Vol 2 Chapter 5 (2/2)
”Let's go!”
And starts running
I also start running
I have already memorized the map The route is completely imprinted into mystaircase in 15 seconds
Provided if there are no hindrances
The wall has a peaceful scenery drawn on it as before
Rainbow
Sky
Clouds
Sea
Gentle waves on the sea
The beautiful melody of the roar of waves
Then, fro out, swi
”The stairs! Let's go down! Ignore the sharks!”
shi+ro yells
With that, we descend the stairs
♦
♦
♦
95th floor
We finally reached it, and are before the elevator
”Pant, pant, pant, pant, pant, pant”
I've already lost my voice
I can't even sigh
I heave
Behindelevator like those you find in a department store, but it's locked and won't move
Hiic
We are protecting Hiratory birds
We already know their weak points
We already know their movement patterns
So it's easy to deal with them
It's easy but ---
” how many on earth do we need to kill?”
I groan
We have already been fighting here for close to 30 minutes shi+ro and Yousuke in one tea turns to hold the line
Right noith Yousuke on defense, shi+ro is killing off the monsters
While trying to catchheart In order to rest ain, haah, haah, haah, I pant
From beside me, Kiri says
”Are you okay? shi+nnosuke-kun”
””
”shi+nnosuke-kun, your ic puts a lot of burden on your body and if you continue to use it”
”Shut up You should rest while you're able to We'll switch with them in a minute
Before my eyes, shi+ro throws his spear
”Pierce through theht switch!”
The drill ss the sharks
Killing several of them
But, the re few assault shi+ro In an attempt to protect him, Yousuke raises both his hands,
”Bamboo Grove switch!”
He yells
Several green pillars appear before his hands The sharks crash into thereen, sticky poison The poison slows the backwards, shi+ro shakes both his hands The sharks crash into the green pillars one after another
”Guh”
Crash into them
”Uwu”
Crash into them,
”damn, shi+ro!”
shi+ro then bellows
”It's all right Duck Yousuke Penitence Severance switch!”
His knife appears and he raises it overhead
But, zeeh, zeeh, shi+ro pants, and his chin starts bobbing
It's no good
He can't last any longer
I say
” fuh, haah all right, it's our turn Kiri”
”Uhn”
”Once shi+ro steps back, we'll switch and jump forward”
”Uhn”
”We'll stick to the same plan as before”
”I got it Hey, shi+nnosuke-kun”
””
”Did you realize it? The time is already”
I look at Kiri
Of course I realize it
At the time we infiltrated the labyrinth, the ti into an eternal labyrinth was 68 minutes
And we took about 6 minutes to repel the attack of the first sharks
We then took 10 minutes to reach the 95th floor
And on top of that, we've been fighting here for 30 minutes
In other words, that's a total of 46 minutes
The re time displayed is just 22 minutes
But right noe're still on the 95th floor
According to intel, Gunjou is on the 75th floor
Even if the elevator were to take us directly to the 75th floor, and ere to board it right noould have only 15 ht Gunjou
To face off a rank 42 labyrinth diseased girl, that's really too little tiht Compared to the number of enemies, we have too few members
Even if we kno to kill the sharks, we'll wear out if we have to keep fighting And as our fatigue piles up, the chance ofmistakes will increase In a labyrinth where you will die in an instant if you make even a mistake, we can't afford to tire ourselves out
If this were an eternal labyrinth, we could first use support ot tired
But this is no eternal labyrinth
This is a time-limited labyrinth
Thus we can't rest
Since we are few in nuy
Right fro all out in listening to our ic without stop
Kiri says
” I think, it's better for us to Esc”
But then, Himi yells from behind us
”It's open! Everyone, please come here!”
I turn to face her I can see the elevator door opened I can see a single horn inside that elevator
The horn of a shark
”Acceleration switch!”
I useHimi's arm And pull her back
”Kya”
Hi for Himi threatens to stab into my shoulder But it's slow Such a slow horn won't be able to touch the accelerated me ---
””
That's what I thought
But, my movements are slower than before Slower than the time I entered the labyrinth The tip of the horn pierces intoit
”Gah, damn”
Kiri swings her sword at that horn Stopping the force of the horn Thanks to that, I e to escape death
At the same time, I stab the stomach of the shark with my sword
The shark disappears
”shi+nnosuke-kun!”
Kiri looks at my shoulder worriedly Blood flows out from my shoulder It's not a fatal wound But if the blood flows out, my stamina will further decrease
”Hey, let me see”
But, just as Kiri wants to touch my shoulder,
”Don't touch it I'm fine”
I say to her
But Kiri,
”This is no good is there any need”
Her words stop there
I knohat she wanted to say Is there any need to go this far, to the point of receiving such a wound, to save Gunjou? Is there any need to go through such danger to advance in this labyrinth?
