Standing in the imaging room - which has never been used much, it seems, but also functions as a command center - I watch the split-screen images projected on the big screen and think to myself, "What a sight.

　It's overwhelming.

　The brave party has just been transported to the first level, the realm of the guard dog.
　An expansive wilderness, a false sky and sun in the sky above. Nothing but huge rocks blocked their view.
　From their point of view, the entrance to the Demon King's Castle built for the viewers was waiting at the back of the front.

　The first layer is a layer that prevents intruders from entering the grounds in terms of the setting.
　Countless 【Black Demon Dogs】 are unleashed, and the 【Invisible Killing Machine】 Grasshara Ballas plays with the enemies with his invisibility ability, eliminating the undesirables with his fangs and claws.
　The one who stands in front of me after I break through it is [Hell's Watchdog] Naberius.

　Today, next to me is Carmilla and Kash.
　Kash was looking at the screen with a harried look on his face. He clasped his hands tightly in front of his chest, hoping for everyone's victory in the first layer.

'How will they move?'

　Carmilla speaks up to confirm.

　There are other demons in the video room. These are the staff members who individually move the cameras and deal with any problems that arise. There were not a few others who visited the room to watch over the defense of their friends.

''The total number of them is seventeen. That's a hard number to coordinate with.

'Yes, sir. They are not a force that is similarly trained and equipped like a soldier, and operated under the orders of their superiors. They are adventurers whose 'individual' skills are more important than their 'collective' functions.

　Not superiority, but a difference in nature.

Oh, the number of people who can form a party without the prominent 'individuals' falling apart is probably five.

　Not the maximum, of course. Some people might be able to lead dozens of adventurers, and even one might not do well.
　But in turning dungeon conquest into an entertainment, it was necessary to establish rules.
　The number of adventurers we came up with at that time was five. The entire party consisted of five people.

　I'm sure they also had to take into account the number of people that the audience could recognize at once in the rapidly changing situation.
　Well, since this is a raid battle, Wraith's place consists of two people.

　It is difficult for me to recognize seventeen people, and even more difficult for me to recognize countless demons and dungeons that change their environment with each layer at the same time.

''We are a group of adventurers who are very self-motivated by nature. Each party has a leader, but their influence is considered to be limited to their own party. The only exception would be Aerial's voice?

　I gave a small nod at Carmilla's words.
　The leader is someone I approve of, but no adventurer would be happy to be ordered around by the leader of a different party. This is a different matter than whether or not they recognize their abilities.

　Of course they are the best in the industry. It is possible to fight with those sentiments in check.
　But they probably won't choose to do it that way.

　They know better than anyone else.
　They didn't come to the top by the way they were restrained. They are the ones who reigned supreme by doing as they pleased.
　If that's the case--

''Rather than staging a perfect coordination, they're going to attack in a way that maximizes their individual strength.

　My saying and their fight started at the same time.

　◇

　The top guys except for me and Fran, who are unranked - after all, there are no five of us, so it's not an official party - are the top guys.
　The attack mixed in with those guys. It wasn't until we met that I wondered what would happen.

　I thought my air uncle was going to say something fluffy like, "Let's all get along and work together.
　I was wrong.

　The reason we worked out together was to get to know each other. Not just our abilities, but our personalities, our habits.
　And we didn't just train to breathe together.
　It's a partnership of not getting in the way.

　It doesn't mean that we don't do anything.
　What do you mean by that?

"Well, well, well, the enemy is invisible!　It would be extremely difficult to detect its approach in advance. What should we do? What should we do, Lord Wraith!

　This loud person is Skaha Party's [Oddball] Theo Senpai.
　He's wearing a tails and gentleman's hat with a color scheme that makes his eyes hurt. He's so jovial that he looks like he could spin a cane around, but he wears rings on all of his fingers, though it's not like he's doing it instead.
　It's like a stinky older brother, but he's probably doing it on purpose.

"It hasn't disappeared, so our attacker must be able to hit it, right?

'Great!　However, spreading attacks around aimlessly is a waste of magic and can be very unseemly for your viewers!　Oh, oh, the trouble!　What am I supposed to do?

　And then Theo Senpai claps his hands together as if he had just come up with an idea. The one that strikes one of his clenched hands on one of his plates.

'I've got an idea!

Good for you.

　I don't know why he's talking to me. He's looking at me so much.

''Maybe we should just set a trap!

It's okay.

'Thank you. I was wondering if you'd say that, and the one I've already put up - here it is!

　He's a theatrical person, but he's in the fifth place party in a non-combat job. There was no way he was weak.
　At the same time, a number of what sounded like dog noises could be heard.

"I don't like it, I like dogs. This is like animal cruelty.

'You are very kind, Lord Wraith!　But if we do nothing, they will chew us up!

Yes.

　Something is coming out of all his rings.

　Something, or rather - a thread.
　A set of ten pieces of magic tools.
　A thread made of a mysterious substance comes out of the ring and is controlled by the wielder's will.

　........how much effort it took to become able to manipulate this at will.
　Like Alba Senpai's magic sword, it takes skill to master a function that seems strong.
　Even if a small fish uses it properly, it won't be understood by anyone but the small fish.

　The threads stretching all over the place were tangling a number of invisible something - although there was only a [Black Demon Dog] - a number of them.
　Theo Senpai manipulated the threads as if they were alive, as if they were his own limbs.

　His threads wrapped something. He is wrapping something transparent around it.
　The arrows of the [Hunter], wind magic, fire magic, and the magic and weapon attacks of his friends attack that spot.
　With a short squeal, the threads are untied in a huff and return to Theosempai.

　We won't stand in each other's way.
　We just know each other, so we think we will do this and move to win like this.

　If Theo-sempai makes a move, [Black Demon Dog] will be caught.
　So we'll work our magic to get it out of there.
　This is our partnership.

Oh...?

　But it was like the Demon King's Castle that it wasn't so easy.
　........or else.