Volume 4 Chapter 2 The Dungeon Guardian Appears and The Master’s Bizarre Binding Ceremony
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
—The next day.
It was Saturday. Hirose and five other young men and women waited for the veil of night to fall before making their way to a quiet riverbed along the Tama River in Tama City. They moved down a deserted gravel path until an empty, open area came into view. Hirose and the others stopped right there. And then, Asami withdrew an object from an ethereal space.
—The Dungeon Core.
It was a black sphere about the size of a palm. Inside it, a terrifying wave of magical energy writhed and pulsed, making its immense power instantly recognizable to anyone with a sensitive gift.
”Takanashi-senpai, here you go,” Yaginuma Asami offered.
”Thanks,” Hirose replied, taking the Dungeon Core and carefully setting it in his palm.
”Well then, shall we begin?” He looked around at the five others, who all nodded quietly. Hirose took a small breath and, with a quiet murmur, said, “—Dungeon Core, activate”.
Instantly, the sealed magical energy burst free. A pitch-black barrier expanded outward, enveloping the six of them.
In the blink of an eye, Hirose and the others had been teleported to a space about twenty square meters. In the center rested a pedestal holding the Dungeon Core they had just activated. The walls were black and bare, and an unexplained light simply shone down from the ceiling—it was an utterly silent space.
”So this is… the Master Room,” Hirose mused, slowly approaching the pedestal where the Dungeon Core sat.
”There’s nothing here, is there?” Hibiki whispered with a little confusion.
”We’re going to make it from scratch now, silly,” Koharu breezily shot back.
At that moment, Saori, dressed in her signature suit, moved to stand beside Hirose. “Hirose-kun, you initiated the launch, but it seems you need to touch the core one more time to formally register as the Master.”
”I understand,” Hirose said, nodding calmly. Inside his heart, he thought: To think that I, a guy who couldn’t even enter a dungeon as an adventurer, would now be on the side that creates one.
Hirose placed his right hand on the Dungeon Core and quietly declared, “I am Takanashi Hirose—register me as the Dungeon Master.”
A white light instantly surrounded him, rapidly increasing in intensity until it filled the entire Master Room. When the light faded, a single woman stood there.
”Who…!?” the group exclaimed.
Standing before them was a stunningly beautiful girl with long blonde hair and slender, slit-like eyes, clad in dark ceremonial robes. Her appearance was somehow fantastical, and she had long, pointed ears, like an elf from a storybook.
”Greetings, Master. I am the Guardian of the Dungeon Core. You are the one who will be my Master, yes?” she announced in a melodious, formal tone.
”I’m the Master, but… a Guardian?” Hirose questioned, bewildered.
Her explanation left the others openly surprised.
”You may think of me as the Dungeon Core itself. I exist to support and aid my Master.”
Even Saori, the professional, tilted her head slightly in surprise. “…My Appraisal Gift never indicated such an entity would manifest.”
”I see… I had no idea such a being was possible,” Kirino murmured thoughtfully. The existence of this Guardian was something even the powerful Gift of Appraisal couldn’t detect.
”—Then, for the future, please bestow upon me a name.”
At the girl’s request, Hirose looked at his companions, a bit troubled. Kirino gently spoke up. “Hirose-kun is the Master. So, it’s best if Hirose-kun chooses the name”.
”Yeah, okay… Dungeon Core… Core… an elf-like-looking Core… ‘Ecoa’¹! How does that sound?” he suggested.
”‘Ecoa’… it is a wonderful name. As expected of my Master,” she said. Though the name might have been a bit simple, Ecoa’s immediate approval made Hirose smile, a little bashfully.
”All right, Ecoa. Let’s work together from now on.”
”Yes. However, the formal Master registration still requires a ritual.”
Saying this, Ecoa moved closer to Hirose and cupped his face in her hands.
”Eh…?”
And then, with startling suddenness, she kissed him deeply.
