Chapter 9 Asagiri Himeno’s Case
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
My name is Asagiri Himeno. I’m a first-year student at Seito Academy High School.
That day… um, today was Monday, the day of the school assembly.
So, I finished morning practice early, got changed, and went to the schoolyard to chat with my classmates who were starting to gather.
It was just a normal day, nothing out of the ordinary.
At least, that’s what I thought at the time.
Eventually, the whole school assembly started, and I was trying to stifle a yawn during the principal’s long speech. But…
Boom!!
A thunderous sound reverberated in the schoolyard.
Suddenly, there was a loud scream in response to the unexpected event.
(What!? Thunder!?)
I instinctively looked up, and there, in the clear blue sky that had been cloudless just moments ago, a pitch-black cloud burst forth, plunging the surroundings into darkness as if it were nighttime.
The schoolyard was in chaos, with screams and cries mixing with the teachers’ shouts to stay put. I couldn’t understand what was happening at all, and I stood still, thinking that this must be a dream.
After a while, light broke through the clouds, brightening the surroundings and making the dark clouds disappear.
The commotion, which had started to settle, grew again as people noticed the situation around them. Beyond the walls of the school building, we were surrounded by rice fields and fields, with tall trees crowded together, resembling a forest. In the not-so-distant distance, there lay unfamiliar mountains, lined up, with one towering rocky mountain resembling Mount Everest, a sight that shouldn’t exist near our school, or even in Japan.
As I gazed up at the overwhelmingly large mountains, another commotion happened. When I lowered my gaze, I saw a group of people entering the school grounds through the delivery gate, led by a tall woman with long blonde hair, dressed in silver armor like a medieval knight.
It’s like a scene from a movie, so unreal.
Knights were coming from the main school building and surrounded us. There were more than a thousand of them, I think.
An older gym teacher was shouting and approaching a blonde woman, but a nearby knight knocked him down and dragged him away somewhere.
Then we were lined up by knights with spears, and the blonde woman went up on a platform and started talking.
”I’m Celestia von Madberg, a member of the Slaydeal Kingdom Knights. You will now be under the control of our kingdom.”
A beautiful woman in a navy military uniform, claiming to be a knight of the kingdom, started explaining how we would be treated. Her voice was cold and quiet, but it sounded clear in my ears, as if she was using a microphone even though she wasn’t.
According to a knight named Celestia, we are called ‘players’ who have been summoned from another world through summoning magic.
It seems that our mission as players is to explore dungeons, and as long as we fulfill that duty, we are granted a certain degree of freedom and rights.
Specifically, the entire grounds of the high school campus, including the student dormitory, have been summoned, and we are free to move within the school grounds and the adjacent ‘special zone.’ Anything we obtain inside the dungeon is generally recognized as the player’s property, and if desired, the kingdom can buy it from us. With the income obtained, we can then purchase goods, including food, within the school facilities and the special zone.
However, the dungeon is filled with many monsters, and they attack when they see people. In fact, a goblin, a monster from games and anime, was brought before us. And then, a knight drew her sword and killed the goblin in front of us. It was unsettling to see a goblin, a creature that resembles a human, being killed right before our eyes, even though it was a monster.
So, basically, we have to explore these dungeons where monsters roam to earn our daily bread. And the kingdom imposes regular quotas on us, and if we can’t clear them within the deadline, we’ll end up as sl*ves.
Even though we were suddenly told about this, it doesn’t feel real at all, like we’re hearing about the setting of a game or a novel.
But, harshly enough, we were immediately sent into the dungeon after this.
* * *
”Alright, room check complete. Himeno-chan, thanks for keeping watch.”
”Tch, there better be some treasure chests or something. This is so lame.”
”Thanks, Kurokawa-kun and Takehata-kun.”
”…”
Two rowdy-looking friends who were searching the small room listlessly come out into the hallway.
”Hey, Himeno-chan and Kanon-chan, when we get back to school, do you guys want to go sightseeing in the special zone with us?”
These two have been making plans to meet up after returning to the school.
”Um…well, that’s…”
”Yeah, yeah, let’s not go in that direction, please.”
Shy Kanon-chan seems like she’s being pushed, so I better make it clear and refuse.
