And so, everyone left.
Shouldn’t only the agile Kadomi-kun go out, you might ask?
It’s because of George.
If I ask George, he can make a copy of the compass.
After all, it’s just a compass that points in a certain direction, so even if its performance drops by 1%, it won’t make much of a difference.
With that in mind, Kadomi-kun rode on Tera and flew away, Suzumoto and Hariu rode on Glida, President and Toriumi rode on Ketorami, Hagasaki and Kariya rode on Marbello, and Katori flew on a humanoid optical weapon.
Yes, he finally flew, on a humanoid optical weapon.
So, I stayed behind with Hunter.
“Hmm…”
Hunter had grown quite large, so hiding in my clothes was no longer an option.
Well, it was possible, but if I did that, the inside of my skirt would be filled with Hunter alone, and I wouldn’t be able to bring my maid dolls with me.
Besides, it’s heavy.
Currently, I’m remaking a ribbon for Hunter, who has become quite the fantasy-sized snake. You see, the one I had wrapped around the neck… it snapped due to Hunter’s growth.
I used Glida’s threads to weave the fabric… I hesitated for a moment, but I dyed it with “Great Black Snake’s Scales” and embroidered it with “Song of Prayer.”
I was supposed to continue… but…
[Maito-san, I found one, so can you come over?]
Our mechanical warrior contacted me right away, so I had to interrupt my work.
I’ll make Hunter wait a bit longer…
And at the destination, the giant humanoid optical weapon was sitting cross-legged in a flower field.
“I’ve arrived!”
I waved to the humanoid optical weapon, and it waved back, pointing to a particular direction.
…When I used “Far Sight” to look in that direction, I saw it. The source of the disturbance, the Origin, was floating gently above the flowers.
…The humanoid optical weapon, or rather, Katori, probably shouldn’t get any closer. If he did, his power would likely drain, meaning his enhancements would wear off.
Hmm. In that case, I thought I’d better go and retrieve it. I started walking toward the source, but something tangled around my leg, causing me to fall.
[Maito-san! Don’t move!]
Then, I heard Katori’s voice through “Communication.” Overhead, something hot passed by with a sizzling sound, and there was a burnt smell.
And then, a muffled scream, like that of a monster.
“Dispel Light.”
And then, Katori’s ultimate technique exploded.
The flower field fell silent.
[…Maito-san, you can move now.]
What was that just now? I thought as I lifted my head and saw the charred remains of a large flower-like object.
“What iz diz?”
[It was probably a monster.]
Yeah, I knew that. But well, I shouldn’t dwell on it. Especially in the presence of this humanoid optical weapon, any fantasy would crumble…
…However, my legs still wouldn’t move.
I had a bad feeling, so I looked down at my legs and saw something incredibly unpleasant. It was like tendrils or tentacles, like natto bacteria had fermented and turned into this…
Yes, they were there.
…Thank goodness it’s not bare legs!
First of all, in situations like this, it’s common practice to “clean”!
I took a feather duster from my skirt and started dusting off the creepy-crawly creatures.
But for every one I got rid of, three more appeared. The squirming creatures multiplied. They kept multiplying.
Wait, stop it! They’re not supposed to grow longer! Aaah!
“Katoriiiiii!”
When I couldn’t handle it anymore, I called out to the gods, the Buddhas, and the humanoid optical weapon.
It was already in the process of recharging its energy.
[‘Eradication Beam’!]
With a voice full of determination, the ultimate technique exploded again, and the beam of light scorched right next to my legs…
“Pugyorororororororor!”
With a strange cry, something like a plant or a sea cucumber, or something along those lines, emerged from the ground. The slight dent in the upper right might have been caused by the ‘Eradication Beam.’
[‘Erase Beam’!]
It seemed that ‘Eradication Beam’ took some time to charge, so Katori opted for a more convenient laser attack.
Katori used the laser to cut through the sea cucumber plant, and the upper half fell to the ground…
From there, a giant flower bloomed. And that flower also started moving and producing more sea cucumber plants…
It was an endless loop!
[Maito-san! Let’s retrieve the Origin and retreat!]
“Understood! I’ll leave those sea cucumbers to you!”
