The man in the hakama was strong.
He was cutting down the invisible, countless Banish Chakrams one by one.
Could he detect them through a perception-type Relic? Or was it pure instinct?
And on top of that, the man could cut through Banish. He had that kind of strength.
Or maybe it was the power of that eerie red blade.
It looked like a cursed sword, but it was probably an OOPArt.
This was bad. At this rate, there'd be no resolution.
If time ran out, things would get really ugly.
"Not bad, kid."
"You're one to talk, old man."
"I am indeed on the older side... but let me introduce myself."
"At this point?"
"I have a policy of not introducing myself unless I think the other person is worth it."
"So that means I'm worthy, then..."
"That's right. My name is Akazama. I'm one of the Six Blades of the Kingdom Fall."
Kingdom Fall... I'd had enough of that sort of thing. I was full.
Please, just let me live a normal life.
"I'm Wof. I'm the witch's apprentice."
"That witch's apprentice... then you're more than worth my while. Take this. 'Blood Crush Sickle'!"
That irregular movement again. Can't be helped. I'll use [Reivform].
A dull pain in my forehead, and my consciousness... stirs to wakefulness.
"Mmph!"
"[Banish Lore]!"
Akazama pulls back.
"[Quake Lore]!"
It releases vibrations, generating a pseudo-earthquake.
"What the—! But! [Flash Speed]!"
Akazama closes in on me in the blink of an eye.
"Dance and writhe! 'Blood Crush Sickle'!"
Akazama—no. That eerie red blade moves with fluid, unpredictable grace.
"Come to think of it, I hadn't used it yet."
"Perish!"
The eerie red edge flashed blood-red for just an instant.
"[Dimension Crack Lore]!"
It vibrates only the space-time surrounding the eerie red blade, carving into it and shattering it to pieces.
The constraint Relic with just one charge left. This is the last one.
"Wh-what!? 'Blood Crush Sickle'?!"
It breaks apart, scattering into red droplets.
I slammed [Banish Lore] into the shaken Akazama.
"It's over."
"Heh... not bad, kid..."
I defeated Akazama. He was an unexpected strong foe.
Honestly, I really thought I might die. I owe those octopus tentacles my life.
So, how did things go on the other side?
When I came out of the samurai residence, the battle was already over.
Kaede was standing there, completely still.
"Ah..."
Kaede's presence was—no, her hair color had changed.
The cloth that had been tying back her hair had come undone, and from the tips to about the middle it had turned cherry-blossom pink, swaying gently.
From the center of her forehead, a long horn had burst through as if splitting the skin, growing straight outward.
That was her pseudo-divine transformation... Kishindouji, if I remembered right.
Her blindfold was gone too, and her deep, dark purple eyes locked onto me.
"Lord Wof. It is done."
The sword in her hand, Kiichi Hougen, was drenched in blood.
"What about Boomer?"
"He put up a bit of a fight, but I split him clean in two."
"Your pseudo-divine transformation was necessary...?"
He didn't look that tough, but I guess he was.
"I must say, I was rather careless."
Kaede smiled softly, then blindfolded herself and dispelled her pseudo-divine transformation.
She gathered her hair together and wrapped it in cloth.
"— Cleanly in two, huh..."
"— I didn't earn the title 'the One-Stroke Splitter' for nothing. By the way, Lord Wof, what were you doing inside the mansion?"
"— I got attacked by some weird old guy named Akazama or something and had to fight him."
"— Oh. Could that be one of the 'Six-Blade Nation-Topplers'? Akazama of the Blood-Crush Sickle?"
"— That's what he said. Are they famous?"
"— Not around here, but they're well-known in the northern regions of the Allied Nations. After all, just six of them toppled an entire country — small nation though it may have been."
"— So that's where the 'nation-toppling' part comes from."
"— For one of them to be working together with the Nameless... that's peculiar."
"— Yeah."
Something about toppling some country, apparently.
Well, whatever they're planning, it's probably nothing good.
While I was talking with Kaede, Mineha and Ranjia came back.
Both of them had minor injuries. They said they'd fought a chūnin.
"— It was pretty tough."
"— They were decent enough for upper-floor ones."
"— Looks like you took yours down too, huh."
"— It was a satisfying battle. Though I must say, the opponent Lord Wof fought seemed to be having more fun."
"— No... it wasn't fun at all."
"Wof fought too?"
Mineha said to me, sounding surprised.
"I didn't really have a choice, but I did fight."
"I wonder what sort of opponent it was."
"I wanna know too."
"...It was an old man."
"An old man."
"An old man."
Why do both of you have to parrot me back.
Later, when Kaede explained the details, they said it was unfair or something.
I mean, I nearly actually died, but do you guys want to fight that badly?
"Oh, and sorry. I let a few of them get away."
"I too let some escape, I'm afraid. I was so engrossed in the fight with the Boomer that I grew lax about my surroundings."
"The superior needn't trouble himself with such trifles."
So some of them got away, then.
"Well, you can't help it if they get away."
"Or are you going to chase them down and finish them off?"
"That would be rather difficult."
"The superior needn't trouble himself with such trifles."
And so it was decided to just leave them be.
Of course, I didn't bother chasing after them either.
And from there until the 67th floor, there was nothing.
