Entering a Company From Another World! – Chapter 90

Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, has a girlfriend.

Girlfriend: Suella Hendelberg
Memoria Tris
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time employee)
Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class)
Role: Warrior

“Even if you say we’ll do it, what are we supposed to do, Senpai?! It’s a monster that appears in the early stages, shows up frequently in the story, evolves gradually each time it appears, and looks like it’s going to become the final boss, you know?! By the way, I don’t have any light magic!!”

“You’re more composed than I thought.”

While flustered, Kaido held his twin swords, his voice on the verge of tears as he yelled out the enemy’s characteristics, facing it without letting his guard down.
I, too, was preparing to fight with all my might, circulating my magic as I had sworn to do so.

“What, it’ll be fine if we chip away at it physically for just two or three hours.”

Thanks to observing it first, I thought the enemy’s abilities, contrary to its appearance, were not hopelessly strong.
It probably had hidden abilities, but there was a realistic chance of winning.

“Your time for whimpering and trembling is over. Here it comes!”

And it seems the impatient foe, like a trained dog, cannot wait before its meal.
It attacks us like a beast with no thoughts, true to its appetite.
Its target is…

“As expected, it’s me.”

I am prioritized as the target due to my larger total amount of magic power.
I had predicted this, and my premonition was not wrong.
It sprouts chitinous legs, like those of an ant or a spider, from its body and jumps at us like a grasshopper.
Its mouth is open, probably because predation is its priority.

“Hmph!”

As I stepped forward and swung, the feel of the cut was a contradiction: soft yet hard.
No matter how fast its movements, if they are simple, I can easily see through them and cleave them away.

“The damage is getting through!! Kaido!!”
“Roger that!!”

The severed leg writhed for a while, but after a few seconds, it ran out of power and stopped moving.
The severed leg will grow back, but it probably won’t be inexhaustible.
Kaido and I positioned ourselves to sandwich it, making it concentrate its attacks on me.

“Can this thing use the abilities of those it absorbs!?”
“It’s better that we can at least tell! Be wary of unseen abilities while chipping away!! If you stop moving, you’ll be devoured!!”

A scythe passes by the side of my face, followed by a series of sharp claws approaching, but I use them as stepping stones to jump up, perform a mid-air forward roll, and split its head vertically.
Even so, something oozes out immediately, and the wound heals.

“Whoa, just as expected.”
“I thought the standard way to deal with something like this was to blast it with a massive magic spell that it wouldn’t absorb!! Why are we just chipping away at it with swords!!”
“It can’t be helped, can it? We’ve been locked onto. If we get bogged down with this thing, we won’t even be able to leave the Dungeon. Be grateful we’re not despairing at the entrance.”

The Dungeon gate is set up so that if a monster exists within the designated range of each gate, the gate will not function.
In other words, unless we defeat this thing or shake it off, we cannot leave the Dungeon.
Despite complaining, Kaido swung his Ore Tree, but as before, unless I cut it off, the damage wouldn’t be effective.

“I’ve had enough!! After I finish this job, I’m definitely going to Kira-tan’s shop!! Then I’ll forget all the unpleasant things!! Hiyahaah!! I’m drinking tonight!!”

“…”

Kaido, who felt like he was cutting through a mountain of sand, though not clouds, was turning from half-crying to full-blown tears as he faced a job with no end in sight.
I, meanwhile, ignored him and willed myself to be mindless, feeling like I was grasping at something concerning this opponent that wouldn’t diminish no matter how much I cut it.
Where to cut for maximum effect, where to cleave to impede its movement, where to break through to slow its regeneration.
To finish the job quickly, the key is to work as efficiently as possible.
Similarly, with Jigen-ryu, which requires no second strike to fell an opponent in one hit, the crucial aspect is how quickly and concisely one can perform the entire sequence of movements, from footwork to the downswing, to exert maximum power.
Unconsciously, I refine the act of cutting through trial and error.
Understanding that our damage was not very effective, it discarded defense and simply grew limbs to attack relentlessly.
It was a process of constantly cutting them down.
I was starting to get tired of the feel that combined elasticity and hardness.
I can cut.
But as it is now, it’s inefficient.
If only it were softer. If only its body were as soft as konjac.

“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!?”

The Ore Tree I swung with that thought met with almost no resistance, easily biting into its flesh and cleaving away.
Moreover, it was an arm resembling the sickle of a praying mantis, which was thicker and harder than anything I had cut before.

“What was that?”

The result was too perfect to be mere chance.
I speculated whether the enemy’s generation strength was low, or if it had become brittle from repeated attacks.
However, I concluded these two possibilities were unlikely.
Judging from the monster’s scream, which I had never heard before, that scythe was not intended to be cut.
In other words, it was not due to insufficient strength or deterioration.
Then there must have been an element that allowed me to cleave it.
Find that element.

“Kaido!! Create a diversion!! Damage doesn’t matter, just stop its movements!!”
“Y-yes!!”

Trial and error.
What is necessary to recall that sensation?
Convinced that bringing that forth would resolve this battle, I had Kaido employ a shallow, annoying delaying tactic.
Even though I was trying to cut the same way as before, something was different.
Was it the amount of force applied?
The timing of my step?
The control of my magic power?
While the enemy’s attacks were directed at Kaido and my hate had decreased, I re-examined each element of my attacks.
Swift, yet accurate.
I make corrections with each swing so that there is no room for assumptions that “it’s alright.”
But it’s still far from the sensation I had earlier.
The power of the slash attack remains unchanged.
The result is no different from when the battle began.
It may not be something acquired overnight, but if I could do it before, I should be able to do it now.

“It *is* hard, Senpai!! And my sword is starting to melt!!”
“……!”

