Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka - Volume 03 (6 page)

What …This kind of damage.

My consciousness was blown away.

I could not use any strength and quaveringly raised my head. Aizu-san, who lacked emotions on her face, could only stand there with her eyes widened.

……Aizu-san…is really a natural airhead.

The second before I lost consciousness, I finally understood this point. I tried to turn my head.

“Sorry……”

Aizu-san apologized with a sad expression to me when I woke up shortly afterwards.

Although I forcibly placed a smile and desperately tried to encourage her, my chest that got hit was still in pain. I do not know if I could conceal it properly.

Afterwards, Aizu-san attempted to test out various things, but it still did not seem to work.

Looking at the figure, who was desperately thinking, I do not know whether if I should interrupt or not.

Under the dark sky, where the morning glow still haven’t appeared yet, a restless atmosphere was filling it up.

“……As expected, we should just fight.”

“Eh?”

Aizu-san, who was silent for some time, raised her head and said this to me.

Standing up, she placed her hand on the sword handle.

I widened my eyes and hurriedly stood up, she pulled out her sword and placed it on a corner of the wall. Then she faced this side while holding the sheath.

“Because I am not good at teaching others like Riveria……So… this is the best way.”

Following this, the atmosphere around Aizu-san changed.

Her right hand held onto the sword sheath that had nearly the same attack range as a normal single-handed sword, and she quietly placed up her stance.

Just by standing, my skin sensitively reacted.

I immediately pulled out the hanging at the waist and entered a stance.

“Yes……That is enough.”

“……!?”

“Just like your reactions earlier, I hope that you will feel various things starting from now on.”

Through the mock battle……that is going to start now…learn by yourself, she said.

The clash between the weapons and reading the opponent’s actions. Try to utilize everything you could utilize.

“……M…My weapon…has a blade, is that okay……?”

“It’s alright.”

Facing Aizu-san, who cut off the sentence with one phrase, I moaned.

Worrying about the opponent is a fatal error, I understood this the moment she entered her battle posture.

I was being pressured by the simple and bladeless sword sheath.

“……”

“……”

The rigid air, biribiri, roared inside my ears. The eastern sky has yet showed signs of morning.

Aizu-san did not move. I also did not move.

No, it should be that I can’t move.

Once the distance shortens, I, who was waiting, will be torn apart. The instant that I take a step, I firmly believed that a strike that surpasses my range and speed will come.

I never thought that there will be a time the in my hand, which is soaked with sweat, will become so unreliable.

“……You…really are timid.”

“!?”

“Since you are entering the Dungeon alone, being timid is a very important quality. But beyond that, you are still afraid of something else.”

The sentence that I did not want others to say was declared by the person I did not want to be said out.

With a calm expression, Aizu-san quietly stepped forward.

“Although I do not know what you are afraid of……Probably, when that moment approaches, you will have no choice aside from escaping.”

The words she firmly believed in pierced my chest.

Ka, the center of my body seems to become hot. Was it shame, was it rage. Mostly, it was the former.

Even though I do not understand, but there was a sore feeling everywhere. An accusation with no room for maneuver. What flashed through my brain, in that instant, was a bull that was approaching from behind, roaring.

Even though it was not the time to think of this kind of thing, but a panicked feeling surged through my heart.

My teeth were about to trembling. However, I suppressed with my willpower.

Holding the handle of the with power, I raised my wet eyes.

Instilling power to my entire body, towards Aizu-san, who was approaching closer step by step ?? I took the initiative and rush forward.

“WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?”

“Not enough.”

??I was blown away.

The moment the sharp sound of the wind breaking passed my ears, I went straight to the side and was in a fiery embrace with the slab stone.

My abdomen…an uncommon pain.

“Ah……Ga!?”

“Recklessness is not allowed. It is something that is absolutely not done in the Dungeon.”

Aizu-san’s words that she used to explain the behavior conduct, failed to properly enter my brain.

I was swept away.

With an unimaginable speed, the sword sheath swept passed horizontally and severely knocked into the unsuspecting side of my abdomen due to me holding the .

My eyes could capture the shaking slash. And it was just barely a glimpse.

I know. I know.

Although I know……

This person…isn’t she unexpectedly fast……!?

“Can you stand up?”

“……!”

Towards the question that came from above, I placed my hands on the ground and slowly stood up.

My breathing was ragged. The flickering pain in my abdomen made me want to bend down. I wanted to cry. But I definitely could not cry.

I used my front teeth to bite my lips and once again, I confronted Aizu-san.

“Still not accustomed to pain……”

“Uguu!?

“But if that’s the case, then there is more of a reason not to be afraid of the pain.”

A thrust.

A thrust with frightening speed pierced through my heart. I could not block the impact and was sent flying away.

The back of my head suffered a heavy impact. On top of this, my lungs also lost their function.

“Can you stand up?”, this gentle yet merciless phrase. I replied with an almost choking voice while I stood up.

“Since you are entering the Dungeon alone, you absolutely cannot leave any dead angles. You will always have to maintain a wide vision.”

“Uh!”

“Unfortunately.”

“Fuah!?”

Just when I thought I finally avoided it, a second attacked followed.

The instant that I had stopped moving, my knees were hit. This time, I had a fiery kiss with the slab stone again.

Incidentally, I was dressed in light armor. On this basis, there were such damages.

“Can you stand up?” , this calm phrase. I stood up while my nose continued to bleed.

“Right now, it is fine if you can follow it. Try to read your opponent’s action.”

“Ye!?”

“That’s right.”

“Bu!?”

After the slash coming from bottom to top, a horizontal slash followed.

From start to finish, everywhere was filled with holes where I could be directly hit.

