Reckless

​ Alright. So a number of things happened, but the stairs finally turned into a nice campfire.

​ “… So, Aidi-san? You can go further in if you want, you know?”

​ [Oh, sorry. This whole setting fire thing turned out pretty fun… Rokuko, perhaps you understand how I feel?]

​ “Nope! Now hurry up and finish him off.”

​ We urged Aidi to continue on after she’d forgotten what she was meant to be doing due to amusing herself with the fire.

​ The smoke should’ve spread enough through the second floor as well, so leaving the fire at that should be fine.

​ [By the way, what about exploring the underground areas?]

​ “Oh, yeah. We’re already somewhere in the third floor… I wonder how far it’ll go?”

​ [… Eh? Already?]

​ Yeah, so the stairway leading down to the third floor was basically right next to the second floor’s entrance. It was hidden behind a fake wall, though. I figure it was probably one of those [Illusory Wall] things Haku-san mentioned.

​ “It was hidden in a seemingly empty passageway, so it probably would’ve taken a long time if we’d searched the normal way.”

​ “Kehma, why’d you have the squirrels run along the walls?”

​ “You should always scout labyrinths by using the right hand method, right? I mean, it’s his fault for putting it so close to the start of the floor.”

​ Even if he couldn’t have overcome the method, he should have at least put it along the outside edge… Or even closer to the middle of the floor surrounded by a ton of traps, that’s common enough too…

​ “They’ll only be useful as support and have to stop as soon as they reach a Boss Room, though. We can just let gargoyles travel there directly after we find the shortest route, sooo… Open a gate, summoning a stone creature that wields magic, enslaving it—[Summon Gargoyle]. Alright, listen to Orange’s instructions~”

​ “Nkyuu, go to the room with the gate passage~”

​ By the way, Orange was pretty good at deploying monsters I summon.

​ Well, I usually just do golem deployment in our dungeon. It’s not like I don’t get it. 1

​ [Could I burn just a little more?]

​ “… I’d prefer you scouting around more though?”

​ [The gargoyles should be fine on their own. They’re stone and can fly, so they should be alright even without stairs, yeah?]

​ “Oh well… Open a gate, summoning a stone creature that wields magic, enslaving it—[Summon Gargoyle]. Go and help with the dungeon exploration. Orange, I’m gonna keep ’em coming!”

​ “Gotcha~”

​ I summoned gargoyle after gargoyle as if I were some gargoyle factory.

​ It was even easier than [Create Golem]. As expected of Haku-san’s recommendation!

​ “Aidi, could you summon some skeletons?”

​ [I’d prefer to save my magical power for when I fight Core No. 564.]

​ “That’s fine, then.”

​ [Yeah… Ah, those reinforcements you sent just now weren’t necessary. It looks as if he came to me.]

​ “Eh?”

​ Just then, Aidi twisted her body.

​ ZUBONG~!

​ A sword that had soared in from nowhere pierced and lodged itself into the wall.

​ [No. 666iiiiiiiiiix!!]

​ [Hello, No. 564. I’ve received your invitation for a dance and accept.]

​ Immediately after the sword made its appearance, Core No. 564 did as well. Yep, he was straight up huge being two heads taller than Aidi—with a goat head, to boot. He held a separate sword to the one he’d lodged into the wall.

​ “… So we wound up luring him out, huh?”

​ Well, of course he’d be angry from us lighting his house on fire. Even I’d be.

​ “Kehma, would it be our win if we defeated him?”

​ “Well, it wouldn’t be an immediate victory if we did… but it would be about the same. Killing might be no good? I don’t know if that’s allowed~”

​ I’d tried making that a question aimed at the VIP room, but I didn’t get an answer.

​ Perhaps they weren’t watching each and every thing happening in our Master Room here? Speaking to myself is embarrassing.

​ “… Umm, Aidi, try only half killing him?”

​ [Oh… I’m not certain if I could win if I don’t go for the kill though?]

​ While saying that, she deflected Core No. 564’s sword.

​ [Gunu! You braaaaaat!]

​ [You think yourself all that for being just one series older? Kusukusu.]

​ Err, she looks like she could easily manage to not kill him though? She didn’t even seem to be straining herself.

​ I mean, even though Core No. 564 seemed to be stronger, his anger seemed to make his movements monotonous. Not like I’m any expert in that stuff, but still.

​ [My Glorious Self will tear off your limbs and make you a wall ornament!!]

​ [Well that sounds scary. In that case, perhaps I should take your head as a decoration for my home?]

​ Perhaps I should say that I’d expected as much from the Demon King Faction? They spoke to each other as if they were each sure they’d kill the other.

​ [Summon Bloody Ghost!]

​ [Open a gate. Summon a bone demon and enslave it—[Summon Skeleton]]

​ In response to Core No. 564 summoning a red ghost-type monster with DP, Aidi used her magical power to bring forth a skeleton. Just as Core No. 564 managed to kill the skeleton blocking him, Aidi managed to round down the ghost with her fire magic sword.

​ … Attributed magic swords can defeat ghosts? Or maybe it’s due to something else, like its [Indestructible] attribute?

​ “Hey, Aidi, want us to summon a monster to help?”

​ [No, Rokuko. I want to continue this dueldance one-on-one.]

​ With that, I decided to divide the gargoyles into groups to search the mansion.

​ To be exact, I had them enter from the sky.

​ … I mean, is it not normal to leave when you see smoke billowing out? But are those not windows? It’s not entering if it’s entered from the sky.

​ We’re not doing this normally? Come now, are there not so many gargoyles that we must use all of the windows to enter?

​ Oh, Core No. 564’s private room—is it not just a bedroom?

​ Are we not still searching?

​ There’re still succubi but they’re weak to the smoke and their charm does not barely not not do anything?

​ And what do you know, is that not the Dungeon Core?

​ Oh. It is not.

​ It’s not not a Dummy Core.

​ Did he not use Castling—?

​ Okay, enough with that. I guess he really did use Castling?

​ Still though, I suppose that means the Dungeon Core is underground somewhere.

​ By the way, Dummy Cores that have been touched can’t be used in the rest of the Dungeon Battle. That’s a rule. That is, the verdict on using a Dummy Core that had already been touched to perform Castling is that the Dungeon Core itself was touched.

​ [—!]

​ [Oh, it looks like he made it. You’ve even diverted your attention.]

​ [Ge ho—… dammit! Dammit! DAMMIT!! How dare you enter My Glorious Self’s bedroooooom!]

​ His attention diverted—diverted toward something he should have been ready for from the start, but still–he’d presented an opening. The fight leaned even further in Aidi’s favor.

​ My bad for entering your bedroom, man. But come on, could you not put your Dungeon Core in there? It’s kind of your fault at that point.

​ Just as I started to feel that things were going our way—

​ [This duel is temporarily postponed! Summon Basilisk—dammit, such waste!]

​ [Whoops—poison and petrification are annoying.]

​ With large three snakes appearing before her, Aidi closed her eyes and fought back. Core No. 564 took the chance to escape.

​ And then he disappeared. He’d probably used [Deployment] on himself to go underground.

​ Alrighty then, I suppose all that’s left is to clear the underground dungeon.

​ I mean, that even easier. I was going to do that anyway. Could we hurry this up so I can get back to sleep?