Chapter 8: D-Rank Dungeon 86

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“I’m sure we all enjoyed the holiday, but starting today, a long stretch of school begins! Everyone has their own goals, I’m sure. Let’s work hard with no regrets!”

With the homeroom teacher’s announcement and the class’s half-hearted replies, the long holiday ended, and classes resumed after a while.

The morning consisted of regular lessons—no PE or Japanese, just common foreign language classes, math, history, and a curriculum tailored for explorers at Seishin High School.

After the morning lessons, Hina and I came up to the rooftop.

A clear blue sky stretched out with no hint of rain, and soon Shino and Fujii-kun joined us.

“Sorry to keep you waiting~”

Shino’s cheerful voice echoed across the rooftop.

But behind the two of them stood a woman—the same bespectacled woman who’d watched me on the rooftop the other day.

“Shino? Do you know her?”

“Hm? Whoa!? W-Who are you……?”

It seems she wasn’t an acquaintance.

But then, unexpectedly, someone spoke up.

“Principal? It’s been a while.”

Hina stood and gave a small bow.

P-Principal!? This woman is……?

The principal hadn’t even shown up when I enrolled. She was shrouded in mystery, and my classmates had spread all sorts of rumors about her. There were various theories, but I never imagined she’d be such a young woman.

She raised her right hand lightly in response to Hina’s greeting, then silently left the rooftop.

What was she here for……? Was she checking if we were up to no good?

“That was a surprise…… She’s the principal, huh?”

“Yeah. She doesn’t appear in public much, so a lot of people don’t know her.”

“Seishin High is kind of mysterious, isn’t it? It wasn’t a public school back in the day, right?”

“Seems so. The principal’s been the chairwoman since those days, though.”

“That young……? Or maybe she has some secret to looking young?”

Dungeon materials have all sorts of effects, so it wouldn’t be surprising if something like that existed. If it did, it’d probably be wildly popular with women everywhere.

“Anyway, after lunch, we’ll finally head to a dungeon this afternoon~”

“Yeah! I’m really excited!”

Hina, who was so strong when she got serious, and Shino, who’d surely hold her own if she went all out—I’ve got to step up too.

Today, as usual, a ton of bento boxes were laid out on the low table, and we all polished them off neatly.

After a while, I picked up the submission form from the staff room, wrote down my name along with Hina’s, Shino’s, and Fujii-kun’s, and brought it back.

“By the way, which dungeon are we hitting today?”

“Oh…… I hadn’t really thought about it.”

“Hehe, so like you, Hinata-kun. How about D86? It’s crowded, but it doesn’t require any prep.”

“Not D46?”

“Yeah, D46’s harder to fight in.”

The snowy D46 we’d been going to as a trio required prep beforehand, so considering Fujii-kun’s gear, D86, which needs nothing special, might indeed be better.

“I’m used to D86, so it’d help me out at first~”

Come to think of it, Fujii-kun had said he’d tackled D86 with his seniors’ party before heading to C3. That makes D86 an even better choice.

We walked from school toward the opposite side of the station, where a bustling bus terminal came into view—designed so explorers could reach nearby dungeons easily.

Each stop had the dungeon’s shorthand name written, and we boarded a bus heading to the one marked “D86.”

Being able to ride for free with our Seishin High student IDs was a nice perk.

Fujii-kun and I sat together, while Hina and Shino paired up, settling into our seats as we headed to our destination. It felt a bit like the excitement of returning to my hometown.

Traveling with teammates really is fun.

We arrived at the bus stop in front of D86, and what I saw exceeded my imagination.

Every dungeon entrance has a checkpoint, with a buyback center or office nearby, but this one was—by far—more crowded than any I’d seen before.

E198 in Eran Town and nearby E117 had decent crowds that surprised me, but they were nothing compared to the crowd here.

“What an insane crowd……”

“Yeah. D86 has monsters of just the right strength, easy-to-gather materials, and a great environment. By the way, D46’s probably the least popular around here.”

“D46’s that snowy mountain one, right? My seniors said they didn’t want to go because it’s so cold.”

Ahaha…… Hina and I don’t mind since we’re equipped for the cold, but for others, it’s understandably harsh.

Even entering required lining up at the checkpoint.

While waiting, Hina naturally drew nearly every explorer’s gaze—her standout presence was hard to miss.

Hair color means a lot to explorers. In Japan, black hair is the norm, and unless it’s dyed, colored hair signals S-rank potential.

