CH 67

“Does Aoi have any experience in raid battles or party battles against higher rank monsters?”

“No, I don’t. Except for when I just became a survivor, I’d been solo all the time. So, I have no experience in team battles.”

“It is amazing that you came this far by yourself.”

“No, it was because even if I joined a party, things didn’t go well most of the time.”

“It is unexpected. If it were Aoi, I thought you would be able to do well with anyone.”

“That’s not true. Especially so if there were male party members.”

“I am also a guy, though……”

“Rin-kun is, of course, an exception. I mean other guys.”

Indeed, it is rare for a girl to act solo for no reason, no matter how strong she is. The fact that Aoi had been solo all the time means she must have had some troubles that couldn’t be said to other people until now.

“Rin-kun, we are about to arrive.”

“I wonder how many people will end up participating this time?”

“We haven’t been informed about that, so our only option is to check it at the actual location.”

In my opinion, the association should have provided more precise information for such an irregular request. Still, to begin with, its inflexibility is similar to those of government offices. So, that kind of request handling is probably unavoidable.

Since we got closer to our destination, we got off the bicycles and proceeded on foot. We came across five people who appeared to be survivors on the way.

“Did you guys also accept the request?”

“Yes, I heard it is a raid battle against higher rank opponents.”

“Then, we are the same. Although we have finished introducing ourselves earlier, we are a trio party, and all of us are E-rank. I am Nozaki, this is Kouno and there, Iguchi.”

“Aah, we will be in your care. We are a duo party. I am Yamaoki and this is Wakaba. I am F-rank, and she is E-rank.”

“F-rank!?…….”

“Rin-kun may be F-rank, but please be assured since he can defeat E-rank monsters alone.”

Aoi caught on to Nozaki-san’s worries and assured him, but it was natural that Nozaki-san would worry.

Usually, F-rank survivors would only become a hindrance in a battle against monsters of D-rank or higher. So, it seemed the association had great troubles in securing manpower.

“We are also a duo party. I am Aidani, and this is Higashima. Both of us are E-rank.”

Another party that greeted us was also a duo party like us, a pair of men and women.

Their ages didn’t seem to differ that much either.

“It seems we are the last.”

“Probably so. Meaning the seven of us have to somehow manage by ourselves.”

“Have you checked the enemy?”

“Of course, I do. There is a pair of two D-rank monsters, one rock turtle and one giant ogre. In addition, there are also at least three E-rank monsters as far as I have seen.”

“Are there really two D-ranks?………”

“Yes, there are.”

“Is there anyone who has fought a D-rank monster before?”

“Nope, our party hasn’t.”

“The same for us too. Although we’ve seen other people fighting D-rank monsters, this will be our first time actually fighting one.”

“Then, this will be the first for everyone.”

“It seems so. First of all, Aidani’s party and we will deal with D-rank monsters. So, can we count on you to deal with three E-ranks?”

“Yes, no problem.”

I felt that this person called Nozaki calmly judged the situation without prejudice.