Chapter 40

“And we can all go together now. There’s nothing holding us back…” “…I know. And I know you’ve all agreed to go to District Five… It’s all thanks to Arihito and everyone else that we’ve even gotten the chance. That makes me really happy…but at the same time…” Elitia was confused. She’d thought the day we would get to advance as a party to District Five would still be a long time coming, and now it was suddenly before us. We’d face greater risks this way by skipping the normal order of things. But the Guild had called on us because they needed all the reinforcements they could get to quell the impending stampede. “I’ve never actually fought a District Five monster head-on. We had a few different groups in the Brigade, and I was in the third party… I shouldn’t have even been able to get into District Five back then. I was only level eight when the Shining Simian Lord attacked us. The only reason I got into the Brigade in the first place is because my older brother’s the captain and my father’s the founder.” “…Ellie…why were you on the expedition when this Shining Simian Lord monster attacked…?” “The third party’s mission was to go into the labyrinth and create a diversion to make sure the enemy’s forces wouldn’t all concentrate in one place… We were supposed to lure out one of its underlings: a general in its forces but not its strongest fighter. But that day…we went to the area where we’d been told we’d find the general, but the Simian Lord caught us off-guard in a sneak attack…” These monsters had created an entire organization with the Simian Lord—a creature cunning enough to deceive Seekers—sitting at the helm. That same Simian Lord had stolen Elitia’s friend from her in an ambush. It was no wonder all these feelings had come rushing back to her now that we actually had the chance to go to District Five. I myself had gotten a taste of true, if only momentary, despair when Shirone separated me from my friends. What if I hadn’t gotten back in time? What if they hadn’t been able to defeat the Clay Giant without me? “The Brigade didn’t mean to pick a fight with the Simian Lord. We were trying to get our hands on a cursed weapon from one of the Seekers he had captured. The second party completed that mission, and our captain gave the order to retreat. But no one ever came to help us fight off the monster.” Beyond Liberty had also employed some questionable methods and excluded other Seekers from accessing the best hunting grounds. I didn’t entirely agree with it, but I did understand the logic behind it. The White Night Brigade’s way of doing things, on the other hand, I fundamentally opposed in every respect. “…Was it the Brigade’s policy not to go in and conduct rescue missions?” Suzuna seemed afraid of the answer she’d get. Her voice quivered, but she looked Elitia straight in the eye as she spoke. “…My brother used to be all about helping each other out whenever we raided labyrinths. But then something happened before we left District Six…and he did a total one-eighty. He made it his top priority to get ahead at all costs and gain the strength to do so. He only recruited people who agreed with this no-holds-barred approach; that’s how the Brigade got to be what it is today.” “So…he didn’t care if his friend fell behind, as long as he got what he wanted…?” asked Suzuna with what I first thought sounded like shock at how callously the Brigade treated its members. But it turned out there was much more to it than that. “I certainly believe every party has the right to determine how they conduct themselves. I know I’m in no position to criticize, but…” “…The first party was supposed to take on the Simian Lord. But we all understood that, as members of the Brigade, we had to accept the same risks as everyone else, so nobody really stood up to the captain or left the Brigade in protest. A few people did speak up in favor of rescuing Rury from the Simian Lord, but it wasn’t enough to sway the entire group.” But Elitia never gave up. I couldn’t imagine what she must’ve felt the moment her party decided to abandon her friend. The thought alone filled me with rage and resentment. “You got attacked by such an overwhelmingly powerful monster… How is it that nobody but Rury got hurt…?” I would’ve expected the party and their battle formation to crumble and descend into chaos after the Simian Lord’s sneak attack. And yet, only one person fell captive. Elitia trembled as she began revealing the reason behind this mystery. She wrapped her arms tightly around her body to try and keep herself from shaking. “…Rury’s job isn’t cut out for battle. But she’s got a Morale