[Hiroshima Prefecture, Kamiya City — Rank B Dungeon]
Dungeon Busters wasn’t an adventurer party; it was the name of a clan that managed several parties. Kusakabe Rinko, Kirihara Amane, Sumida Masayoshi, and Shinohara Hisato each currently led a party of their own. Usually, parameters such as personal history, age, and gender were taken into account when putting a party together, but sometimes, members could invite acquaintances to join their party or the clan. I intended to recruit many more adventurers in the coming months and bring the total number of parties to twenty, which meant a hundred and twenty adventurers.
“I originally intended to recruit members and finish putting together twenty parties sooner, but I had to change plans. The number of B-Rankers and A-Rankers is limited, so we can’t afford to increase our members thoughtlessly. We’ll stick to our current size until every one of us reaches Rank A. Unless we run into someone truly outstanding, that is.”
The other day, I had hesitated a lot after receiving a call from Takao Sakari, a former sumo wrestler around the same age as I who wanted to start a second life as a member of Dungeon Busters. His stature—he was 190 centimeters— and his achievements as a top-division wrestler were impressive enough. However, I didn’t feel the same will to fight for others as I’d felt from Masayoshi.
Still, not only Masayoshi but Rinko, Hisato, and even General Manager Mukai approved of him, so we invited Sakari to join us in Abyss for a tryout. I decided to approve his candidacy when I saw him imitate R*boCop to motivate himself in the Safety Zone on Floor 1 after he had exerted all his strength. Someone as earnest as he could only have a positive influence on those around him.
“You rejected Mucchii’s proposal, right?” Akira asked me.
“Of course I did. I stared at him with my mouth hanging open when he first brought it to me.”
Everyone had gathered around the hotpot and laughed at my words. Mutsuo’s most recent idea was about putting together a group called “Dungeon Chest Finders.” Apparently, some talent agency had reached out to him regarding this project. I had told him I thought the name was a little strange. That was when he explained that the “chest” in “Dungeon Chest Finders” did not refer to treasure chests but, in fact, to women’s chests. I had spent such a long time staring at Mutsuo and laughing that I got scolded by General Manager Mukai, a strained smile plastered on his face.
“To be honest, I do think there is some merit in the idea in the sense that it would bring adventurers closer to the general public,” Hisato said, giving a half-assed rebuttal in favor of the idea.
I had also already considered that aspect. However, I couldn’t find a reason for Dungeon Busters to do this sort of thing. It would be better for a group of entertainers to dungeon-dive as miners. After all, idol groups like TNG47 were already filming inside dungeons.
“Acting all formal all the time will only tire us out, but at the same time, I don’t think it’s a good idea to appear too frivolous either. We need society to trust us, considering the inhuman powers we busters wield. I’m not sure running after boobs is going to get us that trust. Maybe we could try to incorporate some fun segments and jokes in our videos, though.”
Dungeon Busters had a channel on the world’s most renowned video platform where we posted videos explaining the proper way to fight, instructing adventurers how to set up camp, and detailing the different types of monsters. We also had a second channel where members posted about their daily lives, which was more than enough lighthearted content in my opinion.
We reached Floor 3 of Hiroshima Dungeon. Last time, the party had turned back at this point. I’d heard that horned rats—giant rat monsters—showed up on this floor. The members that had entered Hiroshima Dungeon previously had almost all been Rank C, but things were different now. Every one of my Dungeon Busters members had reached Rank B. We should be able to easily wipe out Rank C monsters now.
SWISH.
Rinko swung her blade. The giant rat’s head was sliced right off, the rest of its body crashing down in its wake. Watching her was just like watching a fight scene from a period drama. She shuffled forward, sometimes twirling around as she cut down one monster after the other. She was a picture-perfect swordswoman.
“I can’t let myself be outdone, can I?” Amane said, taking out her new weapon.
She had picked something different from her usual whips, although I supposed this one was also right up her alley.
