第８５９堀：巨大魔物との戦闘 (Part1)

Chapter 859: Battle Against a Giant Monster

Side: Shera

At first, I wondered why we had to engage in such a charade.

At least, Labyris and I thought that Shi-chan, alone, stood no chance against us.

It is true that Shi-chan is a dragon, considered one of the apex monsters, and its power is incomparably stronger than that of ordinary monsters.

...Yes, certainly stronger than your average monster, but still not strong enough to be a threat to us now.

We have gained extraordinary power through training under Yuki-san, a Dungeon Master.

Normally, we do not wield this extraordinary power due to Yuki-san's policy, but we always train in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances.

We have accumulated countless experiences in our regular combat training against monsters like Shi-chan.

Therefore, I thought the battle would end quickly without any difficulty, but...

"Gopoh?"

"Kopopo..."

"...Gabobo"

"...Bogo"

Instead of defeating Shi-chan, we were unceremoniously dragged all the way to the seabed.

Asurin and Firia had punched Shi-chan away, sending it crashing into the sea, and when they entered the water to pursue, it was indeed a monster that Yuki-san had acknowledged.

It immediately understood the difference in strength, distanced itself from us as we pursued, and used its massive body to create a whirlpool in the sea.

In the water, where we couldn't get a foothold, we were dragged to the bottom of the sea with no means to resist.

We were completely caught off guard.

I never expected it to use such a tactic to immobilize us.

" ...As expected, you live up to Shera-chan's admiration. I never imagined it possessed such power. If we had confronted it head-on, we would have lost in an instant. However, do not underestimate me. There are many ways to fight."

Shi-chan's voice echoed from the dim underwater.

We couldn't see its form, but for some reason, we still couldn't even move towards the surface.

It was probably using some kind of magic.

"Um, what should we do? It's harder to move in the water than I thought!"

"That's right! And we can't get to the surface. The current is coming from above."

"How interesting. I thought you could only rely on brute force, but you're holding us back like this."

"Labyris, please don't find this amusing. If we hadn't learned magic to breathe underwater, we would have already drowned. Moreover, we can say that we are currently losing."

"..."

It seemed that communication via magic power was possible, which was a relief, but all three of us understood that we could hardly claim victory in this situation.

And it seemed Shi-chan overheard this conversation...

"Indeed. It seems you understand the situation. Asurin and the others are currently unable to move, and Yuki is contemplating whether to declare defeat. In a battle in its natural element, the sea, I would have already dragged you to the deep sea, and even further into the ocean."

...I don't know how much of that is true, but we absolutely cannot disappoint Yuki-san in a place like this.

"Muuu!! We haven't lost!!"

"That's right!!"

"Yes, that's right. Please wait on that. And you are also trying to escape, aren't you?"

"As Labyris says. While we were drawn into your domain, we haven't sustained a single scratch. Even if you were to declare victory in this situation, wouldn't it merely prove that you couldn't win against us head-on?"

With that, I tried to provoke Shi-chan...

"I don't know about the world on land, but in the world of the sea, no one challenges those they cannot defeat. Running away is also a valid form of combat."

It was easily refuted.

Moreover, it was a valid point.

I had thought Shi-chan was just a simpleton with a bit more strength, but this was close to Yuki-san's way of thinking.

This is a loss.

Labyris next to me also wore a troubled expression.

I hadn't expected the opponent to resort to such tricky tactics.

However...

"Then, we just need to get out of the sea."

"That's right!"

"Oh? You're motivated?"

"But it looks quite difficult."

Asurin and Firia hadn't given up yet, but the seabed was sandy, and escaping from here with such poor footing would be extremely difficult.

Did they have some brilliant idea?

"My older brother and sister said that in times like these, you just have to try. And when you're moving slowly like this, it's better to gather magic power or ki instead of relying on speed. I saw it in a manga too."

"It's true!"

"...It feels like a joke, but it's not an impossible idea."

"Yes. We just need to materialize our magic power and create a foothold in this sea, extending it."

We had been trapped by the fixed idea that we had to swim in the water.

If you can't swim, create a foothold.

It was that simple.

"Well then, here we go!"

As I nodded at Asurin's signal, a foothold made of magic power appeared beneath our feet, pushing our bodies towards the surface.

The current was still crashing down from above like a waterfall, but it was completely meaningless to us with our solid footing.

"What!?"

Shi-chan's surprised voice was heard as it grasped the situation, but its distance from us proved to be its undoing. It could no longer stop our ascent.

And then...

*Splash!!*

With that momentum, we burst out of the water and, no, we shot high into the sky.

"We did it!!"

"But it's not over yet. Shi-chan is chasing us."

"Yes, everyone. This is just the beginning."

As we said this and gazed at the sea surface...

*Dopperan!!*

With a roaring sound, Shi-chan's massive body also leaped out of the water...

"After all, you're just children. It was a mistake to leap into the sky where you can't move."

With that momentum, it charged towards us.

Indeed, if we had merely jumped into the air, we would have been defeated without being able to do anything...

But we were prepared for aerial combat.

"Too bad for you!"

"We won't be hit by that!"

"Shi-chan was magnificent in the sea, but can you swim in the sky?"

"The sea, perhaps, but in the sky, we can move freely."

As we said this in unison, we activated our flight magic and easily dodged Shi-chan's charge.

"What nonsense!? But!!"

However, Shi-chan wouldn't give up that easily. It turned its face towards Asurin and opened its mouth wide...

"Eh?"

*Gouuu!!*

It unleashed a beam, hitting Asurin directly, and then rotated its face slightly.

"Ugh!?"

"Oh, surprisingly capable."

"But that's not enough to hit us. And your failure was not confirming things properly."

"What are you saying!?"