March came to an end, and April began. Since it was spring break, we were spending our days orc hunting in our usual dungeon. Recently, the number of explorers capable of reaching the orc-infested floors had increased, so our haul wasn't as large as it used to be.
However, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The supply of orc materials on the market had grown, bringing purchase prices down, and market prices were apparently following suit. According to Hiiragi-san, if the wholesale price dropped just a little more, her business wouldn't be in the red anymore. For a bit longer, we needed to keep hunting orcs.
On our way back from the hunt, just as we reached the stairs leading up to the 6th floor, I noticed a strange tension in the air. It wasn't the raw hostility of a monster, nor was it the sensation I got when approaching a trap.
I wondered if I was just imagining things, but Yuji and Hiiragi-san seemed to feel it too.
"...Hey, Daiki."
"Yeah, I know. Something’s off."
"You're right. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it’s weird."
After stashing our cooler bag in Spatial Storage, we readied our weapons and began scouting the area.
Yet, there was no reaction from my Appraisal Analysis or Hiiragi-san’s Presence Sensing.
"It doesn't look like there’s a monster with a concealment skill nearby..."
"Same here. No highly concealed traps around here either."
"...Then what's with this atmosphere? Doesn't seem like we’re just being paranoid."
"Since we’re all feeling it, there must be something to it."
Increasing our vigilance, we cautiously ascended the stairs. As we neared the top, I heard a faint noise. Before stepping out onto the 6th floor, I used a mirror on an extendable pole to peek at the surroundings.
That was when the source of the unease became clear.
"What the hell is this...?"
A groan escaped me. In the mirror’s reflection, I saw explorers collapsed on the ground, moaning and covered in blood. I counted about five of them.
"Hey, what’s wrong? What do you see, Daiki?"
"...People. Lying on the ground, covered in blood."
"...What!?"
"It’s not just one or two. There are five of them down."
"Then we have to help them! Now!"
Hiiragi-san was about to bolt up the stairs to provide first aid, but I held her back. I pressed a finger to my lips, signaling her to keep quiet. Then, I whispered a quick question.
"Hold on, Hiiragi-san. Just to confirm—there are no monsters nearby, right?"
"Yes, none! My Presence Sensing isn't picking up any monsters!"
"Then this makes no sense..."
"Yeah," Yuji agreed.
"What do you mean, it makes no sense?! We have to treat them..."
Yuji and I both held up our hands to stop her.
"Yuji. If they were attacked by monsters and were injured badly enough to be covered in blood, they wouldn't still be alive, would they?"
"Right. If they’d repelled the monsters before collapsing, that would be one thing... but if the monsters took them down, they’d have been finished off."
"And what about the situation where a five-person team is bleeding out, yet not a single drop item is on the ground?"
"...Yeah, something’s definitely wrong."
"What are you two talking about?! We have to save them!"
Hiiragi-san tried to brush past us, but I grabbed her arm. She shot me a look of pure reproach, but I ignored it and voiced my theory to Yuji.
"Is it... a decoy trap?"
"It's possible. Hiiragi-san, you’re sure there are no monsters?"
"Eh? Yes."
"Then are there any human signatures besides the ones on the ground?"
"Wait, humans? H-Hold on!"
Pressed by our stares, she used her skill again, more carefully this time. A few seconds later, she let out a small gasp.
"Ah, you're right! A little further away... there are two people hiding and staying perfectly still!"
"Where?"
"Hold on." Hiiragi-san pulled a map from her pocket to check the location. "Here. The right corner of the intersection about thirty meters away. They’re hiding right there."
"Got it. Thanks, Hiiragi-san."
"Well, that settles it. This is extremely suspicious," Yuji noted.
"Exactly."
With that confirmation, our suspicion turned into certainty. I used the mirror again to get a better look at the fallen explorers. And there it was.
"Found it, Yuji. It’s painted black so it's hard to see, but there's a pachinko ball."
"A pachinko ball... which means a slingshot?"
"Probably."
"Wait, someone explain this to me!"
Since Yuji and I were reaching conclusions on our own, Hiiragi-san demanded an explanation. I guess without prior knowledge, it was hard to follow.
"Okay, so here's the deal. I think this is a decoy trap."
"...A decoy trap?"
"It’s a nasty tactic used in sniping. You wound a target non-fatally and leave them there as bait to lure in rescuers. If we rush out to help them, the two people hiding will pick us off."
"..."
"And considering those black pachinko balls I saw, their weapon of choice is likely a modified slingshot."
"That's why we shouldn't rush out without a plan," Yuji added.
Hiiragi-san fell silent, her eyes fixed on the top of the stairs with newfound intensity. After a moment, she whispered under her breath.
"Why... why would anyone do this?"
"Since the victims are still alive, I don't think their primary goal is PK-ing. They’re probably after the drop items," I said.
"Probably. Judging by the clothes and ages of the people on the ground, they don't look like they were all one team. They’re likely attacking anyone who comes up the stairs indiscriminately," Yuji surmised.
"And then they hit them while they're vulnerable and trying to help. Bang."
Thieves... or rather, in this case, it was robbery and aggravated assault. Either way, they were a vile bunch.
"That's... so what should we do...?"
Hiiragi-san looked pale, but there was no need to be that pessimistic.
"Don't worry, Hiiragi-san. If we just want to get through this, it's actually not that complicated."
"Really?"
