Alright. So a number of things happened, but the stairs finally turned into a nice campfire.

  “… So, Aidi-san? You can go further in if you want, you know?”


  [Oh, sorry. This whole setting fire thing turned out pretty fun… Rokuko, perhaps you understand how I feel?]

  “Nope! Now hurry up and finish him off.”


  We urged Aidi to continue on after she’d forgotten what she was meant to be doing due to amusing herself with the fire.

  The smoke should’ve spread enough through the second floor as well, so leaving the fire at that should be fine.

  [By the way, what about exploring the underground areas?]

  “Oh, yeah. We’re already somewhere in the third floor… I wonder how far it’ll go?”


  [… Eh? Already?]

  Yeah, so the stairway leading down to the third floor was basically right next to the second floor’s entrance. It was hidden behind a fake wall, though. I figure it was probably one of those [Illusory Wall] things Haku-san mentioned.

  “It was hidden in a seemingly empty passageway, so it probably would’ve taken a long time if we’d searched the normal way.”


  “Kehma, why’d you have the squirrels run along the walls?”


  “You should always scout labyrinths by using the right hand method, right? I mean, it’s his fault for putting it so close to the start of the floor.”


  Even if he couldn’t have overcome the method, he should have at least put it along the outside edge… Or even closer to the middle of the floor surrounded by a ton of traps, that’s common enough too…


  “They’ll only be useful as support and have to stop as soon as they reach a Boss Room, though. We can just let gargoyles travel there directly after we find the shortest route, sooo… Open a gate, summoning a stone creature that wields magic, enslaving it—[Summon Gargoyle]. Alright, listen to Orange’s instructions~”


  “Nkyuu, go to the room with the gate passage~”


  By the way, Orange was pretty good at deploying monsters I summon.

  Well, I usually just do golem deployment in our dungeon. It’s not like I don’t get it. 1

  [Could I burn just a little more?]

  “… I’d prefer you scouting around more though?”


  [The gargoyles should be fine on their own. They’re stone and can fly, so they should be alright even without stairs, yeah?]

  “Oh well… Open a gate, summoning a stone creature that wields magic, enslaving it—[Summon Gargoyle]. Go and help with the dungeon exploration. Orange, I’m gonna keep ’em coming!”


  “Gotcha~”


  I summoned gargoyle after gargoyle as if I were some gargoyle factory.

  It was even easier than [Create Golem]. As expected of Haku-san’s recommendation!

  “Aidi, could you summon some skeletons?”


  [I’d prefer to save my magical power for when I fight Core No. 564.]

  “That’s fine, then.”


  [Yeah… Ah, those reinforcements you sent just now weren’t necessary. It looks as if he came to me.]

  “Eh?”


  Just then, Aidi twisted her body.

  ZUBONG~!

  A sword that had soared in from nowhere pierced and lodged itself into the wall.

  [No. 666iiiiiiiiiix!!]

  [Hello, No. 564. I’ve received your invitation for a dance and accept.]

  Immediately after the sword made its appearance, Core No. 564 did as well. Yep, he was straight up huge being two heads taller than Aidi—with a goat head, to boot. He held a separate sword to the one he’d lodged into the wall.

  “… So we wound up luring him out, huh?”


  Well, of course he’d be angry from us lighting his house on fire. Even I’d be.

  “Kehma, would it be our win if we defeated him?”


  “Well, it wouldn’t be an immediate victory if we did… but it would be about the same. Killing might be no good? I don’t know if that’s allowed~”


  I’d tried making that a question aimed at the VIP room, but I didn’t get an answer.

  Perhaps they weren’t watching each and every thing happening in our Master Room here? Speaking to myself is embarrassing.

  “… Umm, Aidi, try only half killing him?”


  [Oh… I’m not certain if I could win if I don’t go for the kill though?]

  While saying that, she deflected Core No. 564’s sword.

  [Gunu! You braaaaaat!]

  [You think yourself all that for being just one series older? Kusukusu.]

  Err, she looks like she could easily manage to not kill him though? She didn’t even seem to be straining herself.

  I mean, even though Core No. 564 seemed to be stronger, his anger seemed to make his movements monotonous. Not like I’m any expert in that stuff, but still.

  [My Glorious Self will tear off your limbs and make you a wall ornament!!]

  [Well that sounds scary. In that case, perhaps I should take your head as a decoration for my home?]

  Perhaps I should say that I’d expected as much from the Demon King Faction? They spoke to each other as if they were each sure they’d kill the other.

  [Summon Bloody Ghost!]

  [Open a gate. Summon a bone demon and enslave it—[Summon Skeleton]]

  In response to Core No. 564 summoning a red ghost-type monster with DP, Aidi used her magical power to bring forth a skeleton. Just as Core No. 564 managed to kill the skeleton blocking him, Aidi managed to round down the ghost with her fire magic sword.

  … Attributed magic swords can defeat ghosts? Or maybe it’s due to something else, like its [Indestructible] attribute?

  “Hey, Aidi, want us to summon a monster to help?”


  [No, Rokuko. I want to continue this dueldance one-on-one.]

  With that, I decided to divide the gargoyles into groups to search the mansion.

  To be exact, I had them enter from the sky.

  … I mean, is it not normal to leave when you see smoke billowing out? But are those not windows? It’s not entering if it’s entered from the sky.

  We’re not doing this normally? Come now, are there not so many gargoyles that we must use all of the windows to enter?

  Oh, Core No. 564’s private room—is it not just a bedroom?

  Are we not still searching?

  There’re still succubi but they’re weak to the smoke and their charm does not barely not not do anything?

  And what do you know, is that not the Dungeon Core?

  Oh. It is not.

  It’s not not a Dummy Core.

  Did he not use Castling—?

  Okay, enough with that. I guess he really did use Castling?

  Still though, I suppose that means the Dungeon Core is underground somewhere.

  By the way, Dummy Cores that have been touched can’t be used in the rest of the Dungeon Battle. That’s a rule. That is, the verdict on using a Dummy Core that had already been touched to perform Castling is that the Dungeon Core itself was touched.

  [—!]

  [Oh, it looks like he made it. You’ve even diverted your attention.]

  [Ge ho—… dammit! Dammit! DAMMIT!! How dare you enter My Glorious Self’s bedroooooom!]

  His attention diverted—diverted toward something he should have been ready for from the start, but still–he’d presented an opening. The fight leaned even further in Aidi’s favor.

  My bad for entering your bedroom, man. But come on, could you not put your Dungeon Core in there? It’s kind of your fault at that point.

  Just as I started to feel that things were going our way—


  [This duel is temporarily postponed! Summon Basilisk—dammit, such waste!]

  [Whoops—poison and petrification are annoying.]

  With large three snakes appearing before her, Aidi closed her eyes and fought back. Core No. 564 took the chance to escape.

  And then he disappeared. He’d probably used [Deployment] on himself to go underground.

  Alrighty then, I suppose all that’s left is to clear the underground dungeon.

  I mean, that even easier. I was going to do that anyway. Could we hurry this up so I can get back to sleep?