Part 1
Fifth underground floor──
『Things like @Master and a Lovely Live』[1]
Diablo was not an idol otaku. He was a shut-in, but he was a serious MMORPG gamer.
However, there was something called the flow of society.
If he was going to try and master the MMORPG Cross Reverie, he would inevitably have to master the collab events too.
A collab event was a tie-up plan with another game. Things like the other game’s characters and items would appear.
And then, right when he was making the dungeon in his personal space──
There was a collaboration with a social game that was an idol game called 『Sister Carnival』.
The nickname was SisKani.
Because the development companies were the same or something, it was a pretty high importance event, and there were arms and items that could only be obtained in this collaboration.
There was a specification that unless one advanced several hours in using a SisKani account, the Cross Reverie side’s scenario couldn’t be cleared.
Diablo played SisKani as well. That was natural.
SisKani had a small strange setting where "all of the idols affiliated with the office were the Player’s little sisters".
Even so, he played it to the point that he could at least remember the main heroine’s name.
It wasn’t particularly because of that but......On this floor, a SisKani-like mechanism had been prepared.
They opened the door.
「Ugh......!?」
Rem narrowed her eyes.
White.
As far as the eye could see, it was pure white.
「Eh? Isn’t this snow!?」
Shera raised her voice. Even her breath had become white.
Lumachina was surprised and scooped up some snow that was at her feet.
「It, it really is......snow......no way......even though this place should be underneath the lava......?」
「Come to think of it, it’s cold all of a sudden, isn’t it -ssu ne?」
Horun had fallen from a heatstroke, but he had completely recovered with Lumachina’s power of miracles.
It is extremely convenient to be travelling together with a high leveled Healer.
With a *kushu!*, Horun sneezed.
「S, so cold -ssu～」
「......Let’s move on ahead.」
Even Rem’s voice was trembling a bit as she said that pretending to be calm.
「Uuuu, it’sーsoーcoldー!!」
Shera also raised a loud voice.
Diablo shrugged his shoulders.
「Some pretty strong monsters have been posted on this floor, you know?」
「Hii!?」
Panicking, Shera covered up her mouth with both hands. A bit late to be doing that now.
Besides, the monsters would attack them here.
「......I can hear something.」
Rem’s panther ears twitchingly moved.
Music could be heard from deep inside the dungeon.
It was an up-tempo idol song. It had the vocals included.
It was the SisKani theme song, and was a BGM that could be obtained in the collab event. It was a song that received deep seated support from a portion of the Players.
That was what was being played.
And then, matching the song──
「Huh, what in the world is that? The monsters are, dancing?」
Shera’s eyes went round.
They were hairy, giant-type monsters, and the superior version of the 《Yeti》, 《White Jägers》.
There were about 30 of them.
They created a circle in the narrow passage, and while dancing along with the music, they went around in a circle.
They were doing something that made them look like idiots but......
Level 93.
Normal weapons wouldn’t even make a scratch on them, and on top of having a high resistance to magic, they were monsters with high HP.
If Diablo were in his normal condition, they wouldn’t be much of a problem. However, right now, his HP, MP and the potions he had on hand were all insufficient.
To be honest, he wanted to avoid battle here.
Rem asked a question.
「......Going by the trends up until now, it doesn’t seem like we are supposed to simply defeat the monsters and breakthrough them, right?」
「So you’ve noticed.」
Since Diablo knew already, it would have been alright if he explained it immediately, but as the producer of the dungeon, he was interested as to whether or not she realized the mechanism.
「......There are several places in the ring that are lacking.」
「Umu.」
「......Should we pass through there? No, in that case, there would be no need for them to be dancing.」
「Umu umu.」
「......Could it be, are we supposed to join in with those monsters’ dancing circle?」
「Ohh, you’ve realized it surprisingly easily.」
Rem made an exasperated looking face.
「......The one that created this dungeon, even though they possess God-like power, their ideas are childish. What meaning is there to this.」
「Guhah!?」
Diablo plainly received mental damage.
Going *Ahaha*, Shera laughed.
