Ever since Oji-san and the others picked me up from the academy, I've been joining them on their requests. Runa is remaining at the academy, so I'm with the three men of the group. I want to meet Onee-sama again as soon as possible, to the point that I want to go and search for her. But I don't know where she is, and if I leave this city and she comes back, we would miss each other. So all I can do is wait for her return. In the meantime, I have to get stronger so that I can be of help to Onee-sama. I'm always being protected by her and hold her back that way.

Seven days have passed since I was separated from Onee-sama. Tomorrow we plan on going into a labyrinth under the city. Apparently it's a scary place and Oji-san told me to wait at home, but I want to learn about my own powers. Onee-sama said that if I hit something with my cursed arm repeatedly, my strength grows. I want to learn how to use it properly, since it's a part of me. And it can become of use to her, too.

Since I don't know much about how things work in the city, I only follow Oji-san around as we bought things for our descent into the dungeon. I'm always trying my best to carry some of the things, but I can't do much because of my right arm. Still, Onee-sama says she likes it, and if it really contains the power she says it does, then I think it's a fair price to pay for these inconveniences.

The next morning we enter an underground passageway, which Sigurd says will lead deep below the surface, into a world of darkness filled with undead, but also riches and magical items. This looks no different from above ground, though. There are people around and a lot of shops are opened here, so I don't understand why Oji-san said it would be scary.

Then we finally enter the real dungeon. The stores are gone and no torches light up the darkness, as we go deeper and deeper. Since I'm with them now, they say that they will make it a leisured exploration trip instead.

"No, I want to fight." I say and look up at them while lifting my cursed arm. They stare at me in surprise and then exchange a glance with each other.

"We can't make a child like you fight." Rolan says. He treats me like a little kid, but I've already climbed the stairs to adulthood, according to Onee-sama.

"I'm not a child anymore." I won't give up on this and remain defiant.

"Yes, you a-" He begins, but I interrupt him.

"Kuroe has made me an adult!" Upon these words, Rolan stares at me blankly, before blinking a few times. He turns to Sigurd and then Oji-san, who exchange a look of confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" The leader finally asks cautiously.

"I... don't know how it's called... She touched my body and it felt really strange..." Wait, I think I shouldn't be telling them this. It's something between only Onee-sama and I. But it's too late, and the three men stare at me in shock.

We continue on deeper into the underground, an awkward silence hanging over us. It was a bad idea to talk about it, but at least now they can't treat me as a child anymore. Still, I think in these narrow tunnels, Oji-san with his huge shield will have no problems protecting all of us anyway. The air is turning stale and I'm reminded of the days I spent in a cage, inside dark warehouses and tents with little air. It feels suffocating, but I need to stay strong...

I hear the sound of boots dragging across the floor. Oji-san told me that undead roam the underground sometimes, but most of them are brittle skeletons which can be destroyed with a single hit. However, it seems that one this soon into the labyrinth is alarming, as both Rolan and Sigurd ready themselves for battle. I can see really well in the dark and ahead of us, outside of the light from Oji-san's shield a single figure approaches.

It's a man in chainmail, holding a sword and shield. His skin is very pale and his movements are sluggish. When he takes a step forward and his shield moves aside, I see it. The chainmail at his stomach is cut open and his bowels are spilling out. This is a zombie, only a few days old at best. I remember Onee-sama bringing me into the mausoleum in the town where I first met her, and eliminating an army of them with a single spell. She isn't here this time, and we will have to fight against it physically.

"There it is!" Oji-san points forward with his shield and the others see the zombie, too.

"He must have died a day or two ago." Rolan comments as he draws his sword. Since the last time I met him, before we went to the academy, he has gained another sword, which hangs in its sheath next to the old one that he's using now. I wonder why he's not using that one, because its hilt looks much nicer.

"That wound is from a vertical blade. Be careful of any traps in this area." Sigurd warns the party and aims his crossbow. He releases the bolt and it hits the zombie in the chest, causing it to stagger. Using that opening, Rolan rushes forward and cuts the man's sword hand off, before fluidly moving his sword through the air and severing the other arm. Safe from counterattacks, he takes off the enemy's coif and decapitates him swiftly.

I'm beginning to lose my sense of time, as we walk for a seemingly very long time. The air is unmoving and smells really bad. I remember the stench from the mausoleum, meaning that there are more zombies close by, but in a more advanced state of decay.

"A group of twelve entered the dungeon four days ago and never returned. So that's what happened to them." Oji-san comments when his light shines upon several zombies in different kinds of armors standing around in the corridor. They notice the light and turn around to us, showing that their faces are already black and falling apart. As if on cue, they all begin to walk towards us sluggishly, lifting their various weapons to attack us.

Their movements are slow and they won't be able to get past Oji-san, but since they are wearing some heavy armor, it won't be so easy to dispatch so many quickly. If it was Onee-sama, she could just use that spell to send their spirits away, and even if she didn't use it, she can take them inside her body and make them disappear that way. It just goes to show that Onee-sama is incredible.

