"Yaah yaah, yaah yaah."
The voice of a rabbit. The voice is the direction of where Gunjou is. An enemy. A battle. I snap my fingers, and activate my 《Headphone Fuzz》.
But Gunjou says.
"Hey hey hey, wait! Don't face here! I still haven't put on my...... hey, this rabbit, is strong!?"
While yelling, Gunjou falls back.
"Hn?"
Gunjou has her blouse in her right hand and skirt in her left hand.
She is only in her underwear. Slender legs. Slender waist. Her chest is bigger than I thought. Her fair skin has a pale pink tinge.
I look at her with half-opened eyes.
Gunjou looks at me with a beet-red face.
"Hey, don't look here dummy!"
"You're the one showing me, you exhibitionist."
"I'm going to wear them! I'm going to wear them now so buy me some time! And it doesn't die even after destroying the pocket watch!"
I stand up and turn around.
The usual rabbit is there.
In its right paw is a broken pocket watch.
Its left paw has claws extended.
"..........."
The left and right are swapped as compared the usual. The usual rabbit would have a pocket watch in its left paw. Maybe it's at a higher level. Once again, I use the assassination property.
Upon doing that, a red target appears not on the pocket watch, but on its ear.
"Just as thought, it's a different type."
But it's only one. Maybe another is hidden behind it.
"Gunjou, for now, the weak point is at its ear. Back me up once you get dressed."
"Sea Moon Wheel switch!"
While getting dressed, she activates her magic. I look at her, and she's not completely dressed yet. She is just about to put on her skirt, and her panties are completely visible. Her face turns red as she notices my gaze,
"Don't look here!"
"Did you poop in your panties......"
"I didn'tttttttttt!"
I smile and start running.
The rabbit turns its attention to me. It ascertains my speed. Swings its paws. Its speed is overwhelmingly faster than mine but, it can't be helped with the current me.
"Acceleration switch."
I say. My whole body accelerates. With that, I swing my Demon Sword. And that is the end. I slice off the rabbit's ear.
The rabbit is annihilated.
But behind it, as if in layers, the hidden rabbits appear.
7 of them.
"So many!?"
My eyes widen. I swing my sword. Trying to land a blow to the ear. But, the rabbit turns its ear aside. My blade brushes against its head. These fellows are aware of their weakness. They are trying to deal with my attack appropriately.
Strong. If a large bunch of them are attacking us at this level, it might be a little bad, but,
"If it's just seven, I can do this."
I swing my sword trying to graze the pulled back ear.
One flash, two flashes. Three flashes.
With that, I dealt with five of them. Two of them are left. I turn around.
The two of them are heading towards Gunjou.
But I did not worry.
Since we know their weak points. Gunjou can deal with them. She is strong enough that I can leave my back to her without worrying --- that should be the case but,
"Wah wah wah wah wah, you're kidding me, wait a sec!?"
Gunjou yells. She waves the fingers of her right hand, unleashes her Sea Moon Wheel, and annihilated one.
However, the Sea Moon Wheel she launched missed the other one.
On top of that, because she is trying to wear her skirt with her left hand, she loses her balance. She falls in her underwear. Even though she went through the trouble of wiping herself clean, she got dirt onto her body again. The rabbit attacks the fallen Gunjou.
"Erhm, you idiot!?"
I kick the ground. The Acceleration switch has a short window of operation. My body's acceleration ends in the midst of it --- but, I manage to catch up to the rabbit.
"Wait up, you murderer rabbit!"
I swing my sword down at the rabbit's head from behind. Slicing off its ear.
With that, the rabbit is annihilated.
"All right."
But at that moment, my feet lands and steps onto her unworn skirt. I slip against the clothing and lose my balance.
"Eh? Oh oh."
I fall over. To top it off, I am falling on top of Gunjou, who is in her underwear, with sword about to pierce into her,
"Begone."
Frantically, I pull my hands back and the Demon Sword disappears. Because of that, I am unable to support my own body.
I fall on top of her, covering her body with mine.
My body adheres to hers.
Our faces are just about to bang into each other, but I twist my body aside, and somehow manage to avoid it.
Gunjou stares at me with a surprised face. Following that, her face gradually flushes red.
Expecting her outburst screaming right into my ears, I feel exasperated but,
"............"
She did not scream.
With her face beet red......
"E-Erhm, sorry...... I was clumsy."
"Really man."
"...... t-thanks...... for saving me."
"Whatever, just hurry up and get dressed, would you?"
"Can you stand up without looking?"
"I already tired of looking."
"You've looked for so long that you are already tired of looking!? You, lecherous, pervert......"
"Ah ~ you're really annoying. The enemy's tough, so I really didn't have the leisure to keep up with your idiocy......"
"You big pervert droopy eyed man!"
"............" She is really annoying.
However, I feel a different presence at that moment. Footsteps that sound like someone is approaching. I tense my whole body, but,
"Hey, why the hell are you guys doing?"
The voice comes from the direction of the footsteps.
"Hn?"
"Eh?"
Gunjou and I look up.