With my legs free, I immediately kicked the ground and advanced.
The sea cucumber plants that sprouted from the ground to block my path were incinerated by Katori before they could reach me.
Finally, I managed to get close to the Origin and caught it in mid-air.
“Recovery complete!”
[Understood! ‘Iris Shield’! With this…]
And after retrieving the Origin and approaching the humanoid optical weapon’s feet… suddenly, a rainbow-colored, hemispherical shield was deployed around me.
I thought, “What’s going on?”
And then something incredible happened.
[‘Eradication Beam EX’!]
“Pugyorro!”
It was, how should I put it… a beam that surpassed ‘Eradication Beam.’
The intensity of the light was blinding, even with my eyes closed, and it seared through my closed eyelids.
The heat and wind generated by the beam passed through the shield and reached me.
I managed to endure it by lying low…
And when the heat and wind subsided, the area had turned into something like a wasteland, scorched earth.
Everything in the flower field outside the ‘Iris Shield’ range had disappeared within my line of sight.
At the same time, it seemed that the sea cucumber-like plants had finally vanished for good.
The area directly hit by the beam had turned into a crater. This was serious.
If we filled it with hot water, it could serve as a bathtub for the Glida!
…And the humanoid optical weapon, while emitting a slight trail of black smoke, was still standing there.
[Did we do it?]
“That’s a death flag. Stop it!”
But it turned out that my worries were unfounded.
I observed the area for a while, but there was no sign of the sea cucumber plants making a comeback.
Well, considering they had disappeared along with the ground… I suppose that unique monster that showed up might have met its end.
If that unique monster, which was perhaps unique to this area, was defeated in an instant… then…
…Gundams are truly fearsome.
“Maito-san, are you okay?”
Katori came out of the humanoid optical weapon and expressed concern for my well-being, but yeah, I’d rather he worry about the flower field.
“Yeah, well, I’m okay. Those squishy things on my legs disappeared with ‘Clean.'”
It was unpleasant, but the damage was limited to that.
“Oh, phew. There wasn’t any poison, right? Are you really okay?”
“You know I have ‘poison resistance,’ right? And besides, are you okay, Unit-01?”
“Yeah, I might need some repairs.”
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the humanoid optical weapon, which had been emitting black smoke earlier, had its right arm melted or missing. Yikes.
“So, are we stopping the search for the Origin here?”
“No, I think we can use Unit-03, so it should be okay.”
…Somewhere along the line, Unit-03 had apparently been created.
“So, shall we go back for now?”
“Yeah.”
And so, with Katori, the humanoid optical weapon, and the retrieved Origin in tow, we returned to 2F northeast. Ah, yes. Camouflaged Unit-03 was nestled among the trees.
“Okay, I’ll be heading out again, so can you send me to 4F?”
…Sure, go ahead. Use it as you like…
And then, feeling mentally exhausted from everything, I continued working on Hunter’s ribbon when another ‘communication’ came in.
[I found it.]
It was Kadomi-kun.
“Oh, okay. Um, there aren’t any sea cucumber-like things nearby, right?”
[Sea cucumbers?… No, there aren’t any.]
Yeah, I’ll trust your words.
So, I used ‘teleportation.’
Upon arrival, Kadomi-kun was waiting, patting Tera-san.
“It’s over there, please.”
Kadomi-kun pointed in a direction, and, yep, I could see the Origin floating there.
Still, it’s surprising to find these so easily. What were the previous ones all about?
“Well, I’ll go, but if something like sea cucumbers appears, I’ll run away, so be prepared.”
“Sea cucumbers? Why sea cucumbers… I understand.”
We definitely don’t want a repeat of what happened earlier.
The Origin was stuck within solidified lava.
You found it quite well.
I carefully used ‘Clean’ to clear the lava around the Origin and managed to retrieve it.
Checked the surroundings. No sea cucumber-like things. Good!
“I’ve retrieved it, so I’m heading back.”
“I’m going to look for the next one. I’ll call you if I find it again.”
With that, Kadomi-kun mounted Tera-san and flew away with flapping wings.
Oh, they’re flying backward.
When I returned, I finished Hunter’s ribbon and tied it around his neck.
