It’s the usual timeline.
The perspective is from Kariya.
Be warned, there are painful descriptions from the beginning.
And unnecessarily long.
“Maito-san looks delicious.”
“……I see.”
“Hey, stop it! Stop it! Don’t come close! Don’t come, hey, let’s calm down, let’s calm down, aaahh no don’t bite me right away no no no ahhh it hurts it hurts it hurts ahhhhhhh”
If I tell you what happened just as it was, President and Kadomi-kun started biting Maito-san.
They began to bite.
They are biting.
……They are biting……right……
The circumstances leading up to this are, you know, the usual stuff. The result of “since it’s a special occasion” going too far!
So, let’s go back a bit in time……to this morning.
“Good morning. Today’s meal is chicken rice porridge.”
Breakfast was prepared as usual, and everyone started eating together.
“By the way, when I was test driving Machine No. 6 yesterday…”
Katori started talking. (When did we get up to Machine No. 6……?)
“I found a strange cave, around the northeast of the 1F.”
“Alright, let’s go check it out. Then, shall we take some lunch boxes for lunch?”
“I want something like a toasted sandwich.”
“Hot sandwiches, right? Got it. And let’s also take corn potage. Oh, but it might be hot if it’s the north of 1F.”
“Hmm, not sure? I haven’t been to the northeast area yet.”
“Wait. Wait. Hey. That’s too quick. Are we deciding to go to that cave already?”
While the conversation had completely shifted to the topic of lunch boxes, Suzumoto put a stop to it. Well, yes, the conclusion was a bit too quick.
“Hmm, since it’s a special occasion. Is it bad?”
Toriumi lives on a whim. I think it’s fine. Yes.
“There’s also a possibility of finding something, like a more efficient way back to our original world, which would be a huge benefit.”
President lives by logic. I think this is good too. Yes.
“I’m already all set to eat lunch outside.”
Maito-san lives by her appetite. I think this is a bit questionable. Yes.
“Well, we have time, so why not?”
And finally, Hagasaki-kun pushed through, and that settled it.
After that, everyone prepared. Or rather, it was just waiting time while Maito-san prepared the lunch boxes.
Because of the nightmare of the poison hot spring, Suzumoto equipped a coat he doesn’t usually wear.
Because of the nightmare of the cat ears, President equipped medicine he doesn’t usually carry.
And because of the troublesome events at the “Abyss Stone,” Hagasaki-kun carefully checked his equipment.
The others were just rolling around as usual.
“The lunch is ready!”
“Then, shall we set off?”
Once everyone was ready and started rolling, Maito-san came into the chemical preparation room with a large basket, and we just followed Katori’s memory and “teleported.”
And so, we headed to the “strange cave.”
“Is this the cave?”
“Indeed, it feels strange. What is this? It’s all fluffy.”
……The word “strange cave” was not mistaken.
Because, you know……the cave walls are soft and fluffy and warm! It’s strange!
“Is this……fur of a living creature?……ah, it’s soft.”
“It’s mysterious. The exterior looks just like a rocky mountain. Could it be mimicking a living creature?”
“That reasoning isn’t wrong? Because look, this should be a cross-section, but it’s clearly a dual layer of fur and rock.”
After that, we tried stabbing it with swords and freezing it with magic, but the conclusion was “it seems to be just a wall and floor that are really just soft and fluffy.”
“I want to take a nap here! What is this! What is this, it’s so nice! It’s really nice!”
For now, everyone touched the walls and floors inside the cave, burying themselves in the softness and enjoying its oddity.
No, really, it was truly fluffy…
“So, what do we do? Do we go deeper?”
“There’s no reason not to!”
After a good fluff session, we started walking deeper into the cave on the fluffy floor.
…Unaware that it was the beginning of a tragedy…
“It’s a dead end.”
The cave ended rather quickly.
As usual, the floor and walls were just fluffy, with no other changes.
“No monsters either… Hmm, it feels like there should be something.”
