Chapter 17

As the scorpion monster raised its tail, it immediately sprayed a purple liquid from the tip of its stinger. The liquid flew towards Aichi at a considerable speed, and he immediately leaped back to dodge it. The floor was hit by the purple liquid, which sizzled and melted upon contact. The appearance of the dissolving liquid.

Aichi, confirming the situation with a sidelong glance, drew Dona and opened fire.

A gunshot!

Maximum power. A bullet traveling at 3.9 kilometers per second exploded on the scorpion monster's head.

Behind Aichi, the shock of the attack was felt by Tsuki. She had never seen such a weapon before, one that fired with a flash of light and without any signs of magic. Aichi had only used a small electric shock from his right hand, but no magic array or incantation was needed. This meant that Aichi and Tsuki had the same ability to directly manipulate magic, and Tsuki realized this.

Identical to herself, and why was he here in this netherworld? Tsuki knew this was not the time to be relaxed, but her attention was not on the scorpion monster; it was focused on Aichi.

On the other hand, Aichi continued to use [Air Force] to leap repeatedly, his expression more serious than ever. Through [Breath Perception] and [Magic Perception], Aichi knew the scorpion monster was preparing something, as evidenced by its immobility. The scorpion monster aimed the stinger on its other tail at Aichi, and the tip of the tail suddenly enlarged, firing a needle at an astonishing speed. Aichi tried to dodge, but the needle burst mid-air, spreading out in a shotgun-like attack.

"Ugh!"

Aichi groaned in pain, using Dona to shoot down the needles, [Great Kick] to kick, and [Wind Claw] to blow. After barely managing to deal with the attack, he returned fire with Dona. Then, he threw Dona into the air and, in that instant, pulled a grenade from his waist pouch and threw it.

The scorpion monster endured another hit from Dona and prepared to release more shotgun needles and dissolving liquid. However, before it could, an 8-centimeter grenade rolled over and exploded. As the grenade detonated, the burning black mud it contained splattered onto the scorpion monster.

A [Burning Grenade]. It used firestones obtained from the tar layer, capable of releasing flames at 3,000 degrees Celsius.

It was effective; the scorpion monster's attack was interrupted as it thrashed to remove the flames from its body. Seizing the opportunity, Aichi landed on the ground, caught Dona like a ball, and immediately reloaded.

By the time he finished reloading, the [Burning Grenade]'s tar had almost burned out, and the fire had died down. However, the scorpion monster was still smoking, showing no significant damage, and its intense anger was palpable.

"Ki Yi Xia aaaaaaaa────!!"

The scorpion monster screamed and suddenly moved its eight legs, charging towards Aichi and Tsuki. Its four large pincers extended, whistling through the air like cannons as they approached Aichi.

Aichi dodged the first with [Shrink Ground], the second with [Air Force], and kicked the third with [Great Kick], sending himself flying. Seizing the opportunity, the fourth pincer aimed at Aichi, who was off-balance. Aichi immediately fired Dona, using the recoil to twist his body in mid-air and barely avoid the attack. Tsuki, on his back, groaned in discomfort, enduring the intense movement.

Aichi continued to leap in the air, landing on the scorpion monster's back. Balancing on the thrashing creature, he pressed the gun against its back and fired Dona at point-blank range.

Zi Gang En!!

A terrifying explosion echoed, and the scorpion monster's body slammed into the ground from the impact. However, the shell that was hit showed no signs of damage, and Dona seemed ineffective. Clenching his teeth, Aichi swung Dona to use [Wind Claw], but the intense metallic clashing sound indicated it was still unable to penetrate the enemy's shell.

The scorpion monster, as if saying "That's enough," aimed its shotgun needles at its own back.

Aichi immediately leaped back and twisted his body in the air, firing at the connection between the shotgun needles and the tail. The supersonic bullet accurately targeted the tip of the tail where the needles grew, but it was deflected by the large tail... The entire tail, up to the tip, was covered in an impenetrable shell, making it completely resistant to the attack.

The four large pincers attacked Aichi in the air like a storm. Aichi had no choice but to throw a [Burning Grenade] at the scorpion monster's back and leap back. The exploding tar hit the scorpion monster again, but this only delayed it.

(What should I do?)

As Aichi thought, the scorpion monster's scream, which he had never heard before, echoed.

"Gi Ki yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!"

The scream sent a chill down Aichi's spine. He immediately tried to use [Shrink Ground] to increase the distance... but it was too late. As the scream echoed, the ground around him rumbled and numerous conical spikes burst out. (Author's note: Is this scorpion monster related to Kimaro or the scorpion from LoL?)

"Damn!!"

