Chapter 340: Red Shoes

After passing through the western area, arriving at the central space with a central atrium,

"Uwah...!"

An extremely intense scene unfolded before them.

Earlier, I compared the zombies loitering downstairs to damned souls from hell, but now that impression was even stronger.

A crowd, a throng, a mass of "zombies" clinging to the walls, stretching their hands toward the second floor.

It was almost as if they were clinging to the silk thread of the Buddha, desperate sinners seeking salvation—or elementary school children playfully knocking each other over.

What was clever was how some of the "zombies" deliberately lay underneath, serving as stepping stones for their comrades behind them.

This kind of cooperation was something they could never have imagined before, when their only thought had been satisfying their own hunger.

"If we leave this alone... they'll be climbing up to the second floor in no time."

If I were just an ordinary powerless high school girl, I might have given up there.

But right now, I've got superpowers.

So, I pull out my knife, wave it around like a magical staff, and shout, "Fatal Sword V!"

As I dash through the open passage, I kick the zombies seven times, each time making a *chudon* sound, scattering them all.

The poor "zombies" exploded in all directions, scattered far and wide—including the gentle ones who had been holding the foundation together.

Of course, this is only a temporary measure, but it should buy us some time.

Right now, the priority is getting everyone to the rooftop as quickly as possible.

And sealing off the stairwells on every floor completely.

Once the evacuees are safe, we’ll just need to airlift them to another building from the rooftop... and that’s it.

I quicken my pace, visualizing the upcoming schedule, heading toward the place where Tōda Mai-i is.

Actually, I've been feeling a bit uneasy about it.

It was fine up until she split off with the other two, but actually, did Maia-san even have a skill capable of destroying the zombies' entry route?

Her abilities, as previously investigated,

Job: Dancer

Level: 44

Skill: Acrobatics (Advanced), Natural Healing (Strong), Skin Reinforcement, Bone Reinforcement, Hunger Resistance (Strong), Skill Evaluation, Karma Evaluation, Achievement Condition Reference, Fire Magic I, Healing Magic I–III, Shortsword Handling (Ultimate), Dual Wielding, Transmode, Sword Dance, Healing Dance, Detox Dance, Joy Dance, Sleep Dance, Red Shoes, Agility V, Lightning Reflexes, Evasion V, Flee

That's how it should be.

From the looks of it, the setup seems to prioritize speed, but why does she only know Fire Magic Level I?

For some reason, it feels like once someone learns Fire Magic Level I, they'd naturally want Level III too.

And one more thing.

How exactly did she obtain that《Shortsword Handling (Ultimate)》she's using?

It feels like an upgrade over my《Sword Skill (Advanced)》—incredibly powerful.

By the way, I'm currently

・Four job classes with customizable changes

・Sixteen unlearned skills

That's the thing, you know.

Maybe "super" is just that, huh.

Maybe it can't be remembered unless you're in a higher-tier class.

But honestly, higher-tier classes have really big downsides. Details will come later.

Mulling over such thoughts, I headed toward the eastern area, where I saw Mayi-san skipping cutely toward me, and behind her, a zombie nearly as wide as the corridor was chasing after her.

『Giaaaaaaaarrrrrr!』

『Gooaaaaaaarrrrr!』

『Guggeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!』

"Ah, 'Nameless'-chan, hey there!"

"Hey... Wait, isn't this a real emergency?"

"It's fine, it's fine—just handling it now. Hold these for a sec."

Then Mayi-san spins around once in midair, and tosses me two tiny, adorable sports shoes.

As I casually catch it, a question mark forming in my head, suddenly, on Mayi-san's feet, there appears a smooth, glossy, bright red pair of shoes.

Of course, I understand this is one of her abilities—《Red Shoes》.

Yet, I had no idea what kind of effect this skill had.

Watching in astonishment, wondering what would happen next, Mayi-san begins to dance, tapping her feet rhythmically: tap, tap-tap, tap-tap-tap.

With the enraged "zombies" raging in the background, what on earth is this person doing?

Still, her expression was serious. She wasn’t acting crazy, nor was she neglecting her duties.

As I watched, her dancing gradually picked up speed.

For only the first few seconds could I follow her movements with my eyes. Before I knew it, her body seemed to dissolve into the air, fading from view... until only her red shoes remained.

Now, before my eyes, only her vivid red shoes were dancing, tapping lightly.

"Hmm..."

I've heard that in the fairy tale "Red Shoes," the cursed shoes kept dancing endlessly.

As I stood there, wide-eyed, the red shoes stepped forward with a soft, steady rhythm, moving toward the horde of zombies.

The zombies are still charging at full speed toward us, but they seem completely indifferent to the red shoes. It appears they can't recognize the fact that Mayi has become nothing more than her shoes.

Well... what now?

Watching nervously, the zombies' heads were severed one after another with a lively, rhythmic sound—pon! popopoopopopon!—as they rushed in.

"Wow!"

I watch intently, etching the scene into my memory.

I don’t fully understand what’s happening, but I can tell one thing clearly—this attack is moving at a speed beyond human capability.

It’s amazing, reassuring… yet in the back of my mind, I can’t help but recall the moment I faced her.

She won’t be killed in one hit thanks to her high defense, but her eyes would still be in danger if stabbed with a knife.

Maybe keep my distance using "Demonization," then finish off with a long-range magic attack.

By the time the red shoes completed their step and returned, the horde of dozens of "zombies" had been completely cleared away.

"Hah... hah... phew! Well, how about that? One clean sweep, huh!"

"Nice work."

I clap my hands lightly—papapa—applauding the visibly tired Mayi.

"By the way, what about the zombies' entry route?"

"Of course, I blocked them all."

"Nice job....Incidentally, how did you do it?"

"Hehehe. That's a secret~"

Ah, so there's still a trump card hidden away.

...Hmm.

I really don't want to end up fighting someone like this.

People like me, who are mediocre at everything, just don't mesh well with those who've carefully chosen their skills with a specific focus.

Well, that's just experiential knowledge from a gamer's perspective, really.

"Then, let's head to the rooftop. I'll explain the current situation as we go along."