Reincarnated in the game world ~ A gamer's beginning to [Dungeon job hunting recommendation]
Vol. 11 - Ch. 581 - Karua Rescue Operation, Shizu's trouble, and a Dramatic Rescue (?)

"Avoid those giant light swords! —«Sacred Sword Manifest - True Slash»!"

Watching the looming four swords of light, Lamda shouted and put himself in the position to stop them. 

The effect of «Aegis» had worn out, and he was confronting Ester once again when he noticed the attacks. He invoked his fourth order skill, and did a sweep attack, trying to catch Ester in the same move. 

He succeeded in striking down the two of four swords, however his movements opened a gap in his defense which Ester promptly tried to take advantage of. Albeit, she also had pulled much distance to avoid Lamda's attack, and so she lagged in making a prompt move.

The two remaining light swords followed on their track and toward the alliance.

"I'm still here! «Sacred Sword Manifest - True Shield»!" 

Lamda played his next card and used defense skill next. 

 A huge shield suddenly materialised and blocked the remaining two light swords. He had successfully blocked the danger from reaching the alliance force.

"Do it now, rain your spells, everyone! It's time to pay back!"

Afterward, Lamda released his command as the force of fourth fortress and a portion of alliance force merged, and delivered a series of spells toward Ester and Zephyr, 

◇◇◇

"Woah, you're quite good, «Caliburn Paladin»!"

"My name's Lamda."

"So it's Lamda-san huh. Alright, I remember it! Uh-huh, I really want to join in the fun, but it seems like we would be in a pinch if no one steps up to deal with chasing alliance forces. Ester, entertain Lamda for a while."

"Leave it to me."

It was a pity that I had to postpone my battle with «Caliburn Paladin»—Lamda-kun though. 

The alliance force's march was just at our head, so someone had to deal with it. I clarified our roles with Ester while dodging the spells. 

The headcount of the alliance's force had expanded to quite a degree too. So this wouldn't be an easy challenge. Hehe, my muscles are already aching to get into action. 

But on the other hand, after tanking Lana's attack and incurring damage, with some even being eliminated, the opposite party appeared quite exhausted. 

Meanwhile, we had already thwarted their plan to catch us in pincer from our flank, and forced them to face us square. 

Well, we might be lacking in numbers, but our means were not. Moreover, it wouldn’t be too easy to contain us just by their attacks.

"—«Saintess Prays for Healing»!"

Oh, and look, this was what I talked about. A culmination of unceasing regeneration and buff—do you have what it takes to take down, huh?

◇◇◇

Central Mountain.

"«Fire Bullet»!"

Shizu fired her fire element bullet skill, and burned down the «Remsuika» placed on central mountain. 

"The area's cleared. Continue."

"Meow."

If it wasn't clear yet—Shizu currently stood at the belly of the central mountain. 

Following the black cat's footsteps, Shizu had arrived here, but... she had suffered no less.

After all, mountains were hard to climb up. Moreso when it was a towering one like a central mountain. 

Receiving the instructions, Shizu had promptly left to rescue Karua, and was stumped on the way. They did have the «Anchor Rope» item which they'd used in the first match to climb up, but the struggle remained. 

She had been troubled, trying to think of another way, when she found simple stairs on the north side of central mountain. 

Akemi and team had left the stairs unattended, hoping to retrieve «Remusika» later. —This is like leaving the door open to your house for the thief, Akemi-san.

"Hmm, the effect should be about to end. «Jammer»!"

Hiding herself behind the shade of a rock, Shizu readied her gun and activated another skill—a detection inhibition skill.

It allowed her to act freely, without the recuperation of being find out by «Dragon's Miniature Garden». The skill could trick the active or passive detection skills, however it also had a glaring flaw that since it didn't cloak her in invisibility, Shizu would've to be careful to not be seen by anyone.

But generally, it was to be used with «Enemy Detection» skill—as the former erases her presence, while this one allows her to see through the enemy's location, thus allowing her to effectively hide herself from other's eyesight. It was like a match made for those that operate in the shadow. A perfect set of skills for those who act behind the scenes, ain’t it?

 Either way, with the first obstacle cleared, and also sealing away Rina's «Dragon's Miniature Garden» from catching her, Shizu had arrived at the belly of the mountain, and found herself in trouble.

