Chapter 29: Orsona, Activate!
"That's true."
Asuna realized she had lost her composure. After steadying her emotions, she let out a long breath.
"Since she voluntarily signed up for the Dungeon, that means she has the resolve for it. Even if she dies here, that would be her own choice. We should focus on our immediate goal, clearing this Dungeon."
"That's right."
Asagiri agreed without hesitation and continued down the dim stairwell with her. The lighting was weak, and the silence between each step made the space feel unnaturally eerie.
Asuna chose her position with care. She stayed half a body length ahead of Asagiri, and every time they descended to a new floor and prepared to continue, she made sure she was on the outer side, closest to the door that connected the stairwell to the corridor.
It was a rational decision.
Judging from the hints, if Asuna faced a Banshee one on one with only an ordinary weapon, she almost certainly wouldn't win. Otherwise, the app would not have specifically warned her to avoid direct confrontation.
But Asagiri was different. The hint given to him was to finish fights quickly.
Her logic was simple. She was a melee type, while Asagiri's class was a support type Diplomat. Even if he could use the power of Persona, there was still a gap. From forming the gun shaped summoner to completing the summon, it would take nearly two seconds.
If Asagiri was ambushed and lost his ability to fight, the result would be a full party wipe.
So if a Banshee attacked, the most reasonable choice was for her to serve as the first line of defense, buying him the time he needed to summon.
"You don't need to be so nervous."
Asagiri's voice was quiet, as if he could feel how tight her nerves were, how her attention kept sweeping for threats that hadn't appeared yet.
"It's the same rule as always. In a good game, the thing you should avoid most is a Player getting punished without making a mistake. Between the elevator and the stairs, we chose the latter. That isn't the wrong option, so it's unlikely we'll run into a Banshee here."
He continued calmly.
"The Dungeon just started. If you stay that tense, your mind will hit its limit in less than two hours."
Asuna nodded, forcing a small smile.
"Okay. I understand. I'll try to relax…"
She didn't even finish the sentence.
A strange sound rose from below, and her entire body went cold, as if she had been dropped into an ice cave.
"Wuwuwuwu…"
It sounded like a woman crying, mixed with the harsh scrape of something sharp dragging against the wall.
Asuna's face turned pale. She turned her head toward Asagiri's profile, lips trembling.
"Leader… what should we do…?"
"Persona!"
Asagiri didn't hesitate for even a fraction of a second. He summoned Human Asura directly.
The moment that massive black, ghostly figure manifested in the stairwell, it surged downward with him, moving with an eagerness that felt almost impatient.
"You like to cry, huh?" Asagiri's voice dropped into something dangerously casual. "I'll make you cry your fill today!"
"Damn…"
Asuna froze for an instant, then rushed after him.
This was too reckless.
In every horror story ever made, when you heard a sound like that, you backed away. You retreated. You did not charge forward like you were going to collect rent.
And yet Asagiri pressed on without slowing.
"Those who trespass on my territory, I will strike and shatter them!"
Even in the middle of panic, Asuna almost blurted out a retort.
No… isn't this a Dungeon? Isn't this the Banshee's territory? Since when did it become yours?
Asuna rounded the corner and reached the next flight of stairs.
Then she saw a scene that almost made her stop breathing.
Human Asura had both hands pressed down on a female ghost in blood stained red pajamas. The ghost was barefoot, with long black hair veiling most of her face, revealing only a pair of eyes packed with malice. Her fingernails were unnaturally long, like warped blades.
And Asagiri wasn't standing back.
He had already lifted one foot and planted it directly on the ghost's head.
For some reason, the image that flashed through Asuna's mind was not "exorcism."
It was a wicked young master bullying a defenseless woman with the help of his burly bodyguard.
"Wuwuwu…"
The red clothed ghost tried to cry again.
"Crack!"
Human Asura ripped off one of her arms with brutal ease and handed it to Asagiri.
Under Asuna's horrified gaze, Asagiri shoved the severed arm straight into the ghost's mouth.
"Mph…!"
Using her own hand to gag her.
Asuna had never seen anything like it.
"Violet, equip your weapon."
"Oh… oh, okay."
Asuna snapped back, equipped her rapier, and moved closer. Asagiri pointed at the pinned ghost.
"Stab her. Don't aim for vital spots. I still need to use her later."
Asuna felt that sounded extremely wrong, but she followed orders. She thrust her rapier into the ghost's body several times in quick succession.
When she pulled the blade out, there was no blood.
And the wounds healed in the blink of an eye.
However, the arm Human Asura had torn off showed no sign of recovering.
"So that's what it means…"
Asuna's mind raced.
Ordinary weapons couldn't completely eliminate Banshees. That was the meaning of the hint.
Her rapier could still hurt them, but the damage would vanish instantly. Still, that wasn't useless. If she encountered a Banshee alone, she could rely on Wind Blessing's agility boost, sever its legs in the opening, then escape before it could properly retaliate.
"Mumble mumble…"
The ghost struggled and made muffled sounds around the arm stuffed in her mouth.
"You're still mumbling?" Asagiri's tone turned impatient. "No mumbling."
Stepping on the ghost's head, he looked like a true demon.
He lifted his foot, then squatted down. With unsettling gentleness, he reached out and stroked the ghost's hair, then leaned in and… sniffed.
Asuna went blank.
She immediately remembered what he said about needing to use this ghost later.
No… you… isn't this too much?
Did he rush down the moment he heard crying because he had some special preference for controlling female ghosts?
"Smells like shampoo," Asagiri muttered, eyes narrowing. "And there are water droplets in your hair. A drowned ghost?"
His gaze locked onto the ghost's eyes.
"If I'm not mistaken…"
He spoke slowly, with quiet certainty.
"You drowned in a bathtub when you were alive, didn't you?"
The venomous hatred in the ghost's eyes wavered. It didn't disappear, but it loosened, replaced by a cautious wariness as she stared back at him, unable to read his intent.
Asuna, meanwhile, already understood what Asagiri was about to do.
The Diplomat was about to begin Diplomacy.
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