arc2 · 100-ch100

Chapter 100: Aiming for the 30th Floor, Part 2

Now, the Tokyo Skyscraper Dungeon is a cave-type dungeon where the monsters get stronger the deeper you go. Clearing the 21st floor should take about an hour. Since today's live stream was also planned for an hour, I figured we'd wrap up right around the time they finished clearing it.

The Hyakka Ryouran members, having defeated the two Ferocious Wolves, pressed onward without hesitation. I'd been with this group up to the 25th floor before, after all. Having the Auto-Mapping function show places I'd explored even before acquiring the skill was a pretty big deal. The map was already fairly filled in. On the off chance they started losing their way, I could check the map and guide them. Well, Hyakka Ryouran didn't seem likely to get lost around here anyway.

Perhaps because the monsters on this floor were no trouble at all, the four of them advanced steadily. After walking for a bit, Kurokage-san suddenly stopped. Looked like the next enemy had appeared.

"Three Cunning Foxes."

Kurokage-san relayed the information concisely. Hearing that, Himehana and Toomi-san split left and right to clear the path.

"My flames, gather before me and burn my enemies to ash. Fire Ball!"

My Hayate was at the very back, filming the scene from behind Akatsuki-san. The view ahead opened up, clearing a straight path to the Cunning Foxes. Right on cue, Akatsuki-san unleashed her Fire Ball. It was like the spell was being sucked in—Akatsuki-san's Fire Ball landed dead center among the three foxes.

"Ohh!"

"My, my..."

They'd probably decided that when facing three or more enemies, Akatsuki-san would cast her spell first. Once again, the old men let out impressed murmurs at the efficient, no-wasted-movement teamwork.

"So this is Akatsuki-san's young lady."

"Yes, that Akatsuki-san from Dungeon Mart..."

As expected of Akatsuki-san. She was famous even among the VIPs.

"My turn next!"

Maybe she'd been stressed from not getting a turn earlier, but Himehana was the first to charge out. Seeing that, Toomi-san and Kurokage-san exchanged a quick glance and wry smiles before chasing after her.

Makes sense—the three damaged foxes would be easy pickings for Himehana alone, but they chased after her just in case, ready to jump in and support at a moment's notice. Their movements showed the lessons from last time were paying off, but unfortunately, the VIPs didn't seem to notice.

"So this is the Dancing Princess."

"Truly beautiful."

The old men were thoroughly enjoying themselves as Himehana danced through the three foxes, cutting them down. They were just straight-up enjoying the live stream at this point.

"And that's a wrap!"

Having taken down the Cunning Foxes in the blink of an eye, Himehana turned back with a smug look on her face. I couldn't help but zoom in on her, which apparently won her some points with the old men. I could hear a collective "Haah~" sigh from their end.

In that manner, we pressed on for forty-five minutes. Whether it was thanks to the lighter luggage or because the girls had gotten stronger, we reached the stairs down to the 22nd floor sooner than expected. The plan was to end the live stream here, but...

"I'd like to see a bit more."

"Hmm, I agree with the Prime Minister on that."

"No objections here."

"Um, there's a meeting after this..."

The three old men clearly wanted to keep watching, but Arihara-san somehow managed to talk them into leaving and dragged them out of the room.

"All right, from here on I'll just film normally."

I moved Hayate over to Toomi-san and let her know the VIPs had left.

"Understood. Let's blitz all the way to the 25th floor."

For Hyakka Ryouran, even though this was technically a live stream, the only people watching were the folks at the Dungeon Agency. They didn't change their usual approach much. Well, they're explorers—they're not the type to put on a show for viewers.

After that, the Hyakka Ryouran members cleared all the way to the 25th floor without any real trouble. Last time it had taken about five hours, but this time they reached the stairs leading to the 25th floor in four and a half.

"Let's take a break here."

Toomi-san suggested a rest, so I immediately set down the backpacks I'd been holding on the stairs. Each member pulled out their own meals and drinks and found a spot to sit wherever they pleased.

"From here on, we've gotta be extra careful!"

Himehana called out cheerfully as she ate, as if shaking off the bad memories from last time.

"I won't let my guard down again."

Kurokage-san responded to her.

"That's exactly why we got ourselves new weapons."

Toomi-san also gazed at her spear with determined eyes.

"Leave the magical support to me."

Even the usually reserved Akatsuki-san seemed fired up this time.

"I've picked up a few tricks too, so if things get rough, I'll back you up."

Feeling like a bona fide member of Hyakka Ryouran myself, I ended up saying something like that too. All four of them turned their attention to my Hayate. Mmm, being stared at by four beautiful women was kind of nerve-wracking.

"What kind of tricks?"

Kurokage-san, the drone enthusiast, was the first to respond. The others looked curious too. So I told them about Asahi's Capture Net, Sticky Bomb, and Wind Blade Wall, plus Hayate's Flashlight.

Then Toomi-san worked them into our battle plan. Basically, I could use them at my own discretion, but she wanted me to signal when I did. Thrilled at the thought that I might actually be useful in combat, I agreed on the spot.

With my motivation suddenly surging, I took a quick drink of water, left Asahi where it was, and sent Hayate ahead to the 25th floor first.

There didn't seem to be any monsters at the bottom of the stairs. Moving a bit further in, I spotted a yellow-furred Lightning Wolf walking around, crackling with electricity. That one had the lightning attribute—touch it and you risk getting paralyzed. Frontliners who fight up close like Himehana and Kurokage-san would be a bad matchup against it. Maybe my time to shine was coming sooner than I thought.

I recalled Hayate and, after Toomi-san had finished her lunch, told her about the Lightning Wolf.