Jiro Tanaka, 28, has a girlfriend.
Her name is Suella Handelberg.
Memoria Tris
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee)
Magic Aptitude: 9 (Quasi Demon Lord Class)
Position: Warrior
After shouting a challenge, he gave orders without giving time for everyone to regain their composure.
“Mages, form ranks! Archers and rogues, create diversions in pairs! Those who can fight on the front lines, follow me! We’re going in!”
We hadn’t had good feelings towards each other until now, but that’s beside the point for now.
Breaking through the current situation is the priority.
For those who don’t know what to do, the most efficient thing is to give them roles.
Even when confused, humans can act to some extent if given high-priority instructions.
However, we must not allow the thought of it being impossible to intervene.
“Impossible” is nothing more than the will to refuse it.
And once humans stop thinking, they become unable to move.
To prevent that, I kept giving instructions without stopping, to shut down anyone who tried to say something first.
“Move your limbs if you don’t want to die! Himusumi! You come with us! Healers, fall back behind the rear guard and provide backup!”
My party, with only Kaido on the front lines, doesn’t have much time.
I shouted in my head to hurry, but at the same time, I told myself not to panic.
I’ll wait until the testers, moving around by job class, complete their actions.
A total of thirty-odd people.
Divided by job class, we were finally ready to fight.
“Are you ready?!”
With nods returning from here and there, I saw Himusumi’s face behind me, his composed features showing a trace of tension.
No, most of the testers showed signs of tension.
After all, we were about to fight a powerful enemy we had never fought before.
And it’s a spur-of-the-moment battle with comrades we’ve never coordinated with.
There were probably many anxieties flying around in their minds.
Still, the testers who showed a willingness to fight made me believe they could do it.
“Alright!”
In front of such people, I put on a smile first.
It was a fierce smile, as if I was looking forward to the fight, but a smile has the effect of easing tension.
More importantly, it gives a sense of security.
With my energetically spoken voice, the testers’ gazes turned to me.
Some testers, still hesitant about whether we were really going to fight, were in a situation where they had to fight without understanding why. I couldn’t show even a little bit of weakness.
I will eliminate anxiety as much as possible.
“Alright everyone, it’s time to hunt the Earth Dragon!”
I stated the first thing to do.
I said it simply, to imply that what we were about to do wasn’t a big deal.
“It’s not an opponent that requires that much tension. After all, we were able to hold it back with just one other person and me until just now. Don’t worry, with this many people, we should be fine if we’re not careless.”
In the past, I wouldn’t have done anything so conspicuous.
Moreover, I wouldn’t have made such a bluff.
My calculation was that the opponent’s strength was only slightly less than the total strength of us testers.
A glimpse of the supervisor’s calculating nature.
However, it is also true that we can defeat it if we are not careless.
“U-um, can we really win?”
“Yeah, easily, easily.”
I answered the tester who asked with concern without hesitation and turned my back.
Kaido and the others would also reach their limit soon.
Currently, we are holding it back with Kaido and Amelia’s mobility and Kitamiya’s magic, but that won’t last long.
We must prepare before then.
A loud, flashy sound was heard, and for a moment, my gaze was drawn to the Earth Dragon wildly swinging its legs and attacking Kaido.
I forced down the urge to go help and looked at the testers.
“Listen up! What you need to do is simple! Engrave what I’m about to explain into your minds! If you do that, you’ll win!”
I briefly explained the method for hunting the Earth Dragon, which I had devised in just a few minutes.
Because of that, the plan became simple, but conversely, a simple plan is more convenient in the current situation.
And when there’s a plan to win, a timid attitude gradually fades away.
One by one, their eyes began to show determination.
Some began to look forward to the great task ahead.
The confused group from before showed cohesion.
“You all understand the content! Let’s begin!!!!”
” ” ” ” OOOO!!!!” ” ” ”
I succeeded in bending the testers to my will with a risky maneuver.
“Thief unit, flank them and signal Kaido and the others to retreat! Once you’ve done that, return to your designated positions!”
” ” ” Yes!!” ” ”
I entrusted the mixed-gender thief unit with the role of messenger.
I watched them run, taking a slightly longer route along the wall to avoid being spotted by the Earth Dragon.