Discharge that can save her party in an emergency.” Elitia explained how Rury’s Morale Discharge, Salvation, had the power to send her party back to the entrance of the current labyrinth floor and inflict damage on her enemy at the cost of her own vitality, and that she’d activated this powerful skill that fateful day. “The next thing we knew…we’d escaped the Simian Lord, but Rury was nowhere to be found… I tried to go and look for her, but the captain…” She said the captain, her older brother, knocked her unconscious. By the time she awoke, she was back at the Brigade’s lodging. “Rury never would’ve had to use her Morale Discharge if I hadn’t been so weak… If only I’d stopped him and done my job as vanguard…or known how to use the Scarlet Emperor better…Rury would still…” Tears streamed down Elitia’s face as she voiced her deepest regrets. Suzuna held her close and for a while said nothing. There was something I still couldn’t wrap my head around, though maybe that just meant I had a different way of thinking. The Brigade’s first and second parties should have had a real chance of saving Rury, but they left her behind without making any attempts. Did they count themselves lucky she’d saved them from going up against the Simian Lord and decide to call it a day? Actually, it didn’t matter. Nothing would convince me what they did was right. Elitia had traveled all the way back to District Eight to find help, met Suzuna, and teamed up with us. I still didn’t know everything about her past. But ever since the moment she joined our party, her mission had become an important goal for us all. She’d helped us countless times. And so we would help her. Nothing could ever change that. “…Arihito.” “…!” I walked out into the light of the streetlamp. The two girls noticed and looked my way. “I heard you guys were out and about so I came to look for you. I caught most of what you said.” “…I’m sorry,” Elitia began. “You’ve all been so supportive about going to District Five, but when I think of the kinds of monsters that means we’ll fight, I just can’t…” “So…you think we might not be ready for it, huh? You’ve got a point. We’d definitely be in a better position if we built ourselves up in District Six first.” “Arihito…,” Suzuna said nervously. I could’ve focused only on the plus sides of going to District Five and put all worries aside. That was certainly a valid option, given the formidable opponents we were sure to face—but it wouldn’t be what Elitia needed to hear. “But you know, we’ve done pretty well fighting with high-level Seekers like Seraphina, not to mention you. We’ve confronted level-nine Named Monsters like the Merciless Mourner and the Clay Giant…and come out on top. To me, that says we’ve got what it takes to fight run-of-the-mill District Five monsters, even if they might be a little stronger than we are.” “…But…” “I’d like to find out what the average monster level is up there. Not that a big number would change my mind, of course.” “It depends on the labyrinth, but…they’re usually around level eleven. The Shining Simian Lord was level twelve.” This information brought home just how unusual it must have been for level-9 Named Monsters to appear in District Seven, but it only bolstered my point. We’d fought the unthinkable here and won; trying our luck in District Five seemed in no way like a fool’s errand. “So maybe we’ll skip over level ten and fight a level-eleven monster right off the bat… We may only manage to take one down, but I don’t think we’ll be totally useless.” “…But…just one hit could…” “It’ll be okay, Ellie. As long as we all work together, I’m sure…” “What she said! A little late to be worrying about all that now, isn’t it?” a voice called out behind us. We turned around and saw Misaki, who must have followed me at some point. She appeared from the shadows of the streetlamp I had stood under myself a moment ago. “Sorry, Atobe… We got worried and ended up coming, too.” “Woof!” “…You’re way stronger than me, Elitia. I’ll try not to get in your way.” “……” Igarashi, Cion, Melissa, and Theresia followed shortly after, with Madoka and Seraphina bringing up the rear. “U-um…I know I can’t fight, but if you all go up to District Five, I’d like to accompany you…!” chirped Madoka. “In terms of levels, I’m only barely on equal footing with the monsters in District Five…,” began Seraphina, “but I believe this party will contribute in a manner befitting the Advanced Seekers honor it was bestowed.” Tears shimmered in Elitia’s eyes, but she covered her face before any spilled out. The next time she looked up at us, the fierce, familiar sparkle had returned to