Joint Practical Training (3)
“Uwaaaaaah—!!”
The scream grew steadily closer. And then.
Thud thud thud thud thud—!!
The massive vibrations intensified. The rumbling was so intense it could easily be mistaken for an earthquake, and as it grew louder, we all realized what it was.
“It’s not an earthquake…”
“W-what is it?”
Edric’s mutter and Sierra’s panicked voice. I knew exactly what it was, and Chris, gripped by panic, was plastered to my back without a word.
Moments later.
“Save meeeee!!”
The owner of the scream burst into view right in front of us. He’d come dashing desperately around the corner ahead on the path we were taking—a student from the academy, naturally. He clutched the gem from our practical assignment tightly in his hand as he ran toward us.
“What’s going on? Why isn’t he using his bracelet?”
Sierra voiced her confusion at the sight, and I answered.
“He’s got the gem. You can’t return if you’re holding it.”
“Oh, right.”
It was to prevent cheating—using the bracelet to return right after grabbing the gem.
“But what’s chasing him…?”
Sierra’s follow-up question didn’t stay unanswered for long.
Thud thud thud thud thud—!
“Uwaaaaaah—!!”
“W-what the hell is that…?”
“What else? We gotta run too!”
Sierra froze at the sight of the massive monster that appeared. I grabbed her hand and Chris’s, then bolted in the opposite direction.
“W-wait! I’m coming too!!”
Edric chased desperately after us.
As expected, it showed up right on schedule.
“Uwaaaaaah—!!”
The beast that appeared was the dungeon’s top monster—the one called the boss in the game. Its enormous body filled the cave-like dungeon interior. It crawled forward on four legs through the narrow passages, resembling a giant bull called a Gramos.
“Kyaaaaah—!!”
“Uwaaaaaah!!”
Kaboooom—!! Boom…!
Right after we rounded the corner at the end of our path, the Gramos charged and smashed face-first into the wall. The impact sent earthquake-like tremors echoing even louder through the dungeon.
“Wh-what do we do, what do we do—!!”
Sierra, glancing back, shouted with her eyes wider than I’d ever seen.
“Just run! There’s a big passage just a bit farther!”
I yelled back at her, leading the group in one direction while gripping Chris’s arm tightly as she followed close behind.
“Uwaaaaaah!!”
The Gramos didn’t stop after bashing its head—it was still chasing us. The student it had been pursuing must’ve slipped into a side path. Or maybe ditched the gem and used his bracelet to return.
Almost there.
As we neared the exit of the narrow passage into the large one, I steeled myself.
“Uwaaaaaah—!!”
The Gramos appeared in every single loop during this joint practical. Even the student being chased was always the same. He must’ve woken it while searching for the gem.
Anyway.
Since we always encountered the Gramos in every loop, I knew its patterns inside out.
And then.
“Scatter—!!”
The moment we burst from the narrow passage into the wide one, I dodged in the opposite direction from Sierra and Edric, shouting the order. I hugged the Chris I’d been holding and rolled across the ground.
“Ngh…!”
“Kyaaaa—!!”
And then.
“Uwaaaaaaaaah—!!!”
Thud thud thud thud!Kabooom!!
The Gramos barreled out of the passage we’d just escaped without stopping and slammed its head into the opposite wall.
The Gramos halted its movement after the impact. But.
Rumble rumble rumble…
“Kyaa! Now what?!”
The ominous vibrations continued echoing through the large passage from where it had hit the wall.
Rumble rumble rumble…
The instant I heard it, I shouted to Sierra and Edric on the other side.
“Run to the opposite side!”
“What?”
“Don’t ask—just run the other way—!!”
“O-okay!”
I scooped up the fallen Chris and sprinted in the opposite direction from Sierra.
“Emil…”
Chris, cradled in my arms, looked up at me with an odd expression. She seemed relieved, but unfortunately, it was too soon for that.
Rumble rumble rumble—!!
The vibrations shaking the passage grew even stronger.
It’s coming…!
