High School Hack and Slash Chapter 67 Part 2
After asking Rinko-senpai to share some of her bubbly juice and saying no to Shizuka and the others, I head to the Black Honey lodging house.
The newly built lodging house for the Black Honey Club is located a short distance away from the main building.
The L-shaped Western-style building, seemingly having the exterior additionally decorated laboriously later on, has a resort hotel look to it.
Mikan-senpai and the others sure are, how should I put it, fastidious.
As I’m wondering about how to get in touch with Doggy-senpai, I end up running into Hood-senpai and Pattsun-senpai who are sitting on the bench outside.
「Adept President-bleat. Do you need something from us-bleat?」
The hood, which is yellow with black spots, seems to be a giraffe, but I think the cry is too loose.
Looking at the materials spread out, it seems that I have ended up interrupting a serious conversation.
「Is President Doggy here?」
「… night crawling? …」
「Quite a good taste you’ve got there to get infatuated by our smooth flat Prez-bleat. As expected of the『Oiran-doji (Harem Ogre)』-bleat.」
There seems to be a misunderstanding.
I just want to try to get Doggy-senpai drunk and comfort her…, well, now that I think about it, maybe it’s not too good situation-wise.
Also, I don’t need that moniker.
Looks like I should come again on a later date.
「Wait a minute-bleat.」
「… sit here …」
What’s it I wonder, are they going to start my impeachment trial or something?
「Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever officially introduced myself-bleat. Serving as the vice president of Black Honey, I’m Nenene-bleat.」
「… Same, Kanzashi …」
「President of the Adept Orders. The name is Touma.」
Nenene-san and Kanzashi-san, I see.
I’m not very good at remembering names, so I think I’ll stick with Hood-senpai and Pattsun-senpai.
「Asura-chan, our president, has been in your care-bleat. Once again, I would like to offer you my gratitude-bleat.」
Pattsun-senpai, who is holding the creepy Doll-kun, also bows her head.
However, even now I have no recollections of ever doing such a thing.
It was Meiron-senpai and the others who fed Doggy-senpai with sweets, not me.
「You are the one who brought Asura-chan back to us-bleat?」
「Now then, what are you talking about, I wonder?」
「If that’s what you want, I’m fine with that-bleat. But Asura-chan is our precious president-bleat. So, thank you… bleat.」
By any chance, I wonder if it’s about how I went and tampered with her status a bit without permission.
「… gratitude …」
So Pattsun-senpai says as she presents the creepy Doll-kun to me, but I don’t want it.
I think Doll-kun, which makes a shocked gesture, should be dressed up more.
But well, it seems that president Doggy is properly loved by the club members.
It appears that Doggy-san being bullied was just my misunderstanding.
「I heard that you guys are also conquering the dungeon-bleat.」
「Yes.」
「… This time, I think it’d be better for you to not do dungeon conquest anymore-bleat.」
The sleepy eyes behind the hood are serious.
「It looks like we’ve been duped by the academy-bleat. Maybe this is not a『Root (Primitive)』 type, but the worst kind-bleat.」
「Was it, such a dangerous enemy?」
「Black Honey is an A-ranked martial arts club-bleat. As long as you are well prepared, there is no monster we can’t beat-bleat. We have to turn things around, no matter what-bleat.」
If it was an enemy that was beyond their capabilities, I think it is also a strategy to retreat once.
「… we can’t, do that …」
「…There’s a high possibility that the girls who have yet to wake up are under some kind of curse-bleat. If it doesn’t come back when they return from death, that means it won’t come back even when they leave the dungeon-bleat.」
I don’t quite get this so-called curse, but I do know of precedents where it affects people even outside the dungeon, like with Saki and Otoha-senpai.
「If possible, it would be best to take down that guy, the source of the curse, during this dive when the connection still remains-bleat.」
The fact that there is a time limit means that the Senpais are akin to being held hostage.
I wonder if there’s anything we can help with.
「… it’s okay …」
「She’s right-bleat. Even if we look like this, we are strong-bleat. Well, but if anything were to happen to us… please take care of Asura-chan-bleat.」
◇ ◇ ◇
We’re greeting the fourth morning in the outside world’s time.
「Another serving!」
Doggy-senpai, with a large serving bowl of rice in her hands, energetically raises her hand.
「You can’t fight with empty stomach~.」
She seems to have returned to her usual self, so there’s nothing I can ask for more.
As expected, Doggy-senpai has to be like this or things will feel amiss.
Kurumi-senpai, who brings her another serving, seems happy even as she makes complaints.
