CH 102.1

A/N: 9/23 – In the second half of the chapter, the line “Shuu throws a charged [Katana] at Mujirami” was missing in its entirety and has been changed (though the flow of the chapter remains mostly the same).

T/N: I’m going to use Giggles even if he is called Mujirami in this chapter because Shuu calls him Giggles. I want to use Snicker but he’s not sweet, he’s just nuts.

“–do it.” (Kawataro)

Before Kawataro’s words end, the four men in the square are moving.

Giggles and another one are coming straight at me, and the other one is trying to go around to the side. And the bandana girl—already behind me.

The right knife was aimed at my shoulder moved. I deflect her hand with a punch.

A small, crisp sound is transmitted to the bones. The [Dagger] on her left hand stuck to my thigh.

“Gah–” (Shuu)

“…there’s no escape now.” (Toroko)

The girl murmurs shortly, without changing her expression.

“Kuh!” (Shuu)

The fist that was quickly launched just in time is dodged, and the girl disappears from sight.

I was dumbfounded, but for a short while, Giggles and another person approached me. I pulled out the only charged [Katana] I had on hand from the floor.

“Kehihihi! Don’t die that quickly!” (Mujirami)

Giggles swings a blunt hypha club, and the other thrusts out his [War Spear]. Even though they are not speaking with any words, their timing is perfectly in sync with each other.

As soon as I braced myself, I felt my body stiffen.

“—!” (Shuu)

My reaction is delayed. However I still deflected the spear with the wide flat of my large sword, but the club grazes my back.

“Guh!” (Shuu)

“Abeshuu!” (Tamiko)

The two men chase after my warry self. The spearhead extends out to cut through the gap between the club’s wild swing.

“Mujirami, you are moving too forward!” (Kohada)

“Kehihi! Kohada, keep up!” (Mujirami)

Neither of them had much speed or power. They are just around level 30, which is nowhere near the level of Boss Met.

But their skillful coordination more than made up for it. One acts as a decoy while the other takes the blind spot. They switch smoothly, as if reading each other’s breathing, and do not allow their target to get any foot forward. A combination that draws out and multiplies each other’s strengths to the fullest.

Even so, it was still within the range of what I usually would be able to deal with. It is not difficult to handle it with [Ashura] or even with just the usual reaction speed.

Yes, usually.

If I had been able to use my Fungal Skills. If I didn’t have chills and weakness that consumed my entire body.

Above all – a cowering body. Slowly, a black blotch stays on my chest, weighing me down and slowing me down.

Dodging the club and being scraped by the spear. Avoiding spear and getting smacked by the club. Damage slowly accumulates. A wound that should have healed on its own, things that wouldn’t normally happen—

“Guh-gah!” (Shuu)

I flicked the club with the flat of my big sword, backstepping, and swinging with all my might to block the spear. I almost lose my footing, but I bend down like a beast and held on, my enemies raising their weapons in front of me and preparing for a follow-up attack.

“Are you okay, squeak?!” (Tamiko)

“I can’t use my Fungal Skills!” (Shuu)

“Eh!?” (Tamiko)

I didn’t even have time to look at Tamiko’s face when a club and an ax approached without letting me rest.

“Gin!” but I caught it with the wide side of my big sword—a third man released a [White Bullet] using the two vanguard men as bait.

When the [White Bullet] flew at the first contact, I had guessed from its trajectory that it belonged to someone in the square. I knew that there was no way they would send their precious [Snipers] to take care of the wounded and that the one who did not use the [War Spear] was the [Sniper] of the two men.

I was wary. I was right.

But that made him one move too late.

—The nape of my neck throbs. It was as if a crooked tongue had roughly stroked it.

“Rah!”

I send a roundhouse kick before turning around. The soles of my shoes, which I thought had connected, hit the air, and the girl who should have been there suddenly retreated several meters behind.

“Turn, squeak!” (Tamiko)

As soon as I turned around and blocked the club, the tip of the spear thrusts out from my side and gouged it.

“Ugh!” (Shuu)

“Kehihi! You’re a different person than when you were f*king with the ‘family’!” (Mujirami)

“It’s just the curse’s effect! I can do this!” (Shuu)

My legs get tangled. The hand that grips the handle is not strong enough. Heat escapes from the body.

Blood flows out of countless wounds. Toward the depletion of life. The fear of it all is sapping my concentration.

(Damn it!) (Shuu)

(What are you scared of?!) (Shuu)

(Open your eyes! Step forward!) (Shuu)

Thoughts scold my mind. But my body still won’t listen to me. It’s as if my whole body has fallen apart as if everything no longer belongs to me.

“Kehiyaa!” (Mujirami)

They swing their weapons. I lift up my [Katana] and blocked it. But still, a spear from my side came—

“Evil!” (Tamiko)

Tamiko jumps from my shoulder and runs through the hilt of the spear. Tamiko screams, and the hand holding the spear is sliced.

