“What’s the matter, Valhalla? Not eating?”
“I’m eating... I’m just trying to figure out why the hell you dragged me here.”
It was the day after my outing with Sol. My parents had headed out on a date, leaving me with a rare day of leisure. I’d been at home, minding my own business and playing games, when Ouma-san suddenly barged in, snatched me up, and hauled me off to a certain tower in Tokyo.
He’d brought me to a high-end restaurant with private rooms. It looked expensive. No—given that it was on the top floor, it was definitely expensive. To someone like me, whose sense of value was still rooted in my previous life, I couldn't help but feel out of place. Is this really okay? I wondered. It was a feeling I’d likely never outgrow.
“You’re exactly like the stories say. You never did get used to the high life, even in the other world, did you?”
“It isn’t something you just 'get used to.' Not when you feel this out of place.”
He’d likely heard about me from Shakra, but there was something unsettling about being known so well by someone I barely knew. Besides, the guy seemed to have an inexplicably high opinion of me, which only made him harder to deal with.
“So, what’s the occasion? Snatching me and dragging me out here... you could have at least sent a text.”
“My bad. This is a bit of an urgent matter. We have time for a meal, but every second beyond that is precious.”
“...Sigh. Well, if it’s that important, I guess I can't complain.”
“You’re just going to accept that? You really are too much of a pushover.”
“I assume you have a reason. Besides, it sounds like you’ve been looking after Shakra.”
It wasn't our first meeting—it was the third, I think—but I didn't usually drop my guard this quickly with people. It wasn't that Ouma-san didn't deserve respect or formality, but somehow, I felt like I could just be myself around him.
“Did I not tell you, Ouma? This idiot doesn’t sweat the small stuff!”
“Don’t just pop out like that, Shakra... It’s a private room, but still.”
A translucent humanoid figure materialized beside Ouma. It was a man with long golden hair and crimson eyes who bore a striking resemblance to him. Brimming with a wild, primal energy—and wearing almost no clothes—he locked eyes with me and let out a boisterous laugh.
“Kuhaha! It’s been a long time, comrade!”
“You too. I’m glad to see you haven’t changed, Shakra.”
Shakra Deva. The Shogun of the Aldia Kingdom who had summoned me to that other world. He was a battle-hungry lunatic who lived for war and possessed the Scripture of Indra. A heavyweight of Mythologia who specialized in pure destructive power, he had carved his way through countless battlefields.
And... he was a precious friend who had seen us through to the final battle against the Demon King.
“—So, you can smile like that too.”
...What do you mean by that?
“No, it’s nothing. More importantly, can we get down to business?”
“Go ahead. That’s why you called me, isn’t it?”
As a spread of dishes was laid out, Ouma-san took a sip of his drink and began. Given the lengths he’d gone to get me here, I knew this wasn't going to be a light conversation. I braced myself to listen.
“Right. Here’s the deal. I want you to help me clear an S-Rank Dungeon.”
“Why me? With your strength, there aren't many dungeons you’d lose to.”
“Against a normal one, sure. With this fool’s power at my side, I’d never lose. But the one we’re heading into this time is... exceptional. Or rather, there’s a high chance it will become exceptional.”
“...A Mythology?”
When thinking of a dungeon that could give him trouble, that was the first thing that crossed my mind. A dungeon where the heroes of myth, as Perseus had described, appeared as a trial. If another one had surfaced, it would explain why Ouma-san was calling for reinforcements.
“No. Officially, it’s an S-Rank Dungeon that appeared five years ago and is currently under government management. It’s a cave-type filled with plant-based monsters. Entry is strictly prohibited.”
“A cave-type S-Rank with restricted entry? Is it really that dangerous?”
“In terms of threat level, it’s upper-mid... the problem is that it formed five years ago. Tell me, what do you know about the disappearance of dungeons?”
“Uh, hang on a second.”
I’d been studying everything I could find about dungeons, using Reima’s notes as a foundation. I tried to recall the specifics. Looking at his face, I dug through my memories and tried to summarize.
“Otherworld-types vanish once cleared, but cave and floor types are supposed to disappear in cycles of several years, right?”
“Correct. And do you know how they disappear?”
“...No, I don't know that part.”
“Well, it’s not public knowledge. Usually, they lock the place down before the disappearance happens.”
“...Then why did you ask me?”
“Just checking. Anyway, as for how they vanish... it involves a group known as the End Reapers.”
It was a term I’d never heard before. Judging by the way he said 'group,' there were several of them. Literally, they were those who reaped the end.
“...What are they like?”
“I heard from Senka that you’ve already run into one.”
That caught me off guard. If Senka-san had mentioned it, I only had to look back through my own memories. There was only one thing that fit: that A-rank Dungeon.
“You mean that chimera thing?”
“I don’t know specifically what kind of chimera it was, but that sounds about right. Those things are a mishmash of monsters. Periodically, the dungeon we’re heading to—Tenka—is reaped by them. Our objective is to investigate them for future reference... and to slaughter the End Reaper.”
“...Wait, are we trying to stop the dungeon from disappearing?”
That was the part I didn't get. If these beings existed to make dungeons vanish, they sounded like a management system for a world overflowing with dungeons. Intervening seemed like a bad idea.
“It’s true that if they just made dungeons go away, they wouldn’t be a problem. But they are a plague that needs to be wiped out. They are disasters that slaughter every living soul they find. Monsters that bring nothing but despair. Personally... I can’t stand it when things are stolen.”
“Tell me everything.”
His words brought back the records of his past I’d seen yesterday. If this was related to the reason he had lost everything, I needed to know why.
“It’s a stupid story. Just a case of some idiots getting things taken from them. Just plain revenge. But... I don't want anyone else to ever feel the way I did.”
Reflecting on his past, he continued. I couldn’t claim to truly understand what he was thinking—not when his entire life’s journey stood behind those words.
“I know it’s ego. If someone says people died because they weren't strong enough, then fine—maybe they’re right. But that doesn’t mean it’s okay to lose them. I’ve killed enough of those things to know: they enjoy the slaughter. They’re nothing but a mechanism that takes lives selfishly and unreasonably.”
His killing intent was palpable. My skin crawled, perhaps in response to the pressure of his magic. He was that angry. He had spent years hunting these things, fueled by the rage of losing his comrades.
“Please, Valhalla. I need to know more about them. I need to make sure those things never kill anyone again. Lend me your strength.”
Once again, he lowered his head and asked for my help. I only had one answer.
“Don’t be so formal. I wasn't going to turn you down anyway, but hearing that... it makes me want to help you. So, use me however you need. Fortunately, my comrades are all pushovers, too.”