The Journey of Mixed Anime Begins with DanMachi

Hm?

If she wasn't teasing me along with Alise and the others, why would she feel guilty? Wasn't she just acting righteous a moment ago?

Could it be—

Her elven intuition made Ryu sense a certain possibility, and her reason was instantly overtaken by instinct.

In other words, she had confessed while being played for a fool?

...Unforgivable!

Seeing Ryu's pupils turn into that same unfocused, deep abyss as last time, Noah's heart skipped a beat.

"...Hey, Sifir, you weren't just teasing me earlier, were you?"

"Y-you, why would you think that?"

"If you weren't, why are you standing up? You aren't trying to run away, are you?"

"Ah? T-this!!"

"...Running away is not allowed!"

The next instant, the elf transformed into the Gale, lunging at Noah!

Though known for the elegance and nobility of elves, Ryu radiated the ferocious aura of a beast pouncing on its prey!

Damn it! This speed!! Isn't she a Level 3?!

His pupils constricted, and in his panic, Noah barely managed to dodge Ryu's tackle.

After dodging, he didn't even have the spare energy to look back; Noah simply bolted forward at full speed!

"Hey! Aren't you an elf? Don't you hate physical contact?"

Noah's speed should have allowed him to easily evade Ryu, and he did manage to shake her off several times.

But whether it was some kind of forest-terrain bonus for elves, every time Noah shook her off, he would see her suddenly appear in front of him just seconds later!

"I've already hugged you! I've already seen every inch of your body! What's the point of saying that now! Stop running!"

"Stop chasing me and I'll stop running!"

"If that's how it is, then don't blame me!"

"Hey! What are you doing!"

"Wind of Light!!"

"Hey! No incantation required? That's too cheap!"

Feeling the surge of magic power from behind, Noah's expression couldn't help but change.

It wasn't because of the magical attack, but rather astonishment at the sheer potential of the elf.

Under this blackened state, had she actually broken through to the point of casting magic without an incantation?!

Hey! Can you be serious? This isn't a comedy sketch!

While his mind raced, Noah gave up on running, side-stepped behind Ryu, and pinned her down.

When a Mage is interrupted while casting, it often triggers a magical backlash, which can be life-threatening in severe cases.

But perhaps because Ryu had only just begun to channel her magic and it hadn't fully gathered, no explosion occurred.

Still, an angry girl is truly harder to pin down than a wild boar!

Just as Noah was debating whether to knock Ryu unconscious and carry her away, the elf suddenly stopped struggling.

"Hm?"

"Let go of me!"

Although Ryu's gaze as she turned her head was filled with fury, she had clearly returned to normal, so Noah released his grip.

Ryu, breathing heavily, stood up and began silently tidying her disheveled combat attire.

Then, with eyes shimmering with tears, she glared fiercely at Noah.

"...Sifir, you really are dangerous. Playing with a girl's heart is as natural to you as breathing! I really can't leave you be!"

She didn't say she couldn't let him go, but that she couldn't leave him be; there seemed to be a subtle difference in that phrasing.

Though curious, Noah knew he had more important matters to attend to.

He gripped his sword hilt, looked toward the depths of the jungle, and his eyes turned into glaciers.

"Valetta, come out!"

63 Ambush

"Valetta? The Killing Emperor?!"

Hearing the infamous name that could stop children from crying in Orario, Ryu immediately cast aside all other thoughts, donned her mask, and stood beside Noah with her sword drawn.

For a moment, the forest fell deathly silent, as if the monsters themselves sensed the danger and fled.

Then, accompanied by the sound of rhythmic footsteps, a flash of crimson that stirred unease just by being looked at emerged from the trees.

It was a short-haired woman wearing a fur-trimmed coat riddled with holes, clutching a blood-colored greatsword in her hand.

Strictly speaking, she was a beauty, yet the biting malice radiating from her entire being was as chilling as black flames.

"No--ah--!!"

The moment she appeared, she shrieked with a volume entirely unbefitting a woman, her voice filled with chaotic ferocity and twisted fanaticism.

"I've missed you so much! You pretentious little brat!! Today, I'm absolutely going to rip your guts out and snap your neck!"

Faced with Valetta, who was spitting as she spoke with a savage grin, Noah merely glanced at the black greatsword in her hand with a lack of interest before scanning the surroundings.

I'm not interested in you, so hurry up and say whatever it is you have to say. Sensing the meaning behind Noah's gaze, Valetta's smile twisted instantly.

Even though we fought so intensely last time, and you even pierced my body, leaving me with unforgettable pain, you treat me like a stranger the moment we meet again?!

You're not just more despicable and shameless than Finn, you're even more heartless and cold-blooded than Finn!

