chapter05 · 139-ep139

Episode 132: The Solo Abyss Conquest Stream Begins

On the day Arakawa Dungeon, which possessed an abyss, was predicted to collapse, a tense atmosphere enveloped Arakawa Ward.

"Look! With less than eight hours remaining before the predicted collapse and the residents of Arakawa Ward evacuated, an extraordinary force has assembled! The main forces of Japan's leading clans, headed by White Knight, are all here, alongside many high-level Self-Defense Force explorers! Now that warning signs of the collapse have been officially detected, tensions are rising on-site! Anyone within the evacuation zone, act immediately—"

Network reporters, still permitted on-site for the moment, reported the situation urgently and called on people to evacuate.

Amid all this tension, in front of the entrance to Arakawa Dungeon at the center of the high-alert zone—

"E-eek...!? Th-this is far more serious than I expected. I feel so out of place, desu wa...!? S-surely we should have asked the soldiers who are stronger than me to handle it..."

Karin could likely have annihilated the entire force gathered there. Yet she looked more nervous and frightened than anyone else present.

In a word, the people around her were taking this seriously to an incredible degree, as of course they should. However good she considered herself, she was still only one streamer and student. Was it really appropriate for her to be there?

(I do not know if this comparison is suitable for such an emergency, but... I feel like someone whose song-cover videos received five views until the other day, and who has suddenly been asked to sing at the Olympic opening ceremony...)

Both the government press conference and Dungeon Alive said that destroying the dungeon core less than an hour before the expected collapse would prevent it, so she wasn't worried on that count. But the circumstances still made her shrink back.

"Still... Prime Minister Kongouji said, humbling as it is, that I was the right person to conquer Arakawa Dungeon...!"

To rally herself against her surroundings, Karin recalled what he'd told her when he made the request.

"Of course it's natural for you, Karin ojou-sama, to feel you shouldn't presume to interfere. But terrorism's gravest danger is not merely the direct damage it causes, but the fear and anxiety it inflicts on people. Therefore, it is important not merely to resolve this incident, but to dispel that terror. In that sense, there's great significance in you, who entertain and attract viewers with your dungeon streams every day, conquering the dungeon. In your Elegant streams that have given so many people hope and encouragement."

"Precisely because it is YOUR conquest stream, I believe you can shine a brighter light for the people anxious about an unprecedented disaster in the form of an artificial large-scale dungeon collapse. Just as Setsuna-sama has helped and encouraged so many."

"Naturally, this presumes you can reliably conquer an unseen abyss. Stopping the collapse and, above all, keeping you alive must take priority. Aside from life-preserving measures such as perfectly evading attacks, you needn't insist on streaming as you usually do... But however we proceed, I believe you're the only person I can ask."

For some reason, the prime minister had looked deeply apologetic, but the sincerity in his eyes was unmistakable.

So even if she feared she didn't belong here, there was only one thing to do.

"In short, this is about choosing the right person for the job. I shall conquer the dungeon with all my usual Elegance, dispel everyone's anxiety, and perhaps even help them enjoy themselves despite the circumstances!"

Just as Dungeon Alive and Setsuna-sama had once raised HER spirits.

Karin put on the hair ornament Setsuna-sama had given her (in an illustration) to renew her resolve.

They couldn't destroy the core too early, lest it revive before the predicted collapse. So at the scheduled start time for the conquest, a Dungeon Bureau employee gave her the signal, and Karin tapped to begin streaming.

"Good day, everyone, desu wa~! As announced through various channels, today's stream is—believe it or not—a sponsored request from Prime Minister Kongouji to stop a dungeon collapse!"

The moment she greeted the floating camera, a torrent of comments poured in.

