The Dungeon Seeker

“In the first place, you know”, Harada made a fighting pose after saying that.

「Even if I don’t use such troublesome tactics, it’ll end in an instant you know? After all, I have learned karate in Osaka after all?」

“Karate?”, Junpei’s ears moved.

Junpei himself did not have any experience in sports or martial arts when he was still in j.a.pan.

“However……”, Junpei thought.

As a problem, in fact, he wondered how the skills learned in the previous world will be treated in this world.

Since Harada is someone from the deepest parts of the labyrinth, there is no doubt that he has extraordinary battle abilities and skills. So maybe, a secret might be hidden around the experience Harada had in karate.

「Karate……huh」

Junpei held his breath, and Harada slowly nodded.

「ーーit’s just karate correspondence course though」

It was just a gag. Junpei could not help but stagger.

Harada nodded with satisfaction as he looked at Junpei who almost fell down.

「That’s good, that’s good. Little bro started to relax huh」

「Rather than relax, I just felt listless……」

「And so……was it about the information of what’s there in the deepest parts of the labyrinth?」

Junpei nodded.

「Do you know about the manga where any wish will be granted after collecting seven b.a.l.l.s?」

「You can tell that I’m j.a.panese right?」

「If someone in the group that clears the labyrinth cannot tell that level of【Mimicry】 exists, they would be hermits」

「The skill level, it’s super-cla.s.s though……」

Harada asks again to Junpei who made a wry smile.

「And so, does little bro knows?」

「If there’s someone who doesn’t know about that manga where any wish will be granted after collecting seven b.a.l.l.s……wouldn’t that be a hermit as a j.a.panese?」

「That’s right, that’s right. And so, I’ll ask another thing……what about the blue cat that would take out convenient tools from his pocket and grant whatever you wishes?」

「Of course I know」

「I guessed so. The answer, it’s simple……it’s just that」

And there, Junpei froze.

Junpei thought of the meanings Harada said many times and opened his mouth with a dumbfounded expression.

「……don’t tell me, the reward after clearing the labyrinth……it grants any wish……is it something like that?」

「That’s right!」

「For something like that……you guys distort your own lifespan until you get crazy……you spent thousands of years deep in that labyrinth, just for that?」

“Yeah”, Harada nodded.

「It’s because of that, those perfectly adult people touched the taboo, extended their lifespans, and try and clear it until they lose their minds. Doesn’t little bro had met that kind of guys as well? Weird guys, trying to escape from the deepest parts, living for thousands of years, and……because of that, their head became crazy」

「……I do……or maybe not……?」

The torture man’s face appeared in Junpei’s mind, but for some reason, his knowledge and memories would not connect properly.

Junpei almost fell down to the ground together with a faint headache.

「Are you okay? Little bro? Your face……it’s really pale?」

Harada shrugged his shoulders to Junpei who became silent.

「Well, whatever. And so, I thought little bro what I know. It’s little bro’s turn right?」

「…………before that, I want to ask another thing」

「What?」

「Your leader……he got tricked by the G.o.d and forced to spend a ridiculous length of time right?」

Harada nodded after thinking for a while.

「That’s some information you have there? Well……I also heard it like that. If I’m correct, it’s was for 90 million years……and so?」

「Why……why is he extending his life although he could die? He should’ve had enough of living, and his salvation is death」

Harada looked up to the sky and opened his mouth towards that question.

「It’s for revenge」

「Revenge……?」

“Yeah”, Harada nodded.

「Wanting to die but cannot. When a person is thrown into such a prison of time, even little bro knows that they can’t choose any other choice but to get crazy right?」

「Yeah. Even if I’m told to do that for 90 million years……I’ll say no thank you with all that I have」

Harada made a wry smile as he looked far away.

「That person……he broke through the prison of time called 90 million years without getting crazy, even doing surgery to his own brain. That’s right, he spent all that time sane…… everything for the revenge……revenge to that shota G.o.d who did that thing to him」

“I think it’s crazy enough ticking one’s own brain……”, but of course, Junpei will not say such thoughtless thing.

「All wish can be granted. And as long as it is like that, inevitably……it is possible……to kill even a G.o.d?」

「That’s right. I have my own wish, and other guys have their own wish as well」

After nodding in silence, Junpei pointed to the direction where the red-haired girl ran to.

「n? What is it?」

「You protected your promise and told me the information. That’s why, I also need to answer to that right?」

「He〜……」

「What?」

「I only saw guys with rotten personalities recently because of living in the labyrinth for so long, so. I feel like an honest boy like little bro feels refreshing……」

“Anyways”, Junpei clapped his hands.

「If you’re talking about that loli grandma, she flew to this direction yesterday during the break. Well, I don’t know where she went to though」

「However……saying it so easily is strange too you know? You can easily tell that I’m chasing that young looking girl without good intentions right?」

「It’s not like I’m told to be quiet about it?」

Junpei almost said, “That loli grandma……she’s not a creature in a level that I should be worried about right……”, but he stopped.

It was not like Junpei trusts Harada. It would be for the best to not say unnecessary things.

And then, Harada started tapping Junpei’s shoulders.

「Hahaha! Well, well, really, I like you little bro!」

Harada had a light air and att.i.tude as usual……

Junpei got troubled narrowed his eyebrows to that att.i.tude.

Adding to that, Harada started taking off the top of his black suits and became half-naked.

「Oi, you……?」

Harada laughed towards Junpei who had doubts showing in his face.

And then, he made a fist and pounded his chest.

