Volume 6 Chapter 11 The Mad Mantis
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Three days had passed since Risa moved into Yurina’s house. Today, we were scheduled to move to Asari’s place. Before that, however, we were deep in dungeon training.
We were currently on the 9th floor. We had advanced one level further than the other day, and the stairs were already in sight.
”Next is… the 10th floor, right?” Yurina asked, her tone neutral and precise.
”It’ll be tough to clear the next floor in the time we have left,” I replied, keeping my voice steady and professional. “After we change floors, let’s spend the rest of the time exploring for incorrect routes.”
”Roger~” 1 Chifumi chirped, her voice bubbly and energetic.
We passed through the black, rippling wall and moved to the 10th floor.
This floor marked the end of the first half of the Sword-Hammer Cave’s surface layers. From the 11th floor onwards, we’d be entering the second half; the variety of apparations (monsters that are mutations of normal creatures) and the difficulty of combat and exploration would ramp up significantly. I decided to prioritize gaining experience fighting Unique Variants (special, stronger versions of monsters) on this floor.
”Umm… this way is the incorrect route, I believe,” Asari said, her voice soft and composed.
We annihilated the newts that appeared at the fork in the path and chose the tunnel where the waterway was narrower. After walking for a while, we could see a mantis waiting in an open space ahead.
”There it is~” Chifumi noted.
”This is our third fight against one of those,” I said. “This time, I’m planning on triggering its Runaway State (a condition where a monster becomes berserk and stronger).”
I prompted Asari to explain the runaway conditions for the Mantis.
”The runaway condition for a Mantis Swordsman is to be ‘driven into a body of water,’” Asari explained, her tone analytical. “You see that small pool at the edge of the hall, right? If you drive it into there while it’s taken damage, it will enter its Runaway State.”
Everyone’s eyes turned toward the water.
It was a pool about 10 meters across—something that hadn’t existed when we fought the previous two mantises. It was deep enough that calling it a small spring was probably more accurate.
This meant that mantises were either distinguished as “runaway-capable” or “non-runaway” from the moment they spawned. We were facing a runaway-capable one today.
”Once it enters its Runaway State, a parasitic horsehair worm will emerge from within the mantis,” Asari continued. “After the worm takes control, the mantis’s movements will shift from those of a swordsman to something closer to a berserker. It becomes quite grotesque, so please don’t let it intimidate you. It will scatter special attacks that inflict the ‘Terror’ status (a psychological debuff that causes fear and paralysis). If you feel even slightly unwell, use recovery magic immediately.”
”Don’t push yourselves,” I commanded. “After it goes berserk, either Chifumi or Mitsuki must always be in a position to use recovery magic. As for how to drive it into the water… use shockwaves to blow it back. Once the damage you’ve all dealt has accumulated, I’ll give the signal, so disperse. After that… I’ll take the lead in the fight. I’m counting on you for support.”
I confirmed that everyone had nodded, and with roles re-affirmed, the battle began.
The mantis was a bit smaller than the one we fought the other day. The first one we faced was the largest. It was likely that the first was female, and the ones from last time and today were males.
I say “smaller,” but its head still towered over the height of a person, and its scythes were as long as the Hama Kongou (the name of Mitsuki’s weapon) that Mitsuki carried. I couldn’t afford to underestimate it.
The battle progressed with everyone providing support as Yurina engaged in melee combat. I wanted to destroy its limbs if possible, but the mantis began to weaken without a clear opportunity presenting itself. After taking concentrated fire from all six of us, fluid was leaking from its entire body, its wings were chipped, and one of its legs had been severed clean off at the base.
As Yurina gained some distance, the mantis stopped moving, spread its tattered wings wide, and took a threatening stance. I felt my body get heavy. Something with a debuff (a negative status effect) effect—a final struggle—had been triggered. This wasn’t the “Terror” status attack.
Judging that the timing was right, I ordered everyone to drive the mantis into the pool. As the mantis dropped its guard for a split second to dodge a Magic Bullet (a basic projectile spell) and a volley of ice shards, Mitsuki struck it from below with her Kanabo (a Japanese spiked club weapon), as if to launch it into the air.
