The routine of the summoned Apostles' Orcus Labyrinth expedition had begun anew.
The party now traversed Floor 20. At the vanguard, cutting a path through the dungeon's encroaching gloom, marched Kouki, Ryuutarou, and Shizuku.
Commander Meld and a contingent of Elite Knights accompanied them. The rear guard consisted of the remaining classmates, shielded by most of the Elite Knights. In the middle of the formation were Hajime, Kaori, and Shin.
For some reason, Sonobe Yuka consistently stayed close to Shin. This had been their dynamic for several days now, ever since he had lent her aid. She even sometimes joined their special regimen training, seeking pointers from Shin.
"Nee~ Takagi-kun, can you teach me the recipe for these Ration Cookies of yours?" asked Sonobe Yuka, walking alongside Shin and happily munching on a cookie he'd given her.
"Sonobe-san, aren't you supposed to be with your Aiko-sensei guard squad?" Shin asked, his tone flat, as he pointed towards Yuka's usual compatriots who typically guarded Aiko-sensei with the Templar Knights.
"But I think it's much safer here," Sonobe Yuka replied with a bright, unconcerned smile.
"And I'd really like to know your cookie recipe. Back at home, my family runs a restaurant, you see, and it might be helpful to our business if I bring back your cookie recipe."
"Oh~ what's your restaurant's specialty?" Shin asked, a flicker of genuine interest sparking in his eyes.
"Well, mostly Western-style, but if you have some requests, sure, my mom can whip it up," Sonobe smiled, pleased to have finally captured Shin's attention. She had learned that Shin usually responded to anything concerning food or cooking.
"Hmm, seems like I need to check it out when we return home," Shin mused aloud, genuinely considering a visit, provided they could ever return to their own world safely.
"Sure! If you like, I'll even give you a discount~" Sonobe seemed to have quickly seen past Shin's initially cold and aloof demeanor. She had discovered Shin was surprisingly easy to get along with, as long as one knew his interests and didn't meddle with his friends.
The casual chatter between the two formed an oddly relaxed bubble within the tense dungeon. Sonobe's friends, Taeko Sugawara and Nana Miyazaki, also part of Aiko-sensei's bodyguard group, could barely believe their friend Yuka was having such an easy conversation with Shin. The two were a truly unusual combination.
Hajime, meanwhile, subtly kept signaling Shin from a distance, a silent conversation passing between them.
At the front, Shizuku could clearly see them, and she felt an inexplicable irritation rising from their lighthearted conversation happening behind her.
Then, the easygoing atmosphere abruptly shattered.
"Everyone Hold! Get ready for battle!" Commander Meld's voice cut through the air, sharp and urgent.
"We have a horde of magical beasts approaching!"
The ensuing battle proved a little tougher than usual. However, the monsters here still didn't pose a real threat to the Hero party, who had been personally trained by Shin.
Hajime, learning from his past mistakes, always avoided pushing himself beyond his limits. He simply let the Hero Party handle the bulk of the fighting.
They really are cheat characters, but incredibly convenient, just as Shin said, Hajime reflected, observing the Hero Party effortlessly clear the horde of magic beasts.
Hajime focused on isolating enemies, supporting the main attackers, and swiftly creating defensive walls for others caught in a pinch.
"Ohh! Hajime, look at this ore!" Shin exclaimed, holding up a ball-sized rock containing a gleaming metal ore.
"It can be used to finally upgrade my sword. I'll let you handle it later~"
"What the hell is he doing in this dire situation!" Hajime thought, irritated by Shin's antics. He couldn't believe Shin was focusing more on a found ore than the ongoing battle.
A dry laugh escaped Kaori and Shizuku at the front. Shizuku seemed to be mentally preparing another head chop for Shin once she finished clearing her section of enemies.
Sonobe, on the other hand, appeared amused by Shin's antics, yet she could tell that Shin was far more observant than he let on. She watched him throw daggers into dark spots of the cavern, and moments later, lizardmen would tumble to the ground, lifeless.
___________
With the battle almost over and everyone taking a much-needed rest, the dire situation reverted to a relaxed one. They continued to venture deeper.
"Take this, Sword of Light!" Kouki shouted, his voice ringing with conviction, as he slashed the leader of the lizardmen. The creature went flying toward a wall, crashing through it.
