Chapter 73 - Chapter 73: Sniper
We returned to the surface after the Labyrinth Cult had obstructed our attempt to clear Floor 7.
It was a while before the relief of being back on the surface faded.
A chill like being pricked by needles suddenly seized me.
Probably... killing intent.
I had been diving into the dungeon, repeating battles and death matches, and it seems my senses for such things had sharpened without me noticing.
Perhaps this is a benefit from leveling up, a default ability enhancement.
Looking in the direction of the killing intent, I felt as though something had glinted.
It appeared as a white line heading straight toward me.
Dodging would be easy, but Sana was behind me.
I picked Sana up in my arms, leaped sideways, and shouted.
"Everyone, scatter!"
Still, they were all high-level adventurers.
Without a single question, they scattered exactly as I ordered.
In the next instant, the asphalt behind where I had been standing blew away, leaving a massive hole.
"What was that?! An attack?!"
Shards of flying asphalt scattered everywhere, and screams erupted.
"Aaaah! Aaaah!"
"Darling! Was that magic?!"
The Princess shouted.
"I don't know, but... probably a sniper shot?!"
"A sniper?! Who?!"
There are too many suspects to worry about, but... I cannot allow gunfire that drags in ordinary citizens in a place like this.
"Someone, cast the speed-up magic [Haste]."
"Yes, yes!"
Koeda had used it, but it seems the girl at Yuuki's place can use it too.
After receiving the spell, I handed Sana over to the Princess.
"I'm leaving Sana to you!"
"Leave it to me!"
I sprinted at full speed toward the source of the glowing killing intent.
Of course, with the support magic active, I moved faster than usual.
Once I gained momentum, I made a huge jump.
"Aaaah! Ooooh!"
Voices rose from the pedestrians.
After the jump, I landed on the overhang of a building, then immediately performed another vertical jump.
Gripping the window frames one after another, I ran up to the roof of the building.
The source of the killing intent was about 500 meters away... I wouldn't make it in time if I ran through the crowd.
I headed straight for the enemy.
Repeating battles inside the dungeon, I had come to understand just how much my physical abilities had improved.
I leaped across the canyon between buildings in one bound.
Dashing along the rooftops, I jumped again.
Sticking to the building wall, I climbed the rain gutter.
I reached the roof of a tall building.
The killing intent had come from here.
On the roof, a man was storing a rifle in a wide, large case.
He was a large man with blonde hair, wearing a jumpsuit-like outfit.
The rifle wasn't a hunting rifle.
It was bulky and huge... the type used for anti-tank rifles or something similar.
Isn't using something like this for anti-personnel sniping a violation of some treaty?
Well, since I'm doing illegal things with my own sniping, I suppose that doesn't matter! Or so I'd think.
The man was probably a foreigner.
Since the sniper shot had missed, he must have intended to withdraw or change position.
Suddenly appearing from a place he didn't expect, he looked quite surprised.
I took out the Rebar Mace from my Item Box.
"F○CK!"
Even I could understand that.
If it's English, does that mean he's American?
They are technically allies, but can I trust them 100%?
The man drew a knife from his belt.
His movements were sharp... perhaps the enemy is also a foreign adventurer.
I've heard stories of soldiers being sent into dungeons for training.
I slashed the wrist the enemy thrust forward in a single flash.
Even if the opponent was an adventurer, the level difference between us must be huge.
His movements were as if they were stopped.
Gorilla moved better than this.
"Damn it!"
I don't know what he was saying, but the man's wrist snapped in one hit, bent 90 degrees halfway, and he dropped his sharp weapon.
It must hurt, but I cannot forgive someone who targeted me and my companions' lives.
There was a normal possibility of casualties from stray bullets.
"Oraa!"
I kicked the man upward, sending him rolling onto the roof floor.
I pinned him face down, twisted his arm into a triangular armlock shape, and stepped on him with my foot.
"UGGGG!"
"No matter how big a man he is, he won't be able to move like this."
Of course, I couldn't leave him like this.
I took out my smartphone from my Item Box.
I sent a message to the Prime Minister.
"I was sniped in the Special District and have apprehended the culprit. He is a blonde foreigner. Please respond."
My communication is shared among multiple parties, so someone should respond immediately.
...That's what I was told.
My phone rang immediately... a call from an unknown number, but now is the time.
It's probably about the message I just sent.
"Yes."
"Is this Niwa-san?!
"Yes."
"This is the Special Forces! We heard you were sniped?!"
