Chapter 18

After defeating the scorpion monster, Aichi and his companions returned to Aichi's base with the materials and meat from the scorpion monster and the Cyclops. In proportion to the size of the giant body, the transportation was very arduous. However, with the immense strength Moon displayed through her excellent physical enhancement, the two of them managed to carry the cargo into the base. (Moon, who was exhausted from using the highest-level magic, instantly revived after drinking blood again.)

By the way, Aichi originally wanted to use the sealing room right away, but Moon firmly rejected this proposal. It's no wonder; after being confined for so many years, it's normal not to want to see the place again. To replenish supplies, they had to stay for a while, and considering mental health, it was better to leave the sealing room as soon as possible. So, now Aichi and his companions are replenishing supplies while chatting about each other.

"Then, isn't Moon at least over three hundred years old?"

"…Rude."

Moon glared at Aichi with a disapproving look. The topic of a woman's age is taboo in any world.

In Aichi's memory, a large-scale war three hundred years ago led to the extinction of the vampire race. In reality, Moon had been in a pitch-black silence for a long time, losing her sense of time. Anyone who saw her would feel that she had been sealed for a long time. But being called over three hundred years old when she was sealed at twenty was hard to accept.

"Do vampires live so long?"

"…I'm special. [Regeneration], age doesn't increase…"

According to what Aichi heard, after Moon's direct magic manipulation and the innate magic [Automatic Regeneration] awakened at twelve, she stopped growing. Ordinary vampires also drink blood and live longer than other races, but even so, two hundred years is the limit. For comparison, the average human lifespan is seventy years, the average demon lifespan is one hundred twenty years, and the lifespan of sub-humans varies by race. Some elves can live for several hundred years.

After Moon's ancestral power awakened, she became one of the strongest in the world in just a few years and ascended to the throne of the vampire race at seventeen. Indeed, the magic that could melt the scorpion monster's shell, the almost instantaneous attack ability, and the almost indestructible body would make her seem like a [god] or a [monster] to people. Moon is the latter.

Her greedy uncle spread rumors that Moon was a monster and tried to kill her under the guise of righteousness. However, because of [Automatic Regeneration], she couldn't be killed, so he had her sealed underground. Moon, who was struck by the sudden betrayal, couldn't even put up a proper fight and was sealed in the chaos.

Therefore, she knew nothing about the scorpion monster, the sealing method, or how she was brought to the Nether. Aichi, who had hoped there might be a way back, hung his head in disappointment.

He also heard about Moon's powers. According to that, Moon seemed to have adaptability to all attributes. After learning this, Aichi muttered, "What, that official cheat…" However, for Moon, she was weak in close combat and could only use magic while reinforcing her body and dodging. Even so, in front of her incredibly powerful magic, that wasn't much of a disadvantage.

By the way, Moon could cast spells without incantations, but she had the habit of muttering the spell names. Many people add unique actions and words to their spellcasting to complete the spell and clearly imagine it, and Moon was no exception.

Regarding [Automatic Regeneration], it is classified as an innate magic. As long as there is residual magic power, she won't die unless instantly reduced to dust. Conversely, if her magic power is depleted, she won't heal even if injured. In other words, at that time, Moon, whose magic power was depleted due to long-term sealing, would have died easily if attacked by the scorpion monster.

"Then… the key thing, does Moon know this area? Are there any other escape routes to the surface?"

"…No. But…"

Moon, who didn't know this area of the dungeon, looked apologetic but seemed to know something and continued.

"…It's said that this dungeon was made by one of the rebels."

"Rebels?"

Hearing this unfamiliar and somewhat ominous word, Aichi paused his alchemy work and turned his gaze to Moon. Moon, who had been watching Aichi's work, raised her gaze and nodded, continuing.

"Rebels… the divine servants who challenged the gods in the age of the gods. …It's said they planned to destroy the world."

Moon, a taciturn and expressionless girl, took a long time to explain. Aichi, on the other hand, needed a lot of time to replenish supplies. He had felt the lack of offensive power in the battle with the scorpion monster and was developing new weapons. Therefore, he prepared to listen carefully while working.

According to Moon, in the age of the gods, seven servants betrayed the gods and planned to destroy the world. However, their plan failed, and they fled to the end of the world. That 'end' is said to be the current seven great dungeons. This [Orkus Great Dungeon] is one of them, and it is said that the rebels' dwelling place is at the deepest part of the Nether.

