Name: Goroumaru Seiji
Title: Species Limit Breaker
Rank: C
Possession Limit: 25/29
Skills: Card Gacha (2), Shield Bash (Lvl. 5), Goutaijutsu (Lvl. 5)
✦ ✦ ✦
“All right. We’re finally on the last floor. At the end of this path, we’ll run into the last boss, this dungeon’s guardian.”
Souta and his four teammates walked along the single, straight path.
Souta had already surpassed human limits, reached Rank B, and had grown even further. Very few people were able to achieve this, and what had kept Souta motivated was his obsession with clearing Osaka Dungeon. As for his teammates, three had already become Species Limit Breakers, following him and watching his back. The other two were D-Rankers. This made them one of the best adventurer teams not only in Japan but in the world.
“There. So that’s what the reliefs look like...”
Halfway down the path, the five members of Rising Sun paused to look at the ceiling. A man with a cane walked toward the right of the image with several people following after him. At the right edge of the relief was a large face in profile, facing the crowd. Its lips were puckered, and it seemed to blow air at the walking figures.
“Is this some sort of metaphor?”
“Souta, let’s record this.”
After taking several pictures, they moved forward.
They always made sure to check the information published by Dungeon Busters. Since Nagoya Dungeon was estimated to be Rank C, they were aware that the guardian could end up being a Rank B monster. This didn’t faze them, however. After all, they had prepared a plan to handle the guardian.
“That’s a magical beast, right? If only we had an LR card... We’d probably have an easier time figuring this out.”
“No point crying over something we don’t have. Ready?”
“Argh... Just do it!” said Souta, reluctantly.
Endou Yuriko, who had been staying in the rear, took out a handful of monster cards and materialized them.
✦ ✦ ✦
Name: Devil Vulpes
Title: None
Rank: D
Rarity: Uncommon
Skills: Stone Bullet (Lvl. 3), Sand Wall (Lvl. 1), ______
✦ ✦ ✦
D-Rank monsters right out of Yokohama Dungeon materialized one after the other. They were nothing more than Rank D monsters and could never defeat the guardian. However, they could draw its attention. The small fennec fox-like monsters shot stone bullets at the pitch-black beast. It easily evaded them, lunging at the fennec foxes and ripping them apart with its sharp claws.
However, numbers made all the difference. Endou Yuriko had materialized twenty devil vulpes. Goroumaru Seiji skillfully attracted the beast, leading it to a spot where the devil vulpes could surround it, putting it under concentrated fire. Finally, the stone bullets reached their target.
The beast’s movements slowed. Souta did not miss that chance, jumping out immediately.
“Take that!”
As a B-Ranker, he could muster herculean strength and sent the monster flying several meters with one blow. The rain of stone bullets finally stopped.
As the beast painfully got back on its feet, Souta brought down his sword, cutting off its head.
＊ ＊ ＊
The five adventurers breathed heavily. Perhaps the stress of fighting a guardian for the first time had tired them out more than usual.
Endou turned the devil vulpes back into cards.
“It came out. It’s the Dungeon Core!” she said, pointing at it. “And...”
A single card, emitting a bright glow, floated next to a black octahedron—the Dungeon Core. It was an LR card. These cards were sometimes gained from triggering events inside dungeons, but they could also be found lying around for no apparent reason. Either way, they were incredibly rare and powerful.
“Guys, can I?” asked Souta.
“Sure. You’re our leader.”
Satou Souta was the youngest member of Rising Sun. However, he was also the most passionate about dungeons and was a true team leader, both in name and essence.
The figure of a rather voluptuous redheaded woman appeared on the card when Souta picked it up.
✦ ✦ ✦
Name: Diané
Title: Vivid Witch
Rank: F
Rarity: Legend Rare
Skills: Black Magic (Lvl. 1), Demonic Sword Mastery (Lvl. 1), Absorption (Lvl. 1)
✦ ✦ ✦
“A legendary witch who has lived since the Ancient Days. Her mastery of the dark arts makes her a powerful fighter at every distance, as she can use Black Magic and infuse her sword with it. True to her own desires, she’s belligerent and cruel. She takes pleasure in knocking the strong down from their pedestals, making them her prey. She’s 170 centimeters tall and her measurements are 95-58-88...”
“Oh my... Are you my master?” a feminine voice asked as the card transformed.
A beautiful woman appeared, stretching out her long slim legs. Her eyes, as blue as the ocean, contrasted with her deep crimson hair. She was a few centimeters shorter than Souta. Her clothes left little to the imagination, and only a small corset that did not hide much more than what a swimsuit would have covered her ample chest.
“I’m Satou Souta. We just cleared this dungeon. Your name is Diané, right? I want you to help me clear a Rank S dungeon.”
“Interesting...”
The witch Diané brought her face so close to Souta’s that her nose basically brushed his and gazed into his eyes. The woman’s floral scent was extremely pleasant.
“No fear... But I can see resentment... Or rather, a strong obsession? Doubt and impatience too. You’re also brimming with a strange confidence, and... Oh? Yearning? Well, that shall do. How very human,” Diané said.
“I’m a Species Limit Breaker though,” Satou said.
“That doesn’t matter. Weak, brittle, and unsightly...” Diané paused before continuing, “And yet, you lot sometimes show unbelievable strength. That is how you humans are, and you are undoubtedly human.”
“Oh yeah?” Souta answered before asking, “And? Are you going to help me out or not?”
“Oh. Did you mean that? Do you have any idea what you’re talking about? S-Rank is the realm of legends. Busters who achieve success there obtain strength on par with that of the gods and rule over the world...or destroy it. Everything is possible for someone who holds such powers. What do you aim to achieve with the power of the gods?”
A threatening shadow was cast upon the witch’s face. Her blue eyes were provocative, and her mouth had curled into an icy smile. Her expression was exactly what you’d expect from a witch who loved to fight, steal, and kill.
However, Souta’s expression didn’t shift.
“Nothing in particular,” he answered.
Diané stared at him dazedly.
“My old man was killed in Osaka Dungeon,” Souta started telling her his story. “At first, I was overcome by rage. I couldn’t stop asking myself why my father had to die. I hated the dungeons. After staying inside the dungeon and fighting monsters for a while, though, something changed in me. Now, I just want to clear Osaka Dungeon, no matter what. I just have this need inside of me that I have to satisfy. As for what to do after that... I’ll think about it when the time comes.”
The witch simply whispered, “Hmm...” After a few moments, she suddenly started cackling.
Souta’s teammates looked at their leader, their faces full of worry.
Unbeknownst to Souta, the other four held a common fear. Just like Ezoe Kazuhiko, Satou Souta had gradually changed as he spent more and more time fighting underground. Aikawa and the others had long been worried about him. Everything would probably be fine as long as he could pursue his goal of clearing Osaka Dungeon. But what would happen once that goal had been achieved? Only a tremendous yet unstable strength would remain. Would that witch lead him down the wrong path then?
“Very well. S-Rank... Osaka Dungeon, was it? I shall become yours until you clear that dungeon. Use my powers however you wish. Feel free to use my body as well, if you so desire,” the beautiful witch said, teasing him.
Any regular guy would have gladly taken her up on that immediately. Souta, however, only ordered her to return to her card form.
He picked up the LR card from the ground and put it inside his pocket before reaching out for the Dungeon Core.