Dungeon Stampede 2.0 Justice
So, two days after returning to the apartnt,
Serai-san and I set off again to the town where the Dungeon Stampede occurred.
This ti, it was to process and package the giant crab and mussel,
which had turned into combined monsters due to the stampede,
so that they could be transported.
Initially, we planned to go down the Edogawa River to collect the shell of a giant red scorpion
and then quickly check on Shark Girls' High School.
However, the situation changed drastically
when we were mistaken for monsters by the Self-Defense Forces and ambushed.
We fled to the river while being shot at,
escaping with the help of a sli capsule,
which forced us to bypass Shark's Girl High School and retreat to our apartnt.
The gunshot wounds left severe burns,
like untreated moxibustion,
but luckily, the bullets didn't embed deep enough to require surgery.
This was thanks to the armored King Bug Suit and the lubricant sli that mimicked mucus.
Since the suit had beco full of holes,
I took a day to fully prepare and repair it.
So, my appearance as I stepped out was in the King Bug Suit,
wearing a motorcycle helt and carrying a backpack.
Yes, this was necessary.
When I wore the King Bug Mask, I was often mistaken for a monster,
which led to the Self-Defense Forces shooting at .
So, I switched to a comrcial motorcycle helt and
replaced the damaged additional arm on my back with a regular backpack.
This way, I looked like a biker in a flashy battle suit.
This should prevent any further misunderstandings.
I don't want to be shot at again.
Serai-san also wore a sweatshirt over her Fly Queen Suit.
Though she kept the mask,
the clothes should stop her from being mistaken for a monster.
Additionally, we both increased the amount of lubricant sli,
to help cool our bodies since the suits trapped heat.
The suits' high airtightness caused heat buildup,
so we added about 20% more lubricant to serve as a coolant.
Though I can replace the sli myself,
Serai-san and the others without the Sli skill couldn't do the sa.
Using the Acid skill as a substitute sli wasn't feasible,
as it would degrade the lubricant performance, making movent difficult.
Still, we did everything we could think of,
so it should be fine.
I watched Serai-san repairing her suit, mimicking my repairs to fix small damages.
"Shall we go?"
"Yeah, let's move carefully."
The city looked more like a post-riot or festival than a war zone.
Unusual trash scattered the streets, and it was deserted.
Monsters from the Dungeon, initially excited,
seed to be hiding cautiously,
and naturally, people were also hiding.
Only idiots like us were roaming around.
Thus, we could proceed smoothly, as if crossing an empty field.
But after about two hours,
when we were near a shopping street close to the station,
we heard fighting noises.
"Shah! Kisha!"
"Co on, co on!"
Looking in the direction of the sound,
a Yakuza-like man and a small lizardman were facing off on the street.
The Yakuza-like man wore a sharp-looking purple suit and black triangular sunglasses,
with a light pompadour hairstyle.
The lizardman, about 60-70 cm tall,
stood on its hind legs, baring its fangs in a threatening manner.
It had a nimble-looking body and quick footwork.
It was one of the monsters we had seen before, mixed with the group chasing us.
"Co on! Co on!"
The Yakuza-like man shouted provocatively at the lizardman.
There was a yellow beer case on the ground,
indicating he had thrown it but missed.
Used to rough fights, he was now baiting his quick opponent for a counterattack.
"Shah!"
"Hrah!"
Feigning an opening,
he landed a kick on the attacking lizardman,
which twisted to dodge,
turning a direct hit into a glancing blow.
"Oh, that was close."
"Hey, let's not watch, let's move on."
"Yeah, you're right."
We had already seen several human-monster fights on our way.
We ignored them all because getting involved was a huge hassle.
Helping ant hearing "Thank you,"
followed by "Can you take to X place?"
Serai-san isn't heartless;
we just had such an encounter recently,
so she's on edge.
Even though we agreed because the destination was the sa,
being given only ¥2000 upon arrival was disheartening.
Protecting slow refugees from monsters repeatedly for just ¥2000…
It makes you feel "What the heck?"
While it’s a matter of feeling,
fighting monsters for soone else's life
made want to ask in a rakugo tone, "Is that the price of your life?"
Not that I intended to charge exorbitantly like a genius unlicensed surgeon,
but saving a life should be worth ¥100,000 or ¥200,000.
"Gugukokokoko!"
"Huh!?"
"What is that?"
Just as we decided to leave,
the lizardman, with its throat bulging,
let out a distinctive, resonant cry.
Sensing an opportunity, the Yakuza-like man lunged,
but the lizardman jumped back and howled like a wolf.
[[[ (Shah! Shashasha!) ]]]
Then, they gathered quickly.
Like fish swimming swiftly in water,
more lizardn appeared from alleys and shadows,
even from surprising places.
The lizardman had called its friends.
About 40 lizardn gathered around the Yakuza-like man,
nullifying his advantage.
"Shall we help him?"
"Are we? Oh well, can't be helped."
I usually avoid contact with others, being a loner.
But seeing the Yakuza-like man protecting a feeble-looking old man behind him,
I changed my mind.
I didn't want to get involved with gangsters,
but seeing such behavior made it different.
At least that Yakuza-like man had the will to fight monsters,
confird by watching his fight.
And he also had the kindness to protect people.
Not soone he loved, but a weak-looking middle-aged man.
From this, I could tell he was a man of justice and compassion.
Even though Yakuza are despised,
their movies are popular because people are drawn to their sense of justice.
"Hey! Acid Fog!"
Then, just as I was about to use my mucus, Serai-san prematurely activated her acid fog. Hastily, I shouted to the n in front.
“Hey! Duck and hold your breath!”
Several small lizardn caught in the acid fog scread as their eyes and throats burned. The old man and the Yakuza, initially startled, quickly understood and crouched low.
"Serai-san, you shouldn't use acid when people are nearby."
"Hehe, sorry… I just reacted."
"It's okay, as long as you get it. Here we go!"
With Serai-san having used her acid, I changed my tactics. I conjured small gravel-like rock salt in my hand and hurled it at the clustered lizardn.
[[[Bang bang bang…!]]]
[[[Screech…!]]]
The rock salt pellets pierced through the lizardn easily, killing or mortally wounding them. The power was enough to penetrate the steel shutters of the shopping street. Those hit by the deflected rock salt on the asphalt also experienced the effect of the "salt attack," causing them to jump and flee in pain.
“Take-chan! Are you okay, Take-chan?”
“Yeah, just a little bite…”
Left behind were the Yakuza-like man and the overly concerned effeminate man. The effeminate man, small and dium-built, had purple eyeshadow around his eyes. What kind of relationship did these two have?
“You guys really saved us! I thought we were done for! But now we're safe. Oh, you two must be hungry! Let cook sothing as a thank you!”
“No, we’re in a hurry, so…”
It seed the effeminate man was actually a flamboyant man.
“Oh, don’t say that! Take-chan, tell them sothing too!”
“Hey, guys. In this situation, food is hard to co by, right? So don’t hesitate to eat.”
Serai-san and I had already filled up on ample dungeon ingredients this morning, so we weren’t particularly hungry.
“Co on, co on! That’s my shop over there. I don’t have much in the way of ingredients right now, but you saved our lives! Today, I'll cook with all my skill, so please eat. Co on!”
Realizing we wouldn't be released without eating, Serai-san and I reluctantly accepted the invitation.
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