Chapter 21: Comrades

“What… what is that monster…?”

The creature exuded an unnatural and overwhelming aura.

Its form resembled that of a fallen angel, and the pressure it radiated was heavier than anything we had ever encountered.

Minase Karen-san and Shion instinctively stepped back, overwhelmed by the sheer presence of the monster. Thankfully, we were still near the entrance to the second floor of the dungeon. If we wanted to retreat, we could do so immediately.

But for that to work, someone had to act as a decoy. If it attacked us from behind, we’d be finished.

“I’ll draw its attention. The three of you, get out of here.”

“…Understood,” Kanade responded with unwavering composure, following my instructions without hesitation. Shion and Karen-san looked like they wanted to protest, but when faced with my resolute expression, they silently nodded.

“…Please, promise me you’ll come back safely.”

“Of course,” I replied with a confident smile.

At Shion’s urging, the three of them began their retreat.

The unknown monster, noticing this, raised both hands high into the air.

What happened next was instantaneous.

――A flash of lightning.

Thunderbolts erupted from its raised hands, streaking directly toward the retreating trio.

――Giiiin!

I stepped into the line of fire, deflecting both bolts simultaneously with my blade.

The deflected lightning struck the dungeon walls, gouging out massive holes.

This attack carried more power than anything we had faced before.

And it was fast.

The casting time? Less than 0.01 seconds. The moment it raised its hands, the lightning was unleashed.

But――

I immediately pivoted, spinning to strike.

With a sharp slash from Rengoku Kirikirimaru, I aimed for what I presumed to be the creature’s weak spot from behind.

For angelic-type monsters like this, their weak points tend to be consistent.

After spending so much time exploring this dungeon, pinpointing their vulnerabilities had become second nature to me.

“Gu-gyaaaaaaaaah!”

The monster let out an ear-splitting roar as its body began to dissolve into particles of light—or so I thought.

But it didn’t vanish.

It writhed in agony, yet its form remained intact.

Apparently, its endurance far surpassed that of monsters like the Archangel. Or perhaps… its weak point wasn’t where I thought it was?

No… wait.

This monster seemed to have two weak points.

As evidence, it was now guarding both the lower neck on its back and the underside of its throat with its arms.

“I see… so that’s how it is. In that case…!”

Even alone, I could strike both weak points at once.

The monster turned toward me again, raising its hands as if to launch another lightning strike. Was it going to try the same attack again? That won’t work on me!

With a crackling roar, the lightning surged toward me once more.

I deflected the attack effortlessly and hurled a knife from my free hand.

“This is the end!”

The precisely controlled knife spun like a boomerang, striking the weak point on its back.

Then, I charged in from the front.
The monster reacted instantly, moving to defend.
I slipped my blade through the gap in its arms, striking its weak point with certainty.

A grating death cry echoed through the dungeon.

Just then, I sensed several presences approaching.
It seemed that a few Archangels, drawn by the commotion, were heading our way.

Moreover, yet another monster identical to the one I just defeated appeared right before my eyes, blocking my path.

“…There was another one?”

Several of the Archangels were on the retreat path where Shion and Karen-san had fled. We were completely surrounded.

“We’re fine here! Satou-san, focus on that one!”
“Got it! I’ll leave our rear guard to you!”
“Right!”

Shion shouted, and I responded.
It was a makeshift party, but our teamwork was flawless.

“I’ll draw the attention of the three! Meanwhile, Shion and Kanade, handle the remaining one!”
“Yes!” “Yes!”

Karen-san took the lead, giving instructions, while Shion and Kanade calmly set about doing what they could.

――I’m not alone anymore. I have comrades I can trust to watch my back.

“…Right now, I feel like I can do anything.”

A surge of motivation welled up inside me.
I had to show them what I was capable of, too.

“Huh!”

At the same moment the monster raised both its hands, I defeated it the same way as before.
I already knew how to beat it. The same trick won’t work on me twice.

“Haa… haa…”

“We did it, Kanade!”
“Fufun, with me around, this is nothing.”

At the same time, it looked like the three fighting behind me had also taken down their foe.

Kanade was catching her breath, Shion was hugging Kanade, and Karen-san was striking a victorious pose in my direction.

Seeing each of them so full of life in their own way, I let out a sigh of relief.
Good, no one was hurt.

As expected of Karen-san. And of course, Shion and Kanade also fought wonderfully. It looked like we’d be able to hold our own in this dungeon.

However, it might be best to call off the exploration for now.
The dungeon’s atmosphere had clearly changed. I could sense an even stronger presence deeper inside, far more dangerous than the monsters we’d just fought.

“Let’s pull back and reorganize for now. It seems like there’s something even more dangerous waiting ahead.”
“Eh… More dangerous than that monster just now?”
“Yeah. Several times stronger…”

In response, Shion’s eyes widened.
Karen-san, seeming uneasy, glanced around restlessly.

“Yes, you’re right… Let’s follow Taichi’s advice this time.”