[Thank you!]
The ribbon tied in a butterfly knot looks adorable. However, Hunter has already grown into a Gometoru.
But he’s still cute.
I really like these round eyes of Hunter, kind of like a snake or something. Hunter is cute no matter how big he gets.
Well, it’s about time to prepare lunch.
And just when I was thinking that, I received another ‘communication.’
[Maito, come over here.]
[We found something!]
It’s Hagasaki-kun and Kariya. Yeah, I guess I’ll go check it out.
Where I arrived was, well, it’s incredibly… cold! So darn cold! What is this? What’s going on here!
It was a world of snow and ice.
As far as I could see, it was made up of white, transparent, and overlapping thin blue ice.
Well, if it weren’t so cold, it would probably be a beautiful place. Yeah.
They explained to me that this is the 3rd floor East Area. I see, it’s a place I’ve never seen before.
“So, go ahead and retrieve it.”
When Hagasaki-kun casually pointed in a direction, yeah, I could indeed see the Origin buried in the ice.
Um…
“If Hagasaki-kun melts the ice with water…”
“Wouldn’t it be faster for you to use ‘Clean’?”
I looked at Kariya, who had a smile on his face that seemed to say, “Do your best.”
Ah, darn it!
I had no choice but to approach the block of ice.
…I’m riding Marbello. It’s like a mobile heated kotatsu. So warm.
[Lady Maito! It should be about time!]
[Lady Maito! I believe you can reach it!]
[Lady Maito! Please use my head as a stepping stone!]
…I received very kind and somewhat apologetic offers, so I didn’t hesitate and had Marbello carry me on top of its head. It’s the perfect height.
Then, I used the duster to gently remove the ice layer little by little.
[Lady Maito! Excuse me!]
Suddenly, I felt myself floating in the air, and in the next moment, I was being held in one of Marbello’s mouths.
And then, Marbello kicked off the ice wall and moved away.
“Ice Wall!”
Then, Hagasaki-kun’s signature move was unleashed, and what it collided with was… a giant ice dragon.
…This marks the second encounter with a Unique Monster (estimated) today.
And so, everyone left.
Shouldn’t only the agile Kadomi-kun go out, you might ask?
It’s because of George.
If I ask George, he can make a copy of the compass.
After all, it’s just a compass that points in a certain direction, so even if its performance drops by 1%, it won’t make much of a difference.
With that in mind, Kadomi-kun rode on Tera and flew away, Suzumoto and Hariu rode on Glida, President and Toriumi rode on Ketorami, Hagasaki and Kariya rode on Marbello, and Katori flew on a humanoid optical weapon.
Yes, he finally flew, on a humanoid optical weapon.
So, I stayed behind with Hunter.
“Hmm…”
Hunter had grown quite large, so hiding in my clothes was no longer an option.
Well, it was possible, but if I did that, the inside of my skirt would be filled with Hunter alone, and I wouldn’t be able to bring my maid dolls with me.
Besides, it’s heavy.
Currently, I’m remaking a ribbon for Hunter, who has become quite the fantasy-sized snake. You see, the one I had wrapped around the neck… it snapped due to Hunter’s growth.
I used Glida’s threads to weave the fabric… I hesitated for a moment, but I dyed it with “Great Black Snake’s Scales” and embroidered it with “Song of Prayer.”
I was supposed to continue… but…
[Maito-san, I found one, so can you come over?]
Our mechanical warrior contacted me right away, so I had to interrupt my work.
I’ll make Hunter wait a bit longer…
And at the destination, the giant humanoid optical weapon was sitting cross-legged in a flower field.
“I’ve arrived!”
I waved to the humanoid optical weapon, and it waved back, pointing to a particular direction.
…When I used “Far Sight” to look in that direction, I saw it. The source of the disturbance, the Origin, was floating gently above the flowers.
…The humanoid optical weapon, or rather, Katori, probably shouldn’t get any closer. If he did, his power would likely drain, meaning his enhancements would wear off.
Hmm. In that case, I thought I’d better go and retrieve it. I started walking toward the source, but something tangled around my leg, causing me to fall.
[Maito-san! Don’t move!]
