Chapter 5 Contract Crusade Part 2
About two hours after we started the subjugation of the Hatsugase Dungeon, we had finally reached the point where we were supposed to set up the drilling rig.
The cave widened vertically into a massive space, resembling a canyon.
Once we take control of this area, the destination will be just ahead.
"<Lightning>!"
A burst of violet electricity shot from my palm.
The bat swarm was immediately incinerated and fell to the ground.
In their place, a giant spider appeared from a gap in the wall.
Its eyes were blood-red, and huge fangs protruded from its mouth.
...Well, looks like we've got quite the formidable opponent now.
The other hunters quickly launched their attacks, but the spider spun webs in front of itself, blocking their efforts.
"This one's gonna be a tough fight."
"I'll handle it. Step back."
It seemed like Kanami-san had judged this to be one of the key battles.
She stepped forward, having been watching the fight until now.
With a fierce, determined movement, she drew her sword.
The blade burned bright red, illuminating the cave's darkness.
It looked almost like a small sun in the shape of a sword.
The intense heat caused the webs that had been spread out to naturally catch fire.
"Hah!!"
The fiery sword traced a red arc and, in an instant, cleaved the spider in two.
Its grayish, massive body erupted into flames, quickly turning to ash.
...Impressive power. Though the range is narrow, this seems to be at least on par with a high-level intermediate magic, maybe even low-tier advanced magic.
But was it really necessary to use so much for that spider?
If that much heat is scattered around inside the cave, it must be pretty hot for the person using it too.
"Alright! Let's move quickly!"
Whether or not she was aware of my concerns, Kanami-san wiped the sweat from her brow and urged us forward.
Following her, we continued for about another twenty minutes.
At the point where the cave sloped downward, we finally reached our destination.
The spot where the cave twisted was a space where the passage widened, forming a small chamber.
"Alright, let's set it up! Chest of Greed!!"
At the man's shout, an old-fashioned chest, reminiscent of something from a fairy tale, appeared.
When he opened it, an unfamiliar purple mist began to rise from within.
In an instant, the mist disappeared, revealing a massive piece of construction machinery.
No doubt about it, this is the drilling rig.
"Huh... This is even more convenient than an item box."
In my past life in Venolind, we had a handy tool called an Item Box.
It expanded the internal space, allowing you to store a large amount of items inside.
However, due to the limitations of the box or bag's opening, you couldn't fit extremely large items inside.
I'm not sure what the total capacity is, but being able to carry such a massive machine with that chest is astounding.
I wonder if there's any way I could analyze that box, or rather, that Idea?
"Level's good, connection's good!"
"Power is on!"
The sound of the motor roared.
At the same time, the drill bit attached to the front of the drilling machine was slowly lowered.
The roar of machinery echoed, and before long, a hole began to open in the hard, rock-like ground of the cave.
The speed was impressive, with the drill cutting through the rock at a pace that could dig a hundred meters in three hours.
In no time, the drill's tip disappeared from sight, and the sound of rocks being shattered faded into the distance.
"Now we just need to finish the drilling and then set the explosives. Let's take a break and prepare for the fight with the labyrinth boss."
Once the machine was operating smoothly, Kanami-san said this with a sense of relief.
It seemed that we had made it through the first major hurdle of the joint subjugation.
If we can take down the labyrinth boss, the mission will be complete.
For me, that means I'll also secretly break the mithril knife during the fight.
"So far, so good."
"Yeah, now all we need to do is defeat the labyrinth boss."
"...By the way, what kind of monster is the labyrinth boss?"
I asked, somewhat cautiously, to Izumi-san and Naya-san, who both seemed to have finished their tasks for the moment.
This would be my first time fighting a monster called a labyrinth boss.
I'd heard that it's a special type of monster capable of destroying the dungeon if defeated, but...
I still had no idea just how strong it would be.
"Well, it depends on the type... but they're usually several times stronger than the surrounding monsters."
"Also, they're usually pretty big. In a closed-type dungeon like this, it's a real hassle."
"So, as expected, they're huge, huh?"