The thieves are generally instructed to monitor the surroundings, relay messages, and, if necessary, deploy smoke screens for diversion.
“When Kaido and the others begin to retreat, the First Magic Unit will unleash a barrage of spells! It’s okay if you don’t defeat them, just separate them from Kaido and the others!”
” ” ” ” ” ” Yes!!” ” ” ”
“In the meantime, the Second Unit will prepare for maximum firepower!”
” ” ” ” ” ” OOOO!!” ” ” ”
Then, the mage unit, which comprised the majority of the testers, was divided in half into a feint and a strike unit.
Personnel skilled in efficient and precise magic were assigned to the feint, while those skilled in powerful, albeit inefficient, magic were assigned to the strike unit.
“Archer unit, prepare for sniping! Aim strictly at the head! Draw their attention this way!”
” ” ” Yes!!” ” ”
The archer unit’s role was to obstruct the opponent’s attacks.
Although their attack power couldn’t be expected much due to their small numbers, they would focus their attacks on the head, making it their main strategy to inflict attacks that the opponent would dislike.
Even with the Earth Dragon’s tough body, they couldn’t have trained their eyeballs.
“Healers, protect Kaido and the others! Once recovered, rejoin your units sequentially! Healers assigned to each unit, act as needed and don’t neglect to monitor your magic power!”
” ” ” Yes!!” ” ”
One unit was formed solely for healing, while the rest were attached to each unit.
In addition to healing, those assigned to the mage unit were also tasked with adjusting the pace of attacks.
This was to prevent them from running out of magic and stopping their attacks by casting too many spells.
“A Dragon is heading this way! The ones fighting before are running!”
It’s started.
The thief unit’s message must have been successful.
I could see Kaido and the others running towards us at full speed as if their lives depended on it.
After all, they were told they could escape while fighting an unbeatable opponent.
Kaido, and even the mage Kitamiya, showed an impressive sprinting style that was admiration-worthy.
With their full withdrawal beginning, we would then start the fight.
“Alright! First Magic Unit, prepare to attack! Ready!”
What we need to do is extremely simple.
Inflict damage with magic, thoroughly.
For that purpose, the other personnel will act as a roadblock against the Earth Dragon.
When it’s weakened, I’ll finish it with one strike.
Simple is best.
Conversely, it could also be said that this is the only kind of plan we can come up with.
“Knowing that supervisor, if we take too long, they might prepare additional Dragons! We’ll take these down quickly. Get motivated!”
” ” ” ” O-oh!!” ” ”
But there’s no time to hesitate.
There’s no doubt that the supervisor was behind this forced battle.
In that case, taking too long here is not a good strategy.
If we’re not careful, they might even introduce something worse with a smile.
To avoid that, we must go all out.
My command straightened the backs of the mage unit.
That’s how much the supervisor impressed the testers.
They all seemed to think, “If it’s that supervisor, they might do it.”
A barrage of spells flew one after another.
Even with my enhanced vision, I could see the Earth Dragons pushing forward, only slightly slowed down, despite the annoyance.
“Archer attack! Second Magic Unit, prepare your spells!”
” ” ” !” ” ”
As soon as I judged the effect to be weak, I ordered the archer attack.
The distance was a little over two hundred meters. A normal bow wouldn’t reach even on a high arc, but this is fantasy.
Ignoring the law of inertia, the arrows flew at an impossible speed, hitting the Earth Dragons’ faces.
The targets were large. This harassing tactic, utilizing that characteristic, was effective.
The speed of the Earth Dragons, unable to advance properly due to arrows flying through the gaps in the magic, was drastically reduced compared to before.
“Haa! I thought I was going to die!”
“Pant, pant, pant, me too.”
“Is this a losing flag fight, gozaru?”
“You were just dragged along by me!”
“Oooh, my hands are numb. Why are they so hard?”
“Because they’re Dragons. Earth Dragons, in particular, are known for the hardness of their scales.”
In that opening, Kaido and the others rejoined us.
They merged in, each collapsing as if defeated.
Their appearance told us how difficult the fight had been.
“Good work. Take a rest, and then you’ll have to fight again, so be prepared.”
