The Virgin Hero Who Fought in the Dungeon for 20 Years Returned to the Surface Only to Find the Population of the World Has Dropped Drastically, with a Male-to-Female Ratio of 1:1000 - 73

Chapter 73: We Meet Again

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Damn it, I’m the strongest mage in the world. I can handle this much!

Hurl the bomb, destroy the fortress. Charge into the dungeon. Take control of the situation and heal Yoriako and save Rinka. I can do it. I’m the chosen one!

Like a spell, Ryuuto repeated it in his heart.

At almost the same moment, the vehicle Rinka was riding in overturned. The explosion sounded like thunder—gasoline must have ignited—and the vehicle went up in flames.

Damn it. 

The eerie sound of shelling continued. He could barely hear. His eyes burned. His vision blurred. Goblins closed in from all directions. Support fire came from behind. As gunfire echoed, enemy soldiers fell one after another.

“Graah!”

At the same time, a sharp pain shot through his right side. He had been shot. An arrow had embedded itself halfway into his side. He forcibly pulled it out. Blood gushed out in a rush. He couldn’t breathe. As he ran, blood rose to his throat.

A formless terror gripped Ryuuto. He pushed forward desperately. There was a roaring sound, followed by a whistling whirr. Artillery. The blood drained from his face.

With a tremendous blast, Ryuuto was blown away. He lost all sense of up and down, rolling somewhere. There was no pain. The artillery from the rear had exploded.

A relentless roaring like a storm echoed. His hearing returned. His vision cleared. Ryuuto was sprawled on the ground. All around him were the blown-apart corpses of goblins. This place was dangerous.

He sensed it instinctively. He had to move—fast. A goblin appeared in front of him, raising a hand axe overhead. This is it, he thought. But more than fear, regret filled him.

Then the goblin was knocked sideways. A small brown shadow—it was Johntarou.

Johntarou bravely sank his teeth into the goblin’s side and overpowered it.

“You—!”

Ryuuto raised the rifle in his hands and fired. There was no way he could miss at this range. With a pop, the sound echoed, and a hole opened in the goblin’s chest.

At that moment, another explosion of light and sound erupted nearby. Artillery.

By the time he realized, it was too late—he was blown back about ten meters. But he was still alive. His palms were slick with blood.

He must have cut his head—blood was pouring out. While lying face down, Ryuuto searched for the bomb. He focused his eyes.

Surprisingly, the bomb was right nearby. He reached out with his left hand and grabbed it. A hard, solid feeling.

He had to throw this into the enemy base. He tried to push himself up with both hands—and realized it. His right arm was broken. On top of that, his left leg wouldn’t move properly.

Blood was gushing from his left knee, filling his shoe. He was breathing heavily. He looked up. Johntarou was sitting in front of him. The time bomb was there.

Johntarou’s eyes seemed to say, “Leave it to me.” Ryuuto bit his lip hard and groaned. The enemy fortress was right there, but he had no strength left to run.

It was a cruel plan. But he had to make a decision. He pressed the switch on the time bomb. Thirty seconds. If luck was on their side, Johntarou could make it with his legs.

“Please…”

That was all he could manage to say. Johntarou picked up the time bomb in his mouth and, without hesitation, ran toward the fortress. A pitch-black oni flag flew over the fort.

Johntarou seemed to understand their intentions.

Impossible. This couldn’t be happening. He’s just a stray dog. Dogs understand human feelings.

Johntarou ran, the time bomb in his mouth.

Ryuuto, lying flat on his stomach, readied his rifle. He counted the seconds. He couldn’t aim well.

A goblin noticed Johntarou and charged. Ryuuto pulled the trigger and began to fire at the goblin, trying to cover for Johntarou albeit his shooting skill left much to be desired.

Stupid mutt. If you hadn’t come here, you could’ve lived out your life in peace.

He pictured a ticking second hand in his head. His mind was foggy. He crawled forward, conserving what little strength he had left.

Even if I can’t run anymore, if this works, I still have to keep moving.

A brilliant flash lit up the front. A thunderous roar and shockwave followed. He braced himself to avoid being blown away.

Within the blinding light, Ryuuto thought of him… A single dog, with jewel-like black eyes shining, looking straight at him.

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Ryuuto woke up just before sunrise. For a moment, he didn’t know where he was. The sweet scent and soft warmth. On either side of him, Sumire and Yae slept soundly, breathing peacefully.

