Instant Death - Volume 2 - Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – This appearance is a hobby
The passage was continuing on straight ahead.
After almost all of the traps had activated, there were a considerable amount of victims who were collapsed.
There should have been almost no danger, but if you considered Rainier’s bad luck, they were in danger of getting caught again.
So, Yogiri secretly destroyed the traps. It appeared that he could sense the positions of traps that had killing and wounding capabilities, and he could kill them if he was able to recognize their existence.

“It is a story of ‘three remaining’, but are you okay?” (Tomochika)

Tomochika, who was worried, asked. With this, if he was injured with fatal wounds three times, there was no way out anymore.

“When this happens at twelve o’ clock, a number proportionate to the bad luck events of that day will be replenished. So, it’s okay if I pass the time in someway or another until late at night!” (Rainier)

“It isn’t okay at all!? If you are dying with the current momentum, I don’t think you have until late at night!” (Tomochika)

While they talked like that, they arrived at the end of the passage. A door was in that place, and letters were written.

『Only one can leave』

Tomochika didn’t understand the letters of this world yet, so Yogiri read them out loud. Yogiri had read the otherworld language dictionary that he received from the concierge, and was almost mastering it.

“I feel magical power from the door. I guess it is one of the trials. With all due respect, it seems that this literal contents are……” (Rick)

“It’s simple if that’s the case. If only one person can leave, only one person should enter.” (Rainier)

Towards Rick who guessed the trial’s contents, Rainier replied simply.

“Is it something simple like that, I wonder?” (Rick)

“Well then, first I’ll try to enter. If it is me, I have apology stones, so I’ll be fine even if I experience something like death!” (Rainier)

“But even then there is three remaining, is it really okay?” (Tomochika)

“It’s fine. Look, it was *wrap* wound by Tomochika-san!” (Rainier)

Rainier said so, and held up his left hand, which Tomochika had wrapped the string around.

“Uwaa, that full of confidence part, is an increasingly ill omen feeling……” (Tomochika)

Tomochika was starting to feel something a little eerie in Rainier. Though he could be revived with star crystals, he was too careless to the situation of the surroundings, and seemed to be too unattached to living.

“Well, please leave it to me! Even if I die at the worse, I won’t inconvenience you!” (Rainier)

Rainier opened the door. There was a wall in the place just after entering, and the passage was continuing to the right.
Rainier entered inside in high and proud spirits, and the door shut automatically.

“Him entering alone is fine, but. As there is an exit except for this place, how do we conclude whether or not he left safely from there? Moreover, if Rainier-san cleared it, it means that we can’t even challenge this trial? This strategy, aren’t there too many holes?” (Yogiri)

“Ah.” (Tomochika)

Yogiri presented a plausible question, but it wasn’t enough to worry about.

“GYAAAAAAA!” (Rainier)

It was because Rainier’s cry was heard immediately. In other words, it was found out to be not safe.

“Let’s enter.” (Yogiri)

“In the end, there wasn’t any meaning in him going alone……” (Tomochika)

“What did you say, it’s just like him to meet with a dangerous experience……” (Rick)

But, it also may be hard evidence that Rainier’s luck was hopeless.
They opened the door and the three people entered. When they proceeded to the right, the passage immediately turned to the left, and a room was spread out ahead.
The smell of blood was drifting about. The bodies of humans were scattered inside. It wasn’t one or two people. Dozens of people were lying down in puddles of blood with nothing that could be done to return them to how they were.

“Rainier-san!?” (Tomochika)

Rainier’s left arm had fallen in a place just after entering the room. There was no way to mistake it, as Tomochika’s decoration string was wound around it.

——No way, within this!

If Tomochika looked around the room in a hurry, in a place a little separated from them, Rainier himself was wriggling. It seemed that what was lost was only his left arm, and it also could be said that his luck was good if it was only that, but it appeared that fixing the star crystal to his left arm hadn’t been meaningful at all.
Rick drew his sword, and turned his sword towards the person that was standing inside the room.
It was a woman whose maid clothes didn’t suit her at all. There was even something ghastly in that noble appearance. To Tomochika, it simply couldn’t be thought that the woman was just someone who waited upon them.¹

“This, was you?” (Rick)

Rick cautiously asked. An unusual air of tension was in that voice.

“Yes. But, I think there’s no reason you can criticize me. Do you know the mechanism of this room? The trial begins when two or more people enter the room, and the door is unopenable from inside. And the exit door opens at the point in time where there is only one person. In other words, we are being forced to kill each other.” (Woman)

“It may be just like that, but you were alone in this room until some time ago. If so, you could have left the room?” (Rick)

“Yes. The trial has ended, and it looks to be just once. As it is like that, you, by all rights, could have passed through this room without effort.” (Woman)

“In other words, ‘I don’t intend to let you pass’?” (Rick)

The woman was blocking their way in front of the door. Her aim was clear.

