A Nosebleed-Inducing Scene

"Ah↗ ah↘ ah↗, what the heck? Why are they only chasing me?!"

The mine was dark and cramped, and Riyao was practically running for his life.

His soles scraped rapidly against the rough stone of the mineshaft as he raced along at full tilt.

Behind him, a dark mass of Ore-Devouring Giant Rats bared their sharp incisors, while swarms of Shadow Spiders followed close behind on their long, slender legs. The countless magic beasts seemed to have singled him out, sticking right behind him and pursuing him relentlessly.

He was going crazy. In terms of strength, he was tough enough to take a beating, and even if they ganged up on him, they wouldn't hurt him in the slightest.

But seeing that slimy, chaotic mass of magic beasts all rushing at him alone made his skin crawl. Just the sight was unbearable, never mind how awful it felt.

Erza followed behind, swinging her sword and slaying the magic beasts, but the monsters didn't fight back at all. They were single-mindedly pursuing Riyao.

"Erza, slash faster! Your senior's safety is in your hands!"

"Senior Riyao, slow down!"

"No way! I don't want to get gnawed on by rats. That's disgusting!"

Erza braced her hands on her knees and gasped for breath. She wiped the sweat from her temple and watched helplessly as Riyao led the huge pack of magic beasts in circles around the mine.

"Senior Riyao, I can't keep chasing you. I'm too tired..."

"Huh? All right, then throw me the sword!"

"Okay."

"Watch out, Riyao!"

Erza raised her hand and hurled the longsword at Riyao with all her might, but her foot slipped and threw off her aim. The sword shot straight toward his head, and his eyes flew wide with fright.

For a moment, he didn't watch his footing. He tripped and fell straight to the ground as the longsword flew just over his head.

His momentum sent him sliding a long way across the ground, his cheek scraping against the rough ore.

"Senior Riyao, look out!"

The Ore-Devouring Giant Rats and Shadow Spiders swarmed him in an instant, burying him completely.

The next second, dazzling golden light erupted in the dark mine. Riyao activated the Hundred Battles Spell Formula, and golden markings spread across his skin and over his entire body.

He seized an Ore-Devouring Giant Rat by the tail and swung it hard in a circle, sending the surrounding magic beasts flying.

"I'm filthy! My whole body's filthy!"

Riyao furiously lashed out with his fists, splattering himself with green bodily fluids.

Erza gripped her longsword, her eyes full of admiration.

"Senior Riyao is amazing. I have to do my best too!"

With that, she charged forward again, swinging her sword to slay the magic beasts.

Riyao was having an especially hard time fighting, though it wasn't because the Ore-Devouring Giant Rats and Shadow Spiders were particularly strong.

Rather, every time he punched back, shattered limbs and pieces of rock bounced back from the recoil, striking his vital spots one after another. His attacks kept faltering, and he was frustrated beyond measure.

"Ugh, this is so annoying... mmph, ptooey, ptooey!"

(ﾒ ﾟ皿ﾟ)ﾒ

Finally, unable to stand it any longer, he poured all his magic power into his right foot, raised it high, and stomped the ground with all his might.

Boom.

A violent force exploded outward, instantly shattering every Ore-Devouring Giant Rat and Shadow Spider surrounding him and sending green bodily fluids flying everywhere.

Riyao was stained green from head to toe. Erza wasn't spared either; the side of her body facing him was likewise splattered with green fluid.

ㅍ_ㅍㅍ_ㅍ

Before either of them could react, another rumble thundered overhead. Loose mine rock came crashing down, burying Riyao under a pile of stones. A battered wooden board also happened to land at an angle in front of the pile.

Erza froze for a moment, then rushed forward to pull the rocks away. As she dug, she called out urgently, "Senior Riyao, are you still alive? Hang on, I'll dig you out right now!"

Riyao's muffled voice came from under the pile. "I'm a little 'dead'... These rocks are wedged right against the joints I need to use, so I can't put any strength into moving."

"Erza~ when I think of my life, slaying dragons and slaughtering demons, only to meet an inauspicious end in my old age."

Erza's hands paused on the rocks. She kept digging as she replied speechlessly, "Never mind the dragons and demons, Riyao, how old are you? What do you mean, old age?"

"Huh? You're not calling me Senior Riyao anymore... So, does love disappear after all?"

A vein throbbed at Erza's temple. She clenched her fist and slammed it down on the pile of rocks.

"Ow!"

Riyao let out a scream, but the blow happened to dislodge the rocks pinning his joints.

Covered in dust, he poked his head out of the pile and met Erza's eyes.

The next second, both of them cracked up.

"Pfft... hahahaha! Erza, you look so funny all green like that!"

"Hahaha... You're no better! You look even sillier when you smile and show your teeth!"

Riyao laughed until his whole body went limp, without even the strength to raise a hand. Erza grabbed his arm and struggled to pull him all the way out of the pile.

Covered in green filth and dust, the two supported each other as they stumbled out of the abandoned mine in a sorry state.

Riyao hung his head and glanced at the green fluid all over himself. "Let's rinse off in the stream nearby first," he said helplessly. "Otherwise, I'd be too ashamed to show my face when we get back... Actually, I can barely even see my face right now."

Erza also looked down at her armor and clothes, which were covered in grime, and nodded silently. She had only one thought: A girl has her dignity. I have to wash.

At the stream, a nosebleed-inducing scene unfolded.

When adolescent boys and girls were together, something was bound to happen.

For example, Riyao slipped and abruptly lost his balance, sending his face straight into a rock beside him. After a dull thud, two streams of blood instantly flowed from his nose.

"I can't go on! There's definitely something unclean following me. How can I be this unlucky today?!"

Erza covered her mouth, struggling to hold back her laughter. "Pfft, I've had professional training. I usually don't laugh."

The two cleaned the stains off themselves by the stream and tidied themselves up before returning to the guild together.

All the way back, Riyao kept his nerves taut and stayed fully alert, on guard against any mishap that might appear at any moment.

Erza silently edged to the side, keeping a safe distance from him for fear of being caught up in his bad luck again.

They finally reached the guild, and Riyao stopped at the entrance, wondering whether he should go in. The mishaps inside involved magic, unlike the ones he'd encountered along the way.

As he was thinking, Gray came flying out from inside and knocked him flying. Erza watched, dumbfounded, as Riyao picked himself up off the ground and ran straight home without looking back.

"Erza, go find the old man and turn in the request yourself. I'm heading home first. See you tomorrow."

Gray sat up on the ground and watched Riyao run off into the distance, a bewildered look on his face. "What's up with Riyao?"

"He's had really bad luck today. I guess he's afraid something even worse will happen if he goes into the guild."

"Hahaha, serves him right. That's what he gets for being so mean every day."

Gray got up and walked back into the guild, and Erza also went inside to report the details of the request to Makarov.