”H-Hiroseeeeee—!?” Hibiki shrieked, her voice echoing as Ecoa finished the long, passionate kiss. After the kiss, Ecoa stated matter-of-factly, “—Ingestion of the fluids, complete. With this, the Master registration is finalized.”
As Ecoa wiped her lips, a furious Hibiki exploded.
”And what’s with that outfit!? W-Why is it a maid outfit!?” she screamed, pointing.
Ecoa, who had been shrouded by a black magical mist and transformed without anyone noticing, was now dressed in a classic, cleavage-baring black maid uniform.
”I detected the Master’s desires and transformed into the optimal form,” Ecoa replied calmly.
”No, you didn’t! I don’t have that kind of desire!” Hirose shouted, his face hot with embarrassment.
”Hiroseeeee! If you’d just told me, I would’ve worn it for youuuu!” Hibiki wailed.
After waiting for a thoroughly agitated Hibiki to calm down, Hirose asked about a crucial detail. “What about the gate? Is it still open?”
”Have no fear. It has been closed now.” Ecoa snapped her fingers, the connection to the outside world severed.
”Thank you. All right, this is where the real work begins.”
With the Dungeon Guardian he had just named ‘Ecoa’, the serious task of creating the dungeon itself was about to begin. The next steps would be designing the tiers and the floors.
—
Summary:
A clandestine meeting by the river to activate a mysterious Dungeon Core suddenly catapults Hirose and his friends into a newly formed Master Room. The core, a black globe of swirling power, requires Hirose’s formal registration, which triggers the dramatic arrival of Ecoa, the beautiful, elf-eared Dungeon Guardian. The scene shifts from urban fantasy ritual to romantic comedy the moment Ecoa, citing the Master’s desires, transforms into a revealing maid outfit and seals the bond with a passionate, mandatory kiss—much to the absolute shock and jealous fury of Rindou Hibiki.
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Character Insight:
Hirose’s inner thoughts reveal his lingering self-consciousness about his past failure as an adventurer, which makes his new role as Dungeon Master a deeply personal and meaningful twist of fate. His slightly clumsy attempt to name the Guardian ‘Ecoa’—a blend of ‘Elf’ and ‘Core’—shows his earnest nature and simple, good intentions, which immediately win the loyalty of the newly manifested Dungeon Core Guardian.
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Behind the Scene:
This scene establishes the central team and the main asset—the Dungeon Core and its unpredictable Guardian. The Master registration ritual, which includes the unexpected and intimate ‘ingestion of the fluids,’ sets a high-stakes, but also highly comedic and fan-service-heavy, tone for the developing relationship between Hirose and Ecoa, ensuring constant romantic tension from the surrounding girls .
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T/L:
1 [Ecoa] (エコア): This is a combination of eru (エルフ, ‘elf’) and koa (コア, ‘core’), reflecting the character’s elven appearance and nature as the Dungeon Core’s manifestation. A simple name, but effective, right? ↩
Notes:
• Yaginuma Asami – 16-year-old 1st-year, many inherited/stacking gifts, stores items, reflects attacks, teleports, resists conditions, mixed Japanese-English.
• Kirino – Strikingly beautiful with blue long hair (F, 168cm), Kirino is gifted with ice magic and feels isolated because of her appearance. Hirose’s Beauty skill helps her improve her self-image and social comfort, directly affecting Kirino’s relationship with her family and classmates.
• Ecoa – The Guardian of the Dungeon Core, a beautiful entity with long blonde hair, slit eyes, and distinctive pointed ears reminiscent of an elf. She initially appears in black ceremonial robes, which instantly transform into a revealing, classic black maid uniform. Her existence was previously undetectable by ‘Appraisal’ Gifts. Her sole purpose is to serve and support the Dungeon Master, Hirose.
• Rindou Hibiki – Hirose’s cheerful, bold classmate who is the first to request his Beauty skill. Hibiki (F, pink bob hair, 158cm, F-cup) is outgoing, expressive about her interests, and quickly becomes Hirose’s girlfriend after an explicitly intimate scene. Her reactions help set the adult tone of the story.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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