"Sometimes they're small, but those are usually the dangerous ones. Especially the humanoid ones, they're the ones to watch out for."
"Wow..."
"Well, with this much firepower on our side, a Category 2 dungeon shouldn't be a problem."
With that, Izumi-san shifted his gaze toward Kanami-san.
That fiery sword had quite a bit of power.
It would be a significant asset when dealing with large monsters.
If anything, she could probably handle it all by herself.
"The real problem is with Yamato's movements. There's likely someone in this group who's aligned with Yamato."
"Are you saying they might take advantage of the chaos during the battle to do something to us?"
"The possibility is high."
Naya-san spoke with a tone that suggested she was fairly certain.
Izumi-san slowly nodded in agreement, as if he shared the same concern.
It seems that the true enemy might not only be the labyrinth boss...
──〇●〇──
"Whoa, Nami really went all out on this one."
It had been about thirty minutes since we began the excavation work.
It was exactly noon, and the monster hunters, excluding those on guard duty, began to eat.
There wasn't any particular instruction, but it seemed that when the time came, we all instinctively began to follow a schedule—maybe it's just the Japanese way.
I opened the package that Nami had given me earlier, and inside was a large, multi-tiered lunch box.
Since I had told her beforehand that today was an important day, it seemed she had put a lot of effort into it.
"That's an impressive bento. Is it from your girlfriend?"
Izumi-san, looking intrigued, approached as he saw my lunchbox.
In his hand, he was holding a convenience store sandwich.
"It's from my sister."
"Oh, your sister? Nice taste..."
Izumi-san flashed a strangely pleased smile.
No, no, there's definitely something behind that way of saying it.
"What are you talking about? There's nothing between me and Nami."
"Just kidding, just kidding."
"When Izumi-san says it, it doesn't sound that way."
At that, Naya-san joined in.
In her hand was a large homemade rice ball.
...It's really big. It's probably about five times the size of the ones sold at convenience stores.
The rice ball was so large compared to her small face that it looked almost like a glitch or something.
Come to think of it, Naya-san always has rice balls. Even during the training period, her lunch was almost always a rice ball.
"That's a huge rice ball!"
"Well, I'm Japanese, so of course."
"Hey, hey, with that logic, what does that make me, eating a sandwich?"
"Anyone who doesn't eat rice isn't really Japanese."
"Wow, that's a pretty extreme stance!"
Naya-san said this with a completely casual expression, as she eyed Izumi-san's sandwich.
Hmm, it might be best not to eat bread around Naya-san.
"Hey, looks like you're having fun!"
While we were chatting happily, for some reason, Akai came over.
Wait, aren't the Night Goons not taking a lunch break?
I quickly glanced over at the drilling rig, and saw Kanami-san eating chicken and broccoli by herself in silence.
...She's got a pretty health-conscious diet, huh, Kanami-san?
Well, I guess monster hunters are like athletes, so it makes sense.
"Why is a member of Night Goons over here?"
"Kanami-san's been a bit tense, so it's hard to talk to her."
"And that's why you came over to me, a familiar face."
"Yeah, pretty much. Look, I even brought a souvenir."
With that, Akai pulled out a paper pack, and it was filled to the brim with fried chicken.
I recognized the pack's chicken logo—it was from a specialty shop that had become somewhat famous recently.
"Oh! I love the stuff from this place!"
"I heated it up with the machine, so it's piping hot."
"I love it too, can I have some?"
"Of course! Help yourself!"
So this is the kind of social skill that athletic types have...!?
By bringing fried chicken as a souvenir, Akai was smoothly accepted into the group.
As someone with social anxiety both in my past and present life, I just can't compete with that skill...
"Hey, Sakuragaku, want some? It's really good!"
"...I'm good. I've got Nami's bento."
For some reason, I decided not to eat Akai's fried chicken.
Maybe it was just a gut feeling?
For some reason, it didn't look that appetizing to me.
...I guess this kind of awkwardness is the reason I'm considered an introvert.
But it's fine. I've got Nami, after all!
Seeing my lack of enthusiasm, Akai briefly looked a bit annoyed.
