Episode 27: Stampede

I rode Luna as we tore through the dungeon.

This was the first time I’d ever shown myself like this in front of people I actually knew. A heavy, pointless sort of anxiety kept pooling in my gut, but I pushed it down. I wanted to save Ayane and the others. That was the only thing that mattered.

"Tch. A mana reaction... No, sensing anything specific inside a dungeon is a fool’s errand."

I’d hoped to gauge the scale of the threat beforehand, but trying to find a specific mass of mana inside a dungeon—which was itself a construct of mana—was like trying to find a specific cup of water in the middle of the ocean. I had other Summoned Beasts who could have managed it, but they were currently giving me the cold shoulder, so I couldn't exactly call them out.

"Kaiser is moving fast, though."

I’d headed out only a few minutes after he did, yet I still couldn't see his back. The sheer specs of a Dragonkin—specifically a high-tier Valkyria—were enough to make me feel a bit pathetic.

"I can hear the clashing, though. We’re close."

I strained my ears. The sharp cracks of magic being unleashed and the ring of steel against bone reached me, followed by the guttural roars and death rattles of monsters.

"Gah, this is getting tiresome, I say!"

"Kaiser joined in, but these numbers... this might be a bit much, even for us."

"I’m starting to wish Reima was here to support us..."

"Kuhahaha! If you have time to whine, you have time to fight, you lot! —Wait, what is it, Valkyria!?"

The voices were frantic, but they were familiar. I heard Ayane, then Kaiser’s boisterous tone. It seemed his Valkyria had sensed my approach. I decided that was for the best as I dove into the lower layer, immediately setting to work wiping out the swarm surrounding them.

Dozens of monsters had filled the chamber, but they couldn't withstand Sol’s flames. They vanished into ash in seconds, buying us a brief moment to breathe.

"Tch! Who goes there, I say!?"

"Wolves? And... a dragon?! If that’s more reinforcements for the monsters, we’re in trouble."

"They came from behind!"

"Wait, someone’s riding them... Hm? You... you are The Mysterious One Clad in Jet Black!?"

The party was as sharp as I expected. They noticed me immediately and called out.

Seriously, Kaiser? What kind of nickname is that? It tells you absolutely nothing about who I am.

"...Do you know this guy, Baka-Kaiser?"

"Stop calling me an idiot, Shiki... This is the Black Robe who’s been all over SNS lately. Given the situation, I assume you’ve come to help!?"

"............Are they really here to help? The timing is a little too convenient—"

"—Regardless, that Black Robe is magnificent. I find myself wanting one."

"...You really are a moron. Don't start coveting the gear of someone who might be an enemy."

"But... he did just help us. I’ll ask, just to be sure—who are you?"

Ayane’s question put me on the spot. I hesitated, searching for an answer. We didn't have time for a long-winded explanation, so I went with the first thing that came to mind.

"...Uh, Dungeon Black Robe?"

"With a name like that, you sound like a monster."

"Ah, nice retort, Red Bandana."

"Alright! I don't know who this guy is, but he seems safe enough! We don't have the luxury of being picky, so let’s get back to it!"

"Is Shiki not the greatest fool among us?"

"He’s been maintaining buffs non-stop. He’s exhausted. Don't lump me in with him."

"...Moving on. Jet-Black Dungeon Robe, you were a Summoner, were you not?"

Despite his theatrical behavior, Kaiser was actually the most composed of the lot. I gave a curt nod of affirmation and kept the conversation moving.

"I saw the stream on the surface and came to assist. I don't intend to be a burden."

"Reliable. What else can you do?"

"Support, attack magic, and I can hold my own in a melee... You probably don't trust me yet, but leave this to me."

"Oops, the enemies are closing in again, I say! Less talking, more fighting, I say!"

"Understood. Luna, Sol... don't hold back. Overrun them."

At my command, Sol unleashed her radiance, conjuring a miniature sun near the ceiling. Luna followed suit, venting a wave of frigid air that turned the entire area into a frozen wasteland.

