c41-c60 · 059-ch59

Chapter 59: Lurking Things - POV: Negomin

The two ran off in the rain and quickly disappeared from sight. All around were the motionless Chiffons and monsters still continuously spawning.

"Well then, I've got work to do..."

Since Sister Rose's magic was still active, I didn't need to worry about the Chiffons' injuries. What I need to do now is wipe out all these monsters, and if possible, stop the outflow of that black haze.

Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of power.

"They really do keep moving even after you cut off their heads..."

I tried cutting off the head of an attacking Lance Tiger, but sure enough, it kept moving without dying. Just like that mysterious man said, all the monsters coming out of the haze have become zombies.

That makes extermination impossible with just my abilities. Even though most of the monsters appearing are middle-layer animal types, taking them down one by one in these numbers is utterly impossible.

...Honestly, or rather, this was really the last thing I wanted to do, but I have no choice. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

I lowered the dagger I had been holding. And then, I exposed myself defenseless before the massive horde of hungry monsters.

The zombies reflexively target humans. Sensing the perfect prey that suddenly appeared before them, the zombies attacked me in a straight line without any hesitation.

This is a gamble.

I have a chance of winning. But that also means there's a significant possibility I could lose.

...It's okay, I'm not mistaken.

As the zombies scattered bodily fluids while running, baring their fangs with crazed eyes, I repeatedly chanted those words in my heart as if trying to convince myself.

It all started with a single feeling that something was off.

When Shibasaki-san saved me, he said I had called him.

That's impossible. From the time Chiffon attacked me until now, I had absolutely no time for something like that.

But the fact remains, a call was made. I glanced at my smartphone just now, and sure enough, there was a record of an outgoing call.

Someone other than me had used my smartphone to call Shibasaki-san in that situation. There's only one person I can think of who could pull off something like that.

A headless Lance Tiger approached right before my eyes---

"Come out. Or I'm gonna die."

A shadow raced across the battlefield in an instant.

In what seemed like a momentary flash, the Lance Tiger silently scattered into pieces before my eyes.

"Haaah~ I really hate getting wet in the rain, you know."

Standing behind me, she let out a deliberately theatrical sigh. Her lukewarm breath brushed against my neck.

"You're quite the troublemaker, aren't you~ Negomin."

"...Since when were you there?"

"Nfufu~ I've been here since the very beginning, you know~?"

The Mirara who emerged from my shadow said that with a smile.

...She's still holding a grudge about me noticing her yesterday.

"Alright~ time to serve one Negomin, coming right up~"

"H, huh...!?"

Mirara suddenly grabbed the back of my neck and dragged me into somewhere.

What appeared before my eyes in the place I was dragged to was a strangely bright world of darkness. It was like the backside of the world.

"This place is..."

"It's inside my shadow~ I thought we could have a proper conversation here~"

Sure enough, I could hear the sounds of zombies running around from outside. This really is inside a shadow...

In the dark, bone-chillingly cold space, Mirara stood before me.

"So, did you need something from me~?"

Mirara asked me with an unfathomable smile. For a moment, I felt overwhelmed by her intensity, but I pulled myself together.

...I realized I was inside a shadow after that phone call incident, but I was already certain that Mirara was inside my shadow.

The problem starts from here. Whether this girl will help me or not, that's the gamble.

"...Mirara, lend me a hand."

"Eeeeh~ Negomin, you're saying something like that~~"

Mirara bounced around me with a teasing expression on her face.

Damn, this girl...!

"You're an explorer too, aren't you?! Can't you tell from this situation?! If these zombies overflow and go to other floors, it'll be a disaster!"

"That might be true~ If that happens, even I might get scolded by the clan leader. 'Why didn't you do anything when you were nearby and could've handled it?' she might say."

"Then...!"

"But I want to see something interesting~ Junior explorers running away from zombies! Don't you think it would be more entertaining than a B-grade panic horror movie playing in a dirty theater?"

Mirara's smile doesn't waver. No good, I shouldn't expect any sense of justice from this girl.

I have to make her move with a different approach...!

"...Is it okay for you to say that? I've recorded everything you just said. I have influence. If I post this on social media, it's not just you but even Diacele's reputation that'll be..."

