The night passed without incident.
The next morning.
Sunlight streamed through the window, spilling onto the bed.
Ryota opened his eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
"Two days left until the second round of the War Game."
He sat up, got dressed, and muttered softly to himself, "Two days will pass in the blink of an eye."
Ryota knew very well—even if he didn't bother to ask what Loki, Finn, and the rest of the Familia were doing right now, or get involved in the logistics of the siege preparations—this War Game wasn't going to be simple.
This time, the scope of the War Game was way too broad.
It wasn't like the first round's simple "1v1" duel.
A siege meant full-scale group combat, all-out opposition, and domino-like consequences.
If they failed to take the stronghold, they wouldn't just lose the game—the Loki Familia's reputation, resources, and morale in all of Orario would take a massive hit.
Ryota shook off the stray thoughts and rubbed his temples.
"Well then…"
"I'll do what I can. If I can help the Loki Familia suffer a little less damage, that's already something."
He understood perfectly: this wasn't a battle that one person could win alone.
But at the same time, he also knew—deep down—that the deciding factor in this siege still rested on his shoulders.
That's precisely why he hadn't turned down Lefiya's request to come along.
And he didn't stop Ais from tagging along either.
Bringing them both into the Dungeon wasn't just for "sparring practice."
This was a test.
A test for things that needed to be fully verified before the War Game began.
On one hand, he needed to test out the Human Puppet: Third Kazekage he'd just acquired.
After all, his Susanoo was currently banned from use.
If he relied solely on Fire Style and Lightning Style, the efficiency would be way too low.
And in a siege battle, time was life—every second was precious.
In Ryota's eyes, the Third Kazekage was a tactical weapon that could deliver tremendous value.
With both suppression and crowd control abilities, the puppet was a key component of his siege strategy.
His Kekkei Genkai—Magnet Style: Iron Sand—could freely manipulate anything containing iron, even controlling the iron particles in sand and dust.
It could be reshaped into countless forms for offense and defense, making it one of Sunagakure's most terrifying weapons.
But Ryota hadn't tested it in actual combat yet.
On the other hand, he also wanted to test Ajisai's summoned beast army.
On paper, these summoned units seemed perfect.
But Ryota knew well—coordination was everything.
Especially when working with people like Ais, the Sword Princess, and Lefiya, a high-level Mage.
If the summons couldn't keep up with their combat tempo, or worse, if they disrupted the flow of battle, they'd do more harm than good, slowing down the entire team's advance.
Some things sound great in theory.
But reality usually has sharp edges.
Whether he could actually execute the ideal battle rhythm and achieve seamless coordination between "human and jutsu," "human and beast"—that wasn't something he could verify on paper.
It had to be tested live.
That's why Ryota brought them into the Dungeon.
Not just for training.
Not just to help Lefiya level up.
Not just to humor Ais's "I want to support you."
It was to drill for the real War Game!
To minimize every possible mistake in the coming siege, and to do his utmost to reduce the Loki Familia's losses.
After coming downstairs from the second floor and greeting a few Familia members, Ryota stepped out of the Twilight Manor.
Waiting for him by the front gates were two familiar figures who'd clearly been standing there for a while.
On the left was Ais.
She still wore the silver-white lightweight breastplate personally designed by Loki. At her waist hung the slender sword Ryota had given her—a gift made with his own hands.
On the right was Lefiya.
In her arms, she held the Forest's Teardrop staff—a symbol of elven magic lineage.
Her equipment hadn't changed either: the same lightweight protective spell-robe and multilayered magic cloak she'd worn last time Ryota took her into the Dungeon.
But compared to Ais's usual calm and steady expression, Lefiya was practically glowing.
Her eyes sparkled like twin stars. She clutched her staff so tightly her hands trembled slightly, looking just like one of those rookie idols on a variety show back on Earth, trying to hold back an excited "I've debuted!"
Was it because she was going into the Dungeon with Ais?
Or was it because she was going with him?
