The Guide is Actually a Body-Switching Esper [BL]-Chapter 424: Icy Sword

Chapter 424: Icy Sword
"SQUEEEERCH!"
The lizard let out a terrifying, ear-piercing cry, as the sword slashed through its abdomen like it was cutting through butter. A wave of blood gushed out, instantly turning into ice crystals from the chilliness emanating from the blade, and falling down onto the rocky ground, splashing into the puddles of blood, which were already so large that they seemed to cover the whole path. The lizard tried to back away to save its miserable life, but the iciness from its wound spread too fast, paralyzing its muscles and effectively slowing it down. Before it could even scoot out of the sword’s range, it was stabbed right through its head, dying on the spot.
It was almost too easy. Those lizards were supposed to be A-rank monsters, after all. And yes, Damien was an S-ranker, but without his ability and using only his superior strength, his rank advantage wasn’t usually so obvious.
The right weapon truly could make a lot of difference, it seemed.
Damien pulled his sword from the monster’s carcass with a pensive frown. It wasn’t the same sword that he had used before - he had gotten this one shortly before the raid. From Lane, of course. He initially had been hesitant to accept it, as it clearly was a high-grade weapon, but... Lane had pushed it onto him under the pretext of an additional birthday present. And on top of that, the sword didn’t fit Lane’s fighting style, anyway!
Well, of course it didn’t. I was clear that the sword was tailored for Damien. A heavy longsword with an ice-type ability built in? Capable of withstanding S-rank strength? How could there be a weapon more suitable for Damien than that?
Even Damien had to admit that it was great, even if his head hurt when he thought about how much it must have cost. He didn’t mind the ice ability either. Although he didn’t like his own ability, that was because it was the same as his father’s, but when the ice came from the sword, it didn’t bother him that much... He could maybe even get used to it.
Perhaps that’s why Lane had bought him this sword, instead of opting for another ability that wouldn’t collide with Damien’s, without having anything to do with ice. To help Damien adjust and come to terms with his ability, so that he would no longer be so hesitant to use it.
Damien didn’t know, but he was still grateful for that. Having a sword that could withstand his strength and Mana allowed him to stop holding himself back, and focus his whole attention on fighting, dealing with the monsters far more efficiently as a result.
Speaking of Lane, though...
Damien glanced around. The first wave of monsters had mostly been dealt with, and the roles had reversed. There were only a few lizards left on the battlefield, all of which were currently trying to flee to regroup, while the members of the team were trying to hunt them down. It was far easier to deal with them now, than let them join another group. However, because of that, the team was spread out widely within the rocky labyrinth, making it impossible for Damien to see everyone...
As he took a few steps forward to check on his team members (and find his missing boyfriend), though, he heard quick footsteps, charging ahead somewhere to his right, splashing blood everywhere. Damien quickly turned back to the fork in the road to take a look...
Just in time to see Lane kicking off the ground, then bouncing off the wall, and rotating in the air as he swung both of his daggers, slashing through a lizard monster’s scaly nape.
And stealing the kill right from in front of Clara’s face. She already had the monster partially entangled in her threads. It was struggling to free itself, ripping through the thin, golden threads, but it was a losing battle. Clara had just been about to strike it with her light sword...
But Lane was faster. Because of course he was!
"Hehe. I’m sorry!" he laughed. Naturally, he didn’t look sorry at all.
Clara gave him a long glance, but in the end, she only nodded her head.
So what if Lane had stolen her kill? It wasn’t a competition! They were a TEAM, and their job was to eliminate as many monsters as possible, as soon as possible. If someone more competent than her could get the monster first (and Lane WAS more competent than her when it came to everything dungeon-related and fighting, she was willing to admit it and wasn’t ashamed of that), then that’s what they should do. Thus, in her opinion, what Lane had done was perfectly appropriate. Even as Lane delivered the final blow, eliminating the lizard for good, her face didn’t even twitch.
As for Lane... He was simply happy to slash through another monster, that’s all. He didn’t do it to get on Clara’s nerves, or at least it wasn’t his main goal, so he wasn’t too disappointed about her reaction.
She was still Damien’s sister, at the end of the day. It was to be expected that they had a few things in common. Such as their attitude towards fighting and work, for example.
Meanwhile, Damien let out a sigh, shaking his head, before walking away. Since he had confirmed that Lane was well and accounted for, he could move on. He was their Team Leader, after all, he was responsible for everyone. He needed to check on everyone’s status, and command a short rest if necessary, to tend to the injured...
And there were some injuries. Nothing serious, just some shallow scratches and minor burns from the toxic, corrosive substance that the lizard monsters were producing, but still. They should be taken care of to ensure that everyone was ready to fight before proceeding any further.
...Honestly, it didn’t bode well. The injuries might have been minor, but they had only gotten through the first wave. The monsters that had attacked them were either the lizards that had ventured out of the nest to hunt or scout new locations, or those that had been chased out due to overpopulation... If it were the former, then it would still be fine, but if the latter... That would likely mean that they had dealt with some of the weaker ones.
If they couldn’t even avoid injuries when fighting the rejects, then how was the fight with the strong monsters in the nest going to be like?