"A recording? When I have Negomin's smartphone?"

Mirara flaunts my smartphone in front of me.

"Eh, when did you... g-give it back!"

"Here you go."

She casually hands me back the smartphone. She returned it so easily that I'm momentarily taken aback. And seeing my reaction, Mirara's smile fades as she wrinkles her brow.

"Hey now~ Negomin, that's not it. The reason I don't want to do it isn't because you're not interesting---"

"...Hah?"

Suddenly, Mirara's expression was serious enough to be unsettling.

Before I could understand, she continued speaking.

"Why did you ask me for help? With this many zombies, there aren't many explorers who could handle them alone. What a B-rank like Negomin could do is about using her famous legs to run to the Management Bureau and ask for help, right? Or you could have used that smartphone. I mean, right now, there's no threat here other than the zombies."

That option had crossed my mind too. Just as Mirara said, there's no enemy here that would chase me if I ran away. If I can't handle this alone, it's obviously better to call for reinforcements.

But...

"But if you do that..."

"You're not going to say 'it would take too long,' are you?"

Hearing Mirara's words, my throat tightens.

"Don't tell me I hit the nail on the head~? But what's wrong with that?"

A cold needle pressed deep into my heart.

"Even if some zombies escape, it's within the margin of error, right? Or is there some problem with leaving zombies here for a long time?"

She deliberately reaches into the abyss I hadn't put into words.

"Don't tell me Negomin, you want to save those pseudo-humans."

"..."

"That's nice~ that face suits you much better~ But, I wonder why~? Those pseudo-humans are the ones who attacked the two of you. Honestly, no one would be sad if they died here. And yet you're saying you want to save them?"

This is a scale. A scale between impossible and possible.

On the side of impossible are the Chiffons, and on the side of possible are the other explorers.

It's impossible for me alone to save everyone here. If I try to force it, I'll just be killed by the wave of monsters, and the damage will spread. In that case, I should abandon the Chiffons, run away, and inform others of the current situation.

But...

"...What's wrong with that?"

But, he entrusted them to me. Believing that I could save these children.

"That time, I fought back because I was being attacked. But now, I'll save them because they're being attacked. It's just that. What's wrong with that?"

"~♪

And so, I had an option. The option called Mirara.

Then, I'll take it. I don't care if they call me shameless. Even if it's a spider's thread, I'll pull on it until it breaks.

"Among the methods that could handle this situation and save those children, I decided that calling you was the best and fastest option. So that I can save them, help me."

"I like that answer. Negomin is so~ interesting. Fine then, I'll help you just a little."

Mirara giggles with satisfaction and takes my hand. Then, the darkness around us rapidly clears.

I quickly check our surroundings. The number of zombies has increased considerably since before, and they've already reached an uncontrollable state.

And yet, Mirara walks through them leisurely.

"Mirara!"

"You don't have to yell so loud, I can hear you~"

Of course, the zombies all attack Mirara at once. However, Mirara continues walking without a change in expression.

The zombies' fangs come within just one step of reaching her.

"Got you."

But that attack doesn't reach Mirara. As if bound by something, they stopped perfectly right in front of her. And then, like dominoes falling, the surrounding zombies stop moving one after another.

Next, Mirara extends her shadow. The shadow extending from her envelops the fallen Chiffons, swallowing them up one after another.

"Phew, I'm full."

All that remained was a space with only me, Mirara, and the motionless zombies.

Mirara turned around and looked at me with a cheerful expression.

"With this, the threat is gone~ And we've secured all who need rescue. I don't have any area attacks though, so I guess I have to kill these zombies one by one."

I could do nothing but lose my words. It was just a few steps, just a few moments of events.

...This is the power of the explorer said to be someone that the upstanding 'Diacele' would overlook some problematic behaviors to recruit. Annoying, but that power is real.

A bottomless monster not inferior to S-ranks, from what I've seen so far. And yet, seeing her face, I somehow feel a little lonely.

...No, it must be my imagination, right.

Mirara slaughters a nearby zombie and smiles innocently at me.

"Alright~ since I've done this much, Negomin will surely do me a favor too, right?"

"...Of course."