There were four shadow beasts in total.
Chisato and the others were already in "flat push mode," clearing enemies steadily without pause.
During this period, Yami noticed many challengers entering the stage only to immediately withdraw, likely returning to reality in a hurry.
It didn't take long before—
Chisato and her team managed to conquer the ninth stage.
"Oh-ho, nice job! Let's keep it rolling!"
Seeing the five remaining monsters bound once again by the shadow beasts, Chisato couldn't hold back her excitement and shouted cheerfully.
But then, something strange happened.
The four shadow beasts suddenly shifted form, dissolving into darkness before slipping back into the shadows beneath Eriri and Utaha's feet.
"…What?"
Everyone froze, exchanging confused looks.
Mizuki, calm as always, spoke up first.
"We should withdraw. This is either a direct action from Yami-kun… or the shadow beasts themselves simply reached their time limit. Either way, pushing forward now isn't wise."
Her reasoning was sharp and completely rational.
It was important not to get swept away by the thrill of momentary victory.
Between the fourth and fifth levels lay a natural, insurmountable gulf.
If the fourth level's power was enough to annihilate an entire battalion across multiple streets in one blow—
then the fifth level's strength was enough to wipe an entire city off the map.
Even four colossal beasts would be powerless before that. Their efforts would be meaningless.
That was likely why the shadow beasts had withdrawn of their own accord, retreating into the safety of the shadows.
The others trusted Mizuki's judgment immediately.
Without hesitation, they chose to give up on further challenges.
"You're all doing great. Knowing when to step back is just as important as pushing forward."
Yami clapped lightly and praised them, his tone both encouraging and approving.
"Mizuki's right," someone added. "That retreat really was Yami's reminder. If we'd charged in recklessly, who knows what would've happened."
Chisato let out a small, embarrassed laugh. She really had gotten carried away by the excitement.
"Still… Yami-kun, why did you appear again so soon?" Eriri asked, tilting her head curiously.
"..."
Yami didn't answer right away.
Though Eriri's question was perfectly serious, everyone else aside from Yor, suddenly wore the same strange, knowing expressions.
Yami looked helpless as he sighed.
"Eriri… next time, maybe think about how you phrase the question before asking."
He waved his hand lazily.
"The monsters inside were weak. If I deal with them quickly, of course I'll come out quickly. Didn't you also receive the system prompt telling you it was safe to leave?"
Everyone nodded at once.
That was the notification that appeared right after their first arena assault had succeeded.
"In that case, let's head out."
The battle was already over; there was no reason to linger here. What other challengers chose to do was none of their business—especially when they couldn't offer any help.
"Thank you, Mr. Yami."
Ryuju Momo bowed deeply, gratitude written all over her face. Without Yami's support, she wouldn't have advanced this smoothly, nor would she have reached the ninth stage at all.
Yor also stepped forward, ready to express her thanks, but Yami waved it off.
"I'll accept your gratitude. No need for anything else."
With that, he chose to return.
Only—he didn't return completely.
Instead of materializing in reality, his consciousness shifted once more into the treasure space.
And there it was.
A dazzling, multicolored treasure chest.
[Ding! You cleared ten rounds at maximum speed. Reward: Golden Treasure Chest!]
"…Golden, huh?" Yami muttered, unimpressed.
In this virtual world, the golden chest was decent—but compared to what he was expecting, it felt disappointing.
Still, he opened it without much anticipation.
As expected, his guess was right: inside was a single shining golden stone.
If this were an ordinary game, it would probably be called a skill stone.
But here, in this strange dungeon reality, the proper name was a meme stone.
[Ding! You have come into contact with a memeable object. Do you wish to convert it into a meme?]
"Convert it. Memetic."
The process was already familiar by now.
[Ding! You have obtained the A-rank meme [Treasure of the King]. Would you like to fuse this meme immediately?]
"…Wait a second."
Yami froze, staring blankly at the glowing text.
The name. The phrasing. The sheer déjà vu.
"Don't tell me… this is Gilgamesh's thing?"
For the first time in a while, Yami found himself genuinely surprised.
"Fusion."
We've come this far—there's no reason to hold back now.
The moment the meme fused, Yami's expression twisted into something even stranger.
[Meme]: King's Treasure
[Grade]: A-rank
[Ability]: —
[King's Treasure: The key to the Golden City.]
People return to their real homes.
Raise your hand.
Black ripples spread outward, distorting space itself.
"..."
So this was the power of the King's Treasure.
Not the radiant golden portals he had expected.
Instead, what manifested was a dark, rippling void. From within that abyss, his hand reached inside—and drew out a crimson spear.
The instant he grasped it, knowledge flooded his mind.
Gáe Bolg.
A genuine Noble Phantasm.
A cursed spear sharpened to overturn cause and effect itself.
Its principle was absurd: the "result" of piercing the heart was already established, and from that truth, the "cause" of wielding the spear to strike was retroactively determined.
"…So that's what it is."
At first, he hadn't understood what made the King's Treasure different from ordinary memes.
Now he did.
The treasure itself was a Noble Phantasm repository.
The meme didn't just grant one ability—it granted access to an arsenal of legendary weapons.
Even if such Noble Phantasms weren't especially crucial for him right now, they were still a terrifying arsenal. At worst, he could treat them as explosives to toss around when bored.
"Throw back the spear that pierces causality, huh… not bad."
Just as he thought this, his phone began vibrating wildly.
"Ding ding ding ding ding!"
He didn't even need to check the screen to know—it was Chisato and the others.
