Awakening to a Special-Grade Explorer
Vol. 4 - Ch. 197

Meanwhile, on another side of battlefield------

Kujou and the team had finally gained the composure to get back on their feet again in the absence of Ibuki Douji's presence.

Frankly, they were still busy processing what in the world had transpired but this doesn't mean they could take their sweet time either. They were in the battlefield, and staying on the ground should be the last in their list. And so, they worked their bodies to get up.

Kujou then raised her face while brushing the dust from her knees.

"I believe I should get an explanation now, right?"

Her sharp gaze stared at Tenji.

There was barely any hint of gentleness in her eyes, as if she wasn't looking at a highschooler, just the aura of a professional explorer who was demanding a concise explanation of the situation.

Tenji unwittingly sucked in some breath.

"All that I know is---"

Just as Tenji was about to begin, Kujou suddenly raised her hand to stop him from speaking further. This action indicated that they should take a combat stance---it was a predetermined agreement within their team.

Quietly, Kujou notified everyone.

"Underlings are swarming this way. Honnou, deal with them. 2 coming from 3 o'clock."

"Alright."

Honnou also wasted no time in getting his attack ready. He produced three small lava rocks within his hand and took his stance, so that he could react against a surprise attack as well, and that was all done in a mere one second timeframe.

A bit of a moment should have passed when two underlings leaped out from the 3 o'clock angle, just as Kujou instructed.

"Ruuuuuu!"

"Riiiiiiiiiiii!"

Honnou confirmed his target at the edge of his view and prepared to throw in those lava rocks.

Precisely at that time, fwoosh , the bodies of underlings were swallowed in flames.

Yet, the flames didn't appear due to the Honnou's attack. It was apparently the intervention from a third-party.

Honnou, who was also ready for his move, stopped in his tracks with a surprised look.

Shortly after, the underlings weren't even given a moment to let out their cry before they turned into mere ash.

"What in the world......"

Honnou murmured to himself with an astonished look as he crushed the lava rocks and made them disappear.

The astonishment wasn't limited only to him, the rest of the four members were just as taken aback. Their eyes, too, snapped open, as if asking for the answer.

It wasn't even a second had passed when they heard sudden countless cries echoing from within the forest. Following in those directions, they also noticed several fire pillars rising.

It seemed like the same mysterious phenomena they had witnessed a moment ago was repeating itself within this forest. It also wasn't as if it was all happening simultaneously, the fire pillars were rising with a lag, and were increasing exponentially which were followed by the cries of underlings.

Their screams were so loud that one felt like covering their ears.

"Ruuuuuuu!?"

"Roooooooo!?"

"Reeeeeeeeee!?"

"Ryaaaaaaaaaaaa!?"

The series of anguished fields reverberate in the forest for the time being. They were sure these odd cries were clearly coming out from underling.

Soon after, even those agonising screams began to die down.

"I don't get it at all...... all the underlings within my range of knowledge are annihilated in a twinkle."

Kujou muttered with a voice tinted with resignation, as if she no longer wanted to keep up with this absurd situation, and showed a glimpse of her weak side.

The happening had lasted only a few minutes but whatever it was, it was probably far more enigmatic than everything that had happened in the 23 years since the dungeon appeared. Kujou's mind was housed with such premonition.

Kujou seemed to have noticed it as well as decided to switch gears.

"Either way, underlings getting wiped out is just in our favour. I would like to have words with you, Tenji... but I guess now's not the time. You should know where that guy is, right? Or more, that's probably your card."

"Yes, I know."

"Very well. Then let us head there as well. We have no reason to stay here anyway."

"Roger!"

"Though I expect a thorough conversation with you once this is over......Tenji Amagi."

"I-I understood."

With that, Kujou's team of five started sprinting toward the transfer gate, oblivious to what was happening in that area.

"Wh......what in the blazes.........is happening with that?"

Kujou had a view of the situation that was expanding there. In the scenery reflecting in their eyes, that place no longer bears the resemblance that they once knew.

Their base they had been at for so long was burned to ashes, without a trace remaining.

All that there was a raging hellscape.

The prairie not of greenery but red of flames was expanding endlessly, charring every object pitch black. The flames crackled with such intensity as if the hell in itself had manifested in that place. No, it was impossible for them to take even a single step in that hellscape.

And in the epicentre of this flaming prairie were two silhouettes.

"Hiccup... So you defy death even now? But fine with me......I haven't enough either. Show me your burning desperation more. ------«O Flames of Purgatory!»"

A colossal lump of infernal flames, surpassing even the stature of Ibuki Douji, swirled at the monster, who was writing in the ground. Just like that, it was burned mercilessly.

Monster howled from the unendurable anguish as it squirmed on the ground.

"Not yet. «O Flames of Purgatory!»"

"I am not done yet. «O Flames of Purgatory!»

"Show me more, you're not allowed to die. «O Flames of Purgatory!»"

It was a one-sided thrashing---or maybe plain torture at this moment. All that there was the flames of purgatory had turned the area into a sea of flames following that.