Ch.7 The Girl Who's Safe Thanks to Me, with Her Guardian, Are Looking For Me as I Sulk in Bed

Public preaching in a public setting.

Fukaya Ruru shows her utmost sincerity by doing seiza on the rough floor, while Mikazuki Emi looks down at her with a sigh.

It was a common occurrence in their streams.

"Ruru... you really are a..."

"I thought it would be okay."

[Public Sermon]

[It was quite an incident, she's surrounded 360 degrees by the other streamers lol]

[Is this a drama recording?]

[It's a family documentary]

[lol]

"We're really worried about you, you know?"

"But the manager said it's fine!"

"Do you think that's bad?"

"Ah, yeah, I'm sorry for worrying you."

[Honest Ruru-chan is cute]

[Livestream sermon worldwide]

[Well, it's Ruru-chan after all...]

[But in the end it was the same as always lol]

[Just like always, stepping into a trap and screwing up]

[Feeling at home]

There was a crowd around... the medical team that had come to search for her and the other missing person, as well as those who had been in a nearby dungeon, were taking a breather and listening to a sermon with no real tension.

"But it's good. It's a miracle in a situation like this."

"Oh, be careful, the ceiling just collapsed around there."

"Sorry, but that was just two shots, right? How powerful was that?"

"This dragon... it's durable, so it's no ordinary one. And even the ceiling has peeled off a bit... did they unleash some ultimate magic or something?"

"A lot of the wall has collapsed. Don't get too close."

"But we need to find the other person who helped her..."

[I may be talking like a mob, but there were quite a few people in the top 500 concurrent streamers last month... they're quite an impressive bunch.]

[Many other people come here just to look for a connection with you, but it's great that you gave up your own work to come here]

[This is good]

[But the fact that it's called the "Ruru-chan Search Party" makes for a good punchline.]

[lol]

[Ruru-chan search party lol]

[It turned out to be like a project, lol, even though it was a real incident]

[There's nothing wrong with that, so that's fine.]

"But, but, I really did ask multiple times if it was okay to dive in! And the manager and everyone said it was fine! That the number of active monsters was 10% of the normal amount, so it would be fine even if I went solo! And the guard when I entered, too! Even Emi-chan said, 'Do your best!'"

[It's cute how childish she is]

"Hmm... Can you really say that, even if you're aware of how unlucky you are?"

"I can't say anymore."

"I thought so."

[Ruru-chan is feeling remorseful...!?]

[I want to be stepped on with that face]

[I want to be looked down upon by our leader, Emi-chan]

[I want to be taken care of]

After being rescued by Mikazuki Emi, and with the concern of those around her, the medical team gives her first aid - "It's just a scratch," "She didn't hit her head, so she should be fine," and "It's good that such a small collapse miraculously created a safe space," the diagnosis is disappointing, yet reassuring, and the atmosphere here is relaxed.

Mikazuki Emi - Long, narrow eyes, a well-trained body, the symbol of motherhood, and a caring personality.

She's a leader who most frequently forms parties with Fukaya Ruru... or rather, she is the main one because she is too risky to leave alone.

She often, really often scolds Ruru.

From light-hearted to serious one, There's at least one sermon in every stream.

[After all, Ruru-chan needs someone to take care of her, right?]

[No matter how careful Ruru-chan was, she stepped into the trap, and the manager and others are to blame]

"...That's certainly true...That's why I can't get so angry...I know that she always carries spare equipment and attends training sessions and the like, so she does her best..."

[lol]

[Emi-chan, don't cry]

[Cry]

[Lick lick]

"I'm the only one who can lick Emi-chan!"

"Ruru?"

"Yesh!"

[lol]

Fukaya Ruru is nothing but a puppy in front of Mikazuki Emi.

She's so mischievous that it's impossible to control her, but she has a good personality, is friendly, and listens to what she's been told... She's just a difficult person to handle.

[But it was good to see this stylized beauty again.]

[I thought it was all over, seriously.]

[So you never found her after all? The savior?]

“…Yes, that’s true. There’s a risk of collapsing, so it looks like we’ll have to retreat soon…”

Leaving Fukaya Ruru looking depressed after being scolded, Mikazuki Emi looks around.

A mid-sized dungeon in a remote area, floor 77.