"Yes... the culprit is right under my feet right now. He is a blonde foreigner."
"...We have located you, so we will respond immediately."
Did they triangulate my phone?
I was told to install such an app, so it is installed.
"It's on the roof of a building."
"Understood!"
I looked around, and saw a metal door leading to the roof.
If they were coming, it would be from there.
They wouldn't come down by helicopter, would they?
As I was worrying, the door opened.
Coming out were men in a crouched stance, aiming rifles.
There were three of them in total... checking their left and right.
They weren't wearing camouflage, but they were wearing bulletproof vests, so they were probably from the Self-Defense Forces.
"Good work~ It's over here."
"Yes!"
The men clattered their boots as they came to my location.
"It's this guy."
"s○it!"
The men stared at the enemy I was stepping on.
"...Are they American?"
"I don't know... he spoke English. The weapons are over there."
"Did you fire something like this here?"
According to them, it is officially called an anti-materiel rifle.
It is equipped with a silencer, but how effective it is remains to be seen.
"It seems there were injuries from the impact fragments, but no casualties."
"If there were, there would be a huge commotion right now."
The men were preparing something rustlingly.
"How do we carry such a big man? He's probably a foreign adventurer. It would be troublesome if he resisted."
"Indeed... I don't know if it will work..."
One of the men pressed a metal cylinder-like object against the enemy's neck.
"G!"
It was probably some kind of anesthetic.
I was worried, but the man's reaction ceased within a few minutes.
It seems to be a very strong drug.
Well, there is no need for humanitarian concerns with such an enemy.
"I surrender. To think he would target me directly."
"I apologize. We had no information on this."
"Well, it can't be helped."
"But you managed to apprehend him quite well."
"Before he could shoot, I felt something like killing intent, and I knew the direction and distance."
"Eh? Is that what high-level adventurers are like?"
"Seems so... your intuition becomes abnormally sharp. Your vision improves, and your hearing becomes sensitive. Perhaps human gut feelings and sixth senses are amplified?"
"That's amazing."
The men were impressed, but unless you actually reach that level, you wouldn't understand.
Even if asked to explain, I probably couldn't do it well.
Soon, reinforcements from the Self-Defense Forces arrived, and the man, restrained on a stretcher, was carried away.
"There might be accomplices nearby, so please be careful."
"Thank you."
In assassinations by certain countries, radioactive substances or organic compounds are used, but adventurers seem to be resistant to radiation.
Even with powerful poison, they don't die immediately, and if they enter the dungeon and use a recovery potion, they should recover, right?
I haven't tried it, so I can't say for sure.
Well, since this ambush was easily dodged, the enemy will probably hesitate before launching the next attack.
What I fear is a suicide bombing targeting me.
If that happens, innocent civilians will get caught up in it, and adventurers won't be able to operate in the Special District.
They will probably wait for us in some remote mountain area.
I can only hope the enemy acts rationally and that doesn't happen.
With the situation settled, I contacted the Princess.
A few people were injured, but it seems they were healed with magic.
Good.
Each guild had returned to their own base.
Sana and Kirara also seemed to have returned to their headquarters.
I'll contact Sana just in case.
"It seems I am being targeted from various places. It's dangerous (misuse), so it's better not to get close to me."
"Understood."
"But if you're in trouble, contact me anytime."
"Thank you."
"When it's safe, you can come eat curry too, you know?"
"Yes."
Well, I don't know about Kirara, but it's good that she doesn't hate me 100%.
I met up with the Princess and headed to each guild to drop off the luggage I was holding.
"Darling, are you injured?"
The Princess was worried.
"No problem."
"Well, if someone could take you out, they would become the strongest in the world."
The Princess is worrying strangely, but is that condition okay even if shot by a gun or rocket?
"A sniper... did you really get shot with a gun?"
Kaorulko was also worried.
"Yes, I caught the culprit and handed him over to the Self-Defense Forces."
"I'm glad."
First, I went to Iroha's guild... Goriki.
The girls were gathered together, giggling, so I dropped off the luggage there.
"Waaaah!"
Everyone swarmed and started carrying the luggage into the guild.
"Yo, Darling! You said something about a sniper, was it real?"
"Yes, I caught the culprit."
I gave Iroha the same explanation as I gave Kaorulko.
"Eh?! The Self-Defense Forces?! Not the police?"
"Here, the police don't intervene."
"Now that you mention it, that's right."
"We can't do anything more than this. Speaking of which, as I said inside the dungeon, once the luggage handover is done, let's party up."