Hina became the center of attention, but she didn’t seem to mind, chatting happily with Shino.

Then, out of nowhere, Shino’s face stiffened.

Could she be feeling unwell?

“Shino? Are you okay?”

“Huh? N-No, I’m fine! Maybe I’m still a little tired from the holiday~”

“Let me know if you’re struggling, anytime.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Hinata-kun.”

The crowd slowly filtered into the dungeon, and we passed the checkpoint without issue, stepping inside.

My first time in D86 revealed a rugged wilderness dotted with jagged rocks. It reminded me a bit of C3’s canyon, but unlike that one, there were no walls enclosing the floors—just a vast, open expanse. The big rocks provided shade, doubling as rest spots, and I could see explorers taking breaks in their shadows.

The temperature was perfect for activity—not too hot, not too cold, comfortable in long sleeves or short.

As I’d heard, it was easy to move around in, and being the most beginner-friendly D-rank dungeon with moderately strong monsters, it was overflowing with explorers.

Right after entering, Shino piped up energetically.

“The first floor’s packed, as expected. Should we head straight to the third floor~?”

“Is the third floor the deepest here too?”

“Yup. The boss room’s like E117’s—a rest area—so it’s popular~”

“I see……”

If it’s like E117’s boss room, the boss appears based on the number of parties entering, but there’s limited space. With this many people on the first floor, the boss room’s probably crowded too, making it tough to get in.

We walked slowly from the first floor toward the second.

Along the way, I spotted a certain party.

“Hey! Walk faster!”

“Y-Yeah! S-Sorry!”

“Tch.”

A group of boys in the same uniform grumbled rudely, followed by a smaller student trailing behind. I definitely recognized all four of them.

It was Saito-kun’s party from the porter division, whom I’d met during the special training program before the holiday.

Looks like even after the holiday, he’s still with that party…… No, their treatment of porters hasn’t changed.

I kept an eye on their movements as we progressed.

Fortunately, they weren’t lingering on the first floor either and headed deeper, ignoring the monsters around them.

They moved quickly, gradually pulling away from us, but I could still track them with my ‘Area Scan’ skill.

We entered the second floor without hunting any monsters, aiming for the third.

The first floor was so wide it took nearly an hour of walking to reach the second.

The second floor stretched out just as vastly as the first.

“Hmm~ Maybe running would be faster~”

“I’m fine with running—everyone else okay?”

“Yup!”

“Sure~”

“I’m good too.”

“Then let’s run to the third floor.”

We took off from the second floor entrance toward the third.

It’d be nice if there were vehicles in dungeons, but without any means of transport besides running, it really takes time.

I gradually increased our pace, checking everyone’s expressions to find the right speed.

Leading the charge like this was new to me, and I wasn’t sure if I was doing it right, but Hina and the others didn’t seem to mind.

Walking would’ve taken ages, but running got us to the third floor in less than ten minutes.

The third floor was another endless wilderness, though the temperature was slightly higher than the first. While the first floor was comfortable, the third made me feel a bit sweaty.

“Alright, shall we start hunting here?”

“Yes!”

Everyone drew their weapons—Hina’s black sword, Shino’s tonfa, and Fujii-kun’s white bow, just like last time.

Like Hina’s and Shino’s weapons, Fujii-kun’s was undoubtedly a ‘Magic Weapon’ too.

“Shino takes vanguard, Hina midguard, Fujii-kun rearguard—let’s move.”

“Huh? I’m vanguard? That’s the opposite of usual.”

“Yeah. Physically, Shino as vanguard balances the party better.”

“Got it…… Okay!”

The fight began.

The monster that appeared was a red-furred boar about two meters long. Its sharp, purple-tinged tusks screamed poison at a glance.

Shino closed in quickly, but the monster reacted, targeting her and charging in an instant.

Standing beside me, Fujii-kun drew his bowstring without an arrow. A glowing arrow materialized from the grip to the string as he pulled.

When he released, the glowing arrow shot out with a whoosh, piercing the boar’s leg as it charged Shino.

The boar, mid-sprint, lost its balance and collapsed.

Shino didn’t miss her chance—her tonfa’s tip glowed blue, and she slammed it down mercilessly on the fallen boar.

A thunderous impact rang out, strong enough to make me think the ground might crack, and the boar went down.

“Hinata-kun!”

“Yeah, let’s move to the next!”

“Oka~y!”

Shino flashed a cheerful grin and took off, with Hina and Fujii-kun following.