About that
””
I too don't understand What in the world aht now?
Looking atIfor
Why are these fellows putting their own lives in so et it
Jeez, what the hell is this?
Is this a world full of such good guys?
Kiri looks intently at my shoulder, anxiously, sadly
””
At that moment, shi+ro and the rest run up to us
”You got wounded!?”
He is worried
Hiic
”Band-aid switch”
While saying that, she presses on my wound The naic that stops the bleeding My pain rapidly subsides
Himi says with a teary face
”I-I' you down”
But I cut her off, glare at Himi with half-opened eyes, and say
”Jeez, that's true”
” awuh”
”You really are dragging me down too much frankly, if you weren't here, I really don't feel like saving Gunjou”
Pohn, I give Hi has stopped In that case, it's enough I enter the elevator
An instant later,
” eh”
Himi turns around in surprise, and behind her, Yousuke and shi+ro have grins on their faces
Yousuke says
”shi+nnosuke, you are kinda roundabout these days”
”Hurry up and get in, idiot”
Pohn, I give Himi's head a tap, and pull away from her
I say in disgust
Then, while saying,
”The one who calls others idiot is an idiot ~”
Yousuke smiles
shi+ro also smiles happily
Jeez, this isn't the tiuys really idiots?
No, they probably are
They probably are idiots
And slowly, I have caught that idiocy geret ht just die
While thinking those things,
” ht already be too late”
I mutter to myself
Kiri looks at me
Then, shi+ro looks at us
”What did you say?”
”Nothing”
But, maybe because he misheard the words, 'too late', he asks Himi
”Hey Himi Will we be in time?”
Whilethe elevator, Himi answers
”From the map I saw, this elevator will reach the 76th floor in 10 minutes”
”Slow”
I say, and Hietically
”Sorry But, during the ti this, on't be attacked”
In other words, we can rest for 10 minutes
And e reach there, ill have 10 minutes left
We have to clear the last floor and enter Gunjou's room and save her in 10 minutes
But, this is probably the shortest, the safest, and the most efficient route that Himi has chosen with the Picnic switch
If ere to continue clearing each floor as before, ould probably run out of time by the tietting caught in several traps
As I thought, if Himi weren't here this time, we couldn't even proceed, and even outside of this country, it's hard to find a ic like her
I look at Hi teaiven hoe have entrusted our lives to one another all the way up till here, we h --- if they would really become my comrades,
””
I ht be able to move forward and save my little sister
For ood they are
And that goes the same for Kiri
If she weren't here, I would have died many times in this labyrinth
Nor unreasonableme out
She knew very well that this is a labyrinth where she shouldn't have coical mind, she probably knew that she shouldn't ride on the hype and come, but yet she followed me here
” u~hn”
I fold my arms
All this while, I have never done anything as disgusting ascomrades so I don't really knohat I should do now
On top of that, for 10to happen as we continue to descend
Spending 10 ht space
It's quiet; nothing is happening
It's getting terribly suffocating
Then, Yousuke says
”Since we have nothing to do, let's play shi+ritori”
Are you an idiot? Go to hell I look at Yousuke with such a thought in my mind, then sit on the floor To rest my body
But Yousuke sauys for real? I thought
Away froroup of fools who have lost their sanity, beside ainst her chest She looks at me and smiles,
” I'm a little tired ~”
She says
”But we are really aht it's definitely futile, but maybe”
””
”Maybe with just the five of us, we can clear a rank 42”
””
”We really came ~”
I smirk tiredly,
”Even though we shouldn't have”
I say
Kiri sain
”Yeah We shouldn't have come Well, we are idiots”
”Yeah The worst bunch of idiots”
”Ah-haha”
Kiri smiles, and turns to look at me with a really serious face,
”Hey, shi+nnosuke-kun”
She calls ain
I frown and reply
”I really want to rest”
But Kiri continues
”You know, have we really become comrades?”
””
”Earlier, I declared that I was a comrade of the Hero Team but can I become a comrade of the Hero Team, I wonder?”
She has the saht up with these bunch of fools who are having a game of shi+ritori in such a situation, it's easy to lose our bearings, I suppose,
On top of that, she wears her 《Headphone Fuzz》 on her right ear
She's the type who uses her left brain to ic
In other words, she's the type who doesn't use her eic In that case, she shouldn't be able to stand this kind of situation in which she is risking her life for others with no benefit to her
I look at Kiri with half-opened eyes, and say
” since they are fools, if you were the one who caught the disease, they would come save you too, won't they?”