"...Well, fine then. Anyway, you really did great out there."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah! You wiped out that whole bat swarm with one hit! Then you stopped that ant swarm too. Kanami-san was impressed."
Really? Kanami-san, of all people?
That's a bit unexpected.
People like her don't usually seem like the type to recognize anyone other than themselves.
"You used two different abilities, but the Stone Spear you used... is that an artifact?"
"Well, something like that."
"So, the lightning one is your <Idea>, huh? Is that the max output?"
"I can do more. And you're being way too specific with your questions."
"Haha, I'm just curious about what an <Idea> awakened at eighteen is like."
Ah, so that's why.
An <Idea> awakened at eighteen probably isn't something ordinary.
Even if you're not obsessed with games, it's easy to assume there's something special about it.
If you're a current monster hunter, I guess it's understandable to ask about it.
But I can't just openly tell him everything here.
"I get it, but I can't just tell you everything that easily. By the way, what about you, Akai?"
"What about me?"
"Your <Idea>. What's it like? I've heard it's incredible."
Though Akai and I were high school classmates, I didn't know what kind of <Idea> he had.
I'd only heard rumors that he had awakened to a really impressive Idea.
What kind of <Idea> could make such a buzz throughout the school?
Akai, looking a little embarrassed, spoke up.
"Ah, mine is... a healing ability."
"Healing?"
"Yeah, I can produce all kinds of medicines and heal with them."
That sounds like a pretty useful ability.
If it can do all kinds, that probably means it can be quite versatile.
But as Akai talked about his Idea, he seemed somewhat dissatisfied.
"Isn't that something you're happy with?"
"Well, no. I'd rather have a cool ability like Kanami-san's. Besides, healing just doesn't suit me."
"But still, getting into Night Goons means it's impressive, right?"
"Well, that's true."
"<Ideas> are a manifestation of a person's desires. There must be a reason why your ability is healing."
At that, Naya-san interjected into the conversation.
With her long history as a monster hunter, her words carried quite a bit of depth.
However, it seemed like Akai wasn't entirely convinced.
"Hmm, well, yeah, I guess..."
He then glanced over at Kanami-san.
There was envy, jealousy, and longing in his eyes...
It seemed like a whirlwind of emotions was swirling within him.
Back in high school, I'd just thought of him as a carefree, lucky guy... but it looks like Akai has his own set of struggles.
"...Hm?"
Just as we finished our lunch, Izumi-san suddenly made a strange face.
His demeanor shifted from the casual, lazy attitude to one of focus, as he lowered his posture and put his hand to his ear.
"...Something's approaching."
"A monster?"
"Yeah, and there are quite a lot of them. I can hear their breathing."
Damn, how sharp are his ears...?
Wait, could it be that he overheard our whole conversation about <Ideas> having multiples earlier?
As I thought about this, I suddenly heard countless growls coming from deeper in the cave.
"...That's a lot."
A swarm of monsters soon appeared.
Seeing them, which looked like a muddy torrent, I couldn't help but gasp.
"This is quite the spectacle."
Looking at the overwhelming number of monsters charging toward us, Izumi-san muttered, seemingly both impressed and exasperated.
Ants, spiders, giant snakes, and even monsters that had yet to show themselves, resembling giants.
It seemed like every monster in the cave was rushing toward us.
...What the hell happened here?
I couldn't help but frown at the hellish scene unfolding before me.
Then, Naya-san, with a calm expression, spoke up.
"This is something that happens occasionally during large-scale subjugation operations. Especially in closed-type dungeons, many monsters tend to react to sound."
"Yeah, there's been a lot of noise coming from over there since earlier."
The drilling rig, which had been digging through the rock, was making a sound like small tremors.
If you make that much noise in one place for that long, it's no surprise monsters would be drawn to it.
Kanami-san seemed to have anticipated this to some extent, as she immediately ended the break and gave instructions.
"Everyone, battle stance! We need to hold this position!"
"Got it!!"
"We've got sandbags! Use them to set up a defensive wall!"
The man who had earlier pulled out the drilling rig from the chest now retrieved a pile of sandbags from the same chest.
The hunters quickly began moving the sandbags, efficiently building a makeshift defensive wall.
