Episode 62: [Two Parties’ Perspective] Holy Lance, One Flash
☆★☆【Side: First Penguins】☆★☆
《Are you responsible for the Ghost Knights appearing? Answer me!》
《Reported you for now.》
“Kuh…”
The comments from those late majority scumbags, who can only imitate others, were increasing.
For now, I’m ignoring them and trying to let it pass, but if this continues, their numbers will just keep growing.
Those fools who don’t know their place.
This is all Ibuki’s fault.
“…What?”
When I glared at Ibuki, a cold gaze returned.
For someone so incompetent.
Ibuki had said.
“This crystal will turn into mana and disappear three minutes after use. In other words, the evidence will vanish while they’re busy fighting the Ghost Knights.”
But what actually happened?
Those guys dealt with the Ghost Knights in about a minute, and to top it all off, they broadcast the Sealing Crystal nationwide with a drone.
The result is all these troll comments.
True, when we fought the Ghost Knights in Shibuya, it took us a good ten minutes to defeat them.
Even for me, the 【Sword Saint】, it took three minutes just to destroy the armor, and then the rearguard struggled to take down the spirit form.
But that was because the enemy was at full strength.
Monsters probably weaken gradually when they’re inside a Sealing Crystal.
—”They’re preserved in the state they were sealed in”?
Huh? Don’t be ridiculous.
If that were really true, there’s no way those small fry could have defeated the Ghost Knights.
Ibuki, who couldn’t even calculate that, is the idiot.
Just then, that stupid woman, Enjo, spoke to me.
“Yagyu-sa, looks like the other team entered the 19th floor. Why are we falling behind even though things are going just like you said? This is seriously a pain.”
“Shut up!!!”
《Scary》
《Irritated》
《It’s working lololol. Hurry up and admit your evil deeds lololol》
《Don’t get angry, okay?》
“Tch…!”
—Those late majority riffraff.
Later, I’ll have my lawyer file for disclosure and crush every single one of them.
But, for now…
“Yagyu, calm down. They must be exhausted too. The real contest is defeating the 20th-floor boss. It’s not over yet.”
“…I know that much.”
The boss of the Utsunomiya Dungeon’s 20th floor is the Stone Guardian.
It’s a humanoid golem-type monster, and you can’t damage its core unless you break through its outer shell of rock first.
Without a 【Defense Penetration】 skill like our Kumanoda’s, it would probably take thirty minutes just to deal any decent damage.
“We’ll jump in once those scumbags have dealt with the outer shell, and we’ll be the ones to destroy the Guardian’s core.”
“…Mmm. The match isn’t decided yet.”
Natsume is weaker than me.
Some of those damn scumbags are spouting nonsense about Natsume being stronger, but that’s just because they’re low-level Explorers who can’t accurately gauge true strength.
When Natsume has stripped away the Stone Guardian’s defenses, I’ll deliver the finishing blow.
“Haha…! You damn scumbag…!”
I’ll teach you.
That in the end, it’s the calculating ones who win.
☆★☆【Side: Team Secret Base】☆★☆
Rumble, rumble, rumble…
“Woah…”
The moment we entered the 20th floor, a rock in the center of the chamber began to move.
The rock changed shape, becoming the figure of a giant.
“Natsume-kun, it’s the Stone Guardian!”
“It’s huge…”
It seems a bit taller than the Green Dragon Variant we defeated before.
《Bigger than my parents’ house》
《Looks strong》
《Looks tough》
《Locusts can’t eat this one…》
《What’s the plan?》
“Ko-chan, if we beat this monster, we win!!”
“Mhm… There’s a red core right where its heart would be. If we shatter that, the subjugation will be complete.”
“…I see.”
《Shatter it? How?》
《You mean like excavating it from the rock?》
《Shave it down with Tama-chan’s water katana?》
《Hermit’s light magic?》
《That’ll take a lot of time.》
“Ko-chan, I’ll draw its aggro!”
“I shall apply a Light-attribute weakness. Natsume, I’m counting on you for the finishing blow.”
