BATTLE OR ALIVE
Chapter 13: The Meeting

Can't see anything, there's only darkness. Silence, no sound can be heard. Unable to move, his body unable to move. Like death, this is a sad condition.

Being impregnated with nothingness, not being able to sense any senses, was like dying alone.

At the end of the view, light began to be seen. It slowly illuminated the void. The brighter and brighter the light, the sound begins to be heard in the ear, the louder it follows the speed of light illumination.

“Hm? Are you awake?”

“Ah..?”

The vision began to return, and the senses began to function. Out of the void, towards a place illuminated by dim light. And finally Mai regained her consciousness.

Risen in surprise, he looked left and right.

The atmosphere was different, and he was currently lying on a rock, a huge stone that was impossible to obtain on the 20th floor, was currently beneath him. Turning his gaze away from the stone, he looked at Jell with a question.

“A-What happened?”

Jell who was currently cleaning her sword and was surprised because Mai who suddenly woke up and turned her head in several directions.

Smiling from looking at Mai who was awake, she patted Mai's head. Just putting on a confused face from Jell's behavior, Mai there once did not understand the situation. However, the worry about the situation was eliminated by Jell.

“No need to force yourself to wake up. You should rest again.”

“Ne~ Jell, what happened?”

“You don't remember?”

Shaking his head with a confused face.

“Which I know, we're fighting a colossal worm. And after that .. I don't remember.”

“You how else. You used the ‘S’ ranking skill, so no wonder you were exhausted and passed out back then.”

“Eh! I-I fainted?”

“True loh. You've slept almost 2 days since then.”

“D-Two?! Damnit!”

“Are you that sorry?”

“Tentusaja. I don't remember what happened back then. Fainted well. It was the first time I fainted, and I didn't realize I was fainting. Damn it.”

Hearing Mai's words, Jell's face that was originally put on a soft face because she had been awake for two days, and finally woke up. Makes her regret worrying about it. Instead of asking what had happened for two days, he regretted not realizing he had fainted.

“You're stupid yeah. If you pass out, of course you won't realize.”

“What?! Is that really so? Jell did you faint too?”

“No, no. How could I have brought you here, if I had passed out instead.”

“True yes too. Am I no longer sane? I have to keep my head from impact.”

Nodding from his words just now, making the situation a little irritated for Jell.

“Already, the important thing is that you are aware. Let's eat, and here's a warm drink.”

“Oo...  You can prick up too.”

“Of course not. Little.”

Eating voraciously after falling asleep for two days, Mai looked as excited as before. Jell, who had been worried about him since the first time he fainted, felt so relaxed as to release tons of weight on his shoulders. While looking at him, making a gentle face like before, Jell muttered.

“Thankful..”.

Mai could hear him, he who was eating was watched by Jell who put on a soft face making him reflectively look at him as well.

“You worried about me?”

“Of course not.”

“Hehehe, Sorry. Makes you worry, and takes care of me in times like this.”

Seeing Mai's gloomy face, she lowered her head in guilt.

Jell who looked at him, stood up and sat down next to him. Smile and laugh.

“What you said. That's definitely not.”

“Ehehe, thank you. I'm happy.”

“Nn. Eat a lot, and we will continue the journey.”

“Nn~!”

Mai continues eating and while being accompanied by Jell next to her, Jell gives her special behavior when this is a reality. Jell who was usually indifferent to him, was currently showing immense affection towards Mai. It was like the first time they arrived in this world.

***

“So we are currently on the 23rd floor?”

“Hm. The situation here is brighter, but not as bright as the 10th floor down. On this floor had monsters that were not too different from before. But more troublesome.”

“Ohh.”

They are currently on the 23rd floor of the labyrinth. Unlike the 20th floor down, here there is no sand at all, here is the land of rocks and soil. There is some weed, but not thick. The 21st floor and above had a different atmosphere and aura to the previous floors.

“Shortly. If we're on the 23rd floor, then you're carrying me here? What about the bag that contains the magic crystal?”

“I left yours, and I just brought her a bag.”

“Then let's go treasure hunting again!”

Mai was excited, but a little disappointed because her magic crystal was thrown away by Jell to reduce the innate burden. However, it is not very important, because in the 23rd century it still has many magic crystals in the corner of the stone. Not as much as the 10th floor.

“What about the monsters that attack?” (May)

“Nn?” (Jell)

“I said, how did you defeat the dungeon monster while you were carrying me.”

“I dumped you to the ground.”

“Eh– What do you say Jell~ hahaha, your laugh is not funny at all~”

“…”

“You're serious?”

“Very serious.”

“Jell you're stupid! What if my pretty face is broken, you want responsibility? In this world there is no surgery, and you casually throw this beautiful me!”

“Whispering! If I wanted to, I'd use you as a fallout on those monsters.”