her gaze. “…Thank you. Nothing would make me happier than going up to District Five with you all by my side.” “Of course. Let’s do this together, Elitia,” I said, and offered her my right hand. She took it and pulled herself to her feet. Suzuna stood up after her and turned to look at me, her own eyes glistening as well. “Thank you for coming to look for us, everyone,” she said. “Seriously! You guys really gotta stop leaving me out of these precious moments. I’m just as big an Arihito fan as youuu!” pouted Misaki. “I’ll bet comments like that are why they didn’t invite— Um, I mean, you must have been sleeping so soundly, they didn’t want to wake you,” said Igarashi. “I was so worked up about tomorrow…or I guess today. For a while it looked like I wouldn’t catch a wink of sleep. But then I toootally passed out!” I figured her story was probably half true, and I chalked the rest of it up to that knack she had for lightening the mood and raising our spirits. “…It’s too soon to cry. Save your friend first and then cry all you want,” Melissa said to Elitia, who smiled. “You’re exactly right, Melissa… First things first; I’ve got to fight with everything I’ve got, no matter what the Guild asks of us. Otherwise, there’s no point in us going to District Five.” “So…that’s settled, then. Shall we head back?” I suggested. “There’s still some time before morning. We should rest up as much as we can.” Everyone started heading back home. I was about to follow them when I caught two figures walking in from the other side of the park: Steiner in their usual armor, and Ceres perched on their shoulder. “Arihito, we’ve finished up the work you ordered and are off to bed, too. Give us a holler if you need anything while you’re in District Five and we can meet you there.” “By that she means, ‘Do call for us, pretty please.’ We can get our hands on some quality ore there to strengthen your equipment, too.” “Thank you both. I’ll be sure to reach out once we get permission to stay in the district if we have any questions about our equipment.” “Don’t forget to pick up that suit Corleone’s making for you whenever it’s ready. And don’t do anything too rash. This is your first emergency summons; getting out alive should be your top priority.” I nodded in response. Staying alive did come first—we’d figure everything else out after that. Part III: Monsters of the Sandy Sea We breakfasted early at the break of dawn and were getting ready to push out when a report from the Guild headquarters came in for Seraphina. The stampede in District Five had broken out earlier than expected, and the local Guild Saviors forces, other Advanced Seekers called upon to fight, and district residents had already begun responding to the situation. We rushed to the Guild Saviors headquarters in Green Hall and found Kozelka and Khosrow, along with a platoon of Guild Savior soldiers, on standby. “You have my gratitude for accepting our request. The battle is already underway in District Five; we shall now explain where the situation stands.” “This stampede’s coming out of the Dead Sea Sands… The monsters there’ve got these godforsaken habitats that make it damn near impossible to keep their numbers down, so we’re left to deal with this mess just about once a year. They’re nasty suckers; a single one can give a party with an average level of ten a run for their money. Of course, we’ll all go at ’em together if they do break out into town,” Khosrow explained. A party with an average level of 10—that’s far stronger than us, if you’re looking at hard numbers, but even they have to put up a fierce fight against just one of these monsters. On top of that, they’re going to start crawling all over the town once it’s a full-on stampede. Those of us on defensive duty will also have to split up to cover the area. I can’t imagine we can count on purely advantageous battle conditions, either. “That said, we can still win this thing if we get ’em one at a time. Take out their Named Monster, and we end the whole stampede, but we’ll really be in for the fight of our lives if it manages to get a little posse going ’round with it. This ain’t gonna be easy, but try to focus on isolating these sons of you-know-whats and keep an eye out for any party that might be in over their heads.” “Understood. We’ll stay vigilant and act accordingly.” “…You don’t have to come at me with that kinda deference. I’m not your boss or anything, you know, so…it’s kinda…” “Khosrow, this is no time to indulge in bashfulness. Do not let your guard fall for an instant,” scolded Kozelka. “Yes, ma’am! Noted!” I hadn’t meant anything special by it, but I guess