Apparently it's a dungeon that's just right for beginners to intermediate players to dive into the lower levels, and it's a place that Fukaya Ruru ended up entering on a whim while visiting her hometown.

'ー Of course the manager knew about that, and they knew information about the active monsters in the dungeon and Ruru's equipment, so they must have given their permission.'

Even in a normal dungeon, the difficulty level increases once you reach the 50th floor.

Unique monsters are more likely to appear and there are more traps.

'ー But it's time for the dungeon to be updated, so most of the traps and monsters should have appeared by now... Well, it's not surprising if you say it's "Ruru after all."'

[If this many people haven't found her after they spent 30 minutes searching for her, she must have already gone home.]

[If she was seriously injured, her equipment would have been lying around somewhere.]

[If the person loses consciousness, doesn't it automatically call the emergency services?]

[If that's not the case, then it's okay]

"So that person's equipment is not around?"

"Yeah. Our rescue team also saw rubble in the direction that seemed to be where she had been based on Ruru's testimony, but we didn't see anything."

"Um, it was supposed to be a little girl! With a big robe and a crown!"

She jumped to her feet… it seemed she had temporarily lost consciousness, and was staggering a bit, with the medical team supporting her arms, but she continued to insist.

"Ruru... let's get a thorough examination when we get back."

"Emi-chan, why do you have such a gentle voice?"

[She thought Ruru's hallucinating lol]

[The resolution of the actual stream was so low that all I could see was her blonde hair]

"Second shot! When she was firing at the dragon for the second time, that girl came flying over and our eyes met for a moment! A cute girl with golden hair and blue eyes!"

[Ruru-chan, you didn't say that you made eye contact at first, you said yousaw her side profile]

[She immediately fabricate her memories]

"She smiled at me!!"

[You didn't say that]

[You didn't say that back then, Ruru-chan...]

[But she approached the dragon's head from a distance that was not visible on the screen in just a few seconds, right? Is there a flying magic like that?]

'A high level people like us can even recognize things that a camera can't track.

If someone was doing something so ridiculous when their life was at stake, of course you'd chase after them... it couldn't be a lie or a faulty memory.

Ahh, if there was a girl like that, I would hug her without hesitation, bury my nose in her blonde hair and go numb― ahem.'

"...But now isn't the time for that. Ruru, come on, onto the stretcher."

"Mm!"

Fukaya Ruru staggered over and sat down.

... It seems that even after regaining consciousness, her legs are still weak, and with a pout on her face, she holds both arms out towards Mikazuki Emi.

"…… Mm!"

"Oh c'mon……"

[Its the usual]

[Ruru-chan is good at being spoiled]

[And Emi-chan has a weak older sister trait.]

[Onee-sama... haa haa]

"...I guess there's no other way..."

"Yay!"

"...Once again, everyone. To the rescue team and those who rushed to the scene in response to the rescue request, thank you very much for today."

"Very much!"

Both of them said as Ruru is being carried on Emi's back because Ruru had said, "I don't want to use a stretcher after all," .

"As you can see, Ruru is safe. ...Due to the high possibility of a collapse, the search for the person who rescued her has been suspended. From now on, the people in my office will take responsibility."

Hearing this, some looked disappointed, while others looked relieved as they avoided the pebbles that continued to flutter down from the ceiling.

"Ah, well! The manager will give you a thank you!"

"Well, I'm glad you're safe."

"But two shots to the dragon...I wonder if there's anyone who specializes in long-distance attacks like that..."

"Yes, there certainly is. My listeners told me that sometimes when someone calls for rescue, there are strange people who help without making a sound or showing anything, like this time..."

"Yeah, I've heard that too..."

◇

"My head hurts"

I guess it's because I took a bath while drinking alcohol after letting loose...

Ahh, the alcohol hits home hard on a brain with zero MP.

... My long hair clinging to my body is annoying.

Unlike adults, whose senses are beginning to dull, my young skin is still very sensitive to touch and tingles.

"I used too much magical power..."

I don't think I'll be back to normal for a month...

I flew with emergency power, and this time I put a ton of magical power into the bullet.

Point-blank shooting at a boss monster ー the dragon, which had a few HP left from the bullet I shot, made a strange movement and about to fall on that girl.