Then, I heard Katori’s voice through “Communication.” Overhead, something hot passed by with a sizzling sound, and there was a burnt smell.
And then, a muffled scream, like that of a monster.
“Dispel Light.”
And then, Katori’s ultimate technique exploded.
The flower field fell silent.
[…Maito-san, you can move now.]
What was that just now? I thought as I lifted my head and saw the charred remains of a large flower-like object.
“What iz diz?”
[It was probably a monster.]
Yeah, I knew that. But well, I shouldn’t dwell on it. Especially in the presence of this humanoid optical weapon, any fantasy would crumble…
…However, my legs still wouldn’t move.
I had a bad feeling, so I looked down at my legs and saw something incredibly unpleasant. It was like tendrils or tentacles, like natto bacteria had fermented and turned into this…
Yes, they were there.
…Thank goodness it’s not bare legs!
First of all, in situations like this, it’s common practice to “clean”!
I took a feather duster from my skirt and started dusting off the creepy-crawly creatures.
But for every one I got rid of, three more appeared. The squirming creatures multiplied. They kept multiplying.
Wait, stop it! They’re not supposed to grow longer! Aaah!
“Katoriiiiii!”
When I couldn’t handle it anymore, I called out to the gods, the Buddhas, and the humanoid optical weapon.
It was already in the process of recharging its energy.
[‘Eradication Beam’!]
With a voice full of determination, the ultimate technique exploded again, and the beam of light scorched right next to my legs…
“Pugyorororororororor!”
With a strange cry, something like a plant or a sea cucumber, or something along those lines, emerged from the ground. The slight dent in the upper right might have been caused by the ‘Eradication Beam.’
[‘Erase Beam’!]
It seemed that ‘Eradication Beam’ took some time to charge, so Katori opted for a more convenient laser attack.
Katori used the laser to cut through the sea cucumber plant, and the upper half fell to the ground…
From there, a giant flower bloomed. And that flower also started moving and producing more sea cucumber plants…
It was an endless loop!
[Maito-san! Let’s retrieve the Origin and retreat!]
“Understood! I’ll leave those sea cucumbers to you!”
With my legs free, I immediately kicked the ground and advanced.
The sea cucumber plants that sprouted from the ground to block my path were incinerated by Katori before they could reach me.
Finally, I managed to get close to the Origin and caught it in mid-air.
“Recovery complete!”
[Understood! ‘Iris Shield’! With this…]
And after retrieving the Origin and approaching the humanoid optical weapon’s feet… suddenly, a rainbow-colored, hemispherical shield was deployed around me.
I thought, “What’s going on?”
And then something incredible happened.
[‘Eradication Beam EX’!]
“Pugyorro!”
It was, how should I put it… a beam that surpassed ‘Eradication Beam.’
The intensity of the light was blinding, even with my eyes closed, and it seared through my closed eyelids.
The heat and wind generated by the beam passed through the shield and reached me.
I managed to endure it by lying low…
And when the heat and wind subsided, the area had turned into something like a wasteland, scorched earth.
Everything in the flower field outside the ‘Iris Shield’ range had disappeared within my line of sight.
At the same time, it seemed that the sea cucumber-like plants had finally vanished for good.
The area directly hit by the beam had turned into a crater. This was serious.
If we filled it with hot water, it could serve as a bathtub for the Glida!
…And the humanoid optical weapon, while emitting a slight trail of black smoke, was still standing there.
[Did we do it?]
“That’s a death flag. Stop it!”
But it turned out that my worries were unfounded.
I observed the area for a while, but there was no sign of the sea cucumber plants making a comeback.
Well, considering they had disappeared along with the ground… I suppose that unique monster that showed up might have met its end.
If that unique monster, which was perhaps unique to this area, was defeated in an instant… then…
…Gundams are truly fearsome.
“Maito-san, are you okay?”
Katori came out of the humanoid optical weapon and expressed concern for my well-being, but yeah, I’d rather he worry about the flower field.
“Yeah, well, I’m okay. Those squishy things on my legs disappeared with ‘Clean.'”
It was unpleasant, but the damage was limited to that.
“Oh, phew. There wasn’t any poison, right? Are you really okay?”
