That day, a certain video was uploaded to a famous video-sharing site. It had a simple title: "Incredible Talents at a Sports Festival!" Since it wasn't posted by a particularly famous creator, the view count was sluggish at first... but just a few short hours later, the numbers surged past five digits. The catalyst was a wave of viewers sharing the link on social media, accompanied by stunned reactions.
And I was one of those people currently staring at my screen.
"Man, these guys are something else..."
The quality was poor and the camera shake was terrible, likely filmed on a smartphone by an amateur, but the prowess of the people in the video came through loud and clear. The distance between the person filming and the performers was too great to make out their faces, but that actually made the overall flow of the demonstration easier to grasp. It featured hand-to-hand combat where three individuals clashed in a dizzying blur, constantly switching positions at high speeds. Only the muffled noise of the surrounding audience came through the speakers, but the intensity was such that I could almost hear the impact of their fists just by watching.
Then, about halfway through the video, their movements shifted. Assistants standing on the sidelines threw weapons into the fray.
"What!?"
Seeing them take up arms, I let out a cry of surprise. Their performance with weapons was even more intense than the unarmed combat. Every time they swung a sword or a spear, the clouds of dust kicked up by their high-speed movements were pierced or sliced through, leaving visible gaps in the air.
...What kind of battle manga reenactment is this?
"..."
After finishing the dense video, which lasted less than ten minutes, I found myself unconsciously staring up at the ceiling.
After a long silence, I returned my gaze to the monitor and skimmed the comments section. Viewers had left a wide range of reactions. "No way, these guys are high schoolers!? How can kids move like that?" said one person, doubting the video's authenticity. Others were more cynical: "Oh, we have those at my school too. Explorers who go all out just to show off at events."
"Honestly, explorers... A year ago, I would've assumed this was all camera tricks."
I muttered to myself in agreement with some of the comments while checking the related videos. Several other sports festival clips were highlighted there. There were videos of students sprinting down a track so fast it looked like fast-forward playback, and acrobatic cheering competitions where cheer squad members flew through the air as if gravity didn't apply to them.
"The world has certainly become an entertaining place since the dungeons appeared..."
Wearing a cynical smile at the state of the world, I clicked on another video out of a sense of morbid curiosity.
While I was processing paperwork in the Director’s office, there was a knock at the door.
"...Who is it?"
"It's Wakita. I've come to report on the field investigation."
"I see. Come in."
"Excuse me."
As soon as I gave permission, the door opened and Chief Wakita entered, accompanied by a young man. If I recalled correctly, he was Muroi-kun from the Investigation Division, who had assisted with the field work.
I set the documents I had been processing to the side of my desk and prepared to hear their report.
"Thank you both for your hard work."
"Thank you, Director. Before I get into the details, please take a look at this. Muroi-kun."
"Yes, ma'am."
Prompted by Chief Wakita, Muroi-kun placed a tablet on the desk and started a video.
After watching the footage, which lasted less than ten minutes, I let out a sigh of admiration and looked up at the two men.
"That was a magnificent demonstration..."
"Yes. Certainly, a high-level explorer could replicate these movements, but for high school students to achieve this level of technical perfection... it is remarkable."
Even to the trained eyes of the Investigation Division, their performance was clearly exceptional.
"I agree. I’ve seen plenty of explorers in action, but I’ve rarely seen someone move with this level of grace."
"Exactly. Most high-level explorers who lack a background in martial arts move quite crudely. They're often jerked around by the physical abilities they gain through a level up because their mental image of body control hasn't caught up. However..."
"In their movements, there isn't a hint of that clumsiness. They aren't being overwhelmed by their own strength at all."
Compared to the explorers I’ve seen, they seemed on par with the top-tier squads of the Self-Defense Forces Dungeon Capture Force.
"Yes. You cannot move like that without a perfect understanding of your own body. For proof, look at the very end... right here."
Muroi-kun paused the video at the moment the swords and spears shattered during their final clash.
I hadn't noticed while I was caught up in the performance, but looking closely now, I realized those were wooden mock swords.
"As you can see, they were using wooden mock swords, not blunted metal. Normally, if you swung wood at those speeds, the air resistance alone would snap the blade before it even hit anything. The fact that they didn't break until the final impact is proof that they were holding back—adjusting their strength so as not to strain the fragile wood. It's a feat that's virtually impossible without extraordinary body control."
"So they were holding back, were they...?"
I played the video again, keeping Muroi-kun's explanation in mind. Now that he had pointed it out, I could see subtle, deliberate adjustments in their fluid motions. Those were likely the moments where they were protecting the integrity of the mock swords.
However...
"Is such a thing really possible for mere high schoolers?"
"It shouldn't be. Usually, when someone their age gets the power of an explorer, they rely entirely on brute force. In fact, most student explorers—save for a few exceptions—are just amateurs riding on their skills and physical stats. I've looked at their files; it appears they have a very excellent instructor."