"Yosh!"
She made a victory pose.
The other girls seemed to want to join, but only the members who participated in this attack are allowed.
Otherwise, it would get out of hand.
If they want to party, they can do it on another day.
Today is a celebration for returning safely from the dungeon.
From Goriki, I took Iroha and Koeda, and next we went to the Golden Path.
Upon arriving at the guild, I dropped off the luggage.
The deputy leader with glasses apologized deeply.
He must have heard about what Gorilla did.
"We are terribly sorry for this incident."
"No, no, in the end, his efforts saved us, hahaha."
Neither Gorilla nor Mikan were here.
I intended to ask if they were participating in the party, but they must be having their own celebration right now.
It's fine to leave it entirely to the deputy leader, but is this place okay?
"..."
A woman had an apologetic expression on her face.
When I approached her, I whispered to her.
"If you are considering transferring, we welcome you."
"...No! For now..."
She was surprised by my sudden words.
"I see."
I think she has the ability, so it would be a waste.
At Cherry Princess's place, Kaorulko handles the administration, so if she gets support, her workload should be reduced.
Well, I don't intend to force her.
"Muu!"
Since I was whispering with the woman, the Princess was in a bad mood.
"She seems to have management skills, so I thought I could recruit her."
"Kaorulko is there, isn't she?!"
"She is, but I thought it would be tough for just her."
"Yes, there are various small tasks..."
"Even if Kaorulko tries to do adventuring... that would be tough."
While she is diving into the dungeon, the administrative work stops.
Well, since we have money, there is the option of outsourcing.
Leaving the Golden Path, I headed to Yuuki's place last.
This guild is full of magicians, so there are many women.
When I took out the luggage from my Item Box, they swarmed around, chattering.
I don't think there was anything particularly rare.
"It's a shame that the [Fix] magic we used ended up being wasted."
"Well, things like that happen. It was completely unexpected."
"But if something like that is wandering around in the depths, the clearing won't progress."
"Yes, indeed."
I invited him to the party too, but it seems he will discuss the current clearing with the guild's magicians.
As expected of a top guild.
He must be feeding combat data back to the guild members.
This way, other magicians can respond even if they encounter similar enemies.
The Lesser Demons we encountered this time seem to be the first time Yuuki has encountered them too.
We need to think about how to clear those, or it will be bad.
I don't think those are enemies that should appear there.
As an exception, I have to break through that Floor 7, or my adventurer level will hit a ceiling.
As the logic of the dungeons appearing in this world, even if you defeat enemies of the same level, your level won't go up.
You can't just keep killing slimes until you max out your experience points.
If things continue like this, as a top ranker, many men and women with the same stats will line up.
--So, the work is done, so let's party up.
Where will it be... of course, a hotel room.
The room is spacious, the soundproofing is perfect, and since that room is independent, it won't disturb other guests.
On the way back to the hotel, I bought a lot of food and drinks at a store.
I usually don't drink alcohol, but maybe I can drink a little today.
Even if I get drunk, it's a status abnormality, so one potion will heal it.
But what about a hangover?
I won't know until I try.
"Waa~ Amazing!"
Koeda was impressed by the room she had never visited before.
"Really, you are a young lady, aren't you~"
Iroha was spitting out sarcasm, but that shouldn't work on the Princess.
We immediately ordered room service and started eating while drinking.
Now that we are adventurers, we are considered adults, so drinking is no problem.
She was slightly tipsy, and the Princess was in a good mood.
"Well, I learned a lot this time."
There are really many things I still don't know.
"Well, that's just how it is."
Iroha was also drinking alcohol.
She seems stronger than she looks against alcohol.
"If you use support magic well, you can even fight enemies of a higher level."
"Hahaha, is that so?"
Iroha was laughing, but it might be common sense for ordinary adventurers.
I'm almost like a beginner.
No wonder so many magicians using support magic accompanied us for this attack.
Just like Gorilla did, use support magic to boost... defeat higher-level enemies and level up.
Well, thinking about it, it's only natural.
I leveled up through cheating, so I skipped the stages.
Normally, that's how you level up.
With so many high-level adventurers, the dungeon talk became lively.
The Superhuman Project that the Princess always talks about also came up.
Koeda was listening with great interest, but you won't make it.
If you do that, you won't be able to use healing magic anymore.
While we were making noise and singing, we somehow ended up in an unlimited drinking contest.
Koeda was there too... is that okay?
It seems it is okay.