“You know I have ‘poison resistance,’ right? And besides, are you okay, Unit-01?”
“Yeah, I might need some repairs.”
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the humanoid optical weapon, which had been emitting black smoke earlier, had its right arm melted or missing. Yikes.
“So, are we stopping the search for the Origin here?”
“No, I think we can use Unit-03, so it should be okay.”
…Somewhere along the line, Unit-03 had apparently been created.
“So, shall we go back for now?”
“Yeah.”
And so, with Katori, the humanoid optical weapon, and the retrieved Origin in tow, we returned to 2F northeast. Ah, yes. Camouflaged Unit-03 was nestled among the trees.
“Okay, I’ll be heading out again, so can you send me to 4F?”
…Sure, go ahead. Use it as you like…
And then, feeling mentally exhausted from everything, I continued working on Hunter’s ribbon when another ‘communication’ came in.
[I found it.]
It was Kadomi-kun.
“Oh, okay. Um, there aren’t any sea cucumber-like things nearby, right?”
[Sea cucumbers?… No, there aren’t any.]
Yeah, I’ll trust your words.
So, I used ‘teleportation.’
Upon arrival, Kadomi-kun was waiting, patting Tera-san.
“It’s over there, please.”
Kadomi-kun pointed in a direction, and, yep, I could see the Origin floating there.
Still, it’s surprising to find these so easily. What were the previous ones all about?
“Well, I’ll go, but if something like sea cucumbers appears, I’ll run away, so be prepared.”
“Sea cucumbers? Why sea cucumbers… I understand.”
We definitely don’t want a repeat of what happened earlier.
The Origin was stuck within solidified lava.
You found it quite well.
I carefully used ‘Clean’ to clear the lava around the Origin and managed to retrieve it.
Checked the surroundings. No sea cucumber-like things. Good!
“I’ve retrieved it, so I’m heading back.”
“I’m going to look for the next one. I’ll call you if I find it again.”
With that, Kadomi-kun mounted Tera-san and flew away with flapping wings.
Oh, they’re flying backward.
When I returned, I finished Hunter’s ribbon and tied it around his neck.
[Thank you!]
The ribbon tied in a butterfly knot looks adorable. However, Hunter has already grown into a Gometoru.
But he’s still cute.
I really like these round eyes of Hunter, kind of like a snake or something. Hunter is cute no matter how big he gets.
Well, it’s about time to prepare lunch.
And just when I was thinking that, I received another ‘communication.’
[Maito, come over here.]
[We found something!]
It’s Hagasaki-kun and Kariya. Yeah, I guess I’ll go check it out.
Where I arrived was, well, it’s incredibly… cold! So darn cold! What is this? What’s going on here!
It was a world of snow and ice.
As far as I could see, it was made up of white, transparent, and overlapping thin blue ice.
Well, if it weren’t so cold, it would probably be a beautiful place. Yeah.
They explained to me that this is the 3rd floor East Area. I see, it’s a place I’ve never seen before.
“So, go ahead and retrieve it.”
When Hagasaki-kun casually pointed in a direction, yeah, I could indeed see the Origin buried in the ice.
Um…
“If Hagasaki-kun melts the ice with water…”
“Wouldn’t it be faster for you to use ‘Clean’?”
I looked at Kariya, who had a smile on his face that seemed to say, “Do your best.”
Ah, darn it!
I had no choice but to approach the block of ice.
…I’m riding Marbello. It’s like a mobile heated kotatsu. So warm.
[Lady Maito! It should be about time!]
[Lady Maito! I believe you can reach it!]
[Lady Maito! Please use my head as a stepping stone!]
…I received very kind and somewhat apologetic offers, so I didn’t hesitate and had Marbello carry me on top of its head. It’s the perfect height.
Then, I used the duster to gently remove the ice layer little by little.
[Lady Maito! Excuse me!]
Suddenly, I felt myself floating in the air, and in the next moment, I was being held in one of Marbello’s mouths.
And then, Marbello kicked off the ice wall and moved away.
“Ice Wall!”
Then, Hagasaki-kun’s signature move was unleashed, and what it collided with was… a giant ice dragon.
…This marks the second encounter with a Unique Monster (estimated) today.
