"…Sorry. I just needlessly angered him."
The three of them said almost nothing until they got home. Although some townspeople gently asked if they were alright, it wasn't enough to lift Ren's spirits.
Defusing the situation was a result of luck. Takuma could have acted recklessly, putting Fuuri and Iris in danger. Furthermore, there was no guarantee it wouldn't happen again.
As they entered the house, Ren bowed deeply to the two girls.
"Oh, come on. What are you talking about?"
Fuuri's arms wrapped around his body from the front, embracing his back.
"Thank you, Ren. For getting angry on our behalf."
"But—"
"It's fine. I wouldn't have been satisfied if we didn't say anything to a guy like that. If Ren hadn't said anything, I would have complained."
And she had, in fact, almost started to.
"A man should step up in times like that."
"...Honestly, Ren, you only act like a boy when it's convenient. Or is it when it's inconvenient?"
Was that a compliment or an insult? In any case, being so close to Fuuri's slightly moistened eyes made him terribly self-conscious. He was feeling so emotional that he felt like crying too.
"Actually, you're right on a lot of things."
"You don't have to worry about that right now."
"That's right!"
"Whoa...!?"
When he tried to pull away, Iris also leaned in. She hugged him from behind, the girls' body heat seeping into him from both sides.
It was a bad habit of his as a man to immediately think about sex, even when being comforted—but right now, there was also a genuine sense of relief.
"It's not your fault, Ren-san. ...I, too, was glad you said that."
"Iris."
This isn't so bad, he thought. He might never have experienced a moment like this if he had remained a normal high school student.
"Thank you. I'm really happy."
Ren smiled, then his face turned serious.
"All that being said, please let go now."
"Don't be so shy. It's not like anything big happens even if you get excited."
"Hey, don't you dare say that to anyone else!"
Iris hastily backed away, looking flustered.
--------------------
"...So, Ren. Can you understand Takuma's feelings even a little?"
They set the bag of sawdust aside, brewed some tea, and took a breather. Now that everyone was calmer, they decided to talk.
"I, for one, don't understand at all."
"Me neither."
"Well, I can't confidently say 'I understand,' either."
He offered a wry smile at the girls' firm declarations.
"He was on the handball team, right? A big guy who plays sports can get away with throwing his weight around just because of that."
"Is it like a Warrior is superior to a Mage? Isn't that wrong...?"
"Yeah. But physical strength is easier to understand, right? A Mage can't do anything if they get punched. That's where his pride comes from."
Between a student with good grades and one who excels in sports, if looks and communication skills are equal, the sporty one is more popular. Takuma had confidence in himself. He quickly found two companions from his classmates and even took in the pitiful one who became a succubus (Ren). Then, Fuuri followed along. He must have thought he was winning. If he could cleverly charm Ren and the others, he wouldn't lack for partners. Several boys who teamed up with Takuma later said, "We should have invited Ren."
Yet, Ren and Fuuri paid no attention to Takuma and his crew.
"Whether you're popular or not is a huge deal to guys. Some guys in the class are partnered with their original girlfriends, and others started dating after forming a party. At this rate, Takuma, who should have been a winner, is becoming a loser. It's even more unforgivable to him because things were going so well before."
He chased Ren out in a fit of pique, and then Fuuri left too. Finding other girls to join them wasn't easy either. Former classmates had already formed parties, and they would be wary if they knew he had a falling out with Ren's party. So, he probably thought he'd "forgive" Ren and the others and finally get what he wanted.
"Oh, please. How pathetic."
Fuuri sighed. With such a direct statement, Ren, as a man, was left speechless.
"It's important for girls whether they have a boyfriend or not, too, right?"
"We don't or can't threaten a guy who's more capable than us to be our boyfriend."
"True."
He had intended to defend Takuma a little, but he was forced to concede. In short, using "force" was the most uncool thing.
"Speaking of which, do you consider me more capable than Takuma?"
"Yeah. Takuma isn't exactly handsome."
"...Well, okay. I agree with that, but couldn't you be a little kinder?"
Her honesty was cringe-inducing. Was this what girls were like when they were only among their own gender? He would have been happier if she had at least compared him to Takuma "as a man."
"Um. Is it possible that he might come to attack us...?"
"Maybe."
Fuuri answered. Iris, who asked the question, had tears welling up in her blue eyes and trembled slightly.
"I've never fought a human."
"Huh, that's what you're worried about?"
"Yes. It's completely different from just hunting an animal for necessity, isn't it? Humans are unpredictable..."
Violence itself was normal for Iris. While sensing the difference in their values, Ren nodded and said, "That's true." They were similar.
Over the month and a bit they had lived in this Isekai, they had gotten used to "killing living things." Because if they didn't kill, they would be killed. But that was only because "the opponent was a monster." He wasn't confident he could do the same against a human.
However, Takuma and his group were probably different. They could likely fight even when they were in Japan. That's why he reached out to grab Ren's shoulder without hesitation. Guys like that easily misjudge the situation.
"Be careful, both of you. Try not to go out alone. And if things get dangerous, run or yell loudly. Even if you don't kill them, you can hurt them enough to chase them away."
"Okay."
"...Understood."
The two girls nodded seriously. Then, Fuuri looked at Ren.
"You too, Ren. In fact, you're probably the most in danger."
He wanted to say, I'm a man, but he couldn't. Since it was a fact that Takuma and the others were targeting him, whether he was a man or a woman didn't matter right now.
"Yeah. ...I guess I need to seriously focus on leveling up from now on."
He needed strength to protect himself. Since they started adventuring together, their power difference with Takuma's party was almost negligible. That was exactly why he couldn't let them surpass him. He decided to ignore his worries about his wings and tail for now.
