Mr. Nobu’s Otherworld Chronicles Chapter 37

I tried contacting Tama-chan when things had settled down. And got this reply, 『We art waiting for our lord』. Do forgive me for being late, Tama-chan.

As I got on the magic circle, light overflowed like with the one at the beginning and the teleportation began.
When I opened my eyes as the light subsided, there was Kagura-san's face right in front of mine. Close enough that we'd touch if I just take a step forward. Suddenly I felt like I was falling, right afterward I heard 'Kyaaaaa' sound and felt an intense pain on my chest.

"Abera"

I rolled on the ground and got flung onto the wall. Looking like a smashed frog.
Ouch ow ow, Kagura-san gave me the biggest damage today.

"S-sorry. You showed up so sudden it surprised me. A-are you alright?"

"It kinda hurt on my ribcage but I've used Heal on it already so I'm alright."

"Hou, n.o.busada, you can use magic huh. I was sure that you were a Fighter or something."

"Well, let's put that aside. I don't mind telling you all about it in a bed if we get closer though? Just kiddin'."

"I-i-i-i-idiot. Don't make fun of your elders. I-I'll be going ahead noja."

The blus.h.i.+ng Kagura-san went on ahead. Uh huh, Kagura-san is naive relative to her age huh. I don't dislike a lady like such.

Unlike the dungeon-like room earlier, we're in a pa.s.sage that would have been pitch black if not for a light source. It's clearly structurally different.
We came to an open s.p.a.ce after five minutes of walking. This time there's a structure that seems to have been a fountain in the center. The atmosphere here feels quite different than the rest.
I said 'have been' because there's not even a speck of water inside the stone-made structure. Kagura-san who saw that fell down to her knees in depression.

"H-how could this be. I won't make it in time now...."

"Kagura-san..."

Right at that time, the ground began to shook again.

"Kyaa"

Kagura-san who let out a lovely scream jumped on me. As I soaked on the 'poyon' sensation, a path showed itself beyond the collapsed wall. Looks like the wall had been hiding a path all along.

"Kagura-san, it looks like there's a path behind the collapsed wall, has it always been there?"

"N-no, I don't know about it. We might find some water if we go deeper underground."

Then she separated from me like nothing happened.

"Now then, let us proceed n.o.busada."

She took quick steps forward while hiding her embarra.s.sed face. As I hurriedly try to catch up to her, Kagura-san's figure strangely gets shorter.

"Ee, ah!?"

Kagura-san is slipping down the ground before the entrance that suddenly collapsed. I run up to her, catch her arm and brace my leg to raise her up.
Gugigigi, and right as I was about to draw my sword and stab it on the ground to support us!

Gara

Hm?

Gararararara

The ground where I stood on also began to crumble as I lost my footings and fell down to the abyss.

"Daaaaamn"

I pull my sword and stab it toward the bare earth to stop our momentum... Unsuccessfully as we kept falling while the sword cut the earth. Nuoaaaaaaa

CLANG

Then we suddenly stopped. Did it get caught on a rock or something!? L-Lucky me!

Crack, crack

Hmm? What's this sound?

CLAAAAAAAANK

The iron sword broke and we fell down again! Curse tha

t guy. I cursed at the culprit as the figure of Metal Marimo flashed in my mind.

Dangit, I've got to protect Kagura-san at least... Looks like Kagura-san hit her head on the floor or something when we fell, she's lost consciousness. I somehow manage to change our positions and put myself below her.
I brace for the impact while putting Protection on....

CRAs.h.!.+

My...se...l...f...

No...
n.o.bu...
n.o.busada!

"Ha! Where am I!?"

Something soft and velvety is riding on my head. A huge pair of mounds are obstructing my view when I look up.
While getting surprised at the slightly, no, very pleasant situation I'm in, I concentrate on the nerves needed to enjoy it. My back hurt, but that is that, this is this. But still, for me to be this alright after that impact, I might have gotten quite inhuman myself.

"Have you come to?"

"Somehow, yes. Are you okay Kagura-san?"

"Umu, I don't have any injury due to you protecting me noja. Thank you, n.o.busada."

Kagura-san said so while sounding slightly tearful. However, I couldn't see her at all because of the pair of mounds obstructing my view.
Phew, glad she's not injured. I've been getting beaten all over ever since I got to this world, so I've gotten quite resilient.
But now that I think about it, I should have used Earth Wall or something to make a foothold. My momentous reaction is still lacking.

"I cannot keep silence after all this. n.o.busada, actually I... guh."

Kagura-san who was going to talk about something holds her chest in pain. I hurriedly get up and holds her.
Her face looks to be in anguish as she's sweating all over her body, something's definitely not right here.

"T-too soon. I should have had some time left..."

Her height which should be quite taller than me gradually shrinks. When the shrinking has stopped, Kagura-san becomes loli-like, about as big as a grade schooler. Those big melons have disappeared without a trace, and there are two horns peculiar to Onifolk on her forehead. 

"Kuh, this is the reason why I'm coming here. Because of a certain curse, I have to perform a technique to change my body back using the water from the spring water here once a month. When the effect expires, the curse kicks in and this happens noja."

Oh good. That bombastic figure wasn't a fake. Losing that is like having the national treasure broken into pieces.

"I see. Getting your Onifolk race known would be really bad huh?"

"Ee ah!?"

Kagura-san touched her horns all over with her small hands and then she had a despaired look on her face. Right when she began to walk unsteadily, she tripped on her clothes that had slipped off and fell down hard.

"Kufuu, blunder, what a blunder nanoja. Now that it's come to this, n.o.busada, I have to kill you!!"

Wait wait, why does it come to that. I attempt to persuade Kagura-san who's clearly not in her right mind. Fortunately, her struggling strength has gotten quite weaker along with her smaller body.

"Whoa whoa, calm down, Kagura-san."

"Don't treat me like a horse! Once people find out that I'm an Onifolk, what awaits me is either getting sold as a war slave or as a plaything s.e.x slave noja. No matter how kind you are n.o.busada, you'll soon succ.u.mb to the temptation. Even my mother, she died as a slave to save me noja...  gusu, hic."

In order to soothe Kagura-san who finally broke down crying, I hold her close and pat her back like trying to calm a kid.