Third Dungeon Battle: Battle 7

Its momentum at the max, the iron ball encountered the Black Armor-led group of Skeletons.

It happened in an instant.

The Skeletons were destroyed. Their bone fragments scattered in all direction. And—

—no longer spinning, the iron ball had been pierced by a red magic sword.

The Black Armor stabbed the red-hot glowing magic sword into the iron ball, bringing its momentum to a stop.

When it swung its magic sword several more times, red lines ran across the iron ball.

It melted.

“… Huh?”

My mouth hung wide open. I mean like, that was an iron ball big enough to fill the passage, you know? I never thought that they’d be able to stop something with that much mass and momentum with a single sword. Seriously.

Also, just how much heat did they use to actually be able to melt that thing?

“Uwah, even though I didn’t think they could do it… they melted Haku Ane-sama’s big ball!”

“They overcame it splendidly. Well, things like this can happen, too… Oh? Rokuko-chan, that magic sword… isn’t it Core 666’s?”

“Really? Ah, it is… wait, no way, the Dungeon Core herself’s taking part!?”

“Eh—. I thought it was just a Living Armor though?”

I thought the Living Armor would just be empty on the inside though… So you could use it like that too huh. Well, I’m using Golems like that after all.

Dungeon Cores don’t actually need to breathe, so there’s no problem even if they’re underwater… or maybe her true form is this Living Armor?

“Really, those fellows from the Demon King Faction are all so belligerently troublesome… Hahhh…”

Haku-san sighed and held her hand against her temple.

Perhaps it’s like this a lot with the Demon King Faction? Maybe they’re all a set with dungeon boss-like true forms.

“… Well, yep. Ichika, send our Sahagins into Team Demon King’s dungeon. Now’s our chance since the Black Armor isn’t there.”

“Roger~”

“Meat, do you need reinforcements?”

“I think we should wait and see a bit longer? Gargoyles would be helpful.”

“Got it. I’ll go and summon some.”

Using [Summon Gargoyle], I sent them to the bottom floor’s flood gate room.

… It’s a bit late for it, but the Gargoyles can move between floors. They use the non-standard route of traveling through the sea outside the dungeon. There’s a flood gate room like a space ship’s airlock on each of the floors, so using that route, they can get to any floors I want them to. They can even move about without causing floods if I just collect the water.

As far as outside invaders are concerned, our response is shutting the gates firmly. There’s a proper route to use, so please use it.

“Mu, the Black Armor has already reached the submerged area on the middle floors.”

“Muu, we can’t use [The Big Ball] against 666 anymore huh?”

“Just in case, prepare another one to hit them right after leaving the submerged area. Let’s try adding water with it so that it won’t be melted.”

It might be at the point of being accidentally lethal to Core 666, but it’s probably worse that she came to the front lines as the Dungeon Core in the first place.

“… For argument’s sake, it won’t be my fault even if Core 666 dies right?”

“Well, there are accidents in Dungeon Battles. Feel free to kill her.”

I got Haku-san’s approval. Let’s keep with it then.

“Middle floor, release the water. Let’s have the orichalcum wire give them a hug.”

“Okay~”

“Ah, go with a counter-current too. They won’t be able to hold their ground as easily.”

“Oh, then we’ll need to open another gate from another direction?”

It’s the middle layer, but we can pour water in from the lower area on the opposite side.

By using that huge amount of water to cause a counter-current, the water current should jolt about, chopping them up finely with the orichalcum wires.

*

# Team Demon King’s Point of View #

“That was… a little scary.”

That iron ball had a lot of force behind it. She was almost too late in reacting because she thought there’d only be that water.

She almost got squashed to death, but she succeeded in dealing with it.

She shivered from the thrill. This—this was what she wanted.

“Aahhh—this is so much fun!”

She couldn’t help herself from smiling.

This is what Core 666 lived for, the excitement she all but begged for.

Tranquility was nothing but a poison, one that dulled the mind and senses.

“Battles are amazing. Wisdom, traps, strategy! 695, I wonder, are you feeling this pleasure too?”

Core 666 absolutely wanted to share this delight with a [Rival (Friend)]. She’d felt this way for a long time.

—However, that hadn’t come true. Until now, at least.

Why was this? It was because Core 666 was superior to all other cores in the 600 Series (her generation). No other core in it could compare to her. Even the previous 500 Series of cores ended up refraining when it came to Core 666.

She truly respected the strong ones in those previous series, but as far as what she felt towards those who were at the same or weaker than herself, a 600 Series (the youngest generation), she felt they were pathetic.

That is why she didn’t have a [Rival (Friend)].

But for this Core 695, a member of the same series as her—she might possibly be able to become a [Rival (Friend)] that she could share these feelings with.

It was like her thirst was being quenched for the first time. It was painfully irresistible, she wanted more of it. More.

The pleasure of her empty pot made of insatiable desire being appeased… she wanted it so badly.

If she had something like a [Rival (Friend)]—she couldn’t think of a better word—that she could enjoy it with, she would definitely want to trample and wreck them. That would be the best.

[Aidi, I defeated Team Dragon King’s boss. I found the core.] [1]

At that moment, an indifferent report came from her master.

The voice that called Core 666 [Aidi] belonged to a youth. It was a report that he’d suppressed them.

“Continue on, break it. How did you overcome it?”

[It wasn’t a big deal. They failed.]

It seemed that a Poison Wyvern appeared as the boss.

[I didn’t expect that the poison from its breath would explode, but that’s all.]

“Hmm.”

Poison wouldn’t work against the Living Armor her master was operating at all, but it appeared that it scraping against the cobblestone floor with its claws after the room was filled with poison resulted in an explosion.

So that was their trump card?

It was surprising, but that’s all it was.

“Will you come over here when you destroy the Dummy Core?”

[I will. I just destroyed it.]

As though to confirm her master’s report, [Father] opened communications.

[Alright~, Team Dragon King lost! Sorry, 5, you’re out of the running.]

[Ugaaaah! To lose heeeeeeere!?!?]

[[[ Sorry, 5-samaaaaa! ]]]

Those nuisances’ grief was audible.

With this, the nuisances were taken care of.

“Finally, it’s just me and 695. Let’s have some fun.”

Core 666 advanced further into Team Sovereign’s dungeon.

Compared to the majesty of the Living Armor’s armor, its footsteps as it advanced were joyful.

Footnotes:

I believe that [Aidi] is a pun for [ID], as in identification.

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