As Tsubaki's slightly blunt words landed.
The girls around them, who had been bickering or wiping their weapons, all paused their movements in unison.
Several gazes quietly converged on them.
After all.
Although no one said it out loud, they were all curious about what Inaba Tsukuyo would say next.
Faced with Tsubaki's overly direct inquiry, Inaba Tsukuyo did not show the slightest bit of unease.
She simply adjusted her sitting posture slightly, her hands resting gently on the scabbard of the tachi named [White Heron] placed across her knees.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"Tsubaki-senpai must be joking."
"The reason Tsukuyo did not draw her blade..."
"Is simply because Tsukuyo felt that everyone's swords were too fast."
"Those monsters were turned to dust before they could even get within a few steps of Tsukuyo."
"Since everyone is so eager for battle, why should Tsukuyo compete for that credit and spoil everyone's fun?"
"If it is just about not wanting to compete for credit..."
"Then what if..."
"What if an opponent appeared that even they couldn't react to in time, one that came directly for your throat?"
"At that time, what would you do?"
"If there really is such an uninvited guest..."
"Then the blade in Tsukuyo's hand will naturally contribute its meager strength."
"After all..."
"Although Tsukuyo does not wish to compete for credit, neither does she wish to become a burden that drags everyone down."
"Hoh?"
Hearing these words, Tsubaki raised an eyebrow, a glint of light flashing in her single eye.
This tone.
It suited her taste.
However.
Just as Tsubaki was about to say a few words to casually change the subject.
Suddenly.
An anomaly occurred.
Sizzle...
On the ground behind Inaba Tsukuyo.
Originally, it was just an ordinary shadow cast by a rock. But in an instant, that ordinary shadow seemed to come alive.
The originally static blackness boiled and twisted as if it had life.
Immediately following that.
Glug.
That puddle of black liquid surged fiercely upward.
In the blink of an eye, that stain solidified into the silhouette of a humanoid figure.
The monster was about 1.6 meters tall. To describe its appearance in one word: it was a pure black shadow, possessing only slender limbs and three sharp hook-claws shining with a cold light at its wrists.
This was precisely the type of monster that generally only began to appear after the 6th Floor.
——War Shadow.
Relying on agility far surpassing that of Goblins and Kobolds, they often dealt fatal blows when rookie teams let their guard down.
For this reason, they were crowned with the title of "Rookie Killer" by the Adventurers of Orario.
And at this moment.
The timing of this War Shadow's appearance could be said to be chosen perfectly. It was exactly the interval when everyone had relaxed their vigilance and was chatting.
Moreover.
After that pitch-black face without facial features appeared, the target it chose was locked straight onto the blind girl sitting properly on the rock with her eyes closed tight—the one closest to it!
It was seen.
Hiss—!
The War Shadow emitted a bizarre hissing sound that lacked vocal cord vibration. Those sharp claws, carrying a fierce wind that tore through the air, went straight for Inaba Tsukuyo's slender neck.
The distance was less than half a meter.
Fast.
It was truly fast.
Compared to the sluggish Goblins encountered before, the speed of this War Shadow was on a completely different level.
In a surprise attack at this distance, an ordinary rookie would have had their head removed before the thought of turning around could even rise.
"!"
Seeing this, Tsubaki's pupils constricted slightly.
As a Level 5 First-Class Adventurer, she could naturally react. Almost the instant the War Shadow sprang out, her hand had already touched the hilt of the weapon on her back.
As the team leader, she naturally needed to be the safety net. She absolutely could not let a rookie have an accident right under her nose.
No matter how much potential these rookies had, facing this kind of raid specifically designed to kill rookies was still too dangerous.
However.
Before Tsubaki's blade could be drawn even half an inch, her movement stopped.
Because.
Someone's speed was faster than the War Shadow!
Only a sound was heard.
Zheng—
A clear and extremely high-pitched ring exploded abruptly! It was not the noise of metal colliding, but the clear cry produced by a sharp blade rubbing against the inner wall of a scabbard at high speed, like the call of a crane!
