「Are you that surprised we made it this far?」
「Of course. This dungeon’s difficulty is immense. Up to the eighth floor, it’s equivalent to the twentieth floor of the Danpon dungeons. And the final boss is on par with a thirtieth-floor monster. You all have been exploring this dungeon for less than half a year; that boss wasn’t one you should have been able to defeat, let alone one you were meant to.」
I nodded. A thirtieth-floor monster—no wonder it was so strong.
Even with all the training we did in PD, without the skill Kinshitsu Souwa, it would’ve been a close call.
「We prepared fifty of these so-called ‘black dungeons’—or ‘Black Boxes’ as they call them in America. Out of those, I expected only about ten to be cleared. I figured we’d see a glimpse of talent, then set a new date for you to try again. To clear it on the first attempt? That was unexpected.」
What would’ve happened if we hadn’t shown any talent?
I heard that monsters have appeared near some black dungeons.
I guess that’s the answer.
For Danpol, this wasn’t about win or lose; it was about displaying talent or failing to do so. It was a rigged event, meant for us to lose.
I knew something felt off.
The Tengu didn’t seem like he intended to kill us.
It was his way of sending a message: ‘You have the talent, now go and grow stronger.’
We managed to turn a lose event into a victory by using PD training and Kinshitsu Souwa.
「Once again, congratulations.」
Danpol said, clapping.
How he managed to make clapping sounds without arms or hands was beyond me.
「So why are you here? If you’re waiting for me to kill you, I’d be happy to oblige.」
Hime snapped, brandishing her kunai.
She had been irritated with him from the start.
「Like I said, this is a game. And in games, the victor deserves a reward.」
「A reward?」
「Yes. I’m here to grant your wish.」
「Oh yeah? So if we ask for half the world, you’ll hand it over?」
「Haha, you’ve got quite the sense of humor. But the world belongs to no one, not now, not ever.」
Danpol, supposedly here to conquer this world, had the audacity to speak of common sense.
It pissed me off.
So what was he actually offering?
「Isn’t this what you’re after?」
From nowhere, Danpol produced a small vial.
I appraised it at once.
[Saint’s Elixir: A potion capable of curing any curse or disease instantly. It has no effect on the dead.]
No way.
「This… this is the Saint’s Elixir.」
「「—!?」」
Milk and Ayame’s faces turned pale.
Hime, on the other hand, looked like she just bit a bitter bug.
「So you know everything about our situation…」
Danpol used his telekinesis to float the vial in front of me.
「Why me?」
「You’re the MVP this time. That final strike was exceptional.」
It annoyed me to play into his hands, but I had to admit this was valuable.
I stored the Saint’s Elixir in my inventory.
「How about another one? We risked our lives for this. One vial doesn’t feel like enough.」
With just this one, I couldn’t lift the curses on both Gyuuzou-san and Ayame.
「That’s not possible. You’ll have to acquire it yourself. Considering you’ve defeated Zenkibo, I’m sure you’ll manage it someday.」
It’s impossible after all.
But since I’ve already obtained a Hero’s Elixir, maybe we really would find another someday.
「In exchange, I’ll answer one question—anything you want to know. However, this information is for you only. I’ll cast a charm that prevents you from revealing it to anyone else.」
One question? Anything?
I considered asking Danpol directly about his true objective, but that felt too predictable.
Maybe something more practical, like the exact location of another Saint’s Elixir—though if he sent us to a dungeon’s 100th floor in Africa, that wouldn’t help much.
I turned to Hime, seeking her guidance.
「Hime, can I leave this to you?」
The question was aimed at Milk and Ayame, not her.
Both nodded.
「Are you sure?」
「Yeah. This involves your father, right? You should be the one to ask.」
She nodded back at me.
Sheathing her kunai, Hime stepped forward and confronted Danpol.
「Tell me… what is my Daddy’s—King Campbell’s—true objective?」
There was no hesitation.
This had been weighing on her mind.
「His goal is to reach another world—our world, where we were born.」
—What?!
His answer was completely unexpected.
Danpol’s world?
「Another world? How does he plan to get there?」
「I said I’d answer one question. No more.」
「If you don’t tell me, I’ll make you!」
Hime threatened, her voice sharp. But Danpol merely shook his head.
「I can’t give you another bottle of Elixir for the same reason. My resources are nearing their limit.」
Cracks began to form on Danpol’s body, fragments breaking away to reveal an empty shell.
「Are you dying?」
「Yes. I am the dungeon’s overseer. Now that my role is coming to an end, I can’t continue to exist. After all, I am just an offshoot created by the original. But don’t look so grim—remember, in this game, I was your enemy. You should be glad to see me perish, especially since it aligns with the wishes of King’s daughter, does it not?」
Danpol, still smirking, glanced up at the ceiling.
「The reason I built a dungeon in an amusement park is because this place was meant for fun. I wanted to play with you all here. I said you were disappointing, but the truth is, you surpassed my expectations. So if this is how I meet my end, I have no regrets.」
Another chunk of Danpol’s face, this time from the right side, crumbled away.
「With my last bit of energy, let me leave you with one final message—all dungeons are connected as one. My dungeon, Danpon’s dungeon… They are all part of the same whole. Therefore, you must—」
Danpol’s body shattered completely.
Until the very end, he was smiling—a bright, carefree expression, as if he had not a single regret.
—Aim for the deepest depths of the dungeons.
His final words echoed through the collapsing dungeon as his body turned to dust.
「I didn’t even get to punish him with Balsamic Vinegar.」
Hime muttered.
There was no emotion behind her words.
She didn’t know how to process her feelings, either.
-0-
And with Danpol gone, the black skull before us began to break apart as well.
The ground started to shake—the dungeon was collapsing.
Our bodies began to glow, and then—
-0-
Outside, the sky had already fallen into night.
Given our cautious approach with extended breaks, it wasn’t surprising it had gotten so late.
Applause filled the air—a chorus of claps and cheers from the gathered crowd.
Smiling, the JSDF members welcomed us back, and Kuro jumped toward me.
「Thanks for holding down the fort, Kuro.」
After Kuro enthusiastically licked my face, I patted his head.
No one’s suspicious of you?
Good boy. Thanks for keeping watch.
Holding Kuro in my arms, I walked through the sea of JSDF personnel until I reached Minister Uematsu.
「You’ve done well. The dungeon has been confirmed to have collapsed. Now, look over there.」
I followed Minister Uematsu’s gaze, and at that exact moment, the surrounding lights went out. Yet, it wasn’t dark at all.
Because before us lay Osaka’s nightscape—streets glittering like scattered jewels, illuminating the city as if celebrating our victory.
「…It’s beautiful.」
I don’t know who said it, but at that moment, we all felt the same.
「This is the scenery you protected.」
The scenery we protected…
We will never forget this sight.
「How about it? We’re planning a small victory celebration. Would you care to join us?」
We exchanged glances and nodded.
「As long as it’s not curry, we’d be delighted to join.」
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