"Daiki’s right. With our defense, being shot with a handgun wouldn't even hurt much. They've probably modified those slingshots for extra power, but a pachinko ball isn't going to land an effective hit on us."
"So the attack itself isn't the problem. The question is what to do with them afterward."
"...You mean how we handle the duo hiding back there?"
Exactly. That was the real issue. If we just left people like that alone, they'd cause more trouble later.
"Catching them won't be hard, but then what?" Yuji asked.
"If we hand them over to the DP, well, they usually don't interfere with dungeon disputes. But we can't just leave them be either..."
"And if we leave them to the victims, they'll probably get lynched. That would leave a bad taste in my mouth," Yuji said.
"You're right. It would," Hiiragi-san agreed.
"But I'd rather not... do anything to them ourselves, if you know what I mean."
I felt the same way. I didn't want that on my conscience. Which meant...
"How about we capture them, heal the victims, and then keep watch to make sure no one gets lynched while we escort everyone to the DP?"
"...Yeah. I think that's the best move," Yuji agreed.
"I agree. We'll let the authorities handle it once we turn them in."
The plan was set. We huddled together to work out the details of the capture.
"Daiki, how many recovery potions do you have?"
"Hundreds of low-grade ones. I’ll give you some in a bit."
"Then we’re good on medical supplies."
"Yeah. Now, how do we catch them?"
The duo was almost certainly the culprits, but we lacked definitive proof. We needed one more piece of evidence before we could justify using force to suppress them.
"...Hiiragi-san."
"Yes?"
"Can you use your Presence Erasure to get behind them?"
"...Through this straight hallway?"
"Yeah. Didn't you say your skill ranked up recently?"
"It did. My Presence Erasure is definitely higher rank now... though while it worked on monsters, it was completely useless against Juzo-san."
"Uh..."
I didn't know how to respond to that. Juzo-san really was a monster in his own right.
"But I think Kokonoe-kun's suggestion is doable."
"Good. Then take this."
"This is... the camera you always use?"
It was the action cam I used to record footage for Mika.
"Yeah. Yuji and I will act as decoys to draw their fire. I want you to record what they do."
"Record them?"
"If we catch the moment they attack us with clear intent, that's undeniable evidence. It’s insurance. And since you have Presence Erasure, you're the only one who can do it."
"...Understood."
"Thanks. And obviously, don't make a move until they actually attack us, okay?"
"I know."
I gave her a quick rundown on how to use the camera. Once she was ready, Hiiragi-san activated her Presence Erasure and slipped up the stairs, disappearing into the depths of the corridor.
Thirty seconds later, Yuji and I followed. We acted like oblivious explorers, rushing over to the bloodied victims the moment we reached the top.
From the shadows of the intersection, a young man dressed in all black peeked out and gave a signal. A younger boy, also in black, crawled out into the middle of the hallway.
"Looks like we've got more prey."
"Seriously... with so many coming in a row, we haven't even had time to loot the items."
"Stop complaining, we're making a fortune. Just aim carefully. If you hit a vital spot and someone dies, it’s going to be a headache."
"I know, I know."
The boy on the ground pulled a box of steel balls close. He readied a spring-augmented slingshot attached to his left arm and aimed it at the two teenagers who were currently tending to the wounded.
"Hm? Hey, hurry up. They just pulled out recovery potions. Those are worth a lot—take them out before they use them!" the older one urged, watching the boys take supplies out of their bags.
"Roger that. I’ll get them in one shot."
The boy loaded a steel ball and pulled back the band. The dual springs on the sides stretched with a metallic groan. Once he had it at full tension, he lined up his sight on the boy in the front.
He took a shallow breath, held it... and released.
The band and springs snapped forward with a crack. The steel ball whistled through the air, streaking toward the boy with lethal precision. In less than a second, it closed the distance, and—
"What!?"
"No way!"
The two in black shouted in shock, forgetting they were supposed to be hiding. The boy who had been busy with the "treatment" had reached out and snatched the high-speed projectile out of the air with his bare hand as if it were nothing.
And then...
"Crap! We've been spotted!"
"Run! Get out of here!"
They scrambled to flee, seeing the boy who had caught the ball staring directly at them, holding up the projectile as if to show it off.
However...
"Sorry, but you're not going anywhere."
Eh!? G-Gyaaaaaa!?
The pair turned to find a girl waiting for them. She blasted a stream of tear gas directly into their faces. Having been distracted by the boy with the steel ball, they were far too slow to react. The gas hit them full-force. They collapsed, clutching their eyes and mouths as they writhed in agony, screaming from the depths of their lungs.
"Okay, that's enough noise."
"Gufu!"
"Gaha!"
Yukino slammed her foot into their solar plexuses one after the other, knocking the wind out of them and sending them into unconsciousness. Once she confirmed they were out, she looked back at us and made a circle with her arms over her head.
Yuji and I let out long sighs of relief.
"It's over."
"Yeah. Glad we could wrap that up without anyone else getting hurt. Yuji, can you go over to Hiiragi-san and secure the perpetrators? I'll start administering recovery potions to the victims."
"Got it. I'll handle that."
"Thanks. See you in a bit."
Yuji tossed the steel ball I’d caught onto the floor and headed toward Hiiragi-san.
"Phew... Alright, time to get to work."
I looked around at the five explorers and pulled out a stack of recovery potions from Spatial Storage.