Chapter 30 – Boss Battle: C-Class Dungeon
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The fourth floor, the supposed location of the boss, was a world with the same crimson sky as before. It was a sight I should be tired of seeing at this point, yet a shiver ran through my whole body.
『Intuition』, which had been dormant for a while now, blared its alarm, warning me that danger to my life was approaching.
I don’t fear battle, and I’m a daredevil. But, I’ve probably never had this much bloodlust pointed at me.
“Hiro, Occult Slayers will know what sort of enemy lurks in what vortex due to their long history.” She took one step forward as if to protect me, and then got close to me from the side, staring at me. “Fantasy species which lurk in the Fold and are able to travel into both worlds by themselves…and legendary species who possess such an enormous strength that they left behind legends in the places they terribly ravaged after arriving there from the Inner World. There are all sorts of species among occult beings, but starting with C-Class dungeons, you will take on some that are called legendary.
No doubt, you do possess a powerful magic sword. But, if you don’t have the courage to oppose such beings by yourself, you will never be able to defeat them. Those are the sort of monsters you’re going to face as enemies from now on.”
A loud voice boomed throughout the glimmering, crimson sky.
It felt as though I could actually see the atmosphere tremble. On the spur of the moment, I covered my ears, fearing that my eardrums might burst.
An overwhelming presence. That thing, which appeared while accompanied by majesty, calmly walked our way on its four legs. Its long neck was covered by a gallant mane. Drool was dripping out of its muzzle, which was part of a crocodile-like head. Its fore and hind legs, all four equipped with sharp claws at their ends, had a shape similar to those of a hippo.
Stabbing bloodthirst radiated from its whole body. Murky-black, polluted mana was released from it as if to threaten all living beings, covering my body. I trembled in front of its strong will, telling me that it’d definitely kill and devour me.
How to describe it…?
Up until now, I’ve always challenged dungeons with a feeling that my mind broke and a sensitivity that didn’t suit a modern person. I had plunged into this world in order to regain myself who had fully sunken into resignation. Because of that, I thought I wanted to clear all of it when being urged to make a choice during my talk with Satoha.
I’m probably suited to this much more than other people, and I also got my hands on a top-class weapon like Dragon Eater. I think I managed to reach this place without much of a problem.
But, I’ve never challenged a genuine fight where my life would be whittled away. Except for Satoha who went easy on me, I never encountered an enemy this formidable.
Now I’ve understood for the first time. I guess this is the true boundary between life and death.
“This occult being is…called 『Devourer』. Legends say that your soul will be lost, if your body is devoured by this occult being.”
She had a composed expression while looking at that thing which was emanating mana alongside bloodlust.
Satoha is a big-shot for sure.
Her body faded away after she muttered a prayer so quietly that no one could hear it. Her vanishing figure looked as if she was praying for my victory.
Her erasing her presence by using Invisibility likely meant to tell me that she entrusted the rest to me. I could understand as much without her having to spell it out: She was telling me to show her proof of my conviction and at the same time she was asking whether I could really fight against an opponent which would become a wall that I had to scale no matter what.
But, that’s just what I wanted. I’ll do it. I’m not a guy who heads into life-threatening situations like a reckless idiot. I face opponents while possessing my own will.
“Satoha, the one being devoured won’t be me…but that thing.”
I readied Dragon Eater. It felt like the gleam emitted from Dragon Eater’s blue veins was stronger than before, now that our target was food of finer quality than before. My glossy, black mana faintly flickered as if to overlap with the sword’s gleam.
“Hiro.”
“What’s up?”
Moments before completely melting with the world, she cast a smile at me. On a battlefield dominated by nothing but severity on all fronts.
“Do your best?”
…She displayed some playfulness at the very end. She might know that no boy wouldn’t strive hard if they’re cheered on by a girl. Returning a broad grin, I swung Dragon Eater. I would slash at that thing with the courage to face my fear while triumphantly marching onwards with a confident stride.
｡ ₊°༺🫀༻°₊ ｡
A thundering shout reverberated. A pointed attack loaded with cold-blooded intention.
Underneath the shimmering sky a youth and an occult being faced each other, each struggling to survive. No, each trying to devour the other.
The monstrosity with the huge frame jumped and swooped down. The youth dodged its forefoot at hair’s breadth. Missing its aim, the foot struck the ground, whirling up a cloud of dirt as if the soil had exploded. He cut and devoured the rocks flying at him as an after-effect of the stomping attack with his katana while also dodging some by moving.
The lord of a branch vortex…a C-Class dungeon. A legendary species. An occult being which quite literally left behind its name in the places it devastated as a legend… It’s not famous in his country, but it’s probably well-known in another, distant nation.
Still it was slightly worrying. His level based on Dungeon Seekers was currently in the upper 40s. This level, which signified one’s mana strength, was too lacking to take on a legendary species. It’d be preferable for him to get another few dozen levels to have an even exchange of blows with his foe. Currently, he’d be simply blown into oblivion, if he received a direct hit. The only thing able to compensate for that lack were abilities which didn’t scale with the level of one’s mana.
『Gaaaaaoooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!』
“Haaaaaaaaaa!!”
