Cursed Sword Master

Sounds like a pretty good guy.

"Yeah, well, the guy you're escorting didn't feel right."

A well-dressed, fat young man and his nominee, middle-aged man, who had never been formally introduced but was apparently among the retrenched explorers behind him, seemed to be the subject of Frey's escort.

Until we got here, you were freaking out and scared. When you were going to be able to get out, Frey, who commands the escape, was in trouble with the impossible.

It sounds a little leaky. If you're going to rebel the request to reach two levels, you need something to replace the track record that you didn't get. It seems like you've been doing this all along, but as soon as your life becomes less dangerous, you don't want to get involved in the future.

"Now what, Souzillow? Frey and I said we'd do a little more exploration, but if we did this, we could say we did our part."

…

Originally this exploration of great danger. It was a mistake we shouldn't have done if we just thought about living normally.

Still, I decided to explore it in order to hold back Sistina's 'independence' while not letting her carry 'regret'.

Sistina was my first companion in this world who only had me, Mr. Hotaru and three cherry blossoms and chose to live with me.

It's no use risking my life for that family.

Of course, we wouldn't be able to talk about it if we didn't have a whole lot of chances of winning, but this time there was plenty of chance that Mr. Hotaru could manage with his abilities and force.

We could actually spot quite a few searchers and get them out. Well, I didn't make sure we got out of here safely yet, but this is all I've been feeding you, so all I can tell you to do is do your best at your own risk.

It was just unexpected that he would perish on an unexpectedly powerful enemy.

"... enough is enough. I was able to help all those people. Let's get out of here too."

Sistina smiled, but her gaze looked at my upper body, my back to be exact. Back that should have probably suffered some pretty bad burns.

I don't know because I don't see how well I'm recovering from Sistina's recovery. I guess it's almost completely healed because there's just no pain and I don't feel any cramps, but maybe there's some traces left.

"Mr. Hotaru. Any sign of people from here on out?

"There is. Two people pretty close to the realm of hierarchical lords… three? As far as I can tell from here, there's no one else."

It seems that Hotaru's range of effects in detecting signs was at first about 100 meters around him, but after ranking up, it increased considerably. But I don't know the exact range, and it's not enough to cover all of the hierarchies.

However, from this location, it is said that all the areas around the main hierarchy are included in the range, so it can be said that the area that may be left behind is being cared for because it seems that the higher hierarchy demons are gushing as close to the center of the current situation.

"Okay. Then let's go."

"Dear Souzillo! No! That's enough. I did! I was wrong!

Sistina, who opened her eyes to my proclamation, grabs my hands.

"Before I entered here, I finally understood what Master Souzillo was saying. I also found out that Master Soujiro and Mr. Hotaru are more important than anyone else in this world!

Sistina complains with tears in her eyes. I'm honestly glad you said that. But if it was before I went into the tower... no, if it was until before I got hurt, Sistina was right. You could have gotten out.

What Sistina is saying would be the sincerity of no multiplication. Until we entered the tower, we just didn't realize it was a sense of responsibility and justice that people might die because of us.

But I was badly injured in the fight.

I realized the fear of losing me or Mr. Hotaru because of the shock that I might have died. And I guess that fear outweighed Sistina's desire to "excite strength for someone as a samurai festival" at the root of her actions.

And I felt like I shouldn't be doing anything to get out of here right now in that state.

I'm scared that once I get away here, Sistina is going to make the choice to escape at the worst possible time when it's going to be a tough battle in the future.

"Sistina, I won't deny my decision to leave. I know how important it is to dare to leave to protect something important."

Yes, just like my father left his parents' house to protect himself as one human being.

"But not now. I can't listen to Sistina right now. You know why...

There were zero tears in Sistina's eyes looking up at me. Sistina must know. That my true heart wants to help all those who can.

That you're trying to escape your true feelings for fear of hurting us.

"Sistina, please don't shy away from us. If you're in the opposite position, you wouldn't hesitate to risk your life for us, would you?

Sistina looked up as Huo's words. I guess there was a verse that came to mind.

"It would be the same thing. It just so happens to be your fault this time."

"I wouldn't go out with you if I were you."

I just thought it was a necessary endeavor for Sistina this time. That must be the same for Mr. Hotaru.

"Say it."

"…………………………………………"

"I can't hear you."

"I want to come to...!

"One more voice."

"Yay, I want to go help you! Please help me!

Hotaru slaps Pompong with a warm grin on Sistina's head as she screams.