Fast!
Too fast!
A streak of white light flashed rapidly in the Dungeon!
Inaba Tsukuyo pushed the sword guard with her left hand!
Her right hand drew the blade as fast as lightning!
The white blade edge suddenly traced a perfect semi-circular arc! It was a sword shadow that the naked eye could barely capture!
As if moonlight had suddenly appeared!
——Iai · Cloud Shine.
Swish!
The sound lagged behind the light.
When that slight sound of cutting reached everyone's ears, the battle had actually long been decided.
The pitch-black sharp claws of the War Shadow, which were about to touch the back of the girl's neck, stopped abruptly in mid-air just like that.
The distance from that section of snow-white neck was only less than three centimeters.
But these three centimeters were the absolute chasm between life and death.
Stillness.
The entire scene seemed to have the pause button pressed.
The next second.
Sizzle...
A fine white line emerged from the waist of the War Shadow's pitch-black humanoid form.
Immediately following that.
Splurt—
The entire body of the War Shadow was directly sliced in two at the waist!
The cut was as smooth as a mirror.
Bang.
It didn't even have time to let out a dying scream. The two sections of the black ruined body, along with that sure-kill claw strike just now, turned into a cloud of thick black ash under this single slash, dissipating into the air.
Only a Magic Stone the size of a fingernail and a section of broken sharp claw fell to the ground.
Phew...
The girl gently exhaled a breath of turbid air.
Subsequently.
With a shake of her right wrist, she twirled a beautiful sword flower.
Sheathing the sword.
Click.
With the crisp sound of the sword guard interlocking with the mouth of the scabbard, the biting killing intent that had erupted in that instant also vanished like smoke.
It was as if that stunning flash of sword light just now was merely everyone's hallucination.
At this point.
Inaba Tsukuyo turned her head slightly, those spiritless red pupils accurately facing Tsubaki's direction, her face still wearing that gentle and quiet expression.
"Tsubaki-senpai."
"This is Tsukuyo's answer."
"..."
Watching this scene.
Even Tsubaki, a knowledgeable Level 5, couldn't help but feel a trace of absurdity at this moment.
After all, that drawing speed just now...
That tension which erupted in an instant, perfectly converting stillness into extreme speed, was simply too stunning!
And.
The most critical thing was that judgment.
There was not the slightest hesitation, not a bit of delay.
It was as if the moment she sensed that trace of killing intent directed at herself, her body had already made the most perfect response ahead of her brain.
Haimer-sama really picked up a treasure, huh.
Thinking of this, Tsubaki couldn't help but click her tongue in secret admiration.
After all.
Although the War Shadow was only a slightly troublesome commodity in the Upper Layer regions.
But.
Don't forget.
This child named Tsukuyo is still just a Level 1 rookie!
And a blind person at that!
To be able to achieve a one-hit kill by striking later but arriving first when raided by a monster...
This kind of thing was rare as a phoenix feather or a unicorn horn, even in Orario.
Even.
In Tsubaki's mind, the figure of the golden-haired girl known as the [Sword Princess] emerged.
——[Loki Familia], Aiz Wallenstein.
That genius who spent only one year leveling up from Lv.1 to Lv.2, breaking the record for the fastest level-up in Orario.
All along.
This record had been like a great mountain pressing on the heads of all latecomers, making them unable to catch up.
But now...
Tsubaki looked at this blind girl.
Intuition told her.
"If it's this child..."
"Perhaps."
"There really is a chance to break that record."
Thoughts reaching this point.
The interest in Tsubaki's heart became even stronger than before.
After all, looking at it now, this errand of leading rookies was truly the right call.
Witnessing the birth of a monster.
This has always been an interesting event that the Gods and Adventurers living in Orario could only wish for.
Not to mention for a smith like her.
To be able to watch a weapon she forged with her own hands bloom with such radiance in the hands of a peerless genius.
That sense of satisfaction was simply more intoxicating than drinking top-quality strong liquor.
____
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