◇Aya’s Perspective

I was nervous.

In such a situation, I was very nervous.

Until a while ago, I was very scared. I thought, “Am I going to die like this?

Will I be manipulated by them and spend the rest of my life as a sexual outlet?”

The thought alone made me shiver with fear.

But now it’s different.

I feel relieved.

But more than that, my heart is pounding, throbbing intensely.

Even though I feel like I could scream, I am not allowed to let go of this hand.

For the first time, I held a man tightly with my own strength.

His scent was nice and his… solid chest made my heart race.

“Hold on a little tighter.”

I hugged him tightly, my face so hot it felt like it was boiling.

Despite not wanting to be seen, I buried my face in his chest.

It’s only after burying myself that I realized how much more embarrassing that act was.

This person is mean.

No, I understand that there is no other way.

So, I’m convinced, and in fact, I can only be grateful.

But still, to a woman, met for the first time today, to me, who has never dated a man.

In a situation where I can’t refuse, he orders me to hold him tightly.

And I obediently obeyed that order.

If this had happened before, I would have been furious at being ordered around by others.

But now, I don’t feel bad at all.

Rather…

…

And the two, who had defeated the boss, were enveloped in particles of light and transported outside the Cube.

“Ah, welcome back──!? Ryuenji-san!?”

Just as the guards outside were about to rejoice at the return of the dungeon clearers, they were flustered at the return of the worn-out clearer and only Ryuenji-san.

When the dungeon boss is defeated, all humans inside are transported.

In other words, these two were the only survivors.

“Amachi-san! Amachi-san! …You guys hurry up, take him to the hospital! And arrange for an excellent healing magician!”

“Eh? What… what happened?”

“Hurry up! Don’t make me say it twice!!”

“Yes, yes!!”

With the sound of sirens, Kai and Aya Ryuenji were carried away.

◇Kai’s Perspective

“…Where is this? …Ah, it’s the usual ceiling.”

I looked around as I woke up on the bed.

Judging from the IV in my arm, I’m probably in a hospital.

“Uhm, let’s call a nurse first.”

Just as I was about to press the nurse call button, I heard the sound of a door opening, and I looked in that direction.

I guess she changed the water in the vase, because Ryuenji-san was holding a vase.

“Ah! I’m glad… huh! You’re awake, Kai Amachi-san. How are you feeling?”

Ryuenji-san, who showed me an incredibly adorable smile.

However, she cleared her throat in an instant and her expression changed to a serious one, it was a bit funny how quickly her expression changed.

“Ah, I’m a bit dizzy… huh? My shoulder is healed too.”

“We arranged for an excellent healing magician. There should be no problem with your wounds.”

“I see, that’s good… Is it already night?”

When I looked outside the window, it was already dark.

I must have been asleep from noon until now.

“Kai-kun!!”

I guess he heard that I was awake, because Tanaka-san came running to the hospital room.

I wonder if he was waiting in another room, he’s still in his suit, so he must have just finished work.

“Ah, Tanaka-san. Back in the hospital again, I’m always here, aren’t I?”

I made a light joke and smiled.

“I heard most of it from Ryuenji-san. I’m really sorry for putting you in such danger. I also heard about Masuda and the others. I never thought the God-destroying Church would appear in Japan…”

“No, no, it’s not your fault, Tanaka-san, and I’m glad I was there. Otherwise, Ryuenji-san would have been killed. I’m glad I was able to protect her.”

“Yes, you really helped, I’m deeply grateful. I’ll thank you again separately… So, I received a call from my grandfather about this earlier…”

“Grandfather? The chairman of the Dungeon Association, you mean?”

“Yes, my grandfather, Kagetora Ryuenji. He wants to meet you… Is tomorrow around noon, okay? My grandfather was in the U.S. for a World Dungeon Association meeting, but he said he can come back as soon as tomorrow.”

“I see, understood. That’s fine, I have some things I want to tell him too.”

I agreed to the proposal.

I don’t plan to go into the dungeon today or tomorrow, and I have some questions to ask.

“I will also be present, Kai-kun.”

