Haruka felt a heavy weight seeing the students scattered behind her. She knew they might not make it back alive. As their teacher, it was her job to protect them and make sure they survived. With a deep sense of responsibility, she resolved to lead them through the ordeal ahead and ensure their safety. Despite the fear gnawing at her, Haruka drew upon her courage and determination to face the monstrous threat head-on.
Without a moment's delay, Haruka swiftly fetched her stored equipment and proceeded to clothe herself in it. The armor she wore was sleek and snug, highlighting her silhouette as she meticulously fastened each piece.
The metallic clinks of buckles and straps resonated in the air as she ensured everything fit perfectly, preparing herself for the upcoming task. With each adjustment, her resolve burned brightly, evident in the determination gleaming in her eyes. As she moved her body, she made sure her movements weren't restricted, knowing that any hindrance during battle could prove fatal and determine her fate.
"Okay, this should provide us with a little breathing room..." Haruka's voice tinged with a hint of sadness as she murmured to herself.
"Keisuke, Fuji, Ichika, Mio, and Hinata, your job is to protect the students behind us. Hiroshi and his group will help me face the monster to give you time to escape. ...Move fast and stay focused; any distraction could be dangerous." Haruka's command was clear as she glanced at her frightened students. She felt relieved seeing that Keisuke and Ichika's group remained calm, despite their pale faces—they had the strength to look after the others.
"Okay, sensei, we're on it!" Keisuke affirmed, nodding in agreement with Haruka-sensei's directives. Assisted by Fuji, they rallied the frightened students, helping them to stand.
Haruka smiled as she witnessed some of the students bravely stepping up, lending a hand in the effort. With a sense of pride, she observed the resilience within her class. Her gaze then shifted to Mio, Ichika, Hinata, and finally to Haruto...
Haruto noticed the atmosphere abruptly tense up, and he sensed Haruka-sensei's gaze fixated on him. To confirm his intuition, he glanced in her direction, only to witness her clenching her fist and forcefully striking it atop Mio, Hinata, and Ichika's heads. They recoiled in agony, their hands instinctively reaching to soothe the pain, tears glistening at the corners of their eyes.
"Haruka-sensei, why are you hitting us? It's painful. Couldn't you lighten up a bit?" Mio questioned, wearing a puzzled expression as she rubbed the spot where Haruka had struck her.
"I protest! It's not fair to hit us without a reason. You should at least provide an explanation!" Ichika declared, gritting her teeth against the pain in her head. She was certain there was a bump forming, making her feel like a different species of monkey.
"Me too! I'm protesting too... Nah, I'm fine; it's just a little pain anyway!" Hinata changed his words midway, feeling Haruka's gaze. He then pushed Mio and Ichika towards Haruka, causing both girls to look at him with disbelief. "Haruka-sensei, make sure to discipline them well and help them understand why a teacher should be respected; otherwise, they'll only dance on top of your head," said Hinata with a stern expression. However, he couldn't hide his smirk as Ichika and Mio, who now had angry expressions, saw through him. He knew he would be in trouble with them later, so he chose to ignore their angry expression.
Watching Haruka-sensei's smile as she teasingly grabbed Mio and Ichika by the head, the situation seemed light-hearted at first glance. However, Haruto couldn't shake his unease. He sensed Haruka-sensei's efforts to uplift the mood and connect with her students, but the grim reality of their impending challenge cast a shadow over the moment, likely to diminish everyone's spirits. With a sigh, Haruto acknowledged the slim odds of survival in the dungeon; perhaps only 2 to 3 percent stood a chance of making it out alive.
"Why the distant gaze, Haruto-kun? Are you contemplating how we'll handle that creature?" asked Asuka, giving Haruto's shoulder a reassuring pat. A grin adorned her face, indicating her lack of concern about the impending battle. Standing beside her were her friends Ai and Hikari, while Hiroshi and Jiro remained vigilant, watching for any moves the monster could make that might threaten their safety.
Haruto smiled at her, playfully questioning, "Senpai, do you truly think you can handle it? I mean... before you even attempt a sneak attack, its sneeze might just shred your armor. You could end up resembling that female knight who fell prey to goblins..." His words subtly hinted at her enticing appearance in the revealing assassin outfit that accentuated her curves and left her skin exposed. Upon hearing Haruto's words, she couldn't help but imagine herself with scratches and cuts, which was too much for her to bear, resulting in a shy expression on her face.
Hikari sported a cheeky grin, already envisioning her friend's appearance, while Ai blushed and squirmed, tightening her legs as she felt a warmth beneath her stomach.
Haruto chuckled at the sight of the trio, appreciating their strong bond. He also felt a sense of closeness to them, especially considering that Ai-senpai and Hikari-senpai didn't seem offended by his words. It was a bit unbelievable to him since he didn't have a particularly close relationship with them. He could only attribute it to Asuka-senpai, who had been attentive to him since the day they met, always looking out for him.
"You! Hmph... I'll let it slide for now. Take care of yourself and stick with the other students to get out of here. It'll only hinder us if we can't focus on the battle!" She shot him an angry glare, her cheeks flushing as she folded her arms and turned away, hiding her face.
"Well, I'll make sure to. And you, senpai, take care too... How about this? If you and your team, along with Haruka-sensei, come back safely, I'll cook your favorite dish until you're stuffed."
"Are you sure about that? Then I'll make quick work of that thing."