"Okay. Let's go.

If that's Sistina's sincere request, we're here to help. "

We just had a brief meeting to inspect our gear and how to move in the future, and we left Safeland.

They're not that far from here where the last Seekers are. But Mr. Hotaru saw that he would be quite close to the area where the hierarchy owner was located.

"Normal demons who are afraid of the hierarchical and hierarchical lords who won't move unless they probably invade their realm and stay away from the realm. Being in that narrow space is what keeps the Seekers alive."

You can't help but find demons who don't want to come near the territory because they were only slightly outside the territory of the Hierarchy Lord?

I don't know if you went there for it or if it happened, but I'm gonna help you for Sistina more than alive.

Only caged hands naked in the upper body. It's an outfit.

"Apparently, Flame Fang and Ya were cowing around here earlier. The signs of the demons are faint.

This could pick up the remaining Seekers without a fight. "

That's superimposed. I don't want to fight naked and fierce like this either. I can't equip my bare skin with a steel clasp because it hurts like meat caught in my braid. I'm sorry about Clark, but let's get him to act as my weight in the backpack.

Walk wandering around the tower for a while following Hotaru, who occasionally stops and confirms the signs.

I can't help but look for a way because I can't go in a straight line even if I feel signs.

The scratches for Sistina's Michishi servant also leave a confusing spot, but that can't be helped either. After we find the Seekers we're looking for, we're pulling them out, too, so if we go home together, we shouldn't miss our way home.

"Mmm, that's not good. I feel a strong killer from the other side of the destination."

"Does that mean the demons are on their way to the Seekers?

"Run! Only at the right time."

"Yes!" "Roger."

Rarely does it convey from how Hotaru runs with all his strength that he is really critical in time. I'm also concerned that I didn't get caught up in Hotaru's sign detection until just before this, but I'm following you now anyway, so I did my best.

Neither me nor Sistina would have followed very well without a bottom up in basic abilities.

"Wow! Knock, don't come! Don't come!

"Chi!"

Mr. Hotaru, who runs the lead, rarely tongues. The scream you hear is the voice of a man stuffed with cuts.

"Did you make it?"

"Not yet! I won't give up while I can still hear my voice!

Sistina hasn't even given up shards. She's pointing ahead to run a strong gaze. I can't see any more stray colors there. It's definitely the prettiest and prettiest Sistina I've ever seen.

... or "Sistina on the Bed" in the first place of immobility, so it's an equal point winner though.

"I'm going in like this"

Hotaru, who bent the corner, declared and increased his speed even further.

At the end of the corner is a dead end and there is one explorer with a long sword in worn armor. It's blood on its feet. There's one Explorer lying around. There was one explorer who wouldn't move with his back neatly deposited whether he was alive or dead on the end of the line wall.

And between us and the Seeker,

"Tower Hyde Bear (8 tiers) Rank: F"

He was a skinny, tall, eight-tier demon on the bear's leg. Eight hierarchical levels have finally emerged?

"Tower Hyde Bear! Eight Hierarchy Rank F!

Follow Hotaru's trail of trying to slash him to the bear when he shouts his appraisal results as usual. Sistina initially seems to go and see how the wounded are doing without joining the fight.

I guess that means you can trust me and Mr. Hotaru to leave it to me. It is a good trend. If so, it would be a good husband to respond well to that trust.

Did the bear feel the only sign of Mr. Hotaru from behind? Leaving the explorer in front of him, he raises a roar of intimidation at Mr. Hotaru approaching from behind.

But by then, Mr. Hotaru had already jumped into the bear's pocket. First, a knife...

"Huh!"

That's what I thought. A bear avoided Mr. Hotaru's blow at a rate far exceeding predictions in front of me. This guy's fast!

I honestly didn't expect to send a blow from that position of Mr. Hotaru, but if I didn't hit him, I'd have to attack him to hit him.

Cherry Blossom, put up a big sword and move to position it so you can pinch it with Hotaru...

Hmm? That? Where'd he go?.

"Souzillo! Don't be confused. Imitation. Defensive posture toward the left wall!

Uh, what? False? Defense anyway!

"Huh! Guh!

I took defensive positions with conditional reflexes, as they told me, and I was heavily impacted by the sword, and I was beaten from my back to the opposite wall, and I stopped breathing for a moment.

"Gi, pseudo?

If you look at the position you've been in while you're in pain, there's definitely something.

"Protective color?