“Shall we go back?”
I suggested it, but everyone seemed vaguely intrigued and decided to continue the investigation.
I understand the curiosity. Yes.
“Hey, if you look closely, this looks like a hole.”
After continuing the investigation, Katori discovered that a depression in the wall near the dead end was actually a hole.
It was hard to tell because the wall was so soft and fluffy.
“I’ll go check it out.”
And just like that, Katori went into the hole.
“Ah, then me too.”
Hariu also went in.
“Hmm, then me too, me too.”
Toriumi seems to have safely reached the other side too.
“Then me too.”
“You go later.”
“Guwaa!”
Maito-san tried to go through but was pushed and fell by Hagasaki-kun. The floor is fluffy, so I don’t think there’s any worry about injuries.
…And so, we each took turns going through the narrow, softly fluffy hole to the other side.
…We were supposed to have arrived, but when I went through the hole, there was no one there.
There was just the unusually fluffy ground.
Instinctively walking towards the center of the room… suddenly, my foot sank.
“Eh?”
And just like that, I think I fell to the bottom of a fluffy hole.
…I remember that much. To put it another way, that’s all I remember.
All I can say is, when I realized it, we were outside the cave, and each of us had undergone significant changes in appearance.
“The sky is blue.”
Yes. Why are we outside?
“Is everyone okay?… Huh?… What… what is this?”
“Ah, this, I can’t get up on my own, can I?”
“Gyaa! A tail! I’ve grown a tail!”
…And why exactly… has our body changed like this?
Of course, we were confused. Everyone’s body had suddenly changed, so of course, we were confused!
“—!?”
But, without a doubt, Hagasaki-kun was the most confused.
“Don’t die, Hagasaki-kun! If you die here… um, what’s going to happen to everything!? So, Maito-san, water, splash him with water.”
“Here you go.”
As Maito-san poured water from a watering can on Hagasaki-kun, who had been floundering and gaping in confusion until now, it seems he finally remembered his abilities.
Using his own water magic, he created a small pond right there.
After soaking in the pond for a bit, Hagasaki-kun seemed to have calmed down.
“…Wha, what, this… why have I turned into a fish species…?”
Yes.
Hagasaki-kun’s lower half had perfectly turned into that of a fish species! To put it simply, he had become a merman.
“Anyway, is everyone safe?”
Suzumoto, looking dismayed while speaking, now has both arms transformed into bird feathers. His legs have also become those of a bird of prey.
In other words, he’s a bird-man.
“Do I look safe?”
While still in the pond and visibly disheartened, Hagasaki-kun is a merman, with the lower half fish and the upper half human.
But despite being a merman, he’s not enchanting nor are his legs bare. …Yes, sorry about that.
“Well, everyone is alive. That’s within the bounds of ‘safe’.”
President… at a glance, seems unchanged. Huh? Was he unaffected?
“So fluffy! I’m so fluffy! Fluffy!”
“Quiet.”
Is Maito-san a fox, perhaps? Her ears are perky, and she mysteriously has two fluffy tails. What should I call it, a spirit fox, perhaps? You might melt if she bewitches you.
She’s touching her tails, looking pleased with herself. Maito-san likes fluffy things, after all.
“…I’m kind of hungry…”
Kadomi-kun has somewhat familiar ears and a tail growing on him. His limbs also seem to be transforming. They resemble those of Ketorami-san, so he might have become a wolf-man.
“Yeah, well, it’s good that everyone is safe, but… can someone help me up?”
It’s not surprising Katori is struggling.
After all, his lower body has turned into a horse. Is that what you call a centaur? The kind that can’t get up on their own, right?
“Ahahaha, Katori, you’ve turned into a horse—ahahahaha… I guess I can’t talk either—”
Hariu… has become smaller. Uh, well, he was already short, but not like this. He’s about 15cm tall now, and additionally, he has wings. Kind of like… a fairy, maybe?
