I Run the Protagonist’s Favorite Café in a Hopelessly Depressing Game World - V1 Chapter 4.2

I Reached the Dungeon

Countless insects crawled across the face wearing an archaic smile.

There weren’t actually any insects. It was just a pattern. A moving pattern.

Its height was probably around three meters. It walked slowly. Every step made the ground shake. The dense magic power warped the space, and the pressure grew stronger the closer it got. A mass of killing intent. No, not even killing intent. It walked naturally, unconsciously, with no purpose, simply trying to kill humanity. The complete opposite of a Buddha statue. Yeah, that thing definitely wasn’t a Buddha statue.

It was a blasphemous sight.

The words spilling from its mouth had no meaning.

It was just a monster acting that way based on the rule of thumb that “behaving like this slows humans down.”

That was what a monster was. Humanity’s enemy.

“That’s…”

“A m-monster…”

“It’s gross…”

“Do we really have to fight something like that?”

“Ugh──”

“Nooooo!?”

“Don’t look away, everyone!”

“Attack it!”

“I wish I’d never become a witch…”

“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry…”

The witches suddenly started screaming as if they had lost their minds.

They shook their hair wildly like they were insane.

They fired their guns randomly in every direction.

Bullet holes were carved all over—up, down, left, right, everywhere.

Monsters tore humans apart.

Both physically and mentally.

If you didn’t wrap your whole body in magic power, you’d go mad like that.

That was exactly why only witches could fight them—but.

Should I go help?

That thought of mine vanished the moment Tamaki spoke.

“──I’ll kill it!”

A dry cracking sound echoed and bounced off the stone walls over and over.

Full auto roared.

The instant Tamaki pulled the trigger, a short, sharp flash burst from the muzzle.

The monster that had been wriggling like a shadow twitched hard.

The bullet had pierced straight through its torso.

Its work-clothes-like surface tore open, and with a dull sound the flesh was gouged out.

A moment later, a low, muddy roar filled the cave.

It no longer had the composure to keep up the “word-like” act.

The monster scraped at the ground with its legs and tried to step forward again.

But its movements were clumsy.

“One more time!”

This time she fired without pause.

The shots overlapped, and the smell of gunpowder drifted through the air.

The bullet hit its head with the sound of something hard shattering.

A crack ran through the archaic smile.

‘…………’

The monster stopped moving.

Its giant body swayed, then collapsed as if it had lost its support.

The impact when it slammed into the ground sent dust flying up.

‘…………’

Even after a while, it didn’t move anymore.

In the silence, thin smoke rose from the gun barrel.

Only the ringing in everyone’s ears remained as the aftertaste of battle.

All the witches except Tamaki—including the teacher—had frozen solid.

“I did it… I could do it too.”

Because the assault rifle had been roaring just moments ago, the current silence felt especially loud.

Tamaki’s whispered voice reached even me, who was quite a distance away.

“I’m not some inferior copy of Shikiko. I can kill monsters too. I can become a witch too. I can get a title too…!”

Her face was full of joy.

Like sunlight pouring down on a flower field.

Tamaki looked completely out of place in the dark dungeon.

──And it was exactly in moments like that when monsters bared their fangs.

The Buddha-statue-like thing that had taken many bullets and seemed dead.

It didn’t miss the moment everyone let their guard down. Suddenly, it sprang up like a spring.

“Eh──”

Its target was the closest human.

Tamaki Omuta.

She was completely off guard.

You must never let your guard down, no matter what.

She had forgotten the rule of the dungeon.

‘Repent. The kingdom of God is at hand.’

The monster swung its arm.

Its fist was packed with enormous magic power.

A direct hit would make her head burst like a water balloon.

There was no way to dodge anymore.

It was over. Bad end.

──If I hadn’t been here.

I leaped out from the shadow.

Faster than a bullet.

At full speed.

I drew the hatchet from my waist and, with the same momentum, sliced the monster clean in two.

‘If someone strikes your right cheek, turn the o…ther…’

It was still talking even after its body was cut in half.

I poured magic power into my leg and stomped it.

Again and again. Relentlessly. So it couldn’t play dead.

I didn’t let my guard down. I took every precaution. I made sure it was dead.

By the time the ground cracked and caved in from the sheer force and the monster’s head had turned into nothing but liquid.

Only then did I finally let out a breath.

“That was close, huh──I guess that’s what I should say.”

“The strongest witch in the world…?”

“Can you stop calling me that? I don’t really like it.”

When I turned around, Tamaki was just dropping onto her backside.

“Are you hurt?”

“I-I’m fine…”

“Good.”

I scratched my cheek lightly.

…Well, whatever.

At least we managed to avoid a bad end for now.

I didn’t know what the future would bring.

But if I couldn’t even protect one part-time girl, I’d be a failure as a shop owner.

“Man, that was a bit too showy.”

“…?”

I couldn’t help but smile wryly.

The mask hid it, so Tamaki probably didn’t see.