Right. He was in a warm futon. This wasn’t the battlefield anymore.

Why did I dream something like that?

It was probably because he had watched some dog movie. He quietly slipped out of bed. Neither of them stirred. He had an intense urge to breathe the morning air.

Ryuuto left the tower condo and headed to the nearby river. Outside, it was still dark. He walked slowly. Even in the dim light, he passed several women out jogging. Each of them stopped with a startled look when they saw him, but no one spoke to him.

I guess a lot of shy people are out early in the morning.

He bought a canned coffee from a nearby vending machine and stood on the levee embankment. He remembered Johntarou’s final moments.

The time bomb Rinka had handed him had immense power. That one shot turned the tide of battle. Ryuuto broke into the dungeon, defeated the enemy Dungeon Master, and seized Hachiōji Castle.

But he never came back.

Of course not. The time bomb with Rinka’s magic circuit was unbelievably powerful. It truly deserved to be called a one-shot kill. After the war, he told her the truth, but not once did she blame Ryuuto. That made it even harder to bear.

He sat down on the embankment. The morning dew soaked into the grass and wet his butt.

When he looked up, Sumire was standing behind him. Just like the first time they met, she was in a suit and sunglasses—perfectly put together, not a single detail out of place.

“Good morning, Ryuuto-sama. I had hoped to serve your morning coffee at dawn myself.”

“Yeah. Well, this cheap stuff suits me better than any fancy beans.”

“Are you feeling unwell? Or was I too foolish last night?”

“No, it’s not you, Sumire-san. I just remembered something from the past.”

Somewhere, he thought he heard a small dog barking. Ryuuto placed the canned coffee on the ground and, not caring about getting wet, pushed aside the grass and went down the embankment.

There, nestled in the tall grass, lay a brown dog. He could see teats on her belly—she was female. She was unmistakably dead. As Ryuuto approached, a puppy burst out, barking furiously. He felt a sharp killing intent from behind and turned around.

Sumire.

She had a knife in hand, ready to throw, her eyes cold as ice.

“Stop. It’s just a puppy.”

“But it’s a stray. We don’t know what diseases it might carry.”

To protect Ryuuto, she would eliminate anything, without hesitation. Sumire was a complete professional. There was no room in her actions for personal feelings or morality. Ryuuto waved his hand lightly and spoke with deliberate casualness.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s not a big deal.”

He reached out his hand. The puppy growled and bit down on Ryuuto’s right hand. However, Ryuuto’s palm, hardened by over twenty years of combat in the underground dungeon, was as tough as a well-worn glove. 

The puppy’s tiny teeth couldn’t pierce it. Sumire visibly tensed, but Ryuuto stopped her again.

“That dog lying there is its mother. This little one is just trying to protect her.”

Its coat was rough and dirty, but the dead dog was a red Shiba Inu Ryuuto recognized well. He let the puppy keep its jaws on his finger and simply waited.

“This little guy probably thinks the whole world is his enemy right now. And it’s no wonder. He just lost the one who loved him most, who kept him safe.”

Ryuuto looked straight into the puppy’s eyes. He didn’t move his fingers. Gradually, the puppy let go of his hand and, as if unsure of what to do, backed away.

“It’s okay. Come here.”

Even Ryuuto was surprised at how warm his own voice sounded. The puppy, which had been whimpering softly, realized Ryuuto wasn’t a threat, gave a tiny wag of its tail, and soon began crying in a more affectionate tone.

The puppy rubbed its face against him. A deep tenderness welled up inside Ryuuto. He slowly opened his arms, and the Shiba puppy leapt into them.

“Did you know, Sumire-san? Dogs are smart, full of love, and when it comes to protecting what matters most, they can be braver than anyone. They’re that kind of friend. Ahaha, hey, cut it out. You’re getting me all sticky. Haha. Hey, how about becoming part of my family?”

The Shiba puppy gave a cheerful bark. Ryuuto buried his nose in the pup’s fragrant fur and took a deep breath. Puppy scent. He smiled. 

He glanced at Sumire. She was squinting as if dazzled by something, staring intently at Ryuuto. For some reason, he suddenly felt embarrassed. He nervously touched his own cheek with his left hand.

“Ryuuto-sama. If you’re going to keep him, you must give him a name.”

“You’re right. His name is—”

While the puppy licked his face, Ryuuto lifted him into his arms. He had already decided on the name.

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