Black Pool Rice

(Miluno)

After hearing the sound, we walked for a few more minutes until we finally reached the end of the descending ramp and arrived at a room with a flat floor.

It's impossible to even see the entire room clearly.

The commotion came from there; there were no words, but everyone was on high alert.

I also put Ceruno off my back; carrying her on my back would have made it inconvenient to move around.

Sirius's beam of light also dimmed considerably, to avoid becoming a target for the enemy.

The unknown monster known as the "Guardian" is lurking in the black mist. I'm sure they have the ability to see our activities clearly in the black mist, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to live here from ancient times to the present.

"Um?"

My feet touched the steps.

It's difficult to determine our exact location within the room.

By relaxing the suppression of bodily instincts, tons of Dark Energy are drawn into the unfathomable heart, and this Dark Energy becomes nourishment for Mono.

But I did this to be able to see my surroundings clearly. Since Sirius had lowered its lighting, a clearer environment was necessary to see the surroundings. Low visibility and limited field of vision were very disadvantageous in combat...

"Sky--"

Although she quickly covered her mouth to stop making a sound, Xiaoling still gasped in surprise.

Turn your head to look at the side where she was...

Ripples spread across the dark lake surface, stretching as far as the eye could see; we were merely standing on its shore.

"Black Pool."

This is the Black Pool that Stratos spoke of, the life source that gave birth to the first Monster and the Base Body that exist today...

"Miluno!"

Call out--!

A razor-sharp whip lashed out from behind me; I could feel the intense killing intent even without Ceruno's warning.

And there's more than one.

Whoosh whoosh--

These slender whip blades were fast, but still not as fast as me. I drew my long-forgotten twin short swords and slashed at the approaching whip blades, while simultaneously moving closer to their ends—I needed to see clearly what was attacking me before I could retaliate.

In comparison, Sirius's counterattack was a step ahead of mine.

Several laser beams struck the target along the whip blade, simultaneously revealing the enemy's posture...

"Vomit!"

Ceruno almost vomited after just one glance.

This "Guardian"...

No, describing this thing's appearance as "unremarkable" would be an understatement.

If it can be called a living creature, this quadruped is like a porcupine covered in black pus, still alive after being beheaded, yet as strong and large as a brown bear, with a huge human mouth at the cut end of its head. I have no doubt that it could bite our heads off in one bite...

Even the most seasoned investigator would go crazy if such a thing suddenly emerged from the black fog.

Having no eyes or breathing holes, and having survived for thousands of years in an environment where visibility is less than five meters, it no longer needs eyes.

I had already rushed up to it.

The oozing pus and bursting skin doesn't look thick, so cutting it open shouldn't be a problem.

But it wasn't blind. Facing my approaching sword, it was covered with a dense array of whip-like blades. As it surrounded me, it suddenly opened its mouth, forming a giant maw that seemed to want to devour me. But I was a step too late. My combination sword had already plunged into its massive body, twisting violently and creating a bloody, mangled hole.

The enormous body collapsed with a crash, turning into Black Mud that flowed back into the Black Pool.

"Call..."

The Breeding Facility, the "Guardian" of Black Pool —is this what they are?

"Hmph, it looks terrifying, but its strength isn't as exaggerated as Aldebaran claims, is it?"

He killed his opponent with a single blow, managing to defeat him without serious injury.

Aside from some emotional distress caused by the other person's appearance, no one was seriously injured.

She can fire thin, powerful whip blades from her body to cut her opponents. Her attacks are swift, numerous, and persistent. She might be a formidable foe for a typical magical girl, but this type of opponent, who lacks area-of-effect damage and whose attacks can be dodged, is exactly the easiest type for me to deal with.

But Sirius shouted:

"Don't let your guard down, maintain the defense! This isn't over yet!"

Ceruno had just set up her Trident.

Clang--

Another whip-like blade lashed out at Ceruno's shield, producing a sharp crack and a howl like that of a mandrill.

"Aaaaaah!"

Xiaoling's magic requires sight, and since the enemies are all hiding in the black mist, she can't help them even if she wants to.

He simply asked, "Is it... not over yet?"

There is more than one "Guardian"...

This roar was more like a call to companions, a primitive means of communication.

"Ahhh--ah--!"

As expected, the roars of the other "Guardian" rose and fell, effectively surrounding us.

"Damn it, this thing has attracted A-Ji's 'Guardian' too, so we've become the ones sharing the burden?"

Sirius cursed and swore, but her attacks didn't stop. In a sense, her attack methods were very similar to those of these "Guardian," except that she switched from firing whip blades to firing high-energy lasers.

She always manages to hit the "Guardian" faster than I do; after all, it's light.

However, the laser was affected by the "smog," and its power was weakened, making it less lethal. Therefore, I formed a tacit understanding with Sirius.

Her laser illuminated the target, guiding me where I couldn't see it clearly.

I sped up and moved in to kill him.

Through this coordinated effort, we killed two more "Guardian".

But when I reached the fourth one, it used a completely different strategy against me. Facing my approaching longsword, it crossed its blades in front of it and retreated to protect its relatively vulnerable body.

The whip blade was made up of segments. The longsword got stuck between the blades and was obstructed. It sparked a few fires but could not get any closer, and its momentum was completely worn away.

This creature is not simply an ignorant beast; it learns from the deaths of its companions.

"Miluno, don't stray too far from us!"

The sound of Sirius's figure could still be heard behind them.

But with the "Guardian" about to retreat into the black mist, how can they deal with these cunning creatures if they don't rush out?

"Get out of here!"

A low growl came from another direction.

Then, a biting north wind froze the retreating "Guardian" into an ice sculpture, and the sword energy slashing from the mist chopped it into crisp ice.

"Fomalhaut?"

Wrong...

Currently, Fomalhaut and Sun Ji are combined. What should I call her?

A girl who transformed from a reindeer into Ice Dragon spoke from within the black mist.

"Fool! Don't kill these 'Guardian,' and even if you do, don't let them return to the Black Pool!"

I got scolded.

But...

"Can you see me?"

"See? Don't use your eyes, use energy to perceive your surroundings. It's not difficult, it's a basic ability of a witch, you should be able to do it."

Just like Mono before?

Although I don't know how, I have to try to learn...

Close your eyes and try to release another energy within your body that is not magic. As your Divine Sense manipulates the darkness to connect with the surrounding black mist, your previously blocked senses are suddenly amplified.

It's now "visible".

The black mist no longer seemed to be an obstacle, but rather became a part of me. I could perceive everything within it, and compared to seeing with my eyes, this unique "vision" was more three-dimensional, with no blind spots.

Is this how Mono observed the world?

Do you have any monthly passes that are nearing their expiration date?