But our weights are different. Obviously, our descending speeds will be different.
In other words ---
At that moment, she moves. She goes around my back, gets onto my back. She then grabs my hair,
"All right, Shinnosuke unit, go!"
She says something irritating, and following that, I turn around, grab her slender thighs extending from her skirt.
Then,
"Kya."
She says, and jumps off my back.
With a beet red face, she says.
"W-Wh-Wh-Whaaaaaaaat're you trying to do!?"
"Don't act high and mighty and ride on my back."
"Even so, there's no need to grab my thighs, right!"
"You are too heavy so I just want to check how much fat you have."
"I'm not heavy!"
"You're 35 kg anyway right."
"How did you know my weight!?"
"I heard it in class. By the way, if you don't eat properly, your breasts won't......"
"Shut up shut up shhuuuuuuuuut uuuuuuup!"
She tries to punch me.
I grab her arm.
"I'll kill you!"
I reply to the glaring Gunjou.
"Whatever, but if we are so boisterous while we're on our way down, we'll get separated. Once we get separated, the plan's done for. We'll abandon each other then. Get it?"
Maintaining her glare, Gunjou says.
"I'll definitely not get separated from you!"
"I hope so. While we're descending, I might use Acceleration switch if needed. Hold on tight when that happens."
Once again, I turn my back to her.
Gunjou then says.
"I'll kill you if you touch my legs."
"Then I'll touch your butt."
"I'll kill you!"
While saying that, she jumps onto my back again. As I thought, she's as light as a feather.
Beside my ear, she utters in a strong-willed yet adorable voice.
"Sea Moon Wheel switch."
Upon doing that, light blue ball-like objects appear before my eyes. They start to spin and turn into discs.
The circular discs hover in the air as if protecting me.
I look up,
"Don't let them hit me."
"If you touch my butt, I'll have them hit your neck."
"Your butt doesn't look that high-class to me though."
While saying that, I start taking a step into that large hole right in the middle of the wall.
The hole for us to invade Apocalypse Alice.
The bottom of the hole cannot be seen as expected.
There is also no sign of the enemy.
But, it's not like it's dark. Even though the hole should have been surrounded by walls, from the gaps in the vegetation, sun rays seem to be seeping through; like I thought, that resembles the illustrations in the 'Alice in Wonderland' that Saki and I read a long time ago.
Apocalypse Alice is encroaching into Gunjou's labyrinth.
In that case, I don't know what kind of attack will come.
I look hard at the deep bottom of that hole.
Gunjou's adjusted breathing reaches the tip of my ear. Her breath touches my ear.
While feeling that, I say.
"Gunjou."
"What?"
"I'm sorry if I get you killed."
"...... it's fine, we're in it together."
"Then let's go."
"Yeah."
"Make sure you don't let go."
On hearing that, her left arm tighten on my neck.
"Got it."
She says.
After ascertaining her hold, we ---
Jump onto the slope that will lead us into Apocalypse Alice.
* * *
Chapter 5 - Aiming for 25 Floors Below
We descend down the slope.
Descend.
Descend.
We descend at an unbelievable speed.
If we crash into something, we'll probably die instantly. That's how fast we are descending down the slope.
In the midst of it, a rabbit jumps out.
It looks at us,
"Yaah......"
The instant it says that,
"Sea Moon Wheel switch!"
Yells Gunjou.
A strike slices the rabbit's face, chest, legs ---
Those are not enough to sever the rabbit, but the last hit strikes the pocket watch. The rabbit disappears.
The pocket watch of the rabbit behind is also hit by the Sea Moon Wheel unleashed by Gunjou.
"Orh, very good."
I say without thinking.
I can hear an utterance of "Eh-hehe." beside my ear.
But the exit has yet to appear. We continue accelerating. I don't think we have been descending for a really long time, but perhaps as a result of tensing up our bodies, it feels like a really long time.
A rabbit appears again.
Gunjou conjures up her Sea Moon Wheel again. She attacks. She manages to sever the torso of one, but fails to bring down the other.
"Sorry, Shinnosuke......"
"Demon Sword switch."
I swing my sword. I turn the claw thrown by the rabbit aside.
That alone is enough.
We avoid the attack of the rabbit, and zip past it. The rabbit can no longer catch up to our descending speed.
However, if we continue like this, we'll probably be killed somewhere.
"Jeez, where's the exit!?"
I bellow but the exit does not appear.
The exit can't be seen at all.
Instead, a wall made of vegetation appears before our path straight ahead.
Seeing that,
"You're kidding me!?"
My eyes widen.
Gunjou clings onto me from behind,
"W-W-Wh-Wh-Whhhaaaat should we do, Shinnosuke!?"
Whichever way it is, we can't stop. In that case,
"We have no choice but to break through right!"
"How!?"
I use the power of my Demon Sword switch.