After confirming their safety in the chat group, the girls also began sharing the rewards they had obtained.
Each of them had received a blue meme stone, which could be used immediately.
But unlike Yami's unique prize, all of their meme abilities were identical:
[C-rank Meme: Potential Person]
—The user's body is refined and strengthened, awareness of one's own abilities becomes sharper, and control grows more precise. It feels as if one's hidden potential has finally been "switched on."
The exact limits were unclear, but judging from the outcome, it seemed that as teammates, their rewards had been synchronized.
Eriri: "@Yami-kun, by the way, where are you? I went to your classroom just now and didn't see you."
Yami: "Ah, sorry. I forgot to mention—I dropped out of school."
Eriri: "…???"
Utaha: "Wait, hold on! How do you just 'forget' something that important?!"
Utaha: "Actually, no—that's not even the point. Why did you drop out of school, Yami-kun?!"
Yami: "Because my identity got exposed. You can't exactly keep acting like normal students. If I kept showing up with you, it'd only make things worse."
The moment he said it, both Eriri and Utaha fell silent, instantly understanding.
Eriri: "…Tch. Damn it. Doesn't that mean we can't go on dates anymore?"
Yami: "Who said that? You can come find me, or I'll come find you. I dropped out, not died."
Eriri: "…Oh. Right."
Utaha: "Yami-kun, is there anyone else at your place?"
Yami: "Nope. I live alone."
Utaha: "Perfect. I'll move in with you. I'm already living alone in an apartment anyway."
Yami: "…?? Wait, what are you even doing?!"
Utaha: "What's the point of living in an apartment by myself? Might as well live with you, right?"
"..."
Yami: "…Well, do whatever you want. My house is big enough."
Eriri: "In that case, I'll tell my mom tonight!"
Mizuki: "…This is ridiculous. Just burn it all down already!!!"
Chisato: "Hey, Takina, how about we go too? With that many people, it's bound to be lively!"
Takina: "Stop spouting nonsense. Living together is only for couples!"
Mizuki: "@Yami-kun, marry me instead!"
Walnut: "Tch. Look at him—comes back from the dungeon and already drunk with girls. Pathetic... I mean super cool."
Yami: "Heh."
He couldn't help but smile at the chaos flooding the group chat.
Of course, Utaha wasn't joking. She had already sent him a private message, asking for his exact address.
Naturally, Yami replied with it.
Yami: "When are you moving? I'll come help you with your stuff."
Utaha: "Saturday. Yami-kun, look forward to the life of just the two of us together."
Yami: "…Yeah. I'll look forward to it."
Eriri's House
Classes had just ended for the day.
Eriri rushed all the way home, still carrying the weight of her decision.
"Mom! Mom, mom, mom!"
Sayuri was still in the kitchen, apron tied neatly, humming softly as she prepared dinner. Eriri barreled in without restraint and threw her arms around her mother from behind.
"…Eh? What's wrong, Eriri? Were you bullied at school?"
Sayuri blinked in surprise. It had been a long time since her daughter had acted this spoiled. Though startled, there was a certain warmth in having her cling like this again.
"Mom, I… I…"
Eriri had meant to say it straight—I'm moving out—but when she saw her mother busy making dinner just for her, the words died in her throat.
Sayuri, quick to notice her hesitation, wiped her hands clean, untied her apron, and gently pulled her daughter over to the sofa in the living room.
"Eriri, what's the matter? Do you want your mother's advice?" she asked softly.
Eriri only lowered her head, lips trembling, unable to speak.
"…Is it an emotional problem?"
At those words, Eriri flinched.
Sayuri's eyes immediately lit up. That reaction said everything.
So it was about feelings.
And once Sayuri had a direction, she knew exactly how to handle this.
Soft words, gentle teasing, steady pressure.
She would drag the truth out of this stubborn tsundere daughter of hers, one way or another.
Dungeon – City of Bones
Meanwhile, deep within the Dungeon Master's territory…
"Ella, you said Master has to go deeper and reach the very end of my tunnel. Is this position correct?"
Shion posed herself seriously on the bed, seeking guidance.
Ella rested her chin on one hand, scrutinizing her sister's form. Then, with all the seriousness of a teacher, she leaned over to adjust her posture.
"…Mm. Not bad."
Kaen, seated stiffly on the sofa with arms crossed, deliberately turned her head away, pretending not to listen.
Tch. How vulgar. I won't lower myself to this level.
But no matter how tightly she crossed her arms, her long ears twitched, clearly betraying her curiosity.
"Yes, this is right," Ella said with confidence, clapping her hands. "I've experienced it myself… Master's, ah, size really does reach deeper—right to the womb entrance."
Shion blushed furiously. Kaen's ears shot up even higher, narrowing her eyes while sneaking glances despite herself.
I'm not learning. I'm just… supervising. That's right, supervising my sister so she doesn't learn bad things!
"What are you discussing?"
The sudden voice made all three of them jump.
Yami had appeared out of nowhere, as usual.
"Wahhh! I wasn't trying to learn how to make Master go deeper inside me!" Shion blurted out, panicking.
"…Hah?"
Yami's face twisted into open confusion.
Realizing what she had just said, Shion froze, ears drooping in mortification. Her whole body screamed bury me alive right now.
Ella and Shion exchanged a meaningful glance.
Then, as if nothing had happened, Shion climbed down from the bed, straightened her clothes, and addressed Yami formally.
"Master."
Shion bowed her head slightly, cheeks red, but her voice firm.
"Master… please, I want you to rearrange my factory settings."
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