Before us, stands a man who is wearing the uniform of 『Metropolitan Kichijouji High』. He has sharp, strangely red eyes. And gray hair.
It's Shiro.
Hishiro Shiro stands there, looking at us with a disgusted face. Seems like he's alive.
Shiro looks down at me and the Gunjou who's in her underwear pressed beneath me.
"...... ah ~, are you guys in that kind of relationship?"
On hearing that, I reply.
"We are just into the physical aspect of the relationship."
"Why are you telling such a lie!?"
Gunjou, who's pressed by me, hits my side.
Shiro smiles wryly and says.
"Which is the joke? Are you actually going out?"
Gunjou shouts.
"NOo! It's because the enemy attacked while I was wiping my body."
"And after that, things just happened?"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Gunjou yells.
Shiro smiles. And then says.
"Well, it's great to see you guys so energetic. You managed to save Gunjou huh. I've thought that you would be able to do it if it's you."
"What's with that faith? When did you start having that kind of faith in me?"
"When you were hollering to Kiri about us being comrades."
"As usual, you're one annoying fellow."
"Haha."
Shiro laughs.
I sigh and tries to stand up. But Gunjou clings onto me,
"H-H-Hey, if you stand up now, Shiro is going to see me naked."
"No one is interested in your naked body."
"That's not the point right!"
She shouts angrily. At any rate, I can't stand up with her clinging onto me. Slowly, slowly, Gunjou retreats behind my body. She pulls up her skirt with her legs. Wears her skirt.
/> At that point, I ignore her and stand up.
"Hey!"
While yelling, she turns her back to me and Shiro, and starts wearing her uniform.
Shiro says to that.
"Have you already done it?"
"Every night."
"Like I said, why are you making such a thing up!"
Gunjou hollers.
Shiro and I laugh.
Shiro then says in a small voice.
"This kind of teasing is fun."
I shrug my shoulders,
"By the way, where's Himi and Yousuke? Already dead?"
That possibility exists. Since the last time I could ascertain that they were still alive was a week ago.
Shiro then looks at me in delight and says.
"Oh, you are concerned about the well-being of your comrades?"
"............"
"Are you concerned about whether Himi and Yousuke are alive?"
"Aah whatever. Seems like they are still kicking from your manner of speaking."
But, Shiro's face becomes a little sad,
"...... they both died."
"Wha."
As my eyes widen, Shiro looks at me in great delight.
"You're pretty concerned about your comrades......"
I strike Shiro on the shoulder.
"Hahaha."
Shiro laughs.
"So, what's the situation?"
I say in a tired voice and Shiro replies.
"They're alive. They are in the safe zone on this floor."
"Safe zone...... but this is the 25th floor below right?"
"That's right, and what about it?"
Shiro says, to which I ask.
"Due to certain circumstances, I have the map of Apocalypse Alice inside me. The positions of the people inside one week ago were indicated on the map. And, you guys......"
"Yeah ~. You want to ask why we have been holding out on the 25th floor for a whole week?"
"Yeah. Is it because you are useless?"
Shiro smiles.
"Well, you can say that. Below this floor, the enemy suddenly becomes much stronger. Even though we can defeat them, with just the three of us, we can't advance much. Besides, we don't know the layout of the labyrinth."
"What about Himi's detection magic?"
"Like I mentioned, I got Himi to use her detection magic, we advanced forward, then Himi got lost, and we retreated back to the safe zone; rinse and repeat."
Well, that would probably happen if they didn't have the map.
However,
"The Valor team was on the 33rd floor a week ago you know?"
Shiro then smiles and says.
"We caught up with them; up till the 26th floor, we were still following behind stealthily. But, on the 26th floor, we were attacked by strong enemies and we lost them."
Kujaku's team also has lost more than half of their comrades by the time they reached the 33rd floor.
Given the difficulty level that could suppress both Shiro and Mitsutomo's hundred-men group, the labyrinth couldn't be a rank 15 one.
In other words, the rank of the labyrinth from here onward is unknown.
At that moment, from behind me, Gunjou who has finished dressing walks up to us. Maybe it's because she has been seen naked, or maybe it's because she feels unsociable since it's been a while since she has met Shiro, she glares at us with a sharp look that seems to indicate she's in a foul mood, and says.
"...... where's Himi and Yousuke?"
I shift my eyes down and reply.
"I heard they died."
"What!?"
That kind of surprised reaction.
The Hero team has already become an annoyingly buddy-buddy group.
Shiro says.
"Anyway, let's get to the safe zone. Both Himi and Yousuke will be pleased to know that both Shinnosuke and Gunjou are alive and well and have become lovers."
"Hey, so they are alive after all!?"
Gunjou hollers and glares at me.
Following that,
"And we aren't lovers!"
She busily turns her glare back to Shiro.
Shiro and I ignore her and start walking.
♦
♦
♦
"Hey, you guys are alive!?"
"Shinnosuke-san! Gunjou-san!"
Upon seeing us, Yousuke and Himi yell and run up to us.
Shiro then nods happily and says.
"On top of that, while we weren't looking, these guys......"