Okay, do you have a crush on someone?”
”Hehe, that’s a secret.”
Annoying. Without showing any irritation, I respond with a smile.
”No, there’s no one. If there were, it would become a rumor right away.”
”Hey, we’re putting in effort for Himeno-chan and Kanon-chan, you know? Even if there are some perks, we won’t get in trouble, right?”
”You haven’t put in any effort yet. If monsters appear, I’ll fight too.”
”No, no, we can’t let the school’s idols be in danger. Leave it to us.”
Saying that, Kurokawa-kun casually moves away as he tries to place his hand on my shoulder.
”Hey, do you understand, Hirokuma-senpai? Don’t make the girls fight.”
”…Yeah.”
Right now, we are moving as a group of five.
At first, it was just me, but first, I found Kanon-chan sitting in a small room.
She seemed to have been hiding there because she was scared to go outside.
We introduced ourselves and chatted about each other for a while.
Kanon-chan is a first-year student like me. She transferred from a middle school outside the Seito Academy. She’s a cute, petite girl with pink glasses. Her chest is really big, which surprised me a bit.
Kanon-chan seems to be shy around new people, but she quickly opened up to me and became friends.
I invited her to “look for the Magic Circle together and go home,” and I took Kanon-chan out of the room.
Kanon-chan was grateful to me, but I’m also grateful to Kanon-chan because I felt lonely on my own.
The next person I met was a second-year student, Hirokuma Toshiyuki-senpai. Kanon-chan and I were wandering around when we unexpectedly ran into him inside the room.
Hirokuma-senpai has a big body, but he doesn’t seem to do much exercise. He’s not exactly chubby, but his arms and legs are thick and squishy. However, Hirokuma-senpai seems to have defeated a goblin. He apparently took it down with one swing of his club when it attacked him out of nowhere.
He repeats that story many times, but Hirokuma-senpai, who seems timid, doesn’t make eye contact when he talks to us. Instead, he glances at our chests and legs.
I’m honestly used to boys looking at me like that, but I don’t really like it. Even though I try not to look, it seems like I can’t help it. I want to believe that he doesn’t mean any harm, but I can’t help thinking that boys are just like that.
Although Hirokuma-senpai has a big body, I think as long as we maintain a confident attitude, he won’t do anything weird. Still, if it were just the two of us, I might have been a little scared, but I’m fine as long as Kanon-chan is with me.
The next person I met was Kurokawa Tetsuto-kun and Takehata Mitsuo-kun, a pair of Yankee-looking first-year students, next.
As I walked down the hallway, they approached me walking side by side.
Honestly, I didn’t really want to get involved with them, but we were all looking for the Magic team, and I figured it’s better to stick together for safety. They called out to me first, and I was afraid to turn them down and upset them.
These two guys openly checked us out and tried to touch us whenever they could, so it was dangerous.
Kurokawa-kun seemed like a cool and attractive guy, and I’m sure some girls like that, but I’m not interested.
Actually, right now, I want to keep my distance from boys.
When I was in the second year of middle school, the captain of the boys’ basketball team, Hayami-senpai, confessed to me.
I knew him because the boys’ basketball team always practiced on the court next to ours. Senpai was tall, handsome, good at basketball, and sometimes he brought snacks for the girls’ team and kindly taught basketball techniques. I actually admired him a bit, so I said yes.
But just two days after we started dating, he tried to force himself on me in the equipment room, saying, “We’re dating, so it’s fine. Let’s do it.” I was shocked because I thought it would be more romantic, and I thought that kind of thing was still far off. I managed to escape from there and broke up with him right away. Later, I found out that Senpai had been bragging that he “did it with Asagiri” and was getting involved with other girls, which was even more shocking. Since then, I’ve become distrustful of men and often think, “He’s probably only thinking about that kind of thing anyway.” So, for now, I’m focusing on basketball.
”Hey, what’s up with Kanon-chan? It’s no big deal, right?”
”Eek…! Um… well…”
”Hey! Kanon-chan is scared, you know. Takahata-kun has a scary face, so be a little considerate. Pushy guys are not liked.”
I tightly embrace Kanon-chan, protecting her from Takehata-kun who is trying to get closer, and I give him a stern look.