"Alright! I'll take care of this! Fall back to a safe spot!"
As soon as the wall was up, the biggest of the hunters stepped forward.
He was the one who had mostly been using brass knuckles during the earlier battle.
I had assumed he had a body-strengthening <Idea>, but... it seemed I was wrong.
He raised his fist high and shouted with all his might.
"Dragonborn, descend!!"
The already large man's body swelled even further, growing by a size or more.
His facial structure changed, and his skin was covered with crimson scales.
His form now resembled a fusion of a dragon and a human.
He placed his hands on his hips, arched his back, and took a deep breath—
"Dragon's Breath!!"
A bluish-white breath shot out from his mouth.
A torrent of radiant energy swept through the monster horde, cutting through them in an instant.
Incredible. That just wiped out a huge number of them!
With firepower that could rival that of a real dragon, it was astonishing.
"Wow...!"
"As expected of Ryūgasaki. No wonder he claims to be the closest to S-rank!"
"Whoa, that's some wild destruction!"
"The enemies are breaking! Charge!!"
Seeing the gap in the enemy ranks, Kanami-san quickly issued the command.
Then, with her fiery sword in hand, she dove straight into the giants stationed at the back.
Following her lead, the hunters skilled in close combat rushed in as well.
Among them was Naya-san.
"Tenfold Punch!"
The Tenfold Punch that had cracked a large boulder just days ago now exploded into the giant's stomach.
—Boom!!
A deep, ground-shaking sound reverberated.
At the same time, the giant's abdomen, covered in thick fat and muscle, caved in.
"Guoah!!"
The giant's body lifted off the ground and was sent flying.
I immediately activated earth magic.
"Gyaaah!?"
The ground twisted, and rock spears shot up.
The giant, unable to move in mid-air, was impaled helplessly.
—Shush!
The tip of the spear pierced through its flesh, and blood splattered.
The giant let out a brief scream but quickly perished.
It seemed that even a mighty monster like that couldn't survive a heart shot.
"That was close."
"No, Naya-senpai, you were amazing."
Naya-san and I exchanged a brief look of acknowledgment.
Even while we were doing this, the hunters continued their relentless assault.
"<Giants' Sword>!"
"<Great Flood>!"
Some swung gigantic swords, while others used torrents of murky water to wash away groups of monsters.
What initially seemed like an overwhelming number of monsters rapidly dwindled.
As expected, the elite hunters gathered from each company were proving their worth.
Now I fully understood why people said the force deployed for a Category 2 dungeon was overkill.
With this kind of team, we could probably overwhelm even the labyrinth boss by sheer numbers.
"Alright! Battle's over!"
Once nearly all the monsters had been defeated, Kanami-san declared the end of the battle.
The hunters sheathed their weapons and returned to their positions beyond the sandbag wall.
I glanced at the time; it was a little past 2 PM.
The excavation was scheduled to be finished by 3 PM, so there was about an hour left to rest.
"Damn, our break got ruined."
"Well, for the numbers, it wasn't that bad."
"With this team, we should be more than fine."
"True enough."
After finishing their tasks, Izumi-senpai and Naya-san were casually chatting and drinking sports drinks.
At that moment, Kanami-san clapped her hands and spoke.
"If anyone's injured, come forward right away. Also, if your weapon's broken, bring it to me!"
Ah, if I hand over the broken mithril knife here, I can get it compensated through a buyback.
I quickly pulled the knife from my backpack and, while trying to discreetly chip it against a rock, an unfamiliar, deafening roar suddenly echoed.
"What's that!?"
"Hey, hey, hey...!!"
"No way...!"
The massive drilling rig, weighing several tons, was suddenly crushed from below and sent flying into the air.
It came hurtling toward us, and we quickly jumped out of the way in panic.
"Is this the work of the labyrinth boss?"
"Impossible! It's just a small hole!"
"Could it be some kind of long-range attack?"
"The hole's over a hundred meters deep!"
"Calm down!! Everyone, get into combat positions!"
As the situation descended into chaos, Kanami-san quickly issued commands.