Oh, it's because of that little elf girl, isn't it?

Today, I'm definitely going to give you a memory you won't ever forget!

However, no matter how much she muttered and cursed in her heart, it couldn't manifest as a physical attack, so Noah's attention remained on the surrounding forest.

Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of figures replaced the monsters, emerging from the dense woods.

Their uniform white robes, reminiscent of temple priests, clearly declared their identity as members of the Dark Faction.

This made Noah want to complain a little—why do you villains dress so formally? It makes us, the righteous side, look like a ragtag bunch of misfits!

Beyond that, the only thing that caught Noah's attention was the weapons in the believers' hands.

Some were swords of various colors that emitted a strong sense of danger, while others were pitch-black like congealed blood, silent and still like withered wood.

Recalling what he had learned from Riveria, combined with his own "Intuition," Noah quickly identified the types of weapons.

Magic Swords, and Cursed Weapons.

Magic Swords were one thing, but the Cursed Weapons were the real issue.

When adventurers level up, they have a chance to acquire "Development Abilities."

These are categories that embody professional characteristic enhancements more extremely than the five basic abilities.

There are many Development Abilities, but the most widely known and rare is the astonishingly effective "Mystery"—because it allows items, potions, and weapons to possess all sorts of miraculous powers.

For example, the staves Mages use specifically to increase magic power, or these various cursed tools before him.

A curse is an ability that lacks the massive destructive power of magic but is far more dangerous and bizarre.

The Berserk Curse, which makes warriors suddenly turn their blades on their own comrades.

The Magic Seal Curse, which reduces powerful Mages to ordinary people.

The Incurable Curse, which prevents wounds from healing and causes the victim to bleed to death.

In addition, there are other curses like Berserk, Weakness, and Lethargy.

An adventurer's "Abnormal Resistance" is meaningless against these.

Unless the caster is defeated or the curse is dispelled or defended against through special methods, the victim will be tortured to death by the curse.

Although cursed tools crafted by curse-users are slightly inferior to standard magic—much like how most Magic Swords fall short of formal spells—they are still quite dangerous and rare among special armaments.

If it were just one or two, it would be one thing, but dozens of cursed tools of similar quality in front of him would be impossible to possess without a dedicated means of mass production.

This indicated that there was an adventurer in the Dark Faction who possessed the "Mystery" Development Ability.

Unlike Noah, who was realizing these other details, Ryu was staring with eyes wide enough to split.

"You! You vile heretics! To actually lay a hand on children!"

Following Ryu's gaze, Noah saw several unconscious children lying on the ground behind the Dark Faction members, near Valetta.

Several Dark Faction members held sharp blades, hovering over these children.

Although they didn't speak, it was as if they were issuing a silent invitation and threat to Noah and Ryu.

This isn't aimed at me, it's aimed at Ryu—in an instant, Noah made his judgment.

Valetta likely didn't think he would yield because of a few children, but for Ryu, this was a fatal weak point.

The same went for these cursed tools and Magic Swords.

They might not be able to hurt him, Noah, but couldn't they hurt Ryu?

If it were just Noah alone, he would just hack the enemies to death; after all, no one could touch him.

But with Ryu here, he feared it would be difficult to even run away.

Forget it, if I can't run, then I'll just kill them all!

Tsk, as expected of you, Valetta. I've decided to turn you into Valetta-chan!

Changing from his previous listless, indifferent demeanor, Noah cast a gaze filled with killing intent and admiration toward Valetta.

Sensing that cold, intense gaze once again, Valetta actually felt a sense of satisfaction, like a child receiving praise from a father after doing chores, and a heat even stirred in her lower abdomen...

No, wait!

What the hell!

"Noah! And that elf chick beside you! You don't want these brats to die miserable deaths right in front of you, do you? Get down here right now!"

Having gained plenty of combat experience in hostage rescue missions, Ryu knew better than to drop her weapon in front of an enemy or pin her hopes on their mercy.

Once she allowed herself to be slaughtered, it would not only cost her own life but also destroy any chance of saving the civilians.

In typical situations, Ryu would use extreme speed to strike the enemy down before they could react, successfully rescuing the hostages.

However, she had never faced a Dark Faction group of over a hundred people on her own.

Not to mention that Killing Emperor was on the other side—a genuine Level 5, First-Class Adventurer!

Under normal circumstances, Ryu would have retreated immediately when faced with such an enemy.

Ultimately, with such a massive disparity in strength, strategy was completely useless.

But, I can never abandon those children!

What on earth should I do?

Just as Ryu was burning with anxiety, to the point where sweat began to bead on her forehead, her palm was suddenly gripped by someone.

Up until now, Ryu had only ever had her hand touched by three people, and she found this sensation incredibly foreign.