The area was completely littered with «Remusika», and her «Trap Detection» skill blared like crazy. It was fortunate that the traps outside were easy to destroy unlike in dungeons. 

In fact, she didn't know what the purpose of that trap was, she relied on the teaching from Zephyr, and figured destroying them would be the correct option. 

Shizu carefully planned her movement, and continued to pave her path while destroying «Remusika», and finally made her way to the spot.

"Meow-meow."

There, the black cat repeatedly tapped on a construct with its paw and appealed to Shizu. 

"......Karua-san is inside it? Hmm."

The box was designed after an Igloo. Shizu lightly tapped on it, and it returned a metallic rung, just as she had expected. 

There was no sign of HP bar, which means it wasn't a «Defence» type of item, and no HP meant it couldn’t be destroyed.

Shizu decided to see if Karua could hear her first.

"Karua-san, are you there? Please reply to me."

"——hn——zzz—"

"There does seem like someone is inside from the sound. ...Alright, I will see how to unlock this."

Shizu had her doubts how the opponent managed to lock Karua in the metal construct, but she shook her head. What mattered now was the thing in front of her. She touched the metal box to get a feel of its structure and circle around it.

"Hmm, there's no handle, not there's any opening. I guess they made it so that only by destroying it could the trapped person be helped?"

At the end of her investigation, she concluded the metal construct was only created for shutting the target inside. Hence the metal box was missing the obvious exit. But it didn’t appear it would be easy to take it down.

The opponent had clearly taken note of the situation 'what if allies found her,' so there was no loophole yet, which rendered rescue impossible for the time being.

"Hmm, I guess... I will see how the attacks affect it. «Grenade»!"

Without a prior signal, Shizu suddenly tossed a grenade which directly hit the metal construct, and exploded. 

—*BOOOM*

"Meeeow?!"

"——!?"

A loud sound of explosion shook the area. There was a cat's cry, and an indescribable scream from inside the box, mixed among the noise, though Shizu seemed to have not noticed it. 

"Sure enough, even destroying it doesn’t sound plausible. .....Hmm? This is—"

After the earlier trial, Shizu approached the box once more to analyse, though she believed it would be of no help, but to her surprise, she found something odd about a side of the metal box. Its back appeared to be worn out. 

She looked closer, and noticed the igloo had slightly shifted away from its spot. 

"The object... dislodged itself?"

A question mark appeared on Shizu's face, but then she recalled the details Zephyr had explained to them.

«Also, remember that mountains are identified as dungeon objects. This is also why the arena's terrain can be easily changed. But it was also this aspect that made them an Indestructible object.»

—Indestructible object. 

There had been quite a lot of incidents in reality where they'd destroy the sandy beach or hidden doors in reality, but the dungeons were real objects. While the arena's terrain was artificial, like a solid hologram. In the absence of such restrictions, the students could have just dug a hole in the mountains and hid themselves there, or used them for other means which could have become dangerous. 

Anyway, this mountain fell under the same Indestructible object category.

"......I see."

Shizu seemed to have figured out the situation and nodded to herself before taking out a certain thing from the «Item Bag». It was—a landmine. One of the MVP in their first match, and the lament maker of the semi-finale. 

"Preparation is all done. «Mine Placement»!"

Shizu used her skill, and promptly, the mine had been inserted at the bottom of Igloo, though it was harder to be affirmed with eyes. It was her skill, Trap Placement and Hide, that made it possible to place them without digging the ground, and the hide effect made it so that others couldn't see where they’re laid out.

"Alright, Cat-san. It's going to be dangerous, so please retreat backward."

"Meow, Meow!"

"«Barrage»!"

After retreating a few steps, Shizu emptied her shots onto the mine. And, *BOOOOM*, a thunderous roar resonated in the air.

"...And the plan is successful. The construct's weak point is its lack of fixed position as I suspected."

At the end, the Igloo had completely overturned like a bowl. 

It was the plan of Shizu. Since she couldn’t destroy it, make it move. But how could slender arms like Shizu's could lift it up? So instead, she set a mine on the one corner, and caused it to upturn like a turtle.

And in the spot Igloo was, Karua lied there in fainted status.