“Hmm, I guess I’m okay, but Kariya, are you alright with that? Huh?”
Toriumi is, well, a cat with two tails. A nekomata. It suits him.
“Ah, yes. I don’t feel any pain. I’m okay.”
…And me, my legs have turned into tree roots. So, I can’t move. I’m firmly rooted to the ground.
“…What are we going to do now?”
“…Yeah.”
And so, we were at a loss.
What in the world is happening!
“The medicine isn’t working.”
President seems to have tried all the medicine he had, but it appears none were effective. Maybe he’ll need to make something new.
“For now, we’re hoping President can come up with a new effective medicine.”
“That’s fine. I was planning to do that anyway.”
It was kind of like this when we grew cat ears… It’s good that we have President.
“…But that aside.”
But President is making a stern face. What’s going on?
“I’m incredibly hungry.”
President’s gaze is fixed on Maito-san. Well, she is the one who cooks for us, so that makes sense… but something… something in me is sounding an alarm.
“Maito-san.”
“Okay-okay. Shall we have lunch first then?”
While Maito-san, seemingly unaware of any danger, waves her tails and holds a basket in one hand, smiling cheerfully at President.
“No, I want to drink your blood. …It seems I’ve turned into a vampire.”
The response from President, who was serious, left her petrified.
And so we return to the beginning.
President slowly approached Maito-san, who paled and retreated step by step, until Kadomi-kun casually said something like, “By the way, I feel like eating raw meat,” and easily captured Maito-san.
…And then Maito-san was bitten. Eaten. Predated.
If anyone imagined something even slightly sensual, please revise your imagination.
To put it mildly, it was a tragedy, and it was gruesome…
“Raw meat eaten, and live blood sucked…”
And minutes later, there was Maito-san, looking splattered!
“Sorry, really, I apologize, Maito-san.”
And at the same time, there was President, completely revitalized!
“…sorry.”
And at the same time, with a satisfied yet apologetic look having filled his little belly, Kadomi-san too!
“Yes… why me… I understand about President, but why did Kadomi-san have to clickety-clack me too…”
“…just felt like eating some living flesh, couldn’t help it…”
“Why me…”
“Because you seemed the softest and tastiest… ah, and, because you’re weak, easy to eat…”
“I’m gonna cry.”
…Maito-san, already teary-eyed… Fixed that right away. Yes.
“…so, President. How long will it take to make the medicine? Is anything missing?”
“I do have some ideas for effective medicine, and plan to make all of them… but we’re missing a crucial ingredient.”
“Eh, what’s missing? We’ve saved up quite a bit, right?”
“The wings of a Chimera, it seems.”
“Let’s throw that into the sky once we get it!”
“We don’t need to use that, we have ‘Transfer’, don’t we?”
And while Maito-san was being treated, the strategic meeting was steadily proceeding.
Everyone, turned into non-humans, yet this calm. Perhaps we’re getting used to this other world. Yes.
“If possible, I’d like it sooner. It’s beyond inconvenient for me at this point.”
Hagasaki-kun is grumpily flicking his fish tail.
Turns out Hagasaki-kun has a hard time breathing and can’t speak unless his lower half is submerged in water. How fantastical.
“Hmm, looking at Hagasaki makes me hungry. No, I don’t plan to eat Hagasaki though.”
“Stop it! That’s not funny!”
Moreover, Toriumi, who became a Nekomata, seems to think that fishy Hagasaki-kun looks tasty. That’s dangerous.
“And looking at Kariya makes me want to sharpen my claws.”
“Ah—please stop.”
And he tries to sharpen his claws on me. Even though I’ve turned into a tree! Please stop!
“I don’t particularly find anyone tasty. I mean, there’s grass everywhere, don’t need to eat Kariya.”
Katori, having become a herbivore, was peaceful.
“I’m not hungry either. Oh, but everything looks big and fun to eat now. Ahahaha.”
Hariu, who became fairy-like, was also peaceful.
