Chastity-Reversed Hard Mode: Surviving as a Steel-Minded Adventurer in Another World - Chapter 28: Cheering on the Adventurers’ Death Match with a Steel Mentality

Chapter 28: Cheering on the Adventurers’ Death Match with a Steel Mentality

In this world, most monsters won’t attack humans unless you wander into their territory.

Especially the ones mutated from ordinary animals—they may have turned violent, but they still follow the habits of the creatures they came from. They form packs and stick to their own turf.

Of course, sometimes a male gets kicked out of the group and tries to carve out new territory. If that patch of land happens to overlap with a human settlement, well… that’s when exterminators—aka adventurers—get called in.

Giant-horned rabbits are one of those pack monsters. The strongest male hogs all the females, leaving the weaker ones mate-less and wandering alone. Those lone stragglers were the kind I hunted back in the slums, together with the kids.

Yeah… the weak guys get the short end of the stick no matter what world it is.

Interestingly, this world doesn’t seem to have those classic tropes—no demon kings plotting to lead monster armies in world conquest, no legendary heroes going on quests to slay them. When I once asked Wes, “So where’s the Demon King?” he just blinked at me like I was crazy.

So yeah, there aren’t monster hordes being led by demon commanders to invade cities. If that kind of world did exist, monster-hunting wouldn’t be adventurers’ work—it’d be a full-on military job. Just like on Earth in the Middle Ages, the biggest threats to humans here aren’t monsters at all—it’s other humans… or disease.

At the end of the day, animal-type monsters are just really nasty, dangerous animals. As long as you don’t carelessly step into their turf, they’re not much of a threat.

But of course, there’s always an exception.

That exception is a phenomenon called a Stampede.

When monsters fall into a stampede state, they lose all reason, go into a frenzy, and charge in a straight line—destroying absolutely everything in their path.

As for why it happens, no one really knows. Some say it’s when monsters overflow from a dungeon and rush out in search of new land. Others say that once a herd grows too large, the creatures instinctively thin their own numbers by suicidally charging toward the sea. Maybe there isn’t a single cause—maybe there are lots of different triggers.

But one thing’s certain: stampeding monsters become pure, suicidal engines of destruction. And when dozens of them attack at once? That’s a nightmare.

And right now, thirty-plus giant-horned rabbits were barreling straight for our carriage, kicking up a storm of mud.

The “official” advice I’d once been given for handling a stampede went like this:

Hide behind something or climb a tall tree. Offer a prayer to the gods, and if they’re feeling generous, the horde might just pass you by.

Running is pointless. These beasts, with their survival limiters snapped, are like runaway trucks—you’ll never outrun them on human legs. Hiding is the only option.

Even something as “ordinary” as a giant-horned rabbit becomes several times deadlier once it enters a stampede state.

But in our case this time…

“Everyone, listen up! We’re going to meet those rabbits head-on!”

“Roger!!”

Deabolica thrust her right hand toward the oncoming horde of giant rabbits and barked her orders. The adventurers all nodded in unison.

“Swordsmen and scouts—split to the left and right, lure them in! Mages—stay inside the carriage and start chanting! Once they’re split, blast each group with attack magic and pick them off one by one! Hiding inside should make your mana signatures harder to detect while casting! I’ll raise a barrier straight down the middle to block their charge and force them to split! Decoy team—don’t cling to the line. If it gets dicey, fall back immediately! Any questions!? If not—move out!!”

“Yes, ma’am!!”

At her command, the adventurers sprang into motion with crisp precision. Irene’s team of three leapt out to the left flank, while Ursna’s team of three dashed to the right. The leader and the other mage crouched inside the carriage, already chanting their spells.

Despite being just an improvised joint party, their coordination was surprisingly tight.

And Deabolica—her expression was sharper, more commanding than I’d ever seen. She looked every bit the leader worthy of guiding adventurers. Hard to believe this was the same shady con artist who once grinned like a sleazeball while shaking down the Count. Who was this person?

As she gripped her staff with both hands and began her incantation, a glowing magic circle unfurled beneath her feet. The speed of its formation left the mages prepping their attack spells in the dust.

“Arise, Giant of the Earth! Titan Wall!!”

With that shout, Deabolica slammed her staff into the center of the glowing circle. A thunderous roar shook the ground as the earth in front of the charging horned rabbits heaved upward, forming a colossal boulder that seemed to pierce the sky. It stood nearly three meters tall, and a few unlucky rabbits who couldn’t dodge were launched into the air like rag dolls.

The herd had been dead set on ramming their horns into the perfect target—the carriage. But now, with this massive wall blocking the way, they had no choice but to split. For a brief second they faltered, confused by the sudden obstacle, but then, without slowing, they surged forward, dividing left and right around the rock.

“Oi! Your fight’s with us! Come get some!”