I placed the in the path. However, the sword sheath still managed to bypass the location of the and attacked me. I was beaten to the side and rolled away.

“Can you stand up?”, this magical-like phrase. I stood up.

“……You…don’t seem to be good at defense”

“~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!?”

Continuous hits, Continuous hits, Continuous hits, Continuous hits.

Numerous slashes flashed by endlessly. I, who had no way of avoiding it, could not even bounce by even one attack and was beaten by the sheath.

After a tremendous sound from a blow, the slab stone issued a cry.

Unconsciously, I could not even stand up and could only kneel on the ground.

The ragged breathing sounds echoed through the faintly dark surrounding areas.

“……First-Class Adventurers often say: There are many Adventurers that are deluded by the ”

“Eh……”

“Everybody is too dependent on the . Ability and technique are very different things.”

Looking towards Aizu-san, who began to speak, I widened my eyes, which were distorted due to the pain.

She seemed to be teaching everything she had comprehended to me, and slowly continued to speak.

“Technique and Adaptability. You are still not capable of these things yet.”

“……!”

“Even if you lose you , these things still reside in your body. Aside from refining it……I believe there is no other choice.”

She closed her eyes and no longer spoke. Then she looked directly over at this side.

“Because you do not seem to be good at defense, this will be our first training topic. During this training period, try to see through my attack and attempt to defend.”

“If we continue this kind of training, even the current you should be able to reflexively form the fighting methods. This is what I believe.”

“Towards your goal that you talked about……You will also become closer.”

Aizu-san uninterruptedly said. At the same time she said this assertion, she directly stared at me, who was stunned.

The golden eyes shone with sincerity, peered into my eyes.

This person was currently waiting, waiting for me, who was whimpering and moaning, to stand again.

“Can you still…stand?”

“Uh……Please!”

Accepting her thoughts and calm gaze about the weak me.

Although it was small, but it will never be in vain.

I desperately made the bent knee rise up and managed to finally stand up.

Until the distant mountain ridge was lit by the daylight, I was blindly accepting her sword strikes.

* * *

Newly-formed jagged rocks were currently occupying, up down left right, all directions within his vision.

The high ceiling also did not help and created a locked-up feeling. The huge rocks that were peeling off the walls from all direction created a suffocating pressure. The faint light source was not the only reason why it made one worry; the dark atmosphere was also one of the reasons.

The ground obviously did not have a path laid out. The rough stone made it difficult to move forward.

Caves, mines, tunnels.

The maze formed from the combination of paths without any rules would cause one to think of a hollow rock stratum.

“It really has been a long time since I would reside once again on this floor……”

Underground Dungeon 17th Floor.

In this area where the Adventurer’s range belongs to Lv.2, a burly beastman, Ottar, was currently exploring by himself.

On the upper part of the walls, fist-sized stones bulged out as if it were a lantern releasing light. It shone upon his burly body.

The surrounding equipment wrapped around his body was actually light armor.

He had a body that surpassed 2 meters and could easily use a super heavy full body armor, but he actually only used light armor to cover the parts that may be life-threatening if a Monster hits it.

Having said that, each armor part had an incredible level of thickness and size, as if a heavy shield was embedded onto the body. If you were to ask whether it was actually light armor, nodding would appear to be an unnatural answer.

The huge and sturdy backpack that is being carried on his right shoulder seems to be unwillingly restrained and was expanding.

(Now that I think about it, the last time I entered the dungeon was already quite blurry)

Every step would cause the huge body to shake. Although it isn’t strange to cause one or two noises, but not even a single footstep sound was made. This kind of movement was wrapped with a strong sense of violation.

However, from the beginning, he had exuded an absolute presence that could not be ignored by the surrounding.

As if they were afraid of Ottar, not even a shadow of a Monster appeared in front of him.

(……Jealousy, is it)

While spreading his awareness to the surroundings, Ottar recalled the conversation with Freya.

Won’t you be jealous, this was what his own Goddess asked.

At that time, Ottar did not lie. No matter what happens, he would not question Freya’s loving embrace and will eternally worship her.

Having a desire and reaching out for it will absolutely never capture it. As if their love was played around like a gentle breeze, it will finally be swept passed the fingertips and suddenly disappear.

Basically, the wind will not seek a partner.

The wind will only roam around the skies by itself. If they discover wandering travelers in the plains, it may smile and tightly hug quietly behind. Then when the travelers turn around, it will have already headed off somewhere else.

Yet at the same time, yes, the wind is equal.

To give the cool blessing towards everybody who stand on top of the ground.

It is sometimes fierce, sometimes gentle. Just like the northern winds, just like the spring breeze.
₁

The wind will silently touch the ears and softly whisper constantly. It will never be interrupted. The wind is eternal.

As long as Ottar stands above the ground, even if he ran far away, he will absolutely never lose the wind’s grace.

(……Since I decided to come here, I have already made my answer, right)

However, if a sky that the winds will call home appears. If a sky that the winds longed for appears.

He could only stand at the ground and watch, unable to do anything.

If he was to look at that scene from above and felt inferior and grief for himself, then perhaps, there was really jealous.

Then jealous and suspicious will be interlinked.

(Pale blue……)

As if he was to relax the facial muscles, a shallow wry smile was depicted on his face. If someone sees it, they will definitely be surprised.

In the end, from the instant that he could not refuse Freya’s orders, Ottar was already included among them. The Goddess has also seen through him.

Ku, a self-deprecating laughter echoed deeply within the cave.

“……Mmm.”

Ottar’s pace stopped.

From the helmet that was similar to a guard and covered with extremely little black iron, the pig ears that pried out suddenly reacted.

Before the toes that were wrapped by the boots changed direction, from the rocky walls, Vooo, a black and red bull’s head probed out.