I fired a shockwave at the exact moment the mantis hovered in the air.
’――!!’
The mantis let out a strange cry as it was blown back, slamming into the cave wall before sliding down to the floor, limp. It landed exactly where we wanted: right over the water.
The moment the mantis’s belly touched the water, a dramatic change occurred.
’――――――!’
With an indescribable shriek, two silver threads burst from the mantis’s abdomen. The mantis jerked upright like a puppet on strings. Its compound eyes turned red, and one of the silver threads stood in for the missing leg.
The mantis’s face swiveled toward us.
A chill ran down my spine. The image of being targeted by a grim reaper flashed through my mind.
So, this is the “Terror” status. It bit into my psyche far more sharply than the anxiety I felt when Hanako-san (a famous Japanese ghost who haunts bathrooms) screamed.
”Haaaaaa!!!”
The loud shout echoed through the hall.
Mitsuki slammed her Kanabo into the ground, lowered her hips, and planted her feet firmly. I felt the mana (magical energy) wave radiating from Mitsuki, and my heart felt lighter. The OniMai (a demon tribe exorcism technique) of Exorcism. It was a technique with a status-clearing effect.
The others, who had also been afflicted with “Terror” like me, returned to their senses thanks to Mitsuki’s recovery magic.
”Ngh! I’ll protect you!” Asari cried out, immediately deploying a crystal barrier to shield everyone.
The pressure the mantis emitted was a passive skill that was always active. Her decision was to block this effect first.
’――――――!’
Dripping saliva from its mouth, the mantis moved with the unsteady gait of a drunkard. I stepped over the crystal barrier to meet it head-on. I was fine. I was aware of the “Terror” status and could resist it by strengthening my own mental defenses.
Suddenly, the silver thread that had been swaying upward, defying gravity, lashed out like a whip.
I blocked it using my own defensive sorcery. Unlike how it looked, it was surprisingly heavy. According to Rei’s assessment, it was stronger than one of Mitsuki’s full-power strikes.
Come to think of it… this was the first time in a while I had to use my own defensive sorcery against an apparation. Usually, leaving it to Asari was enough. I figured I should take this as a good opportunity to sharpen my instincts in a real battle against a strong enemy.
The silver thread retracted with a whoosh and struck again. At the same time, the mantis swung its scythe. Slashes and strikes flew at me from different parts of the same apparation, slightly out of sync. It was an unreasonable sequence of movements—impossible for a human to imagine, involving centers of gravity and weight shifting that defied logic. The abnormal twisting of its insect joints and the ability to bend in directions that shouldn’t be possible made these preposterous continuous attacks a reality.
(I really appreciate Rei’s help right now.)
Knowing where the attacks were coming from was a godsend. It allowed me to prevent critical hits from blows that would otherwise come from outside my field of awareness.
I dodged the thread that tried to circle around from behind and counterattacked.
I countered the approaching thread by firing a Shock Magic (magic that creates shockwaves), nullifying the attack. The training to generate shockwaves from parts of my body other than my fists was ongoing. So far, both the point of activation and the output were adjusting exactly as I aimed.
I received the scythe slashes with the hatchet I had brought with me. To avoid being overwhelmed by the weight and destructive power of the scythe, I countered with a decently sized weapon of my own. It was the weapon I had been carrying during our first move, anticipating a fight against a Unique Variant.
The mantis seemed to sense an opening because I had stopped moving while on the defensive, and it continued its assault. After I repeated the cycle of defense and evasion several times, support came from my teammates behind me.
Magic Bullets and ice shards flew toward the mantis’s head and the tip of its abdomen. The tip of its abdomen was where the horsehair worm was protruding.
With its head rattled and the movement of the threads restricted, the mantis’s movements slowed down. Nice. I’d praise those two later.
I kept my awareness of Chifumi and the others for only a blink of an eye before focusing entirely on the apparation in front of me. I changed the angle of my hatchet—currently locked in a struggle with the scythe—and forcibly slid it along the surface, guiding the mantis’s strike so that the tip of the scythe stabbed into the cave floor.