"Assassination property!"
The instant I yell that, a red target mark appears in my field of vision. I look at that wall made of vegetation with those eyes.
Is there a weak place?
Is there a weak point?
Is there a place where I can slice apart with my Demon Sword?
And the result of the search.
There is no place where I can destroy the wall with my Demon Sword.
No target marker appeared.
Gunjou asks.
"How is it!?"
"No good. We'll stop here!"
I thrust my Demon Sword into the ground. But, it doesn't go through due to our great momentum. With my grip and the force at which I'm thrusting at the ground, it's not enough to slow our descending speed.
"Damn!?"
I yell.
At that moment,
"Sea Moon Wheel switch!"
Gunjou uses her magic again.
She unleashes her Sea Moon Wheel at the vegetation wall.
They crash into it.
However, with just that. They can't destroy the wall.
But, at a place where the wheel has struck, a target point suddenly appears.
Maybe it's because of the strike from the wheel that the wall becomes weakened, a weak point judged by my Demon Sword where I can slice apart with it appears.
I look hard at that.
"............"
I don't know whether the hole that will be made from my slash would be large enough for me and Gunjou's bodies to pass through.
If I stab at it with my sword, and if the resulting hole is not large enough, then Gunjou and I will probably die from the sudden impact.
Gunjou says.
"...... is this the end?"
But I ready my sword. And say.
"Hold on tight. I'm going to cut the wall.
Hearing that, Gunjou tightens her grip on me with both her hands. I can smel
l her scent.
The scent of sweat, nervousness, and fear.
The scent of living.
The Acceleration switch cursed song starts playing in my head.
The curse overflows my memory area, and the preparation for the use of the magic that boosts the memory area of my brain simply by tearing it to shreds is completed.
【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 ———】
"...... Acceleration switch ---"
I activate my magic.
Faster, faster, and faster than our descending speed, for an instant, for a second, in the flash of time, I control my speed.
I kick the ground.
My body accelerates.
That acceleration defies the law of physics.
Because I'm carrying Gunjou's weight, I'm a tad slower. But it's enough.
"Go... throooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuggggggggggghhhhhh!"
I swing my jet black sword.
The blade thrusts into the wall.
Cutting it apart.
The wall collapses.
The hole that opens up isn't that big.
"No good huh."
As I say that, while still clinging on to me, Gunjou brings her hands forward, makes a cross and yells.
"Defensive Tyrant switch!"
It's the defensive magic that Gunjou often uses.
Swirling streams of water appear before her hands. They crash into the wall. The wall that has been weakened by the Sea Moon Wheel and Demon Sword gets struck by the whirlpool and is destroyed. And thus, a tight hole that's barely large enough for Gunjou and I to pass through opens.
Even so, it'd be the end if some part of our bodies get struck. Our flesh and bone will be smashed to pieces.
But, we press against each other and manage to pass through the hole somehow.
"We did it!"
Shouts Gunjou.
But we fail to land on our feet. We fall. Gunjou's body gets blown away.
"Gunjou!"
I extend my hand but can't reach her.
"Shinnosuke!"
Gunjou yells but there is nothing that can be done.
With that, while falling, we descend.
But that lasts only for a few seconds.
Ahead of the wall, the slope suddenly starts becoming gentle.
"Gah, ah, oof......"
I crash into the ground, tumbling down, but I can clearly feel that my descending speed is dropping.
Two seconds later.
I can't do anything but tumble.
But at the third second, I push against the ground with my arm. Following that, I plant my feet onto the ground. And prop myself up. I can do this. I can control my balance. My descending speed has also become pretty slow.
"All......"
Just as I am about to utter all right and recover my posture,
"Kyaaaaa."
Gunjou crashes into me from behind,
"Owah."
I tumble again. Gunjou grabs on to me tightly and I can't regain my balance at all.
"Hey, idiot, let go of me."
"Eh, eh, but, you said not to let go......"
"You know, if you haven't grabbed onto me, I would have regained my balance."
"Eh? Ah......"
Gunjou lets go of me there and then. After tumbling down a few rounds, she manages to plant her slender feet onto the ground. And stands up.
I too stand up at the same time.
We are still sliding down the slope, but I grab Gunjou's hand and after that,
"Demon Sword switch."
I murmur.
I thrust the sword that appeared in my hand. Zuh zuh zuh, as the sword rips through the ground, we come to a stop.
Then,
"...... haah, we survive."
I sigh out.
Gunjou then too sighs out in relief, and then smiles happily,
"Hey."
She says wearily.
I would probably have been killed by the rabiits if I hadn't descended with Gunjou. I also wouldn't have been able to break through the wall without her Sea Moon Wheel switch.
In other words, it's thanks to her that I'm still alive now.
Thinking about that,
"............"
I get an exasperated sense of the limits of fighting alone. Though of course, I wouldn't have attempted something so reckless if I were alone.