【She's heeeeeeeeeeeeeere!】

【She's really going!? She's actually going!?】

【WAAAAAAAAAH! Do it, Ojou-samaaaaa!】

【We're counting on you, Ojou-samaaaaa!】

【Smash the terrorists' schemes!】

【Please save Tokyo—no, all Japan, desu waaaaa!】

【The TV broadcast has started toooooo!】

【Do it, Ojou-samaaaaaaaaa!】

【Is a Japanese high school girl seriously trying to stop an abyssal collapse ALONE!? Are they insane!? (English)】

【So it wasn't fake news... (Chinese)】

【'Sponsored request' lmao】

【What world has an ojou-sama doing sponsored counterterrorism streams!?】

【Her choice of words is weird from the opening line】

【Ojou-sama's the best! But put your life first!】

【You said blind abyss conquests are old hat, but seriously, take care!】

【I'm sure you can do it, Ojou-sama... But please don't push yourself too hard!】

"Whoa!? Wh-what is this...!? Ten million concurrents!?"

An un-Elegant cry escaped Karin almost as soon as she began. And no wonder: the number was already outrageous after only seconds on air.

Some TV stations were simulcasting the stream to reach those who weren't internet-savvy, but its online viewership climbed rapidly regardless. She could no longer imagine how many people were watching in total.

【Ten million concurrents right out of the gate!?】

【Even with several TV stations broadcasting it at the same time, those numbers are out of this world!?】

【All I can do at numbers that insane is laugh awkwardly!?】

【No wonder Ojou-sama's already making an un-Elegant face and noise!?】

【They apparently expanded the servers to an absurd degree, but it might still crash!】

【It's already in worldwide trends】

【The whole world, not just Japan, is watching... Even when domestic comments have priority, foreign comments are coming through】

【This ojou-sama gets more frightened by her viewer count than by dungeons every single time...】

The comments continued flowing while Karin stared in disbelief. But of course they weren't all cheers.

【She's seriously going...!?】

【Will Ojou-sama really be okay!?】

【A dungeon with random bosses is a massive pain even normally, never mind one with an abyss...!?】

【Even after saying blind abyss runs are old hat, we're really entrusting it to Ojou-sama alone...】

【I understand why people are counting on her, but what if something happens!?】

【We might not have anyone else to turn to, but...】

Even after her bombshell statement that she was accustomed to blind abyss conquests, many remained concerned, with the embers of disagreement still smoldering.

But—

"Th-this is something else, desu wa...!? But it shows how many people have high hopes for this stream... All the more reason for me to give my Elegant conquest everything I have!"

Karin spoke to encourage herself in the face of the numbers, then moved the floating camera to an overhead view. In an instant, the viewers united.

【!?】

【Ojou-sama!?】

【I had a feeling, but you're wearing a DRESS even NOW!?】

【People half joked about it, but she really wore a dress!?】

【She's planning to conquer it in a dress!? Under THESE circumstances!?】

【S-surely it's just for the beginning this time, right!? Right!?】

【Even if it is, shouldn't she conserve energy for the abyss by wearing the most mobile clothing possible!?】

【??????????? What is this? (English)】

【The story about her conquering the abyss solo must've been a mistranslation (French)】

【Ojou-sama!? Why are you wearing a dress TODAY too!?】

As everyone pounced on the sight of Karin in her usual Elegant dress, she tilted her head.

"Why, to conquer Arakawa Dungeon Elegantly, of course. Prime Minister Kongouji mentioned it briefly on television, but it seems my conquering the dungeon Elegantly is particularly important to this stream!"

She summarized the prime minister's reasons for choosing her. Then her voice suddenly dropped.

"Besides... That fucking bi—I mean, the terrorists said what they said. With all due humility, I shall show them, in Setsuna-sama's place, that even an inexperienced person like me can resolve this through an Elegant conquest...! Naturally, reliably conquering the dungeon comes before everything else."