”Whoa! Himeno-chan, that’s harsh! Did you really say that?”
”Gyahaha! Mitsuo doesn’t look like a high schooler, after all!”
”Shut up, Tetsuto!”
I can’t show weakness to these two. If I act weak, they will just push even harder. I think it’s annoying that Hirokuma-senpai is being targeted. I’m still observing the situation, but if they recognize Hirokuma-senpai as inferior, they will resort to more forceful means. Until at least someone more decent becomes a part of our group, I need to maintain a friendly atmosphere and an equal distance to buy some time.
But, it didn’t last long.
”Whoa… what’s this!”
”No way… this is bad!”
”Aah!?”
”……”
”……ugh”
Entering the room without a door, there were two boys covered in blood, lying on the floor.
They clearly weren’t breathing anymore.
Everyone’s faces turned pale, and Hirokuma-senpai was in the corner of the room, feeling sick.
The atmosphere, like an amusement park attraction, disappeared in an instant. We realized that the situation we were in was much more difficult than we had imagined.
”The guy who did this, they’re still nearby, right?”
”Hey, get ready with your weapons.”
Kurokawa-kun and Takehata-kun drew their swords, preparing for a possible fight. Kurokawa-kun’s sword was a gift that grows to fit its owner, a magic item he was proud of.
”Himeno-san… it’s scary…”
Kanon-chan is clinging onto me and trembling.
”Don’t worry, I’m with you.”
I hug Kanon-chan tightly, trying to calm my own heart. Kanon-chan is small, about 15 cm (5.9 inch) shorter than me. It reminds me of my little sister, Himeka. I’m scared too, but I can’t afford to say that. I have to protect Kanon-chan. With that thought, I gather my courage. If I were alone, I wouldn’t be able to stand it.
”Anyway, let’s keep going. We need to find any living people and join them, and find the Magic Circle as soon as possible.”
”…That’s the only option,.”
”Hey, Goblin Slayer! How long are you gonna puke! We’re moving already!”
”…Cough!”
After that, there wasn’t much conversation. The air became tense.
I saw the bodies of male students a few times along the way, but I couldn’t find any living people.
After a while, when we reached a large room, Kurokawa-kun turned around and said.
”Hey, how about we split into pairs and take a break in that small room we saw earlier? Hirokuma-senpai, can you keep watch in the hallway?”
Saying that, he made eye contact with Takehata-kun and smirked.
Oh, this guy won’t work.
I thought about escaping with Kanon-chan right away, but I don’t think Kanon-chan can run away on her own. And running around the dungeon with only Kanon-chan might be even more dangerous than now.
”We don’t have time for that. If the monsters are patrolling, it’s dangerous to stay in one place for too long. Let’s keep moving and look for the Magic Circle while gathering more allies.”
Desperately, I tried to come up with a random reason to avoid taking a break.
But Kurokawa-kun and the others clearly had annoyed expressions on their faces.
”Come on, we don’t even know where the Magic Circle is. There’s no guarantee we’ll find it! Maybe getting caught by the monsters is the real problem! “
”I don’t even know if we’ll make it back alive. I want to do what I want without any regrets.”
Their eyes were bloodshot and they couldn’t see properly. It seems like they can’t handle the stress and is getting worked up. At this point, I don’t think we’ll be able to talk anymore.
When I glanced at Hirokuma-senpai, he awkwardly looked away.
All is well.
I stepped forward to protect Kanon-chan, who was pale. At least Kanon-chan…
That’s when I made up my mind.
”Kii! Kii! Kii!”
A monkey-like cry echoed.
Everyone panics and looks towards the voice.
Then, a goblin was jumping up and down in front of the entrance on the opposite side.
”Goblins!”
”Damn you, you idiot!”
The goblin’s voice sounds like it’s laughing at us.
”There’s only one. Let’s do it!”
”Hirokuma! Come too! We’ll surround it and beat it up!”
”No…”
Three people are getting closer to the goblins with weapons in their hands.
I also have a wooden stick ready behind Kanon-chan, but I’m not sure whether to run away or not.
Kanon-chan is gripping the staff tightly and trembling.
On the other side, the goblins don’t show any signs of running away even when the three people approach. When we start to feel that something is strange,
”Oh no!”
