Chapter 25.2

Chapter 25.2

While I'm thinking about this, I notice a girl looking at me with a frustrated expression.

"...is there something I can help you with?"

"No, I just thought that you are a person who doesn't have any sense of humor."

Murasaki Ako sighs.

"To be honest, I thought you would be more egotistical and have a strong will. But this..."

"Have I disappointed you in any way?" This chapter's initial release occurred on the n0vell--Bjjn site.

"It's not so much that I expected it. I just thought it was different from what I imagined. A servant in my cousin's keeping. I thought there would be something more. It's true that you're good at tricks, judging from our previous fight, but that's all. And I don't think you have anything in your character that would please my cousin. It's just that you're ordinary, that's all."

Murasaki expresses her opinion to me as we walk through the underground tunnels. It matched my self-evaluation to a great extent. I think so, too. I don't understand why that gorilla is so eager to play with me. I'd rather trade places with you.

"I'm a servant. I understand my position. So, I can't imagine competing with you. And to be honest I can't imagine you acting so arrogant after our fight the other day."

"...I take back what I said before. You're good at flattering people, aren't you?"

I'm not flattering. It's true.

"I can't deny what you think. I'm simply stating my opinion on the subject matter as much as I'm allowed to. That's what I'm saying..."

Having said that, I decided to turn around and check the safety. There was one guide behind me, but I did it just in case. It was also to cover up the conversation with Ako Murasaki, who was coming at me for some reason.

(Well, it's standard in this kind of dungeon to be erased by the guy behind you, isn't it?)

I turned around and called out to the guide behind me, half-jokingly thinking so.

The next thing I saw was a lantern on fire on the floor at the end of the underground passage.

"...!? Watch out!!"

At the same time as I readied my spear, Murasaki and the remaining guides, who had noticed the unusual situation, drew their weapons and stood guard around us, keeping their backs to us so as not to create any blind spots.

(Where is it...? Where is it hiding...!?)

Forgetting to even breathing, I use all my senses to look around in the darkness. By now I'm aware of a small stirring sound reverberating throughout the underground tunnels.

(D*mn, that was stupid. I've been so distracted by idle chatter!)

Sight is of little use. I listen carefully to find out where the source of the sound is coming from. Where...? Where is it...?

'Above...'

"...!!!"

I warn Murasaki and the remaining guides and pull it out of my pocket.

"I tried it before, but...!! Please work!?"

I threw the fist-sized lump ball at the worm with my muscles strengthened by my spiritual power as soon as I turned to face it.

The ball was thrown with a speed comparable to a professional baseball player's hard pitch, and it crushed the head of the worm in front of me, and... the moment the worm swallowed it, a white smoke and a flash of light spread in the underground waterway.

'......!!!!!?????'

The earthworms thrashed about as if in agony, and more than a few of them fell to the floor or into the ditches with their bodies convulsing.

"What...!? Was that...a bomb!!?"

Murasaki shouts. Actually, it's a little different. In this underground water system, if a bomb is used, it could collapse and bury the victims alive.

So, instead, I used a white phosphorus shell, a white phosphorus ball, which is one of the gadgets I made myself to prepare for the dangers of this underground tunnel.

White phosphorus is a difficult substance to handle because it is highly toxic and easily ignites spontaneously upon heat or impact. The smoke produced by its combustion is highly dehydrating. Of course, white phosphorus rapidly becomes harmless in the air, so even though there were cases of burns and other injuries caused by white phosphorus smoke bombs used by the military and police in my past life, their killing power was infinitesimally low due to the ingenuity of their design.

The reason I designed this was precisely to prevent this worm. If it were a regular youkai monster, it would have no more effect than dazzling it, just like a normal smoke ball or a flashlight. However, the worm is vulnerable to dryness, and its soft skin, which is almost hairless, is not resistant to the heat caused by white phosphorus and the toxicity of direct contact with it. They have photoreceptor cells that sense light all over their body, so the light produced by combustion may confuse them. The effect is even more powerful because of the confined space.

Well, phosphorus is not so easily available in the local market, so it took me a lot of trial and error to perfect it after I came to the capital...

"Here it comes...!"

Because of the closed area, the smoke is gradually moving toward us. Hopefully, it's oxidized and harmless, since we're far enough away from the detonation point...!

"Cover your mouth! Don't breathe this smoke!!"

As soon as I cover the purple girl's mouth, the smoke comes down on us. I'm engulfed in smoke and I look around and yell...

"Guide! Where are you? Come here! You can't leave us!!"

'It's no use. He ran away on his own.'

The old man's voice whispers in my ear. It seems he talks to me through the shikigami.

'Close your mouth. This smoke is not so good for you, is it? Try to get away from here anyway. I will guide you.'

"......"

I think about it for a moment, but then I accept his proposal with a look.

"Murasaki-sama, I'll lead you away. Let's go...!!!"

With these words, I started to run with nothing in front of me but the guidance of the shikigami, without any lights...