Chapter 204: |
Dungeon Stampede 2.0 Father And Daughter
"Stop right there!!"
A voice with a severe tone echoes in the darkness. Startled by it, Ruu, who had been running, stands frozen in place. Then, a strong light is shone upon her.
It was shortly after 6 p.m. Ruu, filled with joy at finally spotting the building where her father works, had dashed off without heeding any warnings.
Three members of the Self-Defense Forces appear. All of them are armed.
Two are wearing bulletproof vests over camouflage uniforms, equipped with aluminum shields. The light attached to the helmet's side shines upon Ruu. Additionally, one in the rear holds an automatic rifle, its light extending from the barrel also aimed at Ruu.
Hey… wait, doesn't that mean the muzzle of the automatic rifle is also pointed at Ruu?
"Wait! Hold your fire! We're… Japanese citizens!!"
Shouting this instinctively, I rush forward, shielding Ruu with my own body. They are members of the Self-Defense Forces, undergoing rigorous training and education daily for the defense of the nation. And that is to protect Japan's territory and its citizens. So I thought that by saying we're Japanese, they would ease up.
But once again, a Self-Defense Force member holding a shield made of aluminum bellows in a severe tone. Upon closer inspection, the aluminum shield is all dented and battered… severely deformed, with cracks running through it.
(Was there just intense fighting recently, making them edgy? It'd be better not to rashly oppose them…)
"Understood! We'll drop our weapons! Just be aware that dropping them will make a loud noise, so we'll do it slowly…"
So, mimicking their tone, I respond succinctly.
I repeat it firmly, imprinting the impression that there's no intention to resist. I don't know any of these Self-Defense Force members personally, but this type of response worked well with Trident members.
So surely, it should resonate with professionals too…
I bend down slowly, placing the long golden crowbar I was holding on the asphalt. Then, I turned around to receive the baseball bat from Ruu and placed it in the same manner. However, Ruu seems to be terribly frightened, not understanding why the Self-Defense Force members are being so harsh.
Yeah… If Ruu had been in her usual casual attire, they definitely wouldn't have treated her like this.
But now, Ruu is covered from head to toe in a combat suit, with monster blood splattered all over, and she was also carrying a bloodied bat as she ran. So it's not unreasonable for them to give her stern warnings…
Just a bit more. The courthouse where Ruu's dad works has floodlights on, and you can see Self-Defense Force vehicles parked. Seeing that, Ruu probably thought, "Finally, we're safe!"
Putting down our weapons, we quietly step back from the spot.
In the meantime, Nina-san and Serai-san, who have caught up, read the atmosphere and do the same without saying anything.
"Who are you?! Where did you come from?!"
"We're Japanese, here to find our family. We didn't just appear from the dungeon-like monsters or anything."
While replying so, I instruct Ruu and the others to open the face shields of their combat suits, hoping to ease the tension.
And then…
"What… huh!?"
"Wow… beautiful!!"
"Huh?! Everyone, check your statuses, now!"
However, when Nina-san and Serai-san release the face part of their masks and lift their faces, the Self-Defense Force members suddenly become flustered.
"Status check, begin reporting! Status is good!"
"Status is good!"
"Status… um… enchant… no! It's nothing! Status is good!"
Huh…? Someone seems a bit flustered.
"What's wrong, can't you make it clear?"
"Huh! I was briefly charmed, but I resisted!"
"What!?"
(What the heck! I showed my face hoping to ease their alertness, and now they're getting charmed just naturally!? This is going to make things complicated!)
"Could it be… these guys… are monsters disguised as humans!?"
"Yeah, that's right. There's no other way to explain their excessive beauty. They must be some kind of shapeshifters…!"
(Oh no, this is a mess…)
It seems like the two shield-holders are starting to mistake us for monsters, and the one with the automatic rifle, like a small policeman, starts calling for backup on his tiny radio.
But when I turn around with a "What nonsense," the three whose faces are exposed from their masks emit an irresistibly alluring charm with their exceptionally beautiful faces and fair skin, especially in the dim light.
(Hmm, could it be…!?)
Even I, who usually see them up close, would think so, so it's no wonder they might be mistaken for shapeshifters if it's the first time someone sees them…!?
…..
Ten minutes pass as we wait under the stern gaze of the Self-Defense Force members. Finally, three new Self-Defense Force members appear after receiving communication.
During that wait, everyone took off their masks. Well, wearing masks does tend to give off an otherworldly vibe, can't deny that.
However, it seems that Nina-san's face reveal has an incredibly strong impact, as one of the Self-Defense Force members falls into a state of charm just from that, leading to some misunderstanding.
Well, aside from that, from the conversation of the Self-Defense Force members, it seems that they can grasp abnormal statuses as well through their stats. I never experienced any abnormal statuses before, so it's the first time I've heard of it. Hmm… could this also be thanks to my [Resistance to Illness]?
