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Tl: Sam

…

“Kyaaaa!” “W-Why are there monsters?!”

The sudden appearance of monsters threw the area into chaos. Monsters usually don’t leave the dungeon. That’s why dungeon exploration is a viable business. If all monsters were to start leaving, dungeons would have to be destroyed as soon as they appeared.

…But this is strange.
A ‘Monster Disaster,’ where monsters emerge from a dungeon, naturally can’t happen unless a dungeon appears. However, there shouldn’t be a dungeon nearby, n or does it look like a new one has recently appeared. So where did these monsters come from? I’m curious, but I don’t have time to think about it now. I have to defeat the monsters as quickly as possible. Just as I was about to rush forward, I remem bered I was with Lilicia. Leaving her behind would be dangerous. As I struggled with what to do, Lilicia grabbed the edge of my clothes.

“What are you doing, Tanaka! Let’s go save everyone together!”
“…! Ah, you’re right.”

Lilicia wasn’t expecting to be protected; rather, she intended to go and help. Of course. This girl has the courage to challenge the Demon King to avenge he r comrades. I regretted my own shortsightedness and rushed toward the monsters with Lilicia. As I ran, I pulled my sword from my suit pocket and fastened it to my waist. It was a good thing I brought my sword after all.

“I’ll cut them down. Lilicia, protect the people around us.” “Mm, understood!”

Hearing Lilicia’s reply, I stepped into the spot where the monsters were gathered and swung my sword.

“Tachibana-Style Swordsmanship, Blink.”
『Gya…?』

Layers of sword flashes sparkled, and the monsters were instantly sliced apart. The monsters that appeared were all low-level D-rank and E-rank monsters. To me, who usually deals with S-rank opponents, they were nothing. However, unlike usual, the setting this time was an urban area. There are buildings that shouldn’t be destroyed and citizens who absolutely must be protecte d. I had to defeat them quickly while minimizing damage, without using any major techniques. It’s tough, but I have no choice. I taunted the cautious monsters.

“What’s wrong? I’m just one person. Can’t all of you take down a single corporate slave…?”
『Gya gya… Gyao!』

Goblins took the bait, raising their clubs and knives as they charged at me. I saw that Lilicia was using magic to defeat other monsters and helping people escape. She’s reliable; this allows me to focus on defeating the monsters.

“Tanaka-Style Swordsmanship, Blink Ten-Strike.”

Ten sword flashes were released in an instant. I released ten successive iai strikes, defeating the monsters one after another.
Some monsters tried to hide under cars, but I changed my skeletal structure, flattened myself, got under the car, and cleanly cut them. I didn’t let a singl e one escape.

“Alright, that’s it.”

I finished cutting down most of the surrounding monsters and stopped moving.

“They look and feel like normal monsters… but this is strange.”

I muttered this while watching the monsters’ corpses vanish. Normally, when you defeat a monster, it leaves behind materials. Stronger monsters leave their entire bodies, and it’s rare for nothing to be left behind. However, the monsters I just defeated completely vanished without leaving anything. It makes cleanup easy, but why is this happening?
While I was puzzling over this, a voice reached me from a distance.

『Gwooo… Gaaa!!』
“Kyaa!!”

I looked over and saw a woman being attacked by a monster. That monster is a Big Fang. As the name suggests, it’s a wolf with large fangs. Its rank is C, so it’s not very strong, but for a normal, non-Awakened person, it’s an insurmountable foe. Naturally, I could defeat it with a single strike, but it was quite a distance away. I might or might not make it in time if I run…

“Tanaka, leave this to me!”

Lilicia, having finished evacuating the citizens, came up beside me. I didn’t know how she planned to take care of it, but I trusted Lilicia’s words.

“Yes, I’m counting on you.”

Saying that, Lilicia happily nodded, “Mm!”, and emitted magicules from her entire body, activating a spell.

“Wind! Rise!”

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind erupted and rushed toward me. I see, that’s what she meant. Understanding Lilicia’s intention, I kicked the ground just as t he wind hit. Accelerated by the magic wind plus my usual speed, I closed the distance to the Big Fang in an instant.

“That’s enough.”
『Gah!?』

The moment the Big Fang’s eyes registered me, my sword was drawn, and the monster’s neck was severed. Simultaneously, I embraced the woman who was being att acked and left the spot.

“Kyaa!?”

Naturally, the woman was surprised and stiffened up. I carried her a short distance away from where the monsters appeared and released her.

“You’re safe here. Please evacuate carefully.”
“Eh, ah, yes… Wait, Shachiken-san?! Amazing! I’m a fan! Kyaa!”

The woman, who looked to be a college student, was floating with excitement, forgetting the fear she had felt moments earlier. She’s resilient.

“Um, could I just get one picture?”
“…Understood. Please evacuate immediately after taking the picture.”

Since there didn’t seem to be any other monsters around, I agreed.

“Thank you very much! I’ll never forget today!”

She took the photo, said her thanks, and left. Just then, Lilicia came over to me.

“Tanaka! Are you alright!?” “Yes, thanks to you, Lilicia. Thank you.”
“Hmph, I told you I’d be reliable.”

Lilicia puffed out her chest. Indeed, I was saved thanks to her. The mechanism of the magic she uses seems different from the magic used by humans in this w orld, and Lilicia can use various elements of magic. So her versatility is quite high.

“Thanks to you, we managed… but things are going to be difficult from here on out.”

As far as I can see, there are no human casualties. However, the road and buildings sustained quite a bit of damage in that brief moment.
Some people must have been terrified after being attacked by monsters. Including the investigation into the cause, things are going to be tough from now on.

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