「It’s fine, isn’t it? I like it, you know? I prefer things like dancing and singing over swords and magic.」
「......Once we return to town, go cancel your registration, and go become a dancer or something.」
「Don’t wannaー」
Lumachina nodded.
「But, I also like this sort of mechanism over fighting. I’m sure we won’t get injured.」
「Naive -ssu!」
Horun shook his head left and right.
He pointed his finger with a snap.
「Those monsters, they’re super strong -ssu! There are a lot of 《White Jägers》 in the northern mountains -ssu, but they are atrocious guys that are said to have destroyed the neighboring northern countries -ssu! If they were to attack, our lives would be in terrible, terrible danger -ssu!」
Rem nodded.
「......Most likely, if we were to make a mistake in the dance, wouldn’t they come and attack us?」
Suddenly, Shera looked over to Diablo’s direction and tilted her head.
「What’s wrong? It looks pretty fun though.」
Going *Ha!*, he hurriedly tightened up his expression. He was having so much fun perusing his own mechanism that he unconsciously let his guard down and relaxed.
「It is nothing. The mechanism is, just as you all have guessed. Let’s go, there is a need for everyone to learn the dance. It’s a repetition of a constant rhythm, but be careful of changing keys.」
「Y, yes, we will do our best.」
Rem nodded with a serious expression.
Shera raised up both hands.
「Yaーy, this looks like fun!」
「Kami-sama, please protect us......」
Lumachina drew the holy symbol in the air in front of her chest.
Horun looked confident.
「Fu fu fuー, remembering patterns is my specialty -ssu! I am a Seeker after all -ssu kara ne!」
Diablo was clapping his hands.
「One two, one two, and right turn! Step, step, jump! That’s it, good. Rem, don’t forget to smile.」
「Yes, Diablo!」
「Only for now, call me Producer!」
「Eh? Y, yes, pro......? Producer?」
「Horun, you’re falling behind! Be conscious of your stride in the step.」
「Yes -ssu!」
Rem didn’t seem to have any experience with dancing, but her physical abilities were high. Since she was smart, she immediately caught on.
Shera had simply liked singing and dancing, so she learned it in no time. She was already singing while she danced. Moreover, she was good enough to put idols to shame.
Even Lumachina, her physical condition should have been bad, but since she had danced as part of her High Chief Priest duties, she made this dance even feel divine.
As for Horun, maybe because of his appearance, it seemed like an elementary schooler’s game but......Well, that wasn’t mistaken.
Diablo made a deep nod.
「Very good.」
「Haa......haa......Is it finally time, Producer!?」
「Umu! It’s the live performance. Show the audience (monsters) your earnest dance!」
「「「「Yes!」」」-ssu」
At a break in between the songs, they approached the ring in one go.
The five of them settled themselves into the places where the ring was broken.
*Jirori* The 《White Jägers》 glared at them. It felt as if they were asking "Who the hell are these guys?"
However, they didn’t attack. They were still observing.
The song’s intro started.
The curtain to the live performance──
Rose.
Suddenly, Shera’s singing voice reverberated.
Mixing in with the singing voices of the idols, without being outdone by them at all, she didn’t miss a single note.
And then, it was the first pose. Raising one hand, and from there, stepping to the right. One step in a clockwise rotation.
Left turn, put out a leg and pull it in, put it out and pull it in, one two.
──In the game, it was a combination of pose instructions and movement management, but here, I have to dance it myself.
He was keeping up because his physical abilities were high, but it was a pretty hard work-out.
Lumachina, who wasn’t in perfect condition, was running out of breath.
However, he couldn’t help her out.
Rem turned a worried gaze at her, but Lumachina replied with a smile. It looked like she was trying to say "I’m alright!"
As if to pull the two of them along, Shera’s singing voice went out ever farther. With it reverberating within them, their dancing became even sharper.
They were a whole lot better than they were during practice.
Seeing that, it was enough for Diablo to get goosebumps.
Even the gazes of the 《White Jägers》 became glued onto her.
As if being lifted up by Shera, Rem and Lumachina’s dancing also became remarkably better. They got on board with it.
Diablo and Horun were just barely keeping up.
