I encountered some weird folks and streamers along the way, but overall, it was fun.

I never thought Purification-chan would believe me so easily… what a gullible one.

“Oh, I see it.”

Toa-chan said, pointing up at the sky.

There, above the desolate, rain-soaked land, a snake was flying, as if swimming through the air.

If this were a different era, it might have been worshipped as a god.

“That’s the boss of this dungeon.”

“Y-yeah, seems like it.”

We were exploring what was estimated to be a D-rank dungeon.

Though “exploring” was a bit of an overstatement since we had only walked a short distance across this desolate wasteland.

Having won the right to explore through a duel, I wanted to clear this place, but…

“…Since it’s flying, my sword can’t reach it.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Hmm, this is a problem…”

I halfheartedly threw a dagger at the snake.

Though it flew faster than any average person could throw, it still fell to the ground before reaching the snake.

I picked up the fallen dagger and glanced upward.

The snake, oblivious to the thrown dagger, kept swimming through the air, seemingly enjoying itself.

What’s with this thing?

“…Um, would you like me to shoot it?”

“Oh, could you?”

“Y-yes!”

Toa-chan nodded repeatedly.

She could attack from long range, but I was hesitant to ask since I thought it might scare her. It’s a relief that she offered herself.

“I-I’ve been getting help all this time, during the duel and when those people were bothering us, so I need to be useful here…!”

You’re the one who turned those three into cinders during the duel though.

I think you’ve been plenty helpful. In fact, I feel like I’m the one not pulling my weight.

All I did was mess around in disguise…

“S-so I’m going to shoot, so please step back.”

“Oh, okay.”

I stepped back a bit and kept my dagger ready while watching Toa-chan.

There were no other monsters around besides the snake.

This dungeon really wasn’t that hard, and dungeons like this didn’t usually sell for much.

The constant rain was also starting to get annoying.

Toa-chan aimed her heavy artillery at the sky and took a deep breath.

“—First formula, release. Transitioning to standard output ‘Artemis.'”

The sound of machinery echoed through the air, mixing with the sound of rain.

Steam rose from the heavy artillery, evaporating the raindrops, and a white mist began to form around Toa-chan.

“Second formula, link. Unlocking formulas three to five. Beginning convergence—”

The weapon’s hum grew louder.

At the same time, magic circles started appearing everywhere.

These magic circles were part of the computational systems necessary for firing a converged blast, relieving the burden on the user.

Hmm, it’s different from my Sorciera.

…Maybe I should start using magic circles. They look cool.

『■■■■』

Oh, I can actually summon them?

Maybe I should add some optional magic circles for flair.

When using magic, I’ll summon some flashy magic circles just for show.

『■■■■■■■■■■■■■』

Oh, you can even customize the design?

What should I do…

…Wait, are you trying to sell yourself to me?

『……』

Hold on, don’t run away.

…Well, whatever.

What color should the magic circles be…

Purple, maybe? No, a deep blue might be good too…

“Firing.”

“Whoa!?”

My thoughts were interrupted by a golden beam shooting into the sky.

The beam evaporated the rain as it pierced through the air, striking the snake right in the center.

A snake flying through the air like that had no chance of dodging a magical blast faster than a bullet. It turned to ash in an instant.

The beam continued without losing momentum, tearing through the rain clouds and clearing the sky.

The power… is ridiculous.

“Well, I tried to hold back the power so that the magic stones would remain… How did I do?”

Mixed in with the rain, several magic stones certainly fell to the ground.

“…Wait, with this?”

“Ah, uh… was it no good?”

“No, no, no, it’s not bad at all. It’s perfect! Thank you!”

I bowed my head desperately to Toa-chan, who looked like she was about to cry.

Was this really holding back the power?

In the original story, there’s a part where they blow up a dungeon on the moon with a convergence blast, but still…

Convergence blasts are seriously insane.

So, what exactly is my Sorciera?

I thought it was a convergence blast too because it’s so powerful, but now I’m not sure.

“…Kei-kun, is something wrong?”

“No, thank you. Let’s go collect the magic stones and core, shall we?”

I quickly headed off to start collecting.

I hadn’t done anything this time.

I’d only been thinking about meaningless magic circles, so I should at least contribute here.

“I-I’ll help.”

What a good kid.

Together, Toa-chan and I diligently gathered the magic stones.

After this, we’ll sell the stones, and hand over the dungeon core to Miroku-senpai to complete the mission.

“Looks like we’ll be able to buy meat again today.”

“Meat for two days in a row…!”

Toa-chan nodded, her eyes sparkling.

So peaceful.

I was enjoying the moment, watching Toa-chan, when suddenly, our dive gears rang out at the same time.

It was the alert for a distress signal.

The kind that only goes off when a student in need of rescue is nearby.

“Toa-san, can you work a little longer?”

“Yes, I-I’ll do my best!”

With that, Toa-chan lifted the heavy cannon she had set on the ground.

We’d already collected the core and picked up all the magic stones, so all that was left was to head for the rescue.

“…Huh? The coordinates are right here.”

I checked the map and tilted my head.

It seemed like someone in need of help was right in our vicinity.

But looking around the wasteland, there was no sign of any student… Wait, isn’t that the emblem of Mikage Academy?

And the name of the student—

“Futaba Mihaya…?!”

No way!? The main heroine from the original story!?

This changes things.

Getting involved with the original plot is dangerous, so we should get out of here.

Yes, let’s do that.

“Toa-san, let’s leave this to other explorers—”

It was at that moment.

The scenery around us began to distort, as if being stirred like a whirlpool.

The wasteland, the rain clouds—everything was rewritten as if they had never existed.

“W-what’s happening?!”

“It’s the encroachment of another dungeon. Sometimes, powerful dungeons swallow up weaker ones.”

The spatial relationships between dungeons are extremely inconsistent.

Some dungeons never overlap even if they’re right next to each other, while others merge even if they’re far apart.

The distress signal must have been triggered because the dungeons of the original heroine and ours were very close.

By defeating the dungeon and reducing it to its core, we weakened its resistance and allowed the encroachment.

“Is this… a cave?”

“Yes. The glowing crystals should be enough to light the way.”

Before we knew it, we had been transported from the wasteland to a cave.

This dungeon… it’s the one from the original story.

If I remember correctly, it’s the one where Tooraku-kun, who was still fumbling with how to use Lutra, got defeated.

At that time, it was Rokuhara-san, the senior who owned Demonsgear, who whimsically saved him.

I didn’t know they had sent a distress signal though. Huh, interesting.

Well, Rokuhara-san should come save us too, so we’ll be fine, right?

…Wait, isn’t there a chance Rokuhara-san might act differently from the original story?

There are two Demonsgears now… Doesn’t that mean the priority of his work might have changed?

This… could be bad.

“…Let’s go, Toa-san.”

“Ah, yes.”

Just in case.

Just in case, let’s check.

It’ll probably be fine.

Rokuhara-san is here, right? (I hope)

With those thoughts, and sweat dripping down my back, we cautiously ventured deeper into the cave.