The dungeon floor was solid rock. A scythe shouldn’t have pierced it so easily, but it sank right in with a satisfying thud. The scythe was sharp, of course, but the main reason was that I had manipulated the shape of the floor.
I used Kaname’s power to temporarily make the rock soft, then followed up. Like hammering a nail into wood, I swung my hatchet to drive the scythe deep into the rock and immediately returned the rock to its original hardness. By fixing the scythe to the earth, I had limited the mantis’s range of movement.
The mantis, having gained distance from me, tried to pull its scythe out of the floor. It was using attacks from the thread to buy time while it tried to recover its weapon.
I fired Shock Magic into it.
The thread was torn to shreds, and a massive amount of damage was dealt to the main body.
Judging that things were looking bad, the mantis severed its own scythe—still stuck in the rock—with its other scythe, freeing itself. It immediately attempted to attack me with its remaining scythe and silver thread. But it was too late.
I expanded the effective range and unleashed a high-output shockwave from point-blank range. The mantis deployed defensive sorcery, barely surviving the second impact. Before the battered mantis could move again, I delivered a third shockwave from point-blank range. The apparation, which was already on the verge of falling apart, couldn’t withstand it and shattered, scattering across the floor.
’――――――……’
The fragments turned into smoke and vanished.
”Phew…” I exhaled.
”Good work~” Chifumi added.
Battle over. Asari dismissed her crystal barrier, and everyone gathered around me.
”That attack pattern was so irregular,” Yurina said, her tone professional. “I knew it in my head because of the intel, but seeing it in person… I don’t think I have the confidence to keep up with that.”
”It felt like I was fighting two apparations at the same time,” I explained. “You get misled by how it looks, but if you fight thinking of each part as a separate apparation, it’s actually manageable. If your eyes are too good, you’ll end up falling into its trap—that thing is nasty.”
”Hmm…” Mitsuki hummed, her tone neutral.
Mitsuki was carrying her Kanabo, tapping it against her shoulder. She was pretending to be cool, but I could tell she was impressed. Had she re-evaluated me? I felt confident enough to evaluate everyone else.
”Everyone moved exactly as we planned,” I said. “Asari, your handling of that was brilliant.”
”No…” Asari replied, her voice soft and apologetic. “I was just hiding away. My support was sloppy, which put Minoru-san in a situation where he had to use his own defensive sorcery. I’m sorry…”
Asari had a sense of pride in being the primary defender. Her words weren’t false modesty; she was genuinely apologetic.
In reality, it was Asari’s defense that allowed the rest of the members to move appropriately. Her contribution was by no means small.
”It’s fine,” I reassured her. “I intended to fight solo on that front anyway.”
Besides, from that perspective, Yurina was actually the one who helped the least. For a samurai girl without long-range attack methods, there wasn’t much she could do other than cheer me on while I was out in front fighting one-on-one.
The heartfelt support of a beautiful girl provided a buff (a temporary stat-increasing effect), so one could say she was being useful, but that applied to all five of them. As I looked at Yurina, I saw she was trying to pull the mantis’s scythe out of the rock. She seemed to think she could at least be useful by recovering drop items.
I used Kaname’s power to soften the rock so she could retrieve it, and Yurina returned to standby, carrying the scythe that was as big as she was. It showed her determination to quietly fulfill her role as the baggage carrier.
”Do we still have time… let’s go for one more.”
”Sure thing~” Chifumi agreed.
And so, we returned to the fork and proceeded down another incorrect route.
The mantis that appeared was even larger than the last one. A female, then. It had a water source, so it could go into a runaway state.
I had intended to put it into the Runaway State, but we ended up defeating it during the normal combat phase. We hadn’t even managed to destroy its parts. Yurina, who hadn’t been able to shine earlier, had been so eager that she’d bisected the mantis right through the chest.
Her evasion and the sharpness of her strikes were better than ever. Her technique for strengthening her entire body with mana was becoming refined.
”I am so sorry!” Yurina exclaimed, her voice firm and apologetic.
”Nah, it’s totally okay,” I replied. “Don’t worry about it.”
I pulled Yurina, who was bowing her head in apology, toward me and patted her head.
”Ah…♡” Yurina let out a small, soft sound.