Then Tanaka-san whispered in my ear so that only I could hear.

“You might need to talk about your eyes. Chairman Kagetora is a trustworthy person. I guarantee it. He should be on our side.”

I nodded quietly.

If Tanaka-san says he can be trusted, I trust him.

I trust Tanaka-san that much.

Maybe because we’re comrades who have risked our lives together.

“Um, Amachi-san, I also have some things I’d like to ask you…”

Ryuenji-san spoke to me in a slightly embarrassed manner.

“I’ll tell you everything… tomorrow. Can you wait until then?”

“Y-Yes! I’ve waited 18 years. One more day is not a problem. I’m sure you’re tired, so I’ll leave for today. I’ll send a car to pick you up tomorrow.”

With that, Ryuenji-san seemed to be leaving for the day.

I thought she might be scared after what happened today, but a car came to pick her up, and men dressed in black appeared in the hospital room.

It seems that as the granddaughter of the chairman, she can receive protection from the Dungeon Association.

She is called a ‘young lady’, but everyone is a staff member of the Dungeon Association. However, because many people have been indebted to the chairman, they seem to pour love on his granddaughter.

I definitely don’t think it’s because she is a beauty, setting aside ones with happy expressions like Masuda-san’s.

“Then, Kai-kun. You must be tired today, so I’m going. I’d like you to tell me various things tomorrow.”

“Understood.”

Since I woke up, I was hungry so I decided to go and buy some food. Then, I opened my smartphone and decided to research that organization.

≪God-Destruction Cult≫

The last face of the man named Phu Yen still lingers in my head, so I looked up the God-Destruction Cult, which I knew mostly from the news.

As a result, a number of painful incidents quickly caught my search.

“A global terrorist group, huh?”

The God-Destruction Cult seemed to be treated as a terrorist.

They seem to be advocating killing God and liberating the world, but the details of their purpose don’t seem to be well understood.

However, there are some things that are understood.

There are many followers, and the number is said to be nearly ten thousand.

All of them are composed of top awakeners, and even the lowest rank is C-Rank or higher.

There are also monsters called S-Rank archbishops included, and the existence called the leader as well as founder is said to surpass that.

The world’s largest criminal syndicate, and its founder is the worst criminal wanted worldwide.

Their main activities seem to be abroad, but they seem to have a grudge against dungeon associations all over the world.

A mysterious terrorist group advocating the overthrow of the Dungeon Association.

Because of this, granddaughter, Aya Ryuenji, an S-Rank was targeted. Under the special conditions of a dungeon where the world’s strongest bodyguard, the chairman, is not present.

“If she’s going to be targeted from now on… I have to do something about it. And about the artifacts too.”

I know Ryuenji-san’s occupation. Artifacter, I guess it’s the ability to create artifacts.

I don’t know exactly what it refers to, but I think it has a power that distinguishes it from equipment made by refining magic power.

Because usually, equipment increases a fixed ability.

That’s something I learned by looking at the equipment I’ve seen so far, all the equipment has things like the ability to increase attack power.

Although this itself is probably not widely known by people, except for me, who can’t see statuses, everyone knows it by feeling.

But…

“This is it…”

I look at the broken magic stone in my pocket.

The artifact created by Ryuenji-san, it increased my intelligence by 25%.

To be clear, the performance is too extraordinary.

“If this power can make weapons, and there’s no time limit…”

I felt an enormous potential in Ryuenji-san’s power.

So, I want her to be able to handle it well.

I saved her life, maybe she’ll make a weapon for me as a way of saying thank you.

With a faint expectation in my heart, I closed the screen of my smartphone.

“For now, let’s talk about everything tomorrow. The chairman, huh? He’s a high and mighty person…”

I lie down on the bed again. The person I’m meeting tomorrow is the chairman, the highest-ranking person who runs Japan’s dungeons. His name is Kagetora Ryuenji, and he has a past as a representative clearer of Japan.

If just guessing, he could have as much influence as Japan’s Prime Minister.

The Dungeon Association is an independent global organization separate from politics.

But its power can control the world.

The representative of Japan.

“I hope he’s a nice person…”