Before he can finish, Gunjou cuts him off and kicks him in the back.
"Ooucch. What the hell are you doing?"
"I already told you that you've misunderstood, didn't I?"
"But weren't you guys embracing each other while naked?"
Instantly,
"Eh!?"
"Eh!?"
Himi and Yousuke exclaim and look at us, but Gunjou's face turns beet red as she desperately refutes Shiro's claim.
"Like I told you, you misunderstood! Hey, Shinnosuke, you say something too."
"Ok. Like I said, our relationship is only physical......"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
She tries to hit me with all her strength but I dodge it. Smirking. Shiro too smiles in delight. It's fun to tease Gunjou but,
"Now's not the time to engage in such meaningless talk right?"
I say, to which Gunjou pouts.
"But......"
"No buts. This is the labyrinth you know? Stop messing around, would you?"
"The ones who are messing around are you guys!"
On hearing that, I look in the direction of Shiro.
"Were we messing around?"
"Nope."
"Y-You guys, I'll definitely kill you guys later, hear me!"
Himi looks troubled as she says.
"W-Well well, it's great news that everyone is well, we should get along......"
"I don't want to!"
Says Gunjou.
Yousuke looks at her and smiles.
"Well, seems like you are back to the usual Gunjou. That's great."
He is referring to her returning back to normal from the labyrinth disease. Though a month has gone by, a month ago, the goal of the Hero team was to separate Gunjou from the labyrinth disease and turn her back to human.
But yet, how did things come to this? Right now, we are inside the world's most difficult labyrinth, Apocalypse Alice.
On hearing Yousuke's words, Gunjou trembles with a start.
She looks at Yousuke.
She looks at Himi.
She looks at Shiro.
She looks at me.
Then,
"E-Erhm......"
She starts.
Of course, we know what she wants to say. The people here all came risking their lives to save Gunjou without any concern with personal gains.
Gunjou's face contorts in slight embarrassment,
"...... e-erhm....... I mean......"
But, cutting her off, Shiro says.
"Saving comrades is a given in my world. There's no need for words of thanks."
I look up at Shiro with half-opened eyes.
"Isn't that too cool?"
"I have always been cool."
"Shut up."
"Cos I'm too cool?"
"Super irritating."
"Haha."
Shiro laughs.
Himi too laughs.
Yousuke also laughs.
Every one of them is kind like a fool. While I feel spooked and have no idea why they are so kind towards strangers, anyhow, they are kind. Thus, they will probably die. Since kind people die in this world.
But Gunjou still said it.
"...... t-thanks. For coming to save me. I'm grateful."
Unlike me, Shiro didn't poke fun at it. He only acknowledges with a 'Uhn' and accepts her thanks with a smiling face. These fellows are really adults at heart and are really cool people. And regarding that,
"I'm really f
ed up with it."
Once again, I voice out my thoughts.
On doing that, maybe it's because he feels the same depression as me from Shiro's dazzling form, Yousuke says to me from the side.
"But surprisingly, I'm the more popular one you know?"
"I didn't ask about that."
Ah-haha, Himi laughs.
As before, with her face red, Gunjou looks away in embarrassment.
Really buddy-buddy.
Surely, if anyone here dies, I'll feel hurt. I want to distance myself from them now, but it's already impossible. These fellows had shamelessly gotten close to me, and kept clamoring about how we were comrades.
"............"
And I too am the same.
I ended up saving Gunjou, when there was no need for me to. Hollering embarrassing stuff about comrades, and saving her even without being asked to.
On top of that, the result of that, was that I ended up entering the labyrinth which should have been impossible to raid.
The instant I did something which I had been avoiding, the results showed up.
Even if that were purely a coincidence, I can no longer turn back from this path. I would still save Gunjou if there is a next time.
That is really an embarrassing thing.
But, even if it's embarrassing, I need comrades.
"...... sigh."
On hearing my sigh, Shiro asks.
"Why?"
"Nothing. I'm tired of this buddy-buddy stuff."
"Haha, but you were the lead in the pack causing this buddy-buddy stuff."
"............"
I can't deny it.
Shiro continues.
"But, even without Kiri, we have five people assembled. On top of that, Shinnosuke has the map of Apocalypse Alice inside his head, it seems."
Yousuke and Himi become surprised.
"For real! How did you get your hands on it?"
I reply.
"It's a long story, but we can trust it. At the very least, we managed to find our way here without getting lost even once."
Shiro nods.
"We have the map. We can form a formation of five. In that case, we can proceed forward. So, let's decide what we should do from hereon."
Of course, my thought is to raid Apocalypse Alice.
But Shiro looks at me,
"We have worked hard till this very day with the hope of meeting Kiri and getting her to undo her restraining magic on you. But, you woke up on your own and saved Gunjou. Then, I can no longer see any reason to take further risk to proceed forward."
He says.
Indeed, as what Gunjou had said, Shiro and the rest infiltrated Apocalypse Alice with the purpose of saving me and Gunjou.
Mokushiroku Arisu - Volume 03 Page 10