I quickly dismantled the boar with Monster Dismantling, stored it in Dimensional Storage, and caught up.

Shino spotted more red boars one after another, charging in without hesitation. She instantly read the trajectory of Fujii-kun’s arrows flying from behind, striking the boars’ weak points with precision as they fell from leg shots.

It wasn’t just Shino and Hina—Fujii-kun’s skill was evident too.

He’d said his seniors were strong and he stayed in the rear, which led to that irregularity in C3, but that was some serious humility—he was highly skilled himself.

His own talent shone through, reading the vanguard and enemy movements perfectly, firing arrows at just the right moment to halt moving monsters. I’d watched plenty of explorers on the way here, but no archer was this impressive. It proved Fujii-kun’s strength.

Hina stayed vigilant, keeping an eye on our surroundings while supporting the vanguard and rearguard.

After hunting for about an hour, we took a break in the shade of a large rock.

“Phew~ We moved a lot~”

“Kagura-san…… You’re amazing.”

“Fujii-kun, not missing a single shot is incredible!”

“Yeah, yeah! Hitting fast-moving monsters dead-on every time and tripping them up was awesome.”

“Ehehe…… Thanks.”

I handed out drinks and used ‘Clean’ on everyone.

“Hinata-kun’s support skills are seriously amazing……”

“Hehe, Fujii-kun? Don’t tell anyone about Hinata-kun, okay?”

“Yeah. That was the deal from the start. I thought it was weird it was Hinata-kun and not Kamui-san or Kagura-san, but now it makes a little sense.”

While everyone rested, I used ‘Area Scan’ to check on Saito-kun and his group, who were farther off.

That’s when I noticed something odd—a huge cluster of monsters gathered in one spot.

“Hm? Shino, do monsters ever gather in one place like that?”

“In one spot? I’d say no…… but it happens sometimes. Some explorers are good at area attacks or parties take down monsters in groups, and those parties might herd them together.”

“It’s common with explorers who have magic talent. I’ve seen it a lot with teams where someone’s fast but lacks attack power pairing with others.”

“Huh…… So parties come in all shapes, huh.”

“There aren’t many people who are strong on their own like Kamui-san and Kagura-san. Most parties cover each other’s weaknesses with their strengths.”

They’d taught us something similar in the special training program. Porters play a key role in that too.

Still, the number of monsters gathering doesn’t seem to be dropping……

“Hinata-kun? What’s up?”

“There’s a bunch of monsters gathered, but they’re not decreasing at all.”

“You can tell that!?”

Fujii-kun’s eyes widened in shock.

Shino could probably sense it too if she tried—plenty of people can, I’d think.

Normally, I’d take off my earplug-style earphones in less crowded places, but with so many people here, I kept them on.

Focusing harder—I sensed human presence among the monsters, but their movements were sluggish.

“!? This is bad!”

My body moved before I could think.

“Hinata-kun!?”

I heard the surprised voices of everyone behind me. But I didn’t stop, racing forward without hesitation.

Beyond the cluster of large rocks lay a horde of red boars—not just ten or so, but an uncountable mass, writhing like a red wave.

Amid them, I could see explorers being trampled by the monsters.

I leapt into the horde, rushing to the explorers’ side, kicking boars aside as I went.

Thankfully, with my skills Speed Boost (Ultimate) and Martial King, I could move faster than the red boars, allowing me to plow through them effortlessly.

Reaching the explorers in a frenzy, I saw they were all covered in vivid wounds, clearly in critical condition.

I regretted using up all my ‘Potions’ during that irregular period when I couldn’t dive into dungeons……

I hurriedly hoisted them onto my back and got them out of there.

Leaping high to survey the area, I saw many explorers spotting the horde and starting to flee.

Among them—I caught sight of Saito-kun’s party.

As I carried the four explorers to a spot away from the horde, Shino and the others caught up just in time.

“Hinata-kun!”

“Shino! They’re all injured!”

“I’ve got emergency potions!”

“Me too!”

Shino pulled potions from her magic bag, and Hina did the same, sprinkling them over the explorers. With two potions each, they managed to save all four lives.

“Still, for so many monsters to gather like that……”

“Maybe it was a party where three gathered monsters for a mage to wipe out in one go. They might’ve overdone it.”

We’d saved the explorers, but the gathered monsters weren’t going anywhere.

Nearly a hundred of them formed a horde, still eager to attack explorers.

