Gate Break (3)
"Ren, you handle the monsters around us. I'll take that boss."
"…You sure you can handle that, nya?"
"Don't worry. I've got this."
"…Fine. I'll trust you this once, nya. But if things get ugly, you call me, nya."
"Got it."
With that, Ren turned her back on us and moved to clear out the monsters closing in from behind.
…I put on a good front, at least.
Now—what the hell was I supposed to do about that green pig?
My legs were shaking.
Not from fear. Pure, unfiltered agony. Using that skill earlier had completely wrecked the bones in my legs. Even standing was a struggle.
When I get out of here, I'm gonna need a wheelchair…
Assuming I even made it out.
Still, I had to try. Someone had to make that monster understand what it had done—what it had taken from those people.
Maybe it was the adrenaline, but at least I wasn't about to collapse just yet. Moving my legs, though, was severely limited. Running was out of the question.
Walking up to it wasn't an option either. That left me two methods.
One was driving Thunder Dragon's Heavenly Demise into that thing's skull one more time…
The Thunder Dragon has fallen into a deep sleep.
That message kept nagging at me.
The Thunder Dragon had fallen into a deep sleep…
Probably just the system's way of saying the skill was on cooldown.
Useless as always.
One use and my leg bones shatter, plus a cooldown on top of that?
Why were all my skills like this?
Ugh…
My poor, miserable life.
I wanted to curse up a storm, but there was no time for complaining. Less than ten minutes until the Gate Break.
…No choice, then.
I'd go with the other method.
But first, I needed to chip away at the boss's health. Using that skill once would drop me flat on the ground. With no idea how much HP the boss still had, the risk was way too high.
And in this state, there was only one way left to put damage on it.
I'd never tried it before, but…
I pulled the pouch from inside my clothes.
Might as well try.
I clenched my fist and set a coin on my thumb.
Railgun. I definitely remembered this one.
A childhood memory from the manga café—her epithet, her signature move.
Railgun.
Also known by another name.
The Super Electromagnetic Cannon.
KRA-KOOM—!
The coin shot toward the creature at staggering speed.
…It worked.
Nowhere near her level of power, but it had worked.
Did the damage… land?
Please let it have landed…
I prayed silently as I waited for the dust to clear.
"KREEEAAAK!"
The monster's massive roar tore through the air as the dust settled, revealing that absurdly huge body once more.
It… worked?
A red speck had appeared on its green hide.
Tiny compared to its size, sure—but bleeding meant real damage.
If I kept firing… I could kill it.
Hope flickered to life. Light spilled into a future that, only moments ago, had been pitch black.
I smirked and looked down at the pouch for another coin.
And then—
THOOM! THOOM! THOOM!
The ground began to shake with massive footfalls.
I snapped my eyes forward again.
What I saw was… a giant monster charging straight at me.
That was when it hit me.
I had overlooked one crucial fact.
That thing wasn't a statue.
I wasn't the only one who could close the distance.
WHAM—!
A crushing impact sent me flying into the wall.
CRASH!
"Guh—!"
Blood sprayed from my mouth. It hurt. Before, it had only been my legs—now my entire body was screaming.
"Master! Are you okay, nya?!"
The noise must have been loud enough—Ren, still fighting monsters, whipped her head toward me.
"I'm fine! Focus on the monsters!"
I forced the words out as loud as I could manage.
"…Got it, nya. Don't you die, nya. I'll finish these as fast as I can and come help, nya."
Ren turned back and began butchering the monsters one by one.
"Hah…"
I staggered, somehow peeling myself off the wall.
Maybe it was thanks to these clothes. Two heavy hits, and I was still breathing.
But there wouldn't be a third.
THOOM! THOOM! THOOM!
It was already charging in to finish me off.
"…Haah…"
No other way, was there?
I'd wanted something more… certain.
This was a gamble now.
I bent my knees slightly. Poured every scrap of strength into my thighs.
