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Chapter 186: Supposed annoyance was extremely well received, turning into a torrent of extra orders for thongs.
Day 54 – Night, White Weirdo Inn.
Finally recovering, everyone heads to the bath.
Demolished by Angelica-san, wiped out by a surprise participant Slime-san, we then tried to challenge Haruka-kun to what we thought would be a spar, but were instantly destroyed. It was already over by the time we noticed it.
There is still such a gap between us. Even though we could see him move, we couldn’t react in time, despite him not being that fast. It’s like everything happened frame by frame, like in slow motion. That is Kyojitsu.
20 people were defeated simultaneously, unable to do anything. The chain of weakest attacks focused entirely on their instantaneous execution,
「Here I thought that we caught up with him a bit, but he is that strong?」
「How come that I can’t do anything despite having twice his SpE? I’m sure I clearly saw everything.」
「It somehow felt as if I was fighting underwater. And while I could barely move, he took me out? 」
「That’s not about movements being smooth or refined anymore, is it? It’s more like the flow of time was distorted?」
Yes. Since we can’t react in time despite the slowness of movements, it warps the perception of time. One moment you think 『Eh?』, and it’s too late. Despite being faster than him, we can’t keep up.
Despite seeing it numerous times and being well aware of it, when it happens right in front of your own eyes it is still confusing. That is kill before you get killed or as how he calls it『Gap strategy』. Apparently, he just uses a bit of a gap in defenses, to a little bit kill the enemy a slight bit faster? That’s why gap strategy. He kills the enemy without any exchange of blows.
「「「In the end, he is strong! His stats are a total scam!」」」
But his stats are despairing. And since he could be killed any moment with those depressing stats, he kept going for killing the enemy first. The culmination of that is that technique.
However, it’s all a sham. Everyone knew about the difference in our stats, so they held back, letting their guard down, and he exploited that opening. We lost before the fight even began. That’s why he instantly took us out, acting at leisure as he did so.
So we are holding a meeting in the bath, a review session.
「「「Phaah~. Did we get stronger~? At least a bit~?」」」
(Jiggle Jiggle)
Slime-san is praising us? It went into the bath with Haruka-kun a short while ago, but it decided to come with us as well. It seems like it likes bathing. It also baths with the Stalker Girl and the Poster Girl as well. Jiggling, it floats in the water, wait? Why are there three of them?
Looks like Vice Pres B-san took it with her. But Slime-san, those two are not your kind? Rather, they are enemies of the other girls!
「Slime-san was strong~. Terrific~. So you could use weapons too~?」
「But unlike human opponents, I couldn’t read its movements or its intentions.」
(Jiggle Jiggle)
The girls that faced Slime-san for the first time were surprised, but those that already fought it in the dungeon were utterly shocked. It’s too strong.
「I heard that Slime-san can be amazing if it gets serious, but it felt like its strength underwent a huge change since then. 」
「Yeah. Haruka-kun also said that he is worried that Slime-san might’ve reached dungeon emperor class strength. Even though he is the culprit behind all of the trouble anyway.」
However, this also gave defensive options to Haruka-kun and Angelica-san, who previously could defend only through attack. Well, them being able to defend themselves through sheer offense was already abnormal, but at the very least, it’s one less worst-case scenario to worry about now.
And no idea if it was because he confirmed Slime-san’s defensive capabilities or because our strength was acknowledged, but we can now go to 50th floors.
He gave approval for us challenging 50th floors as long as someone from his group is tagging along. We were able to properly fight on the 50th floor of the Great Dungeon, so we should be able to manage. But the gap isn’t closing at all.
While the level gap keeps growing, in terms of proficiency and technique he is still far ahead, so far that we can’t even see his back.
「So that is the technique he created to win without level and skills.」
Even if that is a forced strength, he is still too far.
Even if that technique is a patchwork of somehow glued together elements, it’s still strong.
Even if he is the weakest, nobody can beat that.
「「「He instantly obliterated us~!」」」
We were still nowhere near good enough at all. We worked so hard, training in secret we gained a bit of confidence but turns out he still was way out of our reach. Still so far.
「He was saying『If you are vulnerable, you just have to make the enemy even more vulnerable』.」
And in addition to that, he can ignore enemy defense with the divine sword and Dimension Blade, teleportation makes him impossible to hit, and then there are evil hands, Holding, and all sorts of hidden abilities and tricks. He gained that much strength at a mere Lv21. And he also has Angelica-san and Slime-san.
That’s why he can’t be killed, despite walking so close to death. That’s why he won’t die, despite being so easy to kill, he definitely can be killed, but everyone dies first.
「「「Even so, we will protect him. I don’t want to go through that again.」」」
The days we spent waiting for Haruka-kun were long. Those days, when he went off to die on his own, lasted what felt like an eternity. I don’t want the repetition of that.
By now we don’t care about the previous or this world. We surely will cry again and there is no way we can ever forget about our families, but we understand that nothing can be done about that. However, we can’t endure being without Haruka-kun. Nothing felt as bitter and agonizing. That can kill our souls, back then, we didn’t even have tears left to cry anymore.
Shimazaki-san and others probably feel the most impatient. While Angelica-san and Slime-san protected Haruka-kun from the Sand Giant, they couldn’t do anything to help him, which greatly pains them. They are worried about the fact that they only keep getting protected by him, despite getting tamed earlier. Even we feel the same.
Although he came back, acting as if nothing happened, he seems to have collapsed back there, with blood coming out of his nose. And yet, to us he showed calm composure, even making burgers for everyone.
That’s why we want to be able to protect him.
Returning to our rooms after the bath we discovered presents there. It seems that Haruka-kun asked the Poster Girl to bring them here, saying that it’s the reward for today. Inside were frilly panties, that he so fervently refused to make until now. With side-ties. By the way, he apparently won’t take any additional requests for those.
「「「「Kyaaaaa, it’s panties!」」」」
Although it is in part due to how cute they look, everyone is extremely overjoyed due to the overall grave deficit of underwear. I guess this time we better not ask him how he is so knowledgeable about the design of female underwear. But this world has no bras? This is what we’d really like to order from him? We are attempting to make something on our own, but we aren’t even close to succeeding. But it also comes with the problem of taking measurements…
And the Librarian-chan got a thong… See? You shouldn’t have provoked him? Since you did it out of concern, he will exchange them for another pair if you apologize… eh, you are going to wear that?! It seems she is fine with that.
A beautiful Yamato Nadeshiko-type girl in a thong was too much. And I thought her to be an extremely serious person… And he probably isn’t going to take any request for thongs too. [1] [TL Note:
[1] Yamato Nadeshiko is a Japanese term meaning the “personification of an idealized Japanese woman”, poised, decorous, kind, gentle, graceful, humble, patient, virtuous, respectful, benevolent, honest, charitable, faithful. Although by now it’s mostly used to describe simply a demure young woman.