"…If that's the case, there might be a way to the surface…"

"Indeed, there's no need to climb up from the bottom of the Nether. For a magic user from the age of the gods, using transfer magic to create a route to the surface wouldn't be strange."

Seeing the possibility, Aichi's face relaxed. Moon returned her gaze to Aichi's work.

"…So interesting?"

"…(Nod, nod, nod)"

Moon didn't say it, but she nodded deeply. Wearing a large coat, she sat with her knees hugged, her small hands extending from the long sleeves. Her appearance was incredibly cute, and with her unprecedentedly beautiful face, it was hard not to want to hug her.

(But, three hundred years old. No wonder in a different world. Loli grandmas really exist...)

Aichi, even if his heart changed, didn't forget his otaku knowledge and couldn't help but think about it, but Moon immediately reacted.

"…Aichi, thinking strange things?"

"No, what's wrong?"

Aichi brushed it off, but he was terrified by the sharp intuition of women, feeling a cold sweat. He continued to work silently, and Moon, seemingly not caring about it, asked Aichi.

"…Aichi, why are you here?"

A reasonable question. The bottom of the Nether, a genuine demon realm, is a place where only monsters exist.

Moon also had many other questions. Why can you directly manipulate magic? Why can you use multiple innate magics? Why are you fine after eating monster meat? What happened to your left arm? Are you really human? What kind of weapon do you use?

Aichi patiently answered all the continuous questions. Perhaps Aichi himself also craved conversation and didn't find it troublesome. In many ways, Aichi cared for Moon. Maybe Aichi, who was about to fall into true evil, saw Moon as his last line of defense, something he might have subconsciously felt.

Aichi started by talking about how he and his friends were summoned to this world, being called incompetent, and falling into the Nether after being betrayed by a classmate during the battle with Behemoth. He also talked about the changes after eating monsters, his desire to fight the Claw Bear, the potion (which Aichi named divine water), and the inspiration from his hometown's weapons to create modern weapons. As he recalled and spoke, he noticed Moon sniffing. What's wrong? Aichi raised his gaze to look at Moon, who was shedding tears. Seeing this, Aichi couldn't help but reach out, wiping away Moon's tears and asking.

"What's wrong all of a sudden?"

"…Sniff… Aichi… in pain… I'm in pain too…"

Clearly, she was crying for Aichi. Aichi's slightly surprised expression turned into a wry smile as he gently stroked Moon's head.

"Don't worry about it. It's fine now with the classmates. Dwelling on such trivial matters isn't the way. What's the point of going out to seek revenge? Instead, focus on honing survival skills and finding a way back home."

Moon sniffed, seeming to enjoy the stroking, and closed her eyes like a cat. But when she heard Aichi talk about going back home, she showed a startled reaction.

"…Go back?"

"Huh? To the original world? Of course, I want to go back. I want to go home… even though I've changed a lot… but… home… I want to go home…"

"…I see…"

Moon looked down with a dejected expression and muttered.

"…The place I go back to… doesn't exist…"

"…"

Seeing Moon's state, Aichi withdrew his right hand from her head and scratched his own head. Aichi wasn't a dull protagonist, so he more or less sensed that Moon saw him as a new home. Asking for a new name was probably for this reason. Therefore, if Aichi returned to his original world, Moon, who would lose her home again, would be very sad.

(Deciding to 'act only for myself,' it seems I was too naive.)

Aichi thought this and stroked Moon's head again.

"Ah, if possible, would you come with me, Moon?"

"Huh?"

Aichi's words surprised Moon, making her eyes widen. Her red, tear-wet eyes stared at Aichi, revealing a hint of unease. Aichi, speaking a bit faster, told Moon.

"No, I mean, my home. Well, it's a world of only ordinary humans. It might be a place with various restrictions for non-humans… I've changed a lot myself, so I don't know what will happen… Ultimately, what do you want, Moon?"

Moon was momentarily stunned, then seemed to understand and timidly asked, "Is it okay?"

However, her eyes revealed a hidden hope. Moon's eyes sparkled, and Aichi, smiling wryly, nodded. Thus, the previously expressionless Moon revealed a smile as if a flower had bloomed. Aichi couldn't help but be captivated, noticing his infatuated state and shaking his head.

Aichi felt that looking at Moon made him lose focus on his work. Moon continued to watch Aichi's work with interest, but she was now much closer, almost touching… Aichi told himself not to mind that.

"…What is this?"