Of course, I won't do anything that affects Kaorulko or Koeda's healing magic.
While doing that, morning arrived.
"Haah~"
I sat on the bed alone.
I thought it would be an endless battle against high-level adventurers... but.
There were three girls lying upside down on the bed.
I found the weaknesses of the Princess and Iroha, so I could conquer them.
Even this is a form of leveling up, huh.
I got up alone, put on only my pants, and went to the living room.
After brewing and drinking coffee, I opened the window.
The smell of coffee, the Princess's scent, and various others made a mess, so I needed to ventilate.
We started in the living room, but then the main battlefield moved to the bed.
Since the Princess and Iroha were going all out, the state of affairs was terrible.
In the quiet early morning alone, although it was a bit chilly without clothes, the cool air was pleasant.
The beautiful dawn scenery spreading before my eyes slowly began to illuminate the world.
From the warm coffee cup in my hand, a faint, roasting aroma drifted, tickling my nose, and the steam danced quietly in the pale air.
The sky still retained a hint of darkness, but it wore colors shifting from orange to purple, and then to pale blue, with clouds reflecting the change and showing a soft glow.
The morning sun slowly peeked out from the horizon, and as its light gradually intensified, it became dazzling enough to squint my eyes, staining my vision.
In the cold, refreshing air, a sip of warm coffee spread through my body, warming even the depths of my heart.
Usually, the Special District is filled with noise, but at this time it is quiet.
I am savoring this luxurious time where I am the only one present at the moment the morning sun awakens the world.
"Uwa!"
I jumped up, nearly spilling my coffee.
A white hand suddenly reached out from behind and wrapped around my body.
A soft, large thing pressed against my back... it was Kaorulko.
The Princess's body wasn't this soft, and she was much stronger.
"Good morning."
"Don't approach me by hiding your presence."
Looking, Kaorulko, wrapped in a sheet, was hugging me.
"...Hehe, I have a bit of confidence in hiding my presence."
She was smiling, but... no, seriously, if she were an enemy, I might have died.
Becoming a high-level adventurer, my senses sharpened considerably... I can even feel things like killing intent.
Yet I couldn't detect it at all.
Perhaps she has a skill like that.
If she hides in the dark and hides her presence when escaping, I wouldn't know at all.
Isn't she better suited as an assassin than a magician?
Truly terrifying.
She pressed her face against my back and stroked it.
"Kaorulko likes my back, huh."
"Because... it's wide..."
As she hugged my back, it seemed Koeda had woken up.
She was in her underwear and shirt, staring at me and Kaorulko, turning bright red and freezing.
"Haha, good morning."
"Go, good morning..."
Her ears were bright red, but yesterday we had a bit of alcohol, so maybe we did various things impulsively.
Now she is sober, though.
"Are you okay?"
"I-I-I'm okay..."
"Faah!"
I let out a big yawn.
I drank coffee, but I'm sleepy.
I lay down on the living room sofa as is.
Kaorulko climbed on top of me there too.
"..."
For some reason, Koeda was there too.
--We slept soundly until the sun rose completely.
I was woken up by a loud voice.
"What is this!?"
"Huh?!"
Half-asleep, I woke up hugging Kaorulko, and the Princess, dressed in a suit and pants style, was standing there.
Seeing her in a suit is rare.
"Princess, good morning."
"Not Sakurako!"
"Eh?!"
Looking closely, it was the Princess's older sister, Kako.
"Oh, it's your older sister. Good morning."
"Don't say 'good morning'! What is this!?"
The aftermath of yesterday's rowdy party was scattered all over the table and floor.
Clothes, bras, and panties scattered on the floor; men and women in naked or underwear states on the sofa.
Well, even from the outside, it's clear the state of affairs is terrible.
"Kaorulko."
I patted her face.
"Mmm, Daisuke-san~"
She hugged me and pressed her large breasts against me.
"Wait, wait, there's a guest."
"Eh?"
"Good morning!"
"Gyah! Lady Kako!"
At Kaorulko's scream, Koeda also jumped up.
Kaorulko, still wrapped in a sheet, flailed around and fell heavily on the living room step.
She must have stepped on the hem of the sheet she was wearing.
Koeda also ran into the bedroom where her clothes were.
I mistook the Princess for Kako, but Kaorulko seems to know the difference.
Perhaps it's thanks to our long association.
"What brings you here today?"
"I came because there is something I want to set up here."
Set up?
When you say set up, is it a machine or something?
What is it?