It was an enemy like he’d never faced before. Even if he brandished his magic sword like a daredevil, leaving everything to his sword’s strength, his attacks were easily dodged. Although it seemed no challenge to hit a large occult being with attacks, that wasn’t the case. His enemy, who possessed mighty mana, was moving so swift that you would never guess so from its appearance.
The 『Devourer』 wasn’t misled by him who had switched to running quickly across the wide, plain field like a hare. Hiro seemed to struggle with the opponent which was able to run next to him at the same speed.
At that moment, mana was suddenly released from its hindlegs like some jet boost. It jumped, trying to close the distance in one swoop. It widely opened its big crocodile muzzle, trying to bite him from both sides. In response, he jumped, avoiding his foe’s pincer attack.
But, that was a mistake.
The occult being, which had lured him into doing so after predicting his escape route, came at him with a follow-up attack. The foreleg, which left behind an after-image of its claws, was aimed at him. A devastating gale accompanied the powerful attack.
Even my hair was stirred and swayed by it.
…Should I intervene? I could save him, if I unleash an attack right now. I can easily defeat that occult being. I just wanted Hiro to learn about this world. There’s no need for him to hurry so much. I’m sure, starting with next time────
No, not yet. If it’s him, I’m sure he’ll pull through. If it’s him who won against me.
He evaded the approaching foreleg by narrowly twisting his body in the air. Far from suffering a blow to his body, it didn’t even damage his mana coating. What a superhuman feat.
『Gaaaaagaagagaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!』
Hearing its scream which was filled with pain, I gazed at the development in even further wonderment. Black blood gushed out. As it trickled down, it soaked the beast’s foreleg. He had sliced that thing’s foreleg in passing while dodging the attack.
He’s neither an Occult Slayer, nor a soldier specialized in anti-Occult battle, nor a promising player who had been invited into this in advance. His career is shallow, but except for his mother having passed away and his father having virtually gone missing after being transferred overseas, he’s a normal high-school student with nothing special to him.
No ordinary person would be able to ever pull off something like this. He doubtlessly possesses a natural gift for this.
He, who squatted down after landing, jumped once more, and drove a powerful slash, loaded with an absurd amount of mana, against the occult being’s nose tip. Accompanied by a shrill shattering, the mana barrier of the 『Devourer』 was completely destroyed by his attack.
『Gabaaaaamagaaaaaa!!!!』
“You’re afraid of me, right!?”
Probably experiencing a battle high, he was extremely excited, just like before. Having made up his mind, he retrieved his smartphone from his holster and tapped on the screen, making the scabbard manifest. After putting the phone away in a fluent motion, he sheathed his katana and muttered something.
It’s coming. That secret technique.
“『Hidden Blade』”
Borrowing the support of Dungeon Seekers, he unleashed a deadly, sure-kill attack. His right arm, which quivered excessively because of the mana poured into it, released it at high speed.
The 『Devourer』 was shocked and tried to draw back. Its eyes, which had previously gleamed with murder, were now dyed in fear.
Very likely that occult being had finally realized that it wasn’t the hunter, but the prey. But, he shouldn’t be able to emanate a bloodlust so powerful that it’d scare a legendary species into being convinced of its own death. What it was fearing was the sword. As I thought, that magic sword is alive────
A deep, dark blue tainted the world. A strike, looking like a big snake, approached the occult being from the blade’s trajectory which left an afterimage in the air. Forelegs grew out of the blow as it plunged onwards. A blossoming miracle. That, which had become so big that it couldn’t be compared to that night, engulfed that thing’s head.
Alongside a nasty sound of bones and meat being churned into a bloody mess, the 『Devourer』 was swallowed by the deep blue. It sounded even as if it was being chewed.
The katana was greedily devouring the 『Devourer』. As I thought, this is a phantasm based on that katana.
…The claws and fangs, the sole remains of the corpse, turned into embers and vanished. It had completely passed away. And at the same time I could sense Hiro’s mana strength increasing.
Hiro very likely tried to prove to me that he possesses the skill to take on a C-Class dungeon boss. Under normal circumstances, he could have won in no time by releasing 『Hidden Blade』 from the get-go.
Now he stood in the center of the battlefield with an ecstatic expression. It was an appearance no different from the first time when I saw him clear a dungeon, and despite having taken on such a formidable enemy, no nervousness could be felt from him.
I’m slightly worried. At this rate, he’ll definitely become intoxicated by battle. It doesn’t look like he has anyone who would stop him, and he doesn’t have any reasons to hold back either. I’m certain, the only one capable of stopping him as a warrior is no one other than me.
I must save him like my big sister tried to save me.
I approached him while keeping up my Invisibility, and grabbed his right shoulder. He jumped in surprise, but I put strength into my grip so that he wouldn’t get away.
“Whoaaa!?!?!”
“Good work, Hiro.”
But, there’s no need for me to mention my worries at this very moment. At present I’ll congratulate him who destroyed an occult being.
After storing away Dragon Eater in his smartphone, he turned around, staring in my direction. I stood on tiptoes, stretching myself, and pushed out my face past his shoulder.
“You did incredibly well. Let’s leave and go to the reward room, okay?”
“S-Sure, you’re right. Let’s.”
Making the mana coiling around him disperse after lightly stretching his body, he headed towards the magic circle that had appeared on the ground. I was walking next to him. While standing on top of it, I caught a glimpse of his profile as my visual field was enveloped in a dazzling light.
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