“…honestly, I also think Maito looks tasty. Better do something before I accidentally hunt her down.”
“Yaaaaaa! Stop! Stop hunting me—! You carnivores—!”
Suzumoto… I had a hunch he’d be a carnivorous bird-man. Maito-san is puffing up her tail in intimidation. Probably useless…
“Why always me! There’s a herbivore right there! And I’m an omnivore! Shouldn’t be at the bottom of the food chain!”
Maito-san said that, pointing at Katori.
Ah, true, Katori is a herbivore.
“…you know about survival of the fittest?”
But Maito-san was swiftly countered by Hagasaki’s remark.
“Well, the weakest among us is definitely Maito-san. So, rather than the herbivore Katori or grassy Kariya, Maito-san is lower in the food chain.”
Even President piled on.
“Probably would be culled before even getting into the chain though. Ahahaha.”
Hariu’s smile was another blow.
“Um… that, but Maito, it was tasty… not that… um…”
And Kadomi-san tried to follow up, only to add a different angle.
“…hey, Kadomi-san. Is raw meat really that tasty?”
“Tasty.”
“I see… hey, Maito.”
“Stop it aaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Just stop it aaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
“Haven’t said anything yet.”
…Ah, poor Maito-san…
“Anyway, if everyone’s stomach is filled, I feel like I won’t be eaten.”
With a distant look in her eyes, Maito-san opened the lunch basket.
Today’s lunch is hot sandwiches and corn potage.
“Shall we have lunch then?”
“Yes. I’m already full, so I don’t need any.”
“I will… hmm… I’ll eat.”
“It’s strange, I’m supposed to be a herbivore, but the chicken sandwich tastes really good…”
Everyone, with their respective reactions, started to take and eat from the basket.
…But.
“Wait, wait. I can’t reach it.”
Hagasaki-kun, submerged in the pond, couldn’t reach.
“Maito-san! This is too big! I can’t eat it! Ah, but I could use it as a blanket.”
For Hariu, who had shrunk to 15 cm, the hot sandwiches were too large.
“…no hands, I, uh…?”
Suzumoto, whose hands had become wings, was struggling to eat.
“Maito-san… sorry…”
And me, planted in the ground, couldn’t reach the basket either!
Thankfully, Maito-san held the basket and brought it over to me, so I could also have lunch.
Hagasaki-kun began eating his hot sandwich as well.
Hot sandwiches cut into smaller pieces for Hariu were prepared, so he was eating too.
“…darn, hard to eat.”
Suzumoto, for now, placed a plate on a makeshift stand and put the cut-up hot sandwiches on it, eating directly with his mouth. So, he was eating like a dog.
Really, not having hands is a fatal disadvantage in human life…
“Shall I feed you?”
“No thanks!”
But weighing being fed by Maito-san against eating like a dog, he preferred the latter.
I can somewhat understand the feeling…
With that, our meal was over, and we decided to secure lodging for today.
It was a bit late to start exploring now… and if we could return to normal with medicine that could be made without the “Chimera’s Wings,” that would be better.
So, we temporarily set up a classroom on the spot, and then.
“Ah, President, dig a bit more to the right!”
“Is this pot okay?”
“Should be fine.”
…They were transplanting me.
No, otherwise I’d remain planted in the ground! And then I wouldn’t be able to enter indoor spaces! And if monsters appeared, I’d just be attacked relentlessly!
…Truly, it’s good to have companions. Yes.
After that, it was free time for everyone.
Or rather, it was waiting time until President finished making the medicines he could now prepare.
Maito-san was starting to cook something that could serve as her substitute, repeatedly saying, “I don’t want to be eaten anymore! I don’t want to be eaten anymore!”
And us, meanwhile.
“Katori is super fast! Super fast!”
“He’s breaking 1000m in 30 seconds.”
“Can I ride on your back…?”
Everyone was enjoying their current forms. I was just observing.