And then, as they headed towards the finale, the dance accelerated.
At this point, rather than being a dance circle, it seemed more like Shera, Rem, and Lumachina were the main performance, and the ones surrounding them became back dancers.
When they entered the last key change, Diablo involuntarily became fascinated.
The song ended.
Shera stopped moving in the finishing move. It felt as if spotlights had been placed on her.
Rem and Lumachina were breathing with their shoulders.
「Haa, haa, haa......Stupid Shera......You, what are you getting so heated up on your own for.」
「Ehehe, but it was fun, right?」
「Haー......haー......haー......Fu, fufu......That’s true......It was hard work. But......It was fun. For me, to think that dancing was fun......This was the first.」
Lumachina hugged Shera.
「UOOOOOOO──────!!」
Suddenly, the 《White Jägers》 howled.
When it was done correctly, they shouldn’t have made any sort of reaction.
──Could it be, did we make a mistake somewhere!?
「core! core! core!」
They started to repeatedly call out some thing.
After listening closely......
「Encore! Encore! Encore!」
To think that an encore would be desired by the monsters......
There were even some among them that were wiping their eyes.
However, since they would end up going back to their former spot if they were to perform once more, they couldn’t do that.
It would be great if things ended with this but──
Going *gofu gofu*, the 《White Jägers》 glared at a part of the ring.
Horun had fallen.
「U, um......I was fascinated by Shera-san and the others and......」
It would seem that because it was late in the final step, he ended up bumping into a 《White Jäger》 that was next to him.
The monsters’ hate was all gathered on Horun.
He couldn’t just abandon him like this.
Diablo took out the 《Staff of Tenma》 that was stored in his pouch.
「Run, Horun! 《Cross Blizzard》!!」
It was a level 110 Water and Wind attribute magic.
Two tornadoes sprung forth.
It would freeze all that it touched, and in addition to that, they would be smashed and scattered by the gales.
Immediately after the 《White Jägers》 turned into an ice sculpture, they changed into very small fragments──that isn’t how it ended up being.
Only a portion of the surface body hair was broken, and no conclusive damage passed through to the body.
At most, it only dulled its movements.
Also, it became a smokescreen.
Horun restlessly ran in between the gaps of the monsters’ large builds.
「FUWAAaAaAaaah～～～～～!!」
「Go!」
Diablo pointed towards the exit.
Shera waved and beckoned him.
「H, hurryー!!」
「It’s, heavy!」
Rem strenuously pulled the iron door open.
She then pushed Lumachina, who was looking worried and waiting, inside the doors.
「Hya!?」
「Shera, you go on ahead inside too!」
「U, un!」
While falling and stumbling over, Horun arrived at the exit. He passed through the doors that continued to the staircase.
Rem shouted.
「Diablo────!!」
「Umu!」
The moment that he thought that he would retreat, something came flying at him from behind.
──Cra......
His head had reacted, but his body was heavy.
Maybe it was because fatigue was accumulating from it being really hot and then being really cold. He didn’t make it in time to avoid it.
He received a direct hit on his back.
He was blown away.
So it was a snowball.
It was a snowball that felt as if it was compressed into ice.
The Physical Damage Reduction effect was applied, but he still received damage that he couldn’t ignore despite that.
「Guh......」
As expected of level 93. To think that damage would get through with a snowball.!
It had become hard for him to breath since he had a direct hit to his back, but he couldn’t stop moving.
Snowballs came flying in succession.
He had somehow evaded them.
However, Diablo understood that the 《White Jägers》 were also heading towards the door.
He became unable to approach the exit due to the barrage.
While he was stuck like this, they were closing up the distance. When surrounded by high level monsters, the worst outcome was possible.
Rem, who was waiting at the exit, shouted his name with a voice that sounded like a scream.
Diablo curved his lips into a broad grin.
「It’s time.」
The intro started playing.
The 《White Jägers》’ attacks stopped. They cheerfully returned to their original spots. They formed a ring once again.
Diablo headed towards the door at a quick pace. He joined up with Rem and the others.
──And then, the next song starts.
Translator’s Notes:
[1] Reference to [email protected] and Love Live
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