“How incredible!
To acquire the skill so fast!
How did you manage that!?”
It was only natural to report to Mizumori-senpai, whom I owed a debt to, that I had acquired the Mind’s Eye skill.
She had helped me a lot.
But…
I averted my gaze from Senpai, who was rejoicing as if she had accomplished something great herself.
“How did I manage that?”…
I learned it because I wanted to see a beautiful girl naked.
…Can I say that?
The moment I say that, I can picture Senpai’s smile, which even the gods would envy, turning into a Noh mask that even a demon would fear.
The reason I want to see it even a little bit is probably because I have a slight M (masochistic) side to me.
“Thanks to Senpai.”
I immediately bowed my head and rearranged my facial expression so I couldn’t be read.
“Fufu, I see, I see.
I’m glad you said that.”
Saying that, Senpai told me to raise my head.
“I’m very grateful for everything you’ve done for me, even with school starting soon.
If anything happens, please don’t hesitate to tell me.
Inexperienced as I am, I’ll do what I can to help you.”
I quickly changed the subject and picked an appropriate topic to keep the conversation going.
I’d let the story of how I got this skill slip away naturally.
When I said that, Senpai laughed a little.
“It’s nothing.
Guiding a kouhai is an important duty of a senpai, right?
Besides, you worked so hard it made me want to help you.”
“I wonder if I was really that desperate… Ah, by the way, Senpai, are you ready for the new semester?
As the Vice President of the Public Morals Committee, aren’t you busy?”
“Haha, it’s fine.
The Student Council might be busy preparing, but the committee’s only task is to guide the new students.
If you get lost at school, you can call me or any other committee member.”
Operation successful.
Now she wouldn’t even remember the skill.
If she questioned me further, I could escape through the sheer immorality of the situation.
“In that case, I’ll be counting on you.
I’m a little worried because I heard the school is huge.”
“Fufu, it’s so big I got lost when I first enrolled.
I hear every year a freshman gets lost and ends up late.”
In the game, the protagonists used transfer magic circles to move between classrooms.
You could tell how annoying it would be to walk around such a massive school.
One of the sub-heroines got lost in the school, and I was terrified I’d end up like that too.
I wished there was something like a GPS map for the campus.
“By the way, are your preparations done?”
“Of course.
That said, I don’t have much to bring with me.”
The necessary teaching materials were distributed at school, and all I had to bring myself were my writing utensils and my shawl.
Even the uniforms were already hung up in a place where I could easily put them on.
“This year… I’m looking forward to a lot of things.”
While looking at my face, Senpai said something like that.
“Me too.”
Swords, magic, school, dungeons, erotica.
It was a world where boys, ladies, and gentlemen got excited about the setting.
I had no choice but to enjoy it.
“Senpai, I’m going to get stronger quickly and catch up to you soon.
Be prepared for when that time comes.”
“Fufu, I won’t be caught that easily.”
We both looked at the waterfall.
The rays of the rising sun reflected off the falling water and the rippling surface.
“Ah, speaking of which…”
Senpai clapped her hands as if remembering something.
“What?”
“Can you tell me how you acquired the Mind’s Eye Skill?”
The moment I stood up, I turned my back to Senpai and kicked the ground with all my might.
It didn’t take long for Senpai to catch up to me.
By the time we reached the city, Senpai was already running beside me.
“I had promised to go eat ramen with Ludi, and I suddenly remembered that…!”
“So why does that lead to running out of nowhere?”
Fair point.
“Look, when you see the sunset, you suddenly just want to start running.”
“That’s not true, and to begin with, it’s not sunset right now.”
Another perfectly accurate point.
But I was in trouble.
Normally I came up with excuses that even surprised myself, but today I couldn’t.
“Oh, that’s right.
How about ramen, Senpai?
There’s a place that’s rumored to be really good.”
Actually, I was planning to just treat Ludi, but I thought I should treat Senpai, whom I owed a debt to.
Well, this money was an allowance I received from Marino-san.
“There’s no reason to refuse, but… are you trying to change the subject?”
I would dodge this topic at all costs.
“Really?
What was the topic again… eh?”
It was just as I was thinking of playing dumb.
Something made a massive sound.
I heard screams here and there.
No explosions or collapsing buildings occurred.
However…
“What is this?”
A thick line formed beneath my feet.
It extended in an arc and eventually became too long to follow with just my eyes.
“…It’s like a magic circle.”
I was surprised by Senpai’s words.
I wondered if it was possible and immediately started running.
I pushed past the confused city dwellers and headed toward the center of the magic circle.
The further I went, the more convinced I became that this was an event.
However…
“No, this is weird, right!?”
I didn’t understand what this meant.
This event was… supposed to happen much later.
Why was the Evil God Cult’s Dungeon Revival event happening right now?
This shouldn’t happen before enrollment… To begin with, the game hadn’t even started at the current point in time.
I recalled the outline of the event and looked around.
“Senpai!”
I saw Senpai running toward me and felt relieved from the bottom of my heart.
It seemed she had been following me when I suddenly started running.
This Evil God Cult event was one that occurred during the progression of Ludi’s route after entering the school.
The Evil God Cult frequently attacked Ludi, but that only happened after they went mad from being repelled by her countless times, and when they attempted a certain magic, this was the result.
There was no way this event could happen right now.
Why did this irregularity occur?
If there was a possibility… no matter how I thought about it.
“It’s my existence, right?”
The Evil God Cult was supposed to attack us slowly.
Just like in games and tokusatsu shows, where the bosses are negligent and send their subordinates because they think our side isn’t strong, only to get beaten up and help the protagonist’s party grow.
“Maybe it was because of the one who escaped that day?”
Did the incident at the Hanamura Hotel lead to this?
The possibility was high.
However, investigating the cause could wait.
Now was not the time.
