After returning from the Demon Farm, I thanked Mr. William and headed to the entrance of the Forest of Calls.

　In front of the entrance of the labyrinth, there is an open space where adventurers meet up and plan their strategies, but around the large door covered with thick ivy that leads to the Calling Forest, there was no one to be seen except for us and Louisa who came to see me off.

''Then, if you can obtain a contribution of 500 or more in this search, we will certify your permission to pass into the seventh district at that time. However, as I said last time, regardless of whether the test is passed or not, Atobe-sama's party can be certified at any time. The contribution at the time of the Stampede is an achievement outside the labyrinth, and since it's a special case, I haven't finished calculating it yet, but if you include it, the cumulative contribution will exceed 10,000.
'I understand. I'll come back safely so that I can be promoted without complaint.
''Take care........there are some people who entered the search earlier, and they are in the middle of their exams, but if you see them, would you please give them a shout? They're quite capable, but I'm a bit worried that they won't be able to return for an entire day in the labyrinth of the eighth district.

　After all, Louisa-san was also concerned about the 'North Pole Star'. I told her that I would try to find her in the labyrinth if possible, and passed through the ivy-covered doorway.

　--I'm not going to be the only one. Louisa told me that the fog would clear if I went straight ahead, so we all walked together following that.

It's called a 'forest', so the visibility is bad. Everyone, please be careful.

　Sion, who has an excellent sense of hearing and smell, leads the group, followed by Elitia and Igarashi-san behind them, with Theresia right in the middle, Suzuna, Misaki, and me in the back row.

　Thanks to the Eye of the Hawk, I'm able to get a bird's eye view of our situation. Just because I'm at the back of the line doesn't mean that I can't grasp the situation at the front of the line.

''.........Arihito-san, this labyrinth......seems more disturbing than the previous labyrinths.''
I've got a vague feeling that way too, but the vibe is that the demons could come out at any moment.
Well, well, that has always been the case, but don't be frightened! The way you say it, Suzu-chan, it's like a tougher labyrinth than ever before.
'Uh, yeah I'm sorry, but I didn't want to let my guard down.

　It seems that the labyrinth to dive in for the test changes each time, so it's not impossible to wait until the task changes instead of diving into this eerie atmosphere of the forest. However, since the purpose is also to confirm the safety of the 'North Star', I'll not think about that.

''Kyah...!
........Igarashi-san, what's wrong?

　Igarashi-san, who was walking on the right side of the second row, screams. When I looked at her, I saw that she had stepped on a puddle because her feet were covered with grass, so she hadn't noticed the puddle and stepped on it.

'Huh, you startled me I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell or anything.
'The atmosphere is the atmosphere, I can't help it. If you look closely, there are puddles in places you have to be careful about splashing mud.

　Elitia cares for Igarashi-san and wipes the water on her feet. While thinking that she's kind, I think - if there's an unforeseen situation like the current one, I'll fall into 'fear' even if it's only temporary, and my response to danger will be disrupted.

'Sorry, Igarashi-san. Can I ask you to take the 'Brave Mist'?　And it's safer to have a way to disarm the 'fear' than to just inspire it with spunk.
'Yeah, yeah I get it. Well, it's not only the demons that are frightening to searchers, it's also the environment in which they come to their mental state...

　Igarashi-san manipulates the license - immediately after that, Sion reacts to 'something'.

''--Bow!
Yikes... but it's okay. As long as you have this ........Brave Mist!


Current Situation

　Kyoka activates "Brave Mist".

　It's fine, aside from the fact that Igarashi-san quickly activated Brave Mist, since Sion doesn't howl for nothing - as the skill literally says, something like vapor arises from her body with a tremendous force and envelops the party.

''........The skill that turns Valkyrie's sweat into mist.......?''
'Eh, Ellie, don't be so serious!　Because this is magic shaped or something!
'Igarashi-san, it doesn't matter, the enemy is coming!
.....

　The next one to react was Theresa - we were speechless when we saw what came out of the dense forest to our left.

　◆The demon we encountered ◆

　FIRE TRENT: Level 4 In Combat Drop: ?
　Dirty Mash: Level 2 In Combat Drop: ?
　Dirty Mash: Level 2 In Combat Drop: ?