Then, after the dust settled, a large, bright, gleaming stone was revealed where the wall had broken.
"What is that?" Shizuku asked, her voice filled with open curiosity.
"It's shining~," Kaori added, her eyes wide, mesmerized by its brilliance.
"Oi, Shin, look at that," Hajime said to Shin, pointing at the glowing stone.
"Hm?" Shin merely glanced at it, his attention still on his ore.
"Ah, what a rare find for that size," Commander Meld described, his voice filled with a hint of awe. "That's a Glance Crystal, quite popular for the gemstones used in engagement and wedding rings."
"It's pretty~" Kaori breathed, still captivated by the stone.
"Mnn, it really is," Shizuku added, her gaze briefly shifting from the crystal to Shin.
"Hmm? So it's just an ornamental stone? Not interested," Shin said, turning his back on the crystal, his focus returning entirely to the ore he held.
Shizuku felt a distinct pang of disappointment at Shin's utterly unromantic reaction.
"So, should I get some?" Hajime asked, considering the value.
"Don't, Hajime," Shin warned him instantly. He had a bad feeling, more like his instinct was screaming at him not to meddle with those stones.
"It's likely a trap," Shin added, his voice firm.
Hiyama, seeing how mesmerized Kaori was by the stone, seized his chance to impress her.
"What, afraid of stones now, Shin? Wait here, Kaori, I'll get one for ya!" Hiyama boastfully declared, not letting this opportunity to gain favor slip away.
He began to climb the wall to grab the gleaming stone.
"Hey, Daisuke! Don't grab it! It's not yet confirmed saf–" But before Commander Meld could finish his urgent warning, Hiyama's hand closed around the stone.
In that very instant, everyone in the room was engulfed in a blinding light. Beneath their feet, a large magical circle pulsed, its glow intensifying.
Shin recognized this feeling immediately. It was strikingly similar to the one that had brought them to this world; it was a teleportation magic.
Then, everyone on Floor 20 vanished.
________________
Shin opened his eyes. It seemed they weren't teleported to some other world again, but were still within the Orcus Labyrinth. They stood in the middle of a bridge. On the far side, a large, open gate beckoned, seemingly a pathway to lower floors. Behind them, stairs spiraled upward, leading back to the upper floors.
Shin quickly checked his friends first, then Sonobe, before scanning the others. Everyone appeared unharmed. Commander Meld immediately shouted, asking if anyone was okay. A chorus of affirmations confirmed no one was hurt.
"Shin, are you okay?" Hajime asked at his side, also surprised by the sudden, forced teleportation.
Then Shin looked at Hiyama. His usual playful contempt for 'volunteers' was no longer present. Instead, a chilling, murderous intent radiated from him. It was a good thing none of his friends had been harmed; otherwise, he might have already torn a limb or two from this person—no, not a person, but a rotten trash.
Hiyama, sensing Shin's unusually potent animosity, involuntarily shuddered. Though his stats were technically still higher than Shin's static stats, it had become known that to Shin, mere numbers didn't matter at all. Hiyama could sense he would be torn apart by Shin if no one intervened.
"Shin, stop that. Hiyama is not to blame. He just didn't know it was a trap," Kouki interjected, stepping between them. He looked at his friend, Shin, who seemed ready to pounce and tear Hiyama apart.
Before Shin could argue with his hard-headed, justice-obsessed friend, the floor began to shake violently.
"Wha- what's happening!"
"The earth is shaking!"
"Everyone, don't panic and get prepared!"
Then, on the other side of the bridge, a sudden, blinding light erupted. A massive magic circle materialized, and from its depths, a large entity began to take form.
"It's a Behemoth! Everyone, go to the stairs and move out on this floor immediately!" Meld shouted, his voice laced with urgency, urging everyone to retreat.
Behemoth? Based on the monster compendium he had read, if this creature was here, then they were likely on Floor 65 of the Orcus Labyrinth. Shin stared at the colossal creature, quickly assessing if they stood any chance against it.
Unfortunately, Shin's instincts were screaming, firing up a torrent of danger signs. They told him to get out of there, immediately. The danger felt lesser than the mysterious Nun he'd sensed, but it was immeasurably greater than anything they, in their current state, could hope to overcome.
With their current strength, triumphing over this monster was simply impossible.
With the Behemoth fully materialized, it unleashed a thunderous roar that shook the entire place to its foundations.