「So, what are you doing here, Hi?」
Hime questioned her half-oneesan.
Hi-san hadn’t been able to order any food, but she’d gotten permission to use a seat. Now she was sipping canned coffee she’d bought from the vending machine corner as she answered.
For the record, she hadn’t known how to open the pull-tab, so Akashi Kimiyo-san had mysteriously appeared out of nowhere and opened it for her.
「Why, I’m here to scout the dungeon we’ll be exploring, of course.」
At her words—and a snap of her fingers—two muscular men in suits and sunglasses appeared.
Right, they’d been with her at the Shirahama Dungeon too.
So she’s still fighting with the same party.
Naturally, these two were hand-picked by Hi-san, and it turns out they were both classified as Sharp Abnormals.
Tachibana Gouki—attack.
Tachibana Jouki—dex.
They looked like a pair of Terminators, but both were fourth-years at the University of Tokyo, just like Hi-san, and both were Level 83.
If they’d actually attacked me back at the Shirahama Dungeon, I might not have stood a chance.
Akashi-san is Level 54, and Hi-san is Level 55.
Even though they started dungeon diving nearly a year earlier than Hime, the fact that they reached these levels without using PDs is seriously impressive.
She’s clearly hard-working—and probably gifted too.
She might be an even more sheltered and tsundere-ojousama type than Hime, but still, she is King-san’s daughter.
『Why is Hi-san even coming to the Lake Biwa Dungeon?』
I asked via telepathy.
『Because she’s a full member of Tenka Musou too. We want her gaining experience here so when a Black Dungeon appears, she can handle the shallow floors.』
『Fighting one monster on the 40th floor is more efficient than defeating hundreds on the shallower floors, right?』
『True, but if you kill enough monsters in the shallow floors—like a thousand—it’s about the same as beating a few on the 40th.』
Makes sense in theory.
Still, I wish we had some stronger people around.
Levels 50 and 80 are considered powerful by normal standards, but in our world, that’s just average.
Ideally, we’d have people capable of handling floors below the 20th.
「Hey, you! What are you doing making goo-goo eyes at my little sister!?」
Hi-san snapped at me.
「Hi, if you keep being loud, they’re going to kick you out of the restaurant.」
Hime spoke up as she picked at her salad.
Knowing full well they were uninvited guests after closing time, Hi-san kept quiet and sipped her coffee—clearly aware she’d be in trouble if they were asked to leave.
「It’s not just Hi and her party. This time, we’ll need all of Tenka Musou mobilized.」
「Other Tenka Musou members besides Hi-san?」
「That must mean—」
Milk and Ayame both tilted their heads in thought.
Yeah, it was the former members of White Keeper.
After the incident involving Saijo Tora-san, the EPO corporation was dissolved, and our group had taken in the remaining members.
Right—those guys would be able to fight below the 20th floor.
Just as that thought crossed my mind—he appeared.
「—You’re…!?」
「Hey, it’s been a while, Ichino-kun.」
「Saijo-san!?」
There stood the silver-haired nobleman looking guy—Saijo Tora, former chairman of the EPO group White Keeper and a core member of the party with the same name.
The last time I’d seen him, he’d looked frail and worn from his time in the hospital, but now he was back to the dignified figure I’d first met. Just like before—
「Saijo-san, that glove—! Don’t tell me—」
「Ah, this is a glove that boosts my magic.」
He removed the pure-white glove from his right hand and showed it to me.
【White Glove: Increases the power of light-element magic】
Looks like it’s not a Monster of Apocalypse.
「Saijo-san, did you join Tenka Musou?」
「Yeah. Honestly, I was planning to start over from scratch, on my own…」
「No way, Saijo-san! You’re the only leader for us!」
「There is no other leader but Saijo-san!」
「That’s right. I don’t know all the details of what happened, but Saijo-san helped us so many times. Now it’s our turn to support him! Let’s make the Tokyo Branch great together!」
「Everyone… thank you!」
The ex-members of White Keeper clasped hands with Saijo-san in an emotional reunion, like something straight out of a coming-of-age manga.
Kind of heartwarming, actually.
「“There’s no leader but Saijo Tora”, huh… I am the chairwoman, you know.」
「And I am the head of the Tokyo branch…」
The Oshino sisters muttered their complaints.
And thus, Saijo Tora officially joined Tenka Musou.
「Um, sorry, but we’re closing soon. Please finish up and head out.」
-0-
Tenka Musou Combat Members
Osaka HQ – Team Messiah:
– Ichino Taira
– Oshino Hime
– Azuma Ayame
– Makino Milk
Tokyo Branch – Team Muteki:
– Oshino Hi
– Akashi Kimiyo
– Tachibana Gouki
– Tachibana Jouki
Tokyo Branch – Team White One to White Three:
– Saijo Tora
– 11 additional members
Total Combat Personnel: 20
Additionally, Mizuno Mai, Kurumizato Karen, and Akashi Shoujou are employed as full members but are non-combatants.
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