All I needed to do was understand and assess the situation.
I immediately pulled out my smartphone and tapped Ludi’s name to contact her.
But that was pointless.
This special smartphone provided by Marino-san for self-defense was supposed to be able to communicate anywhere in the city except inside a dungeon.
I had laughed when it was handed to me because I had already broken one before, so this one was considerably reinforced.
It probably wouldn’t break.
But Ludi wasn’t online.
That meant she might be in a place where she couldn’t communicate.
I immediately sent a message to Marino-san asking her to tell me Ludi’s location information.
“What the hell is going on?!”
“Senpai, let’s go to the center of this magic circle.
Something must be happening there.”
With that said, I started running toward the center.
The center of the magic circle was strangely, or perhaps as expected, near the place where I was supposed to meet Ludi.
And in that place, there were several circles large enough to accommodate multiple people, with light blue particles floating around them.
Without a doubt.
That would be the entrance to the dungeon.
Monsters might have overflowed from the Dungeon entrance that appeared.
If you looked closely, there were people fighting around here… eh?
“…No, you’re kidding, right!?”
I stared at the person fighting in front of the dungeon, and my voice involuntarily leaked out.
“Who is firing magic non-stop… Isn’t that the Student Council President, Monika Mercedes von Mobius!?
And the one fighting with a fan and wearing a kimono is… Himemiya Shion-san, the Vice-Minister of the Ceremonial Department!?”
Why were there two members of the Academy’s Three Committees, which were said to be the strongest groups in the school?!
Was there a route where they appeared in this event?
No, I didn’t care about that.
With Monica-kaichou here, I knew there would be no problem leaving the overflowing monsters to them.
In that case, I could leave this side to them.
“…Takioto, do you know those two?”
Senpai was looking at me with a serious expression.
I thought, Shit, but it was too late.
I spoke without thinking.
But I also thought we should talk about this later.
“Yes, I know them.
But let’s do that later…”
I looked at the two people fighting.
It had to be said that this was a stroke of luck in the midst of misfortune.
I didn’t know why they were here, but if one of the Super Trio, currently the strongest in the academy and the Student Council President, Monica, was here, I could leave the overflowing monsters to them.
First of all, this number of monsters was too much for me right now.
I glanced at Senpai.
She was watching the battle with a serious expression.
She looked like she was about to immediately run over and shout, Takioto, run away, and jump into their fight.
Senpai probably wanted to protect the city dwellers from the monsters overflowing from the dungeon.
But I wanted to invade that dungeon immediately.
If this was roughly the same as that event.
Ludi must be inside the dungeon.
“Takioto, get away from here immedi… Hey, what are you planning?”
I grabbed Senpai’s hand just as she was about to start running.
I immediately bowed my head to her.
“I’m sorry, but can you believe my nonsense for now?
That is a dungeon.
Can you explore the dungeon with me?”
“What… the hell does that mean?
Besides… a dungeon?”
“I can’t get in touch with Ludi.
It’s a device that can contact you unless you’re inside a Dungeon.
It’s a phone I got from Marino-san, so it won’t break unless something goes terribly wrong.”
I noticed Senpai’s expression change to astonishment.
And she accepted it when she saw the message I received.
Marino-san was already aware of this commotion.
And she knew where I was.
“Senpai, here’s the message from Marino-san.”
‘Hatsumi is heading there.
Kousuke-kun, flee the scene and come home.’
“Why doesn’t she answer the question, ‘Where is Ludi?’ Marino-san should know Ludi’s last known location; it could be confirmed.”
Hearing all this, the wise Senpai would have understood.
“You can think of it this way.
If Kousuke hears that Ludi is in trouble, he might get involved.”
That was exactly what Marino-san thought.
If Ludi was in danger, it was obvious I’d go save her without a second thought.
I already had a track record for this.
The Hanamura Hotel incident.
That’s why Marino-san didn’t say anything and told me to run away as fast as possible.
Unfortunately, that had the opposite effect.
Senpai looked at me and seemed to be hesitating.
But no matter what, I had to take one more strong person into the dungeon.
“I have a bad feeling.
Please.”
I held Senpai’s hand and looked into her eyes.
The confused Senpai gradually took on a serious expression.
While it seemed like she was giving me a piercing glare, it was also a look that was evaluating me.
Exactly because of that, to answer that gaze, I continued to look her in the eyes while receiving that beautiful, yet frightening stare.
“…Understood.
Let’s leave this to Shion and Monika-kaichou.”
It was Senpai who backed down.
The anger vanished, she was dignified as always, and she returned to being the gentle Senpai.
Senpai was my beloved Senpai.
“You’re going into the Dungeon alone even if I stop you, aren’t you?
Then it’s still better if we go together.”
“Thank you very much.”
Now that it was decided, the rest was invading.
I had at least everything I needed to save Ludi.
On the contrary, it could be said that the best person came along.
“Just, you know.”
Senpai turned her face away, a little embarrassed.
“Is something wrong?”
“I-it’s not that I hate it, but… Uhn, well.
I’d be grateful if you could let go of my hand.”
I looked down.
I was firmly holding Senpai’s hand with both of mine.
“I-I’m sorry.”
Passing by the one-sided annihilation being carried out by Monika-kaichou’s group, we ran toward the magic circle.
Except for that magic circle, the others were connected to a room called a Monster House, where many monsters were waiting.
But that wasn’t the foundation of these monsters.
Therefore, even if we defeated them and temporarily reduced the number of monsters overflowing into the city, the monsters would continue to overflow because the roots weren’t cut.
To cut the root, I had to enter the correct magic circle, but I, who had played MagiEx countless times, easily knew which one to enter.
It seemed Monika-kaichou and the others said various things to Senpai just before we teleported, but Senpai would deal with that later.
The problem right now was this Dungeon.
