Trials and Rewards (1)
Rebecca awoke in the middle of ruins. The ceiling had collapsed, and only the bare minimum pillars remained to bear the weight, all shattered. Sword marks etched into the pillars here and there hinted at the fierce battle that had taken place.
Rebecca rose to her feet. Since it was a mock dungeon, there were no obvious external injuries. Her shoulders ached, but considering the height she'd fallen from, even that was a blessing.
Suddenly, a stench assaulted her nose. There was no specific source—it permeated the entire area broadly. At the same time, a chilling, skin-crawling energy made itself felt.
Rebecca knew what this ominous aura was. Demonic Energy. Something she'd hoped never to experience again, something she'd thought she'd shaken off for good.
"……!"
Seized by a sudden dread, Rebecca stripped off the glove covering her right hand. Her red eyes flashed. Her blackened right hand was transforming, no longer looking like part of her own arm. It was reacting to the Demonic Energy.
The erosion she'd thought suppressed was restarting, now visibly accelerating. She rolled up her sleeve, unbuttoning it and roughly pushing the fabric back. The corruption started at her fingertips, creeping up her forearm, past her elbow, and now reaching her shoulder. It had happened in an instant.
Her breath came in gasps. Her pupils trembled as if she'd witnessed something horrific. She clawed at her arm with her nails. But the darkening erosion didn't stop—instead, it spread even more fiercely toward her entire body.
No one knew what would happen if it progressed further. But one thing was certain: she'd lose herself.
For the first time, the terror of death gripped her anew. Just as the black energy stretched toward her neck—
"…Lady Rebecca."
A hand grasped her trembling shoulders.
"It's alright. Calm down and take slow, deep breaths. Slowly now."
A voice she never expected to hear in a place like this. Sion Illeionhart—Shion Esperand—had appeared like lightning and now stood before her. Yet the alien sensation in her right arm persisted. As her gaze dropped downward, Shion's hand touched her chin, gently lifting her face.
The blackened arm vanished from her sight, replaced entirely by Shion's green eyes. Her ragged breathing gradually slowed, returning to its normal rhythm. Only then did Shion nod toward her arm.
"Look."
"……?"
Rebecca finally glanced at her arm. The corruption, which had seemed poised to engulf her whole body, gradually subsided, stopping completely near her shoulder. It was bizarre.
Having caught her breath, Rebecca asked Shion, "How long have you known…?"
She was genuinely curious. His calm demeanor in the face of a sight that would terrify any ordinary person. His composed handling of a situation that could endanger his own life. Where did it come from?
—I'd rather bite my tongue and die than marry someone like you.
—Brother, I'm speaking rationally. For both our sakes, that seems like the best path.
It was so different from the Shion Esperand she'd once seen—unfamiliar, yet somehow…
"A very long time."
…instilling an inexplicable sense of comfort. That was the truth.
"Let's get out of here first. You've felt it too—this area's—"
"This area is thick with Demonic Energy. Surely not something Arsen intended."
But despite Rebecca's measured words, Shion just smirked.
Rebecca furrowed her brow and showed him her malfunctioning watch.
"Watches don't work properly in this zone either. The Arsen leadership probably can't observe us, or the situation here appears distorted to them."
"I had a rough idea."
"……Pardon?"
"I've felt that eerie energy ever since entering the dungeon."
Shion muttered cryptically as he fiddled with his watch. A simple map he'd sketched by hand projected into the air.
"This is the local geography I mapped on the way here. Strangely, there are no monsters around this area. Any guesses?"
"Probably…"
Rebecca rested her chin on her hand—or tried to. She buttoned her sleeve and slowly nodded.
"Monsters and Demonic Energy follow similar paths, but there's a clear hierarchy. Like an ecosystem."
"Ecosystem…?"
"Like how a cheetah, no matter how fast, doesn't challenge a lion or elephant."
Even among monsters, ecosystems existed. Food chains divided by size and strength were the same. Lower-grade monsters avoided mid-grade ones, and mid-grade avoided higher-grade superiors.
Monsters were born with a certain amount of Demonic Energy. Most on this continent were beings transformed by it. All monsters instinctively feared and avoided entities with stronger Demonic Energy.
