Dungeon Stampede 2.0 Flight
[Whooooosh…! Whooooosh…!]
10 AM. The wind is very strong today.
I, who subtly fit well with such a howling wind, am stationed on the balcony of a food delivery fortress made from the exoskeleton of a giant red scorpion, digging out the flesh from its massive leg.
So ti of aging is fine, but too long and it will spoil.
Yeah, monster at is delicious. It can't compare to the incredibly tender A5 rank at that's laden with fat, but… well, monster at and livestock raised for food are completely different in nature.
The at is very tough, and there's almost no fat. But that's what makes it good.
This is probably what they call ga at. The very wild flavor seems to awaken so primal instinct deep within my body. Oh, by the way, "ga at" cos from French, originally referring to traditional dishes made by nobles hunting on their estates.
With so ingenuity, even monster at can be delicious.
The flesh I've just dug out from the giant red scorpion is currently being made into atballs in the kitchen by Ruu and the others. It can be grilled into hamburgers or simred in a pot.
The only downside is that as soon as they're made, Ruu's mom goes around the neighborhood distributing them.
But it's wonderful to be able to act with a spirit of mutual aid even in such circumstances. As expected of Ruu's mother.
Even monster at is welco in this apartnt where electricity, gas, and water are out. The recipients will eat it despite any complaints. Ruu's mom was initially taken aback but quickly got used to it.
As I was thinking about these things, a gunshot rang out in the wind as I sat cross-legged on a vinyl sheet on the balcony, holding a giant red scorpion leg.
[(Bang!)]
[(Papapapap…!)]
(Hmm! Was that gunfire…!?)
I set aside the giant red scorpion leg and peeked through a gap in the barricade to check outside.
[Whooooosh…! Whooooosh…!]
…But no additional gunshots.
Hmm, just once. It seems far away, probably from across the river. Judging by the direction, it might be the Self-Defense Forces in Matsudo. Maybe it's a reconnaissance unit.
The helicopters that had been flying around endlessly until we got here haven't been seen since. It's just hopeful speculation, but they probably took care of the high-risk boss-level monsters.
(So, it's about ti…)
If the unit stationed at Matsudo pacifies the area and enters the city, things should calm down around here. But that would an restrictions on movent. Before that happens, I want to quietly retrieve the rest of the giant red scorpion exoskeleton hidden at the shrine.
Yeah, both Nina-san and Ruu's suits got pretty damaged this ti.
But that's the suit's job, so they fulfilled their mission. Considering the future, having too much high-quality armor material is not a problem.
"Hey, Coach, what's up?"
"Ah, Nina-san, everyone, listen. I'm going out again to retrieve the giant red scorpion exoskeleton."
When I went to the kitchen and said that, they were naturally surprised.
"What!? Coach, it was so hard to get here! Why are you saying you'll go out into danger again!?"
"Ah, about that, I just heard gunfire outside. It's probably the Self-Defense Forces in Matsudo. So, the situation around here should settle down soon."
"Um… how does that relate to you going out, Coach?"
"Well, if the Self-Defense Forces are here, we can lower our guard a bit, right? The helicopters that were flying around are gone. But if the Self-Defense Forces arrive, civilians might lose the freedom to move. We got lucky at the courthouse because it was crowded."
"I see… so you want to retrieve the ‘treasure' now."
"Exactly, Nina-san. It would be troubleso if the Self-Defense Forces or police found it later."
"But… how will you get there? It's very far to go back there."
"Ah, I have a plan, Ruu. I'll use a sli boat to go down the river."
Yes, the Edo River flows along the border between Tokyo and Chiba. By going down the river, we can head south without any interruptions.
"But is it safe? There might be monsters in the river too."
"We'll cover the sli boat with sand and dry grass to disguise it. If it looks like debris, monsters won't bother checking."
"Hmm… that might work."
"Hey, Shiz, you're agreeing too!?"
"I'll leave so pixies and a fire wand here for defense. You know how to use it, right, Nina-san?"
"Yeah, I know."
"Coach…"
"Don't worry, Ruu, I'll be fine. The Self-Defense Forces will be here soon, and I'll check on Shark too."
"…Okay, if that's the case, I'll go with you, Coach!"
"What!?"
Hmm… Serai-san is insisting on coming along again.
…..
"""Chirp chirp chirp!"""
"Ah, Rose, Azure. Take care of Ruu and the others."
Leaving Rose, Azure, and five other pixies for defense.
"Be careful, Machi…"
"Yeah, don't worry, Ruu. It's safer if Coach isn't alone, right?"
"This girl never listens once she decides… Listen to Coach, Machi."
"I know, I'll be careful… You two take care too."
The three close friends reluctantly part.
In the end, Serai-san insisted on coming with . I'd feel more secure if they all stayed together, but I'm also happy she wants to co with … it makes blush.
"Alright, let's go, Serai-san. We'll save ti by jumping from the balcony."
"Wait, what do you an by that, Coach?"
"Let explain. The wind is blowing strongly from west to east. With Pixie Queen's support, we can glide down to the river."
"Sorry, I don't get it…"
"A glider. If we make a mbrane with sli between our arms and legs, we can glide on the wind. Pixie Queen can launch us, and we should make it to the river."
"But how do we land??"
"We can use the mbrane as a parachute or create a sli boat and land on the water. With Pixie Queen, we won't crash. Co on, Queen."
[Poof!]
"Alright, Queen, let's do this…"
"…… (Sigh)"
The Pixie Queen appears in a rainbow glow, and Serai-san reluctantly nods. Don't worry, the calculations should be fine. It's all about trying new things.
…..
"Alright, I'll go first. Skill: [Jump]!"
[Thump!]
Kicking off the giant red scorpion exoskeleton on the balcony, I leap into the air, followed by Pixie Queen's air catapult accelerating .
[Whoosh…!]
(…Here should be good)
Before reaching the peak of the arc, I spread my limbs to catch the wind in the sli mbrane.
"Ninja flying squirrel technique!"
[Whoosh…!]
The mbrane catches the wind, lifting up.
(Wow, amazing…! A childhood dream co true!)
I soar, fulfilling a dream of flying freely in the sky.
The altitude rises, and the view opens up. That's Mount Tsukuba in the distance. To the left, I see many mountains, and to the right, Tokyo Bay.
Looking down, I see a long sli rope stretching below.
This connects to Serai-san… she has taken off from the now tiny apartnt. Pixie Queen is with her, but I'll help pull her up.
Lifting Serai-san closer, I see her.
"Eek! Wait, what…!?"
She closes her legs and arms in fear, losing lift and dangling.
"Calm down, Serai-san! Spread your arms and legs!"
"Easier said than done!"
"Wha…!?"
"Ahh!"
Pixie Queen is trying to support her, but with her limbs closed, it's futile. The connected sli rope spins, throwing off balance.
"Damn, not good!"
At that mont, wings sprout from the back of Serai-san's suit.
[Poof!]
"Ahh! Wait, what??"
As soon as the small, faintly glowing wings sprouted, our flight suddenly stabilized. I hurriedly pulled in the sli rope and called out to Serai-san.
"Are you okay, Serai-san!?"
"Y-yeah…"
Serai-san, flying through the air like a kitten carried by the scruff of its neck by a mother cat… What!? That's unbelievable! What the heck is that!?
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