” ” Are you a demon!? (Gozaru!?) ” ”
“Unfortunately, I’m still human. Stop talking nonsense and rest. Healers, treat them! Second Magic Unit, attack as soon as you’re ready! Be mindful of your magic capacity!”
However, we didn’t have the luxury of resting.
While Kaido and the others were being treated, I looked next to me.
“So, Himusumi, are you ready?”
“Hahaha, are you really going to do it?”
“Of course.”
Even pale-faced, handsome guys are still handsome.
Even with full-fledged magic attacks, they couldn’t pierce the Earth Dragons’ scales.
There was damage, but it was minimal.
Their movements were completely stopped, but they were also in a defensive posture, making it difficult to inflict damage.
A decisive blow was needed.
That role would befall me, Himusumi, and Kaido.
“Don’t worry, if we fail, I’ll cover for you. Take it easy, relax. Besides, you know what they say?”
“?” “What do they say?”
” ” “Men have always tried to look cool in front of women.” ”
To defeat the Earth Dragons, I needed a powerful technique.
Especially if I had to defeat two of them simultaneously.
Therefore, I needed them to pin down the two Earth Dragons.
But as things stood, failure was more likely.
“Look behind you.”
I patted Himusumi’s tense shoulder and pointed behind him, where I saw the figure of Himusumi’s partner, who had been looking at me worriedly from time to time.
Seeing that, Himusumi’s expression changed.
“Alright, that’s the spirit. Get motivated.”
“Yes.”
After seeing that, I also began my preparations.
The Ore Tree had already rooted itself into my arm and entered combat readiness.
High-speed magic circulation had also begun.
“Kaido, one more job. You ready?”
“Y-yeah. I feel like I’m getting used to your unreasonable demands lately, senpai.”
“That’s been the case since long ago, hasn’t it?”
“It has.”
I spoke to Kaido, who had finished his treatment, and seeing him follow me with a bitter smile made me feel helped.
Now, the preparations for the charge were complete.
“Alright, let’s go hunt some Dragons.”
“Yes.”
“Uss.”
Nodding as if reassuring myself, I channeled power into my feet.
This is where we decide.
With unwavering resolve, we charged.
The magic would not stop.
If it stopped, the Earth Dragons would go berserk.
We wove through a rain of magic that would create a center of explosion the closer we got.
“They’ve noticed us! Accelerate!”
” ” !” ”
And the magic carpet bombing also served to conceal us.
This was a last-ditch effort to get within range, but it was thwarted by the Earth Dragons’ incredible senses.
But even so.
“Once we’re in range!!”
From my perspective, we had gained enough distance to get into range.
I stomped the ground and leaped up, as if praying to reach the ceiling, raising the pulsating Ore Tree, circulating magic at high speed, in an overhead position.
Cut.
In my sharpened senses, I saw the two Dragons, their mouths wide open and exposed to the magic, preparing to unleash a breath to counter my strike.
I am currently controlling my magic to avoid scattering its power, so I cannot perform any action other than swinging the Ore Tree down.
Left to the mercy of freefall, I had no way to evade the breath.
If this continued, I would undoubtedly be annihilated.
Yes, if this continued.
“Haa!!”
“Opening!”
The two, hidden by my magic and the shadows of the spells, climbed the massive bodies of the Earth Dragons and plunged their respective swords into their giant eyes.
Gaaah!?
Gyoaaah!?
Screaming in sudden pain, the Earth Dragons thrashed. I confirmed the two fighters were disengaging and then, with my ultimate blow–
“ENDDDD!!!!!!!!!!”
–I swung down, and with a solid impact, severed their heads.
Zudon, Zudon!
With a clang, I severed their heads.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
As soon as I landed, I raised the Ore Tree and, seeing the Earth Dragons collapse in front of me, the testers roared.
“We managed somehow.”
Spur-of-the-moment, makeshift measures.
Whatever you call it, I sighed in relief at the turn of events.
Jiro Tanaka, 28, has a girlfriend.
Her name is Suella Handelberg.
Memoria Tris
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee)
Magic Aptitude: 9 (Quasi Demon Lord Class)
Position: Warrior
Today’s Word:
If I have to do it, I’ll just do it.
This concludes this installment.
We look forward to your continued support of this work.
