Warning: Contains graphic content
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◇ Eighth Floor, Safe Area◇
When I woke up, Touka had taken over from Hikari.
「Touka? Good morning…」
「Y-Yeah! Good morning!」
When I patted her head and thanked her, her face turned bright red.
「Alright, I’m feeling better after that nap. Let’s get going.」
I checked my gear and finished getting ready.
◇ Ninth Floor ◇
The ninth floor only had a corridor and a large chamber.
「Detection… Looks like there’s nothing on this floor.」
I relayed the info to Ootori-san, who had come up to the front lines. She said we’d go check the chamber first, then investigate the room from earlier.
But the moment we stepped into the chamber, I felt something off.
「Detection, enemies incoming! Stay alert!!!」
Right after everyone entered the chamber, monsters began pouring in from the staircase that led to the floor below.
「Shit! This many, from the front!?」
One of the front-line elites cursed.
But something was wrong. Were the monsters… running from something? No, they were panicked. Confused. Wait, this is…
「Yuuki, something’s not right… The monsters’ movements are really erratic.」
A massive swarm was coming through, and they were in a frenzy. A ‘Stampede’.
It was a phenomenon I’d encountered once in the other world, tens of thousands of monsters rushing in a panic. The damage had been catastrophic, small villages along the route were wiped out, we built a line of defense at a fortress, used weapons, launched grand magic day and night, flooded and burned their paths, cut off their supplies, and still only barely held them off with reinforcements from other nations. That’s how bad it was.
「We need to retreat, this is bad…」
The moment I turned to give the retreat order, a thunderous crash rang out. The ceiling collapsed, and a mass of monsters rained down directly onto the middle ranks.
「What the hell!? How can there be this many!?」
「Impossible! That many monsters!?」
「Help, help m….ggh, 」
「Aaaahhhhhh!!!」
Hell erupted in an instant. Monsters fell from the collapsed ceiling section in a huge wave. Several explorers were crushed or instantly killed. Others were badly injured.
Some were swallowed up by the oncoming tide of monsters.
「Haruka! Hold the front! Touka, intercept any that slip through!」
「Leave it to me!」
「Got it!」
「I’m healing! Cover me!」
I took down the monsters that had fallen near the other explorers and healed only those who were still alive.
「Thanks…」
「You saved me…」
「I thought I was gonna die…」
「Alright, I’m heading back to the front. If you’re still able, please collect the belongings of those who didn’t make it. We’re going to retreat.」
「…Got it.」
I returned to the front lines to support Haruka.
「Haruka, what’s the situation?」
「They just keep pouring in, from that hole and from the staircase to the lower floor.」
「Touka! That hole where they’re coming out of, can you collapse the top of it somehow?」
「I’ll try!」
Touka’s attack struck the upper part of the hole, causing it to collapse and burying a good number of monsters beneath the rubble.
「Nice work! That was great, Touka!」
「Hehe~ Feel free to praise me more, you know!」
「Alright, alright, you did amazing~」
I ruffled Touka’s hair as I praised her. While I was doing that, Hikari returned after finishing off the enemies.
「Yuuki, I think we’re about to hit our limit holding this place. I can’t use any big spells either, it’s too risky with the ceiling like that.」
「Got it. Ootori-san’s the leader here, so I’ll talk to her first.」
「Thanks.」
With that, Hikari headed back and resumed blasting away with magic.
Right after I finished talking with her, Ootori-san came over.
「Yuuki-san, what do you want to do in this situation? I think we should retreat…」
「Same here. I think it’s best we pull back. With how things are, Hikari and I can’t fight seriously without more room… and the ceiling could collapse.」
「Agreed.」
「I’ll go spread the word.」
「We’re retreating! Hikari, Haruka, Touka, and Kagurazaka-san, have the rest of the Kagura team secure our escape route!」
「Got it… Yuuki, don’t die, okay…」
Hikari rushed over and kissed me.
「I’ll be fine. I’m counting on you to take care of the others.」
「Those of you staying with Yuuki-san, form up with him. Everyone else, follow the Kagura team and begin the withdrawal!」
As that order was given, Haruka approached.
「Yuuki-san! Um…」
「I’ll give you a reward when we get back.」
I said as I patted her head.
「Touka too, okay!」
With that, everyone gathered and began heading back the way we came.
「Alright… looks like it’s just us now.」
Thirty minutes later, the remaining few explorers who stayed with me began the retreat.
「O my magic! Great masses of stone, bring death’s judgment upon these fools, ‘Break Down’!」
I summoned massive rocks in midair, shattered them, and slammed the debris down. Monster screams echoed as dust clouds rose.
「Let’s go, everyone! Time to get out of here!」
Just as I turned around, Kagurazaka-san was standing right in front of me.
The next moment, with a thunderous crash, both our bodies were impaled.
◇ Hisazumi’s POV ◇
「Hahaha! I did it! I finally did it! I killed that eyesore piece of trash! With that many monsters, I didn’t even have to get my hands dirty!」
I broke into a run, glancing at the collapsed dungeon stairs.
「Now Rina and Hikari are mine!」
The moment that trash Yuuki put his lips on what belonged to me, I almost killed him right then and there. I really held myself back, huh? Hahaha!
I’ll just overwrite that later… The memory alone makes my skin crawl.
Ah, right… there were those three annoying brats too. Just like all those worthless girls, if I act sweet, they’ll open their legs for me in no time! Man, I can’t wait…
Well, not getting Kagurazaka was unexpected… but whatever.
Just thinking about what comes next makes me grin uncontrollably.
I took down any goblins or kobolds in my escape path as I headed for the exit.
I collapsed the moment I got out of the dungeon, gasping for breath. That’s when Rina and the others ran over.
「Where’s Yuuki? Where is he!?」
「Hisazumi-san, what about Kagurazaka-san!?」
「Sorry, Hikari, Rina… Kaminagi and Rinka… they were swallowed by the monster horde…」
「No…」
Hikari dropped to her knees and wailed in despair at those words.
(Oh come on, no need to cry, I’ll be right here to comfort you, hehe.)
「Hikari… we don’t have time to grieve. A Stampede’s coming! Everyone, get up!」
At that voice, Hikari, the others who had been hanging their heads, and the Kagura group all rose to their feet.
Man, I’m a damn genius actor! I should be winning best actor awards for this performance!
Everyone readied their weapons and turned back toward the dungeon entrance.
But even after an hour passed… no Stampede ever came.
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