Chapter 96: The Samurai Girl Prefers Exploration Over Flowers

It was my day off. I had stopped by the library on my way home and was settling in to read what I’d borrowed when I received a message. The sender was someone I rarely heard from.

...Tsubaki?

The message was a brief invitation to go dungeon-diving. Considering who it was from, the bluntness was expected. However, since we weren't exactly on regular texting terms, I hesitated over my reply. After a moment of internal debate, I sent back a message saying I was available. An address and a meeting time followed almost instantly.

The meeting was in about an hour. It was a forty-minute trip from my place, so if I left now, I’d make it with time to spare.

"Right. Better get my gear ready... and pack a light lunch."

Talking to myself helped the routine. I changed into my equipment, packed my bags, and stored everything within the [Soul World]. I shot a quick text to my mom and the others letting them know I was heading to a Dungeon, then caught the train to my destination.

"Ah, Lord Reima! Thank you for making the trip!"

The meeting spot was a Japanese-style cafe. Tsubaki was sitting there, gracefully sipping matcha. It was an off-peak hour, so the place was nearly empty. It felt like a hidden gem. Until she spotted me and spoke, she looked as quiet and refined as a high-born lady sitting by the window, but the moment she opened her mouth, her usual energetic personality took over. She welcomed me with a bright smile.

"Good to see you. It was a bit of a sudden invite, though. Which Dungeon are we hitting?"

"One near Mount Takao. It is quite old... a floor-based type, if I recall correctly."

"Got it. It’d help if you could tell me what to expect inside."

As we traveled, she filled me in on the details. By the time we stepped off the train, I was looking at a type of Dungeon I had never seen before. To put it simply, it was a massive tower. It was a reddish-black structure that defied the common sense of my old world, and I could feel an abnormal amount of mana radiating from within.

"...Is the rank fairly high?"

"It is A-rank. As I mentioned, there are many monsters like Tengu inside. I often use this place as a training ground."

"Huh. So it’s a Japanese-themed Dungeon."

"There are legends of Tengu on Mount Takao where I live, so some theorists believe there is a direct connection."

I see. Most of the Dungeons I had dived into so far were populated by Western-style monsters, so this would be a first for me. Still, for a "Japanese" theme, the tower exterior felt a little out of place.

"I am going to change. Please wait a moment!"

Tsubaki disappeared into a nearby changing room. When she emerged, she was wearing armor that looked optimized for mobility. While she checked her gear, I used [Summoning Magic] to swap into robes with high magic resistance. We stepped into the Dungeon together—and were immediately greeted by a volley of wind blades.

"Whoa, straight to the point, aren't they?"

Blades of air whistled in from all directions. Tsubaki dodged them with practiced ease, clearly used to the nearly invisible projectiles. I could perceive them well enough myself, so I opted to reflect the magic back at the source.

"—D-Doh!?"

The reflected spell struck the attacker: a Tengu wielding a large folding fan. It was a red-skinned creature wearing geta sandals, complete with the iconic long nose. I felt a strange sense of awe seeing it; the thing looked like it had walked straight out of an old folktale. I had the Eight Types of Tengu among my own Summoned Beasts, but I had never seen one quite this stereotypical.

"If it’s wind, then I’ll use this. [Weapon Summon]: Dainsleif."

I called forth my favorite ice-attribute sword. Perhaps because I’d been using it so much lately, the black, thorny blade seemed to seethe with mana. The moment it appeared, it began to bleed intense cold into the air. I granted Tsubaki a quick buff for cold resistance and charged.

"If you're going to fly, I’m going to have to bring you down!"

I sprinted forward, manifesting platforms of ice in mid-air to bridge the gap. The Tengu unleashed more wind blades to keep me at bay, but they simply froze solid against Dainsleif’s aura and shattered on the floor.

"—K-Kah!"

Realizing the disadvantage, the monster drew the katana at its waist and lunged. It never reached me.

"I am hurt that you would forget I was here."

Tsubaki parried the blow. She had caught up to me in an instant—her speed was as terrifying as ever. With the enemy’s stance broken, I conjured a massive icicle and slammed it into the creature's head. I made the ice as sharp and dense as possible to ensure a kill. The Tengu didn't have time to react. It was crushed instantly, leaving behind a single green magic stone.

"I did not expect a Tengu to appear so soon, but that was a simple enough victory!"

"Wait, is it rare for them to be here?"

"Yes. Normally, these monsters do not appear until the fifth floor. This is the first time I have ever seen one on the first."

Lately—or rather, recently—I seemed to be running into these "irregularities" constantly. It had happened a few weeks ago in that other A-rank Dungeon, and now it was happening here. It was hard not to conclude that something was going wrong with the Dungeons themselves. I had tried asking Behemoth about it during the incident with Laura, but he’d claimed not to know anything. I was starting to think I needed to do some real investigating.

"We are heading to the second floor next. Do you mind staying with me a while longer?"

"I’m free, so sure. Besides, there was something I wanted to test out in here anyway."

"Something to test? Did something happen?"

"Well, I’ve just been running into a lot of these irregularities lately."

"Ah... I think Laura mentioned something like that? I do not quite remember."

Typical Tsubaki. Given her personality, she probably didn't care about the details as long as there was something to fight.

"...Hm? What is it, Lord Reima?"

"No, it's nothing."

I gave her a wry smile, which she met with a flat, suspicious stare. When I first met her, I had her pegged as a reliable, mature woman. After spending more time with her, I realized she was actually a bit of an airhead—or more accurately, she was so hyper-focused on combat that she was borderline indifferent to everything else.

"If you say so. Regardless, let us move on!"

I followed her lead to the next floor. However, the moment we stepped through, the atmosphere turned oppressive. A massive swarm of Oni stood before us. There were too many to handle through any conventional means; the sheer weight of their collective gaze was suffocating.

I didn't hesitate. I began the incantation.

"[Random Summon]!"

If we got swamped by this many at once, we were done for. I didn't have the luxury of picking a specific target. I cast the spell with a single mental condition: Give me something that can kill every single one of them.

In that instant, the world was swallowed by darkness.

"Kuhahaha! So, you have summoned me, Reima! Me, the bat of Xibalba! I simply need to slaughter them, yes? Leave it to me. I shall leave nothing but a red smear! Your sworn friend, Camazotz, has arrived!"