This was a completely unexpected situation. Aichi tried to escape into the air, but he noticed the conical spikes closing in from behind. To protect Tsuki, he twisted his body, disrupting his stance. Using Dona and [Great Kick], he barely managed to survive, but he saw the scorpion monster's tail aiming to fire shotgun needles and dissolving liquid.

Aichi's face contorted. In the next moment, the two tails simultaneously fired shotgun needles and dissolving liquid to hit the airborne target. Aichi braced himself, knowing it was impossible to avoid both. He used [Air Force] to block the dissolving liquid, crossed his arms in front of his chest to protect vital areas, and used Dona to shield his face. His muscles, enhanced to the limit through direct manipulation of magic, tensed. Then, with a powerful impact, dozens of needles pierced Aichi's flesh.

"Kyaahahahaha!!!"

Aichi screamed in pain but managed to avoid a fatal wound. The needles stopped after piercing his flesh, not penetrating to harm Tsuki on his back.

Aichi was blown away by the impact, hit the ground hard, and rolled. Tsuki was also thrown off his back due to the impact.

As Aichi, now pierced by countless needles, gritted his teeth in pain, he pulled out a [Flash Grenade] from his waist pouch and threw it at the scorpion monster. The [Flash Grenade], flying in a parabolic arc, released a blinding flash in front of the scorpion monster.

"Ki Yi Xia aaaaaaaa────!!"

The scorpion monster screamed in pain from the sudden flash and involuntarily retreated. It seemed the scorpion monster had been tracking Aichi's movements with its eyes, thinking it could pursue him, but this assumption was incorrect.

Aichi crushed the container in his teeth and drank the divine water, then pulled out the needles one by one.

"Ugh!"

The intense pain made Aichi involuntarily groan, but it was not unbearable. He had endured far worse pain, and this was not enough to break him.

As Aichi pulled out the needles, he scanned the area for Tsuki, but she came to him first.

"Aichi!"

Tsuki, worried, ran to Aichi's side, her usually expressionless face now in tears.

"It's fine. More importantly, this guy is too tough. I can't see any way to defeat it. Attacking its eyes or mouth would be hindered by the four pincers... Should I charge in with the expectation of taking heavy damage?"

Ignoring Tsuki's concern, Aichi continued to think about how to defeat the scorpion monster. Tsuki, however, began to cry.

"...Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why don't you run?"

Tsuki understood the possibility that leaving her behind might save him, which was the implication of her question. Aichi looked at her in surprise.

"Now is not the time for such foolish talk. I haven't fallen so low as to abandon you just because a slightly stronger enemy appears."

Until now, Aichi had used underhanded tactics, ambushes, and even deceit, lies, and bluffs to survive. The battle with the grizzly bear was the only exception; otherwise, he had always fought honorably. This was not a place where Aichi could afford to be a knight, but he had no guilt about it; he had adapted to the environment.

However, he did not consider himself a villain. He believed in righteousness and understanding, and it was Tsuki who reminded him of these values and helped him regain them. Therefore, helping Tsuki was necessary, and abandoning her was not an option. When she entrusted herself to Aichi, he made his decision, which was a turning point in his journey.

Tsuki, hearing Aichi's words, nodded as if understanding something and suddenly hugged him.

"Oh, oh? What's this?"

In this situation, Aichi was slightly taken aback. The scorpion monster was about to return, and Aichi's wounds were healing, so he needed to get ready for battle. However, Tsuki, as if unaware of this, wrapped her arms around Aichi's neck.

"Aichi... trust me."

With these words, Tsuki kissed Aichi's neck.

"──!?"

No, it wasn't a kiss; she pressed her teeth against his skin. Aichi felt a sharp, electric-like pain and a strange sensation as if his strength was being drained. He tried to shake his head, but then...

Recalling that Tsuki had once called herself a vampire, Aichi realized she was feeding on his blood. "Trust me" must mean "Don't run away even if you feel fear or disgust from the vampire's feeding."

Aichi smiled bitterly, then tightly embraced Tsuki, supporting her body. Tsuki shuddered and held Aichi even tighter, burying her face in his neck. She seemed a bit happy, though it might have been a psychological effect.

"Ki Yi Xia aaaaaaaa────!!"

The scorpion monster's roar echoed again, clearly having recovered from the [Flash Grenade]. It seemed to have locked onto their position, and the ground began to ripple. This was likely the scorpion monster's innate magic, manipulating the surrounding terrain.

"But this is my specialty!"

Aichi placed his right hand on the ground and performed alchemy. The ripples within a three-meter radius stopped, and a circle of stone walls formed around Aichi and Tsuki, protecting them.