"Are you all right, Souzillo! That thing diminishes the signs on discoloring your hair! Instead of trying to focus on one point, look over your entire vision!

There's one in there somewhere uncomfortable!

Seriously! 'Hyde Bear' means' Hidden Bear '! I thought you were a ninja! Is that why you weren't caught up in Hotaru's sign detection?

Hey, I mean, why does Sakura seem so happy about this pinch? Weird, isn't it tense? Oh, no more!

Anyway, now that Mr. Hotaru's meeting with the bear, I know where you are, but I can't help you with this as it is.

I need to be able to see it somehow.

Do not concentrate too much in one place… if you concentrate too much, your field of view narrows and you have more blind spots.

Then I can't supplement the hyde bear.

Look for wide, thin and uncomfortable the whole thing with the intention of taking a step back...

"There he is!

I've finally supplemented the bears that seem to be disfigured by defending Mr. Hotaru's attack, and when I pack my time all at once, I slap the Great Sword from the Great Upper Level.

With a heavy blow of the sword, he stops moving and snaps his opponent's neck with Cherry Blossom, but Hyde Bear drops his right forefoot and comes to defend his neck. I manage to chop off my right foreleg, but I can't let it get stuck.

"Mr. Hotaru!

Dawn the place to Hotaru, who should be throwing his body out and rushing with the momentum that has shaken Cherry Blossom off.

"Well done, Souzillo"

Hyde Bear's neck dances through the universe at the same time as Hotaru's satisfying voice. That's right, Mr. Hotaru, in a moment after I jumped, I was firmly checking the situation and making an attack from the side of my slashed arm.

It's just as tough when it's about eight tiers. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. My

Have Mr. Hotaru pouch "Demon Stone (None) Rank: F" left by the bear. My porch has Flame Fang demon stones accounting for most of my capacity.

When Cherry Blossom and the Great Sword are delivered to the sheath, they head under Sistina and speak to Sistina, who is exercising her recovery technique.

"Sistina, what do you say?

"My life manages to... it's just a bleeding and dangerous condition because of the deep wounds."

What Sistina sees is blood. He is a searcher who was falling all the way down. They took a blow to Hyde Bear just before we got here.

The breast plate of the leather is torn unbroken, and three lacerations are carved from the lower half of the plump chest hanging from the abdomen. Still, I guess Sistina's recovery technique is working. The wounds seemed to be blocking a little bit.

"Please! I need you to help Earli! This guy shelters me... he's an important companion. Please."

He's bowing his head as if a longsword man were going to be grounded in Sistina.

I can't even make a cheap contract because it's Sistina and it's not me who helps that daughter, so I'll just leave you alone and go check on the other one.

This one seemed to be injured, too. He wrapped a red-stained bandage around his head and relaxed. He would be a man from the range of faces and physique he sees.

"Hey, you okay?"

I noticed trying to get closer and talk to him. To not feel angry at all from the man in front of me.

I must have been stunned looking down at the unspeakable man in front of me. Soon Mr. Hotaru, lined up next to me, puts his hand on my shoulder.

"It's not like we didn't make it."

"Mr. Hotaru..."

"I'm pretty sure he lived a while ago, but in my opinion, this wound wouldn't have helped him if he'd arrived a little early."

Well... Huo was lost in the number of signs for two or three when traveling from Andy. At that point, I was already debilitated to the point where I couldn't feel the signs.

Surely it may well have been too late, no matter how much Sistina's recovery technique was in that condition.

I wasn't that shocked in the first place either. It's not the first time I've seen the bodies of the nobility that accompanied Sistina.

If you dare to force yourself to think about a reason, maybe you couldn't sort out something a little like the emotion in you from 'I couldn't help someone I wanted to help'.

Well, that's the only reason I've come up with it now.

"... Baku helped me and Earli."

Longsword seeker Thor said that Sistina had finished treating Ari, confirming the death of a searcher known as Baku and dropping his shoulder.

Thor and the others ran out as explorers at a threesome party.

At first, he had gained experience and money by searching for demons on the field and hunting, taking escorts and moving the city out of the city, but he was largely stuck because requests such as escorts and pick-ups didn't give him much combat experience and a commensurate amount of time spent rewarding him.

They decided to act as tower seekers here in Laytalk, which was the end of the escort request there.

They say that was more or less a hundred days ago. Then she said that she lived going into the tower of Raytalk every day because she could do it little by little.

That's when I heard in the lobby that I was thrilled that one tier could easily break through.