Drawing her sword, she cautiously approached the hole created by the drilling.
The hole was still small, only about thirty centimeters in diameter, but it gave off an unsettling presence.
It felt like something could crawl out of it at any moment.
"...Magic?"
From the hole, a cold substance began to pour out.
It was magic—dark magic, and it was radiating a powerful, ominous aura.
It could be called miasma at this point, and it was highly harmful to humans.
"Be careful! Something weird is coming out of the hole!"
"Weird? What do you mean?"
"It's like gas!"
Hearing my warning, Kanami-san's expression grew even more severe.
She turned to the hunters who were observing and raised her hand to give orders.
"...There's definitely something coming. We'll crush it as soon as it shows itself. Members with offensive <Ideas>, move to the front!"
At Kanami-san's command, several hunters moved to surround the hole.
I also joined them, gathering my magic to be ready to cast at any moment.
Now, what's going to come out—an ogre, a serpent...?
Tension mounted, and silence filled the air.
Being in a cave to begin with, the surroundings became eerily quiet.
It was almost as if I could hear my own heartbeat.
Then—
"It's coming."
The moment Izumi-san spoke, something red burst from the hole.
Is that... a swarm of bats!?
Their chaotic, tightly packed form looked like a giant single organism.
"Attack!!"
"<Dragon's Breath>!"
"<Great Flood>!"
"<Porcupine's Wrath>!"
As soon as Kanami-san gave the signal, attacks began raining down one after another.
Not to be outdone, I unleashed Lightning at maximum output.
Having rested and recovered my magic, the power was now equivalent to a mid-level spell, despite it being a lower-tier magic.
Thunder roared as the lightning struck, and the bat swarm rapidly started to dwindle in number.
"...It's over! <Blade of Radiant Flame>!"
Finally, Kanami-san burned the remaining bats to ashes.
For a moment, I was anxious about what would emerge, but in the end, it was just another monster similar to the ones before.
However, that eerie magic... what was that about?
It was far too strange for it to have been coming from the bats, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Just to be safe, I sharpened my senses and focused on detecting the magic deeper in the hole.
Then—
"This is...! A second wave is coming! There are even more of them!"
"They're still coming?!"
"Is this some kind of bat hell?"
Even though they were just low-level monsters, if they kept coming like this, it would definitely become a hassle.
The hunters' faces visibly darkened, but they were professionals.
They quickly regained their composure and prepared to launch another round of attacks.
"It's here!"
Once again, a swarm of bats surged out from the bottom of the hole.
This time, there were even more of them, and they resembled a red mist.
Once again, the hunters launched a simultaneous attack.
Flames, spikes, light arrows, and torrential rain...
All kinds of attacks rained down, and the bats seemed to quickly dwindle in number...
Or so it seemed.
"It's not working?!"
"What are these things...!! Ugh!?"
The attacks that should have easily swept the bats away had little to no effect.
The red mist quickly engulfed several of the hunters at the front lines, and I could hear muffled screams echoing.
What... is happening?
Do those bats have some kind of special barrier?
As confusion swept over us, a voice suddenly echoed from somewhere.
"I am the one who knows pain. The same pain shall never work again."
"...Who? Show yourself!"
In response to the voice coming from the darkness, Kanami-san boldly called out.
In answer, the swarm of bats snarled, twisted, and eventually began to shrink and condense.
The magnitude and nature of this magic...!
I immediately recalled a certain necromantic monster I had encountered in my previous life.
One that should not have existed in the Andaz dungeon.
But then again, this was a dungeon, and perhaps the difference between this world and another world was at play here.
Truly, this is a troublesome way for that difference to manifest!
"I am Femdus. The ruler of blood and the one who knows pain."
Eventually, it fully took on a humanoid form, spreading large jet-black wings.
It blended into the darkness, its mouth glowing with fangs, unmistakable in its nature.
"A vampire... and a high-ranking one at that."
...This might make using magic a bit more difficult.
Vampires are naturally strong and tough.
It's likely I'll need to use high-level magic to take it down.
Just as I thought that, a scream-like shout came from the hunters.
"A humanoid?! This is supposed to be a Category 2 dungeon!"
