Why Is Everyone in This Dating Sim Trying to Kill Me?!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: Counterattack (2)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Hup—!"

Jin Yuha let out a short breath and pushed off the ground.

Thwack!

With a sound like a gunshot, Jin Yuha's body shot forward.

Swoosh—

But the boss wasn't just going to stand there and watch.

Swoooosh—!!!

Flying tentacles, aimed at Jin Yuha, gaped open.

Their gaping mouths were packed with sharp teeth.

If caught by those, it wouldn't end well.

However, Jin Yuha showed no sign of panic, twisting his body to evade the tentacles even as he flew through the air.

As his body twisted, the azure blade of Moonlight swung.

Slice—

"Kieeeeeeek!!!!"

The severed tentacles thrashed wildly with a hideous shriek, splattering black blood across the ground.

Meanwhile, Ichika, clinging to Jin Yuha, bit back a groan against the fierce resistance of the wind, which made it hard to even open her eyes.

However, she bit her lip tightly and stared with wide eyes. From now on, everything depended on her.

'…The speed is too fast.'

At this speed, trying to create footholds by sight would be too late.

This was the realm of prediction and instinct.

Ichika's mind raced.

'I'm not sure. Maybe about 400 meters ahead?'

Ichika roughly gathered spirits at the spot where she predicted Jin Yuha would stop.

Since she hadn't properly grasped the distance yet, she summoned ten spirits to create a wide foothold.

Soon, their speed began to slow slightly.

Ichika's brows furrowed.

'A little further ahead.'

But Jin Yuha wasn't looking down at his feet. He was simply preparing to powerfully step, as if he expected a foothold to be there.

'Go forward!'

Fortunately, her command wasn't too late.

The clustered ghosts managed to materialize beneath Jin Yuha's feet just as they lunged forward.

Thump!

With a single stomp from Jin Yuha, the summoned ghosts were unsummoned and dispersed.

Trickle—

Red blood flowed from Ichika's nose.

Summoners who control specific summons are connected to their summons via mana.

And when a summon takes damage and is unsummoned, the mana connection is forcibly severed.

This was what was causing her mental strain!

Of course, under normal circumstances, the severance of a mana connection would have been a negligible shock, but given her current poor physical condition, even this was quite a risk.

However, Ichika ignored the signals her body was sending, pretending not to see them, and continued to summon ghosts.

Thwack—!

Thwack—!

Thwack—!

As Jin Yuha repeatedly created and dissolved footholds beneath his feet, he began to get a sense of the distance.

She had initially created footholds with ten spirits, but now managed to reduce it to three.

And each time that tearing sound echoed.

Slice—

Slice—

Slice—

Suzuki Satoru's tentacles were severed by Jin Yuha's sword.

Propelling themselves upward against gravity, Jin Yuha and Ichika finally,

Found themselves face-to-face with the creature flapping its massive wings in the air.

The one with only a round body left, as there were no more tentacles remaining.

"Ichika."

"…Yes."

"Can you maintain the ghosts for a few seconds? And please cling to my back."

"Alright."

Ichika nodded, forcibly swallowing the surge of blood welling up inside her.

Standing still on the ghosts, Jin Yuha sharpened his focus and adjusted his grip on the hilt of his sword.

Crackle—!

Then, Jin Yuha's mana, imbued with Moonlight, roared like an enraged thunderstorm.

He calmly returned his sword to its sheath.

Squeeze.

Gripping the sheath with his left hand and the hilt with his right.

Veins bulged on his gripped hand.

Hmph—

A deep breath, regulating his breathing.

Whoosh—

Slowly, azure mana rose from his entire body like vapor.

Soon, it intensely flared, as if it would even swallow Ichika, who was clinging to him.

'The atmosphere has changed…'

A sharpness that seemed capable of mercilessly cutting down anything that stood in its path.

Ichika swallowed hard, looking at Jin Yuha's back as he concentrated.

Crouch.

His body hunched low, and power gathered in his back foot, extended straight out.

His bulging thighs pulsed with extremely compressed power.

A drop of sweat rolled from his forehead down his chin.

Drip.

And at the same time.

Iaijutsu.

In an instant.

Jin Yuha's body shot forward at a speed beyond comprehension.

Jin Yuha, who had clearly been holding his sword in front of Suzuki Satoru, was now behind the creature, drawing his sword.

Then, a deep, black line was etched across the massive bulk.

Suzuki Satoru, as if it hadn't grasped the situation, rolled its bulging eyes, searching for Jin Yuha and Ichika.

