Dungeon Refrigerator 248

Test

Dungeon Stampede 2.0 Misunderstanding

"Hitofutamarusan, arrived on-site. Begin operations!"

""Begin operations!""

"Hmm, it looks like we can't get in this way. Alright, I'll go. You two, follow me."

""Yes, sir!""

The convoy of Self-Defense Force vehicles stopped in front of the main gate.

However, the barricades were piled high, and the main gate of the school was heavily fortified with construction equipment. Through the small window of the armored vehicle, Ro Akuro looked outside at the evacuees and got out to talk with them.

The team that had come to deliver supplies to Shark High was a supply unit stationed in Ichigaya, with Ro Akuro added as a monster supervision specialist.

"We have come to deliver emergency supplies! Can we see the person in charge?"

Ro Akuro called out loudly in front of the main gate, and cheers erupted from inside. A straight ladder was quickly lowered.

.....

And that was the day before.

"Monsters should be skewered!"

"""Monsters should be skewered!"""

"Before tears, take up your weapons!"

"""Before tears, take up your weapons!"""

"Stand or Die!"

"""Stand or Die!"""

"Stand or Die!"

"""Stand or Die!"""

[[[Thud thud thud thud thud thud…!]]]

(Wh-what is this…? What is going on…?)

After giving instructions to his subordinates and coordinating with the local leaders, Ro Akuro stepped outside to get some fresh air. He saw high school girls running by, singing in the style of the U.S. military.

"""Ready, set… Hiya!!"""

[[[Swoosh!!]]]

"Mi-byuuuu!!?"

In another place, high school girls armed with handmade spears were simultaneously stabbing a monster resembling a centipede that had come close to the iron fence surrounding the school, stopping its breath.

(What!? Just high school girls… and those girls? How can they be this capable!?)

The high school girls had taken down the monster through the iron fence.

On top of the iron fence, bicycles were stacked in a crisscross pattern. These were likely the bikes the students used for commuting. However, they were only hooked onto protrusions on the iron fence, so they could be easily moved.

Yet, that was the point.

Though not enough to move with the wind alone, if a monster tried to cross the fence, it would easily collapse, serving as a noise maker. At the same time, it acted as a deterrent to prevent easy intrusion.

(Really, well thought out…)

The school was also designated as a disaster evacuation site, so it was built higher than the surrounding area with an embankment. This meant the school grounds were at least as high as an adult's waist compared to the road outside.

At the base of the iron fence, school desks were lined up like stone walls. This not only blocked the view from outside but also increased the defensive strength, solidifying the protection.

Reports from reconnaissance units had mentioned that the school had a solid defense, but seeing it firsthand, it was even more formidable than imagined.

Yesterday, the evacuees at this school breathed a sigh of relief and were surrounded by a bright atmosphere upon our arrival. However, the relaxed tension seemed to cause many of the displaced people to become listless and inactive.

That was the scene Ro Akuro had seen before.

(But what about here…!?)

The high school girls who had been excited about the arrival of the Self-Defense Forces were, the next day, training vigorously as if to say, "We must protect ourselves."

Watching those girls stab monsters with their spears again, Ro Akuro was reminded of the method for carrying out a firing squad he had learned in the past.

A firing squad involves multiple people with guns, mixing blank rounds with live rounds and firing simultaneously. This is to make it unclear who fired the fatal shot. It was a method devised to reduce the mental burden on soldiers executing the sentence. It was easy to infer that the high school girls’ simultaneous stabbing of monsters was meant to share the aversion to killing a living being among many, thus diluting it.

However, this method not only reduces mental burden but also has a tactical advantage by concentrating firepower to silence the opponent in one strike.

Ro Akuro, a Self-Defense Force officer, was internally impressed.

Yet, when introduced to those who had been protecting the school until yesterday, he hadn't felt much interest.

They were ordinary people who protected others from monsters. They were admirable.

However, from Ro Akuro's perspective, who had fought monsters continuously, it was clear at a glance that while they were skilled in handling heavy machinery related to road construction, their individual combat abilities were not particularly high. Moreover, there were many in the unit skilled in handling heavy machinery, so it was natural and not surprising.

But more than that… what puzzled Ro Akuro was how these young girls, despite being in such a critical situation, maintained such high morale.

The school’s vice-principal had said, "From the previous stampede, we learned that the students here cannot be relied on in a crisis…" But the difference in mindset was too great.

Lost in thought, Ro Akuro was passed by the heavy machinery operators who had been protecting the school.

"Man, I really cherished that, but it disappeared in no time."

"Well, that's because you ate too much. But I wonder if the golden beetle guy will bring us some good snacks again."

"Hm!? Wait, are you talking about the golden beetle…? And who is this guy?"

The two older men stopped when called by Ro Akuro, grimacing as if to say, 'Oh no! Did you hear that just now!?'. At that moment, a figure of a man dressed like a golden insect flashed through Ro Akuro's mind.

(I see… So it was him! That man was here. No wonder, a brave man who traversed a disaster-stricken city disguised as monsters in the Halloween operation… and such a man was also skilled in leading young people!!)

"Ah, no, we were saying, 'If the Self-Defense Forces hadn’t come, we’d have had to eat insects eventually!'"

"Y-yes, that's right! We are really grateful! Thanks for coming! Long live the Self-Defense Forces!"

But those voices no longer reached Ro Akuro's ears as he continued to ponder the person he had envisioned.