“Ah, I think I can fly! Oh, but I feel kinda buggy when I fly!”
“I can fly too… but I can fly even without wings…”
“Wow, that’s not very exciting…”
“Ah… I’m getting hungry again… Maito, isn’t it ready yet?”
It’s fun to watch everyone having a great time.
…Somehow, no matter what happens, we end up enjoying ourselves.
Meanwhile, Hagasaki-kun went swimming and took Toriumi with him as the “Transfer” person.
They also seem to be fishing. Yes. This should prevent any incidents of Hagasaki-kun being nibbled by Toriumi.
It seems the medicine President was making wasn’t ready by dinner time.
“The preparation is done, so it just needs to simmer overnight to be ready. I’ll be up all night, and it should be ready by tomorrow morning. We’ll try the medicine then and decide our next steps.”
“Wow, thanks for the hard work… Wait, aren’t you nocturnal now, President?”
“Well, probably. I do feel less bothered by staying up all night than usual.”
Upon closer inspection, President’s eyes are slightly reddish. It seems his canine teeth have also grown, giving him a vampire-like appearance.
“But you were okay in the sunlight earlier.”
“Yes, if I had become sensitive to sunlight, I would have died out there.”
Please don’t say such scary things so casually…
Just then, President made a bitter face. That’s rare.
“However… I do feel a slight aversion to running water.”
Huh, sunlight is fine, but water?
“Ah, vampires can’t cross running water, right?”
“There are such stories, yes. But aren’t silver bullets and crucifixes more common?”
“Ah, President, are you okay with garlic?”
“It seems I’m fine with silver, crucifixes, and garlic too. Should we test it?”
“Uh… if it turns out bad, wouldn’t that be dangerous?”
I think that’s dangerous. Let’s not!
“Come on, everyone, let’s eat! And please, stop nibbling on me!”
And then it was time for dinner.
Today’s menu has a lot of meaty, or rather, bloody dishes. Rare steaks, liver paste. Oh, could those sausages be blood sausages? If so, they must have been made on purpose. Impressive… Oh, but it’s necessary to prevent getting nibbled on…
There’s also fish, like sashimi and steamed fish. These seem lighter. There are also vegetables and fruits. If I were to eat, I’d go for these lighter, refreshing options. I am, after all, kind of a tree!
“…food looks good… but raw meat…”
“Stop! Stop! Please just stop, don’t nibble, don’t nibble, noooooo!”
But despite Maito-san’s efforts, Kadomi-san was looking at her with hungry eyes, as if she were food.
“Hey, Maito, calm down… Ah, damn. No good, Maito, stay out of my line of sight.”
“Nooooooooooooo!”
“Damn it, don’t move! When you move, I end up looking!”
It’s no good here either. Hunting instincts.
“Maito-san, I’m calm, so it’s fine.”
“I can’t trust anyone anymore.”
I understand the feeling…
Eventually, Maito-san settled between me and Hagasaki-kun, following his suggestion, “Maito, why don’t you come over here? I don’t really feel like eating meat.” Facing us were Hariu and Katori, who apparently also don’t want to eat raw meat. It seems just making eye contact with the carnivores is dangerous. Yes.
Maito-san really has it tough…
It seems the food chain at the dining table is even lower than Maito-san at the bottom.
Kadomi-san also calmed down once his stomach was full. That’s good. Really good. Otherwise, Maito-san might have ended up in a splatter scenario.
“Alright, everyone, eat this when you’re hungry. I’m not food, okay! Please remember that!”
Maito-san nervously shooed everyone away with a broom before fleeing.
…On the table, there’s a generous amount of meat dishes that look delicious even cold. She must have been really scared of being nibbled on…
“Is it okay if I take some?”
“…Well, why not?”
Hagasaki-kun began eating the meat right away. Wait, isn’t that weird!? Didn’t he just eat? Is he hungry again!? Ah, maybe fish aren’t very filling.