The interior of this Dungeon, the ‘Palace of All Uncertain Worldly Phenomena’, was a deserted Western-style mansion.
The area was covered in dust, and if you breathed near the wall, the dust would fly up.
Furthermore, the paintings on the ceiling and walls were either slightly dirty or heavily gouged.
Additionally, the vases, which were originally works of art along the path, were cracked and could no longer be decorated, let alone used for their original purpose.
And the scratches on the painting in the hallway I just passed were clearly not scratches carved by humans.
“Hm.
It’s like a dungeon after being attacked by monsters.”
Just as Senpai said.
As you could tell from the dungeon’s name, to a certain extent, the concept was probably a mansion that was attacked by monsters and worn down.
“It’s a fork… let’s go right.”
I chose the road without waiting for Senpai to answer and ran a little.
The ‘Palace of All Uncertain Worldly Phenomena’ was a slightly special dungeon according to the game.
RPG lovers would have thought so from the moment they entered.
After all, if you took the wrong entrance, there was nothing at the end even if you went all the way, just fights against enemies.
Moreover, it wasn’t just the entrance that was special.
The floors were too.
Originally, we would go through a dungeon with 10 to 100 floors, and some with over 100 floors, but this dungeon only had one floor.
But compared to other dungeons, it was a bit larger.
What was most special was that this dungeon didn’t have weak monsters wandering around.
Instead, the monsters were ambushing in fixed areas.
Therefore, if you didn’t take the wrong path, you could reach the goal without fighting.
However, monsters that appeared in traps and the Dungeon boss didn’t apply to this.
Why didn’t the Dungeon boss apply to this?
The reason was that the boss was wandering around.
In a general game dungeon, weak monsters wandered around and the boss basically stayed put in the back.
That’s why I thought it was a Dungeon with a very fresh and interesting setting.
It was a good place to level up because there were fixed monsters.
However, it was by no means a dungeon that should appear in the early stages.
I realized this by seeing Student Council President Monika and the others fighting.
The monsters that appeared here were too much for me right now.
If it was one by one, it was possible to a certain extent.
But when it came to fighting multiple, the story was different.
It wouldn’t be the case if I were collecting magic essences and strengthening myself.
Currently, I was training, but that was all.
However, due to the special circumstances of this Dungeon, we were lucky to be able to avoid fights.
“Next is left.”
Since it was the same map as the game, almost all battles could be avoided.
However, when a battle did happen, it was inevitable to fight.
And it would be hard to beat the boss at this point unless a miracle happened.
That’s why I wanted Senpai to come.
The strength of one of the Super Trio wasn’t just for show.
The awakening events hadn’t happened yet, and although she was the Senpai who hadn’t fully grown, her strength was still intact.
She could even beat the boss.
That didn’t mean I could be relieved.
Instead, the anxiety only increased.
“Damn it, Ludi… Where are you…”
According to the story, Ludi would be involved in the Evil God’s summoning performed by an Evil God Cult believer who was prepared to self-destruct.
Well, what he actually used wasn’t the magic to summon the Evil God, but the Dungeon Resurrection magic.
They didn’t know it was Dungeon Resurrection magic.
So the dungeon revived, and Ludi got caught up in it and ended up entering.
Her starting position upon entering depended on her growth and choices.
The only thing I could say was that it didn’t matter where she was.
When it came to fighting these monsters, it was hard for the current Ludi to beat them.
Mainly because she didn’t have good affinity with the boss here.
She would definitely lose.
Furthermore, the boss here was a wandering type.
What if they ran into each other?
“Calm down, Takioto.”
“I’m sorry…”
It should be advantageous because I knew this, but I was impatient exactly because I knew it.
The first point where Ludi could have teleported had already been passed.
But it was full of dust, with only our footprints.
Damn it!
If the story progression and Ludi’s growth were low, it would be possible to find her right there.
Thinking about Ludi’s ability, she should be there.
No, the event itself shouldn’t be happening.
If I could at least switch to Ludi’s perspective like in the game, I could know right away where she was and run immediately.
“Tch!”
Ludi wasn’t at the second point either.
I involuntarily clicked my tongue.
“What’s wrong, Takioto?”
“No, let’s take the left road.”
It was going to be bad if we didn’t hurry.
For Ludi, the condition for defeat was encountering the wandering boss here.
It had fast legs.
However, Monika-kaichou and the others wouldn’t join us here.
So either I or Senpai had to join Ludi.
I looked back.
Senpai followed me without saying a word.
To be honest, I was incredibly grateful.
Normally, Senpai, who was more experienced than me, should take the lead in places like this.
However, Senpai entrusted me with full authority.
“She’s not here either?”
I involuntarily sighed.
This was the last place the teleportation could have occurred.
“…Takioto, um, you know… Would you like to take a break?
If there’s been no sign of her since we got here, it’s possible Ludi isn’t in the dungeon.”
Senpai was looking at me with a worried look.
I wondered if my face looked that bad.
“I’m sorry, Senpai.
Can you put up with my lack of control today?”
I was vaguely wondering if she wasn’t here, and that thought grew as we progressed.
But I had no intention of stopping.
“However…”
I spoke before Senpai could say anything.
“But what if Ludi is here?”
I closed my eyes.
What came to mind was Ludi, who immediately dropped her Ojou-sama mask.
Ludi who liked buying sweets while curiously visiting convenience stores.
Ludi who went silent at the sight of the nighttime amusement park spread across the table (Hatsumi’s cooking).
Ludi wandering the city in a terrible disguise.
Ludi who timidly said she wanted to eat ramen.
If I lost her, I might regret it irreparably.
Sorry, but I didn’t want that.
I opened my eyes and looked at Senpai, who had a serious expression.
“If she’s not here in the Dungeon, isn’t that even better?”