　The enemy was a tree demon, befitting a forest labyrinth. And it was a mushroom demon that seemed to be growing at the root of the tree.



　Fiery Trent moves its roots like legs and emerges from the shade of a mere tree - the nubs and hollows in the tree look like faces. It's the kind of look you'd find in a foreign haunted house, the kind of look that would scare a child.

　But even if you can scare a child, there is no one in our party who would be scared - I thought.

'--Oh.........'

　Current Situation

　Feartrent activates "Terror Voice".
　Fear of "Elitia" and "Misaki".
　Kyoka's Brave Mist resists the effects of fear.

What...?
What...?

　Elitia and Misaki fall into 'fear' at the strange voice emitted by the tree demon - Trent - without warning, but they quickly regain their composure.

(Even if you use it beforehand, it will still prevent you from abnormalities in your condition...!

　There was no need to generate something like vapor if it only worked when activated. So Brave Mist was a type of state recovery that could be used as an insurance policy.

'How dare you try to scare me with such a voice, even though you're a tree.......!

　Elitia's face is red and angry - she's probably embarrassed to be 'terrified' by an enemy's special attack at this level, as she's at a high level.

''Hii........my body is shivering......but thanks to Kyouka-sister's sweat, I've recovered!
'So, I'm telling you it's not sweat... really, it's just... oh my god!

　I think there may be more mystery in the position of Valkyrie than I thought, but I'm going to seal that thought off. Because image is an important thing to build up, and once you're dismayed, it's hard to regain the trust of women - although it's best not to think about something that doesn't make you nervous in the middle of battle.

'Grrrr...........Gah!
'Igarashi-san, Theresa!　You two need to attack that mushroom-like fellow!
Copy that!

　Trent, whose trunk isn't very thick, but is lightly larger than a man's height, is pounced on by a similarly built Theon, and two mushrooms (mushrooms) - a mycelium variant, or what looks like a hand and a foot - are growing -- to which Theresia and Igarashi-san each attacked.

“--!
Say, hey!
You're both 'supporting'　Guys, let's get into it!

　Current Situation

　Theresa makes a double throw and throws two small darks.
　The first level hits Dirty Mash A. Support damage 11
　Second level hit on Dirty Mash A. Support damage 11
　Kyouka launches the "Double Attack".
　The first level hits Dirty Mash B. Support damage 11
　Second level hits Dirty Mash B. Support damage 11
　Arihito activates 'Support Elevation 1' and the party's morale increases by 11.

　Two daggers (dark) released by Theresa stand out simultaneously on a mushroom (mushroom) human with no face or anything else, a thick white shaft and a huge, poisonous umbrella. Igarashi-san's cross spear also entered beautifully - but.

''--Wow!

　He interrupted his attack on Trent and Theon raised his voice in alarm. Hearing that, I warned Theresia and Igarashi-san before I could think.

''--Both of you, pull back!

　Current Situation

　Physical Counter of "Dirty Mash A" → Activate "Disturbed Spores".
　Confusion in "Theresa".

H..........?

　Reacting to the attack, the mushroom people that Theresia attacked scattered spores. When it was a mushroom demon, I should have been warned - that it had a special attack using spores.

'Guys, stop sucking on the spores!　Suzuna, somehow drop me from a distance!
Yes....!

　Current Situation

　Suzuna activates Minnichu for two consecutive hits.
　Suzuna's attack → Hit Dirty Mash A. Support damage 11
　Kill one "Dirty Mash".

　Unable to withstand the second blow, Dirty Mash was pierced by an arrow, and the umbrella ripped open, leaving her motionless. But before Suzuna could take her turn for the second one, Theresa moved - it was Igarashi-san who attacked her in confusion.

'Kyouka, leave it to me!
Ellie-san...!


　Current Situation

　Aricht activates 'Support and Defense 1' → Target: Elitia
　Theresia attacks Elitia → no damage

'd*mn ... while I'm stopping you ... please, Aricht!

　Elitia flicks Theresia's dagger with her sword. It was to both of them that she was applying 'supportive defense' - Theresia is seriously attacking Elitia, and if they continue to strike each other, both of them may be injured.

(What to do........how to recover the state's anomaly......no, before that......!

Theon, wait!
Bow!

