I pulled an item out of my backpack and showed it to Hino-san, whose face was stiff with tension. It was the familiar, small water gun loaded with my special super spicy water.
"Eh? What is this?"
"It’s a water gun version of what Mika used earlier. It's larger than the spray bottle, but the range is longer, which gives you a better safety margin."
"I—I see..."
Hino-san accepted the water gun with trembling, hesitant hands. I couldn't blame her for the confusion. She was about to face a monster for the first time, only to be handed something that looked like a cheap toy.
"Why don't we do a quick practice run? You won't be able to use it in the main event if you don't know how the water fires."
"Ah, yes."
"For now, try shooting at that wall. The manual says the range is three to five meters. That’s roughly three large strides. This one is just for practice and is filled with plain water, so don't hold back."
"U-Understood."
While Mika kept a sentry's watch on the monster ahead, Hino-san followed my instructions and stood about three meters from the wall. I talked her through the operation as she pumped the lever under the barrel several times to compress the air. Once the tank was pressurized, she was ready to fire.
"Alright, give it a shot. It comes out with quite a bit of force."
"Yes. Here I go!"
Hino-san pulled the trigger, and a stream of water shot from the muzzle, spreading out at a shallow angle as it hit the wall.
"Do it a few more times to get a feel for the trajectory. It spreads out, so your aim doesn't have to be perfect, but you need to make sure you hit the target's face."
"I understand."
Hino-san fired the water gun several more times, learning how much the spray dispersed. By the time the minute-long practice was over, the stress-induced stiffness had vanished from her expression. Her shoulders had relaxed, and she looked much more composed. She would be fine.
"Ready?"
"Yes, I’m okay. I think I’ve got the hang of it."
"Then let’s move on to the main event."
I took back the practice gun and handed her the one filled with the special super spicy water. The red liquid was visible through the translucent tank, giving the plastic toy a strangely ominous appearance.
"It works exactly the same way. Just watch your range."
"Yes."
"Sorry, Mika. Thanks for waiting. We’re all set."
I called out to Mika, signaling that our preparations were complete. Normally, practicing while a monster was nearby was out of the question—it was the sort of thing you did before entering the dungeon. However, I had intentionally held this last-minute session to help Hino-san and Tatebayashi-san settle their nerves. It had worked; Hino-san was now in a state of alert but relaxed focus.
"Roger. I’ll move a bit closer to see exactly what we're dealing with."
"Please."
Mika advanced with slow, cautious steps to identify the creature. A moment later, she confirmed the target.
"It’s... a horn rabbit, I think."
"A horn rabbit, huh? I see."
I let out a small sigh. To us, a horn rabbit was nothing, but for a newcomer, it was a tricky first opponent. Not because it was strong, but because of its appearance. Countless rookies had been deceived by its "cute" looks, hesitating to strike and ending up gored for their trouble.
Despite its looks, the thing would kill you without a second thought if given the chance.
"Alright, Hino-san. Your first opponent is a horn rabbit. Like the name implies, it uses the horn on its head as a weapon. It has high jumping power, so you'll get hurt if you don't stay mindful of your spacing."
"Ah, right. But..."
Hino-san looked conflicted upon seeing the creature, but I met her eyes with a stern gaze.
"It looks cute, but it’s a monster. Just like the hound dog Mika killed earlier, it will happily kill us if we get close. Don't let its looks trick you. Hesitation leads to injury. Finish it off without a second thought. That is the ironclad rule."
"...Yes."
Though she still looked a bit unsettled, Hino-san nodded firmly, setting her resolve. I wondered if a hound dog might have been a better first match, but if she intended to continue as an explorer, she had to learn not to hesitate based on a monster's appearance.
"Alright. Let’s do this."
"Yes."
"Mika, swap out. Hino-san is taking the lead. Stay close for support just in case, though she should be fine."
"Roger that. Good luck, Suzune-chan."
"...Mm."
With a tense expression, Hino-san stepped past Mika. In her right hand, she gripped the pressurized water gun; in her left, she held her makeshift iron pipe. It was the image of a newcomer making her debut—though the plastic water gun did undercut the tension slightly.
Hino-san slowly closed the distance with the horn rabbit. I could see her grip tightening on the water gun with every step, her tension rising palpably as she neared the creature.
When she was a few paces away, the horn rabbit noticed her and let out a low, menacing growl.
"..."
"Grrr..."
The growls grew louder as the gap narrowed. Hino-san slowly raised the muzzle of the water gun. The air between them felt ready to snap.
The moment Hino-san crossed an invisible line, the horn rabbit let out a high-pitched roar and lunged.