“Bring it on!”

Waiting for them on either side were Ursna and Irene’s decoy squads.

Even split, there were still about fifteen horned rabbits per side—each the size of a boar. Three humans standing against fifteen monsters that huge looked absolutely insane. The rabbits must’ve thought so too, because their shrill cries grew louder as they kicked up dirt, charging even faster to pierce through the adventurers.

“PIIIIIIGIIIIIIIIII!!”

“Don’t underestimate us, you overgrown bunnies!!”

With Ursna’s shout, the lead rabbit on the right flank reeled back, its horn snapping clean off. Her high kick had sliced across the monster’s snout in a sharp arc.

The second rabbit lunged in, trying to skewer her—but before it could, a female warrior swung her warhammer in a brutal side strike. The weapon slammed square into the beast’s forehead, and with the force of its own charge, the rabbit’s eyeballs practically popped as it collapsed dead on the spot.

Meanwhile, the other swordsman braced herself behind a massive steel shield, absorbing the brunt of the herd’s charges head-on. Her teeth ground so hard they sounded ready to crack, but somehow she held the line. Taking advantage of that, Ursna darted to the flank, light on her feet, taunting and baiting the rabbits so the shield-bearer wouldn’t be overwhelmed.

“Tornado Smash!!”

On the left flank, Irene unleashed a sword technique that whipped up a swirling gale, sending two horned rabbits flying into the air at once. Her ally capitalized immediately, driving a spear straight through one of their flailing bodies before it even hit the ground.

Their team also had a tank with a shield, though smaller and less suited to absorbing raw impact. Instead, she fought smart—meeting each charge by angling the shield upward, deflecting the horn’s force in a parry-like motion. A pure avoidance tank!

Every time she parried, another rabbit tried to slip through, but Irene cut it off with another tornado slash, while the spearman spun her weapon wildly to keep the others hesitant and at bay.

On both flanks, the adventurers pulled off flawless coordination, holding back the charging horned rabbits.

At this point, I felt less like a participant and more like a live commentator—but honestly, their fighting skill was so impressive it left me speechless.

Especially Irene’s sword techniques. What the hell was that whirlwind slash? Was that what they called a magic sword? Ursna’s acrobatics—sidestepping charges with graceful footwork and countering with kicks—were inhuman enough already. But Irene’s swordplay was flat-out impossible for a normal, mana-less human.

For the first time, I really hated being reincarnated without any magic. Watching a fight this thrilling up close, while being stuck doing nothing, was painful.

…Well, not that I could do absolutely nothing.

I leaned closer to Deabolica, who was watching the battle from inside the carriage with a hardened expression, and asked carefully:

“Hey, Deabolica, can I ask something?”

“What is it? Keep it short if it’s just a question—I’m in the middle of commanding.”

She didn’t even glance my way, eyes locked on the decoy squads.

…Wow. That was the face of a true commander. Between her instant spellcasting earlier and this, maybe she was hopeless as a politician, but as a battlefield leader she was seriously impressive.

Right, my question.

“So, um… why didn’t you just run?”

I didn’t add the part where I thought for sure she’d chicken out and flee at full speed.

She just gave a small, sharp snort.

“With a carriage, we could never outrun a stampede. Facing them head-on gives us a better chance to survive. Besides—according to the map, there’s a village directly in their path. If we run, that village gets trampled. As an Adventurer Guild, there’s no way we’d ever choose that option.”

W-Wait, what!? Did Deabolica just say something… sensible!?

Don’t tell me the real one got swapped out for a body double!?

While I sat there wide-eyed in shock, she kept speaking without even glancing my way.

“Not that I care about those villagers. Guild regulations say: if a party above a certain size encounters a stampede, they’re obligated to wipe it out. If we run now, we’ll just be in trouble later. That’s all there is to it.”

Ah. There it is. Good. Still the Deabolica I know.

Even so, I had to admit—at least she was serious about fulfilling her duties. Points for that.

Anyway, the real reason I spoke up—

“Um, is there anything I can do to help—”

“There’s nothing you can do. Sit down and shiver quietly.”

“…Okay.”

Shot down instantly, I slumped back into my seat.

I wanted to be useful too, but clearly no one had the bandwidth to hear me out right now. And if I acted on my own, I’d only piss her off. This was life-or-death, so yeah… better to stay put and stick to cheering duty.

“Do your best, everyone! Ursna, Irene—you both look amazing out there!”

I shouted with all the spirit I could muster. Some of the adventurers flicked a glance my way, but only for a split second before their eyes snapped back to the enemy in front of them.

Yeah, felt pretty clear they didn’t think I was worth looking at.

…Sigh. Honestly pathetic. All I could do was cheer with my voice.

Wasn’t I just disappointing them, being such a useless guy?