And right on schedule.
Kraka ka ka ka—!!
The ceiling collapsed, burying the area in rubble.
Rooooar…
Dust clouds billowed, and the vibrations began to fade.
“Cough! Chris… you okay?”
“Yeah… you?”
“I’m fine, no injuries.”
After checking on Chris, I looked around.
Same as before.
We were surrounded by neat piles of rubble. It looked just like a stone arena. Was this an actual event from the original game? I didn’t remember it, but since the scenery matched the 4th loop perfectly, I wondered.
And the rubble had parted cleanly around us both.
Of course, this spot where the rubble didn’t hit was one I knew from experiencing the 4th loop. It had been luck back then, but this time I’d intentionally thrown myself here.
“This is bad. We’re completely blocked in.”
“Yeah.”
Chris, surveying the surroundings with me, said so.
“No choice… we’ll use the bracelets to return… Uh, wh-what?”
“……”
“The bracelet’s…”
The escape magic tool provided by the academy for safety. It was gone from her wrist.
Mine too, of course.
“Must’ve come off when we jumped in.”
“Guess so…”
Chris nodded in agreement with my words.
“P-people will come soon, right?”
She edged closer to my side and sat down on the ground with me.
“If Sierra and Edric are safe, they’ll definitely bring the professors. Don’t worry.”
“Yeah, you’re right…”
She hugged her knees and glanced at me. Her cheeks flushed slightly—she seemed conscious of being alone with me.
“You okay, though?”
“Huh? W-what with?”
“Dark places. You hate them.”
“Oh…”
At my question, Chris’s eyes darted around in panic before she stared at the ground and carefully spoke.
“I’m… okay, I think.”
“Really? Last time it looked pretty bad.”
“That time I was alone… and it was darker than this… And…”
Chris blushed faintly and peeked at me.
“H-having you here with me… makes me feel safer, I guess…”
I chuckled at her honest words.
“Good to hear.”
“……”
We fell silent for a while. I considered saying more but quickly dismissed it.
It’s about time.
I just gripped the sword hilt tightly, waiting for the real event to begin.
Then.
“Um, Emil…”
Maybe the silence felt awkward—Chris spoke up cautiously.
“Chit chit chit chit—!!”
At the same time, a sound that wasn’t ours echoed from the surroundings.
“Something’s here…”
Hearing it, I stood up as if I’d been waiting.
“Emil…?”
Chris tilted her head, puzzled by my sudden movement.
And then.
Whoosh—!!
“Kyaaaaah—!!”
Chris screamed in surprise as I swung my sword. In the dark, she seemed like a total kid despite not usually startling that easily.
“A m-monster…?”
But she quickly realized why I’d swung. The bisected corpse on the ground—a bat-like monster that sucked blood.
“Chris.”
“Y-yeah…?”
I looked at the seated Chris and said quietly.
“Get up and stay behind me.”
“What…?”
And with that.
“Keeaaak—!!”
“Chit chit chit chit!!”
“Heekyaat—!”
Cries from various monsters echoed around the rubble piles.
Ah… this is gonna hurt again…
Recalling the 4th loop, I made a tired face where Chris couldn’t see.
In the 4th loop, I’d been truly in love with her, fighting without a care for my life. But now it was different. I didn’t feel like risking my life for her.
Hell, if it came to dying for real, I’d consider ditching her and running.
However.
I had to fight.
Come on, then…
All for.
“Emil…”
Completing Chris’s route.
“E-Emil—!!”
“Ngh…!”
Chris screamed at Emil with a face full of terror.
A snake-like monster had just bitten his wrist.
“Chris—! Don’t move!”
“But…!”
Slash!
“Hah… hah…”
Emil severed the snake biting his wrist with his sword, roughly yanking its fangs from his arm.
Drip drip…
Another wound bled from his wrist.
But that wasn’t the only one. His arms, legs, waist, chest, even his nape and face—covered in small cuts. Emil’s condition was far from fine, to put it mildly.
Only his back.