【Eek...!?】

【(Yeah, nothing we say is stopping her now)】

【Karin ojou-sama has the eyes of someone looking at pigs on a factory farm...】

【That's terrifying】

【Of course she's still furious about that video!】

【Wait, isn't she going to wear the dress all the way to the bottom of the abyss!?】

【She has 'form' for wearing it through floor one, at least...】

【N-no, the dungeon collapse is at stake, surely even she wouldn't...】

【Is she for real!?】

【H-hey, you people who pleaded with Karin ojou-sama to help... What now...?】

【I'm sorry! I had a bad feeling, but how could I know she'd REALLY wear a dress under these circumstances!?】

【Y e a h , t h a t ' s f a i r】

【Can't blame Team 'Help Us' for THIS at all lol】

【Prime Minister Kongouji made a weird request...】

【The prime minister said that, aside from putting her life first, he'd leave her approach to Ojou-sama, who'll be risking her own body. He wouldn't give orders that got in the way】

【That's the LAST thing you should leave up to her!】

【Are you dodging responsibility, Prime Minister!?】

【If he wanted to dodge responsibility, banning the dress would be the first thing he'd do】

【The viewers who were still arguing about relying on Ojou-sama alone are united in bafflement now lmao】

【The comments suddenly turned peaceful!】

【Karin ojou-sama's already a symbol of peace, and she hasn't even begun!】

【(Would you call this peaceful...?)】

【More like the whole world uniting against an alien invasion...】

"Well then, with our greetings complete... To dispel everyone's anxieties as soon as possible, I shall begin conquering Arakawa Dungeon!"

Ignoring the comment section's turmoil, Karin switched back to her usual Elegant demeanor and stepped unhesitatingly into one of Japan's largest and most infamous dungeons, effectively closed since the tragedy fifteen years ago.

【She's really going in like that...】

【W-well, she said success comes first. She'll surely change when she reaches the dangerous floors...】

【We thought that in Okutama too, and she rampaged through the deep layers and even the abyss in a dress, albeit with cheat equipment...】

【F-for now, the lower layers and above should be safe, even if the deep layers where the tragedy happened aren't...】

【She'll probably 'cut' a shortcut past the early layers again】

【Maybe she'll even punch through every floor with Desu-Worm-chan????】

【That WOULD conserve energy even in a dress. Good!】

"Ah, about that," Karin replied to a comment, as though she'd forgotten to explain because she was nervous. "For this conquest, I intend to clear every floor properly, as I ordinarily would. In case I cannot stop the collapse, it's an important Elegant point to show the surface forces the kinds and abilities of monsters within Arakawa Dungeon."

(Also, perhaps because space is too distorted in the abyss, trying to punch through between floors there is more trouble than it is worth,) she added privately.

"So I shall begin with the upper layers, but I mustn't spend too long on the early floors. Thus, until I reach the deep layers, where the kinds and abilities of monsters differ substantially between dungeons, I'll advance at a 'jog' as a warm-up and show you a summary of the monsters I encounter!"

Karin equipped part of the wind-controlling Demonic Dragon Armor: Storm Style.

【Eh】

【Hah?】

【What's an Elegant point?】

【Ojou-sama, what are you suddenly—】

As her viewers struggled to process her words and actions—TENSE, BOOM!!

DADADADADADADA!

With fine wind control greatly reducing air resistance and friction, Karin drove off the ground hard enough to shake the floor and accelerated explosively with her own physical strength.

She raced through the dungeon crushing monsters underfoot at a speed so abnormal that her shoulder-mounted floating camera seemed to show nothing at all.

【Huh!? What's happening!? Super-speed movement!?】

【I can hear monsters screaming... or rather, breaking apart, and something like explosions!?】

【She's hunting monsters while moving at high speed!?】

【What is going on!?】

【She's already using deep-layer equipment in the upper layers!?】

【Ojou-sama hit the gas too hard!?】

【Is she racing down a mountain pass!?】

【Ojou-sama!? Shouldn't you skip the upper and middle layers to conserve energy!?】

"Thank you for your concern, desu wa! But it is all right! This is merely a warm-up for the abyss!"