"Gyuuu...!"
"!?"
The rabbit dashed forward, closing the distance in a blur. Hino-san’s eyes widened, but her training kicked in. She shifted her body off the center line of the rabbit’s charge and snapped the water gun into position.
"Gyu!"
"...Hah!"
As the horn rabbit leaped at her, horn-first, Hino-san pulled the trigger. A jet of vibrant red water erupted from the toy, catching the monster squarely in the face mid-air.
The rabbit’s eyes squeezed shut in momentary confusion before it erupted into a panicked shriek of agony.
"Gyau!? Gyauuu!?"
"Whoa!"
Hino-san took a large step to the right, letting the blinded, screaming rabbit fly past her. Deprived of its sight and focus, the monster slammed into the ground with the full force of its own momentum.
It was incredibly effective against upper-floor monsters. One hit to the face was enough to end the fight immediately.
"Ah..."
Seeing the horn rabbit writhing and screaming on the ground, Hino-san took on a look of profound guilt. It’s never a pleasant feeling to watch something suffer because of your own actions.
But this was a dungeon, and that was a monster. We were explorers who made our living by killing these creatures for their drop items. Once you've made the choice to stand here, there is no room for mercy. You can't survive as an explorer otherwise.
"Hino-san, it's not over. It’s incapacitated, but it isn't dead. Finish it off while it can't move."
"Eh? Ah, yes... but..."
She stood frozen for a moment. Her gaze darted between me and the struggling rabbit, her resolve wavering. She knew what she had to do, but she couldn't bring herself to take that final step.
"Hino-san, I know it's hard to deliver the killing blow, but if you're going to stay an explorer, you have to face this. It's a harsh truth, but if you can't finish it here, you won't last in this profession."
"...You're right."
Hino-san took a long, deep breath. Then, she looked at me and spoke with newfound clarity.
"I’ll do it."
"Good. It's struggling, but that doesn't mean it can't bite back. Don't let your guard down. Some monsters will try one last desperate attack even when they're dying. Don't relax until it turns into particles."
"Yes!"
Hino-san set the water gun down on the ground and gripped the iron pipe with both hands. She took one last breath and approached the writhing rabbit with cautious, alert steps.
"..."
"Gyuuu..."
The horn rabbit lay gasping and groaning. Hino-san looked down at it with a quiet, steady gaze. She raised the pipe over her head, aiming true...
"Hah!"
"!?"
She swung down with all her might, maintaining the clean form we had practiced after school. The pipe struck the rabbit's head with a sickening, dull thud.
"..."
Hino-san remained in her follow-through pose, her breathing ragged as she stared at the now-motionless monster. After about ten seconds, the horn rabbit’s body began to dissolve into particles.
"Hino-san."
"!?"
"It's over. Your first kill was a success."
"Ah... yes."
She looked dazed, as if only now realizing what she had done. The first kill—the physical sensation of the impact traveling up the arms—is something you never forget. It’s only natural to feel a bit hollow afterward.
"Good work, Suzune-chan. Are you okay?"
"Ah, Mika-chan. Yeah... I'm okay."
"Don't push yourself. It’s your first time. I was in a daze for a while after my first one, too."
"...Mm."
While Mika stayed by Hino-san's side to offer support, Saori-chan took over the sentry duties. Even on the 1st floor, there was a small chance of reinforcements, and we couldn't afford to be careless. Of course, this group could handle anything the upper floors threw at us, but Hino-san’s emotional state was the priority right now.
"Let's take a break. Hino-san needs some time to settle her thoughts."
"I agree," Yuji said. "It was her first kill. She needs a minute."
"Definitely," Hiiragi-san added. "And we need to look after Asami-chan, too. She's probably terrified, knowing she's next."
Yuji and I looked over at Tatebayashi-san. Sure enough, she was pale, and her hands were trembling.
Mika's demonstration had probably seemed like a performance—too smooth and professional to feel real. But watching Hino-san—someone just like her—actually do the deed had brought the visceral reality of the dungeon home. She was likely wondering if she was actually capable of doing the same.
"You're right."
"Yeah."
"Then it's settled."
Hiiragi-san walked over to Tatebayashi-san and gently took her hand, speaking in a low, comforting voice.
"We'll leave the emotional support to Hiiragi-san and Mika," I said to Yuji. "We’ll handle the perimeter so they can rest properly."
"Sounds good. They’ll probably feel more comfortable talking to the girls anyway."
Yuji and I shrugged and moved to our positions, leaving Saori-chan to help the others. No matter how many times an instructor shows you how it's done, your legs still want to freeze when it's finally your turn, don't they?