c41-c60 · 052-ch52

Chapter 52: Resist - Perspective: Negomin

"I'll take the rear, you two up front."

"Right, right, got it~"

"Understood."

When I pull out my dagger and take a defensive stance, the Chiffons casually shift into combat formation too. While their individual combat abilities are unknown, that dead Chiffon earlier had taken down a Sand Wolf with a single hit. It would be wise not to underestimate them.

I take a deep breath and organize my thoughts again. My victory conditions are either eliminating the threat or escaping from this place.

In this situation where I'm outnumbered, I can't imagine winning by fighting fair. That leaves only one option to choose: escape.

...Or so I'd like to say, but with my Life Cord unusable and Rose-san barely able to move, I don't think we can escape from these guys easily.

"Rose-san, can you stand?"

"I-I'm, sorry, Negomin-san, my legs......"

Rose-san looks at me with eyes that seem ready to cry at any moment. Seeing those tear-filled eyes, I remember finding myself in a similar situation not long ago.

Back when I was attacked by the Blood Ogre the day before yesterday. At that time, I was the one who was scared, and Shibasaki-san helped me out.

...I can't be like that person. But that shouldn't be a reason to give up.

I force a confident smile and steel my cold body. I'll do my very best.

"This kind of straightforward fighting really is the easiest to understand, isn't it!"

"I wonder how long you can keep fighting while protecting that baggage~"

As I let out a breath, the two in front start running, closing the distance between us. I thought they would at least be holding some kind of weapon, but for some reason, they have nothing in their hands.

The reason becomes clear immediately. One of the Chiffons approaches at close range and thrusts forward with a sharp spear hand.

So they're going barehanded with that kind of presence...!?

Thanks to the heightened tension, I detect it instantly and barely manage to dodge the hand approaching my face. Next, another Chiffon's high kick flies toward my turned face.

"Mmph...!"

I deflect it with my dagger at the last second, altering its trajectory and somehow managing to endure it. I don't even want to think about what would happen if I took even one hit head-on...but right now, I don't have time to consider the worst-case scenario of losing.

"Hey, you guys, aim for the legs, not the head, okay?"

"Huh? That's a tough order..."

"Yeah, what a pain..."

They respond casually to the voice coming from behind. Their attitude is as if this is all just a game. It's impossible to believe they're in the middle of attacking people in a dungeon. However, for me, the one being attacked, this is much better than them coming at me full force.

The attacks from the two Chiffons change to target my legs as instructed. It's easier to deal with them when I know their target, which helps.

While parrying the attacks from the two, I run through my options.

First, the path. I remember the way we came here, but that direction is blocked by them.

I wish I had a map, but I mapped the 17th floor quite a while ago, and its contents have changed due to fluctuations. That means I don't know our exact current location.

The middle layer often has a single path from entrance to exit, and conversely, it has a structure where you can easily get lost once you take a side path. Pushing forward down an unknown road is risky.

However, if I can get to a place where there's no magical interference, I can use my Life Cord. In the end, escaping with a Life Cord is the safest and surest method. I already used one, but I have another spare in my bag. Yeah, I really have no choice but to escape backward.

I was worried about troublesome long-range attacks when trying to escape, but these two are both unarmed. They show no signs or movements of using magic, so escaping might be easier than expected. For now, that is.

Besides, my intuition is telling me. The one I should be wary of is the one in the back. I feel a different quality about him compared to the other Chiffons. Now, while he's not participating in the battle, is the best chance.

Right, I've decided my immediate goal is to create an opening for me to grab Rose-san and run. If I can reduce their numbers by even one in the process, all the better.

"Aah... it sounds simple when I say it..."

While somehow managing to handle their combination attacks, I mutter this as if to no one. If I could actually do that, I would have done it already.

...Complaining won't change the current situation. I need to do what I can, one step at a time.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see one of the Chiffons winding up for a kick. This is it.

"Take this-! ...huh?"

I deliberately take the kick from the approaching Chiffon. A tremendous impact sound echoes around the area, but there are no major external injuries on my body. By using body enhancement magic to increase the defensive power of where I receive the kick, I've minimized the damage. And before that foot leaves my body, I forcibly grab it.

"Whoops, there..."

Damn, because of the pain I couldn't fully absorb, I let go too early! As a result, the kicking Chiffon's balance was only slightly thrown off.

But that's enough. With minimal movement, I thrust my dagger into their carotid artery.

"It hurts!"

"---!"

Hard! Even though it should have gone right in, there's only one small scratch on the surface of their neck. This is nowhere near human toughness. Hard yet flexible, elastic flesh armor.

I could understand if they were magically reinforced, but there are no traces of magic or signs of its use. I quickly put distance between us before they can counterattack.

Only the neck is hard... that doesn't make sense, right. Judging from the power of that kick earlier, I should assume their entire body has the same durability.

Which makes this pretty bad. Among the techniques I can use with what I have now, there's nothing that can deliver more firepower than this. If it were a monster, I could take my time aiming for weak points or thinking of countermeasures, but---

"Hey, hey, don't look away!"

"Payback! Take this!"

---these two won't even give me time for that!

Think, me! Something, anything. Something that can pierce that body. It's pointless to keep picking away like this!

Just an instant, one hit is all I need. Judging from their behavior, they must be moving assuming my attacks won't work on them. If I can land even one hit on them, that will definitely create a big opening!

Something... hm?

"...an instant, one hit?"

What caught my attention in my mind was that phrase. And one scene that played out in my brain.

"Heh, heh... that idea really is ridiculous, isn't it?"

A strategy to get through this situation, connecting like a chain. No, calling it a strategy might be too much—it's like the fantasy a child would draw, far too optimistic. At such a dreamlike thought, my face unconsciously breaks into a smile.

There's no way it's possible, the chance of success is practically zero. But it's worth trying. There's someone who can do it, so there's no reason I can't.

"What's with the sudden smiling? Finally given up?"

"......"

"I'm being ignored~"

"Shut up! You just be quiet!"

I take another deep breath in, then let it out smoothly. I concentrate like never before, so much that I can't even hear the two meaningless chirps repeating their attacks in front of me.

Parry, dodge, parry, dodge, dodge, parry...

Amidst the repeated exchanges happening in the blink of an eye, I desperately seek that single opening, like a silk thread hanging from a cloud.

And then, that moment arrives. From the Chiffon who focuses on kick attacks—a momentum-building spinning back kick. Cutting through the air at a gouging speed, it's about to catch even the Chiffon who was just about to attack.

"Whoa, that's dangerous!"

He seemed to notice at the last second, stopping his attack and barely dodging that kick.

...Now.

The moment his gaze, posture, and consciousness all turn away from me, I step forward without hesitation. The dagger in my reverse grip draws its blade to his neck as if being pulled in.

"That" probably has a line where it occurs. That line, which differs for each substance, is never constant, undulating like small waves in response to the surrounding environment. Therefore, when intentionally trying to cause "that," a discrepancy will always occur.

There's something I realized from watching that person. Sometimes I felt that the timing between his attack motion and impact was slightly off. Sometimes a beat too early, sometimes a beat too late. It was a tiny, tiny discomfort that you wouldn't notice unless you were extremely conscious of it.

At first, I just thought it was one of his habits. But that's not it. That person was matching the timing of his attacks to that wave.

Feel the wave from the tip of the dagger's blade. In the instant less than 0.01 seconds when that white glow touches the enemy's body, pour all your magical power into it.

With this one hit, forcibly trigger magical resistance!