Chapter-01 · EP-028

Episode 28: Hikaru Kujo (Part 4)

"Wait!"

Ignoring Hikaru's attempt to stop him, Akihiro Mochizuki ran towards the Floor Boss's room. If he was proven wrong any further, everything he believed about himself would crumble. Driven by that panic, Mochizuki ran.

"We're going after him."

"But Hikaru-sama, if we just leave that guy..."

"We can't just abandon him!"

Saying that, Hikaru also started running. Mei had no choice but to follow, unwilling to let Hikaru go alone.

Mochizuki, who should have been exhausted from his heavy equipment, also continued running, mustering his remaining strength. He reached the entrance to the Floor Boss's room before Hikaru and Mei could catch up.

"Haah, haah... Is this it?"

Mochizuki leaned on his knees, out of breath.

Before him stood the only door on this floor. This was the entrance to the Floor Boss's room.

"Stop, Mochizuki-san. This is still too much for us."

Hikaru caught up and called out to him. But her concern didn't reach Mochizuki.

"Just watch, Kujo-san. I'll defeat the Floor Boss and show you its gem."

Mochizuki spoke as if defeating the Floor Boss was a given.

He pushed the door open with both hands.

Creeeak...

The door to the Floor Boss's room groaned open. Mochizuki entered without hesitation.

"Hikaru-sama, it's dangerous!"

Ignoring Mei's warning, Hikaru followed Mochizuki into the room.

"Tch!"

Reluctantly, Mei also followed Hikaru.

The Floor Boss's room... was a large, domed chamber. As the three entered, light shone down from the ceiling onto the center of the room. There, a giant slime suddenly appeared.

"That's the Huge Slime..."

They had heard the name in class. This was their first time seeing one.

It had the same pale blue, gelatinous body as a normal slime, but its size was incomparable. Regular slimes crawled on the ground, but this Huge Slime's center rose high, making it significantly larger than a human. If swallowed by that body, one would likely suffocate before being dissolved by its weak acid.

Hikaru was terrified by the sight, but the excited Mochizuki gripped his steel sword with both hands, ready for battle.

"Kujo-san, watch my heroic display!"

Saying that, Mochizuki charged at the Huge Slime.

His steel sword, swung down with all his might, caused ripples across the slime's surface. He repeated the attack twice, three times.

"Die! Die!"

Mochizuki attacked desperately, but it was unclear if he was doing any damage.

Then the Huge Slime not only received attacks but began to attack itself.

It moved its massive body towards Mochizuki.

"You! Hyah! Hyah!"

Mochizuki continued swinging his sword while retreating.

"Damn it! Why won't you die? It's a steel sword!"

Mochizuki's movements grew increasingly sluggish. He was probably too tired and in pain to move effectively.

"Hikaru-sama, shall we provide backup?"

"Y-yes. Let's go."

Hikaru, who had been frozen in shock and fear, snapped back to her senses at Mei's words.

The two joined the fight to help Mochizuki.

They struck the Huge Slime repeatedly with their wooden swords. But like Mochizuki's attacks, it felt like hitting water; there was no sense of dealing damage.

"Hikaru-sama, it seems we're not damaging it because we're still level 1."

"..."

Hikaru thought about how to defeat the Huge Slime, something they hadn't yet learned in class. She had skimmed the textbook in advance. She tried desperately to remember.

"That's it! The core! Slimes must have a core that's their weak point!"

Suddenly remembering, Hikaru advised Mei.

Mei instantly spotted the faint black lump inside the Huge Slime's body.

Mei pulled a concealed kunai from her pocket and threw it.

But it didn't reach the core, instead getting absorbed into the slime's body.

Mei then thrust with her wooden sword.

But the Huge Slime's body was thick, and the wooden sword didn't reach the core.

"It's no good. My attacks can't reach the core..."

She retreated momentarily to report to Hikaru.

Mei's attack had failed, and Hikaru was unsure what to do next.

Just then, the Huge Slime, which had been slowly moving towards them, suddenly changed direction and moved towards Mochizuki, who had stopped moving.

"Whoa!"

Mochizuki panicked and fell backward. The Huge Slime loomed over him.

"Aaaaah!"

With a final scream, Mochizuki was engulfed by the Huge Slime's body. Just as he imagined his own death, he felt something grab his arm.

Hikaru had plunged both hands into the Huge Slime's body and grabbed Mochizuki's arm.

Mei quickly wrapped her arms around Hikaru's torso. They pulled with all their might, dragging Mochizuki out of the slime's body.

"Whoa!"

All three fell backward.

"Ow, ow, ow..."

They quickly assessed the situation, stood up, and fled from the Huge Slime before them.

Hikaru and Mochizuki were limping; they had likely twisted their ankles.

"Mochizuki-san, are you alright?"

"A-ah, I think my leg might be broken."

Mochizuki exaggerated his injury, perhaps due to the pain.

"That's serious. Mochizuki-san, do you have a Heal Gem?"

A Heal Gem—commonly called a potion. In short, it was a magical medicine that healed injuries. It wasn't really needed on the first floor, but some people carried one just in case.

"I don't have anything like that..."

Seeing Mochizuki admit he didn't have a potion, Hikaru thought for a moment, then took one from her pocket.

"Use this."

The blue gem Hikaru produced had the number '2' floating on it.

"Hikaru-sama, that's!"

"It's okay, Mei. Mochizuki-san, here."

"Ah, thank you!"

The blue gem with the number 2 was a Rank 2 potion. A Rank 1 potion would have been sufficient to heal a broken bone, but Hikaru only had this single Rank 2 potion.

Mochizuki swallowed it, then stamped his foot on the spot to confirm his body had healed.

"Thank you, Kujo-san. My leg seems better. And, about earlier... I'm sorry."

"I'm glad. Now, run quickly. And go get help."

"Right, let's escape together, Kujo-san."

Having understood his own limits and realized he was no match for the Huge Slime, Mochizuki suggested Hikaru escape with him.

"I've twisted my ankle now. Could you go ahead and call someone for me?"

"Hikaru-sama!"

Mei cried out. Mochizuki also looked shocked.

"Kujo-san, what about the potion..."

"That was the last one. Please, go get help quickly."

"...Okay."

Mochizuki ran out of the room.

"Mei, you should..."

"Do you think I could leave Hikaru-sama behind?"

"Mei, will you help me defeat that thing?"

"Of course... But Hikaru-sama, why did you give your last potion to someone like him? You should have used it yourself..."

"I thought about what my brother would do..."

Hikaru's brother, Kazuma Kujo. If it were him, whom Hikaru deeply admired, he would likely have done the same thing. Hikaru longed to be like her brother.

Mei, knowing Hikaru's feelings, didn't ask further.

The two raised their swords. The Huge Slime was slowly approaching them. Its enormous shadow gradually covered them. If they were swallowed, it would be the end. Hikaru, with her injured leg, couldn't escape. The weak Mei couldn't possibly carry Hikaru and run. They might die here today. Just as that terrible image crossed their minds—

"Hey! Is anyone there?"

A clueless voice echoed through the room.

Hikaru and the others recognized the voice and turned around in surprise.

In the direction they looked stood... Shirou Ichinose from D-Class.