Khosrow liked how I’d responded. Maybe previous Seekers who’d been called to duty from other districts had been a bit more bumbling from nerves. “…That’s one of Atobe’s charms. Kind of rich for me to say that, though.” “What was that, Igarashi?” “N-no, um… Ahem. I was just trying to say, you know, we’d better do all we can to live up to the trust they’ve put in us.” “Ohhh? That’s not what I heard at alllll…” “M-Misaki… You really shouldn’t push her buttons like that…,” Suzuna cautioned nervously. “I agree, that is certainly one of Mr. Atobe’s graces… It’s hardly a wonder Sergeant Khosrow would also grow fond of him,” said Seraphina without the slightest hesitation. Her expression was entirely sincere, completely unaware of how her input made this even more embarrassing. Khosrow awkwardly scratched at his cheek. “I understand there are non-combat-oriented members among your party, Mr. Atobe. We’ll have them wait within the District Five Guild Saviors headquarters after we teleport over,” explained Kozelka. “Thank you for the kind consideration. Should we expect to head straight into battle, per your orders?” “Yeah… But don’t go overboard if it looks like taking them down’ll be too much for you. Seekers aren’t duty-bound to quell a stampede, but some parties choose to pitch in. We may not necessarily be going at this as the underdogs.” That sounded exactly like what had happened back in the District Eight stampede. So many people who normally had no qualms going up against monsters in the labyrinths chose to stay out of the fight the moment it spilled over into town. It’s not like they were obligated to help with the stampede, and they knew someone would take care of it eventually if they just waited it out. At the same time, the Guild Saviors needed all the help they could get to ensure Seekers could raid labyrinths as safely as possible. That’s why they’d come to us. “…Additionally, several special corridors have been constructed throughout District Five in order to corner any vicious monsters that do manage to invade the town.” “Third-Class Dragon Captain Kozelka, I’m afraid it may be premature to share such classified information with them…” “Not at all,” Kozelka retorted. “We have street corner cars and other armored vehicles, as well as specialized weapons installed in different locations around the town, at the ready to use against rampaging monsters. Should you find yourself in a situation where you must rely on one of these weapons, please ask the closest Guild Savior for instruction as well as you are able. And if a Guild Savior deems it necessary to utilize said weapons, put as much space between yourselves and the targets as you can to avoid becoming collateral damage.” “You can leave herding that Named Monster into the corridor to us Guild Saviors. But if it looks like we may need your help…well, we’ll be countin’ on you,” said Khosrow, then bowed his head. This one gesture proved beyond a shadow of a doubt they’d asked for our help out of real need, not mere decorum in regard to our title. “We will provide every party participating in this mission with up to two level-three poison resistance amulets,” explained Kozelka. “Please confer and decide among yourselves who in your party will equip them.” “Desert plus poison equals, say it with me… Scorpions. Course, these hard-assed monstrosities are easily the size of a few people put together.” “Eeek! …S-so you’re saying there’s tons of scorpions on the loose?!” asked a terrified Misaki. “They live burrowed deep beneath the sand, so it’s no easy feat to cull their numbers. We face a similar predicament with airborne monsters as well,” Kozelka told her. Scorpion monsters with potent venom; I could see them coming at us with long-range attacks, but we needed to prioritize the safety of those who’d fight them on the front line. I handed one of the amulets to Seraphina and fixed the other to Cion’s anklet. “Now then…I shall teleport us to the District Five Guild Saviors headquarters. All present, fall in line.” “““Yes, ma’am!””” Kozelka left the room, Khosrow and her battalion close behind. Adeline had said her platoon would follow afterward as backup, but they were all fully equipped and ready to deploy. They lined up in formation and saw us off. We entered a hall with several doors at the end of the corridor. Kozelka raised her hand up to one of these; as she did, crystals embedded into the wall next to it illuminated a 5 in the Labyrinth Country notation and the door gave way. Are all the Guild Saviors headquarters in every district connected? If so, does that mean Kozelka and the others sometimes travel