I turn to face the wall made of vegetation behind me and say.
"...... if Shiro was with us, this would probably have been a breeze."
Gunjou then looks at me and says.
"What do you mean by that huh?"
She somehow seems miffed. But I say.
"No, I mean, if we had his Thousand Deities Flash of Light switch......"
As I say that,
"Ah......"
Gunjou too makes an utterance of realization.
If it was Shiro's Thousand Deities Flash of Light switch, a gigantic offensive magic that would become a drill, which we would have been able to use to advance as we thrust forward, while impaling the walls, rabbits, and everything.
On top of that, he has someone who's skilled in support magic, Himi, on his team. And with her, we would have been able to anticipate to a certain extent the layout ahead.
Furthermore, the relentless onslaught of the enemies would have been suppressed by the defensive magic of Yousuke.
Maybe because it hit her at that moment, Gunjou says.
"Why aren't they around when it really counts!"
I smile and agree.
"Yeah right. After spouting all that 'comrades' stuff, they should make sure they are here when it really matters."
"How true."
Gunjou and I look at each other as we say that, and exchange tired smiles at our narrow escape from the fear of death for once now.
However, hereon, we will surely experience that fear of death in succession.
Even though we have no idea by how many ranks the Mitsutomo Group has weakened Apocalypse Alice, it shouldn't be that low of a rank.
If that's the case, there will definitely be tougher fights henceforth.
"............"
I look to the front.
The end of the slope is near.
The exit can already be seen. On the other side, a hall inside the Apocalypse Alice can be seen.
A dense and luxuriant forest.
But that forest does not feel real, but has the feel of woods out of an artbook.
Gentle rays of sunlight filtering through the trees.
A uniform green that appears to be colored with a single paint.
However, death is probably overflowing in that place.
It's really a place that should not be entered normally. It is a place that should only be advanced to, after finding a safe zone, getting organized and using it as a base for repeated insertions and Escapes.
But if we were to do that, we probably won't make it in time.
According to Gunjou, Kujaku and her gang had brought along large supplies of water and food to challenge this labyrinth. In other words, they didn't want to waste time Escaping and wanted to raid it at one go.
As to why.
I can think of a few reasons.
For example, if they were to leave this place, the is a possibility of information of Gunjou's labyrinth being connected to Apocalypse Alice might get leaked.
Or perhaps, this incident has already been found out by other countries and corporations and there's a fierce raiding competition taking place inside Apocalypse Alice right now.
"But it's probably not the later......"
Otherwise, by now, it won't be strange for our surroundings to be filled with people who want to raid Apocalypse Alice.
Then is it the former --- or.
"In the first place, it might even be possible that both insertion and escape are impossible right now."
That would be the wor
st development I could hope for.
If we don't clear it, we can't Escape ---
In other words, if we can't clear it, we can only die.
But, that in itself is also possible.
In unknown high level labyrinth like Apocalypse Alice, it's possible that it might have a special property that prevents Escaping.
"............"
I try playing the Escape cursed song in my head. Playing it for real. As if I'm really going to Escape. But I can't use it. If I were to exit the labyrinth, there's a possibility that I may be unable to enter it again.
A more likely possibility would be that, the magic which Kujaku has used has the power to stop infiltration and escape.
If it's me, I'd do that. If I gotten my hands on Apocalypse Alice, I will act carefully to prevent this from getting leaked to other organizations.
Those who entered can't go out.
The other organizations can't come in.
If I'm able to set my magic to do such a thing, I'll set it.
While playing the cursed Escape song in my head, once again, I ponder about the water and food supplies that Kujaku had prepared.
For what purpose did she do that?
Is it because they can't Escape?
Or is it because, while they can Escape, they can't re-infiltrate?
"Well, at any rate, I have no intention of escaping."
At any rate, even if I Escape, there'll be no allies waiting for me outside. There is no time to gather hundreds of mercenaries. During then, either the Mitsutomo Group or other countries or corporations will be making off with my little sister.
Or my little sister will get used and then killed.
If that happens, I'll never see my little sister again.
In other words, it's now.
I have to save her now.
Even though I really want to spend more time, slowly moving in as if I were cornering the king in Shogi.
"...... things don't go that well in reality huh."
At that moment,
"What are you mumbling to yourself?"
Gunjou asks.
I answer.
"Just bitching about our situation."
"Uwah, how gloomy."
"Haha, I don't deny it......"
Before I could finish, a noise suddenly rings out in my head.
Piih piih piih, the sound of a machine.
A sound which I've never heard before.
I tense up my body in response to that. I thought it would mean that the enemies from Apocalypse Alice will be upon us again.
"What is that sound?"
I say.
Gunjou too tenses up her entire body and asks.
"What sound?"
Mokushiroku Arisu - Volume 03 Page 7