「This is good-squeak. If Prez is depressed, we won’t be able to beat an enemy we can beat-squeak.」
Even Hood-senpai, whose cry setting is loose, seems to be relieved.
「… let’s do our best …」
「But of course! Debt is something you pay in folds!」
「Right, right.」
Everyone is in high spirits.
「Everyone, be sure not to overdo it, okay?
「Yea, today I’m gonna slaughter it for sure … Ah, I’ll have another serving, too.」
A mountainous bento.
And then, cloaks that Anzu-senpai has finished up in a rush for Black Honey are handed out to everyone.
Today’s dungeon conquest is not for the purpose of investigation, but seems to be a serious mode set to subjugate the enemy from the beginning.
Instead of a dispersed survey party, it’s a whole strength military warfare (raid) party.
And then, they head for the dungeon in a fully prepared manner.
I’d like to go with them, but even if an inexperienced first year rookie such as myself were to join them, I bet I’d be nothing but a hindrance.
「Well, let’s go on some conquest ourselves.」
「Yes, let’s! I’m on fire!」
「… The two over there who are normally intending to set out, have you been listening to the discussion, I wonder?」
Rinko-senpai is holding her temples at the muscle brain duo who are in high spirits.
「Now then, what should we do?」
「There’s some kind of dangerous boss, right? Then, there’s no choice but to do house-sitting, right.」
「Looks like there are no rooms for us to step in.」
Well, Seiichi and Mai’s words are right.
I guess they are right.
「… Touma-kun?」
Mikan-senpai is holding my jacket with a slightly worried look on her face.
By any chance, I wonder if she is worried that I am going to set out to conquer the dungeon on my own.
I’m not that reckless either.
However, I wonder if this is the so-called impatience.
I feel as if I’m being urged by something.
That I’m being told to be ready.
That I’m being told to prepare and to resolve myself.
◇ ◇ ◇
The one who notices this is Akehi-senpai, who is synchronized with the『Armed Golem』 patrolling the ramparts.
In standby state, we are holding a mock battle in the temporary arena inside the ramparts.
And then, we hear a faint scream from Akehi-senpai, who is watering the vegetable garden right next to it.
「Akehi-senpai?」
「… Outside, someone who has returned from death….」
Looking at each other, we suspend the training and head toward the outside the gate.
The place serving as the return from death (respawn) point is the place where we had logged into the raid domain.
The girl, who has probably collapsed down from her knees and is lying on her back, is without a doubt a member of Black Honey.
She’s completely in the state of unconsciousness, doesn’t even twitch.
The chest armor she is wearing is blackened, and along with her uniform, the abdomen is damaged as if it has been gouged out.
She should have received damage on the level of having the flesh, the abdomen gouged out or torn off to two, but there are no scars on the body that is peeking through the damaged parts of the equipment.
「… There is no damage to the body.」
Miharu, who has been kneeling and holding up her hands, turns around.
Having turned into a『Bishop』, Miharu’s recovery skills boast a bullshit recovery power that allows her to even revive someone from rather splatter conditions.
「For the time being, let’s take her inside.」
「But, you see… Speaking of returning from death, is such a thing normal?」
Mai’s puzzled words must be a question we all share.
We have almost no experience with returning from death, so we don’t know what kind of state it’s like, what’s normal and what’s strange.
「When it comes to raid’s returning from death, your flesh will return to the state it was in when you logged in. Your equipment will remain broken, though….」
The frightened Akehi-senpai unconsciously grabs my hand.
「The near-death memories remain, so there’s also the case of losing consciousness due to the shock, maybe.」
In other words, if we don’t check on her condition, we won’t be able to tell if she’s in the same condition as the other unconscious girls.
「That means it’s okay to move her, right? I’ll carry her.」
It happens when Seiichi, who says that, goes down to his knees.
A flickering, twinkling faint light gives rise to a columnar effect on the surroundings.
We reflexively put ourselves on guard, but Akehi-senpai, who knows what it is, is staggering with her hand over her mouth.
「No way… So many, all at once.」
The four pillars of light dance about and draw a strange spiral-shaped pattern.
From the center of the whirlpool, shadows of people emerge, growing darker and darker.
The ones landing on their feet on the grounds before then collapsing, like puppets whose strings have been cut off, as they are are four people who are similarly Black Honey members.
Even if we want to ask what has happened, everyone is completely still with their eyes remain closed.
「… We have a stretcher, right. I’ll look after them, so assign people to man it.」
「Y, yes. But, this, by any chance… If things are collapsing….」
*Twinkles * As if to prove Mai’s words, the return sign flickers once again.
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
High School Hack and Slash
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 70 hours
Tftc