The streets of Shibuya, still untouched by the morning sun. At its very heart, a massive gaping hole, roughly 100 meters in diameter, lay open. This was the entrance to the Shibuya Dungeon. It was said that this area used to be the bustling Scramble Crossing, where people constantly came and went.
Among the many dungeons scattered across the world, the Shibuya Dungeon was considered one of the more explored ones, with the highest level reached being floor 312.
Checkpoint displays for the first 30 floors were set up on the walls of nearby buildings, allowing passersby to view the dungeon’s progression on large monitors.
In the midst of a crowd bustling with adventurers carrying heavy equipment and gear, one figure stood out: Suzuka. She wore a blue sailor uniform paired with a brown leather rucksack.
Though she seemed completely out of place, she was likely stronger than most of the people there.
Just yesterday, Suzuka had reached level 210. Even if she ventured to the floors where the elusive “Soft Gold Peach” was rumored to be, it probably wouldn’t be an issue. Probably.
Suzuka showed her Diver Card to the dungeon administration staff at the entrance, stepped in, then turned around.
“Tatsuya, I’m heading in.”
“Yeah. Telling you not to do anything reckless would be pointless, so…”
I trailed off, clenching my fist and extending it toward her.
“For Mom. Make sure you find it, no matter what!”
Suzuka’s eyes widened briefly, then she grinned and bumped her fist against mine.
“Of course! Heh! Alright, 211—here I go!”
With that, Suzuka leapt down the stairs leading to the first floor in a single bound.
I stayed by the dungeon entrance for a while, watching the large displays on the building walls. Though the sun hadn’t risen yet, the lights from the displays and buildings kept the city in perpetual brightness.
Suzuka continued racing through the checkpoints without stopping, disappearing from view once she reached the 30th floor. Beyond that, the displays could no longer track her. She would likely spend at least a week navigating the dungeon.
Perhaps someone streaming dungeon runs on DTube might catch a glimpse of her, but there was no need for me to go out of my way to look.
This was as far as I could go. All I could do now was hope she quickly achieved her goal.
As I absentmindedly stared at the glowing displays, footage of an idol diver began playing.
“Well, makes sense they’d show her. She’s insanely popular right now.”
The video featured Trinity Spark, a three-member idol group that Suzuka and I had watched together before. The most striking of the trio was their center, Yurarin. Her image color matched her white hair, and she danced while cloaked in a faintly bluish-white aura, her movements graceful and ethereal, like a fairy.
After their dance ended, the group transitioned into free talk.
“I’m looking for someone,” Yurarin said. “I thought if I became an idol and got noticed, they might eventually realize and reach out to me.”
“Wow, could it be… your first love?” the host teased.
“No, it’s not like that…” she replied, smiling shyly.
The host and the girls continued chatting animatedly.
“Feels like a story from another world,” I muttered.
One side, an idol-diver beauty adored by all. The other, a lackluster guy who couldn’t even handle basic XP transfers properly. We lived in entirely different worlds.
As I got lost in my thoughts, a voice called out from behind me.
“Tatsuya-kun…?”
“Hm?”
I turned to see a girl wearing a deep hood and sunglasses. She had the air of a celebrity trying to keep a low profile, but her attire—a robe and gauntlets—marked her as a dungeon diver.
What stood out most was her pure white hair peeking out from under the hood. She looked just like the idol diver currently playing on the screens, Yurarin herself.
“Uh… excuse me?”
“Oh, sorry! I forgot to take these off,” she said, removing her sunglasses.
“Y-Yurarin?!”
The girl revealed beneath the hood and sunglasses was unmistakably Yurarin. Her radiant white hair, flawless skin, and gentle yet resolute eyes left no doubt.
For some reason, this immensely popular idol had called out my name.