I stayed on guard, just in case the survivors decided to ambush us.
But they weren't quite that reckless.
I fought the monsters normally, disarmed the traps, opened the treasure chest, found a sword, so I just passed on it.
And so I arrived at the 67th floor.
What was waiting for us there?
"............This is it, right?"
"Indeed."
"Yes, that's correct. This is the 67th floor."
If Hydrangea said so, then it had to be right.
But what exactly was going on here?
"There's nothing here!"
The 67th floor had the typical dungeon layout — stone walls and a stone floor.
Nothing special about it whatsoever.
"Quite so."
"Mineha, you little fairy. To say there's nothing here is rather rude. There is clearly something present, isn't there?"
"Like what?"
"There is a fountain in the center."
So there was. A fountain.
"A fountain?"
"Yes. There's a fountain. Please correct the claim that there's nothing there."
"We shall have to go see for ourselves, de gozaru."
Kaede gave a small, weary smile.
Mineha nodded, looking disgruntled.
"I suppose."
"By the way, Rangia-san. Is there anything special about that fountain?"
I asked, just to be thorough.
"There's a hero statue."
Rangia's words sent a chill of foreboding through me.
"Wait — you mean the statues that are all over Hydrangea?"
"Yes. That's right. The fountain here in the center is the original model for the one in Hydrangea's park."
"Ah, the one with the sculpture."
"Yes. Child of man Wof. That is correct."
Mineha said in a cold voice.
"And besides that, is there anything else?"
"That's all."
"Huh?"
"Um — whether the fountain's water is special or something—"
"No."
You're kidding me.
"...Could it be that Gilmas is—"
"Kaede?"
"Never mind."
Kaede laughs lightly.
What was that about?
"So, what do we do now?"
"We're heading back."
Mineha pulls something from her pouch.
A forced-transfer return stone. Break it, and you're forcibly teleported to the first floor above ground.
They're rare, so they cost a pretty penny.
She's willing to use one just to leave?
Well, I was thinking of using mine for the return trip too.
Kaede and I exchanged glances, then gave small nods.
Rangia didn't look pleased.
"Hold on. Fairy child Mineha."
"Oh, right — you. How come you know so much about this dungeon?"
"Because I am this dungeon's consciousness."
She finally said it.
But Mineha wasn't surprised at all.
If anything, she directed a considerably cold gaze his way.
"Well, figured as much."
"You knew?"
"I suspected, yes. I'm not that slow."
Fair enough.
"So you acted like that knowing full well, Fairy Girl Mineha."
"There's something I want to say to you."
"What is it?"
"Frankly, this dungeon is old-fashioned."
"Huh?"
The instant Landia let out a tremendous shout, the air trembled.
Mineha, for some reason, readied Spiral Dawn.
"Old-fashioned and fundamentally plain. At least put in a ruined city or something."
"Fairy Girl Mineha. Upper-layer dungeons follow the classical formula."
"That's what makes it old. If anything, it reeks of mothballs."
"Huh?"
Landia let out another tremendous shout and, for whatever reason, readied her greatsword Hydrangea.
"A landscape that barely changes. It's overwhelmingly brown. There's no color at all. Your aesthetic sense is just dated."
Landia moved toward Mineha.
At the same time, Mineha moved toward her.
Clash.
And just like that, they launched into a fierce exchange of blows.
The two of them hurled insults at each other while trading hits.
"Why don't you go visit some modern dungeons, you fossil!"
"It's lamentable that you know nothing of tradition and prestige, Mineha the fae!"
They didn't agree on a single thing.
"You walk around looking down on everyone like you're so superior, but in reality, it's your dungeon that gets looked down on the most!"
"Mineha the fae. I'm not looking down on anyone. It's simply the natural order. This is why children are so troublesome."
The two of them remained at a complete impasse.
"...Wof."
"What is it?"
"I shall return."
"Right. Let's head back."
I pulled the forced-teleport return stone from my pouch and slammed it against the ground to crack it open.
A pale green light enveloped me and Kaede.
Leaving the two of them behind, we returned from Hydrangea's dungeon.
Some time later.
I asked Guild Master Alance why the destination had been the 67th floor.
"Oh my, there was no particular reason."
"Huh?"
"If you're going to delve that deep, you can't do it without cooperating, right? So I thought that even if they couldn't become friends, at least they'd reach a point of mutual respect."
"Harsh medicine, isn't it?"
"Well, yes. Any delver worth their salt would realize as much."
"But there are people who just can't see eye to eye, no matter what."
"True."
Guild Master Alance offered a wry smile.
It was the kind of reason that left a complicated taste in one's mouth.
With a feeling I couldn't quite put into words, I stepped out of the Guild Master's office and started down the stairs.
"Wof."
"Wof, child of man."
Mineha and Lancia called out to me.
"What is it?"
"Lancia and I are about to have an eating contest."
"I'll win."
"Like hell you will."
The two of them glared at each other.
I sighed.
"So, what do you need?"
"Be our judge."
"And be absolutely, perfectly fair about it."
"Why me?"
"You left me behind and went off. I haven't forgotten yet."
"The act of abandoning this one. I cannot forget it."
They say in unison.
That's a correction of the earlier words.
"You two are actually on good terms, aren't you?"