The first enemy reaches Oji-san and swings his sword slowly. It's blocked by the huge shield and doesn't do any damage. With a shield bash, he sends the zombie tumbling backwards. Sigurd shoots his crossbow and hits another one in the head, causing it to fall over and pull the two behind it down. But there are still many more, and those three are already moving to stand back up again.

"I can fight, too!" I say and walk forward. Since I passed by Oji-san on the other side of where Rolan stands, he can't hold me back in time. I run up to the first zombie and swing my cursed arm against its chest plate. I know that my strength won't even be able to cause it to stagger, but that's not all I have. I don't let up and hit it again and again.

After the third hit, my hit shows some effect, as it stumbles backwards, before raising its weapon in response. But something so slow is easily avoided as I step aside and hit it one more time. This time it can't remain standing from the impact and falls on its back clumsily. I let my cursed arm crash down on its chest plate and see it denting from the hit. With my next attack I aim at its head, and even though he wears a kettle helm, my arm dents it and crushes the zombie's skull underneath it.

"Wha-" Oji-san voices from behind me, while Rolan comes up to me and pulls me backwards. Sigurd shoots a crossbow bolt and manages to hold back the whole zombie pack by causing the one in front to fall and pull several others down with it.

"... how did you do that?" The leader asks me in astonishment and looks at my cursed arm.

"Kuroe said that this must be an effect from my curse. She noticed when we were under the mountain and the small creatures attacked us." I explain as he pulls me behind the safety of Oji-san's shield. "She said that when I hit things repeatedly, my strength increases." Or something like that. I don't really know how it works, just that it does.

"That... is an incredible power." Rolan says and turns to look at the zombie whose head I smashed in.

"I hate to interrupt you two, but there are still quite a few of them left." Sigurd comments as he puts on another bolt and aims.

"Let me take care of them!" I say and round Oji-san's shield. But right in front of me is a zombie with a large club already raised, ready to attack. Wha-?

Oji-san rushes forward and blocks the attack, while I fall on my bottom in shock. I made a mistake and nearly paid for it with my life. If he hadn't reacted so quickly, I might have died.

"You need to be more careful, Kamii." He says with a concerned expression. Even though I said I would grow stronger, I'm still being protected. This is so frustrating!

"I'm sorry..."

Rolan walks by me and draws his new sword. Its blade is glowing in a brilliant white, like the sun during high noon. My eyes are drawn to it in fascination, as it leaves behind a streak of light when it's swung through the darkness. It cleaves through the torso of the zombie that tried to attack me just now, searing the wound it creates so that it's immediately cauterized. Moving onto the next, the blade cuts through plate armor like paper and severs an arm, then the head.

In a dance of death, Rolan cuts his way through half a dozen zombies, before falling back and sheathing the sword. I wonder why he stops, but I can see that his face is strained from exhaustion and his arms are shaking. He sees my concerned expression and turns to give me a tired smile.

"This weapon has incredible power, but I'm not yet worthy to wield it." His breathing is rugged and sweat is forming on his forehead. "I can only use it for a short time and will be really tired afterwards..."

"... then leave it to me!" I say with determination, and this time I pay attention when I walk forward. There are only a few zombies left. The closest has a shield and is wielding a short sword, but is in a horrible state of decay that makes its movements even slower than that of the others so far. Oji-san is backing me up and walks by my side, to bring his shield forward when needed. Sigurd shoots his crossbow and it hits the shoulder of the zombie's sword arm. With so much help, I won't have any problems.

Once again, I swing my cursed arm repeatedly, hitting whatever part of the enemy I can. As expected, the first attack is as weak as always, but this time I can clearly feel the power my curse grants me. Every following hit seems to double the weight of the impact, even as I don't feel any change inside my body itself. So it's not me getting stronger, but just the force behind my attacks.

On the seventh hit, the zombie is sent flying against the wall, on which its head splatters into many pieces. I turn to the next one, but first take my time to see whether I may have overlooked something. No, there are only three enemies left and they seem to be moving towards us in a group. I can count on Oji-san and Sigurd's help, as Rolan is recovering from his fatigue.

With a crossbow bolt to the knee, Sigurd causes one of the three to take a tumble. Oji-san pushes another one away with his shield, and I assault the last one. When I hit it, I notice that my power from has disappeared. But it increases with every subsequent hit again, and on the sixth hit, the force behind my cursed arm caves the zombie's head into its torso. This ability is really strong, but stacking it can be difficult.

I now know that there might be a time limit within which I need to hit something, or I lose the effect. The other possibility is that it only works on one enemy. I need to improve my basic strength, make my hits have an effect without the curse activating. This means I need to train my body to be faster, sturdier and more powerful. With my first attack I need to create an opening for a second hit. These zombies are slow and dumb, but an intelligent enemy won't take hits repeatedly, especially if he can feel the power behind them increasing. Maybe that's where the little magic I learned at the academy will come in handy.

Onee-sama, I will show you that I can fight by your side when you return. I won't be protected forever. Someday, I will be the one to protect you instead.