【Adventurer Mitran】Awakening, and the Approaching Ebi Eaters

Right now, Leseida-san and I are walking through a dim space, searching for the path that leads to the deepest part of the ruins.

Look left or right, and everywhere there are tanks with Ebi Eaters floating in them.

The Ebi Eaters have their eyes closed and don't move a muscle, just drifting pukapuka inside the tanks.

If these things all woke up at once and came at us...... eep, now I've got goosebumps.

I'll stop imagining scary things......

As I mentioned before, the tanks are filled with a faintly glowing, pale light-blue liquid.

And looking closely, these tanks have a bunch of pipe-like things connected where they meet the floor...... the technology feels way too advanced for something built in ancient times.

The sight of all these tanks set up on a ruins floor of weathered old stone, lit by magic lamps, is—as Leseida-san put it—‘incongruous,’ but even to an amateur like me, it's a mismatch.

The people who built these ruins...... really, who on earth were they?

“But, Mitran-kun...... you really are amazing.”

“Hweh?”

Suddenly spoken to, I shifted my gaze from the tanks to Leseida-san, and found him smiling wryly, looking a little awkward.

“About earlier...... Emi Rune, was it? I'm talking about her.”

“?”

Even if you say that, Leseida-san, I don't get what you're trying to say, you know?

I can't help but tilt my head.

“No, I'm praising you. Your attitude, I mean: being able to be friendly even with a child no one knows anything about. I would like to be the same, but I just can't...... you see. She was...... black-haired and black-eyed, after all.”

“Ahhh......”

Hearing that, I was finally able to understand what Leseida-san was trying to say.

In this world, Ardyst, anyone with black hair and black eyes is a target of discrimination, called a ‘cursed child’ or something.

A child like that is also said to be one who ‘brings misfortune,’ and if a black-haired, black-eyed child is born, in most cases the parents quietly kill the child without anyone around them knowing, or so they say.

I've heard terrifying stories like that even in my hometown of Pe.

But Emi-chan just now is actually the first black-haired, black-eyed kid I've ever seen in this world.

That's why I'd almost completely forgotten about such legends.

I mean, I was reincarnated from Japan, where there are plenty of people with black hair and black eyes.

So it's not like I could feel any prejudice anyway.

But Leseida-san is a genuine, born-and-bred Ardystian who has never known any world but this one.

Emi-chan, with her black hair and black eyes, must have seemed eerie to him after all.

So that's why.

During our conversation earlier, Leseida-san never spoke to Emi-chan.

His gaze...... he only looked at me and tried not to meet Emi-chan's eyes.

But Leseida-san must be regretting that he took a distant attitude toward Emi-chan, trapped by legends...... by superstition.

“Me...... I'm just a dummy, so I don't sweat the little things. I think you're the amazing one, Leseida-san, being able to use reason to reflect on how you feel.”

I said that from the bottom of my heart.

“......You think so?”

“You bet! Come on, no moping! If you keep mopiiing...... the Ebi Eaters will wake up and eat you up, Leseida-san!”

“Hahaha, what on earth is that!”

As I hopped around clowning to lighten the mood, Leseida-san finally gave me a smile.

Geez, from here on we're exploring ruins that'll probably be full of danger!

So don't go wrecking your mental condition over weird stuff, okay!

With our cheer back, we faced forward again and started walking to get out of this tank area...... But it was then!

VIIMU, VIIMU, VIIMU!!!

Suddenly a sharp sound like an alarm rang out through the ruins, and at the same time, the magic lamps lighting the room, which had glowed pale blue, turned bright red!

And then......!

“““BYAGOOOOOOOO!!!”””

Parin, parin, pariparin!

Suddenly letting out bizarre screams, the Ebi Eaters—which were supposed to be sleeping quietly in the tanks—woke up, punched through the hard glass, and leaped out!!

“Eh!? Eh!? What is this, what is this!? Did they get angry and come out because I said something weird!?”

“There's no way that's it! It's the ‘Ruins Plunderer’! They must have set off some trap in the ruins!”

“BYAGOOOOOOOO!!!”

Aiming for the two of us as we panic, the Ebi Eaters attack one after another!

They just woke up, and they're already this eager for a fight!

Just like the guild's info said, these things apparently attack humans the moment they spot one!

“Hah! Hyaah!”