✦ ✦ ✦
Name: Scarlet Feng Phoenix Fan
Rarity: Super Rare
Description: A fan made from the brilliant scarlet feathers of the Fenghuang phoenixes. Its destructive power greatly surpasses that of steel. It can be used as a blade and as a shield.
✦ ✦ ✦
She reminded me of the bodacious office ladies who used to liven up nights at the disco thirty years ago. Back when Friday Night Fever was all the rage, these funky, fresh ladies wore bomb bodycon dresses and ate up one boy after another, keeping standby lovers on the side. Yeah, I was still cool and up-to-date.
“Whoa! What the hell is this thing...? I can already see heaps of poor men lining up to buy you dinner before getting kicked to the curb!”
“Hmm... Is it from that ‘bodacious’ or whatever era? I have a feeling I won’t get it, even if I ask,” Hisato said, scratching his head.
Stop! Don’t look so serious! It’s okay. You’ll get it in another twenty years or so.
“Aniki, let’s just go,” Akira cut in, pulling me out of my depressive reverie. I was a-okay now!
✦ ✦ ✦
[Nippon Airlines — In-Flight]
The Nippon Airlines plane that had taken off from Washington’s Dulles International Airport made its way toward Narita International Airport. Although every first-class seat could be partitioned for privacy, it was still possible to chat with your neighbor.
After having given up their jobs at the Pentagon, Isaac Roland and his former secretary Rebecca sat on each side of a partition. Still, due to the nature of their discussion, they used their computers to communicate instead of talking. They had spotted several elderly couples in the first-class cabin who appeared to be leaving Gamerica for good.
<If the Urabe Administration comes out on top,> said Rebecca, <I expect we’ll see more and more Gamericans immigrating to Japan.>
<Definitely. Even I, who doesn’t give a damn about politics, am aware of how crucial this election is for the future of our planet. The result is obvious too. Part of the opposition is wasting its time yelling, “Urabe No!” Do they mean to say that they don’t care if the world ends, as long as it means Urabe doesn’t get to rule anymore?> asked Isaac.
<No way.>
<They surely don’t care if innocents have to be sacrificed for the sake of their grand goals. That’s how idealists usually are, right? History has proven that many times over with people like Hitler or Stalin... Although I have a feeling that horrid idealist hanging around in South Gamerica might be a bit different.>
<You’re trying to tell me Joker is an idealist?>
<He’s trying to make us think he is, at the very least. He’s been proclaiming it loud and clear. He doesn’t mind sacrificing seven billion people for the sake of his ideal. This being said, I don’t think Joker is that straightforward of a person.>
<What do you mean?> Rebecca asked.
<He’s declared himself the “Demon King.” That means he thinks his actions are evil. That’s what sets him apart from the other idealists I mentioned earlier. Have people like Hitler or Stalin ever called themselves “evil” or “demonic?” As far as I know, the only other idealist to have dubbed himself “Demon King” is Nobunaga Oda, the Japanese warlord from the Sengoku period. Idealists are always absolutely certain they are right. They get drunk on that feeling of righteousness. Everything they say, everything they do is always right. Naturally, anyone who opposes them is evil. That’s the very basis of idealistic thinking. Joker is different, though. He doesn’t seem to think he’s in the right. He’s lucid and has a sense of balance. To put it bluntly, he’s perfectly sane.>
<That’s all well and good, but I have a feeling that makes him even more hateful, huh.>
<That’s where our opinions diverge. You think it makes him all the more hateful while I think it means there may be room for negotiation. My understanding is that Joker only acted after debating it internally for a very long time. Even after deciding to make a move, he still doesn’t know whether it was the right choice or not. I wonder if he’s using that clown look of his to mask his doubts.>
Having finished his discussion with Rebecca, Isaac put on his eye mask and lay down. Once he got to Japan, he’d be in the same place as the busters who were able to materialize cards above ground. He might even get to vivisect monsters. He fell asleep, thinking about all the little things he looked forward to as a researcher.