“I think that the black person who was talking wasn’t necessarily mistaken. Sword Saint-sama gave advice in that place, but will he say the same thing in this place as well? After all, the strongest person is supposed to become the Sword Saint. That being the case, is it just early or late?” (Woman)

The black person was about the black-clothed swordsman, who asked ‘could I become the Sword Saint if I murdered everyone?’.
She took it upon herself to standby here, and seemed to intend to decrease the competition.

“If only strength is the evaluation criteria, you should just select the successor from the absolute sword class. If not so, there should be an expectation of Sword Saint-sama there!” (Woman)

Towards the woman in a maid dress who was just standing, Rick prepared to use his sword without a gap. That appearance was quite contrastive.
Rick’s posture, it seemed fear had taken hold of it. How Rick was turning his sword, was nothing more than him trying to make a wall between him and the woman. To Tomochika, it was looking like that.

“Tomochika-san, it’s unfavorable. It’s the worse situation.” (Rick)

“An acquaintance, is she?” (Tomochika)

In the situation from some time ago, it seemed so to Tomochika

“There shouldn’t be anyone who doesn’t know in the people who are aiming for Sword Saint. Her name is Teresa. She is a former royalty, and a swordswoman of the roaring sword class.” (Rick)

“Um, I don’t know well about what was said about the class, but is she strong?” (Tomochika)

It wasn’t well understood by Tomochika. Signs of uniqueness were felt, but it wasn’t the expert’s atmosphere that Tomochika seemed to know.

“The roaring sword, if you speak in the court ranks of swordsmen, is third rank. By the way, I am a king sword, seventh rank. In other words, it isn’t an opponent that I can fight directly and win against.” (Rick)

“A former royalty with such an appearance, did she fall to that extent, I wonder?” (Tomochika)

“Is that something to worry about?” (Rick)

Rick gave a voice that was out of the atmosphere. Thereupon, Teresa herself replied to Tomochika’s question.

“This appearance is a hobby.” (Woman->Teresa)

She should have spoken in a low voice, but it appeared that the conversation here passed through to her. With this, they wouldn’t be able to quietly discuss to escape.

“I have prepared my hand already, so you cannot run away from the entrance.” (Teresa)

Teresa said, as thought she read Tomochika’s thoughts. Tomochika, who confirmed behind them, noticed that their escape route was blocked.

“Rick-san, please be careful! Thin wires are set in various places!” (Tomochika)

Tomochika’s eyesight was useful even in here. She had seen through the superfine wires, which couldn’t be seen if it was normal, that were set in the room.

“Yes, I know her trick. She makes use of the thin thread sword.” (Rick)

“Aren’t the broad interpretations of the word ‘swordsman’ too extreme!?” (Tomochika)

Tomochika thought that this, no matter how you looked at it, was probably a thread user.

“Well. If the riffraff survive, Sword Saint-sama will be bothered as well. Please display the resourcefulness of at least slipping through my attacks and just managing to hold on.” (Teresa)

The air shook right as she spoke, and when Rick raised his sword overhead, a shrill metallic sound resounded.
What had happened wouldn’t be understood at all by an ordinary person. But, Tomochika had witnessed the moment that Rick intercepted the wire that fell.
Rick’s sword moved left and right. Continuous metallic sounds resounded, enough that there wasn’t a period of time they were interrupted. Rick was continuing to defend against the wires that approched from various directions.
Was it a result of Teresa’s ability, or was it thanks to the material’s qualities? Not even a single wire had been severed. Although they were repelled, they changed their trajectory and attacked again.

“Kuu! I will hold her back here in some way or another. You guys look for a gap and go to the exit!” (Rick)

Despite handling the wires that were approaching at high speeds magnificently, Rick’s words were full of distress.
It was realized by Tomochika as well.
Teresa was playing. Maybe she was amusing herself in the game of examiner, or restraining her attacks to the degree that Rick could deal with them somehow.
Rick probably thought that he was treading on thin ice. Teresa, on top of grasping Rick’s ability, was trying to take out all of his power. If he lost focus for even a second, if he didn’t use up his strength, it ended at that.
However, there was also hope if it was said that this was her examination. It was because it should be possible to escape if he reached her expectations.

“Die.” (Yogiri)

However, the battle met its demise quickly at a single word from Yogiri.
Rick’s blow struck and cut the collected wires. Teresa collapsed, and didn’t move.

“Say, it’s fine to be engrossed in the fight, but haven’t you forgotten about Rainier-san?” (Yogiri)

Yogiri said, as if amazed.

“Ah, that’s right! He didn’t use an apology stone! Rainier-san, are you all right!?” (Tomochika)

Tomochika rushed over to Rainier.

“……what, the heck……” (Rick)

With an openmouthed face, Rick was staring at the unmoving Teresa.

Translator’s Notes

¹ – This isn’t implying that she was waiting on them as in waiting for someone to come, but as in the maid sort of ‘waiting on’.