“Phu died? What, was there an S-Rank guard? But if it was him, I didn’t think he’d make such a blunder…”

 

In a large cathedral-like room adorned with a statue of a devil, a man and a woman are conversing.

The man is large, almost as large as Kagetora, while the woman is dressed in a black robe with silver hair, looking like a magician.

 

“We’re not sure. Ever since Ryuenji Aya, the granddaughter of the Fist God, went into the dungeon to kill her, we’ve confirmed that Phu is dead because his body has been found.”

 

“The woman did that? Sure, her magical power was in the middle of the S-Rank, but wasn’t she supposed to be unable to fight?”

 

“When we investigated, it seems that she and another man, this Kai Amachi, came out of the Seal Box together. There might be something going on.”

 

The woman throws a photo onto the desk. In it is a picture of Kai, along with the results of the investigation.

 

“Kai Amachi… one of the survivors from the golden box, I thought he was just an unranked lucky guy… but…”

 

The man and woman look at each other and voice the question that’s been on their minds.

 

“Do you think this guy has received the favor of God? We were planning to kill Tanaka Issei, but… should we change our plan?”

 

“That’s a good idea. I’ll send out my subordinates… If they return dead, then it’s decided. If they manage to kill him, that’s fine too.”

 

“And if we confirm defeat?”

 

“When that happens, all of us, the archbishops of the God-Destruction Church, will step in.”

 

“Yes.”

 

The two look at each other, nodding with resolute determination.

 

“”We must kill him, in order to destroy the world of the existing God.””

 

◇Kai’s perspective

 

“Tanaka-san♪, pleeease give me permission for the B-Rank Cube!”

 

I cheerfully asked Tanaka-san, hoping it might have an effect.

 

“It’s too soon, isn’t it? It’s only been a week since then. Besides, with the B-Rank, the procedure is…”

 

“Ah, that won’t do. I should have asked you more sincerely…”

 

“No, it’s not about how you ask.”

 

Since then, I have conquered the C-Rank Cube.

To put it bluntly, all the monsters died without even noticing me.

According to the status, all of them had lower intelligence than me.

 

The highest one barely exceeded 1000.

 

Therefore, they were not my match.

 

“I believe my magic power is enough to solo conquer the B-Rank! Please! I want to save Nagi quickly!”

 

One of the reasons I’m so impatient is because of Nagi’s mental state.

It’s said that the longer someone is trapped, the more likely they are to develop a mental disorder.

I can’t stand thinking about what Nagi might be feeling right now.

 

“But, however…”

 

Tanaka-san seemed troubled. Of course, in the B-Rank Cube, monsters with nearly 10,000 magic power can appear.

 

It’s different from C-Rank, and even Tanaka-san, an A-Rank, could be defeated by a monster if the match-up is bad.

He must be wondering if it’s right to send me into such a place.

 

Just then, a call comes in for Tanaka-san.

 

“Excuse me… can I take this? It’s Aya-kun.”

 

“Aya? Oh, sure.”

 

The person on the phone is Ryuenji Aya, an 18-year-old high school graduate.

She’s the same age as me, a woman who embodies the very image of a well-bred lady with her long, smooth black hair. She’s also the girl I saved.

 

“Ah, it’s me… I see! Got it. No, he’s right in front of me now, I’ll let you talk to him… huh? Why are you in such a hurry? It’s okay, right? I’ll let him take over.”

 

With that, Tanaka-san hands me the phone.

 

“It’s Aya-kun. She seemed quite rushed.”

 

Tanaka-san grins, his face slightly mischievous. I take the phone with a puzzled look and start speaking.

 

“Hello, Aya?”

 

“Oh, l-long time no see!”

 

“Ah, it’s been a week, hasn’t it? What’s up?”

 

“That’s… I’ve successfully established a method for creating Artifacts, and it worked! So, I wanted to make one for you, Kai-san.”

 

“No way!? Seriously!? I’ll be there ASAP!!”

 

“I-in that case… um!”

 

“Huh?”

 

“W-would you mind having lunch with me today? Outside… just the two of us…”

 

(I see, Aya isn’t allowed to go outside unless Kagetora-san is with her… I can’t go out… in that case…)

 

“Of course. I’ll protect you. Don’t worry.”

 

“…”

 

(Huh? No response…)

 

“Hello? Aya?”

 

“Y-yes! I look forward to seeing you! I’ll be waiting at home!!”

 

Beep, beep, beep.

 

“She hung up. She sounded a bit flustered. Thanks for the phone, Tanaka-san.”

 

I return the phone to Tanaka-san.

As he takes it, he starts laughing.

 

“You, that was on purpose, huh?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“No, nothing. Aya-kun is really in a tough spot… with such a natural flirt…”

 

Feeling puzzled, I leave Avalon’s headquarters for the day and head straight for Aya’s home.

 

“An Artifact! With that, I might be able to easily handle a B-Rank.”

 

If the outrageous performance of that Artifact can now be freely produced, it would greatly enhance my powers.

Even a B-Rank dungeon could easily be solo-cleared.