to the top three districts as well? We passed through the doorway and walked for a bit before we sensed a change in the air. Kozelka opened another door and led us somewhere very similar yet different from the District Seven headquarters. At that moment, Guild Saviors awaiting our arrival came rushing toward us. “Third-Class Captain Kozelka, as previously reported, the stampede broke out prior to sunrise this morning! We’ve confirmed a hundred and thirty-four monsters and defeated thirteen! The battle zone begins at the entrance to the Dead Sea Sands and is currently expanding to every corner of the district!” “Roger that. We’ll assess the situation and mobilize where we are needed. I’ve reported with my battalion and one party of Advanced Seekers; we have one more battalion to follow that will provide backup as soon as they arrive.” “Understood! I’ll inform Third-Class Dragon Major Furet at—” “Attention, headquarters, multiple enemy units are racing toward the eastern quadrant at high velocity! Evacuation of noncombat personnel to the designated shelter area is underway but has not yet been completed!” I can’t imagine District Five is starved for Seekers, but they’ve only defeated 13 out of 134 of these monsters, and it’s been several hours since this stampede broke out. Must take a lot of time to bring a single one down. “The eastern quadrant… That’s a residential area for predominantly support staff. Captain Kozelka, what’s your order?” “We must make haste. Mr. Atobe, I’m going to send you a map of the area. I would have liked to do this sooner, but the system does not allow us to display it outside of District Five… I apologize for the delay.” “No need to apologize. It’s still plenty helpful learning this now.” “I gotta tell ya, I like that practical thinking. Think you could come with us, Atobe? I want to buy some time for the support staff and other residents in town who can’t fight.” “Of course. Madoka, hang back here for me. We’ll come get you as soon as we have this under control.” “Okay…! Please be careful, everyone…!” The District Five Guild Saviors headquarters, it turned out, was built underground just like the one in District Seven. We ran down the halls and flew up the stairs, the familiar sensation of teleportation hitting me at some point during our ascent, and finally made it to the building’s ground floor. “Mr. Atobe, everyone, stop!” We were still inside the Guild, a place where I had assumed we wouldn’t need to worry about fending off any monster attacks. I had assumed wrong. ♦Current Status♦ > DEATH STALKER G activated POISON BLASTER Kozelka froze just before she stepped into the hallway at the top of the stairs—a split second later, something came barreling down that very same hallway with ferocious intensity. “Arghhh! They’re shooting off their toxic juice in the Guild… Stay on your toes! That liquid’s poison, but it’ll also melt whatever it touches. Don’t let anything those bastards hack up get on you, unless you want some new holes in your best armor!” Khosrow warned. “Khosrow, I’m going in. I want you all to make your escape while I draw the enemy’s fire.” “Hey…I can’t stand by and let you go all by yourself, Captain. Leave the dirty work to your subordina— Aaand she’s not listening!” ♦Current Status♦ > KOZELKA activated GARM’S ADVANCE Speed and evasion rate drastically increased > KHOSROW activated BATTLE CRY Party members’ attack and defense rose > KHOSROW activated SPRINT BURST They’re so fast… Kozelka’s one thing, but even Khosrow’s got a high-speed skill, and he’s a big guy… Wait, this is no time to be staring in awe…! “Kozelka, Khosrow, I’ll support you!” I jumped into the corridor and saw Kozelka, followed closely by Khosrow, racing toward the monster that had broken into the building. ♦Monster Encountered♦ DEATH STALKER G Level 11 Hostile Immune to Poison Resistant to Attribute Attacks Dropped Loot: ??? Armored plates covered every inch of the scorpion so enormous, it must have been roughly three times the height of an average person. It trained the stinger at the end of its tail at Kozelka as she sprinted toward it at breakneck speed. ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated OUTSIDE ASSIST > ARIHITO activated ATTACK SUPPORT 1 Targets: KOZELKA, KHOSROW > ARIHITO activated ATTACK SUPPORT 2 Support Type: FORCE SHOT (STUN) > DEATH STALKER G activated POISON BLASTER Target: KOZELKA > KOZELKA activated DEFENSE SPIN Nullified POISON BLASTER “Hyaaah!” Kozelka spun her blade buffed by her magic-infused defensive skill and met the poisonous jet stream that shot out of the scorpion’s tail head-on, dispelling it on impact.