Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Ryu immediately realized that the knife was poisoned.

Her right hand, which had been slightly scratched, began to feel unnaturally hot, further confirming her suspicions.

"This dark sword is called 'Violet,' isn't it cute? I crafted it with great care, and it has absorbed all sorts of 'toxins' over the years."

"...!"

"What I'm having it absorb today is... 'Poisonous Demon Maggot Venom'."

Upon hearing the name of this rare "dropped item," Ryu couldn't help but grit her teeth.

That is a "highly toxic" substance that can ignore abnormal resistance and can cause serious harm to advanced adventurers even in small amounts.

Needless to say, ignoring this will be fatal.

"I suppose you don't have any special medicine? Even if you did, I wouldn't let you use it."

The "black cat," brandishing a dagger, caused other "phantoms" to appear behind it, emitting a malicious laugh.

Sleeping fragrances, deadly poisons, and hallucinations—

So that's how it is. Just as rumored, she possesses all sorts of unexpected feints. Her "agile skills," enough to scare Ryu into a cold sweat, are proof enough that she is the legendary "Black Cat."

A notorious assassin in the underground world, and one of the best in Orario.

"...Did someone hire you to kill me?"

"That's right, the reward is your bounty."

"Who is your employer...?"

Do you think I would say that?

Compared to Ryu, whose body was being eroded by the "poison" and who was starting to sweat, the "black cat" let out a laugh that sounded like it was fooling people.

The enemy's "phantom" and smoke bombs are an extremely dangerous combination. Neither the "Black Cat's" true form nor its movements produce a sound, making it impossible to distinguish between the real Black Cat and a clone.

We must first get out of this smoke-filled corridor.

It goes without saying that the enemy had already seen through this and laid a trap called "battle of wits".

The black cat with a cold smile and its "phantom" disappeared silently into the smoke, followed by the chant of "[Play]" once again, intending to settle the score in one fell swoop.

—I will take the initiative and escape the enemy's assassination range.

Just as Ryu was already prepared to suffer some damage and was applying force to the boots—

"Excuse me for interrupting a little."

A figure appeared outside the window.

"────"

As soon as the voice reached Ryu and "Black Cat's" ears, the figure had already swung out the raised fist.

The next instant, the window and the wall shattered.

“Hmm!?”

"Meow!?"

Ryu, who hurriedly tried to dodge, was blown away by the powerful impact. The smoke that had filled the room, along with the screams of the stray cats, dissipated.

Numerous fragments flew through the air, and the wooden floor gradually collapsed.

Ryu abandoned his attempt to assess the situation and decided to flee the scene first.

She leaped onto the other side of the bar, which faced the main street and was the vacant lot where other buildings were planned to be constructed—the inner courtyard—and rolled several times on the ground before regaining her balance.

"...the separate buildings were..."

Looking up, Liu was so shocked by what she saw that she was speechless.

This three-story wooden building, part of its interior corridor... is now completely dilapidated and unrecognizable.

"...The shop owner will definitely be furious."

The first image that came to Ryu's mind was Mia's fierce and menacing expression.

The elf, who had been terrified, quickly regained his senses and gently shook his head.

After shaking off these foolish thoughts, Ryu turned her gaze to the devastating damage to the building.

"It wasn't 'magic'...could it have been done with bare hands?"

Ryu recalled the voices she heard from the nearby window before the explosion, and was immediately shocked and shuddered.

It's likely that the other party jumped over from another building and simultaneously threw a powerful punch at the building.

After a while, a figure leaped out from the corridor filled with thick smoke and lingering haze and landed in the inner courtyard where Ryu was.

"So it wasn't going to be easy after all... Oh well, sneak attacks don't suit my taste anyway, so this is fine."

The man wore a scarf around his neck, light armor covering his shoulders and chest, and leather gauntlets that revealed his fingers.

The human girl let the wind tousle her chestnut hair as she faced Ryu.

"What the heck, meow... cough cough! What are you doing all of a sudden, meow! Are you really 'underground boxing'!?"

"So you're 'Black Cat'? Then we've got our eyes on the same target."

The dusty, black cat screeched from the smoke-filled corridor.

The human girl, addressed by her title, looked up at the other person and answered coldly.

"Since both sides have the same prey, let's follow our rules... first come, first served. Whoever wins, shall not complain."

"Hmph, you really are as rumored, a brainless idiot with muscles all around your head...!"

The girl shifted her gaze from the venomous "black cat" and looked directly at Ryu.

"For some reason, I have to kill you."

"...Even the infamous 'underground boxing' has come looking for me..."

Faced with "Black Fist," a bounty hunter on par with "Black Cat," Ryu felt less astonishment and more a strange, unsettling sense of kinship.

Leaving aside assassins, the fact that one has been targeted by bounty hunters means that one has become a bounty target.