The three continued to brush their arms even on one tier without being forced, and the collaboration between the three had improved considerably and we were discussing whether it was time to go up to the top tier, so I thought the time had come exactly.

If you brave enough to go into the tower, few enemies do emerge. The three of them rejoiced that this would allow them to come to the battle with the hierarchy lord at all costs.

The search proceeded well and as we approached the realm of the Hierarchy Lord, the previous party had just defeated the Hierarchy Lord in front of us. The previous party soon went up to two levels, so there were no stairs in the area and no hierarchy owners.

The stairs appear with the Hierarchist, and when the party that defeated the Hierarchist uses them, they do not appear until the next Hierarchist springs up.

In addition to not having had a single miscellaneous fishfight so far, Tol and the others had come this far without any medication, etc., and gathered information about the Lord of the first tier in considerable detail, so he did not envisage a situation in which some struggle could not be defeated.

As soon as he waited for the Lord to gush within the realm of the Hierarchist, a staircase was generated from the ceiling, and the Lord appeared from the ceiling of the tower to block there.

"I thought it was strange. According to the information we gathered, the hierarchy owner was always supposed to show up off the floor. But we finally got to two levels, and we pretended not to notice the discomfort."

Thor won't stop talking even as he grips his fist hard. It's like he's confessing to us.

And the discomfort that Thor and the others pretended not to notice immediately stripped Thor and the others of their fangs.

The hierarchical owners who emerged were completely different from the demons that Thor and the others had assumed, demons that they had never seen or heard of at all by the three who had only gathered information up to about three levels at best.

I instantly gave up fighting, perceiving that it was clearly an anomaly in the overwhelming intimidation and presence of its hierarchical lord, but it was disastrous that the Lord was arraying near the center where it gushed so as to put him into battle immediately.

You have to get out of the realm in order to escape from the hierarchy lord. The general area consists of a circular space with a radius of about 25 m.

It was hopeless to escape as much as 25m from this irregular hierarchical lord.

At that time, it was Baku who kicked Thor and Earli, ready to die and about to give up, and forced them to run.

Baku spared no effort in using some attributed demon stones (all small and low ranked ones) that he kept with his insurance for times of need.

He beat the Light Demon Stone under his feet, blinded him, and overheated the Flaming Demon Stone, regardless of burning him, and threw it at the Lord, disturbing him, buying them time to escape.

Thanks to this, the two barely managed to escape the realm, but the late escape Baku was attacked by the Hierarchist. But the only good fortune is that Baku's drop point, which was heavily bounced after the attack, was outside the realm.

He hastily recovered Baku and treated him using all the items in his hand, but barely connected his life with the cheap medicine the three of them had.

I immediately tried to escape with Baku in my arms, but Baku, who was dying, stopped it. 'Something is wrong with this hierarchy right now. If you hold me now, all three of you will die. I'm all right, so don't move.' Believe that word of Baku, which I barely spinned out, the three of them were hiding here.

In the end, Baku did his best despite two diligent nurses. And because of Baku's strenuous efforts, as soon as Baku made the move to escape, he was attacked by Hyde Bear, and it seemed like we were here to help him when Ari fell down.

"I escaped my Lord because Baku stretched my body, and I lived until help came because Baku kept holding us back with his own life."

Thor collapses without even trying to hide the overflowing tears.

I guess this searcher named Baku was a really good searcher when I heard about Thor.

The decisive power to decide to flee immediately, the driving that can only force the companions to move, the counter-stress that employs demonic stones at all costs, the crisis detection capability that realizes the variation in the hierarchy and decides to wait.

Suffice it to make you think that if you keep gaining experience, you might have someday acted like you would have left a name.

And... "Tower" can even cause such a person to die so lightly.

Once again, I was reminded of the dangers of exploring the tower.

"Dear Souzillo, Mr. Ari's consciousness has returned. It looks like we can make a move, so let's all get out of here."

"I... need your help... thank you"

I nod when I look at Mr. Arli, who managed to get up while borrowing his shoulders from Sistina.

"Now you will still be able to escape without encountering demons. Sistina, give the injured to the man over there. If you need anything, we'll come forward and fight."

"Yes, thank you, Lord Thor."

"Oh, of course. Ari, I'll protect you. So stop being impotent about sheltering me anymore... if I lose like Baku until you do..."

Earli just smiles like trouble at Thor, who complains while receiving Earli from Sistina.