Aichi's alchemy was gradually completing each part. A tube over a meter long, a red bullet twelve centimeters long, and other small parts scattered around. This was the new ace weapon Aichi developed to compensate for Dona's lack of power.

"This is… a practical rifle: electromagnetic cannon version. In short, you've seen my gun, right? This is a more powerful version. The bullets are also custom-made."

As Aichi said, combining all the parts created a rifle over one and a half meters long. Aichi aimed to increase the gun's power. Dona's explosive charge and electromagnetic acceleration were already at their limits, so a significant power increase was impossible. Therefore, Aichi made a new gun.

Of course, to increase power, a large caliber and a long acceleration range were necessary. Thus, the practical rifle was conceived. The maximum ammunition capacity is one round, but it has immense power. For example, Dona's maximum output has nearly ten times the destructive power of a practical rifle. A normal person would have their entire side shattered by the recoil when firing one shot, making Dona a monster's gun.

This new practical rifle, named Shura-ken. Theoretically, its maximum power is ten times that of Dona… supposedly. The material came from the scorpion monster. Using [Mineral Identification] to examine the scorpion monster's shell, the result was:

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Citral Ore

High magic affinity, special ore that hardens when infused with magic.

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It seems the scorpion monster's hardness was due to the properties of Citral Ore. Probably, the scorpion monster infused its vast magic power into it.

Aichi thought, if it's an ore, can it be processed? He tried, and the alchemy was surprisingly easy. This means the shell could have been easily broken with alchemy! Thinking about the previous struggle, Aichi couldn't help but feel dejected. This became a sad memory.

Acquiring high-quality materials, Aichi, thinking he could make a more robust gun, began developing Shura-ken. His skills had improved significantly when making Dona, so the work progressed smoothly.

The bullets were also carefully crafted. The Tauru ore bullets were coated with a Citral ore layer, similar to a full metal jacket. The cartridge was also filled with the optimal amount of propellant. After making one, as long as the materials were available, he could easily mass-produce them using the alchemy skill "Copy Alchemy."

Thus, while chatting with Moon, Aichi finally completed Shura-ken. Its menacing appearance was impressive, and Aichi finished his work in self-satisfaction. Feeling hungry, Aichi grilled the Cyclops and scorpion monster meat and began eating.

"Moon, let's eat… If Moon eats, it might be very bad? That pain is no joke… No, is it okay for vampires?"

Eating monster meat had become a daily routine, and Aichi casually invited Moon to join him, but he wondered if it would be safe. Thinking about this, Aichi looked at Moon.

Moon stopped playing with Aichi's invention and turned to Aichi, shaking her head and saying, "No need to eat."

"Well, surviving for three hundred years without eating, it's fine not to eat… Don't you feel hunger?"

"I do. …But, it's fine now."

"It's fine now? What did you eat?"

Moon pointed directly at Aichi with her finger.

"Aichi's blood."

"Oh, my blood. So, vampires don't need to eat after drinking blood?"

"…Eating also provides nutrients. …But, blood is more efficient."

Vampires are fine with blood. After drinking Aichi's blood, she has been satisfied ever since. Indeed. Moon stared at Aichi, who understood, and for some reason, licked her lips.

"…Why did you lick your lips?"

"…Aichi… delicious…"

"Delicious? You, my body has absorbed a lot of monster blood and flesh, so it should taste bad…"

"…A mature flavor…"

"…"

According to Moon, it was like a rich and deep broth made by simmering various vegetables and meat. Thinking about it, she seemed to be enchanted when she first drank his blood, so this feeling wasn't a delusion. It makes sense to be enchanted after tasting a gourmet meal while suffering from hunger.

However, Aichi now wanted to dispel the seductive atmosphere created by Moon licking her lips. This feeling of her being older, combined with her youthful appearance, made him feel morally conflicted, and Aichi couldn't calm down in another sense.

"…Delicious."

"…Please spare me."

In various ways, she might be the most dangerous partner, and Aichi felt a cold sweat on his back.

～～～～～～～～

Bonus scene, unrelated to the main story

Kashiko "…Tsk"

Shizuku "!? K-Kashiko? Tsking is…"

Kashiko "Huh? What's wrong, Shizuku?"

Shizuku "N-Nothing…"

Kashiko "…Cheater"

Shizuku "Kashiko!?"

Kashiko "Mm, it's fine, Shizuku. I just feel a bit threatened by my position."

Shizuku "I don't think that's fine…"