"An instructor... Come to think of it, one of them comes from a family of martial artists, don't they?"
"Yes. This boy's family."
Muroi-kun paused the video and displayed Yuji Hirose's investigation file.
"A classical martial arts dojo... so they're the practical type."
"Yes. A brief investigation suggests that the man who likely trained them is quite the figure. He's retired from the front lines now, but he's apparently famous as a master in those circles."
"I see... Perhaps because they were taught by someone like that, they didn't fall into the trap of relying on raw power like other student explorers."
"Most likely."
I had read the previous report, but seeing them in motion left a completely different impression. Muroi-kun's commentary only drove home just how exceptional and unique they were.
They were exactly the kind of talent I wanted for our branch.
"...Chief Wakita."
"Yes?"
"I'd like you to conduct an additional investigation. I definitely want to bring them on board."
"You mean... you intend to scout them?"
"Yes. Can I leave that to you?"
"Understood. I will arrange the personnel."
Chief Wakita nodded, accepting the assignment. Since the work so far had only been preliminary, we would need formal documentation to convince the HR department to extend an official offer.
But...
"Muroi-kun, what are the chances of this footage leaking further?"
"High. This was filmed at a public sports festival, so it's only a matter of time before more angles show up online."
"I thought as much. Chief Wakita, please have that report ready as soon as possible. If we don't move fast, a private company might see this and snap them up before we can."
"Understood. I'll have the report on your desk as quickly as possible."
Once the details were settled, Chief Wakita and Muroi-kun left the room. Now, all I could do was hope the scouting process went smoothly.
Inside a private room at a karaoke box, several students sat in heavy silence. They weren't singing; they were just staring gloomily at the floor. The only sound was the faint thumping of music from the neighboring rooms. After a few minutes, a staff member arrived with the drinks they had ordered at the front desk. The employee flinched at the oppressive atmosphere in the room but quickly forced a professional smile, set the glasses down, and hurried out.
And then...
"...Hey, what are we going to do? Honestly, we're in deep trouble here..."
One of the students finally spoke up, his voice trembling with anxiety.
"I mean... what can we do?"
"Yeah. There's basically no way out of this."
"Even the guys we used to hang out with in class started keeping their distance yesterday."
"We spent so much money treating those guys, and they turned their backs on us the second things went south."
The responses were filled with exhaustion and despair. No one knew how to fix the situation. In just one day, the influence they had enjoyed over the class had vanished.
"Even Goto hasn't shown up to any meetings since he told us to leave those guys alone. He keeps making up excuses..."
"I've never seen him like that. He was totally spooked."
"Yeah. He tried to act like it was nothing, but he was shaken. He was genuinely afraid of them."
Silence fell over the room again, but it was soon shattered by a sudden outburst of resentment. One of the boys slammed his fist onto his knee.
"God damn it! This is all their fault! If those guys hadn't stuck their noses in, we wouldn't be dealing with any of this!"
"Yeah! Screw them..."
"I bet they were laughing at us the whole time! Just watching us rule the class and mocking us behind our backs!"
"Definitely. Why else would they pull a stunt like that right now?"
"Crap... they made total fools of us..."
Their angry shouts echoed within the small, soundproofed room. Since no one outside could hear them, they spent the next several minutes venting every bitter thought they had. Once they had spat out their grievances, they gulped down their drinks to soothe their parched throats.
"...Phew."
The outburst seemed to have cleared their heads slightly. They leaned in, their voices much calmer than before.
"Look, we have to figure out our next move."
"Right. But after seeing what happened at the festival, I get why Goto told us not to touch them."
"Yeah. If it were just them, maybe we could have handled it with a little pressure, but..."
"No way. Their backing is way too dangerous. We can't pick a fight when we know that is supporting them."
"Exactly. If they've got that behind them..."
They racked their brains for a way to reclaim their status, but the perceived "backing" of Yuji's group was a massive hurdle. Even if they tried to bring their old lackeys back into the fold, those people wouldn't return easily after having already defected. And if they used force and the victims went to Yuji's group for help, it would lead to a direct confrontation with a superior force.
Picking a fight with an explorer you know is stronger than you—without a plan—was nothing short of suicide.
"So... we're at a total impasse."
The room was filled with the sound of dejected sighs. But just as they were about to give up, a phone rang. The owner of the phone reached for it sluggishly and answered without checking the caller ID.
"...Hello?...Wait, what? Y-Yes! Yes, sir! Absolutely!!"
As the conversation continued, the boy's face lit up with excitement. The others exchanged confused looks, watching him with growing curiosity.
Finally, the call ended.
"Hey, guys! Good news! We might actually have a way out of this!"
He was practically vibrating with joy. Though bewildered by his sudden shift in mood, the others leaned in to listen.
A few moments later, they were all wearing the same expression—a mixture of delight and malice, their eyes shining with a dark, renewed hope.