episode_0018

After going through various twists and turns, we finally put on the pants I drew and safely boarded the subway without delay.

Since it was the station where the subway departed, the seats were empty. I sat Dakota between Lager and me, crossing my legs and focusing on drawing on my tablet.

The subject I had to draw this time was, of course, pants. Just in case the pants disappeared due to a timing error, I planned to draw a few more as backups.

As I prepared to finish the rest of today’s schedule.

“Hey.”

Lager suddenly called out to me. Wondering what was going on, I looked at Lager, who was staring intently at the tablet.

Does he have something to say? With a conversation happening between us, Dakota naturally looked at me along with Lager.

As both of them looked at me at the same time, I imagined ‘what if I draw a person’ in my head. I should try it when I have time later.

“Why, do you need something?”

I asked with a tilt of my head, and Lager made a suggestion.

“How about going to Baha instead of Kayora.”

Both were inland cities, but Baha was a city where you had to transfer once to go further up.

It didn’t matter either way, so I replied nonchalantly.

“Let’s ask Dakota, can I make a decision?”

“Have you already forgotten about the headache you had because of the pants?”

Ah, right…

Looking at Dakota with an awkward expression, Dakota sighed lightly and crossed his arms.

“Please do as you wish. There is no specific order on where to go first.”

“Then, let’s go to Baha.”

“But, is there a special reason?”

At Dakota’s question, Lager scratched the back of his head with a vague smile.

“Well, it’s just that if we go to Baha later, it will take too much time to come back.”

“True…”

Unlike Kayora, there was no direct route to the academy from Baha. Since we had to transfer once, it was better to go to Baha first and pass by Kayora on the way back.

But whether we went to Baha first or not, we had to pass by Kayora anyway.

Was there a specific reason to go to Baha first?

[This is Kayora Station. Kayora Station. Please exit through the…]

[Passengers heading towards Baha, please exit at this station.]

After deciding on our schedule, we arrived at Kayora without realizing it while diligently drawing the pants. As the doors opened, a crowd of people pushed forward, and we struggled to make our way out of the subway, barely avoiding dropping the tablet.

Once we boarded the subway we needed to transfer to, we could finally breathe a sigh of relief. This time, there were too many people to sit down. The three of us leaned against the entrance door, holding onto the handrails as the subway swayed.

“Phew. There are so many people.”

“Indeed, inland cities are different. Maybe because they are bustling, there are really a lot of people moving around.”

With that, the conversation ended. Since Dakota and I weren’t close enough to have meaningful conversations, continuing the conversation felt burdensome.

Talk to the pretty lady next to you instead of me, Dakota. That was the message I conveyed by flicking Dakota’s shoe lightly.

Just understanding the message made Dakota blush, fidget with his fingers, bow his head, and just glance at the tip of his shoe.

Oh, that shy guy. Why can’t he just speak properly about why he likes that mess?

Lager and Dakota were preoccupied and aimlessly searching for something.

“Where are you staring at? Just feeling suffocated, Dakota pretended to look out the window and took a deep breath.

But then, “Huh?”

The subway advertisement above the entrance was a bit strange. It was waving like waves, occasionally trying to split.

In the waving advertisement board, suddenly, a person’s arm popped out.

“…Lager.”

“Oh no.”

As Lager tried to contact the subway driver for an emergency and Dakota immediately took out his phone to call the control room.

“This is the subway heading to Baha. A monster has appeared at exit 4-1.”

“What’s the scale?”

“It’s humanoid.”

It was a person.

“Everyone, evacuate! It’s a monster. Clear this car immediately!”

Upon Lager’s warning, chaos ensued as passengers scrambled to the next car.

During the noisy evacuation, Dakota quickly took out a hairband from his pocket and tied his hair up. It seemed that flowing hair would be a hindrance in battle.

Fortunately, there were no casualties, and only the three of us remained in the car.

“Yikes…”

A male-shaped monster covered in scales fell to the subway floor, making a strange wailing sound.

“Step back. Humanoid monsters are not something two people can handle.”

Dakota quickly aimed for the monster’s neck and struck it with his hands.

At the same time, sharp claw-like blades emerged from Dakota’s hands with a rough metallic sound.

“Haah!!”

He swung the claws towards the monster’s neck.

Clang!!

The blade was blocked by the monster’s arm, causing sparks to fly.

Dakota momentarily looked surprised but quickly aimed for the abdomen and stabbed.

Clang!!

This time, the monster blocked with his hand.

The monster then looked at Dakota and yelled, “You trash!!” before rushing towards him.

“Gah!”

As the monster reached for Dakota’s neck, Dakota twisted his body and swung the claw.

Clang!!

The claw was deflected once again.

Dakota kicked the monster and retreated as it lunged towards him.

“Kiaaah, you, you!!”

The monster roared and tried to punch Dakota.

Thud.

The punch hit the ground, creating a hole in the subway floor. It was a terrifying force.

With Dakota’s slender body, just one hit could have broken several ribs.

“Kill him.”

But Dakota was quick and brave.

Slipping between the monster’s legs, he sliced the inner thigh with his claw.

Clang!

“Kikiki.”

A spark flew from the inside of the guy’s thigh.

Although the attack did not land, the guy momentarily lost focus while chasing Dakota.

Seizing the opportunity, Dakota swiftly moved behind the guy and scratched his back with claws.

Scratch!

As expected, the guy was blocked by the rough metal sound and sparks flying.

“Too hard.”

Dakota lightly clicked his tongue and swiftly moved around the guy like lightning, striking Clow from all sides.

Clang! Clang!

When the guy reached out to grab Dakota, he twisted his body and dodged several times, scraping the guy’s armpit.

As the guy swung his arm to catch Dakota, he twisted his body as if to fall backward, simultaneously rotating his body in the air and slashing the back of the neck and thigh.

However.

“Ugh….”

Despite Dakota’s relentless attacks, the guy only showed a slight flinch.

There was no effective hit.

The guy, as if finding it amusing, whistled like a trumpet before stomping the ground with a strange sound.

“Ugh, ugh!!!”

He made a bizarre noise and pounded the ground.

At the same time.

At an unstoppable speed.

Before Dakota could even grab Clow.

The guy’s fist.

Swiftly, mercilessly.

Thud.

“Crack…!”

He struck Dakota’s side. With a thud, Dakota’s face contorted in pain.

However, to block the follow-up attack, Dakota somehow managed to dodge the guy’s arm and kicked him in the same spot he had hit before.

“Aaah!!”

Like a soccer ball, Dakota flew and hit the wall with a thud, screaming in agony while clutching his side.

It seemed like a few ribs were broken. Dakota, looking uncomfortable, looked in this direction with a distorted expression.

Run, hit him.

It seemed like he wanted to say.

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

I pulled out a submachine gun and a pistol from my tablet and shot at the guy.

Bang bang bang, the deafening noise echoed in the subway, pushing the guy’s body back several times.

The advantage of the summoned gun was that it had no magazine. It seemed to replace bullets with something like magic, and I really liked the fact that there were no gun malfunctions or the need to change magazines.

“Die, you bastard!!”

I pulled the trigger without hesitation. Due to the recoil of the pistol and submachine gun, my hands were tingling.

The strong smell of gunpowder, with not a single bullet in sight, covered the entire subway.

Momentarily relaxing my guard.

At that moment.

Thud, with a leap cutting through the wind.

The guy.

Had come right up to me.

“Oh, shi…”

The speed was too fast to react, and frozen in place.

As the guy’s attack was about to hit me.

At that moment I was helplessly watching.

Suddenly.

The tail moved on its own again.