"Well, that's a casual word."

I agree with Mr. Hotaru, who shrugs and grunts. If we care about each other, Mr. Arli should feel the same way. It's just like a kid to push his own feelings.

If Thor really wants to protect Mr. Arli, he's the only way to be strong. If we can't do that, we just have to accept a relationship that protects and protects each other.

"Did you retrieve the artifact?

"... Oh, I really wanted to take my weapon home, but Baku's weapon has been left in the realm of the Hierarchist.

The only thing I could take home was what I was wearing. "

That's what I said and noticed when I saw him send his gaze to Earli's chest. Earli, whose chest was almost round until just now, is equipped with larger leather armor.

I know you really want to take the body home, not the artifact, but you can't afford that much.

"To demons within not so far away if we leave...

Even if we don't find it, it's not as fast as the demon, but in half a day, it'll be absorbed by the tower. "

"Right..."

You mean you don't mind corpse meat if you try it as a demon? Even if they were transported to safety, they would eventually be eaten by towers, not demons. Are we like microbes walking around the belly of a tower?

"Souzillo. Let's go. If we don't hurry, the demons will gush again."

"Copy that. I'll be right there."

Mr. Hotaru urged me to shake off his unpleasant thoughts and nodded, walking out.

Mr. Hotaru at the beginning, and Thor and Ari behind him. Sistina on the two aids. I'm the tail. The approaching demon will probably be perceived by Mr. Hotaru first, but there are some examples like Hyde Bear just now. We need to move so that we can hold the injured and protect the two dull movers.

The often silent march continues. The only thing that sounds is Thor's rough breath holding Ari and Ari's fine breathing sound that can be heard slightly in between.

Sometimes they're exhausted, but they're less than a third faster than they were when we were alone.

Demons may also appear again on this route, which I swept away because it stayed this way.

I just want to ask Mr. Hotaru for confirmation of the area, but I can't ask because he's broken up with the avant-garde and the rear guard.

I'm afraid it's going to deprive Thor and Earli of their last momentum to raise their voices and listen.

I can communicate with Mr. Hotaru. But the message of intent from Mr. Hotaru was not a voice, but all the communication from me was by voice.

Then what about 'empathy'? I won't tell you the details, but will you guess what I want to hear?

I'll try and keep in mind the question of whether you might encounter demons ahead of you for Mr. Hotaru.

"Mm... is that Souzillo?

Yes! I will immediately send the same question again, bearing in mind the will to affirm.

'I see. Well noticed. I didn't expect it to combine empathy and communication skills well.

It's an image of what you want to hear, but it's telling.

Wait a minute. Explore the range slightly.

... Mmm, it still looks fine so far. But the response is clearly increasing compared to going. At this pace, it's likely to be a battle until we can get out of here. "

I knew it. But we banned access to the first tier, and thanks to that, the original demons of the first tier should be gradually lipping and increasing the number, so if our guess is not wrong, the demons of the higher tier should probably not increase any more than the demons in this hierarchy right now.

Then the high-ranking demons around here are swept up once, so it should be more likely that the three of us can manage to meet the demons on the way home, even with the injured, if they are on one level.

All right. This is going to get us out of here. Honestly, it was a dangerous decision, but as a result, all three of them were safe, and I got a rare demon stone. I could rescue as many people as I could save. And I'm sure Sistina will change like a good one with this.

Well... I'm pretty sure there were some pretty dangerous occasions, but as far as I'm concerned, I think it was worth the risk.

'Hmm?... Souzillow. Come forward for a moment.

... No, don't worry. There are no demons in the future. "

I don't know what it is, but there's no way I wouldn't go if Mr. Hotaru called me. It doesn't feel like it's stuck in the wings and the demons aren't close or anything.

Speed up your legs and follow Sistina to the beginning with a voice saying, "I'll be there a moment ago, so be on the lookout for the rear."

"What's wrong, Mr. Hotaru?"

"You're here... I don't know, people are getting closer. You better deal with it than I deal with it."

"Who would that be? The first tier itself should still regulate the entry tower... so maybe a higher-tier Explorer party has arrived."

"No, as far as signs are concerned, you're probably alone."

Alone on this one level right now? Are you saying you're confident in your arms? Well, either way, no one's going to do anything stupid in this situation, so I don't think there's any danger...

"Lord Fujinomiya!

"Huh? Frey...?

I was nervous. It was Frey Howe who was supposed to have gotten out first, smiling and approaching before me.