Earth Dungeon 92.1

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Chapter 92.1. Mask

Outside, the sounds of battle still echoed, gunshots rang out, and Dragoons' roar could be heard. Shizuku smiled happily at the girl before her, who had lost her popularity hiding inside a building.

"I don't understand what's going on! Oh, you're a magician, right? But aren't Dragoons monsters? We can't stand up to them. Earlier, a fellow magician from my class defeated one, but he got shot by another Dragoon right away!"

The girl named Konoha raised a shrill voice and glared at me, but I brushed it off like a gentle breeze.

I wasn't a magician; I was a magical girl, but I didn't let her smile falter, even though I was disappointed inside. She had expected this reaction.

"Dragoons are cavalry, as the name suggests. They are soldiers. Therefore, they coordinate to attack those they perceive as threats. That boy should have been able to win if he had been inside the dungeon, where he'd only have to face about 5 at a time, but it was unfortunate that he was outside with other Dragoons around."

I didn't think he could win if he tried to surprise attack a Dragoon who was always on guard while moving inside a dungeon. But if he were in the same situation as earlier, but inside a dungeon, I believed he could win. If he could land about 5 shots.

The Dragoon he first incinerated. Only its surface had burned, and it was still alive. I knew that but chose not to mention it.

"If they coordinate to attack, you won't stand a better chance, will you?"

"No, thanks to the soldiers' efforts, there were originally about a hundred Dragoons, but now there are only about 30 left. It should be possible to defeat them. So, what's your name and grade, Miss?"

"I'm Taira Konoha, a sophomore! But instead of fooling around, let's escape."

"I'd love to, but the clown has already earned their hatred. After we kill the remaining soldiers, they will surely come after us, Taira-senpai. So, to survive, you need to make a contract with me."

I smiled mischievously and sensed that the gunfire outside was gradually subsiding. I was prepared to abandon her if she resisted. C-rank Dragoons were no longer worth defeating. They weren't even rare.

"Oh, make a contract with you? What's your goal?"

"Well, as a contract fee, I'll need the 2 small swords you have. In return, you'll buy items I bring in to you. Keep my identity a secret, and I won't tell you where I obtained the items. Oh, don't worry, it isn't an item related to any crimes."

I tilted my head and told her with a light smile. Now, how would she respond?

[Shizuku, I can't see this going well at all. She's just a kid.]"

[I agree with that opinion. However, you've just learned [Shadow Teleportation], and I have no other options. I didn't want to leave any traces, and I also wanted weapons made by Serika-chan. So, at the very least, if I can get the 2 small swords this girl has, I'm okay.]

As Sakimori-san said, the possibility of making a deal with this girl was low. The likelihood of her handling the situation well was extremely low, and it didn't seem like she had much money. If I could get my hands on the Mithril small swords she had, that would be fine. They had no unique properties and low attack power, but Mithril metal was easy for Mana and Aura to pass through. They were easy to use because they had no quirks.

[You're a real devil. Are you after those small swords she had?]

[Not revealing the real purpose in a style that seeks a transaction. It's a technique Sakimori-san often uses, isn't it?]

When I thought that, Sakimori-san, in his astral form, grinned wickedly. I also liked that Sakimori-san's smile.

"I don't trust you... but if there's no other way as you say, then I have no choice. I'll leave it to you!"

No, no, there are plenty of other ways to escape, but did she get carried away by the situation? I wondered. While inwardly exasperated, I accepted the 2 small swords with a fearless smile.

"Alright, leave it to Rei! From now on, you're the captain of the Negitoro Knights! I don't have a costume, so I don't have a helmet or a cape either!"

"Rei? Is that your name? Negitoro Knights?"

"We can change the Knights' name. Shall we go with the Jester Knights, then?"

"A game, huh! Uh, well, in that case..."

With a confident tone, I put on a silver mask that covered the upper half of my face. Then I smirked and lowered her posture.

"Time's up. So it's the Jester Knights. It's already decided, so there's no changing it."

"The Jester Knights... hmm. It might actually work in reverse."

It was the founding member of a one-person knights' order. I felt a bit ridiculous, thinking that even a small-scale order would do, but deep within my eyes, I harbored a fierce, beast-like glint.

"I'm ready. [Multi-Body Up]."

With Aura, I greatly increased my abilities and used my signature move.

[Accelerator]

I kicked the floor and leaped out of the building, leaving an afterimage behind. Most of the soldiers had already died, and a few were continuing the battle hidden in the shadows of the building. There was no sound of military vehicle engines, so it seemed that reinforcements would arrive a little later.

The Dragoons noticed me and were on guard, but there were only 5 of them. The rest were continuing to fight the soldiers.

"I think those with automatic rifles are more threatening. Thank goodness."

I smiled thinly, entered the Dragoon's guard, and extended my arm to infuse my small sword with Aura. The Mithril small sword absorbed Aura almost as if it were doing so willingly and transformed its sharpness to more than double its original state.

[Aura Blade]

The sword was imbued with a crimson aura. The moment it made contact, the Dragoond swung its sharp claws. But Shizuku, who was moving rapidly with her accelerated legs, used the Dragoon's arm as a stepping stone, lightly slid her small sword across the Dragoon's neck, and then lightly used it as a platform to pass through.

As the Dragoon whose neck had been easily severed fell, the other Dragoons, seeing the sharpness of the weapon, attacked without showing any signs of hesitation.