Chapter 19: The 9th Floor

After that, monsters like goblins and skeletons appeared before us one after another.

Without hesitation, Ichinose would step forward and draw her sword. A single flash. That was all it took for a monster’s life to scatter to the wind. Her movements were sharp and fluid.

It was as if the sword itself had a will of its own, not the person wielding it.

Carnelia, too, wore a casual smile as she fired a volley of light bullets from her magic rifle.

Any monster targeted by her rounds exploded into ash before it even had a chance to defend itself.

None of the monsters were a match for Ichinose and Carnelia.

They would instantly kill them before I could even give an order, clearing a path in the blink of an eye.

Despite being the leader, all I could do was follow behind them.

Th-This wasn’t how it was supposed to go…!

I just stood there, completely useless. I was supposed to be the leader, but I was being treated like a total accessory.

At this rate, my value—no, my entire plan to raise my reputation—would be for nothing.

A cold dread washed over me.

If this keeps up… I’ll be worthless. I have to do something… something only I can do!

The more I thought about it, the more jumbled my thoughts became. Desperation and jealousy gnawed at me.

By the time we reached the 9th floor and had grown accustomed to the dungeon’s atmosphere, we were suddenly ambushed.

There were several skeletons, and behind them, a bat-like shadow.

“…! That’s a Confibat!” Prefa screamed.

The Confibats that appear from the 9th floor onward are troublesome monsters known for using status-altering magic with their ultrasonic waves.

If I can handle this, I can at least show them I’m a “real leader”!

“I will handle this with my magic!”

I began to gather my magical energy to cast a spell. Just then—

“Don’t! Confibats react to magical energy!”

Prefa’s voice, almost a shriek, reached my ears. But it was too late.

“SKREEEEEEEEEEE!!”

As if reacting to my magic, the Confibat opened its mouth and let out a high-pitched scream.

The cry became an ear-piercing ultrasonic wave that rattled my brain directly.

“Aaargh!?”

I screamed and collapsed to the ground.

My vision spun, and my consciousness grew hazy as if I were drunk. I couldn’t form a coherent thought.

“Ugh, I feel sick…”

“Michelle!?”

I could faintly hear Carnelia’s voice. It was then that it happened.

“…Hah!!”

Ichinose moved without a moment’s delay.

She drew her sword and rushed toward the Confibat.

“…Hmph!”

Ichinose’s blade sliced vertically through the Confibat’s body.

Her sword cut through it as if it were butter, cleaving it in two with ease.

The Confibat let out a final death cry and collapsed.

With the same momentum, she annihilated the skeletons behind it, and the battle was over in an instant.

“Are you okay? Here, have some water.”

Carnelia, who had been right next to me, rushed over and offered me her water flask.

I took it and gulped the contents down in one go.

“Phah…”

After downing the water, my head finally started to clear.

At the same time, I remembered my blunder and my face flushed with shame.

I was completely holding them back…

“Ichinose-san, thank you for the help.”

I said, catching my breath and thanking her.

“…Don’t worry about it. I just did what was necessary.”

She nodded, then flicked the blood from her blade.

As if to hide my earlier failure, I shifted my gaze to her sword.

For her sword to cut through skeletons like that, its sharpness was truly terrifying.

I had thought it was a masterwork blade from the moment I first saw it, but witnessing its cutting edge firsthand only strengthened that conviction.

“That’s an incredible blade, though. Such sharpness. May I see it for a moment?”

Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked Ichinose on a whim.

“…Fine.”

Ichinose gave a short reply and silently offered the sword to me.

I took the weapon, drew it lightly from its scabbard, and carefully observed the blade.

The body of the sword was as beautiful as clear water, with a temper line that shimmered like waves.

When I tilted the blade, I could see intricate magic formulas rippling across its surface.

Without a single nick or scratch, it looked like a work of art that belonged in a museum.

“So it really is something special, huh?”

Carnelia peered over my shoulder, her eyes full of curiosity.

“Yeah. This is my clan’s greatest treasure. It’s been passed down from one clan head to the next for generations. The story goes that a distant ancestor of mine used this blade to slay a demon. The demon’s blood soaked into the steel, and that’s what gives it such immense power against monsters. It’s no exaggeration to say that this sword is my soul, my very life.”

Ichinose’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

Her expression was so animated, it was as if her earlier sullen look had been a lie.

This girl… she only gets this talkative when she’s talking about her sword…

I couldn’t help but smile at this unexpected side of her.

“It’s an amazing piece. Thank you for letting me see it.”

I returned the sword to Ichinose.

As I handed it over, a question popped into my head.

She said it was passed down to the head of the clan, so why did she, a foreign exchange student, have it?

Just as I was about to voice that question, Ichinose spoke.

“—! Looks like the 10th-floor safety area is coming into view.”

Ichinose pointed into the distance.

Up ahead, we could see a magic circle emitting a faint glow.

In just a few short hours since entering the dungeon, we had already reached the 10th floor.