WM – Chapter 41: Takatsuki Makoto encounters ○○

“Please save me… I will do anything you want to repay you…” 

That girl said this with a feeble and fleeting voice.

She was approaching us with unsteady steps that felt like she could trip at any moment.

“Are you okay? Did you get separated from your allies?” (Lucy)

Lucy was about to walk to where she is with a worried expression.

I grabbed her tightly with my hand.

“Makoto? What’s the matter?” (Lucy)

“…”

“Don’t tell me you plan on demanding something from this worn-out girl.” (Lucy)

Lucy shows an angered face.

“…U-Uhm, if it is something I can do, I will do anything…”

The girl continues to plead for help.

“It is okay. When in trouble, we help each other out! We won’t demand a reward! Makoto, get your hand off!” (Lucy)

“…Haaah…” (Makoto)

I let out a big sigh.

“Hey! Are you telling me I’m a goody-two-shoes?! Fine. I didn’t know you were such a heartless person, Makoto…” (Lucy)

“Lucy, that’s a monster.” (Makoto)

Detection has been ringing all this time, it’s been incredibly annoying.

“Huh?” (Lucy)

“Tch!” 

Lucy was dumbfounded.

The girl that was making a painful expression warped her face into a provoking one.

*Crack Crack Crack Crack Crack*

 A lot of legs began to grow out from her lower half.

“An arachne, huh.” (Makoto)

“Kyaaaaaaa!” (Lucy)

Lucy, that’s noisy.

“If you are scared of spiders, move to the back.” (Makoto)

“That’s not it. I was simply surprised. I am not scared!” (Lucy)

The arachne attacks us yelling ‘sha!’ as she jumps.

[Water Magic: Ice Needle].

Ice needles stab the eyes of the arachne.

“Gyaaaah!”, she raised a scream.

“She has spider eyes on her body, but can’t she see from those?” (Makoto)

“What are you analyzing calmly?! [Stone Bullet]!” (Lucy)

Lucy points her staff and a rock the size of a person appears, and was shot like a cannon.

*Squash!*

A displeasing sound was made and the spider woman was crushed.

The arachne was now under the rock and didn’t move anymore.

“Did it die?” (Lucy)

“There’s the chance that it is faking dead, so let’s confirm.” (Makoto)

[Water Magic: Ice Needle].

I aimed for her eyes again, and she raised an ‘Aaaaah!’ scream. It seems like she was playing dead.

“Lucy-san, your turn.” (Makoto)

“Makoto, you are merciless. [Fire Element Grant].” (Lucy)

Lucy adds the fire element to the rock she shot.

An uncomfortable smell wafted around, and the arachne had her legs flailing around, and in time, she stopped moving.

“Good job, Lucy.” (Makoto)

“That really surprised me. What’s with that girl?” (Lucy)

“Mary-san told us that there are a lot of monsters that transform into humans. Arachne, Lamias, Harpies; there’s also undeads that look like humans. Let’s be careful as we advance.” (Makoto)

“There’s no way I would mistake a zombie for a human.” (Lucy)

“Think of them as vampires… Lucy, stop.” (Makoto)

“H-Hey, Makoto…” (Lucy)

Lucy must have noticed too.

*Tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck tuck*

Sounds.

Not the footsteps of people.

Insects.

The sound of insects crawling.

“This is…” (Lucy)

“Yeah, we are surrounded.” (Makoto)

Monsters that were big spiders with the top of a woman appeared.

They were all glaring at our direction.

There’s some who are licking their lips.

Yup, carnivorous girls.

“This place…” (Lucy)

“Was the lair of the arachnes, huh.” (Makoto)

“I hate this…” (Lucy)

So Lucy really is the kind of girl that hates insects.

Well, that’s normal.

“We are running.” (Makoto)

The cluster of arachnes slowly closes the distance to us.

“H-How?” (Lucy)

Lucy had a pale face.

“Spirit-sans, Spirit-sans.” (Makoto)

I call them.

This time around, it was in a hurry.

[Water Magic: Raging Water Dragon].

It doesn’t look like a small hindering technique will be working here, so I use the strongest magic I can use right now.

A dragon made of water sent flying the arachnes together with Lucy and I.

The minute control of Spirit Magic is complicated, but I somehow managed to direct the water dragon to the underground lake.

Lucy and I were slammed into the underground lake while being caught in the magic I used.

“Puha! That was one violent way to run away.” (Lucy)

“No, we didn’t manage to run away completely.” (Makoto)

It seems like the arachnes aren’t good at swimming, so they don’t go as far as swimming into the lake.

They are shooting webstrings from the shore.

It would be bad if we were to get caught by those.

“Hey, aren’t the other monsters gathering?” (Lucy)

“Right. We rampaged a bit too much.” (Makoto)

At the shore, there’s not only arachnes, but also orcs, cave wolves, and goblins.

“Lucy, don’t bite your tongue!” (Makoto)

“Eh? Hieee!” (Lucy)

I use water magic to accelerate the water around us. 

[Evade]! 

*Splash!*

The giant mouth of a snake appeared right at the place where we were just a moment ago.

“S-Sea Serpent!” (Lucy)

“There’s a whole lot of monsters inside the water too.” (Makoto)

“There’s harpies coming from above…” (Lucy)

There certainly are a number of harpies flying around above us.

Lucy’s eyes were going a bit blank.

Oi oi, it is too soon to give up.

“Look. It doesn’t seem like the monsters are getting along too well.” (Makoto)

“Eh?” (Lucy)

The arachnes, orcs, and cave wolves were competing with each other.

Ah, the Sea Serpent dragged an orc in.

The pitiful ‘Buhiii!’ noise was erased by the sound of the waterfall.

“Makoto!”, Lucy shouts.

“Kyahahahaha!” 

A harpy attacked us from the back!

“I can see you!” (Makoto)

Thanks to my RPG Player skill, I have a 360° view.

With my dagger, I cut off the legs of the harpy that thought we hadn’t noticed her and had our guards lowered.

“That was close…” (Makoto)

Even if I am calm thanks to Clear Mind, I was a bit agitated there.

(Makoto, are you okay?) (Noah)

“Do I look okay?” (Makoto)

Goddess-sama, please guide me a bit more.

“H-Hey, what should we do now…” (Lucy)

Lucy held my shoulder tightly.

The harpies above, the sea serpent underwater, the arachnes and the other monsters surrounding us.

There’s nowhere to run.

This is the first time I have been surrounded by monsters to this extent.

[Clear Mind 99%].

Calm down.

(Makoto, you should be able to somehow manage to escape if you were alone, right?) (Noah)

That’s quite the bad natured thing to say, Goddess-sama.

A smirk appeared on my face.

[Evade]!

The sea serpent attacks us again.

“Lucy, I will concentrate on evading, so I don’t care where, eliminate the monsters from the shore.” (Makoto)

“B-But if we get to the shore, you won’t be able to use your water magic!” (Lucy)

Right.

I borrowed the power of the Spirits just a few moments ago, so I can’t use it again so soon.

The moment we are at shore, I will become useless.

[Evade]!

I avoided the attack of the harpy, and cut her with my dagger.

With her wing injured, I could see her plunging into the lake.

There’s no sign of the monsters reducing in numbers.

Rather, the number of arachnes has increased.

However, there’s a whole lot of monsters at the shore fighting each other at their whim.

Aah, this is bad.

Really bad.

Run away alone

Don’t abandon my comrade ←

Giving me such a messed up option! 

“Lucy, don’t give up!” (Makoto)

“O-Okay.” (Lucy)

I held the hand of Lucy, and took a stance with my dagger once again.

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