Chapter 139 Around That Time, the Gozaru Squad Was…
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
……Test Dungeonⁿ 3rd Floor – Animation Department, 3rd Year: Koyama Sanjuro (The Gozaru Samurai)……
”Hmm, there is nary a Guardian room to be found-degozaru. The only suspicious spot remaining is the Monster Houseⁿ-degozaru, but…”
We had scouted every inch of the map provided by Yuki-dono, yet nowhere could we find anything resembling a Guardian room. We searched for double walls like the ones on the second floor, but found nothing of the sort-degozaru. The only place left to check was the Monster House-degozaru.
”Looking at what happened to Noda from the baseball club, I’m honestly terrified to even peek inside,” one of the boys muttered.
True, when I first saw the interior, I thought my heart would stop-degozaru. Luckily, we weren’t far enough in for them to swarm us then-degozaru.
”That was brutal. I’ve never seen a corpse that mangled.”
”I saw that and made up my mind right then! I was never setting foot in a dungeon again!”
”And yet, here we are, fighting the very Kobolds that took Noda-dono’s life-degozaru, are we not?” Koyama asked.
Pushed past the point of pride, we had resorted to begging. We were saved by the Guard-dono’s reaching hand, had our spirits kindled by Tsukigase-dono, and finally! had our backsides pierced by Sheena-dono. That is how we came to stand here now-degozaru.
”Too true. To think that we, who were once thrashed by Horn Rabbits, would ever be able to take down Kobolds,” Nezu-cchi remarked.
”I guess getting stabbed in the ass paid off.”
”You’re really dwelling on that, aren’t you? Well, I’m still paranoid I’m gonna get kicked from behind, too.”
”Cease this talk-degozaru! Sheena-dono is… our benefactor as well-degozaru,” Koyama replied, after a pause.
”What was with that pause, San-chan?”
”Drop it. Don’t talk about Sheena-san anymore. Look, his hands are shaking,” Nezu-cchi said quietly.
”Yeah, let’s stop. More importantly, that Monster House… do we really have to clear it?”
”Even seven Kobolds trained onto us by Manda’s group can leave us wounded,” Nezu-cchi explained. “No matter how many Crimson Bow and Arrowⁿ I fire, I can’t handle a Monster House with twenty-plus Kobolds.”
”That’s just a ‘Wooden Chest Bow,’ man. Give it a rest.”
”And I can’t fire them if they’re on fire, anyway.”
”Now, now. Nezu-cchi’s archery has improved leaps and bounds-degozaru,” Koyama said. “I shall purchase a fine bow and arrow for you soon enough-degozaru.”
Thanks to Manda’s lot, we had more urgent expenses than a bow-degozaru, but Nezu-cchi’s marksmanship has become the backbone of this party-degozaru. I shall surely buy him a weapon far mightier than his current one-degozaru.
”Hmph. I shall promise results worthy of the investment,” Nezu-cchi replied.
”Investment? We don’t have that kind of scratch. We’ve been living on two meals a day lately.”
”And it’s always the ‘Breakfast set’ every single time.”
”Man, I’m starving.”
”Trying to run this Rank-up body on two meals a day is torture.”
”I want to call Wall-Butt. My right hand is practically rubbed raw,” someone groaned.
”Just a bit more endurance-degozaru! We have successfully purchased the objective-degozaru, so from this day forth, we shall eat three proper meals. Let us fight with all our might-degozaru!”
It was just as I spoke those words to my hunger-panged comrades-degozaru.
Peep! Peep! Peep! Peep!
The shrill sound of a whistle echoed from the distance-degozaru.
”They’re here! The main corridor!”
”Alright! It’s payback time!”
”I’ll show them the fruits of a week of starvation!”
”Everyone! Break out to the main corridor, then lure them into the side-path-degozaru!” Koyama shouted.
”Leave the nav to me! I’ve got the map of this floor memorized!”
Nezu-cchi answered my command with absolute confidence. Truly, a man of great effort-degozaru.
”Let us go-degozaru! I shall make them realize we are no longer the same men we were a week ago-degozaru!”
”Hell yeah! I’m getting payback for my bitten-off finger!”
”And for my gnawed-on ass!”
”Your ass is already full of stab wounds, shut up!”
