I Became the Academy’s Pink Airhead

Us holding each other’s hands for a while.

“…”

Bell, who had been watching that sight for a while, finally raised her crimson dagger. Then she sends a signal with red ether light.

Whoosh―!!

A red line crossing the dark sky.

It was the signal for the hastily devised operation based on the information witnessed by Sigrun, the investigation team leader, during her exploration.

Rustle

As the signal falls, dozens of students waiting in the surroundings reveal themselves. And they begin to create predetermined blockade lines while letting out their characteristic monstrous cries.

Kuuung―!!

Whaaaak―!!

The suddenly appeared students all release huge flames on the ground at once. Dozens of red flames ignited in an instant. They gradually swallow up the earth within a radius of several hundred meters.

A wall of flames illuminating the dark wilderness.

Flames created containing the madness of students.

Their mad skills that changed even their own ether attributes through vows of destruction. They instantly burn the casters’ ether and block the path of numerous chaos insects.

Kiaaaah―!!

In front of the dungeon gate spewing black ether. Hundreds of larval chaos insects that were advancing to melt into the darkness following that ominous energy are blocked by the wall of flames.

-We’ve set the fires!!

-Let’s go in―!!

The students begin one-sided hunting, entering among hundreds of larval chaos insects while holding weapons inside the red flame wall.

Slash―!!

Thud―

Girls slashing chaos insects with weapons in the flames.

Amidst chaos insect flesh pieces scattering, the shadows beyond the flames are eerie.

But the numbers of the numerous chaos insects didn’t seem to be easily decreasing.

Shaaaah―!!

Kyaaaak―!!

Unlike the somewhat static ether manipulation shown by students from other schools up to the 2nd stage. The ether manipulation of students that changes the surrounding environment before starting was heterogeneous and violent.

But thanks to that violence, hundreds of larval chaos insects couldn’t advance into the erosion dungeon gate. They just rampaged and wailed inside the wall made of flames.

The shadows of students are faintly visible beyond the wall of flames, and their voices spread as monstrous cries.

-Hiya!! It’s bug hunting time―!!

-Damn, to think we can’t push the erosion dungeon with ’s methods―!!

-Hiyaaaa!! I’ll replace this frustration with chaos insect slaughter!!

-You brat, push the dungeon well!! Huh?! Don’t whine!!

-Hiya!! If you don’t do it properly, we’ll all complain to the boss!!

-Pink hair! You transfer to our school later!!

students who instantly burned their ether to create a battlefield of flames.

But since they couldn’t use that skill in the erosion dungeon gate where ether consumption increases rapidly, they volunteered to take on the role of blocking chaos insects swarming towards the path of black ether in front of the dungeon.

Bell snorted at the words of those students and answered:

“This cute secretary wouldn’t possibly tremble at a mere dungeon!”

And she turned to look at us with a confident smile and shouted:

“Now the hugging~ time is over, right? You’ll realize how embarrassing that fuss was when you follow this cute secretary~ I’ll tease you about it for life―!”

Whoosh― Thwack!

Bell playfully spun her crimson dagger once in the air and said:

“…So win safely and come out―!”

We answered those words:

“Yes!”

“Comrade Bell! We’ll trust you!”

“Mm…!”

“Yes♪ That’s reassuring~”

Like that, we ran out feeling the warmth emitted by the wall of flames on our backs.

Tap tap tap―

Firelight faintly illuminating the dark sky.

Following the path of black ether visible beyond that.

‘A huge black ether triangle floating in the sky…’

The place where the dungeon core spewing that black ether is shaking.

Advancing inside the dungeon gate where white snakes and trees are entangled.

As the gate gradually comes closer to view, black ether envelops our bodies.

I could tell that the energy of this event dungeon, with black ether slowly flowing out, was completely different from other ordinary dungeon gates.

At the same time, I recall Sigrun’s words heard before establishing the operation.

‘Both in the game and in reality, Bell and Sigrun aren’t well highlighted due to their personalities… but they were incredibly capable…’

Not long ago from now.

Sigrun, who had been persuaded by me, took out a map from her bosom and explained the anomaly she had witnessed to Eir and Bell.

-The places where chaos insects bursting out of each dungeon gate in the northeast gather are these three places… all are dungeon gates in the northern region.

The locations of northern erosion dungeon gates marked on the map Sigrun took out.

Those 3 dungeon gates were located exactly at the vertices of an equilateral triangle crossing the northern wilderness.

-Unlike chaos insects trying to exit from other northeastern dungeon gates, I confirmed that chaos insects were rather entering the three dungeon gates connected by black ether lines.

Eir clicked her tongue looking at the locations marked on the map.

-Strangely, ether consumption became extreme, so most of our kids who instantly explode flames couldn’t even use their power and returned…

-That was confirmed inside other erosion dungeon gates that occurred in the northeastern region as well!

-Hm? Isn’t it the same as other places then? What’s the difference between the 3 gates connected in a triangle and other erosion gates?

Sigrun answered Bell’s question:

-As a result of the main team quickly searching inside the dungeon leading the investigation team, it was in a state of losing the gate function that controls personnel limits. Above all, crystals spewing black ether were embedded throughout the interior of those dungeon gates!

-Black ether?

-Yes! The chaos insects flowing out from various places were moving towards the path where that black ether was flowing out!

-Hah… So we just need to destroy the crystals in those 3 dungeons.

Bell exclaimed at those words from Eir:

-Then let’s all go together in a group and break them one by one! That’s safer, right?

-That probably won’t work.

-Why~!!