“—Yeah.”
And so, Otama-chan ran towards the Stone Guardian.
“Hyaaah!”
CLAAAAANG…!
『Judgement: 1 damage to Stone Guardian!』
“BUOOOOOOOOOHHH!!!”
“Wah!”
THOOOOM!!
《Surprisingly fast!》
《Its power is immense too.》
《Nice dodge!》
《Damage won’t go through unless you break the rock.》
《Katana has terrible affinity against it.》
《We need a destructive weapon like a greatsword or a hammer.》
“Tama-chan, are you okay!?”
“Leave it to me! Shi-chan, make sure Ko-chan can concentrate!”
“Got it!”
Shi-chan readied her large shield and stood close to me.
“I absolutely won’t let anything touch Natsume-kun. So prepare without any worries!!”
“Yeah… Thanks, Shi-chan.”
—And then, I activate my skill.
“—Bug Sumo: Rhinoceros Beetle.”
A gate opened to my right, and a rhinoceros beetle, its body alone about the length of my arm, appeared.
Furthermore.
“With 《Cheer》, all my mana, to the rhinoceros beetle…!”
I create a mana pathway between myself and the rhinoceros beetle, sending power into it.
“Natsume, it is time to unleash your conserved power. …O profound darkness, guide the target to corruption! Corruption!!”
Black smoke emerged from Hermit-sama’s hands, swirling and coiling around the giant.
“BUOOOOOOHHH…!”
『Judgement: 0 damage to Stone Guardian. Additional effects: Attack and Defense Down. Light-attribute weakness applied.』
《Hermit-sama can do support too?》
《Light-attribute weakness applied?》
《Hermit fell back.》
《Isn’t he going to chip away at it with magic?》
《Everyone’s surrounding Ko-chan.》
《No way, can Ko-chan do Light-attribute attacks too?》
“Now, preparations are complete.”
“Natsume-kun!!”
“Ko-chan, please!!”
“—Yeah.”
For this past month, I’ve been “playing” so I could become stronger than anyone.
As a result, I was able to grow at an astonishing speed.
My total Magical Power (MP), approximately 200.
I pour all of it into the rhinoceros beetle—.
“My bad—. I’ve gotten a little stronger.”
I extend my right hand, pointing at the target of the attack.
“Go, Kabuto!! Full Mana Concentration!! Holy Lance (Rhong)…Ginus!!!”
“BUOHH!?”
The rhinoceros beetle flew up near the ceiling, then plunged into the Stone Guardian at meteor-like speed.
ZUGAAAAAAAN!!
“Bu, Buoh…”
The rhinoceros beetle pierced through the Stone Guardian, opening a large tunnel in its rocky chest.
Inside the tunnel, a part of the red sphere was gouged out, making crackling, electric-like sounds.
“It hit the core.”
Crackle, crackle, bzzt…
“Bu, Buooooh…”
The core glowed white—
ZUDOOOOOOOOM!!
—The Stone Guardian exploded, shattering into fragments of rock.
Clink! Clatter, clatter!
Fragments of the Guardian rolled even to my feet.
Seeing that, I reflected that maybe I’d overdone it a little.
“—Didn’t even need to use my full power.”
『Judgement: 8971 damage to Stone Guardian! Stone Guardian defeated!!』
《UOOOOOOOHHH!!》
《8000 damage!?》
《Ko-chan, you’re too strong!!!》
《More firepower than Hermit!!》
《It’s on a level where you’d suspect a drone bug!!!》
《Totally deserves A-Rank Party!!》
《A-Rank confirmed!!!》
《Actually, that’s close to S-Rank!!》
《Congratulations!!》
《Congrats!!!》
《Ko-chan’s team was great!!》
《Yaaaay!! Penguin-san Team, are you watching~? Hey, hey, how do you feel right now?》
《Clearly stronger than the Penguins. A-Rank is well-deserved.》
《Penguins are on floor 11 right now lololol》
《What’re you gonna do, Ko-chan? Gonna wait for them?》