Conical spikes flew from all directions, but they were all blocked by Aichi's defensive walls. The spikes' destructive power could break through the walls, but new walls were immediately constructed, preventing the spikes from getting close. The scorpion monster had the advantage in the scale, intensity, and aggressiveness of terrain manipulation, while Aichi had the advantage in alchemy speed. Aichi's alchemy range was limited to three meters, and the spikes he created were weak and couldn't fly, so his alchemy was defensive.

As Aichi focused on his defensive alchemy, Tsuki gradually released her bite, licking her lips. Her usually expressionless face now had a fiery aura. Her movements and posture were seductive, contrasting with her youthful appearance. For some reason, the exhausted look she had earlier was gone, and her skin was now smooth and taut. Her cheeks were a dreamy rose color, and her red eyes glowed warmly. Her delicate hands gently caressed Aichi's face.

"...Thank you for the meal."

After saying this, Tsuki slowly stood up, raised her hand towards the scorpion monster, and muttered,

"[Azure Sky]"

Instantly, a sphere of azure flames, about six to seven meters in diameter, appeared above the scorpion monster. Despite not being a direct hit, the intense heat made the scorpion monster scream and try to escape. However, the vampire princess of the netherworld did not allow it. Her elegant fingers, like a conductor's baton, gracefully waved, and the azure flame sphere obediently followed her command.

"Gu Gi Yi Ya aaaaaaaa────!?"

The scorpion monster let out an unprecedented scream, clearly in agony. As the azure flames struck, the area was filled with a blinding light. Aichi protected his eyes with his arms and could only watch the magnificent magic in awe. Soon, the magic's effect ended, and the azure flames disappeared. The scorpion monster, now in pain, had its back shell melted by the intense heat.

The [Burning Grenade], which could not melt the shell, and the electromagnetic cannon, which had no effect even at point-blank range, had failed to penetrate the monster's defenses. Should Aichi praise Tsuki's magic, or commend the scorpion monster's durability for only having its surface melted by the intense heat? As Aichi pondered this, a "snap" brought his attention back to Tsuki, who was sitting on the ground, out of breath. It seemed her magic power was depleted.

"Tsuki, are you okay?"

"Um... very... tired."

"Ha ha, you did well. We're saved. I'll take care of the rest; you rest."

"Okay, good luck..."

Aichi waved and used [Shrink Ground] to close the distance. The scorpion monster was still alive, its back shell melted but still roaring in anger, preparing to attack Aichi with its shotgun needles.

Aichi quickly pulled out a [Flash Grenade] from his bag and threw it high into the air, then drew Dona and fired at the incoming shotgun needles before they split. The unaccelerated bullet hit the falling [Flash Grenade].

The scorpion monster, now accustomed to the flash, tried to find Aichi's presence in the bright space, but it couldn't. As it struggled to locate Aichi, he landed on its back.

"Ki Shu a!?"

The scorpion monster was shocked. It must have been surprised to find the presence it had been tracking suddenly on its back. Aichi had used [Breath Concealment] on top of the flash, making it impossible for the scorpion monster to detect him.

The melted shell burned Aichi's skin, but he was numb to the pain. He pressed the gun against the thinned shell and fired repeatedly. The scorpion monster's shell, now weakened, could not withstand the point-blank electromagnetic cannon shots, and its absolute defense was finally broken.

The scorpion monster, ignoring the risk of injury, used its two tails to strike Aichi on its back, but Aichi was faster.

"Here's something good for you."

Aichi pulled out a [Grenade] from his waist pouch and inserted it into the wound he had created with Dona, pushing it deep into the scorpion monster's body, ignoring the burning on his wrist.

Then, before the scorpion monster could attack again, Aichi used [Shrink Ground] to retreat. The scorpion monster tried to attack Aichi, who had just left its back, but it was too late.

Poom!!

A muffled explosion echoed, and the scorpion monster trembled. It finally stopped moving, and silence enveloped the area.

Soon, the scorpion monster began to tilt and fell to the ground with a creaking sound.

Aichi cautiously approached the motionless scorpion monster, inserted Dona into its mouth, and fired a few shots (Author's note: After the internal explosion, another mouth shot, and even corpse desecration, am I overthinking this?), gradually accepting the scorpion monster's death. "Good," Aichi nodded. "Definitely kill it!" This was Aichi's current principle.

Looking back, he saw a girl sitting there, expressionless but with a hint of happiness in her eyes. The dungeon's end was still unknown, but at least they had a trustworthy companion.

Pandora's box contained calamity and a small glimmer of hope. It seemed the metaphor he made before entering this room was spot on. Thinking about this, Aichi slowly walked back to her side.