Most explorers noticed the horde and fled quickly, but for some reason, Saito-kun’s four-man party didn’t retreat—instead, they faced it head-on.

“!? There’s a party over there trying to fight! I’m heading to back them up!”

“Got it! We’ll follow right behind!”

I rushed to Saito-kun’s party and found the three vanguard members engaging the boar horde.

—If this kept up, they’d be wiped out.

As the fight began, the incoming wave of boars charged, knocking the three vanguard members back.

“Everyone!!”

Naturally, the next target was Saito-kun.

In the next instant, a man stepped in front of him.

“Huh……? You’re……”

“Step back for now.”

“Y-Yes!”

I arrived just in time, coming face-to-face with the man.

“You’re here, Suzuki Hinata.”

“Sensei…… Why are you here?”

“Explanations later. For now, we deal with this horde.”

“Yes! I’ll rescue the three!”

“Good.”

It was the teacher who’d advised me during the special training program. Normally, he had messy hair and a laid-back, unmotivated look, but now his expression was the polar opposite—a warrior facing battle.

At his signal, I darted out, scooped up the three unconscious boys, and carried them to a safe distance.

“Suzuki-kun!?”

“Long time no see. I’ll leave these guys here. Wait—hey, it’s been a while for you all too.”

“Yo!”

Surprisingly, the three boys I’d teamed up with in the special training program were there.

“These three are out cold. Can you protect them?”

“Leave it to us. Sensei told us to come here. We’ll guard them with our lives, so don’t worry.”

“Thanks.”

I didn’t know why they were here, but their cooperation reassured me I could leave this to them.

I hurried back to Sensei, who was swinging a massive sword, something unimaginable from his usual appearance.

“Sensei, I’ve handed them off to the rear.”

“Good work, Suzuki. Can you draw the monsters’ attention for a bit?”

“Yes!”

I swapped places with Sensei, kicking the boars deeper into the fray.

A tremendous presence surged from behind. Glancing back, I saw Sensei’s giant sword glowing with a mix of blue and red.

“Suzuki! Jump to the side!”

“Yes!”

I leapt aside, keeping the monsters distracted for a few dozen seconds, when a devastating slash erupted, engulfing the spot I’d been standing in and swallowing the horde.

In a single blow, over half of the hundred-strong horde was obliterated.

I understood what Shino and Fujii-kun meant about gathering monsters for a wide-range attack to take them out.

“Hinata-kun!”

“Shino! Sensei came to help!”

“Got it! We’re joining in too!”

“Please do! Sensei, my party’s jumping in!”

“Alright!”

We fought as a five-man team: Sensei and Shino in the vanguard, Hina and me in the midguard, Fujii-kun in the rearguard.

It was our first time, but Sensei’s seamless coordination was astonishing, a testament to his experience as a seasoned explorer.

We mowed down the remaining boars in no time, taking out the last one without letting our guard down.

“Phew~ It’s over~”

Even after the fight, Sensei’s sharp gaze didn’t waver.

I checked on Saito-kun’s group with ‘Area Scan’—and saw three boars charging straight at them.

“!? Oh no—!”

At that moment, Sensei stepped in front of me.

“Sensei?”

“Watch.”

The one who first spotted the boars heading their way was none other than Saito-kun.

“Three boars!”

“Got it!”

Surprisingly, the three followed Saito-kun’s voice and shifted into combat stance.

“Huh?”

“Keep the orders coming!”

“O-Okay! Two vanguards, one rearguard…… Three charging monsters………… They target what’s in front! One of you draw the two on the right and hold them there! Take down the left one with the rearguard, then back up against the remaining two from behind!”

“Understood!”

“Since moving targets are harder to hit, when pinning the left one, don’t take too much distance, it’ll help!”

“Got it!”

The fight began, and the vanguard moved exactly as Saito-kun directed. The rearguard archer calmly took a breath, nocked an arrow, and fired.

With efficient attacks, they quickly downed the first boar and regrouped. Since the others had their backs turned, it was even easier to strike, and they took out all three in a flash.

“Whew~ Nice work!”

“Damn! That was fun!”

“Yeah~!”

The three exchanged high-fives.

Ah…… So that’s what a party feels like.

Next, they turned toward Saito-kun.

“Saito! Raise your right hand!”

“Huh!? L-Like this?”

“Yeah!”

One by one, the three high-fived Saito-kun’s right hand.

“Nice job! That was some great directing!”