”Really?”
”Who knows”
” then, what about you, shi+nnosuke-kun?”
She asks Staring at me
”shi+nnosuke-kun, would you also come save me if I had manifested the disease?”
”Nah”
”Eeeh, you're terrible”
Kiri smiles
”Even though you say that ~, but, even as you keep protesting you definitely would still come if it's you”
She tries to touch my hand
And I a that
That's right She's probably right
If Kiri had o save her as well
Even though I shouldn't be that kind of person Even though, I have always, always, been the kind of person ould suppress the weak feelings of wanting to save someone
Sincethese people
””
No, since seeing the Asahi Mo ht have become a little weak
Weak
Weak
Weak
But then, I remember shi+ro's words
--- At any rate, it's probably an aht?
I ponder a little about those words
Is there also really a need to be weak at ti comrades from one's loneliness and pain?
I really don't know I don't know for now
As Kiri tries to touch me, I pull my hand back and say
”I've said this before, but I already have a date for Christmas”
”An iirlfriend?”
”It's not iinary”
”How old is she?”
”Hn?”
”What kind of hairstyle does she have?”
”Erhm”
”Right, it's all in your head”
”I want to closeto me?”
”Ah-haha ~”
Kiri smiles
I close
17
Only 17 minutes remain before Gunjou turns into an eternal labyrinth
The elevator descends
Descends
Descends
Everyone reue
Descends
Descends
Descends
Before long, the elevator reaches the 76th floor
I have alreadyour class in school Along the way here, I have also inquired Himi about the position of this elevator
Thus, the instant the elevator door opens, we just need to run straight to the stairs that lead down
And at the end of those stairs, will be our diseased classmate
Mizuiro Gunjou
We snap our fingers all together Activating our 《Headphone Fuzz》
The elevator door starts opening
Outside the door, are sharks
10 of them
They haven't noticed us Defeating the the them
But the time limit is just 10 minutes
Thus,
”Uwooooooooh!”
We start running with all our ht
♦
We kill sharks
We kill sharks
Risking our lives desperately, we fill our brains with h to melt our brains
Even though it should only take 30 seconds to run to the stairs that will connect to Gunjou's floor, killing the sharks take ti time steadily
8
7
”That's all of them!”
I belloinging my Demon Sword As I split the stomach of a shark
At the saht
No time
There's not much time
We have spent too much time to reach here
Sending a co up the time limit in my mind, it shows 6 minutes left
6 minutes
Only 6 minutes!
But finally, we can see the stairs that will lead us to Gunjou's floor
shi+ro yells
”She's just below us! Gunjou is just below us!”
But we can't just descend carelessly Gunjou has been taken by the labyrinth disease
She's a rank 42 labyrinth diseased girl
If we fight, she'll be a really strong opponent Even if we know that her weakness is blood, based on her rank, her strength will be nothing like that of Asahi Momoka, I suppose
We have already decided on the formation in the chopper
On ill guard ill pour blood, Gunjou's weakness, on her to stop her
And finally, I will use my Holy Sword switch to cut the illness away from Gunjou
If we are successful, then Gunjou will turn back into a nor
Provided if this ic is really complete, just as what Lizel said
I turn around
”Himi!”
I say
Hiic
She stops runningtheto a certain extent the structure and trap locations in the next room
When using that ic, Hiic to protect her
The ic completes
Himi looks up and shouts
”The next floor has no traps as well! She also has no guards!”
But there isn't good news
There are two types of diseased girls
- the type that's protected by a large nuuards
- the type that's troubleso
The later type is h possibility that the diseased girl's poill be at an overwhel, lethal level
As was largely expected, Gunjou belongs to the later type
The type of labyrinth diseased girl who's really strong herself
shi+ro says
”All right, then let's go Himi should Escape here”
But, Himi runs up to us
”I'll go too!”
”No you can't”
But, she protests,
”I'll definitely go! There's no more tierous, I'll get out right away But, I think it's better to have ets distracted by me, please make use of the opportunity to save her!”