　When Dirty Mash is attacked by a physical attack, it may release spores as a counter - I won over the point where Sion was about to attack the remaining one, and I executed the 'non-physical means of attack' I had just obtained.

''Brother........!

　Misaki, who was about to throw the dice, looks over at me and yells in surprise. But I don't have time to respond right now.

　-- the magic power that flooded out of my body converges between my thumb and forefinger. A magic power bullet, agglomerated to the same size as the sling's bullet. I shot it out at the mushroom human who was about to attack Theresa and Elitia, who were crossing swords, from the side.

''--Go!

　Current Situation

　Alihit invokes the "force shot".
　Hit by "Dirty Mash B
　Kill one "Dirty Mash".

(Oh, come on........aren't magic bullets like lasers.......?

　As he aims, he prevents the activation of the "Disordered Spores" and defeats it. Suzuna switches the target of the second arrow to Trent, while Sion and Igarashi-san try to take out the enemy's target.



　A precursor to the attack - Trent was preparing to unleash a long-range attack while letting Mash and the others stall for time.

　With a rustle, Trent's branches shook and the fruit he was wearing in large quantities swelled up. They're probably trying to make it explode and send something flying.

　I'm going to be the one that fires the black magic bullets, and I'm going to fire a reminder to the black and white magic stone that activates the additional effect of 'stun', and then I'm going to shoot at Trent.

''d*mn...!
Aricht-san...!

　I didn't know that the depletion of magic power was accompanied by such a sense of fatigue - but if I can fire two rounds, then I'm good. Even now, with the speed of a magic bullet, we can break in before Trent attacks...!

I'll see you in time!

　Current Situation

　Alihit invokes the "Force Shoot Stun".
　Hit by a "fiery torrent".
　The "Fiery Trent" is stunned.
　Feartrent's actions are suspended.

Ohhhh...!

　With a groan, Trent, who was hit in the face by a magic bullet, stumbles back. While Igarashi-san and Sion, who saw it as an opportunity, move, I give Suzuna instructions.

　Theresia and Elitia, who are continuing to strike each other - they are stepping into the puddles of water at their feet every now and then, and splashes are rising. When I saw that, I had an idea.

''-- Suzuna, 'hand water' and 'water stain separation'!　Clean up the puddle and pour it over Theresa!
Yes, sir.

　If it is possible to recover the 'Confusion' status abnormality, it is the only means the current party can take.

''Sion-chan, let's go.......ya!
Wow!
I'm not completely useless!

　Current Situation

　Zion activates "Power Rush".　
　Hit Fiery Trent for 11 damage.
　Kyouka launches the "Double Attack".
　The first level hits the fiery torrent. Support damage 11.
　Second level hit on Fiery Trent. Support damage 11
　Misaki attacked Fiery Trent for support damage of 11

Woah... woah... woah...!

　Sion's trunk creaked under Sion's body hit, and Igarashi's spear and Misaki's dice hit it.

　However, it's resistant to physical attacks, or perhaps it doesn't sink even if it's subjected to concentrated fire up to this point.

''--It was taken........Teresia-san, please come back to your senses.......!

　Suzuna scoops up the water at her feet - the murky water shines and turns clear, and she douses it directly at Theresa.

''.........''

　Current Situation

　Suzuna activates "Hand Water".
　Suzuna uses Water Stain Separation → Teresia's Confusion is released
　Feartrent starts charging the Seed Explosion

(From the name, it's an attack that shoots out with seeds scattered all over the place... but I can make it...!

　Elitia runs past Theresia, who has returned to herself, activating the 'Sonic Raid' and running past her - and.

You'll rot!

　Current Situation

　Elitia's "Double Slash" is activated.
　The first level hits the fiery torrent. Support damage 11.
　Second level hit on Fiery Trent. Support damage 11
　Defeat one "Fiery Trent".

　A double slash and a branch like Feartrent's arm is cut off - and then the fearful face disappears and stops moving as it returns to just a tree.

'Somehow, you made it through unscathed...'

　Wiping off the sap-stained sword, Elitia sheathed the Scarlet Imperial Sword. Igarashi patted his chest and Sion watched Trent to see if he moved, but when he finished checking, he turned to me and barked modestly, Bau.