Chapter 103: The last joint struggle and The timbre of the Hunting Horn (2/2)

I am slightly uneasy about this, but I already got on this ship.

Let’s fight till the end for today only.

With the two of us.

◇◆◆◆◇

I have zero Points remaining.

I still have some Crystals left, but because I did a Point Loan, I can’t use them until I pay back those 3 Points. I could have bought potions or something before doing it, but this is basically crying over spilt milk. Well, there’s also the part about it being impossible considering the situation.

The Demon Lord does Dispel.

Darkness itself is still effective, so it is not like I am a bad match against it, but our fighting force is plain lacking.

Cooperating with other parties is necessary.

Rifreya and I went out from the barrier.

The barrier not only keeps the Demon Lord away, but also plainly keeps outside threats away, so there’s no monsters around.

The violent cries of the Demon Lord resembling shouts were endlessly echoing.

“Anyways, we are searching for the Demon Lord. It is flying, so it would be one monumental task to find it.” (Hikaru)

“It would be nice if it were to go in the direction of the entrance though.” (Rifreya)

“It at the very least flew off in that direction, so it should be okay to assume that.” (Hikaru)

A while after running towards the entrance, we heard a ‘buuuh’ horn sound from a far location.

After that, the roars of explorers.

Looks like battle began with the other parties.

“Hikaru! Over there!” (Rifreya)

“W-Wait a moment, I heard it from over there though?! Aah geez, this mist is just dirty!” (Hikaru)

If this floor didn’t have dense mist, it would be a floor with a good field of vision, but the vision is bad and the sounds just bounce around. It makes a mess of your sense of direction.

“Wait wait wait, aren’t we supposed to tell the location from the horn’s phrase?” (Hikaru)

It only sounds like they are randomly going buoo buooo on the horn though.

Or maybe you can tell with that?

“Doesn’t look like it would help in this case. It seems like they are a party that hasn’t properly trained with the hunting horn.” (Rifreya)

“Then there’s no point!” (Hikaru)

“Only a few seriously take the hunting horn short course after all… I actually haven’t taken one properly… If you know the phrases, you can pinpoint the location, but…I myself am not good at blowing it.” (Rifreya)

“Explorers really are…” (Hikaru)

“Ah! Monsters, Hikaru!” (Rifreya)

2 Hobgoblins and 1 Troll.

I want to chase after the Demon Lord, but it is hard to ignore the monsters in this mist dungeon. There’s no choice but to defeat them before advancing.

“Rifreya, I leave the goblins to you!” (Hikaru)

With Rifreya almost dying and having given up on resurrecting Nanami, I have finally begun perceiving this world as the unavoidable reality in the truest of meanings.

…No, there’s no need to use such complicated words.

Determination…or maybe resignation.

I have been living in this world.

I will live in this world.

It is a simple matter of me understanding this from the depths of my heart.

“[Darkness Fog]!” (Hikaru)

For some mysterious reason, my body felt light.

The dark and sticky something that I have always been feeling felt as if it had been taken off somewhat.

I run towards the Troll who couldn’t react in the darkness, and stab into the throat in one straight line.

The monster’s Spirit Vein center was cut. It collapsed making a heavy sound, and changed into a Spirit Stone the size of a fist.

“Rifreya, can you fight?” (Hikaru)

“Eh? What?” (Rifreya)

When I turned around, Rifreya was already done.

If she had gotten traumatized to the point that she can’t fight because of that grave injury…is the thought I had for a moment, but it looks like that was needless worry.

Maybe they are in a bad state, the hunting horn is being blown ceaselessly.

Rifreya and I calm down for now and perk up our ears to search for the location.

The sounds are most likely scattered because of the mist of the dungeon, so it is not easy to pinpoint the location.

“There! Wait, isn’t that the direction of the entrance?! Damn it! We wasted time!” (Hikaru)

“Let’s go!” (Rifreya)