"Great, then I'll be waiting. What about you, Ai-senpai, and Hikari-senpai? Do you want to join us?" Haruto asked, turning to them for their thoughts.
"If Haruto-kun is okay with it, count me in!" Hikari replied, feeling pleased that her kouhai hadn't ignored her and had extended the invitation.
"Since both Asuka-chan and Hikari are going, I'll come too," Ai said, deciding she wanted to spend time with Asuka-chan and Hikari.
...
Haruto pondered why the creature remained still, its gaze fixed on them. "I need to learn its weaknesses and details," he thought, as a panel suddenly appeared in front of him, displaying information about the monster.
Name: Bloodthirster
Stats:
Health: High
Attack: Very High
Defense: Moderate
Speed: Slow
Abilities:
Bloodlust: Increases attack speed and damage.
Dark Whirlwind: Spins, damaging nearby enemies.
Blood Nova: Releases a damaging shockwave.
Life Drain: Drains enemy health, replenishing own health.
Blood Frenzy: Increased damage at low health.
Weaknesses: Vulnerable to holy or light-based attacks. Susceptible to crowd control effects like stuns.
Observing the panel, which differed from their usual status display, Haruto felt unable to grasp the monster's true capabilities aside from its skills and weaknesses. At least knowing its weaknesses increased the chances of survival for Haruka-sensei and Asuka-senpai's team members. However, he desired more information and searched for a more detailed panel as it changed and revealed further insights.
Name: Bloodthirster
Stats:
Health: 2500
Attack: 3000
Defense: 5000
Speed: 200
Abilities:
Bloodlust: Increases attack speed and damage.
Dark Whirlwind: Spins, damaging nearby enemies.
Blood Nova: Releases a damaging shockwave.
Life Drain: Drains enemy health, replenishing own health.
Blood Frenzy: Increased damage at low health.
Weaknesses: Vulnerable to holy or light-based attacks. Susceptible to crowd control effects like stuns.
A smile spread across his lips as he observed the numerical values, but his expression soured as he took in the high numbers. They were far too high for the current party facing the Bloodthirster. Having already assessed the statuses of Asuka-senpai's team members and Haruka-sensei's, he realized that even with their combined strength, they could only inflict minor damage on the monster. Taking into account its weakness, they might manage to sever one of its arms or legs at most.
In an instant, he remembered that Haruka-sensei had put on the armor a few minutes earlier. Hastily, he checked her status panel.
Status
Name: Yoshino Haruka
Job: Battle Mage
Age: 24
Aptitude: Light, Air, Mind, Spirit, Enchantment
HP: 750
MP: 600 (+1000)
Physical Attack: 400 (+400)
Physical Defense: 600 (+600)
Magic Attack: 500 (+300)
Magic Defense: 700 (+500)
Agility: 600 (+200)
Skills: Air Strike, Body Enhancement, Air Shield, Empathy, Solar Flare, Luck Enhancement, Regeneration
[Unique] Skills: ??
........
Their chances of success saw a 20 to 30 percent boost, but only if they remained undistracted and managed to dodge most of the potentially fatal attacks. Additionally, Ai-senpai and Hiroshi-senpai wielded light attributes, with Hiroshi-senpai boasting significant attack power, nearly reaching 1000.
Moreover, Ai-senpai wielded the unique skill known as "Sacrifice," allowing her to enact it three times at the cost of immobilizing herself. This ability was imbued with the essence of "God's Divinity," enabling the resurrection of a deceased individual within 24 hours of their passing. This significantly heightened their survival chances after a confrontation, prompting Haruto to exhale a relieved breath. To further ensure this outcome without alerting them to his covert actions, he activated his own unique skill, "Dark World," and discreetly merged a fragment from within it into Asuka's shadow.
After completing his tasks, Haruto turned to face Haruka-sensei, who stood before all the students gathered around her, watching her intently as she addressed them. "Remember, your top priority is to ensure your safety and that of your classmates," Haruka stated firmly, her voice unwavering despite the urgency in her words. "Stay together and don't hesitate to seek help if necessary. We'll do everything in our power to ensure everyone makes it out of here unharmed."
"Stick closely to one another and stick to the plan," Haruka reiterated, her eyes scanning over her students with unwavering confidence. "Believe in yourselves and in each other. We've prepared for this moment, and I have full faith that you're all capable of handling whatever challenges come our way." With a comforting smile, she added, "We'll regroup at the earliest opportunity. Just stay focused and keep moving forward. Together, we'll overcome this obstacle." As her words sank in, determination replaced fear in the eyes of the students, each one nodding in agreement.
"Now, go... follow Keisute and his team to the surface!" declared Haruka, then turned to address Hiroshi, Asuka, Hikari, Ai, and Jiro, her former students. "I hope you don't mind that I've involved you all without your explicit permission."
"Not at all, Haruka-sensei. Just consider it a practice run for dealing with unexpected circumstances," Asuka replied, waving her hand dismissively. She then turned to her group and exclaimed, "Isn't that right, everyone?" Her friends responded with a unanimous wave of approval.
Haruto and his classmates hurriedly made their way back from the second floor, the urgency prompting them to increase their speed as they sought to evade the looming threat. Leading the charge were Keisuke and Fuji, while Mio and Ichika, accompanied by Hinata and Haruto, covered the rear to ensure their retreat remained protected.
"I just hope everything goes smoothly," Haruto remarked, a note of concern lacing his words.