“Uh, um…… S-Sorry. I got kinda bossy……”

“Hey, no way! Thanks to your orders, we took them down so easily! I never thought we’d handle the third floor, and I’m not kidding—thanks, man!”

“!?”

Saito-kun clenched his fist.

Ah…… It reminds me of the day my teammates acknowledged me.

When I’d been stressing alone, diving into dungeons, and returning to the dorm, Hina and Shino had waited up for me late into the night.

Just like I’d realized I belonged with my party back then, Saito-kun must’ve felt it now too.

“Hey, Saito. Wanna join us?”

“Huh? M-Me……?”

“Yeah! See, we’ve been looking for a porter—someone who can give orders, ideally. We asked Sensei about it, and he said he had a good candidate and would show us. At first, I thought it might be Suzuki-kun, but I knew he was already with the Ice Princess’s party. Then I realized it was you, Saito! Come on, let’s be explorers together!”

The other two chimed in with “Please~” too.

“W-Why…… would you want a porter who gives orders?”

“Well…… we used to think porters were totally useless. But during the special training program, Suzuki-kun gave us orders, and we beat the seniors in a flash! After that, the seniors taught us a ton about parties. They said the one supporting from the back is the best suited to direct—and that’s the porter! Your orders just now were spot-on! I felt like I could trust you with my life!”

“!?”

Tears welled up in Saito-kun’s eyes.

“……Yeah. I want to be an explorer too. Suzuki-kun’s group beat the seniors first, and I was so jealous of how they all talked things out together! So—please let me! I want to be a party member!”

“Hell yeah! You’re totally welcome!”

As the four celebrated their joyful moment, Saito-kun’s original unconscious teammates started to stir.

“Hey…… Don’t screw with us……! You’re our porter, aren’t you? What’s this crap about leaving!?”

“……”

The three advanced on Saito-kun, but his new teammates stepped in front.

“Saito-kun’s our member now. You guys are done here.”

“Huh? You lowlife trash think you can beat us!?”

“……Wanna try?”

“Gahaha! Low-rank punks! We’ll crush you!”

The rough-looking boys lunged at them.

“Saito-kun! Orders! It’s fine—we’re a party!”

Gritting his teeth, Saito-kun quickly barked out combat instructions to the three.

They took down the stronger opponents with ease and won.

If the others hadn’t been injured, the outcome might’ve been different—there was that big a level gap. But they showed that even against overwhelming odds, trusted teammates could pull off a victory.

“Now there’s no doubt that Saito-kun’s our member! Don’t you ever come near us again!”

“Damn it!”

Cursing, the three rough boys fled.

Watching them go, Saito-kun and his new team high-fived again.

As I observed, Sensei, who’d been watching beside me, spoke up.

“What do you think of that party?”

“Yes. They’ve got great synergy and could become an amazing party.”

“Indeed. Suzuki—it’s all thanks to you.”

“Me……?”

“Porters have an unseen strength. Realizing that only comes after tackling tougher dungeons, but by then, it’s too late. A team like theirs, formed early, can grow into fine explorers. Normally, that’s our job as instructors, but it’s tough. Let me thank you too.”

“N-No…… I learned so much too. What a party is. What teammates are. What my role is. Thank you for teaching me all that!”

“Heh…… Still, you’re strong, huh? Are you really set on being a porter?”

“Huh? Y-Yes. I’m the weakest in my party, so……”

“The weakest, huh…… Suzuki.”

“Y-Yes?”

“You’re misunderstanding something big. If you think you’re a porter because you’re the weakest, that’s wrong.”

“!?”

“It’s not about weakness. Do what only you can do. If that’s supporting your team, then aiming to be a porter’s not a bad idea, right?”

“Y-Yes!”

“See ya. I’m gonna escort those guys back~”

With that, Sensei headed toward Saito-kun’s group.

After talking briefly, they turned to me and shouted in unison, “Suzuki-kun! Thank you!”

Back home, I never imagined anyone thanking me.

If what I did…… helped someone…… Ah, that really makes me happy.

Feeling a poke on my arm, I turned to see Shino pouting, with Hina and Fujii-kun looking puzzled behind her.

“Leader?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“Your party members are us, you know~?”

“O-Oh, right. I know that.”

“Hehe, good~ Looking forward to more, Leader.”

I reaffirmed once again that my place was right here with them.

Later, the four explorers who’d gathered a hundred monsters and gotten seriously injured faced a penalty.

They’d used up four potions, so they’d taken out a loan and would have to pay it off moving forward.