Tamiko aims at the boy’s neck, but the bandana girl’s knife, flinging Tamiko with a “Pigya!”. Her little body bounces on the floor.

“Tamiko!” (Shuu)

With a reckless swing, the three of them fell back, and I immediately picked up Tamiko as she rolled around on the floor. Tamiko poked her head out of her white shell and groaned, “Okay, squeak…”. As expected of her hypha shell that wasn’t even pierced by Noa’s [dagger], what was inside was safe.

“You’re being too unreasonable! Don’t leave my side!” (Shuu)

“But Abeshuu, you’re weak, squeak! Limp d*ck, squeak!” (Tamiko)

“Don’t say limp d*ck, you—” (Shuu)

“You can’t go on like this, squeak! Once this happens, I’m going to f*ck them all, squeak!” (Tamiko)

“…well, you’re trembling too.” (Shuu)

“It’s squeaking scary! If I don’t do it, who will, squeak! Kyaaarr!” (Tamiko)

Tamiko returns to her position and opens her mouth threateningly as if she’s about to spew fire.

For a moment, I forgot my guard and was stunned.

And I chucked a little until I laughed.

This guy, Tamiko has really grown up.

Not only in level but also in his fighting spirit and courage to face any predicament.

“Bam!” and I cleave the cobblestone pavement with the [Katana]. The three who were about to step forward flinched under the flying debris and pressure.

“…don’t get cocky, you little bastards.” (Shuu)

My fungus ability cannot be used. My wounds are not being healed.

If so, what will remain will be the “Me” before I woke up in this new world.

What does that mean?

I lived the time the underground labyrinth of ferocious beasts.

I have my flesh and blood that has absorbed and mastered the numerous sporangium.

I still have the determination to live in this world.

Even if I don’t have [Immortality], I have a partner who will bare her fangs.

Even if my level is low, I have another friend waiting for us on the surface who has worked hard all by herself.

The other “person” doesn’t matter. Don’t let him pop into my head. Ahhh! Stop sniffing someone else’s clothes.

At any rate—I have my Fungal Skills, but I’m just a little unwell. I just happen to have my wounds not healing fast.

If I am frightened by something like that, I will not be able to fight anyone.

I am not some Weakshuu.

“I am—Abe Shuu.” (Shuu)

The handle of the [Katana] is gripped tightly with both my hands. The wound on my left hand is open and blood is oozing out.

Even so, I put enough power that I can now twist it and hold it tightly.

“I’ll beat all of you down, and I’ll show you some real sh*t.” (Shuu)

Take one step, two steps, step in with all my might, and I raise my [Katana].

The bandana girl has already disappeared. Is she in my blind spot?

—I do not care.

“Raaaaaaaaaa!” (Shuu)

With one swing, I smashed Giggles’ club,

“Abeshuu!” (Tamiko)

I swing my fist back at the presence that is creeping up behind me. The knife grazes my cheek, but the back of my fist grazes the girl’s temple.

“Haaaa!” (Shuu)

A spear is extended from my side. I dodged it, grabbed the hilt, and pulled it towards me with all my might…

“Kuh!” (Shuu)

My head is thrown back in a flash. A [White Bullet] passes through the spot where my head used to be. The hand that gripped the spear breaks away, and I am thrown off my stance.

Giggles raised his club, which was cut in half, and the boy drew his spear in order to thrust.

The response to their pincer attack is delayed by one move. [Leaping] cannot be used, there is no escape.

“Uaaah!” (Shuu)

Just before they reached me, I summoned all of my strength and stabbed my [Katana] into the ground, and jumped upwards from the recoil.

While listening to Tamiko’s scream as she clung to my shoulder, I used the centrifugal force of wielding my [Katana] to spin and turn around in the air. I swing it over the head of Giggles, who is still in a forward swinging position—

“—eh?” (Shuu)

At the edge of my dizzying, spinning field of vision, I see it.

On the roof overlooking the square. Utsuki lying there. Kawataro, who was standing beside her, was reaching out his hand toward me in the air.

I think I hear a sound that should be inaudible.

It is the sound of gunfire. It was the high-pitched crack of a lead ball being ejected from a handgun. Of course, I have never heard the real thing in real life, so it was probably just reproduced from my memories of movies and TV dramas.

(“Sniper”) (Shuu)

(Is there another person?) (Shuu)

It is fired from Kawataro on the roof, drawing a white line straight at my eyebrows.

Defend, evade, I won’t make it in time.

“Kuaaaah–” (Shuu)

Graaaa! My temple is split, a harsh sound reverberating in my head. The hypha bullet grazed my skull, shaking my brain.

I lose my balance. Below me, a repositioned club and spear await.

“Aah!” (Shuu)

I flicked the spear with all my might, but Giggles was timing me by a full second. The club is coming at my head, whose body has been turned around by the force of the swing of my sword.