Chapter 27: Conclusion, and Then…

“…What is that?”

Upon reaching the ninth floor after clearing the eighth, I couldn’t help but mutter those words as I saw what awaited me.

Since the appearance of dungeons, there have been no confirmed instances of humanoid monsters.

And yet, here one stood.

Its entire body was pitch black, resembling a shadow come to life.

Noticing my presence, it unleashed a palpable killing intent, making no effort to conceal it.

Its hands began to morph into weapons—familiar shapes, resembling knives.

Could those be… Purgatory Mistblades?

Looking closer, its build even seemed somewhat similar to mine.

The pressure emanating from it was leagues beyond anything I’d faced so far.

This thing’s strength likely far surpasses that of a Gleam Angel.

Just one step closer, and I’d be in its range.

The silent tension between us screamed danger, my instincts sounding alarms: “This thing is lethal.”

But I remained calm.

…Well, compared to Master, this isn’t much.

“…Alright, let’s do this.”

I pulled out an energy drink from my pocket, twisted off the cap, and downed it in one gulp.

The label read “Rigor-MAX,” a custom-made concoction from Minase-san. I still don’t know where she gets it, but her presence seemed to fill me with strength.

Backing down here would mean gaining nothing.

I was determined to fight—not just for the challenge, but to gather information. Besides, I had Doro-chan recording everything. Even if I couldn’t win, there’d still be something to gain.

Not that I had any intention of losing.

I readied the Zwei Rabe in both hands and took a deep breath.

Alright. Let’s go.

I took a step into its range.

The air shifted.

A blade swung at me, grazing my cheek. My hair fell softly to the ground.

The creature’s knife had barely missed me, and when it saw me dodge with minimal movement, it swung again.

But I bent backward, dodging that as well.

In return, I delivered a powerful front kick to its stomach.

It managed to block with its arms, jumping back to create distance.

…So that’s how it is.

Its combat ability is nearly identical to mine.

The only difference is the weapons it wields.

The shadowy figure restructured its stance, maintaining the gap between us while searching for an opening.

What a troublesome opponent.

And yet, I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of excitement. Somewhere deep inside, I was enjoying this fight.

Finally, I can go all out.

◇

Meanwhile, the stream continued.

Concurrent viewers had now surpassed 1 million, shattering the Japanese record previously held by Niiyama Masaru.

The appearance of the mysterious humanoid monster caused an explosive surge in viewership, attracting attention not only from Japan but from across the world.

――

《I can’t see a thing lol》

《Is this… a clone?》

《This battle’s on a whole other level.》

《Wait, who is this guy?》

《Isn’t this the famous Japanese ninja everyone’s talking about?》

《So, what does this mean, dattebayo?》

《Shadow clone jutsu, huh?》

《Ninjas existed!!》

The comment section was in an uproar.

The movements were too fast for anyone to follow. International viewers were shouting “ninja” over and over in excitement.

Watching the stream were Shion, Kanade, and Karen, all at the entrance of the Phantom Tower, just as they were about to begin their own conquest.

The three had noticed Satou trending on social media and were glued to the footage on their smartphones.

“Taichi-san is incredible!”

“So cool, so cool! But, uh, what is that monster?!”

“I… I have no idea what’s happening…”

Not Just a Humanoid Monster…

The fact that an unprecedented humanoid monster had appeared was shocking enough. But the revelation that it was a shadowy doppelgänger of Satou only amplified the astonishment for the three onlookers.

The battle between Satou and the shadow was otherworldly.

The outdated drone struggled to capture their exchanges in real-time.

The shadow would close in on Satou, who would then evade and land a counterattack.

Every split-second interaction resembled a dance of death, where any misstep would mean certain doom.

The shadow advanced, and Satou dodged.

Satou’s counterattacks, wielding his twin blades, lashed out in rapid succession, targeting the shadow even as it evaded. Though the shadow showed no visible damage, it was clear that the strikes were wearing it down.

“Do your best… Taichi-san!”

“Taichi will win, no doubt!”

“Yes… absolutely!”

The fight raged on, intensifying with every moment, as the three watched alongside the entire world.

Their movements became so fast that not even afterimages were left on screen.

The drone, buffeted by the sheer force of the battle, teetered on the edge of being blown away but managed to continue broadcasting to the world.

Superchats flooded the stream, in every color imaginable: blue, yellow, green, orange, red…

The relentless stream of donations created a rainbow of colors as viewers worldwide showed their support.

Even those who initially left skeptical comments found themselves rooting for Satou as the battle unfolded.

And then, about an hour into the fight…

Suddenly, it came to an end.

Satou spotted a fleeting opening created by the accumulated damage on the shadow.