(Saber POV)
Slash!
Splurt-!
Foosh-!
...
..
.
After wrapping up my business on the 8th Floor of the Labyrinth, I decided it was time to return to the outside world.
Even though I haven't defeated the boss in the current floor as of yet, the time I've wasted trying to find clues to where it was located took a little bit more than half of the month time I can stay here, which is equivalent to 6 days on the outside world.
Because I've been practically staying inside the dungeon for more than a month and a half, if I'm guessing correctly, it should be around ten or eleven days since I disappeared.
Click—!
With a familiar click, I opened my eyes to the sight of trees surrounding me. "Back at last," I murmured to myself.
Wasting no time, I reached out to Otuko via telepathy to get an update on the situation. She confirmed my estimate and reported that the recent Wave had passed without incident in the town, where she and the others were staying as instructed.
And so, I went to pay them a visit.
"Morning~"
"... Morning...?"
With her disheveled appearance, Reaper greeted me with a yawn before proceeding to sit up from her bed and drink a glass of water.
"Eh... pff!?"
"Y-you're back!"
Her reaction was a mix of surprise and irritation as she realized my presence. Despite her grumbling, I couldn't help but notice her disheveled appearance, a far cry from her usual sharp demeanor.
I ignored her angered retorts and focused more on her appearance. She was wearing baggy pajamas. her hair was a mess, some of it's strand was sticking on her dried saliva. It was obvious from her looks that she just woke up.
"Where's the two?"
"... They're in their room."
Although she was still pissed, Reaper didn't pursued the argument no more, knowing that she can't win... I'm just great in argument.
"You're finally leaving?"
"What? You want me to stay?"
"Fuck no."
Harsh...
Rolling my eyes to the side, I leaned back and let my body fall from the window.
Foo—
....
..
.
—oosh!
"I'm–Ack!"
Before I could finish my sentence, Yuki's fist collided with my face.
Thud!
I was sent flying, crashing into the wall. Thankfully, my ability seemed to have helped lessen the blow; otherwise, my jaw might have been dislocated.
"Why did you hit me?"
I held my now misshapen face, trying to fix it. Yuki sighed heavily, hands on her hips.
"It's your fault for leaving me out here for a week!"
Yuki's face flushed as she touched her lower region, glaring at me. "I'm coming to your room tonight. Be prepared!"
Do you have to say that out loud?
I glanced around before facepalming. Luckily, it was just the two of us in the room. Otherwise, it could lead to misunderstandings... Well, maybe not misunderstandings, since their assumptions are partly correct.
While I'm not in a relationship with anyone in the group, romantic entanglements can be troublesome.
Romance can interfere with our work.
As we left the room, Yuki's anger seemed to simmer down, replaced by a quiet tension between us. We made our way downstairs, where we found Reaper and Solis waiting for us.
Reaper raised an eyebrow, eyeing Yuki's flushed face and my bruised one. "What happened to you two?"
Yuki crossed her arms, her expression still annoyed. "He deserved it."
I shrugged, trying to play it off. "Just a little disagreement."
Solis gave us a knowing look, but didn't say anything. Instead, she gestured for us to follow her to the dining area. "Let's go get some breakfast. We have a long day ahead of us."
***
Later.
As we approached the portal that would take us back to the Labyrinth, Yuki glanced around, her expression thoughtful.
"Did we forget something?" she asked, furrowing her brow.
I shook my head, scanning our surroundings. "I don't think so. You guys packed everything we needed, right?"
Reaper nodded, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "Yeah, we're good to go... Unless someone left their sanity back at the inn."
Ah, my favorite suicidal...
Solis chuckled softly, her eyes scanning the bustling town square. "I think we're all a little short on sanity these days."
Well, I can't deny that. Yuki smirked, nudging me playfully. "Speak for yourself, Saber. I've got plenty to spare."
I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help but smile. "Let's just make sure we're all together when we go through the portal. We don't want to leave anyone behind."
With a final sweep of the area, we stepped closer to the glowing portal.
I'm coming for you, my sugar mommy!
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[A/N : I'm finally done with my research defense!]