Wasn’t that the happiest thing?
Not having Ludi in a dangerous place.
Even if she wasn’t here, I wouldn’t regret jumping in.
Because…
“Let’s say Ludi isn’t here and our actions are futile, then.”
I deliberately shrugged my shoulders and forced a smile.
“‘What an idiot I am, looking for her when she wasn’t even there.’ I can turn it into a joke.
And what if we can stop the monsters here?
We’ll be heroes.”
I just had to think like that.
“It’s better if she isn’t here.
I don’t want her to be here.
I want her to be in a safe place.
I want to have a funny conversation with Ludi later.
But what if… what if she’s being attacked by monsters?”
Faced with that, there was no reason not to continue.
“If she isn’t… I’ll apologize to Senpai… until the end…”
“No, I’m sorry.”
Senpai bowed to me.
“S-Senpai?”
“You’re right… Fufu, hahaha, you are very, very great.”
Why was Senpai laughing so much?
“We ended up stopping our legs.
Let’s go.”
I patted her back and nodded for now.
Immediately after that, the two of us proceeded through the Dungeon.
However, Ludi was still missing.
The last place she could be teleported was ahead.
When I stepped onto the destination floor, there was something unbelievable.
“No, you’re kidding…?
Why…?”
I involuntarily murmured.
In the ‘Palace of All Uncertain Worldly Phenomena’, monsters were waiting in designated spots on the map, and basically, they shouldn’t appear anywhere else.
The exceptions were traps that summoned monsters or the wandering boss.
No monsters should appear here, which was one of the starting positions where Ludi could be teleported.
It shouldn’t be possible.
So why?
Why were they here!
Furthermore, that number was obviously strange.
It was as if the monsters were summoned by some kind of trap…?
I had a bad feeling.
The more I thought about it, the more my heart got disturbed and my whole body got hot.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
I couldn’t stand still and ran toward the goat monster in front of me.
The goat-like monster, ‘Baphomet’, didn’t notice us.
And it was too late when Baphomet did.
As it gained momentum while spinning its body once, I layered my Third and Fourth Hands and attacked like a hammer.
Bakiin, the sound of something breaking echoed.
It was a technique I practiced many times with Claris-san.
By applying centrifugal force to the Third and Fourth Hands, I was able to greatly improve the power, rather than just striking.
However, it was also a technique that created a larger opening because I used both hands.
“Tsu──────”
I could see the goat exploding away, screaming loudly and turning into a magic stone.
But I couldn’t see much.
Immediately after hearing the scream, I defended against the wolf-shaped monster, ‘Hellhound’, with my Third Hand and struck its head hard with my Fourth Hand.
Perhaps it was too powerful, it collapsed on the spot, and I kicked the Hellhound with my right foot, which was strengthened thanks to my body strengthening magic.
“T-Takioto, you… what power is this…”
When I looked at Senpai, she was looking at me with a surprised expression, both eyes wide.
Perhaps because of the surprise, her shoulders lost strength, and if I hit her hands hard, she might almost drop her naginata.
Normally I would have bragged about it, but right now I couldn’t afford to.
I told Senpai as I watched the monster turn into magic essence.
“I’m sorry.
I’ll leave this to you.”
This time, when I hit the snake-shaped monster nearby with my Third Hand, I started running without checking what happened.
I just had a bad feeling.
I couldn’t help it.
I moved forward while repelling enemy attacks.
“T-Takioto, what are you doing?
It’s dangerous, come back!”
Those words were shouted, but my heart was confused and felt like it was tearing, so I wasn’t in the right state of mind to listen to her.
A monkey-like monster in front of me.
It was already swinging its club, bringing it down at the perfect timing.
“GET OUT OF THE WAYYYYYYY!”
I struck at the same time with the Third Hand infused with magic power.
The club that was brought down caused no obstacle.
I smashed the monkey and kicked the body that was in the way to the side.
The monsters chasing me were repelled with the Third and Fourth Hands, and I moved forward.
But strangely, the further I went, the fewer attacks I received.
What the hell did this mean?
I passed so many monsters and not a single attack came?
I thought it would be harder fighting multiple.
“Idiot!
I want to save Ludi, but at the same time I want to protect you!”
Looking back in the direction of that voice, I understood.
Water blades were striking the monsters chasing me.
Apparently, Senpai was prioritizing the monsters coming toward me.
She must have been supporting me the whole time.
Thank you so much.
And I’m sorry.
I found a clue, I couldn’t leave Ludi, who was probably in trouble, like this.
The further I ran down the hallway, the more my premonition turned into conviction.
“There’s no doubt.
Someone is here.”
The dust on the wall was strangely rubbed away, and there were footprints where the dust gathered.
Following the footprints, I searched for Ludi.
My chest felt like it was about to tear.
I wanted to join her immediately.
“Damn it.
Why aren’t they the footprints of just one person!?”
I didn’t know what the footprints were from, but there were circular footprints here.
Driven by impatience, I couldn’t keep my footing contrary to my drive.
Instead, I was about to fall.
I felt I had to calm down with the feeling that I had to hurry.
But before I could calm down, I found her.
“LudiiiiIII!”
In front of Ludi was a black wolf.
The total length was about 150 cm?
Every time the wolf breathed, a flame leaked from its mouth.
Facing it, Ludi’s clothes had marks that looked like they were scratched by something, and her skin was exposed in places.
“GET OUT OF THE WAYYY!”
The Hellhound turned to me in response to my voice.
Immediately, it opened its mouth, and just as I thought it showed its sharp fangs, a flame exploded from its mouth.
“Kousuke!?”
I protected myself from it with the Third Hand that was positioned.
However, because I didn’t use a Water Enchantment, the heat and pain ran through where it couldn’t be covered by the shawl.
