As he watched his disciple’s battle, Kageichi was impressed, thinking, “Her eyes really are something.”
Kiraboshi’s physical abilities aren’t particularly high compared to other Hunters.
One could honestly say that she’s not naturally athletic; her movements are somewhat awkward, and her reflexes aren’t particularly sharp.
However, she more than makes up for it with her wide field of vision—her range of “Detection.”
Kiraboshi’s ability to observe enemies is exceptionally high.
…My guess is that she’s been constantly exposed to the malice and troubles of others, whether at school or at home.
Her high level of vigilance towards others, her distrust of people, has honed her detection abilities.
Furthermore, there’s the malice that has been suppressed in the name of goodwill—anger and irritation. Fury and murderous intent.
An essential, bullying nature.
These emotions are blended together, and combined with her calm observational skills, they create her combat sense.
Her personality might fall apart in society, but it can be fully utilized in a Dungeon.
“Well then. I suppose I should take care of my own troubles, now that I’ve observed my disciple enough.”
A master shouldn’t interfere with their disciple’s battle.
The reason Kageichi deliberately chose the deserted southwestern area of the floor was… oh.
Did my shoelaces come undone?
He pretended to bend down, dodging a knife that grazed his head.
As thanks, he flicked a pebble he picked up, hitting the corner of the crossroads.
After confirming that one life sign disappeared along with the sound of an explosion—
A bear-like man lumbered into view before Kageichi.
A huge man wearing a judo uniform-like white outfit and an out-of-place headband.
He proudly displayed his dark skin, showing off his muscles as he laughed boisterously and demonstrated a straight punch.
“You’re Kageichi, right? My name is Champ! I’m here to challenge you to a fair and square one-on-one duel!”
“…………”
Kageichi ignored him and took out his Smartphone.
“Hey, don’t ignore me!”
Kageichi continued to ignore him, fiddling with his Smartphone.
*
Gouyoku Hoshio swirled his Red Wine, watching Kageichi ignore Champ through the camera, and grinned, thinking, “What a tough guy.”
Gouyoku, the president of Retryz, was relaxing in the theater room in a corner of his home.
He wasn’t interested in Dungeon Streaming, but he had his own hobbies.
Real PvP between Hunters.
Not boring enemies like Monsters.
A life-or-death struggle between people. Not something bound by rules, but a battle where any means are used to defeat the enemy—watching that from a safe and secure position was Gouyoku’s pleasure.
A bad hobby?
So what? What’s wrong with being wicked? How is it different from buying women with money?
Enjoying the screams of idiots from a safe zone is also a form of entertainment.
If you want to call it evil, go ahead.
I’m fine with being a villain.
Rather, Gouyoku laughed, “Isn’t enjoying evil while knowing it’s evil what makes a strong person?”
The man’s name was “Champ.”
He used to be a professional boxer, but he caused an injury incident and was arrested. After his release, he lived an aimless life until he was picked up by the Gyokuryu Society, or so I heard.
Hey, Champ pointed a gloved fist.
“Are you going to refuse a one-on-one fight, even though you’re a man? Huh?”
“Yes. I refuse.”
Kageichi refused as a matter of course. A wise decision, but it was too late. He was out the moment he crossed paths with the Gyokuryu Society.
It seems Kazamidori did his job of tailing him properly this time.
I don’t know what Quest Kageichi is currently engaged in…
But as planned, assassins other than “Champ” are already lurking near him, and if he runs, he’ll be shot from behind.
Tremble. And regret making me look bad.
Gouyoku won’t be satisfied until he repays the favor of making unnecessary reports to the Labyrinth Agency and raiding our office—
And if you beg for forgiveness, I might even make you one of my subordinates…?
“I don’t know who you are, but I’m currently on duty and don’t have time for miscellaneous tasks. Therefore, I must ask you to leave.”
“Huh? Isn’t there something more important than that? Hey.”
“No, there isn’t. Ignoring a Quest to engage in combat is nothing but a waste.”
Hmm… What’s with this overly rigid response?
It’s an unnatural excuse, and he doesn’t seem scared at all.
It’s as casual as if he were about to go to the convenience store.
However, in the Dungeon, strength is everything.
In a one-on-one battle, only an A-class Adventurer could beat Champ—
“Enough with the excuses. If you’re not coming at me, I’m coming at you?”
“…Understood. Then, at least, shall we do it in the small room next door where no one will interfere? You want a one-on-one, right?”
“Fine, I’ll take you up on that! A fair and square fight!”
“Then, according to the map app I received from the Labyrinth Agency… how about the room on the right, two rooms north from my perspective, the one with the Treasure Chest?”
Okay, Champ went ahead into the small room.
The room was surrounded by aquarium-like walls, and there was only one Treasure Chest in the center, making it perfect for a one-on-one duel—
Bang
A noise from behind. Champ turned around.
The camera also rotated, and when it looked at the door—it was closed.
“Huh? Hey, the duel…”
Just as Champ muttered that.
The Treasure Chest in the center suddenly opened—and multiple, slender tentacles shot out.
At the end of the slimy, glistening tentacles, a giant man-eating plant Monster, a “Rafflesia,” appeared from the Treasure Chest.
Also known as a Mimic Flower because it mimics a Treasure Chest.
Adorned with poisonous five petals, it’s a Creature that captures its prey with its tentacles and swallows them whole with the mouth that opens in the center, a Creature that ranks high on the list of Monsters you don’t want to see in Streaming.
“Uooo,” Champ screamed,
“What is this, damn it, you tricked me! But, I won’t lose to something like this—”
Immediately after he shouted, pssssh, a smoke-like sound.
“What is it?” Champ turned around, and white smoke filled the air from something like an empty can placed on the floor—the camera was dyed white with smoke—
“Gas!? You… screwing… around…”
“It’s a standard for exterminating cockroaches in small rooms.”
“A, a one-on-one, using something like this in a man’s fight—cowardly…”
“There’s no reason for me to accept a fight. In the first place, forcing someone into a situation where it’s difficult to refuse a fight, and then proposing a one-on-one is the height of baseness. I recommend looking up the meaning of ‘fair and square’ in a dictionary. —If you’re still alive, that is.”
…………
Gouyoku.
While the camera was dyed pure white, he was forced to watch the sight of a muscular man being helplessly entangled and eaten by tentacles in his powerful theater room…
He almost spat out his Wine, “Ugh.”
…That Salaryman bastard is messing with me!
Champ is Champ, falling for such a stupid trap!
“You useless bastard! But…!”
He switched the communication partner.
I heard there were three assassins dispatched this time.
The martial artist “Champ,” the knife user “Devil,” and the Sniper “Sniper.”
If Champ is no good, I can use Devil—that’s all there is to it.
“Hey, Devil. Champ got tricked. Enough with the reconnaissance, you do it.”
“…………”
…?
No response. What’s wrong?
Come to think of it, I thought I heard a strange electronic sound, beep beep, before the fight with Champ…
Is it a malfunction of the communication device?
Damn it, at a time like this, Gouyoku wondered, when—
“Hello. I’m Kageichi Futsuu, a very ordinary former Salaryman.”
“……!”
“Excuse me, but are you the correct contact for the scoundrel who is threatening my safety and security?”
Along with a viscous voice that crawled around the back of his ears…
Devil’s point-of-view camera… filling the screen of the theater room.
The face of a gloomy Salaryman wearing glasses, oozing…
Like a horror movie you should never watch, he stuck his bland face up close—
Their eyes met.
For some reason, he felt like he was being clearly seen…
Gouyoku’s hand trembled, and with a clatter, the glass tilted, and Red Wine began to stain the carpet like blood.