The moment we laid eyes on the ogre, we sprang into action.
Yuji readied his weapons, keeping a wary eye on the ogre’s every move. I quickly performed an Appraisal Analysis of the room to check for traps, while Hiiragi-san scattered a handful of chemical lights she had prepared, securing our light source.
The chemical lights bathed the chamber in a dim glow, revealing its layout. It was roughly the size of a school gymnasium—about two mini-basketball courts—and the high ceiling prevented it from feeling cramped.
"Yuji, Hiiragi-san. For now, it doesn't look like there are any traps in the room. We’ll need to stay alert in case more monsters spawn during the fight, but I think we’re safe for the moment."
I relayed the results of my Appraisal Analysis before the ogre could make its move. Since there were no traps to be found, it seemed the dungeon expected us to face the boss head-on.
"I've finished with the chemical lights. They’ll only last for about fifteen minutes, though. It looks safe enough to set up the floodlights... give me a second."
Having secured a temporary light source, Hiiragi-san decided there was enough of a lull to set up her battery-powered LED floodlights. She began positioning them near the entrance.
"Roger that. No movement from the ogre yet. It might be programmed to stay idle until we get within a certain distance or land a preemptive strike."
Yuji watched the ogre, which remained eerily still despite our intrusion. He voiced a few theories with a skeptical frown.
"In that case, let’s close the distance together once Hiiragi-san is ready."
"Got it. I’ll keep watch."
"Thanks... Hiiragi-san?"
"Almost... and done. Turning them on now."
Hiiragi-san finished setting up the four floodlights and flipped the switches. Brilliant white light flooded the room.
At the far end of the stone chamber, positioned behind the ogre, stood a set of massive double doors identical to the ones we had entered through. The stairs leading to the 30th floor were likely behind them. There was no way to reach the next floor without going through the ogre.
"It seems the dungeon won't let us proceed unless we kill that thing."
"Yeah. Well, we came here to kill it anyway, so no complaints here."
"I suppose so. But does this mean we have to defeat this ogre every time we want to dive to the 30th floor?"
"Hmm, I wonder. There's usually some kind of shortcut or bypass, but..."
If Hiiragi-san was right, it was going to be a massive pain in the neck.
"Maybe it'll drop a transit permit or something when it dies?"
"That sounds like something straight out of a video game."
"Doesn't it, though?"
Yuji and I exchanged light banter while keeping our eyes glued to the ogre.
"Well, we’ll find out soon enough. Are you both ready?"
"Yeah."
"I'm ready."
"Then let’s go."
We closed the distance, weapons drawn and senses sharp.
When we reached the halfway point of the room, the ogre finally reacted.
Ignoring us, it tilted its head back toward the ceiling and let out a deafening Roar. The sound echoed violently through the chamber, the sheer volume making our eardrums vibrate and our faces twist in grimaces.
"Damned racket!"
"Is it trying to intimidate us!?"
"Why wait until we're this close? If it wanted to scare us, it should've done that when we walked in!"
"Don't tell me! Tell him!"
The ogre’s Roar dragged on.
I was just starting to think its behavior was strange when Hiiragi-san pointed at the monster's feet.
"Look! At its feet!"
"!?"
Two shapes resembling the heads of monsters were emerging from the floor on either side of the ogre.
"A summoning!?"
"Those heads... they’re big bears!"
"This ogre has a summoning skill!"
As we shouted in surprise, the big bears fully materialized from the stone floor. They let out their own roars, announcing their arrival.
"What a troublesome skill to have..."
"Does that mean it’ll just keep spawning them until we kill it?"
"There’s probably a limit, but it’s a nuisance regardless."
While we had considered this possibility, the sudden increase in numbers put us on edge. The big bears flanked the ogre like loyal guardians, growling at us with bared teeth. The ogre acted as if their presence was the most natural thing in the world.
"They might be different species, but their coordination looks solid."
"It would be easier if they turned on each other, but I guess we aren't that lucky..."
