Volume 3 Chapter 36
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
A man sprinted alone through the rocky dungeon, his breathing ragged. Though his features were refined—one might even call him handsome—his expression was twisted with sheer, unadulterated panic.
As he scrambled to escape whatever pursued him, a voice rang out, cool and composed.
”Just where do you think you’re going… Kosaka-san?”
”…Guh! Y-you!” A strangled cry tore from his throat. “Gahhh!”
He whipped his head around, only to be met by a brutal kick that sent his body hurtling through the air. Despite his terror, the man had been a high-level explorer once; he instinctively tucked into a roll, scrambling back to his feet to square up against his attacker: Tanaka Mana.
”To think you’d abandon your own allies and brothers just to save yourself,” she remarked, her voice dripping with disdain. “How utterly pathetic.”
Kosaka-nii’s face contorted at the insult, and he lashed back with a desperate rebuttal.
”You’ve got it wrong! If even one of us makes it out, that’s all that matters! The bond between us three brothers is absolute! Even if my brother and little brother are captured, I’ll find a way to save them!”
”I see… When you put it that way, it almost sounds noble to run. Well… either way, I’m not letting you go. Haaaaah!”
With a light tap of her foot against the stone, Mana closed the distance in an instant, her long leg swinging upward in a graceful arc. As her ponytail whipped through the air, her heel caught Kosaka-nii square in the face.
Predictably, he was sent flying, letting out a sharp scream as he tumbled across the jagged ground. He scrambled to his feet again, swaying unsteadily, but the look in his eyes betrayed that he had not yet given up on fleeing.
While his refusal to yield against an opponent with an insurmountable gap in skill was admirable, the gaze Mana leveled at him remained absolute zero.
”Just to be certain, I’ll ask. Is your brother’s Skill… one that can only control high-rank Monsters?”
Kosaka-nii didn’t utter a word.
”Your reaction tells me everything I need to know, so you needn’t answer. Besides, this is all that matters: of your brother’s collection, presumably only that Black Dragon is a ‘Phase Six’ Monster, correct? I don’t believe you or your younger brother have the power to even set foot in a ‘Phase Six’ Dungeon, after all.”
Kosaka-nii’s face twisted in bitterness at her words, a reaction that confirmed the truth of her hypothesis. Mana gave a single nod and began to close the distance once more.
”That is enough! I would love nothing more than to end you right here, but I won’t. Kanade-kun specifically asked me not to dirty my hands for the likes of you.”
With that, she swung her long leg up again. Kosaka-nii tried desperately to dodge, but he was far too slow; the kick, delivered with even more power than the last, struck home.
With a heavy thud, the impact reverberated through his skull, and Kosaka-nii collapsed, his consciousness fading into darkness.
Mana grabbed the unconscious man by the leg and began to drag him back.
”They’re such a headache to handle, even for dungeon labor… but that [Choker]1 he was using on Aina looked rather convenient. It’s not the sort of thing one should display too openly, but perhaps I’ll have Kanade-kun acquire it. Using it exclusively on the Kosaka brothers might actually be worth it.”
She muttered this to herself, dragging the limp form of Kosaka-nii back toward the ongoing battle at the Rock-fortress.
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Summary:
A man named Kosaka attempts to flee through a rocky dungeon but is swiftly intercepted and defeated by the combatant Mana. Mana interrogates him regarding his brother’s ability to control monsters, using the encounter to establish the power hierarchy within the dungeon. After rendering him unconscious, she decides to repurpose a device he used, dragging him back toward the main conflict.
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Trivia:
Mana possesses extreme physical combat ability, capable of closing distances instantly with a light tap of her foot.
The term ‘Phase Six’ refers to a specific, high-tier classification of dungeons and monsters.
Kosaka-nii believes in an absolute bond between the three brothers, despite being willing to abandon them to survive.
Mana acts under the specific instructions of Kanade, who limits the extent of her violence against minor targets.
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Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Kosaka – Kosaka is the arrogant, competitive leader of the KSK Three brothers. Outwardly a seasoned A-Rank explorer, he hides a lewd, criminal nature and harbors a bitter vendetta against the protagonist. He uses dungeon items, monsters, and a hostage, Aina, for combat advantages. Formerly an academy student and secret ninja for Haruka, he was defeated by adventurers and is now confined to forced labor.
• Tanaka Mana – Tanaka Mana, a serious, neat beauty with long black hair in a ponytail and glasses, is a refined, disciplined former Class President famed for her purity and Kanade’s top favorite. An elite close-quarters combatant with high agility and martial arts mastery, she’s a sadistic competitor who recently split from soccer ace Kosaka, feeling worthless like a house centipede. As the Tanaka family heir, she provides the core ‘cheat’ utility for Resonant Melody and is linked to its sub-leader.
• Tanaka – Tanaka Mana, a neat beauty with black hair, is the youngest captive, a martial artist, and underground heir. Recently split from soccer ace Kosaka, she is Kanade’s top favorite and tied to Resonant Melody’s sub-leader via shared lineage with Aina. Shifting from a serious, glass-wearing former Class President to a twin-tailed beacon of hope, she serves as her group’s core utility and encouragement.
• Mana – Kanade is a serious, beautiful A-Rank explorer with a black ponytail and a sweet scent. As a Resonant Melody sub-leader, strategist, and Heavenly King, this calm, powerful administrator coordinates tactics, manages dungeons, and acts as a capable combatant. An emotionally perceptive mentor and older sister figure to Aina and others, she serves as the group’s moral center, maintains an affectionate, intimate partnership with the protagonist, but harbors deep resentment toward a former classmate.
• Kosaka-nii – The leader of Noble Soul and brother of Kosaka.
• Dungeon – An artificially‑created, androgynous‑beautied woman, once an S‑Class Dungeon Explorer, now serves as the Guild Master of the Dungeon Explorer Guild. She administers a hyper‑advanced dungeon, leading and guiding its members, and is known as the Dungeon Master, wielding authority that shifts with each dungeon phase, her beaming smile a constant hallmark.
• Kanade – Kanade Hirosawa is a composed, silver-haired A-Rank Explorer with amber eyes and a sleek suit. As Resonant Melody’s assault leader, this pragmatic, weary young man navigates Phase Six zones using a cheat pressure-point skill that alters item drop rates and combat capabilities, alongside instant death and healing abilities. Devoted to Mana, protective of allies, and feared by foes, he is central to Haruka, Maria, and Minami’s affection.
• Aina – Aina Tanaka is a serious, polite, and beautiful bespectacled girl with black twin pigtails/braids and a soft physique. Resembling Mana, this Rare Job Sage was recently held hostage under magical restraint by the KSK Three. While courageously leading fellow captives, she relies on others for emotional support. She deeply admires and trains under Mana, and is romantically attached to Kanade.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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