When the leading goblin shouted something in a language we couldn’t understand, its group scattered in unison.

The exact number of them was unclear. This was because their formation spread far beyond the range illuminated by the magic lamp.

Regardless, we were surrounded against the wall.

“Hii…”

Someone gasped.

Fear began to spread.

Ah, here it is again. These people always try to show their backs. Didn’t they learn during the first layer that it’s a bad move to do so against monsters? That loser’s mentality has been deeply ingrained in them.

No choice. Though I have the voice of a child who hasn’t even undergone a voice change, I’ll shout to rally them. It’s the only option.

I filled my chest with air.

“All, stay toge—”

“First group, draw your weapons! Ready your swords!”

A young voice overlapped with mine, shouting from behind the goblins. Startled by the sudden command, everyone in Class 1-1 unsheathed their swords as if jolted into action.

It was Oujin. I saw him at the rear of the goblin group, returning from his reconnaissance.

For someone with such a small body, he had quite a deep voice.

“Shield bearers, move forward!”

The goblins turned to look in the direction of the voice. That meant they had their backs to us.

In that instant, the shield bearers moved to the front. The formation shifted, just as we’d been taught in class.

The tension in the air swelled.

It felt like a battlefield. Memories resurfaced. My blood stirred.

Haha, this is starting to get fun!

Before I knew it, I was running forward, leaping over the heads of the shield bearers while shouting:

“Can you hear me, Oujin?! We’re flanking them!”

“...!? Understood!”

Miku followed behind me, shoving past the shield bearers, just like my former disciples used to do.

“No! Come back, El-tan!”

I turned to face the goblin at the front, who had been looking toward Oujin. I brought my gladius blade down on its head.

“Raaah!”

A heavy thud rang out as the blade crushed its skull and sliced through its brain.

One life ended. It was a sensation I hadn’t felt since my previous life. I kicked the goblin’s collapsing back to withdraw my blade and decapitated the adjacent goblin, which stood frozen in shock.

A small head rolled onto the labyrinth floor with a dull sound, leaving a trail of blood behind.

“Slow to react, huh? Just a bunch of monsters, after all.”

It was only then that the goblins finally began to move. They raised their clubs and attacked the shield bearers. The clash of metal echoed loudly, but once the goblins’ formation was disrupted, they revealed themselves to be nothing more than low-intelligence creatures.

Even with their crude noble swordsmanship, the students—having trained since childhood—were more than a match for them. Miku’s rapier pierced the skull of a goblin charging at me.

“El-tan, Ryoka-chan is in trouble!”

“I know!”

That’s why I rushed forward. If I hadn’t, the goblins would have concentrated their attacks on Oujin.

On the far side of the mob, Oujin was swinging his sword. Here, the students had formed a thick defensive line, preventing the goblins from advancing easily. But Oujin, who had launched a solo assault from the rear, was a different story.

He was barely dodging the clubs swung at him from all directions. The situation was worsened by the fact that his sword wasn’t suitable for blocking, and even a single hit from a stone club would easily bend it. His sword was a weapon specialized for offense.

“—!”

However, with the sheer number of goblins, rescuing him seemed almost impossible. While Blythe’s physique and weapon might have allowed him to plow through the mob, Eremia’s body was limited to slipping through the gaps.

It was dangerous, but abandoning him wasn’t an option. No choice. No, that’s not it.

“Haha.”

Despite my age, my heart was racing with excitement.

I severed a goblin’s arm wielding a club, then beheaded it while it recoiled.

“El-tan, you’re surprisingly brutal. I guess that practical exam wasn’t just a fluke, huh?” Miku remarked, impressed.

“Hmph, of course not. —Hang on a little longer, Oujin!”

Oujin had managed to cut down several goblins while dodging their attacks, but he looked far from confident. His movements clearly showed his skill as a martial artist, but he was hopelessly outnumbered. Without an ally to watch his back, it was only a matter of time before he’d fall.

He must have known he’d be disadvantaged, yet he still raised his voice, likely unable to ignore his classmates’ plight. Admirable for a model student, though it felt a waste to categorize him as such. The boys’ dorm could use someone like him. It’d be a shame to lose him here.

“No choice, I’ll force my way through. Miku, cover me.”

Had I still been in Blythe’s body, I could have easily carried Miku in one arm and broken through the mob single-handedly.

Ah, how frustrating. Frustrating… yet exhilarating.

“W-wait! A frontal assault is impossible!”

“Shut up! I said cover me! Quit whining and follow me!”

Just as I steeled myself, another loud voice rang out:

“What the hell?! Don’t have fun without me, you damn honor student!”

Leaping over the short Oujin, a tall boy cleaved through the leading goblin with a vertical slash, splitting it cleanly in two.

The blade of the Bundi Dagger gleamed.

Deflecting a stone club with the dagger’s handguard, the boy launched an uppercut at another goblin, lifting it off the ground.

“Take this!”

It was Void.

The goblin, its jaw shattered and head pulverized, was sent flying high toward the ceiling before crashing to the ground in a bloody heap, taking several others down with it.

“Hah! That all you got? Come on, entertain me more!”

A goblin lunged at Void from behind, but Oujin sliced through its chest diagonally, stepping forward to stand back-to-back with him. The model student and the delinquent formed a tight duo.

“You’re good at this. Fighting must be second nature to you,” Oujin commented.

“Hah! Grew up in the slums. People, monsters—I’m used to it. Unlike you, I don’t care much for manners, though.”

“Haha, that much is clear.”

“Tch. That’s where you’re supposed to deny it, idiot.”

Void cracked his neck, his expression cocky.

The remaining goblins bared their fangs and snarled, preparing to attack en masse.

“Here they come, honor student. Don’t screw up!”

“I see them, delinquent. You’d better hold your ground too.”

The goblins charged.

Void, an all-rounder, blocked their attacks with his handguards, while Oujin, focused on offense, landed precise, fatal strikes.

“We’re breaking through the front! Regroup with Neu!”

“Understood!”

Oujin slipped past Void, slashing a goblin’s abdomen wide open. Blood sprayed into the air, forming a red mist. Void followed, striking another goblin with his handguard, sending it flying.

“Hah! Too easy!”

“Eremia, Orunkaim! We’ll be fine! Don’t overdo it!”

As Oujin had said, the two made a surprisingly effective pair despite being impromptu teammates.

I exhaled, realizing I didn’t need to push myself further. I struck down a goblin’s shoulder as a wave of relief mixed with a slight sense of dissatisfaction washed over me.

Finally, the rest of the classmates began moving in earnest. Shifting from a turtle-like defensive formation, they took on an offensive porcupine formation. Rapiers and estocs darted through the gaps in their shields, skewering the goblins one by one. With nearly half their numbers gone, the remaining goblins melted into the shadows, retreating into the depths of the labyrinth.