ch341-ch360 · 346-ch346

Chapter 346: First-Look Kill: The Fire Kata

"This has become a terrible mess......"

This branch is ALWAYS in some kind of mess, isn't it.

After 'Sword Saint-chan' came by, received her sword at this shop, and went home, Shiraishi-san showed up carrying an attaché case.

Incidentally, I know what's inside.

It might be on the news tomorrow.

No wait—only staff were here today, so maybe nobody will talk?

Everyone was pretty down, after all......

"Something wrong? Every Formation has already been lifted, but...... Is it related to that bag?"

Watanabe-san, having already seen 'Sword Saint-chan' off and come back to the shop, asks Shiraishi-san.

"That's right. This. It's everyone's salaries."

"What!? Isn't that straight-up a crime? I told you to gather points, but you didn't have to go THAT far...... Let's return it right away! We may still be in time!"

Come to think of it—if you do something GOOD, do the evil points you've gained go down?

If she steals it and returns it over and over, wouldn't the points come in infinitely?

"It's not that. As if I'd ever do such a thing. That match just now—I'd bet on Hiramatsu-san. Apparently I was the only one who bet on Hiramatsu-san, so I won it all by myself!"

The match just now means Hiramatsu-san versus 'Sword Saint-chan.'

Well, nobody would bet on Hiramatsu-san, right?

The natural assumption is: he lost to her on the surface, so there's no way he wins inside the dungeon.

So she went and bet her ENTIRE salary......

And there's also the fact that 'Sword Saint-chan' wasn't fighting seriously.

It was only a mock battle—if she'd been serious, the difference in Status would have crushed him and ended it.

But it wasn't carelessness, either.

He simply couldn't respond to a first-encounter technique he believed he'd received cleanly. That's the whole story.

So this is what they call a first-look kill.

Still, now that she's seen it, it probably won't work again next time.

Or is there more where that came from?

If THAT was fire, then there's still......

I wonder if I could join the next bet?

"You bet your entire salary? Won't there be people who can't live like that? A lot of them must have families...... I will hold on to this myself. We will refund only those who honestly admit they gambled. But this is troubling. Unless we catch the bookmaker, we don't know who bet how much......"

"Nooo way—. It's fine. Those people have licenses, so if they're out of money they can just dive into the dungeon. More importantly, let's feed the kids steak and jumbo parfaits every day, okay? Hmm?"

Ill-gotten gains never stick, huh.

Better not.

"I'd like to say they reap what they sow, but those people have children too. More to the point—how are the points coming along?"

"Hmm, it topped ten thousand. No idea whether that's a lot or a little."

"Indeed. We should run a test using the points once. Though all you seem to have done are petty little misdeeds—ten thousand, really......"

Teasing Aikawa only raised it by a single point, after all.

And it hasn't been many days since then.

How did she pile up the points?

Surely not by gambling alone, right?

"It turns out chatting with the grandpas at the clinic racks up the most. Oh, and when I advised Hiramatsu-san the other day to invite Endo-san out for Christmas, quite a few points came in there too."

Endo-san—the Water Mage with the watermelon, huh......

So she and Hiramatsu-san have that kind of relationship?

No—if evil points came in, then that means......

"Why would you do something so cruel...... I understand it was unavoidable for the points' sake, but that was a bad thing to do. On Christmas Day itself, Endo-san absolutely cannot be spared, you know? At the very least, shall we arrange your shifts to match hers......"

Putting her on the same shift as the person she was refused by feels cruel in its own way......

Hm? Just now, did those two glance over here for a moment?

Just my imagination?

"Maybe it's not so cruel. The whole reason she went out of her way to fight 'Sword Saint-chan' inside the dungeon might have been for that, no? Endo-san has no money right now either, so if you offered to treat her, she might leap at it."

Did she ask "if I win, go on a date with me"?

And then, with everyone watching, she even used the technique you must never show to people......

No wait—the point is she didn't even bet on Hiramatsu-san.

Endo-san knew she couldn't win anyway, so maybe she took the match hoping to make a quick profit.

Which means the one who emptied everyone's wallets is Hiramatsu-san......

"Mmm-mmm-mmm. Endo-san joined the betting as well? That is a problem."

"That's why you shouldn't return it yet. There's the winter bonus too—let's wait until 'Sword Saint-chan' comes next. Double or nothing!"

A sidelong glance.

I AM being watched, aren't I?

"Ah, Kasumi-san, you were back. I handed over the sword, but was that really okay?"

There, Miyako-san calls out to her.

"If we believe what that 【Sword Saint】 says, then if we do nothing, those people will die...... Even if we avoided it ourselves, that girl would head for Floor 50 regardless. I want to do at least what we can. It seems we'll be putting Mia-san out, but for a while, please keep up the know-nothing-saw-nothing act."

"Dreams you have in the dungeon, huh...... She said today's dream hadn't changed either, right? Which means a future where she takes Kasumi-san away still hasn't changed...... How about your side?"

Apparently 'Sword Saint-chan' dreams of Floor 50 inside the dungeon.

It's famous that dreams you have in the dungeon come true.

'Sword Saint-chan' is trying to recruit Watanabe-san and Miko-san as the companions who were in that dream.

But Watanabe-san has no intention of going, and......

"Mine is still a dream of outside the dungeon, as always. This side is unchanged as well...... Well, until Miko-san comes back there seems to be little risk of being noticed, so if Haruki-san's memory would only return in the meantime...... If it does, my dream might change, and the future might change with it."

The future......

"The shrine gets busy over New Year's, doesn't it? She should be coming back soon...... Oh, what are we doing for this year's Christmas party? Everyone was saying Kasumi-san won't come anymore—should we bring you kids along too?"

Ah, she looked this way.

Christmas......

So THAT'S why she's been watching me this whole time.

She wants me to invite her, right?

What do I do?

Honestly, wouldn't the easy way out be for me to just join that Christmas party?

But that Christmas party is a gathering of unmarried women adventurers, isn't it?

No other plans on Christmas......

If I brought her to a place like that, wouldn't Watanabe-san get beaten to a pulp?

This is a real problem......

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('Magic Shield'!)

And that brought my MP to 0.

I can't block the next fireball.

Failure again this time......

Even so, I keep thrusting without giving up until the end, probing the Wraith's whole body—but no reaction.

When I thrust, it tries to keep its distance, but that's all.

No shriek like that time, no sign of pain.

I have no idea why THAT one time worked.

(Gh—【Gate】! ......Ow. No, good, done......)

Putting out a 【Gate】 avoids the fireball's direct hit, but that's all it does.

The heat and flames spread through this whole cramped space and swallow me......

Think.

Why did damage get through THAT time?

Think, think, think......

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(【Gate】! See you next time, Kasumi-san. Whoa—【Gate】)

The moment the black armor did itself in, the 'Sword Saint-chan skeleton's' 【Dimension Slash】 came flying.

Close one—that was cutting it fine.

Should I let her fire one more and take it to close quarters?

I couldn't work out the Wraith's weakness no matter how I thought about it, so starting this round, I'll try recreating THAT moment.

If I remember right, this is where I used the 'Drill Nukite'?

Close the distance fully......

"Huh? Sword Saint-chan, did you get a haircut?"