Some came through gates from other worlds, but monsters were primarily local flora and fauna evolved through erosion. Some called them monsters, but it was the same word—used interchangeably.
However, monsters were born with Demonic Energy but didn't emit it externally. Not even higher-grade ones.
"Something must be emitting Demonic Energy powerful enough to dominate the area. Eliminate it, and this dungeon's weird energy should subside."
"There's only one entity that emits Demonic Energy."
"Yes…"
Rebecca sheathed her sword, securing the disheveled blade back at her waist.
"There's likely a demon in this dungeon."
The hesitation in her eyes was gone. Rebecca faced Shion with her usual serene, dignified poise.
"We don't know where the demon is, but if it's roaming freely like it owns the place, there will be casualties. Considering the number of cadets who entered, it could escalate into a major incident we can't ignore."
"Then we take it down first."
Just as cadet skirmishes didn't count as damage, attacks from demons didn't register as such either. Real physical harm occurred. Even if the faculty force-recalled them, the Demonic Energy-ravaged watches might not function.
The best solution was to eliminate the demon causing this mess.
Shion racked the slide on his pistol and looked up. The upper levels teemed with monsters just moments ago, yet none were here. Only excessively dense Demonic Energy clung thickly, like blackout curtains draped everywhere.
Watches didn't work. Shion, gazing upward, turned only his head to look at Rebecca.
"…Coming with?"
Her pupils quivered at his words. The hand that should have gripped her sword hilt momentarily floundered in the air. Finally, Rebecca gave a small nod. Her low voice followed a beat later.
"Of course."
—Then, I'm off.
With only those words, Sion Illeionhart vanished. The remaining party had just four members. With the two strongest, most reliable fighters gone, by Arsen's manual—
"Our group… is wiped out?"
Combat incapacity or total wipe. But Sion Illeionhart had said it clearly. It was just a passing remark during their Etlange discussion, but he'd anticipated this and prepared countermeasures.
—Suppose, just suppose, that happens.
—I'm talking hypothetically: one party member—or more—can't fulfill their role.
—Say someone gets badly injured and has to drop out inevitably.
—Especially if it's me in that spot, we hand off leadership. Decide the next leader in advance to avoid chaos.
Iri's response had been:
—…Obviously President Rebecca, right?
—And if she's injured and I'm tending to her?
—Then third-year Edel senior…?
—Ridiculous.
—Rian senior… no, that won't work. Then…
Shion had rested his chin, staring straight ahead intently. Iri, sitting opposite, scanned her surroundings, looked back and forth, and finally accepted it.
—No way…
Pointing at herself with a trembling hand.
—You're it. Iri.
—…
—F-Fine! But on one condition!
—What?
—When the request board opens later! Help me once. Details then, but you have to accept no matter what!
Her clenched fist trembled. Back then, she'd never dreamed this would actually happen. Shion always handled everything well, so she'd vaguely assumed he'd overcome whatever came this time too. That eased her worries somewhat.
Yeah. Sion Illeionhart, who vanished below, would surely rescue President Rebecca and return triumphantly. Their names still shone clearly on the party roster.
"……."
However.
Total Contribution Score: 68 points
Her own name plastered boldly in the leader slot? No matter how many times she looked, it didn't sit right.
"What does it say to do first?"
"L-Lemme… just a sec?"
Iri rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a crumpled paper. Shion's handwritten contingency plan was scrawled there. The part she needed was at the bottom: Plan B.
"First, link up with Group A. If we're at Plan B, things are dire, so immediately join another group and charge to the dungeon's lowest level…"
"Charge…?"
"Y-Yeah… it says to charge…"
Finally, Kazuha couldn't stand it and sidled up to Iri, peering over her shoulder at the handwriting.
"…If we're at Plan B, the situation's critical. Likely some party members have dropped out. Other groups aren't faring well either, so immediately find Group A with Kyle Ivanstair or whichever still has forces left and cooperate."
"……."
"And…"
Kazuha tilted her head at the next part.
"Charge to the underground mall's lowest level, take down the dungeon's final boss 'Feral Salamander' as fast as possible…?"
A stunned exclamation escaped them all.
"Yeah…?"