It was goodwill, but since it was their own fault, they’d repay it per the rules.

Their lives weren’t in danger, so it might’ve been a good lesson for them.

Having burned through my potion stock in that irregularity, I decided to start gathering more solo from today.

After finishing the hunt, the four of us visited the Kamui house.

“To celebrate Fujii-kun’s officially joining the party~ Cheers~!”

“Cheers~!”

At Shino’s lead, we toasted with white sparkling drinks—the fancy soda from the train.

Starting today, Fujii-kun would join us for dinner at the Kamui house instead of the dorm, and he was thrilled about it.

After enjoying the meal, Shino and Hina went to bathe together for Hina’s sake, leaving me and Fujii-kun to wait.

“Hinata-kun.”

“Hm?”

“I heard you’re weak, Hinata-kun.”

“Eh? Y-Yeah, I am, right?”

“Eh?”

“I’m the weakest in our party, so……”

“…………”

For some reason, Fujii-kun gave me a deadpan stare and sighed.

“Kagura-san told me about it, but it’s really true, huh.”

“Hm? Really…… true?”

“No, no, it’s nothing.”

“Now I’m curious……”

“Hehe. Anyway, that party earlier was really cool, huh?”

“Y-yeah.”

Did he just…… change the subject?

“Hinata-kun, you started diving into dungeons to send money home and be a brother Rin-chan could be proud of, right?”

“Yeah. They told me they didn’t need the money, though……”

“Even if they refused cash, gifts should be fine, right? Why not send them some stuff?”

“That’s a great idea. I’ll definitely do that.”

“Family…… huh.”

Fujii-kun muttered softly, gazing up at the darkening night sky.

His reason for diving into dungeons, I hadn’t heard it yet. Same with Hina and Shino, come to think of it.

I hope I can hear everyone’s reasons someday.

After Hina and Shino finished bathing, we left Hina behind and headed back.

Fujii-kun said “Have fun, you two~” and returned to the dorm first, so I walked Shino to the Kagura house as usual.

Normally, Shino chats cheerfully about all sorts of things, but yesterday and today, she’s been unusually quiet.

Her complexion doesn’t look great either.

Even though we rested during the holiday, we walked around a lot every day, and today was hectic in the dungeon—maybe we should take a break tomorrow.

“Shino, good night.”

“!! G-Good night!”

I watched her hurry inside, flustered.

Seeing her from behind reminded me of my sister.

Maybe it’s because their personalities and vibes are similar…… Come to think of it, the vibe Rin had while watching Absolute Ice wasn’t like her usual self. What was that about……?

With Shino safely home, I returned to the dorm.

♥♥♥

At Seishin High, Principal’s Office.

“So, how was it?”

A bespectacled woman sat in a luxurious leather chair, the principal who’d met Hinata on the rooftop.

Sitting on the sofa before her was the explorer teacher who’d fought alongside Hinata today.

“An unfathomable strength.”

“‘Level 0’ is certain, yet you acknowledge his strength?”

“Yeah. His appearance and tangible power feel like ‘Level 0,’ sure. You’ve made contact too, right, Principal?”

“Yes, I have. And my conclusion—he’s undeniably ‘Level 0.’”

“No bizarre strength like Kamui Akari or Kamui Hina?”

“None. If anything, it was too absent, like pure nothingness. Fitting for ‘Level 0.’ It was a first for me, and I was surprised…… but what an interesting person’s come along.”

“What’ll you do?”

“Nothing. I can’t control him anyway. After all…… he’s already in the Kamui family’s hands, isn’t he?”

“Reports say he visits the Kamui house daily…… No tug-of-war with Jizou-sama?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You know no one’s survived opposing that man, right?”

“Huh? I know one who has……”

“Oh, stop joking. I was just let off the hook. Still…… why did a ‘Level 0’ like him show up now, of all times?”

“Beats me…… A nobody like me wouldn’t know.”

“Hehe. Compared to a monster like Kamui Hina, you’re definitely a nobody.”

“Alright, alright~ What’s next?”

“Nothing. The world moves even if we do nothing. Eventually—it’ll shift big-time.”

“You sure about dropping a prophecy like that?”

“It’s fine. That’s why Seishin High exists. We produced Kamui Akari and Kagura Touma, and now we’ve got Kamui Hina and Kagura Shino too.”

“Yup, yup. I’ll stick with you to the end, Principal~”

“I’m counting on you.”

The principal glared at the full moon shining in the night sky.