So I quickly fired it, but I was caught in a tremendous blast of wind and immediately sent flying through a hole in the ceiling to the 76th floor, above the 77th floor.

My consciousness was fading, and I was forcing myself to hold my breath in order to stop the emergency escape device from activating.

You know that feeling when you just can't help but get sleepy during class, but you know you shouldn't?

I invented it when I was a student; if you hold your breath until you're about to die from it, your consciousness will become clearer.

So I was able to move when I got to the 76th floor... but why is there a hole in the ceiling?

Thanks to that, I didn't get hurt when I was thrown to the ground, and most importantly, the girl didn't find me...but why?

Maybe it was the explosion that opened it up... It was a force I'd never used in real combat, so it might be my fault though.

ー Because it was an emergency situation, I had given it my all and was feeling dizzy.

A listener told me that the child...I've forgotten her name...seemed to be OK and that a search party would be arriving soon, so I turned off the stream and slipped away using the emergency escape device.

From there I crawled back to my apartment panting again... and here I am.

Magical power...in other words, my mental power, and my physical strength are almost out of gas and it's no good.

"I'm going to sleep again..."

I feel tired when moving, but I'm quite sweaty after taking a bath.

I don't want to catch a cold, so I take off the shirt I'm wearing, throw it away, and put a new one on.

ー Two faint bulges beneath the long, shining golden hair.

You can squeeze it, but it's nowhere near the size of something that fits in the palm of your hand...or rather, it's probably just fat and not a breast.

No matter how hard I try, I can't build muscle, so I end up with a protruding stomach and smooth thighs.

Nothing dangling on the crotch.

I stare down at it for a while.

"...This body is only useful when changing clothes...huh."

And so, having become a girl, I went back to sleep feeling satisfied with having completed my job.

◇

In the middle of heading back to the upper levels.

One of the medical team members spoke to Mikazuki Emi.

"Mikazuki-san. By the way, I found a pass case in the rubble that appears to have been dropped quite recently."

"A pass case...?"

"Yes, quite recently, or rather, they just received the dungeon entry permit today."

"Eh? Is it okay for you to show us something like that?"

"Yes, I have permission from above to say so."

"Hmm."

"But there is a record of "him" entering in the morning, so he probably didn't notice he'd dropped it before he left... so I won't force you."

"...I might ask you about it. Can I see it?"

"Yes, if you can cooperate with the search from now on, I would like to grant you authority as a 'temporary rescue team'..."

"Ruru seems fine too, of course."

"me too!"

"Well, please wait a moment, I'll let HQ know."

Dungeon.

It is a space filled with resources that countries are willing to open to civilians, where even the smallest pebbles can be new substances never before seen on Earth.

Many of the laws regarding this are quite extralegal, and furthermore, local judgment often takes precedence when it comes to protecting the people who enter the dungeons.

Therefore, since there was a possibility that "he" had suffered damage from this incident and returned home, it was only natural that the decision from the "medical team command center" was quick.

'ーBut did the medical team have that kind of authority...?'

Emi thinks this, but quickly puts it out of her mind as it's not a big deal.

"...I've come down. I'm sorry, but Mikazuki Emi-san and Fukaya Ruru-san are in an impromptu party with me."

"Yes, I'll leave the leadership to you."

The medical team and Mikazuki Emi bow deeply to each other.

"So can I see the card now?"

"Here you are"

"... Ruru, did you turn off the stream?"

"Yes, of course."

"...Just to be safe, I'll leave the camera with someone else."

"Huh?"

"Something happens to pretty much everything Ruru touches, right?"

"That's right, it seems that a girl named Haru-chan was also in the picture a little bit..."

Fukaya Ruru waves to an acquaintance nearby and hands him her three cameras.

"...I can't feel at ease unless I do this..."

"So, let me see! ...A normal guy?"

"Yeah. Probably around college age."

"No, he seems to be a working adult."

ー It said, "Seiya Harumi."

"How do you read that, Emi-chan?"

"Well, in the Romaji...that's right, it's [Haru]mi-san."

"Oh, so that card has addresses and stuff on it. I didn't know that."

"It can't be displayed unless it's passed through special equipment, but we can make it appear now."

"Hoee?"

"I didn't know there was such a function... But it's pretty close from here."

"Yes, when I searched the address, it seems to be two stops away from the nearest bus stop..."

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