“I’d prefer fresh blood if possible.”
“President, unless it’s really necessary, endure it. Maito is about to die.”
“I understand.”
President looked somewhat unsatisfied. Hmm, maybe cooked blood just doesn’t cut it?
“By the way, President, isn’t our blood okay? Like, maybe we could draw a little from Kadomi-kun?”
“Uh?”
…Ah, poor Kadomi-san seemed greatly relieved!
“Regardless of President’s appetite, it might still be a good idea to draw some blood from Kadomi-kun…”
“Uh?”
“No, let’s not do that. …If the medicine we’re making now doesn’t work, we might have to resort to combat.”
Ah, there’s that relieved look on Kadomi-san’s face again… oh.
Oh no…
“By the way, does getting ‘Chimera Wings’ mean we have to fight a Chimera?”
“Yes. So, we might have to fight monsters in these bodies.”
For now, since we couldn’t do anything until the medicine was ready, we decided to sleep.
But.
“I feel like I’ll get squished to death if I sleep in a bed… Ah! I should have asked Maito-san to make something for me!”
Hariu couldn’t sleep in a normal-sized futon because of his size. It’s too late to regret not having a smaller-sized futon made. Maito-san is already outside, wrapped up and sleeping with Ketorami-san, so it would be rude to wake her.
…Just as I was thinking this, a maid doll came in through the window.
“Huh!?”
And the maid dolls that came in placed a maid-sized futon in front of Hariu and then left.
“…eh, what’s this, are they lending it to me?”
“Uh, well, they brought it, so maybe just borrow it?”
Hariu hesitantly crawled into the small futon.
“…it’s really comfortable…”
That’s good.
“Hey, how am I supposed to sleep? In the water?”
“I’d like to know that too…”
Meanwhile, Hagasaki-kun and Katori looked very uncomfortable about sleeping. They’re a fish and a centaur, after all…
“Maybe just stay up all night…?”
“No, there might be combat tomorrow. We should conserve our energy. …If you can’t sleep, should I knock you out? I think I can do that.”
“I’d rather not…”
So, with no other choice, everyone fidgeted around trying to find a comfortable sleeping position, and somehow managed to fall asleep.
Ah, there was no searching for a comfortable position for me.
I’m planted in a pot!
And so, the next morning.
“It didn’t work.”
President reported simply.
“So, that means…?”
“We have to fight a monster.”
…I’m only feeling unease!
And so, we came near the cave again.
We were looking for the Chimera… and we found it easily.
“It’s huge.”
“Big.”
“I probably think it’s bigger than anyone else!”
“Well, Hariu, you are 15cm tall now, so relatively, it must seem the biggest to you.”
It’s huge. Really huge.
It looks about 5 meters tall at the shoulder. Bigger than Ketorami-san.
Such a Chimera. A lion’s head, a goat’s body, a snake for a tail, bird wings sprouting as well, and the legs have a reptilian look.
“So, we need to get its feathers now…”
“…can we just defeat it, or should I not even say that. With our current bodies, the thought of fighting is unsettling.”
And against such a monster, our situation is…
“I’m 15cm tall!”
“I need to be submerged in water or I’ll die, so I can’t move.”
“I can’t pilot the mech anymore.”
“I can handle a sword somehow, but not a shield…”
“Kariya’s legs have become roots, so he can’t move, right? And I can’t hold a sword because I have no arms. We’re more than just half our usual strength.”
…The changes in our bodies had brought various inconveniences.
What should we do about this…?
So, while watching the Chimera from a distance, we held a strategy meeting.
“First, let’s stop trying to do things we can’t do. In a way, these body changes are a chance. Instead of compensating for the disadvantages, we should extend our advantages,” President naturally led the discussion. Yes, that probably is the best approach.
It’s honestly impossible for me to move freely. It would be more efficient to look for a different way to fight than to waste effort on that.
“Well, I understand that… So, I’m treated like a fixed artillery then?”