”We literally just agreed to stop talking about Sheena-san!”
”Stop fooling around and run with purpose-degozaru!” Koyama barked.
Chastising my ever-frivolous companions, we leapt out into the main corridor-degozaru.
”Ah! Koyama-senpai! It’s a train! Help us!”
In the main corridor, a party of second-year former shut-ins was being hounded by Manda’s group-degozaru. And trailing behind Manda were nearly ten Kobolds in hot pursuit-degozaru. Manda was keeping his distance, occasionally firing a Wind Cutterⁿ to keep the monsters at bay while leading them toward us-degozaru.
”This way!” Nezu-cchi called out.
”Oh! If it isn’t Gozaru-senpai! I thought you’d disappeared, but here you are!” Mimura laughed. “It’s an ‘Extra Large Serving’ today! If you surrender now, we might just help you out!”-degozaru.
As we ran alongside the second-years, Mimura! the muscle for Manda’s group! sneered at us-degozaru. For a week, they had repeatedly ‘trained’ mobs onto us, causing injury after injury-degozaru. They didn’t intend to kill us; they would jump in when things got truly dire, only to sell us Potionⁿ at exorbitant prices and threaten us to join their ‘umbrella’-degozaru. It was a protection racket-degozaru! true gokudo tactics-degozaru.
Some had joined them in tears-degozaru, but I heard they were being squeezed for ‘tribute’ until they could barely survive-degozaru. We had suffered greatly too; Sone even lost his little finger-degozaru. In the chaos of battle, I could not protect everyone as the sole shield-degozaru.
Since then, we had been exploring in the shadows, hiding to avoid Manda’s lot-degozaru. But those days of hiding end today-degozaru!
”There! That side-path is narrow enough to bottleneck them!” Nezu-cchi pointed.
”Acknowledged-degozaru! Everyone, follow Nezu-cchi-degozaru!”
At my call, my party members gave a wicked grin, and the confused second-years nodded and followed-degozaru. We dove into the side-path just before being caught-degozaru. Once we reached the midpoint, I signaled the second-years to keep going while we held our ground-degozaru.
”Ha! Given up already? Move it, you bums!” Mimura yelled.
Mimura and his lackeys closed the distance while brandishing swords and spears-degozaru. They clearly intended to shove us aside and leave us to deal with the Kobolds behind them-degozaru.
But today, things will not go as you planned-degozaru!
”San-chan, now!”
”Understood! I go forth with every ounce of my power-degozaru-oooo!”
I clapped my hands together in front of my chest with a sharp CRACK-degozaru. Then, I slammed my palms against the ground, activating the magic I had just mastered-degozaru.
**”EARTH WALLⁿ!”**
As I chanted the spell, a wall of earth four meters wide and four meters high erupted from the ground, sealing the passage in an instant-degozaru.
”Wh-what?!”
”Huh? A dead end?!”
”Wait, you’re kidding! There are ten of them back there!”
”Damn it! We’ve been set up! Wind Cutter! Mimura! My Mana Capacityⁿ is bottoming out! Get back here!”
”Gyaaah! My leg! I’m bitten! Someone, help!”
”You idiot! Don’t just swing your spear wildly!”
”Shit! It’s too narrow to fight! guah!”
From the other side of the wall came the sound of swords clashing against stone, Manda’s panicked screaming, and the shrieks of his cronies as the battle turned into a slaughter-degozaru.
”Hahahaha! Sucks to be you!”
”Hey, how’s it feel? How’s it feel to get mauled by the very Kobolds you ‘trained’ on us? Hmm?”
”Enjoy your ‘Extra Large Serving’! I hope you lose a few limbs too!”
”Let us make our escape-degozaru! With Manda and Mimura there, they will eventually thin the Kobolds out-degozaru,” Koyama said.
Leaving my companions to hurl their long-held resentment at the wall, we turned and left the scene-degozaru. The Earth Wall would hold for five minutes, but only if left undisturbed-degozaru. Speed was our only ally-degozaru.
”That should stop them from trying to train mobs onto us for a while,” Nezu-cchi said with a radiant, satisfied smile-degozaru.
”True-degozaru. However, I suspect they shall harbor a deep grudge-degozaru,” Koyama replied.