Ryota couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, remembering that in the original story, this yuri elf had been forcibly "turned straight" by Bell's Saintly White Hair aura.
Thinking about her performance yesterday, she already showed faint signs of being "bent back" by him.
Amused by the thought, Ryota took a few steps forward and casually said, "You're here early."
Ais nodded lightly, her voice soft: "Not really. We've only been waiting three minutes."
Ryota smiled. "Alright, let's go."
"Today I'm going to let you two experience something new."
At that, both girls blinked in surprise.
"Something new?" Lefiya repeated.
Ais tilted her head slightly, equally puzzled.
As veteran expedition members of the Loki Familia, they'd already explored the upper and even middle floors of the Dungeon countless times.
Elite monsters, rare variants, Floor Bosses, Irregulars…
They practically had the entire 1st to 17th floors memorized.
Even the "easily overlooked ecosystem details" were etched in their minds.
What could possibly be new to them?
Especially the upper floors, where newbie adventurers clustered—it held no novelty at all for a Level 3 and Level 5 adventurer.
"Don't tell me… you're going to summon that giant skeleton and have us ride on its shoulders?"
Lefiya's imagination always took weird turns.
Ais thought for a second and replied seriously, "I wouldn't dare sit on that."
Honestly, she thought Lefiya might have a point.
"..."
Their conversation made Ryota pinch the bridge of his nose.
These two airheads… what are they even thinking?
As they left the Twilight Manor and made their way toward Babel, Ryota quickly noticed the stares.
The eyes of the crowd converged on him like a tide.
From the stalls and taverns lining the streets.
From the passersby, adventurers, merchants—even the windows of distant towers.
Everyone's gaze was like a silent spotlight, focused entirely on him.
Whispers rippled through the crowd:
"Look, look—that's him! Ryota!"
"The guy who beat Ottar? I thought he passed out after that fight?"
"And the two behind him—that's the Sword Princess and the Thousand Elf from the Loki Familia?!"
"Wait, are they going into the Dungeon together? Is this some kind of recovery training?"
"..."
All kinds of chatter buzzed in his ears, leaving Ryota a little helpless.
"Should've used the Transformation Jutsu…"
Ever since he defeated Ottar, Level 2 versus Level 7 victory, all those headlines had completely taken over the Adventurer Cafés' gossip rankings.
Plus, with the Kusanagi Sword on his back, his black hair and face were too recognizable—laying low was basically impossible.
Not to mention—
He wasn't walking around with just anyone. He had Ais and Lefiya at his side—two of the Loki Familia's most popular adventurers, combining beauty and strength.
At this point, Adventurer Street was practically clogged with gawkers.
The flood of stares and voices made Lefiya feel like she was about to combust.
She hugged her staff tighter, her lips maintaining the polite elven smile she always wore, but the tips of her ears were so red they looked ready to bleed.
She was a proud elf, sure—not the type who hated humans, and she was willing to interact with them.
But that didn't mean she liked being under the spotlight.
Having all eyes focused on her made her heart race, her breathing tighten.
"Am I… too eye-catching?"
"Is it because of Ais? Or Ryota? Or did I forget to fasten a button?"
"What do I do, what do I do…"
She kept walking, frantically repeating in her mind:
Stay calm, Elf.
Be graceful.
Don't freak out.
Ais, on the other hand, remained perfectly composed, as if the stares didn't exist.
From time to time, though, she'd glance at Ryota beside her.
In those golden eyes, there was only quiet focus—and a hint of curiosity.
"…Something new. What could it be?"
She didn't ask out loud, but Ryota sensed the question all the same.
Soon, the three of them reached Babel.
They descended the spiral staircase into the first floor of the Dungeon.
Familiar cavern walls greeted them.
Lefiya patted her chest, letting out a breath.
"Phew…"
"The first floor feels friendlier than those adventurers' eyes did."
For the first time, the elf girl found the Dungeon more comforting than the surface.
