arc3 · 199-ch199

Chapter 199: Uproar

side Arihara Hiroshi

The dungeon conquest by Kokushi Musou and Queens had been progressing smoothly. The original purpose of this arrangement was to introduce SS-san to Queens — yet to my surprise, Queens stayed focused on the dungeon itself and hardly spoke a word to SS-san's drones.

But that was exactly what they were after.

"Hey, this is bad!? Shinonome Gaia's been targeted!?"

One of the staff watching SS-san's stream cried out. Just now, Queens' Vivvi had loosed an arrow aimed at Shinonome-kun's head. Are these people planning to kill Kokushi Musou mid-battle with the Lich and steal SS-san's drones?

"Get in touch with the Special Police and our top-ranked domestic explorers! Send them to the entrance of the Tokyo Mouse Park Dungeon! There's a good chance they come out through the Transfer Stone room — have the main watch posted there. I'll contact the Prime Minister."

I never imagined they'd make a move this bold mid-broadcast. This was entirely my misjudgment. But thankfully, they're still unharmed. Thanks to SS-san's quick thinking, Shinonome-kun came through without a scratch either.

That said, they're on floor thirty-three of the dungeon right now. No one can simply rush to their side. Hold on until help arrives — please.

"Hello, Arihara here. This is an emergency. Connect me to the Prime Minister at once."

I phoned the Prime Minister's office immediately. There I explained the whole affair to the Prime Minister and asked him to demand Britain's true intentions at once. Depending on the case, this could be taken as a declaration of war. I asked him to press them hard about how exactly they intended to take responsibility. The Prime Minister, it seemed, had been watching this stream too, and promised to contact the British government right away.

"Arihara-san, come quick!? Something terrible is happening!"

The moment I hung up, a staff member watching the stream called me over. Fearing that Kokushi Musou had taken casualties, I hurried to the computer.

"Is that... Ouroboros?"

What SS-san's footage showed was a party of explorers with their faces hidden behind helmets and masks. Their faces were covered, but I recognized the man at the head at a glance. That is Onodake Tetsuzan, without question — the man who once raided the Special Prison and freed its inmates. And the other members looked familiar too. Awakened criminals, every one — the very ones who escaped that day. There was one swordsman I didn't recognize; a new member unknown to me, perhaps.

I called the management center at the entrance of the Tokyo Mouse Park Dungeon at once. Sure enough, one of the staff who'd been working reception that morning had gone missing.

(Unbelievable. Ouroboros has its claws in the Dungeon Association too...)

But now was no time to be lamenting that. I had to report this situation to SS-san immediately.

"SS-san, Arihara here. The ones there are Ouroboros, without question. We'll investigate how they got in there at once, but... most likely Ouroboros had a friend inside the Dungeon Association — one of the staff working reception this morning has gone missing. Also, could you cut the public stream? From here on, please broadcast to the Dungeon Agency only."

I relayed the situation to SS-san by chat and asked to have the stream cut. A reply came back at once — and the wording gave me the sense SS-san still had breathing room, which let me calm down a little.

"Arihara-san, Ouroboros has opened battle with Queens!"

At the staff member's voice again, I checked the screen — and sure enough, Ouroboros had attacked Queens. Thanks to that, Shinonome-kun and SS-san were free to go back up Nishikyo-kun and Kitora-kun. A welcome miscalculation.

I see. So SS-san saw this coming, did he.

"Look out!?"

Still, there was no letting our guard down. Queens kept hunting for openings to strike Kokushi Musou even mid-battle. Shinonome-kun had just been targeted again; SS-san's timely warning saved him.

The Queens–Ouroboros battle worried me, but the fight between Kokushi Musou and the Lich wasn't one to look away from either. It seemed SS-san would be taking over the Lich from the visibly tiring Nishikyo-kun and Kitora-kun. Please pull through, SS-san.

But misfortune never comes alone. From SS-san's drones — doing well against the Lich — came the last thing I wanted to hear.

"This is bad!? It's a Terror's Symbol!? Coming from deeper in!"

Of all things, a Terror's Symbol had appeared. If only it had thrown itself at the Lich — but that faint hope was easily crushed the moment I saw it charge straight at Hayate.

Fighting both of these at once is impossible. So I judged — and their leader Shinonome-kun, it seems, reached the same conclusion.

"We have no choice! We punch straight through the melee and out the other side! Prioritize protecting yourselves over attacking!"

Shinonome-kun's voice, resolve hardened in it, rang through the room. The staff all watched, holding their breath.

"Hold on — isn't the Terror's Symbol only after Kokushi Musou?"

One of the staff watching murmured it. Now that it was said, it did look that way: the Lich scattered its magic indiscriminately, while the Terror's Symbol chased Nishikyo-kun and Kitora-kun with single-minded persistence.

