! It's me you're after, isn't it?"

Hm? Does she want to fight?

So Watanabe-san is a 'Sword Saint-chan' fan too, I see.

Would she really get recruited just like that?

But if that happened, Watanabe-san would end up going to Floor 50 too, wouldn't she......

That would be......

"Honestly, there's no helping you people. Let us change venues first."

︙

︙

"Then, here I come."

After all the back-and-forth, it was I who asked—and 'Sword Saint-chan' agreed to give me a round of instruction.

We came down the path away from the 'Gate to Floor 2,' until we reached a deserted spot.

No spectators—just the three of 'Blue Ocean,' Watanabe-san, and me. Five in all.

"Whenever you're ready."

"Ready," he says.

No openings......

No—not that I'd know an opening if I saw one.

My weapon is a practice spear; what 'Sword Saint-chan' holds is an ordinary wooden sword.

I'll make use of my reach and......

"Go get 'em, Haruki!"

"You're rooting for THAT side? You'll get an earful later, you know?"

"He can't win anyway—if you're gonna cheer, cheer for the loser."

"Mmm-mmm-mmm—"

Watanabe-san still doesn't look satisfied, her face set in a frown.

She's clearly thinking hard about something, so for now—I just thrust.

"Absolutely not! Enough......"

I thought I'd thrust with real force, but it was turned aside with a light Kan! and I got scolded.

And she's glaring at me, hard......

"Um......"

"A thrust with no meaning behind it. A thrust with nothing in it. I told you to, so you thrust—that was all. I believe I called this a fight. There is no point fighting an opponent with no will to win. Isn't your spear practice exactly the same? Just doing what you're told? Telling yourself that counts as practice, and that's all it is......"

That isn't true. It shouldn't be......

Nothing in it......

Just feeling like I practiced......

A month since I lost my memory, I started learning the spear from Hiramatsu-san out of a feeling that I had to do SOMETHING.

Because I was afraid that if my memory never came back, I'd end up quitting adventuring just like this......

"Oi, Chiharu!"

"You really are nothing but a high Status with a person attached. How disappointing. And that Status was raised for you by someone else, wasn't it? That's the kind of thrust that was. The same as the Triple-Ranks playing around in the 20s floors. No—those people raised their own levels, so they're better than you."

What would you know about it?

Someone born blessed with a job like 【Sword Saint】......