“It looks like it. Hagasaki can’t chant spells where there’s no water. So, it’s better for him to support us with magic from a distance without moving.”
No sooner had President spoken than he made a suitable depression in the ground and a stone wall to serve as a barricade. Hagasaki silently filled it with water to create a pond, and while crawling there, he was carried and released into the pond by Toriumi. He looks a bit reluctant, but I think it’s inevitable. Yes.
“So, Kariya and I are like that too?”
“No, Kariya should stay with Hagasaki and support from a distance with healing. Katori, on the other hand, should move around. It’s a waste not to use the mobility of a horse. Please disrupt from the ground.”
Normally, Katori, who stays back, now has to move around. It’s worrying since it’s something he’s not used to.
“Suzumoto, please disrupt from the air. Even if you can’t hold a sword, you can strap blades to your legs, right?”
“Ah, understood… damn, I’ve never used leg techniques before…”
“Don’t push yourself too hard. After all, it’s just a disruption… Kadomi, please fight with just one sword. Equip armor as much as you can, and you can disregard defense. Try to fight like the usual Suzumoto.”
“…I’ll try.”
“Toriumi seems to be able to move as usual. I’ll rely on you more than ever to act as our shield. I’ll handle magic attacks and support depending on the situation.”
…And so, roles were distributed among us… and then.
“Wait? President, what about me? What about me?”
“Hariu, please take care of this.”
Hariu was handed a small bottle.
A small bottle, but for the current Hariu, it looked as big as a body pillow. Quite large, actually.
“What’s this?”
“It’s poison.”
…Well, yes. I sort of figured.
“Hariu, please toss this into the Chimera’s mouth.”
…
In my mind, I can vaguely see Hariu trying to throw the bottle of poison into the Chimera’s mouth… and being eaten with the bottle.
“Wait, you want me to get eaten?”
“Escape just before that.”
“No, no, no, no! I’ll get eaten! Eaten along with the poison!”
“…White Pikmin…”
“Stop it!”
…In the end, Hariu was assigned to prod from the shadows.
Yes, that seems fair…
“Oh, what about me?”
“Don’t come out. Stay hidden.”
“Yes…”
Well, that’s fair for Maito-san too…
And so the battle began.
“Over here!”
The vanguard was Suzumoto. He swooped down straight from the sky and stabbed the knife strapped to his leg into the Chimera’s back.
Before the Chimera could retaliate, he flapped away. Then Hagasaki shot several ice bullets to disrupt, and Katori ran around the Chimera at incredible speeds, beaming to cause disruptions.
Kadomi charged in a bit too recklessly, and Toriumi protected him while drawing the Chimera’s attacks. If Kadomi overreached and Toriumi couldn’t cover him, President would create a rock wall to shield them.
Although invisible, I think Hariu is probably prodding from the shadows. The Chimera occasionally makes strange movements because of that.
“I’m bored.”
“Oh, yes. It’s boring, isn’t it?”
And beside me, Maito-san was hiding (or maybe buried?) behind Ketorami-san. I was on standby next to them.
From the looks of it, I might not have a role this time. I’m honestly glad about that. The best healer is one who remains unneeded.
“Looks like everyone is managing okay,” Maito-san observed, watching everyone’s fight with a rare interest. Oh, right, she usually doesn’t see us fighting.
“We don’t usually create such chaos. Today, we’re being extra cautious, layering one careful step on top of another, so it might seem normal to you.”
“Is that so… Usually, it’s even more… hmm.”
Even from a spectator’s perspective, it’s somewhat clear that it’s a struggle.
Many are playing roles they aren’t used to, so the coordination is a bit shaky.
Still, that we can cooperate fairly well and fight safely is… well, it feels like we’re pushing through on the strength of our original teamwork!
…At times like this, I’m glad we get along well.
“Uraaah!”
Uncharacteristically, Kadomi yelled out as he thrust his sword, piercing the Chimera’s heart. Consequently, he got completely drenched in blood. Scary.