And then, Kaido’s equipment finally reached its limit.
It would be difficult to defeat that thing with Kaido’s weapon, which had become a blunt instrument.
But…

“I see, a sense of insecurity.”

With that one word, I understood what I was missing.
Humans have strengths and weaknesses, and a sense of insecurity can arise regarding things they are not good at.
Because that job is troublesome, because that job is difficult.
Such common perceptions reduce work efficiency.
It’s the same for that monster.
Before I made the first cut, what was its hardness?
There was certainly a sense of doubt in my mind about whether I could cut it.
Ah, with that mindset, even things that *can* be cut won’t be.
In work, hesitating about whether one can do it or not is the height of foolishness.
The options given are either to do it and improve one’s evaluation, or to say one cannot do it and lower one’s evaluation.
So, in this case, it’s a choice between cutting or not cutting.
Then, what is my choice?

“I will… cut you!”
“Wha, Senpai!?”

With that decision, my actions were swift.
Just one step.
Discarding my defense, with the resolve to end everything with this one strike, I fully invaded its range.
It’s laughable.
What was I trying to do, waiting to defend and then counter-attack?
Jigen-ryu is about striking ahead of the opponent.
The key is to win by attacking first.
Once you go on the defensive, its unique characteristics are lost.
Trust your sword and think only of delivering your blade to the opponent before they do.
If the opponent has a wider range, advance to nullify that wider range.
If the opponent has more attacks, be faster than any of them.
And it doesn’t matter how hard the opponent’s body is.

“Kaha.”

This blade can slice through all things.
Is it hard, so it cannot be cut?

“Such a thing does not exist.”

One hit on the shoulder, two on the leg, one on the cheek.
None of these are shallow wounds, and they cause pain.
But in return, the result of cutting off a tenth of its body makes me forget the pain.
The feel of this strike is different from before.
The corner of my mouth, which had been clenched until now, is now smiling with delight.

“Whoa, Senpai has entered his berserk mode.”

Kaido is saying something, but I don’t care.
This is what it means to cut. Yes, this is indeed dangerous.
The ultimate state of a Rasetsu seeking to cut all things.
It is also the extreme of a destroyer, seeking to cut indiscriminately.
I, the wielder, understand this danger well.
But at the same time, I understand that entering this state was necessary.
Without being able to do something of this magnitude, I cannot advance further.
Without being able to do something of this magnitude, I cannot achieve the great ambition of conquering Dungeons in my short human life.

“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!?”
“Well, I somehow understand that I can cut you. Now for the next part.”

As I sensed this, our paths crossed, and I, showing my back, slowly turned around.
And I caught sight of the opponent who could not accept the fact that it had been damaged.
I watched it carefully as it swallowed the severed part of its body and tried to regenerate.
“Impressive, so you can regenerate like that too,” I thought, slowly raising my Ore Tree to an upper stance.

“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!!!!”
“I’ll split you in two.”

The opponent, having consumed its own body, fails to recognize me, whom it considered prey, as a threat. It attacks with the abilities of the monsters it had previously consumed, as if repeating a previous attempt, and lunges at me, trying to devour me.
In contrast, my heart was as calm as if my earlier panic had been a dream.
I simply and calmly…

“Syuuu.”

Inhaled.
Circulated the magic in my body.
Eliminated unnecessary force.
Focused my gaze.
All distracting thoughts…

“KYEIYAAAaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!”””

Exhaled with this single cry.
Stepped forward with all my might.
Thinking only of swinging this blade faster than the opponent’s attack, faster than anyone else in this place.
Forgetting pain.
Dispelling the distracting thought of “it cannot be cut.”
The Ore Tree touched the opponent’s flesh.
And with the sure sensation transmitted to my arm…

“Ka.”

I cleaved the opponent in two.
The sensation at that moment was accompanied by an ineffable sense of accomplishment.
My mouth was undoubtedly wearing a smile.

“Ooooooh!!! Senpai is amazing!!”
*CRASH*

Hearing Kaido’s astonished voice and the sound of the bisected opponent hitting the ground with momentum, I looked back.

“Is it over?”
“No, I don’t think you should say that, Senpai?”
“Like, a flag?”
“Yes, yes, maybe a second form will appear from here.”
“If it does, I’ll just cut it again.”
“Ah, that’s right.”

What had been vigorous until moments ago subsided, and I could see two Magic Stones, roughly the size of processed fists, which were likely the core of the life form, split in two.
Seeing the form of its end as a single life form, I realized there was no need to fight any longer.

“So it’s the same as a Blood species.”
“This might be worth a good price.”
“It’s something I’ve never seen before, so I’m not sure if they’ll buy it, but… wait… Hey, Kaido, is that…?”
“W-what is it, Senpai!? Could it be a second form!?”
“Don’t be scared, look closely. Around its abdomen.”
“Eeeh, so you mean its stomach, right? That’s just gross, isn’t it?! What is that!!!”
“Well, if it was eating like that, it wouldn’t be strange if it ate this thing too…”

I thought at the time, “This is too perfect.”
I couldn’t mistake its sparkling, glittering form.
With an unexpected bonus reward, Kaido was excited and delighted about the shop’s upgrade for the day.
As for me, while I was pleased with a reward commensurate with my effort, I was troubled by how to transport this immense body.
For now, let’s secure the spoils of war while remaining vigilant about whether the defeated monster is still alive.

“Today’s results are excellent, I guess.”

I put a cigarette in my mouth, lit it with a simple magic I had recently learned, and took a puff.
Its taste was the best I had ever had.

Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, has a girlfriend.

Girlfriend: Suella Hendelberg
Memoria Tris
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time employee)
Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class)
Role: Warrior

Today’s word:
You never know what will be the trigger.

This concludes this installment.
Thank you for your continued support of this work.