“Uoooooohhh!! Let’s go, girls!!”

“A man’s watching! A man’s watching! We’re shining brighter than ever right now!!”

“Damn—just once, I wanted to fight in this kind of hot-blooded scene! So glad I became an adventurer!”

“Watch me, Eugene! I’ll show you something cool!”

“As if I’d lose to Ursna! I’ll take down more than her, just you see!”

≪Explaination Time!

This is the scene of male adventurers having their hype levels blasted to the max after being cheered on by a beautiful Saint with zero combat ability!

Adventuring is usually sweaty, muscle-heavy women’s work, and there’s never a trace of male presence in their battles!

So for them, fighting while protecting a delicate opposite sex—and receiving his cheers in return—is the ultimate heroic fantasy!

The weaker and prettier the one they’re protecting, the more fired up they get!≫

While I stuck to cheering duty like that, Deabolica finally turned her eyes my way—and for once, gave me a small smile.

“Hmph… quite the cheering. Don’t worry—no matter how many dozens of horned rabbits come, they’re no match for us. Even if this is just a provincial guild, I handpicked these adventurers myself. If anything could take us down, it’d have to be a dragon.”

Just then, the chanting of the two mages came to an end.

“Chant complete! Ready to fire anytime!”

“Good! Hey—decoy squads! Wide-area magic incoming, fall back immediately!”

At Deabolica’s shout, the frontline adventurers reacted at once.

The swordsmen and scouts swung their weapons wildly to push the rabbits back, buying enough time for the shield-bearing tanks to cover the retreat as everyone pulled away to open a wide gap.

The rabbits shrieked angrily and tried to pursue, but their pace was uneven. None of them had been killed outright—both flanks had only wounded their opponents. The injured ones slowed the herd, while the unhurt pulled ahead, breaking formation and ruining their chase.

“Took you long enough! Thought I was gonna end up with holes punched all through me!”

“Heh, don’t lie—you wanted your first hole punched by Eugene’s horn, right?”

“Shut up, idiot! What if he heard that!?”

The warrior with the warhammer teased Ursna, who immediately yelled back in panic.

Wait… what? With a face like hers, I thought she was way more experienced than that…

Yeah, I’m just gonna pretend I didn’t hear that.

Beside me, Deabolica swept her right hand outward in a grand gesture.

“Now! Fire!!”

“O flame of the red dragon—cut them all down! Draconic Blade!!”

“From the frozen abyss, come forth—winds of extinction! Cocytus Freeze!!”

The results were nothing short of overwhelming.

From the carriage window, Ursna’s teammate unleashed a sweeping laser that carved straight through the herd. Any rabbit caught in its path charred instantly—glowing red-hot for a second before collapsing into smoldering husks. The word cleave barely did justice to that kind of power.

Meanwhile, the leader’s ice magic nailed the rabbits’ feet to the ground. They shrieked and flailed, but their legs were stuck fast in the mud as ice crept upward, freezing their bodies inch by inch. Within moments, they were solid statues, faces locked in despair.

“Break!”

The leader slammed her staff into the magic circle, shattering them into glittering shards. Frozen blood sparkled like rubies as it scattered through the sunlight.

And just like that, the horned rabbit stampede was obliterated in a single strike of wide-area magic.

“How about that? Impressive, aren’t my elite adventurers?”

Deabolica grinned, fishing for praise.

Well… I mean, yeah, but—

“Uh… wasn’t the leader’s method of killing kinda… brutal?”

“THAT’S what you focus on!?”

“W-Wait! Don’t make me sound like some serial killer! It was beautiful, wasn’t it? Sparkly! It was totally sparkly!!”

Before Deabolica could snap back, the leader—who’d been all smug a moment ago—suddenly panicked and blurted out in defense.

Well, to be fair, Ursna’s mage buddy had also left behind a mountain of corpses, but with everything scorched black it didn’t look quite as splattery.

“Leader, seriously—that’s messed up. Sure, frozen blood sparkling like red jewels was pretty, but once the ice melts, what’s left is just shredded chunks of bloody meat… And the way you slowly froze them alive so they could feel despair first? That’s nightmare fuel, man.”

“W-Well, we don’t stick around long enough to see it melt, right? So all we see is the pretty version. The wildlife takes care of the corpses anyway. Efficient and clean!”

Nope. Creepy. Even her excuses had serial killer vibes. 

This was a whole different brand of psycho from me and my [Mental Resistance].

“See? I told you that magic’s scary. Yuji, keep telling her—it’s literally blood-freezing terror just imagining getting caught in it.”

Irene had returned to the carriage and was nodding furiously at my words.

Yeah… my opinion of the leader definitely took a hit after this.

“But still… what triggered the stampede? A herd of thirty horned rabbits is large, yes, but not unusual enough to…”

Deabolica tilted her head, eyeing the rabbit corpses with suspicion.