Immediately, applying the Water Enchantment to the shawl, while defending against the Hellhound’s flamethrower, I struck its side with the Fourth Hand.
While looking at the Hellhound that flew and didn’t move, I hugged Ludi, who ran over here, and with both shawl hands, I made a shield to protect her.
But the Hellhound didn’t move.
Apparently, Ludi had already weakened it.
The Hellhound had cuts all over its body, bleeding everywhere.
“KousukeeEE”
“That’s a relief… Really, that’s a relief.”
Looking at the Hellhound, and hugging Ludi.
A black smoke-like magic essence came out of its body and entered ours.
Then the corpse disappeared from where the Hellhound was and became a magic stone.
After confirming that, I turned to Ludi.
Her clothes were torn in places and her beautiful white skin had several cuts.
Her beautiful blonde hair was dusty and messy.
It was like being exposed to a typhoon.
I stroked her head while wiping the dust and debris from her hair.
I made it in time.
She was alive.
I could hear her voice.
I could feel her warmth and her sigh hitting my skin.
But I couldn’t keep hugging her.
“Ludi, let’s go to Senpai.”
“Yukine-san came too?
But why is only Kousuke here?”
Ah, I let my voice slip.
“Well, we ran into a bunch of monsters on the way… Somehow, I was worried about Ludi, and I couldn’t help it.
Yeah, I left Senpai and ran ahead alone.”
“Mou, what are you doing, idiot?”
But Ludi’s face wasn’t angry.
On the contrary, she was smiling.
“No… It was because…”
“But, I’m happy.”
Ludi spoke before I finished talking.
When she gave me a smile, I immediately shifted my thoughts.
Now, we had to think about what to do from here on out.
We should join Senpai immediately and leave this dungeon.
Or interrupt the dungeon’s operation.
And then I wanted to share the joy of being alive.
But the situation didn’t seem to allow it.
I sensed that presence and let her go.
“Kousuke…!”
Ludi also noticed and looked at the dark passage with a serious expression.
“Yeah, I can hear it.”
I could hear the sound of something dragging.
Basically, only the monsters waiting on the floor could be encountered via the map.
And since we were so far away, it was almost impossible.
Except for that guy.
I didn’t know until I heard it from Ludi, but the Hellhound I fought before might have been brought by Ludi from somewhere.
Most likely that place, which was full of monsters.
I immediately strengthened the magic power sent to the shawl and stood in front of Ludi while taking a stance.
“Ludi, get ready to run.”
If he was coming here, it was unlikely we’d win.
We’d only be able to win somehow if we brought it to a very favorable condition, huh?
The dragging sound got louder and louder.
We retreated as quietly as possible.
And just as we almost reached the hallway, I saw its face.
The face was incredibly large.
It was big and robust and had two large black horns on its forehead.
It also put something like a processed skull on its face, and I could see piercing eyes through the opening.
Was it using some magic?
The piercing eyes were blood-red, and every time it moved its face, the red afterimage remained, as if you were drawing a line in the air.
The body was also enormous.
Muscles that looked like rocks on a body so large it easily exceeded 2 meters.
And what was dragged with an arm as thick as a tree trunk was an immense bone club.
That club was about the size of an adult man; if it hit someone alive, they’d turn into minced meat.
“No, you know.
It’s really scary…”
A soft sound leaked from my mouth unconsciously.
The one who found us was staring at us, breathing wildly.
Next, it opened its mouth wide.
“───────────!”
A roar echoed around.
“Run!”
Immediately we turned and ran down the hallway.
What bad luck!
I managed to save Ludi without running into it, but in the end we ended up encountering it.
Should I say it was a stroke of luck in the midst of misfortune?
Just thinking that I was able to join Ludi before she encountered the ‘Ogre of Cruelty’ alone…
The Ogre of Cruelty, the Dungeon boss, was a special monster that basically wandered in the depths of the Dungeon, and the boss battle began when you encountered it.
He, whom we were only supposed to fight in the middle of the story, was also a monster that I and Ludi, who only had the strength of the early story, were no match for.
Immediately after passing through the hallway, there was a treasure chest on the ground.
I slapped Ludi’s back, who was slow to run because she was looking at it.
“Ignore it and run!”
The seemingly suspicious treasure chest in the middle of the floor was a trap.
If there were a character who could detect traps, they would have understood the danger of the treasure chest.
However, in the game, it was a treasure chest the player could open without asking questions.
But right now it didn’t matter.
I couldn’t worry about that.
“───────────!”
I could hear a roar from behind.
Why did it run so fast when it looked so heavy?
I thought we could escape, but that seemed impossible.
I kept looking at Ludi, who was out of breath beside me.
Anyway, Ludi wouldn’t last much longer than this.
There was no choice but to face it head-on.
When Ludi stopped running, she was breathing with her whole body.
Her body was covered in sweat and she wouldn’t be able to move without a break, right.
In that state, she grabbed my clothes and stood still with her legs trembling like a newborn deer.
She pulled my clothes and murmured with a crying face looking at me.
“Leave me and run.”
I wondered what she was saying.
Damn it, what an idiot, I thought.
Ludi didn’t understand.
If my beloved heroine told me this, I would only have the opposite feeling.
First of all.
I ran into the dungeon knowing Ludi was here and that I might die.
“There’s no way… I’M LEAVING YOU BEHIND AND RUNNING, DAMMIT…!”
With those words, I decided we would definitely survive together.
I gently removed her hand, slowly turned to the front, and put the ogre in my sights.
I’d increase the magic power sent to the shawl while taking step after step forward.
I was prepared.
I felt like I’d become the protagonist of the story.
I didn’t know why, but I felt like I could do anything right now.
The ogre had already reached this spot.
However, it just stared at me and didn’t attack.
Did it read the room?
Then I wished it would read the room even more and leave this place, but that wouldn’t happen, right.