The Chimera thrashed about for a bit but soon stopped moving.
“We did it. Ah, I’m not doing anything unfamiliar again. I’m exhausted.”
Suzumoto, looking several times more tired than usual, descended to the ground and collapsed on his back.
“Gyah! I’m getting crushed! Crushed! That was close!”
“Sorry…”
Apparently, Hariu was right where Suzumoto collapsed. Hariu, having narrowly escaped, now angrily flew circles above Suzumoto’s head.
“Good work everyone. Now, I’ll collect the medicine…”
President climbed onto the Chimera and seems to have collected its wings. Quick work.
Then, with a satisfied look, he walked toward the laboratory… and suddenly, his expression turned serious, and he collapsed.
He collapsed.
“President!”
“That’s unusual…”
“What, is it going to rain spears tomorrow?”
“Hmm, in another world, that could actually happen, which is scary.”
While everyone made their remarks (neither Hagasaki nor I could walk over!), they carried President and brought him over to where I was.
Essentially, it was to heal. He recovered quickly.
…However, President showed no signs of getting up.
“…Maito-san.”
He seemed able to speak now… but he was far from his usual self, more dazed than if he were just waking up.
“Yes! What’s up!? What’s up!? Is there anything I can do!?”
Maito-san was also panicked by the call. It was a pretty urgent situation, given that President wasn’t acting like himself.
But.
“Could I have some blood, please?”
“I’ve been drained…”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
And once again, Maito-san ended up being the sacrifice.
This time, since President was truly in a bad state, Maito-san was relatively compliant in becoming the sacrifice… but still, it felt rather pitiful. Yes. She recovered quickly, but it seemed it would take time for her blood loss to replenish.
“Thank you for the meal, Maito-san.”
“Um…”
“Now, I’ll go prepare the medicine. It will be ready by evening.”
Meanwhile, President seemed completely revitalized. That was good. Now, the medicine should probably be ready soon.
“Well, what can I say, Maito… hang in there.”
“Um…”
“Being weak is the problem.”
“Yes…”
“…Sorry for eating you.”
“Yes, that’s really…”
Why does Maito-san always end up in roles like this?
It feels like it can’t just be explained by being the weakest…
Truly, hang in there. Yes.
“It’s ready.”
And after we managed a makeshift lunch, finally!
“Here is the medicine that will cure our beast transformations.”
It’s done! We did it! Thank you, President!
Looking at him, President’s appearance is completely back to normal. There wasn’t much change to begin with, so it doesn’t look very different.
“However, due to the availability of ingredients, there is only enough for seven more people.”
Eh, what! So, that’s how it is!
“I feel like we’ve done this kind of thing before.”
“It’s not just a feeling… Hey, President, you’re not doing this on purpose, right?”
“No, it’s not intentional.”
President is smiling his usual smile. It’s a mad smile.
I’m not sure if it’s good or bad that he’s back to normal…
“We can’t just do rock-paper-scissors fairly this time.”
“If we accidentally leave Kadomi unchanged, Maito-san might get eaten.”
“…Sorry.”
So, after some discussion, the carnivores Suzumoto and Kadomi were excluded, obviously inconvenienced individuals like me, Hagasaki, and Katori were also out, and Hariu was excluded to prevent accidents like getting squashed…
“Start with rock!… Ah, I won!”
“Aww, I lost, overthought that one.”
After a fair game of rock-paper-scissors between Maito-san and Toriumi, it was decided that Toriumi would remain a cat creature for one more day.
“Hmm, I wouldn’t have minded another day with a tail.”
“Then, Maito-san, you could take this medicine to transform into a beast.”
“Ah, no thanks. I’ll pass.”
…And sure enough, President had also made a reverse transformation medicine.
Like the medicine that caused cat ears to grow, this one was also used in various fun ways afterward.
There were some accidents, but thankfully, Maito-san was never the prey…