Shinonome-kun noticed it too — and, left with no alternative, resolved to receive its attack. SS-san fought back with Shiden and Hayate, but a frontal battle against the Terror's Symbol proved difficult as ever. Just when it seemed every option was exhausted — he appeared at last.

"Sieg Howard!? Why!?"

All the Dungeon Agency staff were shocked. I had secretly asked Sieg to stand guard. He made it in time!

"WHOOOOA!? Sieg's a beast!"

"The Terror's Symbol just got launched!"

"Everything around it froze up!"

Sieg hammered the Terror's Symbol with a fist carrying the Destruction attribute. As unreasonable an attack as ever. The Terror's Symbol's Regeneration Skill never activated.

"Whoa!? How is he dodging THAT!?"

"He dodged the Lich's magic!?"

"Sieg's insane!?"

The name of world's strongest is no decoration. Not one step back against a Terror's Symbol and a Lich both. Still, even he seemed hard-pressed to finish both at once — he left the Lich to SS-san and Kokushi Musou.

"Which fight am I even supposed to watch!?"

Watch the fight with the Lich through Hayate's and Shiden's eyes, or watch Sieg and the Terror's Symbol through Asahi — the staff had all slid straight into spectator mode at Sieg's entrance.

In the end, SS-san and Shinonome-san's coordination brought the Lich down, and Sieg soloed the Terror's Symbol. And right after a bout against enemies that strong came what you might call the real fight — Queens and Ouroboros, it seems, chose to join forces against Sieg.

The final battle was ferocious beyond words. Even so, Kokushi Musou's members pressed their fights against Ouroboros's executives at an advantage, and SS-san had Queens' two dancing on the palm of his hand. And while Sieg hammered away one-sidedly at the two leaders of Queens and Ouroboros — that was where Sieg's bad habit showed.

Sieg's hobby is letting his opponent come at him with everything they have, then breaking it head-on. The proof is that he went out of his way to wait for Jim to regroup. But there was no need to worry in the slightest. That's how strong Sieg is.

Jim's shield glowed — and Sieg's fist glowed too. Having taken a liking to the karate straight punch he learned in Japan, Sieg had sublimated it, his own skill riding atop it, into a sure-kill technique. And now, he was about to show it off.

"Sei!"

The blow released with that kiai-filled shout punched through the glowing shield, and its shockwave bored into Jim's gut. Then, at that same timing, he kicked Onodake's swinging axe clean off with a roundhouse kick. A technique possible only because he carries the Destruction attribute in his legs as well. And without breaking stride, he followed with a flurry of kicks that sent Onodake flying.

With SS-san and Kokushi Musou pressing their advantage and the battle all but decided — that was when it happened.

"SS, watch out!"

Sieg's sharp voice cut through the air.

The one Ouroboros member whose name I alone hadn't identified had slipped in beneath Asahi without anyone noticing and attacked with his sword. But the mithril body held up against those blows. That Yamamoto — quality work, as always.

And as Asahi toyed with the swordsman, he suddenly dropped to one knee and began gasping in pain. Could it be — Gekkou was already out? It wouldn't show on the footage, but this man was saying things that fit exactly that.

Well, with things at this pass, the enemy had no path back into the fight. All that remained was for Sieg to take them into custody... but alas, they used a Transfer Stone Shard and teleported away to another dungeon.

I never imagined they'd be carrying an item even I had all but forgotten.

In the end, leaving behind that swordsman consumed by the poison, the rest of them got away. Ouroboros presumably transferred to some dungeon somewhere in Japan — most likely an unregistered one. And Queens, I'd wager, to a British dungeon.

Afterward, the Prime Minister contacted us. The British government insists it had nothing to do with this incident, and while a token apology was offered, since no harm ultimately came of it, they have no intention of paying compensation. I'd love to say such a thing could never stand — but Japan's position is weak. Even Kokushi Musou, Japan's strongest party, doesn't crack the global top ten.

These days a nation's power lies less in its military strength than in the strength of its explorers. In that sense, I'm grateful Sieg chose to stand on our side. Without him, we might have found Britain declaring war on us over some trumped-up grievance. In fact, I hear they even had the gall to ask for SS to explore British dungeons. Honestly — the nerve of them.

But with something like this happening mid-broadcast, the other nations won't stay quiet either. I don't think anyone will attack Japan directly, but the scheming beneath the surface is certain to intensify.

Watching Sieg and the others resume their exploration in high spirits, I wrestled with what the future might hold.

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Momopapa here.

Thank you, as always, for your support.

With great regret, work on the print publication of this series has now begun in earnest, so I must ask you to allow the serialization to go on hiatus until things settle down.

I'll do everything I can to resume as soon as possible.

I hope you'll bear with me just a little longer.