The back protecting Chris remained unscathed and clean.
“I-I should fight too…! I’ll fight…! Emil…!”
“Stop it. I’m fine—just stay hidden, Chris…”
“But…!”
Her hands trembled uncontrollably as she drew her sword.
Why now of all times…!
But terror made her hands shake; she couldn’t move properly.
Why? Maybe the sudden stench of blood.
It vividly recalled the moment she’d hidden in the closet at age ten.
She wanted to help, but couldn’t.
“Hup—!”
“Kee eeeek!!”
Slash!
Stepping up now might just get in Emil’s way.
“Don’t worry… Chris…”
Emil slashed a charging centipede-like monster and called to her amid ragged breaths.
The battle had raged over an hour already. He was exhausted, his eyes glazed.
He could collapse any second.
But.
“I’ve got you… so don’t worry…”
“Emil…”
Sheer willpower to protect her kept his legs planted. He gripped the hilt fiercely.
“Haaaaah—!!”
Whoosh—!!
With a final death-rattle shout, he swung.
“Squeeee—!!”
A rat-like monster lunging for Chris beside him was cleaved in two with one stroke.
Squelch…!
“Hah, hah…”
But as if he couldn’t hold out anymore, Emil jammed his sword into the ground and heaved for breath.
“Emil…”
Chris just wept, staring at his back.
You can’t die…
In a situation where she might die too.
Chris worried only for him.
Why me, why now…
She hated herself.
She should overcome her trauma and help him now.
If she fought with him, he wouldn’t be suffering like this.
“Hic, Emil…”
She cursed her useless self as she gazed tearfully at the Emil protecting her.
And finally.
“Haaaaaaaah—!!”
Emil bellowed at the last scorpion-like monster, swinging his sword.
Slash—!
His exhausted blade cut through it with unbelievable sharpness.
“Cough…”
He’d felled them all, but.
“Emil—!”
Emil lost balance and collapsed too.
Too many wounds.
“Emil! No…! Stay with me—!”
Chris desperately called his name as his eyes began to close.
Fuck, this is brutal…
An hour-long battle.
Even knowing it ahead, it was hell to endure.
How the hell did I pull this off last time…?
Thanks to steady training and Easy Mode traits. Without them, the talentless 4th loop survival was a miracle.
Anyway, it’s done…
Having succeeded, Emil smiled faintly.
“Ch-Chris… any injuries…?”
He repeated his 4th-loop words to her.
“Hic, not me… look at yourself…”
But Chris reacted a bit differently than in the 4th loop.
Back then, it was.
Yeah, hic, I’m fine… thank you, Emil…
Something like that.
“I-is anyone there—!!”
Instead, Chris laid the fallen Emil on her lap, gripping his hand tightly.
And shouted around.
“Help—!!”
Worried he might die, she yelled loudly.
Ignoring the trauma rising in the dark.
They’ll come soon even without you yelling.
Unlike Chris, Emil calmly closed his eyes.
He remembered the sequence perfectly.
Count to ten and the professors will…
He shut his eyes and counted silently.
“Please, hic, please help…!!”
And for Chris, it was miraculous timing.
Rumble rumble—!
“Over here! Students are here—!!”
The academy supervisors appeared, frantically clearing rubble with urgent faces.
Finally… it’s over.
Emil relaxed at the light magic glow from the professors.
Chris’s route complete.
The most physically grueling one ended.
Reassured, he let the professors help him out of the rubble as an injured student.
But.
“What…?”
Emil couldn’t rest yet.
“S-Sierra…”
While heading out of the dungeon.
Edric ran up, face pale as a ghost.
“E-Emil—!!”
Hearing that, Emil forgot his pain, leaped from the stretcher, and ran.
Chris and the professors’ confused voices trailed behind, but.
Damn it—!!
Emil dashed forward with a desperate face.
Everything until now had been part of his plan, like a show.
But.
A real crisis unfolded.
“Emil…”
Chris stared blankly at his anxious back with unease.