Honesty is separated from the words of Jell. Jell who said that she dumped Mai's unconscious body to fight monsters is the truth. However, Jell did not throw his body on the ground. In fact, he lowered Mai's body very carefully.

The two had a fight, and the commotion that had been missing for two days had now returned. Whether it makes him happy, or anxious. However, Jell was currently smiling broadly.

***

It had already been two days, and it was currently the 27th floor.

The two of them, Jell and Mai. It had already passed through several floors, and now they reached the 27th floor.

The situation on the floor is not much different from the 23rd floor, there are some grasses and there are large and small stones, not to forget there are also some magic crystals that are quite rare on this twentieth floor. And there are some strange plants that are similar to the flowers “Rafflesia”, but those in this dungin are dark green, like abnormal. But the flower did not give off a bad smell at all.

(TN: The Rafflesia flower is the largest flower in the world, and has an unpleasant aroma like the smell of rotten meat.)

The monsters they had passed by were not very diverse. There was only a normal lizard of 2 meters, a poisonous spider, and a snake that was 10 meters long. Everything seemed normal for a dungeon monster. And unlike the 20th floor, starting from the 21st to 27th floor, crowded with monsters.

Currently Jell and Mai were in front of the large gate of the next floor, the 28th floor.

“Good. This is the next floor.”

Jell with her words pushed the gate, and opened it grandly.

“Nn. Malai from here kantai 28th. Let's quickly finish and we'll go on a date when it's outside~!”

“You still think of that?”

“Of course not.”

Jell looked at him with a smile. Seeing how excited he was, he fainted while fighting the floor boss.

But the calm did not last long, suddenly from a distance appeared a group of montser approaching. Unlike the ones they had fought on the previous floor, it was a black cat-shaped monster.

Black-haired cats, however, have red fur on their foreheads. Golden eyes, staring hard. Their size is just as right as a regular cat, and it is a little calming for them. However, since this cat monster was on the floor this deep, it must have been a monster stronger than the monsters before.

The cats are five. Running towards them, with their slender legs, they looked dazzling as they ran. From Jell's assessment, like this cat has buff-type skills.

Split into five halves, jumping towards two people. Cats move very quickly, surpassing even the human-headed lizards before.

Jell and Mai are in a fighting position. Both of them are holding their own weapons. Right now the strength of the two of them was in a superior position. That's because, on this floor they can use the job as they like. Jell's Job Fighter, and Mai's Assassin's, are ready for battle.

The cat entered the range area of Jell's sword. Jell who realized without missing a chance, she was shaking her sword towards the cat monster.

But it failed perfectly. The cat dodged unharmed.

When Jell's sword hit her, the cat seemed to bend her body. The cat's monster body is agile and flexible, so it is able to avoid attacks from Jell.

The dodging cat fixed its position in the air and landed towards Jell with a grip. After the other cat monsters in the back, they wanted to catch a small bird.

“Tornado Summon.”

The monster plan failed with a single word. ‘Tornado Summon’ released by Mai.

Creating a medium-scale tornado storm around Jell and Mai, the hordes of cat monsters crashed.

“When you can use ‘Tornado Blades’, why don't you use it?”

(TN: Tornado Blades, a skill Mai used in chapter 09.)

“Nn, I accidentally.”

“Yeah, whatever. However, these cats are more troublesome than I thought.”

Hordes of cat monsters stood up from Mai's surprise attack. They were not injured at all, yet it seemed as if it was still dealing damage in their bodies. Wake up and they simultaneously attack Jell and Mai with the same attack pattern.

“You think it could be for the second time?!”

Jell, irritated by her bouts of aggression, is unable to deal the slightest damage to the cat, leaving her eager not to lose to Mai.

“Fire Slash!”

Skill from Jell. Jell's sword suddenly lit up with fire, and with intense pressure, Jell smashed a sword slash towards one of the cats.

And as a result, the cat split into two parts. The cat that Jell fell victim to, seemed to be unable to dodge his attack, and this became the way out of the situation this time.

The four cats gripped with their strength towards Jell and Mai. However, they were not that stony to receive such an open attack. Jell and Mai jumped in different directions from their foothold.

“Mai! Their weakness is fire. Use fire skills to defeat them.”

“Is that? All right, I'll try.”

From Mai's words, it seems that he believed and was tempted by Jell's information. That was because right when Jell was facing and using the fire skill, Mai was also trying to clean up one of the cats. And it seems that he failed because the cat was able to move in the air.

“It looks like their skill is being able to control their body while in udarah.”

“That too I already know.”

“Hou~ as expected of you.”

“The compliment I received later. Cats start moving again.”

As he said, the cats had already started moving towards them.

The cat was running with beautiful steps. Moving towards Jell and Mai with again using the same attack pattern.

“Fire Stage.”

“Fire Blades.”