At the same time, after realizing, based on their appearance and conversation, that both "Black Fist" and "Black Cat" were girls of similar age to herself, an incredible feeling arose within her.

"Get ready, because I don't like attacking the opponent one-sidedly."

"..."

Seeing "Black Fist" raise his two fists and clash with each other, entering a fighting stance, Ryu also got into a fighting stance.

Even if they tried to escape, it would be in vain; there was no way to avoid this fierce battle now.

That being said, her situation is different from "Black Cat's," and her fighting style is very upright and honorable.

Such behavior is quite different from that of a typical bounty hunter.

(A three-way conflict with "Black Fist" and "Black Cat"... Is there any way I can withstand their onslaught?)

Ryuichi broke out in a cold sweat when he realized he was already infected with the "deadly poison".

In the blink of an eye, the girl in front lowered her center of gravity, and Ryuya pushed off the ground with a stride.

"Ora!"

"!"

The two closed the distance, their fists and katana clashing.

Dodging and counter-attacking alternated back and forth, with the two sides exchanging positions several times, unfolding a dazzling battle of offense and defense in the blink of an eye.

Ryu's body turned into afterimages, playing a melody woven from slashes.

"Black Fist" - Lunova's figure swayed, her powerful fist carrying wind pressure.

This person's fighting style is indeed different from "Black Cat". She never uses surprise tactics and always confronts her opponents head-on.

Moreover, it is unarmed combat using only the fists—the purest form of hand-to-hand fighting.

(She's faster than me!)

Faced with the enemy's "agility," Lunova spat.

(Her arm strength is greater than mine.)

Ryu narrowed his eyes at the enemy's "arm strength".

““!!””

The shoji was deflected, and the fist swung in mid-air to finish the fight.

Blood splattered from the blade's slash across the cheek; clothes tore open when struck by a fist.

Ryu and Lunova, locked in a fierce battle, increased their speed in an attempt to break the stalemate.

"Oh, I'm so glad that people with big brains and muscles are so simple-minded, meow."

"Black Cat" - Chloe stayed on the roof of the building, looking down to watch Ryu and Lunova engage in fierce fighting.

Only fools get caught up in the heat of battle. Chloe, intending to reap the benefits later, remarked this, patiently waiting for [Gale] and "Black Fist" to become sluggish.

"Although those two knew the cat would take advantage of their weakness... they were just wasting their time, meow. The cat just kept harassing them from the side, and once it found an opening, it could easily capture them, meow."

With a wicked grin, Chloe revealed three throwing daggers through her fingers.

For the time being, no one other than Chloe and the others intervened. Although the nearby residents probably heard the fighting, they were used to riots caused by thugs and would likely prioritize taking refuge. By the time the guild or adventurers arrived, [Swiftwind] would already be dead.

The shop assistants here are the same.

The "sleep essence" that Chloe spread must have already lured them into a dream.

No one will get in the way. Rosie was confident that she would win alone, and a smug smile crept across her face.

However──

"Whoosh!"

「!?」

Rosie turned around in surprise at the absent-minded yawn coming from behind her.

"Mmm... because it was too noisy, it woke up the cat, meow."

A cat-people girl with brown fur, who is related to Chloe, appears on the rooftop.

This person is a shop assistant at "The Abundant Mistress" and is also a cat person who often gets entangled with the light silver-haired girl in "Hurricane".

I remember her name was Anya.

Chloe was terrified.

"How could that be! Given the effects of the flavoring, most people wouldn't be sober for several hours—uh, why do you reek of alcohol!?"

"Hmm~ The cat's had a bit too much to drink, meow~"

Upon smelling the stench of alcohol wafting over, Kroy couldn't help but pinch her nose.

At the same time, she realized something.

This cat people store employee was not hypnotized by the fragrance like the other employees.

She was actually fast asleep when she was woken up by the explosions and sounds of fighting in the corridor.

In other words—this guy is simply an idiot!

"You two... why are you fighting like this here, meow? Are you Ryu's enemies?"

Anya, who had been looking sleepy, suddenly narrowed her eyes and her gaze became very sharp.

Krooi, who had been stunned, immediately came to her senses and couldn't help but feel a sense of tension.

Putting aside how incompetent the bartender was, she did manage to block the effects of the "Sleep Essence," thus confirming she possesses "abnormal resistance" on par with [Gale]. Are there skilled individuals among the bartenders?

She didn't go straight to Ryu's side, but ran to the rooftop (here), probably because she noticed Koroi's suspicious behavior. I don't know if she's stupid or just has a sharp intuition.

As for what Anya was holding, it was a rather long and thin, blunt rod-shaped object wrapped in white cloth.

"...What if I don't deny it?"

Kroy smiled fearlessly and gripped the dark sword "Violet" in one hand.

"I'll knock you flying with one hit, meow!"