High School Hack and Slash Chapter 103 Part 1
Doppelganger
「Are you that worried about Mai-chan, I wonder?」
「… Isn’t that only natural?」
Inside the door, which was easily opened, was like a black mirror.
When Mai’s figure disappeared, as if sucked in, the door was already closed.
「I’m sorry, you’re right. But there should be no need to wait for that long, I suppose.」
As if in response to Rinko’s words, the automatically closed realm gate was once again released from the inside with a clang.
Jumping out of it, as if being pushed out from inside, was Mai.
Her state of being spit out backwards looked as if she was repulsed by the door.
「M, Mai? Are you okay, oi?」
「Phew.」
Mai, who collapsed in the shape of大and looked up at the sky, laughed as if she was broken.
「Ufufufu….」
Without even turning her gaze at Seiichi, who ran up to her, she rushed to the gate again and opened the door with a clang.
「Don’t underestimate me, uraaa!」
She was sucked inside as she was, and the door automatically closed.
The outstretched hand of the dumbfounded Seiichi froze.
「Even if you lose against the『Mirror Image Devil (Doppelganger)』, you can challenge it again and again. As long as the person in question doesn’t give up, that is.」
「… There’s no way it’s such a convenient matter, right?」
「Yes. That’s only natural. Mental damage, it’s not about such a thing. Human’s mind is simply not designed to be okay with dying over and over again.」
If the mind, the consciousness gave up on living, humans would die.
Humans were designed in such a manner.
If the mind died and only the heart was working, that would be a husk of what used to be human.
A mind that had reached the nothingness at the end of despair, it would surely be no longer that of a person, but some different something.
The door opened with a clang, and Mai, who was rolling as she got thrown out of it, rushed toward it single-mindedly.
「Tis nutin’, uraaa!」
It was also a show of Mai’s determination in that once she gave in and fell to her knees, she would cease to be able to get back up.
「Mai-chan sure is strong. But I suppose we’ve got to stop her before it reaches the point where it leaves after-effect behind.」
「… Damn it. Don’t you go losing on me now, Mai.」
◇ ◇ ◇
「Phew… Such an opponent was nothing special!」
Mai, puffing up her chest with her hands on her hips, shows a smug look on her face.
The challenge count is five.
Seiichi’s complexion was gradually growing pale and he seemed to be on the verge of stopping her.
The last challenge took a considerable time from the time she entered to the time she came out, so his anxiety level seemed to have risen considerably.
It seems that a door appeared when she defeated the『Mirror Image Devil (Doppelganger)』, and it appears that she only returned after passing to the 21st stratum.
Mai, who has overcome the trial and obtained the qualification, is now free to go in and out of the 21st stratum and beyond.
And then, even if she opens the door on the 20th stratum, the『Mirror Image Devil (Doppelganger)』 does not appear, and it turns into a gate that’s directly linked to the 21st stratum.
「Well then, the second in line, I’m off~.」
Saki, the same as usual, goes and opens the door of the realm gate while still being fully armed.
The『Mirror Image Devil (Doppelganger)』 copies the whole of you, down to your current equipment, so it seems that the common practice is to challenge it while bringing only the weapon you’re most skilled with.
As such, going with barbarian style, buck naked and holding a sword, is recommended.
Those who have enough guts to engage in a battle to the death in the state of zero defense power, well, I get the feeling that that fact alone gives them the qualification to proceed ahead.
No, I wonder if that’s exactly the essence of this trial.
「Boy, I’m a little tired~. It was a piece of cake, though.」
Mai, sitting at the table set, waves her hand.
「Mai-chan, good work. You did great.」
「Thank you, Mikan-chan-senpai. I sure was surprised when a copy that looked exactly like me appeared. Though, since she flaunted her boobs, I was so pissed off that I went and blew her off.」
What’s with that doubtful instigation option?
「Mai-chan. Umm… As expected, was it strong?」
「If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you to tell us about it.」
Although Mirin and the others have reached the midrange of the second step class, in the Adept Orders, they are a low-leveled group.
They are participating in this trial at their own wish, but there was some opinion that it might be still too soon for them.
If it has the significance of being a trial to remove one’s level cap in order to reach the fourth step class, then I guess it is still too early for them, as expected.
「Yes. Let’s see… If we’re talking about whether or not you can do it, I think you can do it regardless of your level or class.」
「Should we let them raise their level to at least reach the third step class?」
The quartet didn’t wish for it, so even when we went to the dungeon to raise their levels, we were mainly playing the role of guardians.
If they feel like it, it’s possible to hasten their growth as fast as they want through efficient power leveling.
「That, it’s probably the worst thing you can do. The doppelgangers that come out, you see, they go as far as drawing out your so-called latent potential, like, you can actually do even things like this, you know? It’s no wonder that nurtured people can’t break it through. Well, their way of using skills is certainly worth learning, but you see… They’re crazy irritating.」
It’s like a showdown between the same character in a beat’-em-up game, huh.
「In my case, though, I won after tough bidding in a destruction magic rally where I blew off my opponent in a single blow! It was like a duel in a western movie.」
It’s a very Mai-like way of settling things.
Seiichi grabs Mai’s hand as she waves it about.
「… Is it numb?」
「Huh?」
「It’s simply that the stress is taking a toll on your nerves, so it will be back to normal after a short rest. It seems to be called phantom pain or feedback syndrome.」
As he is, he proceeds to massage Mai’s hand.
「That’s why, well, don’t worry.」
「… Yes.」
They truly are a couple that begin to flirt whenever the opportunity arises.
Everyone is watching over them with lukewarm eyes.
◇ ◇ ◇
Saki, coming back through the door, has cleared it in a single shot.
It’s just that, no one approaches her, or rather, no one can approach her.
Her enraptured and euphoric face is glossy and her dreamy, befuddled eyes are moist.
The bloodlust leaking out of her is so dense that it is visible, and she is writhing with her katana in hand, as if she is ruminating over a feast.
Sometimes she traces her fingertips over her arms, chest, and neck, but these are probably the places where she has cut or been cut.
She is grinning and letting out hot breaths.
I’ve known it all along, but even in our club, which is full of oddballs, Saki is pretty on the loose cannon side.
「You deepshit!」
Otoha-senpai, who is charging at the door with a bang, is about to pass twenty challenge counts.
Otoha is a bit dull in many ways, so she should be fine, such are the words of Rinko-senpai.
We’re talking about Otoha-senpai, who used to be a member of a dungeon conquest club, here.
She must have tolerance for battles in extreme conditions.
Even when you get ejected, your SP doesn’t decrease, so as expected, it seems to be a virtual fight-ish special battle.
Sipping the tea that Hoodzuki-senpai has brewed for us, we are having a leisurely tea time.
I was nervous at first, but it seems that『Natural Enemy (Aggressor)』 really doesn’t appear.
「It’s a bit too late to ask, but given things, if we log in from Rashomon with the one who has broken through serving as the leader, won’t the party members be able to get to the 21st stratum, too?」
「If you do that, only the unqualified members will be left at Rashomon, you see.」
Mikan-senpai’s answer is an obvious one, if I do say so myself.
To begin with, if such foul play is allowed, it would not have been called a barrier.
Tea cakes have also been arranged on the table, but no one has put their hands on them.
Their bodies won’t last if they continue to be so tense, so it’d be better if they let loose a little more, though.
RELEASE RATE
High School Hack and Slash
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 70 hours
Tftc