Jelk with “Fire Stage’nya and followed by Mai using ‘Fire Blades’. Two combinations of attacks with the same element, both of them advanced against the hordes of separated cats.

Cats are attacked with sharp blows of swords and also attacked with fire element magic blades. Both have defeated the hordes of black cats.

“There will be more or stronger than them up ahead. Somehow this got me excited~” (Mai)

“Nn.” (Jell)

The two went from the black cat tomb spot, and advanced forward.

***

It's the 29th floor.

And the appearance of the dungeon on this floor was no difference at all. There is still time with the 22-28th floor they have passed.

Finished from the battle on the 28th floor, Jell and Mai headed straight for the 29th floor, avoiding the battle.  Jell thought, if they were too long in this dungeon, it would make their food supply would be depleted. And that is the thing Jell has avoided the most until now.

Food is left for the next 3 days. The rest of them will only use water to survive.

By using water magic, and creating water for drinking. The water from the skill result was completely harmless. But with one condition, it is necessary to use nature mana to create water that can be consumed by the body.

And if it does not use mana nature, and instead uses pure mana. So the risk is, the same as eating monster meat. That is because, the pressure and content of pure mana, can not adjust to the body and but where will devour the body from within.

When thinking about various things in her head, Jell forgot that Mai was the type of person who always did not seriously think about something. So if only food would thin out, maybe he wouldn't worry too much. And that's what makes Jell always worried about her.

“Ahh~ Jell, which way will it go? I'm bored and tired.”

“Switch a little. I don't know, but I agree too. I'm so tired.”

Fatigue is what these two people experience. This is unknown and unusual.

“What-what-is. Shit, I'm the only one who thinks this way or are you the same as me, Mai?”

“Nn. Where we're absorbed, and my body can't hold it.”

“Actually what happened.”

There is no sand, and no lizards on the sand.

Strange things are happening on the 29th floor right now. That is, the absorption of mana unconsciously. At this time Jell and Mai's body felt very tired, it was because of where they started to decrease from ordinary expenses. And it's really weird for them.

There were no strange things around them, and there were only a few grasses, typical flowers of this floor, stones, and a number of magic crystals.

There's nothing suspicious on the floor. However, the tang thing in natural Jell and Mai at this time must be suspected. What made two dungeon-conquering monsters come like this.

Jell and Mai search for clues, to find the source that sucks their mana. As expected, they found nothing.

“Actually what is going on.”

“Nn~ Jell I started sleepy.”

“Stupid! Don't lose just with something like this.”

Mai had already started reaching her limits, and Jell had also caught up with her.

Mai had already started to fall off her footing, and Jell could do absolutely nothing to help, as the two also felt the same way.

But Jell found the last way.

At 3 o'clock from their direction, there is a cave. A small cave is visible from here.

Jell used her remaining power to lift the fallen Mai, and moved her towards the cave.

Jell after entering Mai into the cave, she fell. Jell's body already had no energy at all. And he lost the strength to stand up and fall. The absorption of mana is increasingly felt and to date, they have not found the cause.

Losing balance and Jell fell to the ground. His eyes were heavy and unable to resist sleepiness. Eventually, both fell asleep...

***

“Jell wake! Hey wake up Jell! ……”

A faint voice sounded in his head. The voice could not be known who, was calling out loudly. However, it would not be enough to cut down Jell.

“Oi! Jell wake!……”

That guy's getting rougher and stronger shaking Jell's body.

[Who the heck..... I can't listen...... who is he....... Who am I.......... Who? ……].

(!!!)

As he sank into his thoughts, Jell woke up suddenly. His face was pale and he looked like a person who had finished seeing a nightmare. The sudden movement made the person next to his body startled by his sudden movements.

“A-What's..”

Jell looked around to make sure things were going. And the place beside her was the person she loved the most, Mai.

“You're up. Is your body okay? Don't force yourself okay.”

The depiction of heroin alarming the hero. Mai's attitude has changed from before.

“What has happened?”

“I don't know, but we are now in a familiar place.”

No stranger place to say Mai, right. This is a familiar place.

As far as the eye can see, there is only one color. Whiter. Everything here is white, as if they had been moved to a place full of emptiness. No sound is produced and no sound is reflected. It was as if their voices had vanished into the ground by the void.

Looking left and right, finding nothing and nobody. That place was exactly the same as his meeting place with floating characters.

Putting up a careful position. Jell and Mai were unable to use any defense. That's because, du this place job has been disabled. And just like ordinary humans, Jell and Mai now would actually die at this moment if fighting against any monsters in this void space.

However, what appeared was not a monster, as he thought.

“Yo! Long time no see. No. 1 and No. 2. Do you enjoy the game?”

Foreign voices. Not the same as the sound of the first time they met. This voice belonged to an adult man.

Looking at it with a pale face. Jell and Mai saw him right above them.

***