While I stared back at it, the ogre slowly moved its legs and approached us.
The ogre approached while dragging its club going “Zuzuzuzu”.
And as I looked at the expression of the monster I had never seen before, it started running toward me.
Compared to this beast’s body, a bodybuilder was just a stick.
Compared to this beast’s face, a crocodile was like a lizard.
Compared to this beast’s power, a lion was just a cat.
It was like heavy machinery.
It shouldn’t be compared to animals.
It had to be compared to excavators, trucks, steamrollers, and so on.
A dry laugh leaked out.
I felt like I was watching a comedy anime.
Every step of the drill was a plosive sound.
Where did that sound come from?
I could almost believe its body was made of iron.
To stop this super-heavyweight, I strengthened my body and strengthened the magic power sent to the shawl.
“───────────!”
“UooooooOooOOOOO!”
It was unconsciously that I shouted.
Immediately after sending magic power to the shawl, I expanded the shawl at the same time the club was raised.
The flash in front of me blinked like a continuous camera flash.
Was my eardrum torn by the sound?
I thought.
Did the impact tear my body to pieces?
I thought.
I realized my hand was touching the ground.
“Kousuke!”
I could hear Ludi’s cry.
“I’m fine!”
It was lucky I didn’t lose consciousness.
On the contrary, I would be dead if I had.
Right in front of me, the ogre was already swinging its club again.
It was a good thing I expanded the shawl with a triangle in mind.
I managed to parry the force of the club well, and it hit the ground with all its might.
And when I saw the ogre holding its arm, I immediately distanced myself.
Then the wind blade that flew from behind passed me and hit the ogre.
It must be Ludi’s support.
I could hear Ludi’s voice saying “I did it!”, but I didn’t have that feeling at all.
Certainly, the ogre had a straight cut on its body.
Blood was also dripping.
However, the relentless ogre that appeared in Magical★Explorer was…
“───────────!”
The ogre roared.
It wasn’t a physical thing.
Perhaps bloodlust, haki, magic power, and so on.
Enduring the body’s tremor, I strengthened the magic power that could be put into the shawl.
The ogre was staring fixedly at Ludi, using its whole body to exhale heavily.
And that scratch line on the Ogre gradually closed.
I couldn’t see Ludi’s face, but she was probably desperate.
I wanted to encourage her immediately.
But the moment it started running toward Ludi, I couldn’t look away because I had to stop it risking my life.
And within a few seconds, it healed so beautifully I couldn’t tell where the scratch was.
Unfortunately, the Ogre in Magical★Explorer had the ability to recover.
For me, who had experienced various RPGs, it made me want to scream that it was trolls that had recovery abilities, but let’s ignore that.
For now, this guy was using magic powers to recover its body and strengthen its body.
Ludi, who couldn’t overcome this auto-recovery, wouldn’t win no matter how much she fought.
So what should we do against this opponent?
The Third Hand struck the Ogre’s belly as it tried to run toward Ludi.
Apparently, the Ogre was taking damage from my attacks.
It was holding its stomach painfully, although it was leaning back a bit, but conversely, that was all.
This guy would recover soon.
I had to stop this somehow.
“Whoa, that’s dangerous!”
The club that was swung down was deflected by the shawl expanding into an oval shape.
I was glad I practiced various transformation forms ever since Marino-san told me.
This guy’s attack shouldn’t be received on a flat surface.
It’d simply be blown away with that stupid power.
I was only on the defensive, and an occasional wind blade from Ludi cut the Ogre.
However, it wasn’t clear how long this condition could be maintained.
If I didn’t overcome the situation somehow, we’d lose due to the difference in physical strength.
I felt that.
But how did I overcome it?
The story would change if Senpai were here.
Senpai should be able to launch attacks that exceeded the Ogre’s recovery and might be stronger than the Ogre who looked like a muscle monster.
But would Senpai come here soon?
Could this situation be maintained until then?
No, it was impossible.
So, what should I do?
“This is ba…
Guuh”
Despite deflecting the club, I couldn’t receive the kick that came after with the shawl.
I immediately defended with my right arm, but it hurt like my arm was being ripped off.
Even so, I failed.
This kind of feint, I usually took a lot from Senpai and Claris-san, damn it.
“Kousuke!!?”
“Definitely don’t come here!”
I added magic power to my clothes to increase defense a little, but that wasn’t the case for Ludi.
It’d pierce her body like styrofoam and send her flying away like a home run.
I definitely couldn’t allow her to come to the front.
The Ogre approached.
Its club attacked again.
I deflected it with the oval-shaped shawl and the club hit the ground.
And the ground created a hole with an explosive sound.
I immediately left the spot and kept staring at the Ogre.
The Ogre was looking at me with a twisted face.
Something bothered me, even if it was something small.
Why didn’t it attack immediately?
This happened after I deflected its attack into the ground and walls with that momentum.
Then, I suddenly realized when I saw it covering its arms.
Was that extraordinary strength from removing the brain’s limiter?
Wasn’t it attacking prepared for its body to get hurt?
The Ogre’s attack might be a double-edged sword.
It was prepared for self-destruction.
That’s why it could exert such stupid power.
But when you thought about it, it made a lot of sense.
If it was going to recover anyway, it could go all out self-destructing without worrying about its own body.
“───────────!”
While screaming, it tried to attack from the side with the club.
Immediately, the shawl was transformed according to the Ogre’s attack.
The base was oval.
Never receive it head-on.
Just deflect.
If I could accumulate magic essence and strengthen my own abilities, I would be able to easily receive the Ogre’s attacks.
However, I was still a beginner who just challenged the Dungeon.
What did I do?
There was no choice but to avoid the attacks.
However, it wasn’t worth counterattacking.
Ludi’s occasional attack was just wind blowing against it.
