“We’ll Definitely Come Back to Save You!” — It’s Been Three Years Since I Was Left in the Most Difficult Dungeon, Isn’t It About Time for Help to Arrive...? - 70-71

Chapter 70: A Tale of Misfortune

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As embraces were exchanged out of anyone’s sight, the stage shifted back to Athos and the others—

“—Hah! Hah! Hah! Hah…!”

Lazuli, carrying Midi (still with the egg), paid no attention to the commotion behind them, running single-mindedly through the cave. Her breath came in sharp bursts as she ran. She just ran.

They had stolen the egg of the next clan leader, the very symbol of prosperity for the Domagros birds. At the very least, until they escaped this cave, the two of them would never know a moment of peace.

“You two keep going straight out of the cave! I’ll hold them off back here!”

Keeping just enough distance not to lose them, he fought against the Domagros closing in.

Midi and Lazuli are fleeing with the egg, cut off from Hel and unable to coordinate… This is where I’ve got to dig in.

Fortunately, while these things were strong against magic, they didn’t actually have much in the way of physical defense. As long as Lazuli focused on dodging, even with her handicap of having both hands occupied, she wouldn’t fall behind.

“…Strange…”

Dangling her arms and legs loosely in midair, Midi muttered faintly.

“Strange? Haa… Haa… What do you mean…!?”

“…Even though they’re chasing so hard from behind, not a single one has attacked us from the front… Where did the Domagros that were guarding the nest entrance go…?”

“That is worrying, but… Right now we don’t have the luxury to think about that! Let’s just assume they all happened to be taking a nap! Anyway, right now we have to get this egg outside—kyaa!?”

Distracted by the conversation, Lazuli caught her foot on something mid-stride and lost her balance, but just before she fell, she spread her wings to their limit and beat them hard, somehow lifting her body back up.

“Whoa! That was a close one. What the heck, something like this here…?”

When Lazuli looked down, she saw the body of a Domagros bird lying still with its eyes closed. Not just one or two, but many, strewn about as if a forest had been struck by disaster.

“…So that’s why they didn’t attack… But why…?”

Lazuli echoed Midi’s question with caution. Anyone would, looking at the Domagros corpses littering the ground, their bellies drenched in red.

“Finally making an appearance, huh… I’ve been waiting.”

“—! Who’s there!?”

From the darkness, two tufts of crimson hair swayed as their owner stepped forward.

ZSSHHHHHHHH!!!

One step. Just a single step carved deep into the stone floor, leaving the two of them without the chance to voice their surprise, thus birthing an unhindered second step from the mysterious figure.

DADADADADADADADADA!!!

“—!? Athos! Something just headed your way!”

“Just now… Could it be…!?”

Their raised voices reached my ears even from afar.

Something’s coming? What does that mean? Their goal should be to take back the egg… There shouldn’t be any reason for it to come my way—

In the next instant, a flash burst before my eyes, followed by impact. The shock and dull pain, as if a steel ball had smashed through my cheek, rattled my consciousness and drove my body deep into the rock wall.

“—Gahh! Cough, cough…!”

I had returned Hel’s power and regained my true strength, even so, this blow reached to my very core.

That force… That kick… Don’t tell me—!

If my guess was right… Then this was nothing short of disastrous misfortune—

“—Found you, Athos!!!”

That voice, that declaration gave me certainty. Forcing myself upright, I stifled the throbbing pain and drew my sword.

“Never thought you’d come all the way here… Ripley! You really saved me the trouble of hunting you down! I’ll make the most of this stroke of luck!”

And there—standing with her leg slowly lowering from the kick, the red-haired girl greeted me with a warped smile that was mixed with half falsehood and half truth.

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Chapter 71: In Desperation

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“Heh…Even if it’s a fake one, as expected of Athos. Something like this isn’t enough to stop your breathing. …But, don’t you think your research is a little lacking?”

“Research?”

Ripley cast a glance at the tip of the sword I had just thrust back.

“Athos would never choose such a slender weapon. Not enough weight, less durability. That’s why.”

Indeed, she wasn’t wrong. With the way I fought—smashing opponents with brute force or using my weapon as a shield and wearing it down—such a thin sword would have broken quickly. If not for the pretext of a disguise, I never would have picked up this blade at all.

But… Had I ever talked to anyone about my weapon preferences?

I thought it would give a bad impression as an adventurer to be picky about weapons, so I usually only muttered such things to myself—when bathing, or during solitary training sessions.

“If you’re going to impersonate Athos, you should study more first…. Not that you’ll ever get another chance!!!”

Ripley suddenly closed in again, unleashing a barrage of kicks that whistled through the air. I struggled to deflect them, protecting my head, my groin, the vital spots, but her speed was far greater than three years ago—or even compared to when I had last met her in Karzeria.

DO-GAGAGAGAGAGA! DO-KA!!!

Like magic, her kicks flowed freely, unpredictable, forcing me into pure defense. One strike slipped past and slammed into my solar plexus, sending a crushing shock and heavy pain through my body.

“Ghh—ugh!?”

It was as if a needle had pierced my brain, my senses sharpening instantly. My body had recognized the crisis and shifted into combat mode. In my vision, heightened to the limit, I saw a red flash trailing a line through the air. She was coming in for a follow-up, trying not to let me escape after staggering back.

Before my blink could finish, I predicted the trajectory of her incoming kick and evaded with the smallest possible movement. As Ripley’s attack missed and she moved to land, I unleashed a preemptive slash aimed at her landing point.

“—!?!”

Even Ripley, who had been growing more confident by the second, seemed caught off guard. In a hurry, she switched her kicking leg at the very moment of landing to try and counterbalance.

GAKIIIN!!!

My slash, powered to the maximum by momentum, met her rising kick. The difference was overwhelming. Ripley’s body was blown into the air, crashing hard against the wall.

Now! Before she can confuse me with her movements, I need to pin her down in one go!

I braced my legs to launch forward, but in that instant, I realized I had forgotten something crucial in the shock of meeting Ripley.

“KRRUUUAAAAA!!!”

The master of this cave—the Domagros birds—suddenly halted, their eyes filled with unprecedented fury at the sight of their comrade’s mutilated body sprawled on the ground. Their gaze, consumed by emotion, fixed squarely on the bloodied sword in my hand—and on me, the wielder.

“…This is… This is bad.”

“KRRU! KRRU! KRRUUUUAAAA!!!”

It seemed their target had already been rewritten, from retrieving their eggs to exterminating the slaughterer. Their hunting instinct awakened from pure hatred. I was swarmed by enraged monsters. Dozens of savage talons, visible even at a glance, were coming at me. Faced with them, all I could do was cling desperately to the saliva I had just swallowed in my bitter desperation.

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