「Little bro, try punching me here with full strength?」

「No, really……what the heck are you talking about?」

「Just do it, just do it〜」

「I mean, you already got what you wanted right? Hurry up and go」

「I’ll go after you punch me so punch quickly?」

Junpei made a dubious face towards Harada who was grinning.

Osaka dialect.

Naked upper body.

Both men.

And the declaration to punch himself.

Junpei made a conclusion after adding those up.

That is right, this guyーー

ーーーーno matter how you look at it, he’s a pervert. Thank you very much.

But leaving that on the side, Harada really seemed that he would not leave as long as Junpei does not punch him.

“So troublesome……”, Junpei swung his fist while he thought of that.

「No, no. It’s not like that, it’s not like that」

「I don’t feel any will in that posture! You don’t plan on hitting me seriously right?」

「There’s no merit on punching you after all」

“Yareyare”, Harada then said while he let out a sigh.

「Merits? Whatever, anyways, you should just hit with all you got」

「What do you mean?」

「There isn’t an effect if it’s not like that」

「Really, what the heck?」

「I’m just telling you, you’ll understand after you do it so hit me hard?」

「You’re really an annoying b.a.s.t.a.r.d……」

Junpei became annoyed already and was ready to swing his fist while he twists his body.

「That’s good! It’s good as long as you do it seriously!」

「I’ll really do it seriously you stupid b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Don’t cry on me since you’re the one who said it!!」

Junpei’s fist hits Harada’s left chest.

Together with the landing of his fist to Harada’s chest, Junpei collapsed to the ground.

「Ka!……ha!……」

Junpei was unable to breath having an intense stimulation to his left lung.

He started to cough unable to hold it.

「See? It’s amazing right?」

Harada grinned and nodded many times in satisfaction as he looked at Junpei who fell to his knees.

「Gehho!……kaha!……!……!! Wha……what the heck……is this? Why……do I get damaged, although I’m the one who punched?」

「【Physical Attack Reflection】」

Harada said with his chest out with a very smug expression.

「【Physical Attack Reflection】……you say?」

「It’s one of the Extreme Skills……there’s this Physics Laws Intervention you know?」

「Intervention……physics laws?」

“Come to think of it, the red-haired girl was saying something like that too. And she also used a similar power. That only means……”, and while Junpei thought of that, Harada spoke what he guessed.

「If you become closer to the deepest parts, allies and enemies who can use this power will start appearing……I mean, it’s a must-have ability to walk properly in the deepest parts」

Junpei chose his words carefully and asked Harada after thinking for a while.

「Why are you saying something like that to me?」

「Well, if you ask for a reason……is something like……I liked little bro, so I showed it to you as an example, not enough for a reason?」

「Although that skill……it’s one of your trump cards?」

「Well, yeah that’s true」

「If so, then it isn’t something that you should show to me who you don’t know whether it’s an enemy or not, right?」

And then, Harada started laughing with mouth wide open and while he holds his stomach.

「Haha! Hahaha! Hahahahahahahahahaha! Ahaha! Hii! Fuhya! Hahahahahaha!」

Junpei was caught off guard to Harada who suddenly started to laugh out loud.

Harada ignored Junpei who was stunned and continued to laugh, and he even started rolling on the ground.

「Hii……haha! Hahaha! Hahahahahahahahaha! Ahahaha!」

「Oi……you……what the heck is funny?」

Harada started laughing even more to Junpei’s question and rolled on the groundーーthat was for 3 minutes.

Harada who calmed down said as he wiped his tears with his little finger.

「Ha!……hahaha……! Well, well, it’s been a long time since I laughed like that」

「No, really, what the heck’s funny?」

「Little bro has some gag sense too huh. I thought you were some serious boy, so that was a surprise attack from a different dimension」

「I’m asking you, what the heck’s funny?」

「A-re? Don’t tell me, that earlier……it wasn’t a gag?」

Junpei asked again without hiding his annoyance to Harada who made a dumb expression.

「That’s why I’m asking, what the heck’s funny? Stop joking around?」

“Yareyare”, Harada shrugged his shoulders.

「Something like that, of course, it’s because I’m absolutely confident on myself」

「……absolutely confident?」

「Little bro, do you really think you can reach the deepest parts like that? Anyways, I won’t have anything to do with little bro from now on, so even if I tell you that……I won’t really mind right?」

Junpei felt something bad from the deepest part of Harada’s eyes after he became expressionless.

Harada is not looking at Junpei as a human. No……Harada only looks at Junpei’s strength, as『those other things』.

It is true that Junpei is nearly invincible in the outside world’s standard, however, even so, he is still half-baked compared to those in the area of the deepest parts.

In other words, for Harada, the difference between Junpei and those other guys who are taking the exam were like white ant, red ant, and black ant.

That is why the reason why Harada showed his skill earlier was completely from kindness. ーーin other words, it’s like placing a candy near an ant’s nest.

「That might be true, but……」

Junpei had only experienced the gaze of a person looking at him no better than an ant during he faced off with the G.o.d. It was not something that he could get used to……or rather, it was simply unpleasant.

And unknown whether Harada noticed those Junpei’s feelings, “Anyways……”, Harada started again.

「I need to chase after that little girl’s b.u.t.t, so……」

Harada started walking towards the direction that Junpei pointed earlier.

And, he said while he waved his hand backward.

「Well then, goodbye」

Junpei whispered with a small voice as if to spit out while he stared at Harada’s back.

「……yeah, I just wish we won’t meet forever」

“Fuu……”, Junpei looked up to the sky.

When Junpei noticed it, his clothes were drenched with cold sweat.

The sky was already orange, and the sun is about to set.