"…I-I-Ichikaaa…"

Suddenly, they vanished from its sight, and Suzuki Satoru tried to turn its body to find them.

However.

Spin.

Exactly half of its body.

Only its upper half rotated.

"I-I-Ichiii, kaaa… Eh, eh—!?"

Gush—!!!!

Black blood burst forth from its body like a dam breaking.

"…Did we get it?"

Ichika said, watching the spectacle.

Jin Yuha's expression hardened.

It wasn't for some ridiculous reason, like Ichika's words being a cliché resurrection spell.

Of course, it was an accurate statement for the current situation, but—

'…The final cutscene is still left.'

Even in the game, it was possible to deplete its health like this.

But the monster didn't die gracefully until the very end.

"Ichikaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

At the last moment, it shrieked and unleashed its final attack.

The black blood gushing from its body began to congeal in mid-air.

Black blood transformed into the shape of a colossal spear.

'…Right, it's making its last desperate struggle after all.'

Hmm, but originally, Ichika's soul was supposed to sacrifice itself here to block that spear.

What happens now that Ichika is alive?

I thought that and turned my head to look at Ichika.

"…Ichika?"

"…"

I called out to her, but—

Pant— pant—

Only the sound of her labored breathing could be heard.

There was no answer.

It seemed the strain of pushing her unwell body had finally caught up to her.

And that meant.

The foothold supporting me would also disappear.

'Ah.'

My body began to fall through the air.

Could I survive falling from this height?

'As a hunter, maybe…?'

However, my body was not in normal condition. I had taken down an enemy that was supposed to be defeated by six people alone. There was no way I had any strength left.

And that black spear aiming at me from above.

If that hits, it's instant death.

Not just for me, but for Ichika too.

"This… I'm really going to die, aren't I?"

Still, I managed to get this far.

I never dreamed that the story would suddenly twist in such a strange direction, putting me in such an absurd situation.

A situation so absurd it made me chuckle hollowly.

Whoosh—

The speed of my body falling downwards accelerated.

And the black spear targeting me had reached its final stage of completion.

It was then.

Thwaaaack—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Suddenly, a loud tearing sound echoed from below.

Grab!

I felt a hand firmly grasp my waist.

My eyes widened, and I turned my head.

There, Kang Dohee, with her red hair fluttering, gave a cool smile.

"Yellow Dog, am I too late?"

I let out a small laugh and replied.

"You're too late."

"Super— Slowdown!!!"

Another voice cut into Kang Dohee's and my words.

This time, it was Im Gaeul's.

Whoosh—

Mana shot up from below, slowing the descent of my falling body.

Feeling my body gently float, I couldn't help but laugh again.

"…This is just Slowdown. Not Super Slowdown. That idiot sister."

Honestly.

Was the memory of the last Black Magic Stone that intense?

"Jin Yuha-nim—!!!!"

Swoosh—

Thunk!

Aaaah—

Next, Sophia's bundles of light arrows shot toward me.

My stamina, which had depleted from fighting the monster alone, returned.

And Sophia's heal landed on Ichika, who was clinging to my back.

"Hmm, it's really nice to see you guys again, and I'm very happy, but—"

Still held by Kang Dohee, I pointed a finger upwards.

"So, how are we going to stop that?"

The black spear was now falling from above my head.

To stop that, it would require significant defense.

It felt like an attack we couldn't block even if we combined all our strengths.

Kang Dohee shrugged.

"Why would *we* block that?"

"Huh?"

"There's someone else to block that."

Kaaaaaaang—!!!

As soon as Kang Dohee finished speaking.

A sharp metallic screech pierced my ears.

And the colossal black spear, which had been falling towards me, suddenly veered its trajectory,

Heading towards a woman holding a shield below.

The most unique skill within Velvetsura, capable of even changing the direction of a colossal black spear.

It was Lee Yuri's Taunt.

However, my expression hardened.

"…Gukbap won't be able to block that alone, will she?"

"Don't worry. She's the one you appointed as vice-captain, isn't she?"

Kang Dohee then chose her words, murmuring, "Hmm—".

"Well, at first, I was a little upset about why you chose her as vice-captain instead of me…"

Her voice softened slightly. She seemed embarrassed to confess her true feelings.

"But now I acknowledge it. She's worthy of being our Utopia's excellent vice-captain."

And I could see it.

The countless hordes of monsters swarming around Lee Yuri.

'…No way, she's luring monsters and using them as a shield!?'

Hah.

Seriously.

'Clearing Jukai Forest in this way will be a first in Velvetsura's history.'

I smiled brightly, watching the black spear shredding the monsters as it fell.