Dungeon Refrigerator 259

 Test

Dungeon Stampede 2.0 Vengeance

As I stepped outside, there was a palpable restlessness in the air.

If I had to compare it, it felt like the atmosphere of ‘We better finish our shopping before the typhoon hits!’ Except in this case, it's more like, ‘We better secure water before the monsters attack!’.

This is because, right now, this building has lost all lifelines.

No electricity, no gas, and no water. So, the residents have to carry water bottles back and forth from the park’s water source nearby.

The ones dealing with the monsters around the neighborhood and the park were none other than Ruu and Nina-san, who had stayed behind.

“Hello, thank you again today.”

“Oh, hi there~”

When they noticed Ruu and the others, a young couple carrying large water bottles, the kind you get at a supermarket, bowed their heads in gratitude as they passed by. Hmm, both Ruu and her mom are really the saviors of this building.

However, the young couple kept glancing back at me. Hmm, it seems I’ve attracted quite a bit of attention…

Well, when it was just the gold, it looked somewhat subdued in the dark. But with red mixed in, I really stood out. Like, ‘Are you a kabuki actor or a hero from a hero show?’

But this is a precious gift that Ruu and Nina-san worked so hard to make for me. It’d be a shame to take it off just because I’m embarrassed… Plus, it's not like I'm showing my face, so I’ll just keep it on.

“The Self-Defense Forces seem to have reached the bridge, but they haven’t entered the city.”

“I see, so the Matsudo SDF secured the bridge but stopped heading south. Hmm, Chiba is vast. They probably don’t have enough manpower to cover everything.”

As we wandered around the area for a while, we spotted a monster.

Its head was too small to be a wolf, more like a coyote. But its body was as big as a tiger or lion, so for the average person, it would be like coming face-to-face with one of those in the middle of the city.

“Ah, there it is! We’ll take that one! Coach, Machi-chan, watch us! Shizu-chan, please!”

“Got it. Leave it to me!”

After a quick briefing, the two moved out immediately.

While Nina-san waved her arms to draw the monster’s attention, Ruu inexplicably backed off and began a wide detour to the right.

(Huh? What is she planning…?)

Ruu, hidden behind trees and abandoned cars, gave me a small nod before charging toward the monster at full throttle.

(My dear Ruu—no, my steed is that fast!?)

As I was struck by how cool Ruu looked running so swiftly, she suddenly accelerated even more.

“Huh? Could Ruu always run that fast!?”

“No, is that her [Agility]? She’s fast—she’s right next to the monster already!”

Ruu, closing the distance in a flash, repositioned her trusty Katsuo-kun Bat and, using her momentum, rammed it into the giant coyote’s side.

[Zonuu!!]

A dull thud, unlike anything you usually hear, echoed as the bat struck the giant coyote's side.

“W-Was that... could it be... ‘The Father’s Vengeance Attack’!?”

“Wait, you know it, Egetsu-san!?”

“Yes. That’s a signature move where a daughter, after a long journey to avenge her father, strikes down her nemesis... But usually, the fatigue from the long journey and her rage at finally finding her foe causes her to miss, only to be counterattacked and have her wrist twisted...”

“What? Then it’s no good!”

“But look, Serai-san! Ruu has mastered that ‘Father’s Vengeance Attack’ flawlessly!”

[Gopa... ero ero ero! (Dapapapapa!)]

“(Shibibibibibi... Zubatan!)”

The giant coyote, having taken Ruu's full-force ‘Father’s Vengeance Attack’, was coughing up blood, its lungs, and heart crushed. It convulsed and collapsed in a heap.

Hmm... What a terrifying attack.

Usually, this would be the moment when the previously useless little brother steps up and saves his sister, but... Ruu clearly doesn’t need any help from a sakura-swirling rogue or an old silk merchant. An absolute victory.

“Haa... Haa... Haa...! How did I do, Coach!?”

Ruu came running back with a beaming smile after the hunt.

Her face was flushed with that unmistakable ‘I want to be praised!’ grin. Yes, I want to protect that smile. It’s hard to believe this is the same girl who, just seconds ago, brutally took down a monster.

Did you see that, Father, in court…?

Ruu, who followed my training so obediently, has grown this strong!