We regrouped with Sumuho and the others.
Three out of our ten members have become ability-less, so the fighting force is heavier on the Sumuho team’s side.
“Inshin! Can you cover Mashi and the others with shadows!?”
Inshin Sho. A literature girl belonging to the Library Committee. She’s a quiet type with two braids draped over her shoulders, and she has a connection with me as we were on the same committee last year.
That Inshin possesses the ability to manipulate shadows.
“W-wha— yeah, I c-can do that!”
Inshin, trembling from my call, answered in a voice full of nervous energy.
Did I scare her?
But her face looks pleased.
“Then lend me Inshin Sho! Be careful, there’s a range limitation!”
“Then let’s move together! Not just the phantom beasts, but we’ll have shadows protect all the non-combatants too!”
”! Yes! That’s it! Let’s do that! Listen up, everyone! We’re moving!”
The sounds of combat are so loud that we can’t really converse without shouting.
In the meantime, bird-type monsters continue to charge at us.
“Stay away from my students!”
Multiple beams of heat were fired skyward by Professor Luminous, skewering several monsters in their path.
“Wheee! Just as expected from Rumi-chan!”
Unme cheered.
He was certainly a reassuring presence.
Shion, Unme, Roa, Yomiko, and Yorina were added to the circle of non-combatants.
“Huh? Isn’t Sōsuke on our side too?”
Momo, who possessed the [Clone] ability, remarked.
Hakuhara Yuki. Her long black hair, featuring pink inner coloring, was tied up in a two-side bun style.
Before her teleportation, she had frequently engaged in behavior that seemed to deliberately mislead the boys, but it appeared her mindset had recently shifted.
“Ahh, so I can move if it comes to that.”
”…Right.
He is Sōsuke, after all,” Momo smiled.
“Momo, why don’t you save your fluttering heart for later?”
“Ne-ne! Shut up! Hurry up and tame those monsters!”
Momo’s childhood friend, Inui Shizune, pointed this out with an amused smile, prompting Momo to puff out her cheeks.
With her sky-blue hair cut into a bob, she exuded an unusually mature air.
Using her “Tame” ability, she brought beasts and monsters under her control and manipulated them.
“Mm, right.”
As one enemy landed on the ground, a treant controlled by Inui extended its branches, wrapping around it.
The opponent thrashed about, but the treant’s branches only tightened their grip.
“You’re a good girl, right? Will you listen to me?”
Her Tame ability kicked in; the enemy trembled violently before eventually calming down.
“It worked.”
Once the branches released it, the monster turned and attacked a nearby bird-type monster.
“There are many allies here, Sozu-kun. Don’t do anything reckless.”
Chiayu grabbed my sleeve lightly, her voice laced with anxiety.
“I know. But I’m fine since you’re here.”
I had no intention of recklessly charging into battle either.
“…Of course, I won’t let Soukun die.”
“Yeah.”
The group tightened their formation as they closed in on the Fenrir hut.
“Miaaah! Minorin! We’re here!”
Shibuko screamed.
“Non-combatants, get inside that big hut!”
Following Sumikaze’s orders, the non-combatants retreated into the Fenrir hut.
Those remaining outside were me, Chiyu, Fuminori, Professor Luminas, Miyoo, Sumikaze, Kenki, Kagemori, Matoba, Inukai, and Hayate.
“Kagemori, I’m counting on you!”
“Ryuuu!”
A black shadow leaped from the ground, enveloping both the phantom beasts and the Fenrir hut.
The box-shaped barrier created by her ability was complete.
“Alright!”
“Mm, now we just need to take down a hundred of them.”
“We can do this!”
Fuminori, perched atop Miyoo’s mount, shouted.
“Good work, Fourth Staff! Nene, wouldn’t you mind having me ride on that bird you tamed?” “Oh, of course.
Please, step right in.”
“Much appreciated!”
Kenki mounted his monster and commanded the birds to take flight into the sky.
From up high, he swung his blade, slashing down enemies left and right.
“Fuhahahaha!!”
He clearly had a great deal of fun.
”……I’m starting to lose track of who’s the bad guy here.”
Tokiba let out a voice laced with bewilderment.
Despite that, she too was calmly unleashing her arrows.
The Gale user, equipped with [Leg Strength Enhancement], delivered kicks to the enemies once they touched the ground.
The monster cull was progressing smoothly.
We had panicked at first, but once we got our bearings, the initiative clearly shifted to our side.
The only terrifying aspect was that no matter how much damage we inflicted, the enemies refused to retreat, continuing their suicidal charges.
“But… what on earth are those monsters…?”
At least, they weren’t in my repertoire of knowledge.
If there were any distinguishing features, it would be the golden coloration on their beaks and wingtips.
And then, their massive size.
“Prob-Probably it’s Sturnuparides.”
It came to him from the gloom.
“Do you know that?”
“Y-Yes. The golden parts are made of bronze, which is said to possess an offensive power capable of piercing even iron.”
“I see…”
Thanks to the members who could take them down from a distance, the enemies’ threat was neutralized before it could fully manifest.
That was a welcome development for us.
Just as I was thinking that, the enemy’s movement changed.
At first, I thought it was trying to escape, but it wasn’t.
The enemy climbed to its limit, turned its beak toward us, and folded its wings.
And then it dropped.
It was like a meteor.