“Probably just ate up all the grass, went looking for a new feeding ground, and then got carried away until they couldn’t stop, right?”

“That’s possible. It’s worth investigating the cause, but…”

“Want to head in the direction the rabbits came from?”

The coach, hired through the Adventurers’ Guild, asked the question. Deabolica shook her head.

“No, that won’t be necessary. The stampede itself has been stopped—that’s enough. More importantly, I want to get this orb back to Thousand Leaves as quickly as possible.”

She hugged the cloth pouch with the orb inside, grinning like an idiot.

…And just like that, all the respect I had for her as a competent commander went straight out the window.

Well, that was Deabolica for you.

Then it happened.

The air groaned like it was cracking apart, followed by an ear-splitting roar that shook the ground beneath us.

“W-What the hell!?”

“Everyone, on guard!!”

The adventurers scrambled out of the carriage, and I followed nervously after them.

And then we saw it.

Wings so vast they blotted out the sun, spread wide across the sky.

A form so overwhelming it seemed born from hell itself.

Talons sharper than any hawk, uglier than any lizard, and a roar more fearsome than any lion.

It was the legendary king of monsters spoken of in Brishav Island’s myths.

“A d-d-dragon…! And not just any dragon—it’s the highest-ranked kind, the Red Dragon, the very incarnation of Brishav Island itself…!”

Deabolica’s teeth chattered as she stared up at the massive figure.

From a distance it had looked smaller, but in reality it had to be close to ten meters long. Its whole body radiated menace—its face jagged with bony protrusions, its torso bristling with razor-sharp spikes.

But the scariest part? Those eyes. They were locked directly on our carriage.

Blue fire flickered from its mouth, rippling in the air like a heat haze. Yeah… it was pissed.

“W-What do we do, Guildmaster… are we… fighting it?”

“F-Fight!? Don’t be ridiculous! How are mere humans supposed to take on a monster like that!?”

Deabolica shrieked back at the leader’s question.

So much for the confident commander—her morale had already shattered before the first blow.

“Is it really that strong?”

“‘Strong’ doesn’t even cover it! In all of history, barely anyone’s ever beaten a dragon! Just bringing back a single scale makes you a hero, and if you actually kill one, you’re remembered forever as a Dragonslayer! I—oh…”

She suddenly clapped a hand over her mouth, then tossed her staff aside and started bowing frantically.

“N-No, of course not! We would never dream of opposing the great Dragon! Pitiful humans like us wouldn’t dare! L-Look, see? We’re even dropping our weapons!”

Yeah, looks like the dragon didn’t appreciate hearing words like “victory” or “Dragonslayer.” The second Deabolica realized they couldn’t win, she went full grovel mode without hesitation.

Not that I could blame her. Honestly, it wasn’t even a question of if we could win.

Ten meters. That’s basically a small building. For reference, a T-Rex was about thirteen meters long from nose to tail—but standing upright, that would be about ten meters tall. Roughly the same size as this dragon.

So yeah, we were looking at something like a three-story building that could fly and spew flames hot enough to melt steel. That’s not a “monster.” That’s a full-blown kaiju.

Sure, I’d played plenty of action games where you fight giant monsters, but standing in front of one for real? There was no way in hell humans could win.

Think about it—would you pick a fistfight with something the size of a building? Just the thought was insane.

The dragon hovered above us, glaring down at the trembling humans. Then it inhaled deeply, and let out another roar so powerful it created a shockwave.

I barely managed to cling to the seat—otherwise I’d have been knocked flat on my ass. The carriage horses and driver weren’t so lucky—they foamed at the mouth and collapsed. Deabolica was shaking so hard her teeth rattled, tears streaming down her face in pure terror.

…Wait. Was that roar actually some kind of fear effect?

Ursna and the leader fought to keep their legs steady, gripping their weapons tight to stop themselves from collapsing. Irene, still too inexperienced, dropped fully to her knees—but you couldn’t really blame her.

Ursna swallowed hard, glaring at the red dragon.

“Yeah… the rumors weren’t exaggerating. They say just hearing its mana-filled roar is enough to make any living thing’s legs give out in terror… looks like it’s true.”

“Roar?”

“…What, did it blow your eardrums? That sound it made just now—Gyaooooon—that was the roar.”

Wait, that’s what it sounded like to them?

Because to me, it didn’t sound like that at all.

Ah—there it goes again, inhaling.

Ursna clicked her tongue and barked at her allies:

“Steel yourselves! Another roar is coming!!”

Yeah… about that. Maybe they weren’t actually hearing the same thing I was.

『You pests ruined my little hunting game! I’ll never forgive you! Now bow your heads! Apologize to me properly, right this second!!』

…What the hell was this thing?