My faint hope for infighting was crushed instantly.
The ogre stopped roaring and raised its metal club high above its head.
"Here it comes!"
Yuji’s warning was sharp. A split second later, the ogre swung the club down toward us.
As if on cue, the big bears lunged. Their targets were Yuji and Hiiragi-san. Because of our formation, the two of them—positioned in the vanguard and mid-guard—were the obvious prey.
"Yuji! Hiiragi-san!"
"I've got this! Daiki, handle the ogre!"
"Kokonoe-kun, leave these to us!"
"Wait, guys!"
True to form, the two of them split off to the left and right to engage the bears.
This is bad... we’re in a boss fight, and we’ve let the enemy split our forces right out of the gate.
"...They make it sound so easy."
Since we rarely needed tight coordination for normal monsters, they had naturally defaulted to solo combat. It was a dangerous habit. We could handle ourselves individually for now, but as we went deeper, this would become a critical flaw. It was definitely an area that needed improvement.
I pushed those thoughts aside as I watched the ogre approach with its club raised.
I side-stepped to the left, putting distance between myself and Daiki to face the big bear charging at me.
I'd thought the same thing when we fought one on the 25th floor, but these things were massive. They were easily the size of the polar bears I'd seen at the aquarium years ago.
The big bear positioned itself between me and Daiki and came to a halt.
"So, the initial charge was just to divide and conquer..."
These things were smarter than they looked.
I tested it with a probing attack, but it dodged with a wide leap. When I tried to move past it to help Daiki, it immediately closed the gap. It wasn't rushing for a kill; it was focused entirely on keeping us separated so the ogre—the strongest among them—could take us out one by one.
Against a normal explorer party, this would have been checkmate.
"Too bad for them we aren't a normal party."
I flicked a glance toward Daiki. He was dodging the ogre’s strikes with effortless grace. The monsters’ plan was likely to have the ogre crush the "defenseless" rear-guard once the protectors were occupied, creating a two-on-one advantage... but they had picked the wrong target.
Actually, isn't this boss fight's difficulty a bit absurd? At the very least, every member of the party is expected to be strong enough to either stall an ogre or solo a big bear.
"Well, I'll worry about that later."
I focused on the bear in front of me. It would be pathetic to get injured here because I lost my concentration.
"Still, fighting an enemy that won't commit is a pain."
I’d thrown out several feints, but the bear dodged them all, preventing my blades from drawing blood. If it would just attack, I could time a counter...
"Fine. I'll make the first move!"
Realizing that playing it safe was getting me nowhere, I threw my weight into my legs and lunged. I closed into weapon range and swung Shigure in an upward arc, aiming for the bear's throat.
The bear countered my sudden approach with a head-on tackle.
"Whoops!"
I used the hilt of Shigure to strike the side of the bear’s face, parrying the force of its charge. As its path shifted ever so slightly, I thrust Murasame into the opening created by its own momentum.
I felt the resistance of flesh as the blade sank deep into its neck. Then, the resistance vanished as the tip burst through the other side.
"Hah!"
Before it could retaliate, I twisted the blade and ripped Murasame free, leaping back to a safe distance. The big bear stumbled toward me, blood geysering from its neck, but it only managed a few steps before its massive frame crashed to the floor.
I watched it for a few seconds to make sure it stayed down before letting out a breath.
"Phew... that was more work than it should've been. Now, how are Daiki and Hiiragi-san...?"
With weapons still in hand, I looked around. Hiiragi-san had already finished her bear and was watching Daiki, who was currently lining up a killing blow on the ogre.
I messed up.
That was the first thought that crossed my mind the moment I side-stepped to the right to engage the big bear. I’d fallen for their bait and allowed the party to be split.
"A typical party would be facing a total wipeout right now."
I leveled my spear at the bear standing between me and Kokonoe-kun, frustrated by my own blunder. I hadn't panicked, but I had completely forgotten the option of working together to take the bears down. If we couldn't prioritize coordination even in a boss battle, we were failing as a party.