-According to the consultation of a magic department student belonging to the investigation team, the ether receptacles connected in a triangular arrangement are no different from… a huge magic circle imbued with the property of mutual recovery!

-What does that mean~!!

-Tsk, I don’t know about magic studies, so explain briefly.

-If we don’t destroy all three places at once within a short time, they’ll regenerate!

Bell frowned and said:

-How much error is allowed?

-It’s just an estimate, but about 10 minutes!

Eir clicked her tongue while hitting her head:

-Damn, they’re exactly 10 minutes apart from each gate.

-Even if we hold out until reinforcements arrive… the northern region will be devastated before that…

Sigrun continued speaking with a dejected expression:

-Moreover, chaos insects that looked at least adult-class were guarding in front of each crystal. But since there’s only me as a 3rd stage ether ability user in the investigation team, we gave up conquering all dungeons and tried to call for reinforcements, but…!

Sigrun looked at Bell and Eir.

Then those two completely grasped the situation.

If the three gathered, they could resolve it before the damage increased.

-With this lineup, we might be able to finish quickly before the situation drags on―♪ Good thing we got along well without fighting―☆

-Tsk, that’s right.

Like that, we were divided into teams to conquer the 3 dungeon gates where black ether crystals were confirmed and defense teams to block the influx of chaos insects.

students who couldn’t enter the dungeon due to their ether usage method took charge of the defense team blocking the influx of chaos insects. And the attack team party leaders were assigned to three people with combat power of 3rd stage or higher.

[Crimson Trajectory] Eir who has combat power of 3rd stage ability user or higher alone even without using flame explosions. And Sigrun and Bell, 3rd stage ability users from outside schools who brought their own party members.

Among the dungeon gate attack teams divided mainly around three high-level ether ability users, we came to belong to Bell’s party.

“Really~!! How did it end up like this―!!”

Bell looked at us with complicated eyes.

The north she came to in order to stop Sigrun, who had friction with students due to urban arson. The situation gradually grew, and before she knew it, it had grown to preventing the erosion crisis and threats to the northern academy city.

Bell shouted with complicated feelings as she ran:

“Really…! Really, really, really~!! When we return to the garrison after finishing the job, I’ll definitely repay this favor―!! Please don’t report to the boss~!!”

“How many times are you going to say the same thing…?”

Alvit looked at me and our classmates, and we responded to that gaze with infinite affirmation. And she said in a voice full of confidence:

“We’re students of the same academy city, aren’t we! We’ll help you!”

“Uwaaah!! Don’t speak with such a youth-filled tone~!! It’s embarrassing because I tried to put on airs at first sight―!!”

“…Didn’t that fail too?”

“Shh, be quiet.”

Bell finally shouted as she entered the gate that had reached right in front:

“Now! Let’s start breaking through the dungeon!”

Rumble―!

The penalty of the dungeon that would normally reject parties of 3 or more members isn’t felt at all. All that’s felt is the energy of black ether. The juniors who encountered that ominous energy each clicked their tongues.

“Kuh…! This much is…!”

“That’s right! We’ll overcome this much with guts!”

“…”

I quietly faced that energy, recalling game knowledge from faded memories.

‘…Curse of Erosion.’

The special dungeon environment created by [Disciple of Erosion].

It was a debuff that extremely increased skill consumption within it.

The key to conquering this event dungeon was to break through endless monster waves with students with low ether costs. But thanks to the help of students that wasn’t implemented in the game, the situation inside the dungeon where further waves were blocked was relatively relaxed.

“Larval chaos insect group spotted!!”

“Kara! Let’s go together!”

“Understood―!”

Whenever groups of larval chaos insects are sparsely seen between dark passages, Alvit and Kara struggle to save Bell’s ether.

Red ether forms on the sword Alvit draws, and she uses a skill that consumes almost no cost.

“[Flash Sword]!”

Along the sword paths she heavily scattered, red ether condenses. And the released sword energies explode with a roar echoing through the passage.

Bang―!!

Shaaaah―!!

Larval chaos insects reacting to the sudden attack.

They surround Alvit, leading their sluggish bodies with roars.

Alvit gradually being surrounded.

She tried to escape while attacking, but.

Because the skill costs she had been using until now were close to 0.

She was flustered by the fatigue from skills felt for the first time in this dungeon.

“Ugh?! Ether drains this much―?! It’s much worse than Rota’s buff skills―?!”

“[Revolutionary Comrade]!! Create footholds for Comrade Alvit to avoid!”

Flutter―

As faint ether signals are transmitted through the flag Kara waves, summoned robot comrades move according to predetermined positions. An action closer to position alignment rather than full-fledged summon attack skills.

Click!

Click!

Click!

Eventually, they created footholds for Alvit to step on, moving their thin arms and legs attached to short rectangular bodies.

Tap!

Alvit steps on those stairs, rises into the air, and fires attacks once again.

“[Flash Sword]―!!”

Bang―!!

Sword energies fired once again.

They finally explode all the gathered larval chaos insects.

Though they had only passed one encounter, the skill proficiency had noticeably increased.

“Se-Senior… Alvit is… getting stronger incredibly fast…?”

“…Yes♪ That’s fortunate.”

Rota, who was essentially sealed from skills due to the dungeon’s debuff, was chasing after Alvit and Kara with me while holding support items.

“Kuuh!! The cute secretary will soon be active too! Just get used to the dungeon’s feel~!!”

Bell was spouting nonsense again as if her concept freak tendencies had flared up, watching Alvit’s activity.

We advanced like that towards the depths of the dungeon.