She yells
But, it doesn't matter anymore
To have come so far, it doesn't matter anymore
I ignore her, and breathe in
Breathe out
Breathe in
Breathe out
And then, I listen to the sound flowing from my 《Headphone Fuzz》
The loud blast of the cursed song, Acceleration switch, jolts my brain matter
My brain matter shakes
My brain pressure increases
My brain stem trembles
In an instant, in a flash, in the time of a flash
In an instant, in a flash, in the time of a flash
My ic has yet to activate
I can't activate it yet
I can only activate it once I reach the next floor
Our plan has already been decided
Since we have just a small team
There aren't ies we can use
Yousuke and Kiri will enter first
We'll run under their protection; Yousuke will deploy AoE defensive ic
From behind, shi+ro will suppress Gunjou with specialized offensive ic, I'll observe Gunjou's movements, and jump out from the very rear
The problem is that the Holy Sword switch will consuics at the same time
In other words, until I teric, I can't use my Holy Sword switch
I have to thrust my sword into Gunjou as if I am naked, without my acceleration, or my demon sword
This is so that's normally impossible
It's a fool's errand to close in on a rank 42 diseased girl naked
But I shall do it
The foolish, idiotic me shall do it
Yousuke waves his fingers,as he est to himself
” I'll protect them I'll protect everyone I'll protect all my comrades”
Kiri stands behind him And murmurs
”Nine-fold switch ---”
A japanese sword appears in her hand She then turns around
”shi+nnosuke-kun, are you ready?”
Not answering
I merely increase my concentration
Breathing
Breathe out
Breathe in
Breathe out
Breathe in
Then, I stop
Only 5 minutes remain ---
The instant I stop, shi+ro stands before me
”Let's go! We'll save Gun”
But shi+ro's voice is drowned out by the noise of an explosion
It came from below
Dohn!
A large noise rings out
The ground shakes
Dohn! Dohn! Dohn!
Dohn Dohn Dohn Dohn!
The sound of fighting
A battle has ensued below
Yousuke yells
”dauys from 『Valor Team』!”
Himi says from behind us
”If we don't hurry, Gunjou-san will be”
But shi+ro bellows
”It's just nice for us! With the 『Valor Teao!”
Yousuke jumps
Kiri jumps
shi+ro jumps
I ju after shi+ro
My brain has already been engulfed with the curse
【In an instant ♪In a flash ♪In the time of a flash ♪
The flash of time, the flash of an instant ♪In an instant ♪In a flash ———】
I descend down
The floor below is already ridden with a sea of blood
Covering the whole floor ---
Blood,
Blood,
Blood,
Blood,
In an instant, I thought that the entire 『Valor Team』 has been killed
But the truth is so else
There are no bodies lying on the floor
Then, whose blood is it?
””
A girl who I knoell stands in the center of the sea of blood
It's Mizuiro Gunjou
Like a puppet hanging fro that of the devil
Her face is contorted
Looking lonely
Looking sad
” ah ah ah ah”
She groans softly
She's tre
She's tre in fear
Before her eyes is a sea of blood
Blood
She's weak against blood
On the other end, as the girl called Makoto of Kansai's 『Valor Team』 throws out an entire bucket of blood,
”All right! Just like what the data said, she's weak against blood! All right it's the end ~! Burning Bullet switch!”
While saying that, flaht to the front of Gunjou
Gunjou extends her hands forward as she trembles A whirlpool of water appears from her hands
It's a defensive ic that Gunjou often uses --- Defensive Tyrant switch
After becoic instantly without invoking her 《Headphone Fuzz》 or calling out the naic
But Makoto smiles
”Just kidding That's a feint”
She stops
Unexpectedly, right behind Gunjou, the girl with deep blue hair, the leader of the 『Valor Team』 closes in
It's Mitsutomo Kujaku
Kujaku has a knife in her hand As she is about to thrust that knife into Gunjou's neck,
”All right Gunjou, you can take a rest It's the end here”
She says
If she stabs her, it'd be the end
At that moment,
”Acceleration switch!”
I activate ic I kick the floor and jump
The for us Instead, she's on the verge of being killed
I' to save Gunjou
To save a diseased girl
To save the enemy of the world from a human
However, as if she's ready for us, Makoto look in our direction She grins As if they have been expecting ould do, they have gotten into formation
”Te Flames Banquet switch ~!”
She raises both hands From her feet, a wall of flames spurts up
It's an AOE defensive ic
If I burst through it, my entire body will probably turn to ashes
”damn”
I jue the wall of flames, from behind me, shi+ro yells
”Burst through it shi+nnosuke! Thousand Deities Flash Of Light switch!”
He activates his ic
shi+ro uses his spear ic
With its drill-like tip, it zips past es a hole
On the other side of the hole, 9 ene formembers of the 『Valor Team』 Both Santou Taisuke and Kamiuchi Miko are also there
But I am not concerned about them
Only this thought exists in my mind
Faster
Even for just a second
In an instant, in a flash, in the time of a flash
My speed surpasses even that of God
I chase after the Thousand Deities Flash Of Light switch, slips through the enemies, and reach the side of Gunjou and Kujaku
I don't care about my back
Even though there are 8 enem