“No way…”
Jinghong seemed to realize it as well.
The enemy had resigned itself to death and shifted to a ramming tactic using its own mass as a weapon.
“Dash!”
Though the enemy had been cleaved in two by Kenki’s strike, it was still flying toward us in the few seconds before it died. “Tch! ‘Storm Blade’!”
Fuka acted on quick thinking, slicing the enemy into fine dust.
The enemy instantly turned into particles, and we were spared.
“It’s just like a giant rock falling from the sky! We need to take it down before it hits the ground!”
Seihou shared the enemy’s tactic with everyone.
“Dammit, what a pain!”
The swarm of Stymphalids fell like rain.
Kenki and Mr. Ruminas’s attacks were effective, but they needed to aim much more precisely than before.
For this enemy, the fact that Fuka’s “Storm Blade” was a guaranteed kill if it hit could be considered a saving grace.
「Inshin, how much durability does your Shadow Barrier actually have!？」
As soon as he asked, Styum Parides slammed into the shadow barrier.
「Ugh… At that level of force, if it hits the same spot twice, I’ll break it.
S-sorry!」「No, it’s not Inshin’s fault.」
But with this going on, neither the phantom beasts nor the non-combatants inside would be safe.
「Inue! Can you extend the branches of the tamed Treants to protect us overhead from the barrier?」
「I see, I shall do so.」
「S-sorry, I’m deploying shadows overhead too!」
Inshin voluntarily deployed her shadows.
On Inue’s orders, multiple Treants gathered and began extending their branches.
“And please, use all available enemies to your limit and disrupt their descent.”
“Oh, I see. Understood.”
If we could deflect the trajectory of the crashing enemies, they would likely fall and die on their own.
If they could survive until the protection from the shadow dome and the Treants’ branches was complete, they should be fine.
“Storm Blade!” “Explosion!” “Storm Blade!”
Shinpo’s fierce combat echoed to us.
Miyao, Sensei, and Kenki were doing their best as well.
Thud…! Boom…! An enemy crashed into the ground, the shockwaves traveling to our location.
Inui was handling things well too.
Still, we couldn’t let our guard down. In battle, anything could happen.
“……Chiyu. Just to be safe, I need your support.” “Dr.
Ishiyama, please do me a favor as well.”
At my and Hayate’s words, Chiyu nodded.
“[Area Strength Enhancement]”
The bodies of everyone on the ground glowed faintly.
It was an area-of-effect magic she had recently mastered.
At that moment, a Stympallides ducked under the aerial attack and closed in on us.
If we didn’t act now, Matsuba and Seiō would be dragged into it.
“I’m saving Matsuba!”
Hayate, using high-speed movement enhanced by [Leg Strength Enhancement], scooped Matsuba up in her arms and disengaged.
It was inferior to her speed, but I could still rush to Seiou’s side with haste. However—
There wasn’t a split second enough to carry her and flee.
I realized this in an instant.
I gave up on carrying her to escape.
Of course, that didn’t mean I gave up on saving her.
Clenching my fist, I maintained my momentum and struck Stymparides’s head—
The impact of hitting steel reverberated through my fist and into my entire body, but I swung my arm through the blow without hesitation.
The enemy was instantly killed and turned into particles of light before its body even touched the ground.
In that moment, I was summoned to a white space.
‘Quest “Bird and Beast Damage” completion confirmed.
『Granting the Right of Dual Decision to “Tamotsu Kunou,” the Hundred-and-Fifteenth Slayern.』
And then, he woke up.
So that’s what it looks like when you’re called away alone after clearing a quest.
I looked at Seiou.
“Are you okay…?”
”…”
“Seiou?”
“Eh, yeah! Y-Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you, Kudo…”
Wait, she changed how she addressed me.
「S-sorry, that… I’m glad you’re okay, though.»
Seihou pressed a hand to her chest, her cheeks flushing with color.
She had been on the brink of death, after all; it was no wonder her nerves hadn’t settled so easily.
Chiyu quickly approached and cast a healing spell.
“Thank you, Chiyu.”
Looking at Seihou’s state, she let out a weary sigh.
”…Forgive me for my childhood friend being a harem magnet.”
“What the hell was that?”
Chiyu merely shrugged and said nothing else.
Just then, Shenfa and Kenbo returned, riding on the black dragon Miyoo.
Kenbo was clamped firmly in Miyoo’s mouth.
“A system where defeating a hundred enemies makes the rest vanish… I nearly fell to my doom there.”
“I’m so glad Miyoo-san caught you just in time…”
Kenbo grumbled with a bitter expression, while Shenfa patted her chest, letting out a sigh of relief.
I see. I should have thought of that earlier.
I’m glad Kenbo is safe.
“Quest clear?”
Chiyu tilted her head in confusion.
“Yeah, I was summoned to the White Room. We got the rewards, too.”
A sense of accomplishment washed over everyone’s faces.
“Glad… it’s okay. Ah, I have to make sure the other students who aren’t here are safe!”
Professor Luminis was right.
Since the phantom beasts are sleeping now, we’ll have to rely on Miyoo for transportation.
Anyway, we managed to clear the quest.
All that’s left is the “Mine Exploration.”
That one has a limited roster, and I still won’t be able to use my abilities.
It’s going to be tough, but we’ll have to manage somehow.
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