As a result, we were all stuck in individual duels.
"This is definitely something we need to fix. We have to break these habits early..."
A sigh nearly escaped me, but I swallowed it. I couldn't afford to lose my focus with a monster right in front of me.
"...I'm sorry, but you’re about to become my stress relief."
I decided to vent my irritation on the bear.
I readied my spear and charged, activating a spell I’d prepared.
"Air Ball!"
I fired the condensed mass of air at the bear. It leaped to the side to avoid the projectile, but its posture broke slightly upon landing. I didn't miss the opening. I thrust Isuzu toward its slightly parted jaws. It was a strike delivered with all my frustration and none of my restraint. The big bear didn't even have time to react.
The spearhead entered its mouth and pierced straight through the back of its skull.
"Sorry, but I don't have time to waste on you."
I spoke to the bear as the light faded from its eyes, then wrenched Isuzu free. The beast collapsed with a heavy thud, blood pooling beneath its head.
I held my stance for a moment, then scanned the room.
"Hirose-kun is... still fighting."
Unlike me, Yuji was taking a more methodical approach, observing his opponent's habits. He didn't seem to be in any trouble, so I turned my attention to Kokonoe-kun.
"Actually, he doesn't seem to need my help either."
Kokonoe-kun was dodging the ogre’s relentless club swings with ease, clearly waiting for the perfect moment to end it. He would likely win even if I stayed back and watched, but it felt wrong to do nothing.
I moved closer, careful not to get in his way, and called out.
"Kokonoe-kun, I’m providing support! Finish it!"
"Wait, Hiiragi-san!?"
"Air Cutter!"
I aimed for the ogre’s arm—the one gripping the club—and unleashed the blade of wind.
The ogre intercepted the spell with its club, but that was a fatal mistake with Kokonoe-kun right in front of it. The moment the monster swung its club to parry my magic, Kokonoe-kun’s Shiranui flashed toward its throat.
Vertical, horizontal, diagonal... the ogre’s club whistled through the air in a relentless sequence. The sound of the heavy metal cutting the wind right next to my ears was chilling.
"..."
I focused on the ogre’s movements while I dodged.
The sheer strength required to swing that massive club like a twig was terrifying. Its armor was basic, but the heavy use of metal plates suggested high durability. Combined with the ogre’s natural toughness, a shallow strike wouldn't do a thing.
So far, it hadn't shown any special abilities beyond summoning, but it was too early to let my guard down.
"...The neck is the only sure way."
Since I didn't know how strong the armor was, I needed to aim for the gaps. Luckily, it wasn't full plate. There was a neck guard, but if I angled my blade upward from beneath the chin, I could bypass it.
"I just need an opening..."
The ogre showed no signs of tiring, swinging that club with mechanical precision. Just how much stamina did this thing have?
I dodged a follow-up kick and waited for my moment, when Hiiragi-san’s voice rang out.
"Kokonoe-kun, I’m providing support! Finish it!"
"Wait, Hiiragi-san!?"
She didn't give me much of a choice. My surprise threw my evasion off by a fraction, and the ogre’s club grazed my side.
"Air Cutter!"
A blade of wind tore through the air.
I shifted my weight, clearing the path for the spell. The ogre noticed the incoming magic and swung its club to intercept it.
Now!
I drove Shiranui toward the ogre’s throat. Because of the height difference, the strike naturally became an upward slash—perfect for bypassing the guard. The blade passed just beneath the monster's chin and bit deep into its neck. With a surge of strength, I pulled the sword through.
"Whoops!"
As I finished the swing, I kicked off the ogre’s chest, using the recoil to leap back.
"...I managed to dodge the blood spray this time, at least."
I watched the ogre collapse into a growing pool of crimson and let out a long sigh, feeling the tension drain out of me.
For our first boss battle, I suppose that was a passing grade—barely.
Even when you're conscious of teamwork, you can't just pull it off in the heat of the moment without practice. In the end, the boss fight was just three separate duels. We definitely need more training.