Chapter 36.1 : [Idiotx2]+Tsukkomi Master+Natural Airhead = Cliche Situation
How did things turn out this way?
Those words resounded in my head many times over and over again.
I also had those bad premonitions didn't I? To think that they really come true.
Do I actually have such wonderful foresight? No, it might actually be no more than just my own delusion. I was too naive, I should've recognized that fact.
Somehow, there's only one thing I can say about this situation. I should have the right to say this much, right?
「LEAF YOU IDIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT! 」
My scream resounded splendidly inside the cave as I recalled how things turned out this way.
We were steadily advancing through the underground dungeon and took a short break after walking for almost 2 hours non-stop.
「That’s strange. I'm pretty sure we got to the boss room way faster yesterday.」
Shinji complained while sitting on a protruding rock. It seems he’s slightly fatigued from our continuous walk.
「We were advancing smoothly yesterday was thanks to what you did in the middle of our adventure.」
「Please stop! I’m still reflecting on that matter you know!」
Aren’t you the one who happily pressed that damned button. I won’t be tricked by such a trap again!.
「Please show that in your actions. But, that boring wall aside, we can't even find the room with that damned trap now, and here I thought that we could easily find that room again.」
Incidentally, I did not leave any markings along the path we took since I was sure we wouldn't have any problems finding the boss room. This might take longer than expected. In the worst case, we'll have to do this dungeon again tomorrow.
「 Well, since I don’t even know which part of the cave we are in right now, we'll have no choice but to keep walking if we can’t find the boss room.」
Midori-san is such a positive and bright girl, and a beauty on top of that. She might be a popular girl.
「Right. We might be able to find the boss room as long as we keep going downwards. Since there's an underground lake at that place, let’s try to follow the flowing water once we find one.」
We advanced again after our short break. While aiming for the boss room at the shore of that underground lake, we also tried looking out for a stream or that button trap from yesterday.
When we were advancing carefully while paying attention to the road that might be not used again, we met a new type of monster along the way.
「Hive, what is that?」
「That is… No, could it be… But I've never heard information about them being in this place!」
From his tone, could it be that they’re powerful opponents? If that was the case, then they’re just the right choice for my warm up exercise before that boss.
「That is a demon starfish. Its body is covered with needles that are endowed with a powerful poison.」
I see, Onihitode[1] huh. But, it looks different from what I remembered it to be. In my memories, Onihitode is a big starfish that is scattered around and eats things like coral reefs. Yet the monster in front of us is human shaped… No, demon shaped right? So the demon must be the main part of the starfish?
「Demon starfish, it’s the kind of opponent on which Blue flute won’t work right?」
「Yeah.」
Shinji aside, even Midori-san and Aoi-san are showing faces of discomfort. They're also not shouting out「STRONG ENEMIES AHEAD」. Is it just me then? Am I the only one who really wants to fight the opponents in front of us..
「Why the hell did they come out before we fight the boss. I wanted to get there with as little damage suffered if possible but, looks like we need to take a detour.」
Shinji had a serious expression on his face. But, I just can’t suppress my urge and curiosity to fight the enemies ahead.
「Sorry Hive, please let me be a bit selfish here.」
Though Midori-san and Aoi-san were shocked to the point that their eyes turned into dots upon hearing my words, Shinji only replied to me with a wry smile on his face.
「I had this feeling that you might say that. Very well then, obliterate them!」
「Sorry for involving you guys in my selfish request.」
「Don’t mind it, this is a game. Let’s just enjoy it!」
Geez, this is why you’re the best! But also a fool on rare occasions.
「Well then, let’s go!」
I sprinted toward the demon starfish as I left behind those words. Though shaving off its HP bar first with my gun would be the better choice, this is after all a skirmish before the boss battle for me. I want to make sure that everything is ready, including my battle sense just in case I get into close combat against that boss.
Matching my movements, the Onihitode also started sprinting toward me. It’s almost two metres tall with a buff-like figure and needles covering its whole body. To be honest, it’s more of a human-like starfish with needles covering its body than a demon. It’s barely passable as a demon with that steel club in its hand though.
Dodging the Onihitode's swing of its steel club, I moved back a bit and observed its movements.
Its movements remain largely unchanged, so it’ll be really easy to predict its movement due to its humanoid shape. In appearance, its attack power looks to be higher than me but, I don’t think that this monster can defeat me unless it adds variables to its speedy attacks. Just like a certain colonel from somewhere once said, “Any attack is useless if it never hits the opponent”.
After evading the club a few more times, I kicked the ground with all my power and entered close combat with my opponent.
「――FUH! 」
After unsheating the knife from its sheath on my waist, I then aimed to pierce its head from its chin while paying attention to the needles on its body. The red shower effect delayed it for a moment but even then, without even faltering from that damage, the club was swung down from high above. But, even faster than that, I retreated by kicking its stomach, which was also the only place without needles on its needle-covered body.
Yup, I can still take it easy against this guy. I had roughly grasped the difference between our power through the exchange just now.
The Onihitode charged again, closing its distance with me. After evading the swing attack from before, I slipped through the gap between its attacks. Brandishing swords in both my hands, I then pierced its neck and heart.
「GOAAA！」
It can talk huh. But, let’s end this now.
In response to the Oni Hitode making a golf swing-like posture, I stepped onto its shoulder and used it as a platform to jump up toward the ceiling of the cave.
After fixing my posture in the air in order to land on the ceiling, I then kicked the ceiling even before the law of gravity came into play and swooped down onto the Onihitode from above.
「――TAKE THIS! 」
My sword was drawn toward its neck at the same time I fell from above.
Unfortunately for the Onihitode that couldn't react fast enough to my speed, by the time I landed on the ground, it had started to vanish into particles of light.
「Fu, this guy is quite the tough one.」
Thanks to that I got enough warm up. The knife is also perfect, and with this I am ready for the boss battle.
「Sou, you're more of a ninja than a gunner. It seems that it’s only a matter of time before you start running on ceilings, walls, and creating shadow clones.」
「That’s impossible right?」
No, I actually might be able to run on the ceiling. But I don’t know what he means by running on the wall and creating shadow clones.
「Come on, let’s keep advancing. We can't go too late into the night, we still have our school tomorrow after all.」
He's right.
「Leaf, you’re not shocked by the movements Sou just pulled off? Have you gotten used to it?」
「It’s a bit different from getting used to it you know. In regards to Sou, it’s easier to accept the fact that he can do such things as long as we think of him as a mysterious phantom thief who acts in the underground society, or a mercenary returning from a battlefield, or the ace of a circus troupe.」
「I see, you made good preparation in that regard huh.」
It isn’t, or rather, what the heck are you talking about? What preparations? Eh, Aoi-san, why are you looking at Midori-san with the expression of 「A~h, so there’s that way too」. You guys are slowly draining my MP you know?
「Well then, we should take a short rest here before continuing on our exploration.」
I forcefully seized Midori-san's wrist when she was about to walk to a place after saying those words.
「――Eh?」
「O-Oi Sou, what’s matter?」
「Sou-kun?」
The 3 of them were bewildered by my action but I don't have the leeway to worry about that now.
「Leaf, stop. It’s a trap.」
My eyes caught something slightly buried in the ground right in front of Midori-san. I don’t know whether it is a trap or not though. But still, I can see a slight trace of something buried there.
[1] [TL : Acanthaster Planci, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown-of-thorns_starfish]