I Was the Supporter of a Popular Dungeon Streamer, but the Power Harassment Was Too Much, so I Quit. I’m Useless Anyway, so It Shouldn’t Be a Problem, Right? Huh? The Views Are Dropping Like Crazy? - 16

Chapter 16: Shibuki Hamura, the Prologue of His Heroic Tale

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I could see it with 【Far Sight】. The distance was 500 meters ahead. It was in an open space within the cave—a large chamber illuminated by torches. That must be its nest.

“That’s really… The Minotaur that took my arm…!”

Red eyes, black skin, tree-trunk-like arms without weapons… There was no mistaking. My legs froze on the spot. The terror from that day crawled up my spine.

Where is Kisaragi? At a glance, she seems to be nowhere in sight…

“-!? “

But then, I spotted Kisaragi on the red-eyed Minotaur’s back. Like an infant being carried by its mother, she was tied with wooden cords. She was still breathing. Her ragged breaths made it clear she was still alive, but she had been beaten to the point of being unable to resist. At least she hadn’t lost any limbs. That was a small relief.

Why is she still alive? Well, the answer is simple. She’s a hostage.

She was being used as a meat shield. If the Minotaur encountered other Seekers or Supporters, it could use her as a shield, which was why it had deliberately kept her alive and strapped her to its back. This Minotaur wasn’t just strong. It was also cunning and ruthless, but thanks to that ruthlessness, Kisaragi was still alive.

At least she wouldn’t be killed right away. I just had to wait for Abisu to arrive and then we could make our move to help Kisaragi.

Are you sure?

“…Shut up.”

A version of myself, who was still clinging to an idealistic sense of justice that was beyond my reach, questioned me.

Shouldn’t you save her now? Who did she cry out for help to?

Shut up. She acted selfishly and paid the price for it.

Maybe my right arm had the properties of an OOPArt, but that was only a possibility. I knew nothing about the true nature of this prosthetic arm and even if it did have OOPArt traits, its performance was far inferior to actual OOPArts.

There was no way I could win against that.

“…Just wait, Kisaragi. Abisu will be here soon—”

Just as I had decided to wait for Abisu, my eyes caught sight of Kisaragi’s cheek. Her skin had turned a purplish hue. That wasn’t just a bruise. It was something deeper, something darker… Magic Corruption!

“Damn it… Are you serious now?!”

Magic Corruption was a disease that occurred from prolonged contact with monsters. Monsters were constantly cloaked in miasma and continuous exposure of the said miasma whether by breathing it in or physical contact, could lead to this condition. That being said, a single dose of medicine could cure it and simply leaving the labyrinth would halt the symptoms and allow natural recovery. But right now, that wasn’t an option. She couldn’t take medicine and she couldn’t escape from the Minotaur’s clutch either. Worse still, she was currently being bathed in miasma.

At this rate, she would die first before Abisu arrived! I had to get her the medicine for Magic Corruption… Fast!

Without thinking it twice, I broke into a run. But as soon as the distance between me and the red-eyed Minotaur closed to 51 meters, my body stopped instinctively. The Minotaur’s forsaken realm covered a range of 50 meters. One more step, and I would enter its domain. If that happened, the Minotaur would sense me immediately and escaping would be impossible.

One step. Just one step forward and I would enter hell.

The last time I encountered it, I was lucky. There had been a gate to the upper floors nearby and I somehow managed to dive through the gate, but there would be no such miracle this time. The only path leading out of this large space was the corridor I was in. There was no gate nearby. 

『Do you have any idea how terrifying it is?! How dangerous is it?! Being abandoned in a monster’s nest where your attacks do nothing to them?! You don’t get it at all!!!』

The words I had shouted at Iizuka flashed through my mind.

“…Didn’t you say it yourself?”

Kisaragi was still breathing and precise because she was still breathing, she was trapped in overwhelming fear and suffering. Being carried by a monster while afflicted by disease… Kisaragi ust e stuck in a despair so horrifying it made one’s skin crawl.

Even so, she hadn’t given up on living. She was still breathing with all of her might.

Waiting for someone to save her…

Waiting for someone…

“Move… Move, move, move!!”

What did I come here for? I came to this city to become a hero! Someone who can’t even move in a moment like this could never become something so grand! If I can’t move now, I’ll never catch up to Abisu Yuiga!! I’m not one of the chosen. I’m not a hero. Just an ordinary coward, nothing more.

Even so….

I want to cling to this childish dream until the day I die!!!

“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!”

I hit my trembling knees over and over, forcing them to stop shaking, and then I took off running. The moment I stepped into the forsaken realm, the red-eyed Minotaur snapped its gaze toward me.

“GRUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

A roar powerful enough to shake the ground echoed, but I ignored it and closed the distance between me and the Minotaur. At this point, escape was no longer an option. There was only one choice left… Fight!!

“【Phantom Motion】…!”

The moment I entered the large open space, I immediately created a clone. The clone charged straight at the Minotaur. Just as planned, the Minotaur took the bait and slammed its fist into the illusion. Like a shattered glass falling from a table, the decoy scattered.

In that brief opening, I darted behind the Minotaur and severed the wooden bindings with a chantless 【Whirlwind】. Kisaragi tumbled from the Minotaur’s back, and I caught her mid-air before leaping backward in a wide arc.

“…Hamura… -san…!”

Tears welled in Kisaragi’s eyes as she looked up at me. Hiding the anxiety gnawing at my heart, I gave her the biggest smile I could muster.

“I’m here to save you, Kisaragi.”

In reality, our situation was beyond hopeless. Even so, I still relished myself in this fleeting dream. 

Not bad… Not bad at all…

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