"...And Lycoris. Charge. Drown them in your venom."

I gave the order, and Lycoris lunged into the enemy swarm alone, beginning her rampage. The moment she engaged, a thick mist spread five meters around her. Any monster that touched it either succumbed to the poison instantly or simply dropped dead.

There were still over five hundred enemies left, but at this rate, we’d manage.

"Leave the right flank to us. We’ll clear them out. Just stay away from the mist. I’ve told her to keep it non-lethal for humans, but it’s still dangerous. Now then—[Weapon Summon]."

---

The man in the black robe was a force of nature.

We stood there, momentarily stunned. His combat potential was absurd. The monsters we had been struggling so desperately against were being slaughtered in heartbeats.

"Aren't those wolves a bit much, I say?"

"Indeed. They are likely the highest tier of beast I have ever laid eyes upon... No, I have never even heard of anything on that level."

"And the centerpiece... that Nine-Headed Dragon. The monsters we were fighting were A-rank or higher, yet that poison kills them instantly. It’s insane. Ayane, what do you think? That guy is dangerous."

Shiki Amagase spoke up, addressing the party member who had been staring silently at the man in the robe. Shiki usually deferred to her sharp intuition, and he wanted her take on this unknown entity.

"He seems like a good person, I think. If he were an enemy, we’d already be dead, right?"

"You’re really going to trust him that easily? What about Baka-Kaiser?"

"He looks cool, therefore he is a good man!"

"You really are an idiot. Fine, whatever. I’ll stay on guard. Lastly, Kagura... yeah, of course. She didn't even wait for an opinion. Battle maniac."

---

"Sir Black Robe! You are quite fast, I say!"

"Wait—how are you keeping up with me?"

I was darting across the battlefield, picking off enemies, when Kagura-san pulled up alongside me. I was genuinely taken aback. How was she matching my pace? I was an S-Rank Adventurer, and I had used magic to buff my speed to its absolute limit.

It was, quite frankly, a little terrifying.

"I am very fast on my feet! More importantly, what are you doing now, I say?"

"Preparing a spell. I’m gathering the residual heat Sol left in the air."

"So, you are collecting flames, I say?"

"Essentially, yes. Wait, what are you doing?"

The moment I answered, she began to coat her katana in black flames. I watched, bewildered, as she tilted her head with an innocent expression.

"Assisting...? You seemed to need fire, so I thought I would lend you mine."

"Is that even fire? It looks incredibly ominous..."

"It is a secret technique of my house, I say! It is quite cool, is it not?"

"...Fine. As long as you leave the mana behind, I can control it. Give me everything you've got."

The fire looked like something out of a nightmare, but mana was mana. That was my theory, anyway. She unleashed a strike that cleaved a Chimera-like monster clean in two, and I funneled the lingering mana into the sun hovering above us.

"That’s more than enough. This should wipe the floor with them. [Cruel Sun Lancea]!"

The Merciless Sun Spear.

I narrowed the target parameters to monsters only and let it fly. The spear of light pierced through every remaining enemy in the chamber.

"Alright. It’s over."

Silence fell. The room was empty of life, save for us and the carpet of magic stones left behind. I turned back to the party, only to find them staring at me in total silence.

I wondered what I should say. I was already thinking about making a quick exit when I felt a sudden, violent surge of magic.

"Tch! Everyone, get back!"

[Breakthrough of the Stampede confirmed... Threat level increase recorded. Commencing trial.]

The magic stones littering the floor began to glow. It didn't stop there—the stones began to liquefy, melting into the floor to form a massive Magic Circle.

[Summoning optimal entity based on threat level. It is the origin of beasts. It is the one born on the fifth day of creation to oppose the gods. It is the primordial beast that lays waste to the earth: [Terminus Summon].]

The mana swirled into a violent vortex as the summoning chant echoed from nowhere. Finally, the system announced the result.

[...Its name is the Calamity that Rules Magic Beasts: Behemoth.]

The creature manifested—a catastrophe given form.