Dungeon's Final Boss: Banished by My Boss, the Goddess, to Earth—So I'll Continue My Past Life - 12

Chapter 12: Emergency

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As soon as I was shoved into the car, Samejima-san told the waiting driver.

“To Sakuradamon.”

“Sakuradamon?”

At first, I thought she meant the train station, but I was wrong. She was talking about that Sakuradamon, the one from the Sakuradamon Incident. And right there, a swirling vortex of light marked the presence of a dungeon.

“A dungeon just appeared here.”

“Huh. I see.”

Stepping out of the car, Samejima-san still had my hand firmly in her grip, pulling me along.

“There’s no explicit law about it, but the Ministry of Dungeons has a standing policy to immediately clear any dungeon that appears in the Imperial Palace, Nagatachou, or Kasumigaseki.”

“I see.”

She didn’t stop walking and she kept dragging me along with her.

“Wait… Am I being taken along too?”

“Since you’re with me, it’s not an illegal entry.”

For the first time since meeting her, Samejima-san smiled.

Yeah, that’s not the kind of smile I wanted to see.

“Hey, wait, hold on—”

It was the very definition of no questions asked. With the strength of an S-rank Awakened, she pulled me straight into the vortex of light. Inside was a mountainous landscape, covered in jagged rocks. The sheer, towering cliffs looked like something straight out of a fantasy world. It was definitely not the kind of terrain you’d find in Japan. A single road stretched straight ahead, leading toward the largest of the towering peaks.

“So that’s our destination. Simple enough, at least.”

As she eyed the mountain, Samejima-san pulled small items from her item box and attached them to her suit. They looked like badges—similar to the school emblems I used to wear as a student.

“This is a portable barrier generator, developed by the Ministry of Dungeons. Given my position, I often have to handle sudden dungeon raids, so I always keep one on hand.”

“I see.”

Finally, she pulled out a weapon. A fine-quality sword. It was as thin as a rapier but had an unusually long blade.

“What about your preparations?”

“I’m just a regular person.”

“I see.”

I couldn’t exactly whip out my item box carelessly in front of her. Samejima-san gave me a doubtful look but didn’t push the issue.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Can I go home?”

“No.”

“Figures.”

“If you run away here, I’ll make sure you serve the full three-year sentence for illegal entry. No probation.”

“That’s tyranny!”

“There are only four S-rank Awakened in Japan and unlike the others, I turned down the hefty rewards from clearing dungeons to work in public service.”

She flashed another smile and said.

“Don’t you think I deserve at least that much authority?”

“…Fair enough.”

That smile was terrifying. I realized she was not someone I should defy. 

“Now then, show me what you’ve got.”

Yeah, no, I have no intention of showing her anything.

Ignoring my thoughts, Samejima-san pressed forward. Monsters attacked. The first was a humanoid creature covered in feathers. Its name was Umin. Another humanoid figure appeared, but this one was covered in thick, bristly fur. Its name was Sansei. A plump, four-legged beast with a single eye, either on the left or right side of its head. Its name was Kan.

Generally speaking, only these three types of monsters were the ones attacking us.

The Umin swarmed from above, using their feathers to soar through the air. The Sansei appeared casually from both sides of the path, attacking with long claws and rows of nail-like fangs inside their mouths. The Kan emitted a strange light from its singular eye.

Samejima-san cut them all down with her slender sword. The blade was exceptionally long and flexible, and her fighting style resembled wielding a whip more than traditional swordplay. She moved with an almost dance-like grace, her sword-whip lashing through the air. More importantly, she was incredibly fast. The monsters seemed to be defeated before they even realized what had happened.

So this is the power of an S-rank Awakened.

If Shinjuku Birth, the group clearing the Shinjuku Dungeon, saw this, they’d probably be left speechless. I had watched their battles before, using the eyes of the golems they rented out.

Their approach was more methodical. They prepared their groundwork meticulously and selected their party members carefully. They basically overcame each challenge through teamwork and great planning. It was a solid, well-planned style of combat.

Compared to that, Samejima-san was more overwhelming. She bulldozed through obstacles with a combination of technique and raw ability. In no time, we had reached the base of the mountain.

“Wow, that was impressive.”

“…You didn’t do anything.”

“Even with a regular person in tow, you still fought flawlessly. As expected of an S-rank Awakened.”

I tried showering her with exaggerated praise, but all I got in return was a cold glare.

“We don’t know what’s ahead. I won’t be saving you.”

“How cruel.”

Samejima-san, now fully focused on the battle, gave me an even icier look before stepping into the mountain path. Rather than a proper mountain, it was more like a towering spire of rock, with a spiraling path winding up its steep slope. The Umin continued to attack, but now new monsters blocked our way.

There were Jinko—tiger-like beasts resembling were-tigers. There were Sokujou—earth monsters formed from the crumbling rock of the mountain. There were Chin—massive eagles with poisonous copper beaks that led flocks of Umin in coordinated assaults. The Sokujou clogged the narrow path, restricting movement. The Jinko leapt around with ninja-like agility, attacking in quick bursts. And in the sky, the Chin and Umin moved freely, dominating the aerial space.

Whoever designed this dungeon really put some real thought into it, but even with such well-planned defenses, they weren’t enough to stop Samejima-san’s advance.

A newly formed dungeon didn’t have many floors yet. Dungeons grew over time, expanding their layers and increasing the cost limit for placing monsters, traps, and other structures. The dungeon I had once guarded had grown large enough to reach up to ten thousand floors. Though, thanks to my boss being stingy with costs, we only ever had twenty functional floors.

“Do you understand why I’m in a hurry to clear this?”

“No idea.”

As the monster attacks settled down, Samejima-san asked me that question. The answer was probably what I had just been thinking about, but I feigned ignorance.

“Dungeons deepen over time, and stronger monsters appear and sometimes, an Overload might happen.”

“Overload?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. It’s already happened multiple times in Japan.”

“Oh… Right.”

Yes. That thing. Right. They call it Overload.

For dungeon monsters, it was basically a festival parade. They would spill out from the dungeon into the outside world.

“If we don’t take dungeons down early, we risk letting something like that happen.”

“I see.”

“That’s why we need as many strong people as possible.”

She glanced at me as she said that.

Yeah, not sure what she expected from me.

“As far as I can see, there’s nothing I can do here.”

And in fact, without my help, Samejima-san already reached the top of the mountain herself. She was about to enter the boss’s domain.

“…It’s a shame you didn’t get to do anything.”

With that, she stepped into the mist-covered summit.

“Ah.”

Oh… So she actually went in. Did she realize? 

…No, probably not. I wonder if she is going to be okay?

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