"This is clearly way worse, hey!"
"Don't panic, I'll take it down!!"
Stepping forward was the hunter who had used the breath attack earlier.
I believe his name was Ryūgasaki.
He took a deep breath and formed a massive energy ball in front of his mouth.
"<Dragon's Breath>!!!"
A torrent of immense energy surged forward.
The white light illuminated the walls and floor of the cave, so bright that it was nearly impossible to keep my eyes open.
This time, it's even more powerful than before!!
A typical monster would have been vaporized in an instant.
However...
"The same pain will never work again."
"What!?"
When the light faded, Femdus stood there as if nothing had happened.
Despite receiving such a powerful attack, it showed not a single scratch.
Even though vampires are tough, this was beyond anything I had ever seen.
Meanwhile, Ryūgasaki, who seemed to have exhausted his energy, reverted back to his human form as his transformation ended.
And then—
"Ugh!!"
The bat swarm engulfed Ryūgasaki's body.
I quickly released Lightning, but the bolt was somehow nullified, as though something was blocking it.
Could it be...?
"The same move will never work again. That's some cheating right there."
For hunters who only have one Idea, it seemed Femdus possessed an ability that made him an absolute nightmare.
"Kanami-san! That thing, it can't be hit with the same attack twice!"
"...Is that really possible?!"
Kanami-san didn't immediately trust my words.
Thinking that words alone wouldn't convince her, I unleashed Lightning once more.
This time, I used the Outside-Air Method to maximize the power of the spell.
The lightning tore through the air, and purple electricity ran through Femdus' body.
However, it didn't even faze Femdus' eerie smile.
"Did you see that? The same attack won't work on him."
"...What is this?"
"Probably, all the techniques you used on the bats won't work anymore."
The swarm of bats that had attacked us earlier.
That was definitely Femdus' minions.
Since vampires and their minions share all of their senses, Femdus had already adapted and wouldn't be affected by the techniques used on the bats.
To neutralize the attacks, he was willing to sacrifice his own minions.
It was ruthless, but a highly effective strategy.
"Given that, the only one we can rely on now is..."
Kanami-san frowned and turned her gaze to Naya-san.
Since the opponent was a flying bat, Naya-san hadn't participated in the attacks.
Her attacks were primarily hand-to-hand, so her reach was limited.
However, now that all of the offensive Ideas had been neutralized, Naya-san seemed to be the only one left who could deal effective damage.
"Kurosuki-san! Can you use your usual technique?"
"No problem. But at this rate, the opponent's movements are too fast."
"Then, I'll temporarily stop him."
"Izumi-san?"
I tilted my head as Izumi-san stepped forward.
Now that he was volunteering, I realized that I had never actually seen Izumi-san use his <Idea>.
He'd said it was a support-type, but I hadn't seen him activate it until now.
I had assumed his ability was some kind of information-gathering power because he occasionally seemed to be picking up on small, subtle sounds...
As I was deep in thought, Naya-san gave a troubled look.
"...Are we really doing this in the cave?"
"There's no helping it. We don't have any other way to stop that labyrinth master."
"...It can't be helped! Everyone, take distance and cover your ears!!"
It seems that Itsuki-senpai abilities are quite famous.
Once Kanami-san made that decision, some of the rear support adventurers hastily retreated from the area.
I also hid behind a nearby rock and pressed my hands firmly to my ears.
...Now then, what's going to happen?
As I watched anxiously, Itsuki-senpai took out something that looked like a microphone—
"Soul-shattering Roar!!"
...What the!?
A roar echoed throughout the cave, one that was more like a shockwave than a sound.
Even though I had been on guard, I nearly lost my consciousness from the force.
This is definitely a dangerous ability to use in a cave...!
They had said it was a support-type, but this is more than enough destructive power!
The strange sound waves seemed to have disrupted Femdus as well.
Unable to stay airborne, it wavered and descended to the ground.
"I've felt this pain before...!"
"Well, this is the last time. Kurotsuki, the rest is up to you!"
"Yeah, leave it to me."
As if replacing Itsuki-senpai, Naya-san stepped forward.