Time to answer that question.
…
"Master."
"Yeah?"
A few hours earlier, while we'd been waiting for the tuna sashimi delivery, Ren had spoken up mid-play with her ball.
"That garbage movement skill of yours, nya."
"…You mean Ride the Lightning?"
"…That's what it was called, nya?"
"…Yeah, pretty much."
"Even the name is trash, nya."
"Says you."
It was cool as hell. Cats just didn't get it.
"Anyway. Can you use it in midair, nya?"
"In midair? Never tried… Why would I?"
"Uh… because when you fight a giant monster, you go for the head, nya?"
"…Can't I just keep hitting the legs?"
"…Ugh, never mind, nya. My fault for asking a question of my idiot master, nya."
"What did you just say?"
"I said you're an idiot, nya."
"…I'm canceling the tuna sashimi."
"Ah—ah! I'm sorry, nya!"
…
Ride the Lightning.
I blinked once.
…Got it.
I was in the air. Looking down, I could see the monster's head right below me.
Step one: success.
Only step two left.
I reversed my grip on the sword—same as when I'd used Thunder Dragon's Heavenly Demise earlier.
And then I drove it straight into the creature's skull.
"KREEEAAAK!"
It thrashed in agony, whipping its head side to side. My body flailed along with every violent motion.
Just a little… more!
I shoved the blade down harder, forcing it deeper.
"KREEEAAAK!"
Ah, damn it.
I got flung off before I could finish the job. Strength issues, striking again…
I tumbled upside down, falling toward the ground.
Is this… how it ends?
Clink—
Hm…?
"……"
A dry laugh slipped out of me.
What an absurd miracle.
Looks like God… might actually be on my side.
I snatched up the coin spinning right in front of my face.
Pinned it against my thumb, took aim at the monster.
The target… its open mouth.
Railgun.
Railgun
KRA-KRA-KOOM—!
The coin punched clean through the creature's throat. At the same moment, that massive body began to topple backward.
"Checkmate."
Rewards will be distributed according to contribution.
Measuring contribution…
Contribution measurement complete.
Reward: 1 A-Rank Magic Stone, 1 B-Rank Magic Stone…
Hm?
That was…
"…What are you posing for, nya."
As I plummeted toward the ground, Ren came up alongside me.
She nudged my body around, shifted into cat form, and slipped underneath me.
Thump—
I landed without the slightest jolt. Ren's back made a perfect cushion.
"The monsters? Did you finish them all?"
"Of course I did, nya. Cleaning up that many is nothing for me, nya."
"Nice work."
I rolled over onto my stomach on her back and scratched behind her ears.
"…You can praise me more, nya."
"Haha."
She could just ask for praise outright. So bad at being honest.
"Hey, Ren."
"Nya?"
"Why… are you so much bigger?"
"…It's your imagination, nya. Get down already, nya. You're heavy, nya."
"Yeah, that's not happening."
"Why not, nya."
"My legs… won't move…"
"……"
Ugh.
"What a pathetic master, nya."
"…Sorry."
"Whatever, nya. Let's just get out of here, nya."
Ren turned her eyes toward the gate that had opened when the boss monster fell.
"Wait."
She'd been about to reach for it, but stopped at my voice.
"…What is it, nya."
"Ren, I'm sorry, but… I have a favor to ask."
The Gate was cleared—but there was still something left to do.
"…Can you do it?"
"…I'll look, nya."
Ren laid me down on the ground and waded into the monsters' corpses.
A short while later…
"These are the only people I could find, nya."
"…That's still something."
Finding even these was better than nothing.
Ren laid the badly damaged bodies out in a line.
I pushed myself up with my arms, then crawled over to them on my knees.
I set a coin in front of each of them. Travel money for the road ahead.
I pressed my hands together and closed my eyes.
And with everything I had left, I prayed.
Please… rest easy on the other side.