Furthermore, my Insect King mask, due to its structure, cannot be fully opened, only the mouth part. So before taking off my mask, I tried showing just my mouth to the Self-Defense Force members, but I was just told in a very ambiguous manner, "Hurry up and take off that mask." Hmm, incomprehensible…
And then, three new Self-Defense Force members finally approach.
Probably the person in the middle is the most important one. Their collar badge is different. However, I'm not a military otaku, so even by looking at the collar badge, I can't tell their rank. But it's unlikely that they'd walk side by side like that and have one of them be the superior without us knowing.
"Good work! How far north were you able to go from Ariake?"
"Huh…?"
The Self-Defense Force member who seems to be the superior first says something incomprehensible to me. And after a sharp salute, he continues. Hmm, what's going on…?
"Um… what are you talking about?"
"Oh, come on now, don't test us like that! We've heard the rumors. You're from the Chiba Ranger unit stationed in Ariake, right?"
(Huh…?)
Serai-san and I exchange looks, completely baffled by the content.
"Um… we're not Rangers, and we're not even Self-Defense Force members? We're just ordinary civilians."
"What…!? But you clearly look like Rangers disguised as monsters to infiltrate enemy lines! Besides, in the current situation, how can ordinary people like you walk around in Tokyo, which is overrun by monsters!!"
With a serious face and tone, the Self-Defense Force-like person continues speaking.
(Huh, where did he get that report from? Um… huh…? Is this person perhaps the type who's smart but overthinks things and ends up spinning in circles? And besides, are there really that many female Rangers right now?)
"Um, we really are just civilians, here to find our family."
"Yes! Um… do you know a Mr. Shoichi Ryojin here!? He should be here somewhere!"
"Hey… anyway, shouldn't you move to a safe place soon? If you stay here, you'll just get attacked by monsters again…"
After being kept waiting and having a futile conversation, Ruu and Nina-san interrupt in frustration.
"Okay, understood. Um… seems like it was just my misunderstanding. I apologize. Let me guide you to a safe place, and then you can tell us more details. Oh, by the way. My name is Jia Kurou."
With that said, he signals to his subordinates with his eyes and contacts them via radio, introducing himself as Jia.
"Oh, I see. My name is Egetsu Nakihito."
Since the other party introduced themselves with their full name, I felt like I had to do the same and responded with my full name.
"Egetsu-san, huh? Well, if you have any identification, please show it later."
…..
And so, it's now 8 p.m.
"Dad!"
"Ruu…!? What on earth… why are you here!?"
In a room where many injured people squat anxiously, Ruu's father stands up with a surprised expression upon unexpectedly being called by name. He also seems injured, with bandages wrapped around his head so much that his eyes are barely visible.
"Dad! I was worried about you…!!"
"You idiot…! You…! Why in such a dangerous situation… why!!"
The father and daughter embrace tightly, shedding tears as they worry about each other…
Yeah, yeah, even the Self-Defense Force members who followed us around, overly cautious, were moved… They quickly left, probably to report.
Yeah, well, we were detained in a separate room for about an hour. There, we were forced to explain the circumstances and background of the situation in detail.
We, as Dungeon Ability Users, repeated the spell "We are aware of the danger. However, we felt it was time to act in the face of crisis," and finally we were released.
Above all, it was fortunate that Ruu's dad, who had a very solid background, was listed among the injured being protected. After all, he's a judge here. Otherwise, we would have been detained for much longer.
Now… there must be things that the father and daughter want to talk about alone.
So, after briefly bowing and greeting Ruu's dad, I left the room, sat down on a bench in the corridor, and waited for Ruu. And I asked Nina-san and Serai-san to gather information lightly.
Well, you see, it's much more effective and efficient to have sociable beauties like them gather information than for me, who's basically a loner and a bit socially awkward, to move around. Well, it's a matter of using the right person for the right job.
But… I'm concerned about the bodies of the Dungeon Ability Users I saw along the way…
There were quite a few. They must have been preparing to "make a name for themselves in this opportunity!" for a long time. When I didn't see any Dungeon Ability Users around, it seemed they had gathered and acted together. But the result was that terrible sight…
Perhaps they were expecting another Dungeon Stampede of the same scale as last time. I have a feeling from the equipment of the fallen that that might have been the case…
It's a shame. If they had assessed the situation more carefully before acting, it wouldn't have turned out like that. What happens tomorrow could happen to us, too… Let's be careful.
And, while pondering such things and fiddling with a discarded shoehorn I picked up, that Jia-san appears in the corridor again, locking eyes with me and approaching with a smile.
Oh, come on! Isn't this enough? What else could it be…??