Mimura was the type to seek revenge-degozaru. Next time, it might be a battle against humans-degozaru. But we had struck back knowing the risks-degozaru. That was why we had declined Yuki-dono’s offer of help! we could not bear to trouble them any further-degozaru.
There was a history between us and Manda’s group-degozaru. The humiliation of begging, the scars of our wounded friends… This was our battle-degozaru.
For this moment, we had pinched every yen for a week to buy the Earth Wall grimoire-degozaru. We had distributed whistles to all the former shut-ins who refused to submit to Manda, telling them that if they blew the signal while fleeing, we would come for them-degozaru. All of it was for this one strike-degozaru.
”When they come back, we’ll gather the rest of the shut-in group and PK them!” one of my men shouted. “Because of them, people got hurt so bad they almost died. They ‘trained’ us, then sold us Rank 4 Potion for triple the price! Everyone will back us up.”
”…Indeed-degozaru. Once we return, I shall rally the others-degozaru,” Koyama said. “It seems the only way to survive is to gather our numbers and become a deterrent-degozaru.”
The others who were being bled dry under Manda’s heel, those who lived in fear! our victory today would surely give them courage-degozaru. Numbers are power-degozaru. We must unite to defend ourselves from malicious students-degozaru.
We eventually caught up with the second-years, reached the Teleportation arrayⁿ, and made our exit from the 3rd floor-degozaru. I heard later that three of Manda’s group were severely injured in the counter-ambush-degozaru. Even for them, being trapped in a narrow space with ten Kobolds was a nightmare-degozaru.
Mimura and Manda were reportedly thirsty for revenge-degozaru, but upon hearing that we former shut-ins had formed a Clan, they chose to move on to the 4th floor instead-degozaru.
Truly, numbers are power-degozaru.
Yet, I know Manda’s type-degozaru. They will not give up so easily-degozaru. We must be ready for what comes next-degozaru.
Just like the Guard-dono, who brought his long-standing feuds with Arashiyama and Araki to a final end-degozaru.
—
Summary:
Koyama Sanjuro and his group of former shut-ins explore the 3rd floor of the Test Dungeon while struggling with hunger and bullying from Manda’s group. They successfully execute a trap using a newly purchased Earth Wall spell to turn Manda’s ‘monster training’ tactic back on the aggressors. Following their victory, they decide to form a Clan to gather strength in numbers and protect themselves from further exploitation.
Character_Insight:
Koyama Sanjuro shows significant growth from a helpless beggar to a proactive leader. His dedication to his ‘Samurai’ persona serves as a psychological anchor, allowing him to maintain dignity and inspire his party despite their desperate circumstances. His willingness to decline help from Yuki-dono signifies a transition toward self-reliance and the realization that their group must become their own deterrent in the dungeon’s lawless society.
Behind_the_scene:
The ‘Crimson Bow and Arrow’ is a deliberate pop-culture reference to the theme song of ‘Attack on Titan’, highlighting the ‘chuunibyou’ tendencies of the student characters. The tactic of ‘training’ (pulling a long line of monsters) is a classic MMO reference, illustrating how real-world gaming knowledge translates into dungeon survival tactics.
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Glossary:
Notes:
• Sanjuro – A 3rd‑year Animation Department student and the underdogs’ de facto frontliner, Sanjuro masks his fear with grand speeches and humor, leading his group through dungeon nights with reckless courage and nerdy flair.
• Yuki – A third-year high school student and leader of the Battle Sports Club. He is a national champion in medieval-style combat using swords and spears. He has a severe sister complex. He has hawk-like eyes and a polite but determined demeanor.
• Noda – Vice-captain of the Baseball Club party. Catcher and tank.
• Sheena – Beastman Soul-less Doll with rabbit ears and a large chest. Flawless face, approx 165cm height, F or G cup, narrow waist, large hips, and a fluffy tail longer than a rabbit’s. Now, her ego is back.
• Nezu – A pragmatic 3rd‑year Animation Department student and the underdogs’ rear guard, Nezu serves as the group’s archer and strategist, balancing his cautious nature with determined effort born from countless early‑morning practices.
• Mimura – Seiji’s accomplice, proposes the ‘monster train’ strategy.
• Araki – Member of the kickboxing group, suggests attacking the guard.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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