I immediately ready my sword and cut down the attacking Ebi Eaters one by one!

A right slash, then a left slash!

And to make up for my small frame, I leap up and split one in two from the head down!

I've never had a single swordsmanship lesson, but the cheat I was granted, 【Super Combat Instinct】, and physical abilities far beyond an ordinary person's let me take down monster after monster!

“““BYAGOOOOOOOO!!!”””

But those things don't flinch in the slightest, even though their comrades are being cut down!

Making bichabicha sounds in the faintly glowing, pale light-blue liquid spilled on the floor, they keep closing in!

“‘O fire, become a wave and swallow the enemy! 【Fire Wave】!’”

Because there are simply too many of them, I begin fighting back with magic as well.

The flames generated by the incantation become a wave, swallowing the surrounding Ebi Eaters and charring them black.

But even so, their numbers don't decrease!

Just how many of these things are there!?

“Kyaa!”

“Ah!? Leseida-san!?”

It was then!

Leseida-san's scream rings out behind me!

I turn around in a panic...... and Leseida-san has lost his footing on the wet floor and landed on his backside!

“““BYAGOOOOOOOO!!!”””

“Crap...... make it in time!”

The Ebi Eaters are not ones to miss such an opening!

The monsters close in one after another on the fallen Leseida-san.

I desperately cut them down, but...... it's no use...... there are too many!

“BYAGOOOOOOOO!!!”

Finally, one Ebi Eater reached Leseida-san, and with all its might, swung its thick arm...... down!

“Aaaaaah...... Leseida-saaaaan!!”

I might be fine, but if Leseida-san takes that hit, he'll be finished......!

Leseida-san curls his body tight, taking the only defensive posture he can.

My sword...... won't reach.

My incantation...... won't be in time!

“Aaa, aaaaaah!”

Pathetically, tears well up in my eyes, and I can do nothing but scream!

I feel as if time is flowing strangely slowly.

At last, the Ebi Eater's sharp claws closed in on Leseida-san, right up against his body, about to tear him apart.

It's over!

For an instant, that's what I thought.

But, still.

Heaven...... no, in this case, ‘she,’ I guess.

Had not, after all, abandoned us!

“Sei!!”

“Byago......”

Suddenly, a cute voice reached my ears.

Then the Ebi Eater that had been attacking Leseida-san burst like a balloon and died.

““Huh......?””

Taken by surprise, Leseida-san and I let out dazed voices.

The one who was there.

The one who suddenly leaped into the fray and saved Leseida-san.

Was the black-haired, black-eyed girl we'd supposedly said goodbye to just before...... Emi-chan!

“““BYAGOOOOOOOO!!!”””

“............”

The Ebi Eaters continue to rampage and charge toward us, as if they possess no reason at all.

Emi-chan stares at them expressionlessly, just as she did when she was talking with us earlier, and then......

“......Raah!!”

With that one shout, she began slamming her fists and feet into the Ebi Eaters, as if dancing, too fast for the eye to follow!

“Byago......”

When Emi-chan's fist connects, the Ebi Eater bursts apart, spraying its blood all over the place!

“Byago......”

When Emi-chan's leg sweeps, the Ebi Eater's body is cut in two, and again its blood sprays all over the place!

In the blink of an eye, Emi-chan annihilated all the Ebi Eaters that had surrounded us......!

Around us now, the red blood of the Ebi Eaters and the pale light-blue liquid from the tanks are mixing, bubbling up.

A rising stench.

A scene like hell.

In the midst of it, Emi-chan's entire body is stained by the monsters' blood, yet her expression remains unchanged.

As if the slaughter were just part of her everyday life, she's completely at ease.

“Emi-chan, wh, who on earth are you......!? What is that strength......!?”

Other Ebi Eaters are still closing in.

We're in the middle of a battle.

But I swallowed hard in spite of myself and asked Emi-chan that.

“......I'm a traveler. Emi Rune.”

Emi-chan answered quietly.

“I...... eat anything, without being picky. That's why, I'm strong!!”

And then she went on, with real force!

“No, there's no way you'd get that strong just from that.”

“Now...... monsters!! If you wanna fight, come at me......!!”

Either she didn't hear the retort that slipped out of me, or she ignored it: Emi-chan glared at the next wave of Ebi Eaters closing in on us and roared at the top of her voice!

“......I'LL KILL YOU ALL!!!”