Ais didn't stop walking, clearly planning to head straight for the deeper floors.
But then—
"Wait."
Ryota reached out, stopping her.
Ais tilted her head, gold eyes blinking in confusion as if silently asking:
"Is there something special about the first floor?"
Ryota didn't answer.
Instead, he walked a few steps forward to a clear patch of ground, focused his mind—
And in the next instant—
Thump!
A dull boom exploded in the air.
The atmosphere froze for a moment. The temperature dropped a degree.
Ais's pupils shrank. Her hand tightened on Feather's Echo, her slender sword.
Her body leaned forward instinctively, muscles coiling as if preparing to sprint.
She felt something—something Ryota was summoning from behind him.
It wasn't the aura of a monster, nor the usual adventurer's presence.
It was an indescribable pressure.
Silent, profound, deathly still. Hiding a terrifying killing intent.
Clack clack clack—
A harsh sound echoed as a figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
Grayish-white skin. Blue hair, yellow eyes. Dressed in a long white cloak.
Lefiya gasped, eyes wide.
"Is… is that a person?"
Ais didn't answer. She stepped forward, but when she caught Ryota's gaze, she stopped.
Their eyes met.
In just two seconds, trust bloomed silently between them.
Ais sheathed her sword and stood back, watching the figure approach.
The figure floated silently beside Ryota, unmoving.
Ryota looked at the two girls and said, "Let me introduce him."
"This is the Human Puppet: Third Kazekage."
"Your task today is simple—just land a single hit on him."
"..."
Silence hung in the air for two seconds.
Ais and Lefiya both froze.
"Fight… him?"
Lefiya practically had three giant question marks pop out of her head.
"Is this… training? Or an actual battle?"
Ais blinked, eyes cautiously studying the still Kazekage.
"Is he… human?"
"Nope."
Ryota shook his head.
"You can think of him as something I forged."
Totally made that up. No way he was gonna say it was a system gift.
"Ohhh~~"
Lefiya propped her chin with one hand.
"I get it—Ryota made us a practice dummy."
"But the name's so weird! Kazekage? Third? Sounds like some noble title… or maybe a sect elder or something…"
Ryota shrugged.
"Close enough."
Then he waved his hand.
"Alright, alright, don't get stuck on the details."
"Remember the task—land one hit, and I'll activate the next phase."
"Eh?"
Lefiya blinked, then chuckled.
Hugging her staff, eyes crinkling, she teased:
"So this is the 'new' experience you mentioned?"
"Ryota, are you secretly looking down on me and Miss Ais?"
Her expression practically screamed, I see through your tricks.
"Landing a hit… I won't even need to chant a spell!"
"I could just… actually, I could probably just bonk him with my staff and—"
Before she could finish, Ais nodded and—rarely—spoke up:
"…Indeed. He looks weak."
Her golden eyes calmly studied the unmoving puppet.
No arrogance, no disdain—just a simple statement of fact, based on her Sword Princess instincts.
"Breathing… none."
"Aura… like an empty shell."
She raised her hand, drawing Feather's Echo—the slender sword Ryota had made for her—which rang softly in the air.
"Just one hit, and we pass your test, right?"
Ryota smiled and nodded.
"Exactly. Ready to start?"
"But—"
"I suggest you go all out."
Before his words even finished, the Third Kazekage's blue eyes flashed.
In the next second, under Ryota's control, the puppet's hands formed rapid seals.
"Magnet Style: Iron Sand Drizzle!"
The ground behind them suddenly trembled.
A black tide of iron sand surged forth, appearing from nowhere like a conjuring trick.
Whoosh—!!
The sand rolled like crashing waves, piling into walls of pitch-black metal dust.
The pressure in the air skyrocketed.
"Come on, girls—fight!"
"I'm not holding back!"
With a smile, Ryota pointed forward.
The sea of iron sand instantly transformed into countless needles, shooting straight toward Ais and Lefiya!
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