 

Feeling excited, I arrive at Aya’s house and ring the intercom.

Her mansion is still as grand as ever. I should consider moving soon.

I like my house, but the air conditioner stinks, and it’s turning yellow.

 

Actually, thanks to the Chairman’s connections, I have been able to convert the magic stones from the dungeons I’ve conquered into cash.

Of course, it’s done legally, so it’s not tax evasion or anything like that, but to be blunt, I’m now rich.

 

However, I’m still frugal at heart, so all the money is in the bank.

 

Ding-dong.

 

“Yes, is this Kai-san?”

 

“He’s arrived, what should we do?”

 

“We’ll be right there, could you please wait?”

 

“Sure.”

 

I wait at the gate. I thought it was a bit like a date, going out to eat lunch together.

She’s been cooped up in the house for a week, I can understand her wanting to get out.

 

“Sorry for the wait. I look forward to today.”

 

As I lean against the gate, I’m spoken to over my shoulder.

 

When I turn around, there’s a woman who looks like she could be in a model magazine, or a TV personality.

 

A beautiful woman, like an idol.

 

Is this what they call young lady fashion?

A brand item? It’s very beautiful, but this isn’t a dress. To put it roughly, a virgin would probably die, I said something similar before.

And I’m a virgin, do you understand what I’m saying? I’m quite nervous.

 

With her shoulders boldly exposed, she’s wearing something like a one-piece dress and holding a small, expensive-looking bag in both hands.

I wonder what she can fit in that bag, not even a water bottle would fit. Wait, do ordinary people not carry water bottles?

 

“…You really do give off a young lady vibe.”

 

“Can I take that as a compliment?”

 

“Yes, you’re very elegant; I really like that.”

 

“…!?”

 

Aya looks down, but soon raises her face and glares at me.

As always, the young lady… no, the queen has a sharp gaze. It’s scary.

 

“Ka-san. You’re quite familiar with how to treat women, aren’t you? But I’m not that easy. Don’t underestimate me just because you saved my life.”

 

“Familiar? I’ve never had a girlfriend so I’m not sure… unfortunately, I’m not popular.”

 

“…You’ve never had a girlfriend?”

 

“I’m embarrassed to admit that my age doesn’t equal the number of girlfriends I’ve had… I was busy with a lot of things.”

 

Between my part-time job, conquering dungeons, and taking care of my sister, most of my youth was spent on that.

I’ve had girls that I liked… but I didn’t have the luxury to let my mind wander on such things.

 

“Is that so…”

 

Aya makes a small fist and seems oddly happy.

Let’s leave this embarrassing topic aside.

 

“So, where should we go?”

 

“Well, there’s a shopping mall nearby that might suit your taste… shall we go there?”

 

“Huh, I was expecting something more like Italian or upscale French. Are you surprisingly down-to-earth?”

 

“It would be fine if it was night, but it’s noon now. And despite what you might think, I’m just a normal girl who has spent 18 years in this country, other than being the granddaughter of the chairman of the Dungeon Association.”

 

“Haha, sorry. I was imagining something more princess-like.”

 

I was expecting a reaction like “Cup Ramen? What’s that?”, but there are no such young ladies in this country.

Especially since Chairman Kagetora is a self-made warrior and used to be an ordinary person. Although he’s a wealthy man, he’s not the president of a large company, so Aya surprisingly seems to have normal sensibilities.

 

…

 

“So, Aya, what about the Artifact?”

 

We arrive at the shopping mall.

Aeon is crowded even on weekdays, and it has everything, so I like it.

It’s the friend of the masses, the enemy of shopping streets, and a savior in the midsummer heat, especially since the air conditioner in my house stinks.

 

“Let’s talk about that once we’ve settled down. I need to prepare myself mentally.”

 

“Huh? Okay.”

 

We choose a restaurant that seems to offer some privacy, given that our conversation might not be suitable for public ears.

It’s a slightly expensive Japanese restaurant, but that’s not a problem for me now.

 

“Welcome!”

 

We each place our orders. A set meal with cold soba noodles… yum, I’ll add a shrimp tempura too. Woo!

 

I’m making enough money to not hesitate about toppings, and that alone boosts my mood. After all, the days of frugality were tough for a growing boy like me.

I think that’s why I was so scrawny.

 

Now, no matter how much I eat, it all turns into muscle.

I wonder if I’m going to end up like Chairman Kagetora, I wouldn’t like that.

 

“Now, Kai-san. Please take a look at this. How does it appear to your eyes?”

 

Aya pulls out several round crystals from her small bag.

Each of them is a top-class magic stone, A-Rank.

One of these is worth billions, it’s essentially a gem.

 

“Hey, in a place like this?”

 

“It’s okay, there’s no one who could steal it while you’re here…”

 

“That’s true, but… excuse me then.”

 

My eyes shine golden.

I’ve noticed something. When I look at the status, my eyes shine golden.

It’s not noticeable unless you’re looking closely, but it’s enough to be seen in a mirror.

 

It’s so cool that it stirs up my chuunibyou heart.

 

And then I look at the status of the Artifact.