”Another one!”
From the entrance behind the goblin, another goblin jumps into the room.
And the goblin that was hopping around, threads through the gap between the three people and heads straight towards me.
”Eek!”
I desperately swing my wooden stick down, and it makes a “thud!” sound as it hits the goblin’s arm that was guarding its head.
But it only flinches for a moment, then the goblin makes a mocking sound like “Kiki!” and immediately comes towards me.
I can’t defeat them like this!
It was the moment when I realized that something crucial was missing from me, even before worrying about the weapon.
When I felt the despair that I couldn’t defeat it, my strength seemed to drain from my legs. Then, a staff suddenly appeared from behind me.
”Small Flame!”
When Kanon-chan’s voice echoed, a ball of fire about the size of an apple shot out from the end of the staff and hit the goblin right in the face.
With a “shh!” sound, the goblin’s face was engulfed in flames, and it screamed as it rolled on the floor.
”I… did it…?”
When I turned around, Kanon-chan, still holding out the staff, muttered with a bewildered expression.
Was this… Magic?
Just a moment ago, she said she couldn’t use it no matter what and didn’t know how. Kanon-chan had been fighting in her own way all along.
As I looked ahead, Hirokuma-senpai swung his club down on the goblin that fell down like a madman, and Kurokawa-kun, who had killed the goblin, kicked the goblin that was scuffling with Takehata-kun, and Takehata-kun delivered the final blow as the goblin fell to the ground.
”Yesss! Did you see that? I did it!”
As Kurokawa-kun let out a shout, Hirokuma-senpai held his left arm and fell to his knees. It seems he was struck by a goblin’s club.
But everyone managed to survive without anyone dying.
”Hehe, we managed to pull through, didn’t we! We can keep this up… Huh?”
”Huh?”
At that moment, a large, white goblin of adult size slipped in through the entrance.
Without hesitation, it pierced Kurokawa’s chest with a spear. I could see Kurokawa’s shirt on his back rapidly turning red.
”Tetsuto!?”
As Takehata-kun shouted, another white goblin swung its sword, splattering blood.
Furthermore, many goblins poured in from the entrance and began to attack Hirokuma-senpai in a swarm.
”Eek… Stop… Agh!”
”Kanon-chan!”
In that moment, a white goblin appeared from the back corridor, and I grabbed Kanon-chan’s hand and ran away.
We kept running through the dim hallway, but I could still feel the presence of the goblin chasing us from behind.
”Kyaa!”
Eventually, Kanon-chan, who had pushed herself beyond her limits, tripped and fell.
”Kanon-chan!”
I stopped and turned around, only to see a group of goblins coming towards us from the end of the hallway.
”Himeno-san, run away!”
”B-but!”
The group of goblins quickly caught up to Kanon-chan and surrounded her. There was nothing I could do.
”Run away!”
When Kanon-chan screamed, the goblin holding her down had its loincloth lifted, revealing a grotesquely large p**is that was completely mismatched with its small body.
At that moment, I screamed and ran away in a panic.
I accidentally dropped my stick when I bumped my shoulder against the wall, but that thing was useless anyway.
I was just scared, terrified, frustrated, and crying while running.
Sprinting at full speed while shouting at the top of my lungs can’t last for long, and soon my stamina ran out.
But the goblin’s voice, which was chasing me from behind, was always close but never getting closer, occasionally pushing me forward and then pulling away.
I realized that I was being toyed with. But still, I had no choice but to keep running.
I hate it! I’d rather die than be r*ped by those monsters!
I used to practice naginata until elementary school, so I chose a wooden stick as my starting equipment. I was quite strong, even winning the district tournament, so I had a little confidence. But it was completely useless. If I had chosen a knife at least, I could have killed myself before they caught me.
My body has already exceeded its limits, I don’t know how much longer I can keep moving. If only I could keep running until I die.
I can feel the moment when my legs stop moving getting closer with each passing second.
No! I don’t want this! Someone! Help! Anyone!
Suddenly, my field of vision opened up and I realized that I had jumped into a room. Through past experiences, I know that rooms like this have multiple entrances and exits.
As I frantically looked for an exit, I saw a male student in front of me.
This was the fateful encounter with Tsuchimiya-senpai.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.