Unfortunately, my attacks were also just wind blowing against it.
“Ludi, please run!”
Ludi, who cast magic from behind, was still attacking and showed no sign of running.
“No!
I can’t run and leave you behind!”
To be honest, I wanted her to run from here immediately.
If I lost, it was Ludi who would be attacked.
But Ludi wouldn’t run in this situation.
An acquaintance was fighting risking his life for her, so there was no way she could escape.
If I were in the opposite position, I’d do the same, and Ludi was that kind of woman in the first place.
Including that side of her, I liked Ludi.
So.
I had no choice but to do something about this Ogre to protect her.
Would our victory condition be the arrival of Mizumori-senpai who could defeat the Ogre, or escaping the Ogre and escaping from here?
However, even if we ran, the Ogre was fast.
We could move to a certain extent, but that was it.
It was very hard to beat the Ogre.
All I had was trash… I couldn’t even use it intimidatingly.
So, how about this place?
What happened before coming here?
When I came here…?
And started thinking deeply.
That’s it, if it was there…
“Ludi!”
“What!?”
“Then, ignore whatever happens and go to the floor just before this one.”
“I can’t leave you behind!”
“I’ll be right there.
I thought of a good plan!”
I could use the opposite strategy.
On the contrary, it was a method that gave me an advantage.
“…Okay, come quickly!”
I felt a little relieved hearing the sound of Ludi stopping her incantations and running.
And while repelling the Ogre’s attacks with the shawl, I kicked the ground with all my might.
“UoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”
Then I made a big movement while shouting in a loud voice and went at the Ogre… I pretended to, turned my back and started running.
The Ogre was surprised.
If you suddenly screamed and swung your hand, anyone would think an attack was coming.
But the result was an escape.
Of course I did it to catch the Ogre off guard, but I gained very little time.
The Ogre immediately came to its senses and started running toward me.
“You really are heavy machinery!?”
Why did it make an explosive sound?
Were you doing some water pipe construction, dammit?
When I turned around a little, the demon was running here with a demonic expression.
Maybe I shouldn’t have looked.
As soon as I returned to the previous floor, I shouted for Ludi to go further.
“I’ll be there as soon as I activate the trap here.
Wait on the floor ahead!”
When Ludi said “Understood” and left, I apologized to her back: “Sorry”.
This was the end of my escape.
I felt bad for Ludi, but from here on she’d have to let me fight alone.
Ludi shouldn’t be here in various ways.
“Haha, to think I’d use this for something like this.”
There was a treasure chest in that place.
A room with a treasure chest in the center and nothing else.
A common floor among the hallways.
However, there was a treasure chest in the center.
The Ogre running toward me, I put a foot on the treasure chest.
Now, I should show it a fearless smile.
Did it get suspicious because my attitude changed?
The Ogre stopped and stared at me.
“…Ogre, did you know?
RPG-type eroge have a crappy trap with a 90% probability.
I’ll show you, this is…”
Then I kicked the treasure chest with all my might.
“Ero Trap.”
The body floated softly at the same time as the Gatan noise.
A hole appeared under my and the Ogre’s feet and we fell.
The Ogre tried to escape, but couldn’t.
Naturally.
Normally, it was a trap where all five party members fell at the same time, right?
There was no way to escape at such a short distance.
Thinking about the shock, I strengthened my body, but nothing came.
The place I fell was something like jelly.
I immediately noticed what it was and got out.
Furthermore, there was a slight black mist around, and every time I touched them, my magic power was drained.
I looked at the Ogre’s state.
The Ogre looked confused.
It didn’t know what it was involved in, it was just violently crushing the Slime on the spot.
Then, I sighed in my heart seeing the Ogre whose body was slimy.
That’s good.
Apparently, the Ero Trap here seemed to be alive and well.
Originally, this was an Ero Trap where erotic events occurred.
As soon as you opened the treasure chest, a hole appeared under your feet and you were thrown into the floor, where magic power was absorbed.
And although magic power was absorbed and you couldn’t use your strength well, it was such a great trap that the gentlemen were wrapped by a slimy monster called ‘Arousal Slime’ and felt aroused.
Unfortunately, or not so much, the Arousal Slime had no effect on men.
We, Eroge ladies and gentleman Players, knew the treasure chest was a trap, and completely ignored the heroine who said “What is this, isn’t it suspicious?” and opened the treasure chest on purpose.
Of course, even if the heroine with trap detection said “Don’t open it”, we just ignored it.
It was obvious.
So, when they saw the provocative appearance of the girls who became eroero and all sticky, everyone involuntarily got into a forward-leaning posture.
That wasn’t all.
Some heroines even swore: “Why did you open it, idiot!” Well, there was no reason not to fall into a trap like that, right.
“Hahahah.
I wonder why it’s us who fell.”
It was a man and a demon man who fell.
The view was terrible.
How good it would have been if the other party was a beautiful woman.
It was quite scary that the other party was an Ogre.
However, the smile overflowing from my heart couldn’t be suppressed.
“Now, Ogre.”
If there was an element where I was now extremely superior to the Ogre, what was it?
Muscle?
Speed?
Physical strength?
Resilience?
No, it was magic power.
The source of the Ogre’s strength was magic power.
The source of its physical strengthening, self-destruction attack, and regenerative ability was magic power.
How about the floor where this magic power was absorbed even if you were already using magic power for recovery?
How about the current situation where its own positive ability was becoming a disadvantage?
I grabbed the Slime that was nearby with my Third Hand and lifted it.
“Will your magic power run out first?
Or, will my magic power run out and I’ll get exhausted first?
Let’s have an endurance match…!”
You think you can win?
In Magical★Explorer, Takioto was the only character who could hold an absurd amount of magic power without doping.
Me, who had been training to increase the amount of magic power every day.