She stopped, still sounding perfectly energetic, and she'd already cleared floor 1 of the upper layers.

"And here are the monsters that appear on Arakawa Dungeon's first floor! You may not need information on upper-layer monsters, but surface forces, please take a screenshot if it would be useful!"

What she forcibly gripped in one hand and showed the camera were the heads of EVERY species of monster appearing on floor 1 of Arakawa Dungeon's upper layers.

In other words, she'd collected them all and reached the entrance to the next floor before their corpses could dissolve and return to the dungeon. After allowing several seconds for screenshots, Karin raced ahead again at tremendous speed.

【Hah? Hah?】

【Wh-what is happening!?】

【She killed EVERY species, took their heads, AND reached the next floor before the bodies disappeared!?】

【To maximize both monster identification and conquest speed!?】

【I don't understand this on ANY level!?】

【Barbarian Ojou-sama!?】

【Head-Hunting Karin Ojou-sama!?】

【Wait, how FAST is she clearing the upper layers...?】

【W-wow. The monsters in Arakawa's upper layers aren't much different from elsewhere (denial)】

【N-now if the collapse happens, we'll know what kinds of monsters emerge and can prepare (eyes rolled back)】

【Ojou-sama, do you know what a warm-up is!?】

【This woman expends more kinetic energy warming up than an ordinary person will in their lifetime!】

【(Wait, does that mean she didn't even need a warm-up when she skipped Okutama's upper and middle layers...?)】

【Well, this ojou-sama wouldn't need a warm-up just to take on the deep layers...】

【For this monster of an ojou-sama, maybe the deep layers ARE her warm-up...】

【'Just' taking on the deep layers? Did a common-sense-rewriting app get you or something?】

【Karin ojou-sama IS a walking common-sense-rewriting app】

【Ojou-sama, do you remember this is on television in people's living rooms too!?】

【Dungeon Alive was a wholesome anime aired in the evening, so anything Ojou-sama learned from it about Elegance is fine!】

【Ojou-sama fights in a dress with her fists, so she's basically a Pretty Cure. It's fine...】

【Apologize to Pretty Cure!】

【What Pretty Cure gives you screenshot time for her enemies' severed heads!?】

【Little kids are going to cry!】

【W-well, airing a dungeon stream on daytime TV is already pretty far past that...】

【I-if anything, it's the government's fault for allowing this ojou-sama's uncut stream on public TV...】

【Don't blame the government for everything—well, okay, this once】

【This does NOT look like the comment section for a stream with Japan's fate at stake!?】

【Somehow... We're only in the upper layers, but Ojou-sama's so ridiculous that I already feel things will work out...?】

【I was full of anxiety, but Karin ojou-sama is so perfectly herself that I'm starting to feel a little better...】

【That's a form of mental contamination!】

Conquering the dungeon Elegantly in a dress did not mean she was going to hold back. To prove it, Karin used (part of) her deep-layer gear from the outset and rampaged across the upper layers, calling it a thorough warm-up for the abyss.

The viewers, divided by their hopes for Ojou-sama and their anxieties for her, finally united in their 'confusion' and 'horror.' The goal of dispelling their fear of dungeon-collapse terrorism had already begun to succeed a little, albeit in a way Karin hadn't anticipated—as an unprecedented solo abyss-conquest stream began.

――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

The prime minister finds it painful enough to rely on a minor, and he also feels bad that, even to protect Karin ojou-sama's dream, his explanation inevitably borders on a lie. It was a desperate decision, desu wa.

I don't think I stated this outright before (oops), but Mochimochi Tamago-sensei is a woman, desu wa! So both Tamago-sensei and the country-toppling explorer staying by her side are women!

Incidentally, Karin ojou-sama is currently using only part of Storm Style, so she's merely using wind control to reduce air resistance and so on. She is NOT accelerating herself with wind. Her movement speed comes from her own physical abilities (only part of them), desu wa.