Chapter 349: 349
Into The Endgame
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“Such a tragedy . ”
“Uncouth, even . No—incompetent?”
“Ahaha, you guys are horrible . No . 564’s doing his best too, you know?”
Kehma’s gargoyles were being paid close attention to by the VIP room’s guests as they entered the estate from its windows . The exhausted succubi that had opened the windows to ventilate the smoke out were—for lack of a better term—out of luck .
“Hmm . It probably would have been best for No . 564 to not make a move when the stairs burnt? Haku, No . 6, what do you two think?”
“I believe he should have abandoned the estate immediately . ”
“… I’m in agreement . Putting himself in that situation was checkmate… However, well, I can understand his feelings on not wanting to abandon his estate, it’s hard to put into words…”
The person in question making his move directly on Core No . 666 was not itself a mistake . It was just so unusual that anyone would break and burn a stairway like that .
Moving to fight Core No . 666 directly when she had turned his stairway into a bonfire was also a decisive judgement .
“At the very least, a 500 series being fought to a standstill by a 600 series alone was a shameful thing to see . ”
“… Certainly . ”
Thinking back to when she was defeated by Rokuko and the others, albeit with restrictions, Haku averted her gaze . [Father] watched her do so with some amusement .
“That aside, doesn’t this kinda feel cut-and-dry at this point? What do you think, No . 6?”
“Likely . I don’t dislike seeing reversals, but this is a situation where No . 564 has been driven into a corner . He will find it extremely hard to win from here . I suppose all that’s left is how No . 666 and the rest decide to finish this . All he can do it bide time . ”
“Alright, let’s try talking to Core No . 564 again, then . He seems to have settled down within his dungeon . ”
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“As you wish . ”
His monitor connected with Core No . 564 immediately afterwards .
On the monitor was a scene of an angered Core No . 564 striking a succubus in the abdomen .
[Dammit… how did My Glorious Self arrive in this situation…! They are merely three 600 series!]
“Hmph . You seem to be in dire straits, No . 564 . ”
[! Apologies, No . 6-sama! You had to see something unsightly . ]
“Did that succubus do something?”
[No? She’s simply here to be hit?]
“I see . ”
Core No . 6’s expression didn’t shift due to the Demon King Faction’s exploitation of the weak as the natural order of things, but Haku, who’d also seen it, frowned .
That succubus had appeared delighted at being hit . It reminded her of an unpleasant person .
“So what will you be doing next?”
[Sir! The tables will be turned on them, that is certain . Although they have already progressed to the third floor, the monsters themselves are trifling . It is undoubtedly certain that they will be unable to proceed beyond the sixth floor and its elites, the Four Kings! Even before then, My Glorious Self has erected a [Gate of Wisdom] on the fourth floor . They will never break through it!]
“Hoh . So you’ve prepared a sufficient level of monsters and riddles?”
[Of course! Look at these ten floors, they will not set claw or hoof any further . If they attempt to force their way through in desperation, all My Glorious Self must do is calmly go out on the counterattack!]
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He really believes it will go that smoothly?
Core No . 6 thought to himself .
Game set and match .
Haku thought to herself .
[Father] simply smiled .
“… Do not disappoint me further . ”
[…! Ha, haha! Victory is certain!]
Although Core No . 6 already intended to abandon the core, he had cut communications himself after speaking .
“… What did you mean by that [Do not disappoint me further]?”
“Nothing . He’s a failure . ”
“He’s already been invaded that far, so…”
Haku sighed .
Just then, [Father] spoke up, a smile still playing at his lips .
“So, Haku . How long do you think it’ll take for Kehma to make it past No . 564’s [Gate of Wisdom] and those [Four Kings]?”
“Tomorrow at the latest, Otou-sama . ”
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“Hohoh . What grounds do you have for that confidence of yours?”
“First, not even half a day has passed so far . Second, as No . 564 has abandoned his estate above-ground, they can concentrate solely on capturing the underground floors . Third, assuming the Four Kings are not at least as strong as No . 564 himself, they will be unable to stop No . 666 . Finally, Kehmsan himself is strong and has likely taken countermeasures . ”
“What about the [Gate of Wisdom]? It’s something No . 564 himself is proud of . ”
“All they have to do to pass that is answer a question… I fail to believe that he could outsmart Kehmsan . ”
The reason he prided his [Gate of Wisdom] was that his floors didn’t seem to be too particularly wide .
Recalling something unpleasant, Haku quietly closed her eyes before pressing against her forehead with her hand .
“I guess we can just watch them step into the endgame, then?”
“I suppose so . If it proceeds smoothly, it should happen before the day is out . Kehmsan has concluded all of his Dungeon Battles within a single day thus far, after all . ”
In retrospect, Kehma winning all of them was fairly—no, very unusual .
According to Kehma himself, he’d supposedly had a rematch against OntentooCore No . 112 at some point and lost, saying that he stood no chance and was in no way undefeatable . So far as Haku was concerned, though, that was very much up to suspect . She couldn’t help but suspect that he’d worked together with Core No . 112 to dash his undefeated record .
“Still though, Haku . Setting aside that Master finishing this in a day, I don’t think he could even fight for a day?”
“Kehmsan is human, after all . He needs to rest . ”
“Looking at it another way, if this drags out until that Master has to rest, it might just be an upset victory . ”
“It won’t be . ”
Even for when Kehma rests, Rokuko, Core No . 629, as well as Core No . 666 were there .
On the subject of three Dungeon Cores, she thought back to the previous year’s Dragon King Team Dungeon Battle , Rokuko had been receiving Kehma’s education . She would not lose to Core No . 564 .
“It won’t be . ”
“You don’t have to say it twice . ”
“In that case, I shall appreciate the way No . 564 will lose . ”
“I will as well . ”
Saying that, Core No . 6 sat back into the sofa .
Haku took some cream soda she’d placed in her [Storage] .
“Haku? That thing you’re eating… drinking? It looks delicious . What is it?”
“Oh? You don’t know, Otou-sama? It is called cream soda . Kehmsan gave it to me in repayment for lending him the hero… Would you like one?”
“Definitely!”
“Couldn’t you make it yourself, Otou-sama? You could have as much as you wanted . ”
“But then there’d be no point . Right, Haku?”
“Oh well, then . How about I lend you one of mine, Otou-sama?”
She didn’t really know what he was talking about, but [Father], tasting the cream soda, looked as if he found it delicious .
Core No . 6 seemed envious, but neither of them let him have a taste .