To my overwhelming amount of magic power!
Well, now it was my turn!
“─────!”
Whether it knew my feelings or not, the Ogre screamed on the spot and looked at me with bloodshot eyes.
Maybe it got hurt falling, something red dripped from its mouth along with drool.
But that also stopped immediately.
It healed.
Breathing with its whole body, it approached step by step.
The Ogre realized.
The victory condition was to defeat me and escape from this place.
Put another way, that was my defeat condition.
By magic power, it was definitely my win.
So it wanted to defeat me before its magic power ran out.
If I were in the opposite position, I’d do the same.
“─────!”
On top of that, the Ogre screamed again.
The area vibrated.
Sharp fangs could be seen from its open mouth and drool dripped from the side.
The Ogre was staring fixedly at me with rough breathing, but when it kicked the Slime on the ground, it ran at me.
I threw a Slime at the approaching Ogre.
The Ogre didn’t know what the Slime was and was overreacting.
However, this was just a pervert that made women aroused and had no effect on men.
In the opening of it hitting a slime home run with its club, I struck my Fourth Hand at that open belly of his.
Immediately, I grabbed the slime near my right hand and threw it in the Ogre’s face.
“────!”
The Ogre with the slime on its face looked very frustrated.
It swung the club in its hand and sent the slime flying away.
The slime that flew to the wall was making a shrill noise, it was probably crushed.
I wanted to see what happened, but right now I couldn’t take my eyes off it even for a moment.
The only ones who could take their eyes off enemies were the strongest, or those who wanted to die.
Buun, the club was swung aiming at me.
It was more like it was to press than cut the wind.
I immediately defended with an oval Third Hand.
And it hit the ground and the Ogre screamed.
And I quickly grabbed the slime from my side with the Fourth Hand and threw it at the Ogre.
The Ogre might indeed be strong.
But compared to the total power of Senpai that it wasn’t able to see and the total power of Claris-san, it was a mosquito.
I had to thank Claris-san later.
If I hadn’t trained with her every day, I would have lost.
I watched the Ogre’s movement while kicking it head-on.
All I needed now was concentration.
Concentration.
Concentrate.
I had more magic power than this beast.
If I ran until the Ogre’s magic power ran out, I’d win.
That’s why I had to concentrate and defend.
As I continued avoiding the Ogre’s attacks, I felt it was moving slowly.
No, I didn’t just feel it.
It was really slow.
And although the Ogre’s movement changed to something like slow motion, conversely, my thoughts continuously accelerated.
It was as if the Ogre did one action, while I thought and did two.
This situation had happened before, and I had enough time to think it was during the Mind’s Eye.
The Ogre’s actions were now nothing more than a caterpillar in my eyes.
It was full of openings, it self-destructed whenever it attacked, and above all, it was very slow.
And I realized.
The Ogre’s attack was getting weaker and weaker.
The Ogre’s recovery wasn’t making it in time.
How long had it been attacking since then?
It felt like a moment, but it also felt like it took dozens of minutes.
Before I realized it, the Ogre, which looked like a symbol of horror, no longer had even a shadow of what it was before.
The magic power might have already run out.
Its breathing was rough and its body ragged, it wasn’t even recovering, and it wouldn’t be strange if it died at any moment.
The Ogre raised its fist.
I also gathered magic power in my Third Hand and took a step forward.
The more I concentrated, the slower the opponent seemed to be for some reason.
What the hell was this phenomenon?
When I was on Earth, nothing like this happened.
Was there some secret to Takioto?
The Takioto in the game should have been nothing more than a monster of magic power with a curious ability.
The Ogre’s fist was no longer scary.
It came slowly toward me and without rushing I deflected the attack away from me.
Then, using that force, I did a full spin to accelerate and struck the Third Hand at its completely defenseless head.
The Ogre’s body trembled for a moment and then stopped trembling.
And the body slowly crumbled.
Even though the Ogre fell, I couldn’t neglect my vigilance of this guy who got up and made so much noise before, so I approached it.
Then the Ogre started turning into magic stones and magic essence, and I finally relaxed my shoulders.
When I picked up the magic stone and returned to Ludi, who was sitting with a deeply pale face, she jumped on me like a bullet.
I ended up taking a nice blow to the stomach, but of course I couldn’t say anything to Ludi.
“Idiot, why are you being so reckless alone!”
Ludi’s scolding was somehow comforting.
Was it because I was alive?
Stroking her head.
Ludi’s hair was a little dirty, but it was so silky it didn’t compare to my hair.
When I took a deep breath while hugging Ludi’s head, how should I put it?
It smelled like a ripe peach, it was a sweet smell that came to my head.
And, my other hand held Ludi’s body firmly.
The body was thin, but soft and warm.
Finally, I realized this, and joy overflowed from my whole body.
I did it, I protected her.
Words of scolding were still leaking from her mouth.
“Idiot”, “Liar”, “Enemy of women”, “Pervert”, scoldings worthy of the imperial family.
But the arm around my body never let go.
And the more I heard the scolding, the more my heart filled up.
Of course, not in the sense of that reward that made my body tremble with emotion.
That was because she was genuinely worried about me, I could hear it in the words.
“Gouzukee, what do you think you’re doiiing”
Actually, Ludi’s words were trembling.
At first it was normal, but every time she spoke, it got worse from crying, and now it seemed it was all mixed up, I didn’t even know what she was saying anymore.
She scolded me a lot and finally stopped talking.
And while pressing her head and body against my body, she was puffing.
“Ludi… Well… That’s good.”
When I said that, she pushed her face even harder and put more strength in her arms.
I put a little more strength to respond to that.
A little later, she raised her face away from me and looked at me with slightly stubborn eyes.
“Hey, Kousuke.”
“What is it?”
“Thank you.”
I’m glad I risked my life, I thought.