"Will you stick with me?"
"Of course. ...Okay, let's make things a little harder next time. I'll use my saved points on combat skills too."
"I'll do my best not to be a burden on you two!"
Ren and his friends resolved to make a fresh start and work harder.
--------------------
"Magic Arrow!"
A multitude of glowing magical arrows materialized in the air. The number was thirty.
The base number of these magical arrows increased according to his status, and the number could be multiplied by up to ten times depending on the amount of MP invested. Although the power of each arrow was less than a Manabolt, it could cover a wide area.
The arrows rained down on the second-floor boss room, pinning down the Goblins as they tried to scatter.
The second-floor boss was a Goblin Thief. Its weapon was a small knife, but it was faster than a Soldier. It would be troublesome if it darted around, but while it was still, it was just a target.
An arrow flew through the gaps between the three Soldiers blocking the way, piercing the Thief's left eye, and a Spirit Magic "Firebolt" landed. The accumulated damage significantly slowed the Thief's movements.
The Soldiers recovered from the shock and raised their swords to move, but Ren quickly cast "Magic Arrow" again.
The power of overwhelming numbers was terrifying. The Goblins were halted again. The battered Thief let out a rallying cry, but a second arrow, shot by Iris while jumping, quickly depleted its HP.
As the Soldiers, whose charge had been interrupted, were thrown into disarray after their protectee was taken down, Fuuri swiftly snuck up.
"A Goblin's weak point is the same as a human's—the neck or the heart."
The new skill "Vicious Strike" activated on the attack to the carotid artery. The blade's edge seemed to sharpen, and blood sprayed spectacularly. Fuuri quickly moved away from the spot, skillfully avoiding the splash-back, and approached another Goblin.
"I need to be useful too...!"
The second-floor boss battle also ended in a decisive victory for Ren's party.
"...Wow, four fragments! Is it double the normal amount?"
After all the enemies dissolved into light particles, Fuuri performed the usual collection of drops. Meanwhile, Iris picked up the still-usable arrows, wiped the blood off, and returned them to her quiver. Ren focused on regulating his now-rapid breathing and resting to replenish his lost MP.
Magic Arrow was versatile, ranging from a minor spell to a massive attack, but its MP consumption was high. The heavy usage, maximized twice in addition to the MP already depleted on the way, took a significant toll.
"Ren, you look tired. We'll take care of copying the inscription, so you can sit down for a bit."
"Thanks, I'll take you up on that."
He sat against the wall and took a breather. As he had declared, this run had been a little harder. They had cleared the entire second floor in one go. They were forced to maintain a high level of tension, as monsters and traps that had been cleared once wouldn't respawn. But it was worth the effort.
He displayed his status window, nodded at the increased level, and thought, "What should I take next?"
Last time, he focused on utility, but since he now needed a way to protect himself, he wanted combat strength. Should he reduce the MP cost of Magic Arrow, increase the power of Manabolt, or raise his general offensive ability with a skill that boosts magic attack power itself? Elemental attack magic like fire, ice, or wind could cause burns, frostbite, or lacerations, making them disproportionately effective in a fight against humans compared to their base power. It might be worthwhile to learn them for emergencies. Since skill points were relatively precious, it was a difficult choice.
"...Hmm."
"Thinking about skills? If you're fighting men, Ren, there's a really good one for you."
"Fuuri. Are you done with your work?"
"Yeah. I collected the drops, and Iris already copied the translation."
Once Iris finished copying the Isekai script, they were done for the day.
"So, what's the good skill?"
"The skill to force men to do what you say."
"Ah, yeah. I get what you're saying."
He glanced at his body hidden by the robe and shook his head. The Charm skill. Its effectiveness was clear, given that he was judged as 'Male Ren > Female Fuuri,' but—
"I'd have to take this off."
"That will only get in the way once you level up more."
"I could cut a hole in this one and wear it."
"Do your wings not have a charm effect?"
He felt like they might.
"...No, no. They don't."
After thinking for a moment, he shook his head, deciding against it.
"I'm finished!"
"Good job, Iris-chan. Shall we go home?"
"Yeah."
They nodded to each other, and a strange sound echoed through the labyrinth. A bell-like clank-clank. There was no other immediate change. The sound didn't feel like an enemy attack—
"Hey, Ren, is this...?"
"Yeah. It's probably the sound for when reinforcements are arriving."
They couldn't go to a party that was completely wiped out. However, they could go to the aid of a party with at least one survivor. All they had to do was touch the inscription showing the current number of parties and think about which entry number they wanted to join. The method itself was written in the guidebooks.
The problem was why unsolicited reinforcements were coming.
"...Do you think it's possible someone failed to meet up as planned?"
"It's not impossible, but I think it's unlikely. They probably knew it was us when they entered."
There was usually no way to know the composition of the party currently exploring. However, if they had placed a lookout and confirmed Ren's party had entered, they could know which entry number was the target. If they were friendly, they would have called out openly instead of secretly watching, or they would have come to help sooner.
So, their purpose was the opposite. They must have thought that whatever happened inside the dungeon would be considered an accident.
"Would they really go that far...?"
"Ren, what do we do!? We have to get out of here fast!"
"Wait. Moving carelessly might make us run right into them."
He thought quickly. To join as reinforcements, they could only move to floors already cleared by the main party. And the attackers came in after Ren's party cleared the second floor. In that case, they could move from the first floor to the third. When entering the dungeon from the Temple, they could shortcut to any floor they had already cleared. To catch up with Ren and his party, it would be faster for them to go to the third floor and then come up to the second.
"Run! Not for those stairs, but out the second-floor entrance!"
============
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