As I comforted the flustered Yurina, my own spirits were lifted as well. The move that decided the fight just now had been a one-hit kill via a critical strike, hadn’t it?
Having a killer blow meant an expansion of tactical options. Even if it was triggered by chance and I still lacked the precision to aim for it reliably, it was a happy miscalculation to realize it could be expected as a future combat capability. My strengthening of Severing Sorcery (a cutting-type magical ability) was proceeding smoothly.
Although we still had some time left, I decided we didn’t have enough time to take on another mantis. We used a Return Slip (an item used to teleport out of dungeons) and escaped the dungeon.
During the purchase process this time, I decided not to sell the mantis scythe, which was a drop item, and to buy it myself. Chifumi asked me about my intentions as I walked along, carrying the massive scythe.
”What are you going to do with that~”
”I want to make something based on this. Hey, Mitsuki.”
”Hmm? You called?”
”I need a favor. I want to borrow the Onigahara workshop.”
”Hmm… I think that’s fine. Let’s go talk about it.”
I took the scythe to the lady who had been waiting in the parking lot. The Onigahara family owned a magic tool workshop. Mitsuki’s Kanabo was manufactured there, but this time I wanted to make something using the scythe as a material, so I asked for permission to use the workshop.
With a few conditions, I was able to borrow it.
Once the request was finished, the Komoda group returned to the bus. As usual, they came out of the dungeon exactly on time. They were really meticulous about those things.
On the bus ride back, I asked which floor they were exploring, and they said they were clearing the 14th floor. At this pace, I felt like they might actually be able to clear the surface layers of the Sword-Hammer Cave. I really hoped they’d keep it up.
—
Summary:
The group advances to the 10th floor of the Sword-Hammer Cave, encountering a Mantis Swordsman capable of entering a violent Runaway State. After a coordinated effort to drive the beast into a pool of water, the party manages to defeat the transformed apparation and secure its parts. Minoru decides to use the rare Mantis scythe as a material for a new project, moving the group one step closer to clearing the surface layers.
—
Trivia:
1 The 10th floor marks the boundary between the first and second halves of the surface layers in the Sword-Hammer Cave.
2 Mantises in the dungeon are pre-determined as either runaway-capable or non-runaway at the moment of spawning.
3 The Runaway State of a Mantis is triggered when the parasite within it takes control after being forced into water.
4 Mitsuki’s Kanabo was manufactured in the Onigahara family’s magic tool workshop.
5 The Komoda group is currently clearing the 14th floor of the dungeon.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Yurina – A stoic, black-haired Plain-folk student and samurai girl residing in Risa’s house. During a festive play, she wears an apron, cat ears, a collar, and a tail. As a confident evasion-tank vanguard in Lord Minoru/Shoji’s party, she fights alongside Mitsuki and acts as Chifumi’s protector. Trained by Anri, she uses a katana, iaijutsu, Mana, and Severing Sorcery to unleash invisible, slashing edges.
• Asari – A tall, long-haired, curvy Kasakura honor student with glasses, this analytical strategist is Minoru’s devoted partner and Risa’s future host. Close to Mari and Nagase, her home is the party’s next stop. Utilizing gauntlets to manifest crystal barriers and Silicic Armor, she is a defensive specialist knowledgeable in Aberration mechanics, currently suffering from mana exhaustion.
• Risa – A tall, slender, buxom Naruse guild student with twin-tails, this bold, wealthy lady stays at the Tatemiya estate (Yurina’s house). Sister to Momono and Anri, and Minoru’s primary partner, she manages family drama, cooks for the protagonist’s party, guides Yurina, and distrusts Komoda. In combat, she provides long-range support using a sniper-type magic pistol, Magic Bullets, and Snow flies.
• Yuri – A cheerful and energetic first-year student at Higashi High who is a classmate of Shibuya and an acquaintance of Kibe Yurina from their middle school days. A girl known for being aggressive toward Hayato and displaying overt favoritism.
• A – A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R’s high school squad.
• B – A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S’s group.
• R – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has successfully built a squad and added multiple girls, including M and A, into his group.