She grabbed the part of her combat suit that was a glove and threw it aside, as if it were in the way.
This was a movement I hadn't seen when she used the tenfold punch before.
Could it be that she has an even stronger technique...?
As I held my breath and watched, Naya-san's eyes widened suddenly.
"...Hundredfold Punch!!"
She removed the gloves, and her exposed skin began to glow with a crimson sheen.
That's... Hihiirokane!!
At the appearance of such a rare material, I couldn't help but widen my eyes.
In Venolind, it is known as the metal of the gods, an incredibly precious item.
It boasts overwhelming hardness and durability that's said to be unbreakable, and on top of that, it's incredibly heavy.
I see, if it's a metal that's even heavier and harder than lead, then the power of the attack must increase as well...!!
"We can do it!"
If that hits, we can take down that vampire!
Just as I was certain of that, Naya-san suddenly lost her balance and collapsed forward.
—A heavy, rumbling sound.
Her punch's trajectory was thrown off, and instead of hitting Femdus, it created a large crater in the cave floor.
"Kurotsuki-san!?"
"Hey, what happened!? ...Ugh!"
Just as Itsuki-senpai rushed over to help, he too clutched his chest and collapsed.
What in the world happened at a time like this!?
Both of them suddenly collapsed... Did that thing set something up?
No, could it be... from earlier...?
A thought crossed my mind, but now wasn't the time to dwell on that.
First, I have to deal with Femdus!
"...It seems the heavens are on my side. Devour it all!!"
From Femdus' wings, countless bats took flight.
In an instant, several adventurers were engulfed by the swarm, and with screams, their blood was drained.
It was a scene that could only be described as hell, and the adventurers were overwhelmed by the chaos.
"...Retreat!!"
"Damn it, I didn't hear anything about such a monster being here!!"
At this point, the frontlines finally began to collapse.
The adventurers in the rear started to retreat one after another.
In the blink of an eye, the twenty or so adventurers disappeared, leaving only us behind.
I grabbed Naya-san and Itsuki-senpai, one under each arm, and somehow managed to put some distance between us and Femdus.
Meanwhile, Kanami-san, who had stayed at the frontlines, clenched her lips tightly.
"It's over...!!"
"Kanami-san, we should escape too!"
"No! If no one holds it off, that thing will catch up to all of us in no time!"
...Indeed, as Kanami-san said, it was true.
The bats could fly far faster than humans could run.
On top of that, we had to drag along the immobile Naya-san and Itsuki-senpai.
If no one held it off here, we'd all be done for.
"...We have explosives for blasting, right? We can use those."
"Huh?"
"With their power, we can blow a section of the cave away. That'll trap it. Monsters can't pass through the materials in dungeons."
I see, if it's those special explosives, their power should be enough to do that.
But that also meant that the one holding it off would inevitably be buried alive.
"If we do that, the rest of us will definitely die!"
"That's why I'll do it."
With that, Kanami-san immediately ran to the far end of the cavern where the materials were stored.
Her movements were incredibly decisive.
How could she make such a decision to throw her life away so easily...!?
I immediately activated my body-strengthening magic, caught up to her, and grabbed her hand.
...At this point, we had no choice but to brace ourselves for what was to come.
Including my past life, I couldn't just stand by and watch Kanami-san, who should be much younger than me, die.
"...Let go."
"You don't have to do that. I'll take it down."
"Stop saying irresponsible things. There's no way you can do it...!!"
"I can."
I said that to Kanami-san, then glared at Femdus once again.
Oh, so you thought we couldn't do anything and were just watching from your high perch, huh?
On the vampire's finely chiseled face was a sneering, contemptuous grin.
...But I'm about to make you regret that soon!
"What are you planning to do?"
"Stop hiding my power. I've decided to defeat you, fair and square."
"How? The same pain won't work on me."
"It's simple. I have a thousand types of magic."
With that, I summoned both fire and water in my right and left hands, respectively──.
──〇●〇──
T/N: I had plan to complete the chapter 5 in this part, but it's bigger than I thought. So, next part part will be the last. Will release it tomorrow!