• T – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• N – A student from East Middle with an eccentric personality who entered National High School due to complex family circumstances and used herself as leverage to negotiate a protective agreement for K.
• Chifumi – Minoru’s beautiful, kimono-clad childhood friend, partner, and lead household witch. A supportive, inquisitive older sister figure who loves cooking, she fiercely protects Minoru and manages team admin. In combat, she wields immense Mana for recovery and long-range AOE freezing sorcery, using stone projectiles and ice to bind enemies. She recently received a Majo’s Tears accessory.
• S – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• M – A first-year student at District 13 High School and the childhood friend of Anonymous Student 0006, described as an atavistic strong-female who looks plain but possesses significant power.
• Mantis Swordsman – A mantis-type Unique Variant and lower-ranked species of the Head-Hunting Mantis, standing over 3 meters tall and wielding two giant scythes.
• Mitsuki – A tall, short-haired, dark-skinned OniMai clan girl with a massive, muscular build, this haughty, shy transfer student is a wealthy Sumo and assassin candidate. Koki’s sister and Minoru’s clingy friend, she aids his, Ryota, and Shoji’s teams. Wielding a chained Kanabo/Hama Kongou, this observant explorer uses Oni-fication, physical support, and status-cleansing recovery magic.
• K – A student from East Middle who followed N to National High School out of care, successfully remaining pure through N’s protection until a misunderstanding involving Anonymous Student 0008 led to her capitulation.
• Hanako-san – A hostile, translucent apparition manifesting as a young schoolgirl with a bob cut, white blouse, and red skirt. Often haunting toilets within the simulated dungeon, she terrorizes intruders with lethal fireballs, disorienting mental screams, and a dangerous Runaway State. Her spectral nature makes her a formidable entity for anyone who crosses her path.
• Hanako – Hanako, known as Hanako-san, is a translucent young schoolgirl apparition with a bob cut, wearing a white blouse and red skirt, in a simulated dungeon. She is a hostile entity that terrorizes intruders by launching lethal fireballs and emitting an infamous scream that inflicts anxiety.
• Mai – Younger sister of Yui and Yuu, possessing a deceptive, snake-like gaze. She displays a shift from cutesy behavior to predatory indifference and is associated with unusual arthropod-related occurrences. A girl who accompanied the protagonist from the morning, only for her existence to be questioned as a potential manifestation of the protagonist’s inner psyche or a Phantom’s trap. A young girl who remembers specific lore from the museum and is determined to assist in the fight.
• Rei – A subjugated electric ray Aberration residing in Minoru’s shadow and a dedicated group member. It acts as a combat radar, detecting atmospheric shifts and sorcery for tactical warnings. Loyal to allies but hostile and fearful toward new members, its ability provides defensive support to both Tatemiya and Shoji.
• Kaname – Residing in Minoru’s shadow as a member of the protagonist’s party, this high-and-mighty, catfish-like Aberration is an earth-connected, anti-lightning countermeasure. Demanding high-grade feed, it can manipulate the consistency of materials like rock and strategically pins enemy limbs to the ground during battle.
• Minoru – Minoru Tatemiya is a lean, plain, black-haired student, hidden Demon Lord, and reincarnated mob protagonist. This analytical narrator and Master tactician rules the 5th District using inherent, defensive, and shockwave sorcery. From his estate, he manages dungeon logistics, hosts Hinoki, and guides Majo allies (Mai, Mitsuki), while maintaining a complex, training-based relationship with Risa.
• Onigahara – An older woman of disciplined austerity, she is a stern mentor from the influential Onigahara sorcerer family and the aunt of a party member. Fiercely preserving her lineage’s legacy of strength, she maintains close, hierarchical bonds with dojo students, manages logistics, and drives the family microbus to transport Minoru’s group to and from dungeon training.
• Komoda – An eccentric, polite male classmate and leader of the influential Michinori family’s Komoda house who commands a Sword-Hammer Cave squad. While hiding mechanics for prestige, he coordinates travel, exchanges intel, interacts with Ryota’s group, and seeks an alliance with Minoru. Outperforming Shoji’s group in speed-runs, he shares the dungeon space and serves as a party meeting benchmark.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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