DxDanmachi: Voyager of Worlds Ability

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"Something's not right…" Mika's Danger Sense blared, a prickling sensation of danger coming from all directions. It was overwhelming.

"What's wrong, Mika?" Mellie asked, noticing his grim expression.

"This place…it feels like we're walking into an abyss."

"What?!" Mellie frowned. She knew how reliable Mika's intuition was. The dark faction base was far more dangerous than they had anticipated.

"It seems we've fallen into a trap."

Before entering, no one knew if these three locations were legitimate dark faction bases or a carefully laid trap.

Therefore, Finn had insisted that all participants be Level 2 or above to minimize potential casualties.

"Stop!" Mika shouted, halting the advancing group.

To prevent the dark faction's leaders and executives from escaping, Shakti had ordered them to advance at full speed without stopping. Therefore, they didn't react immediately to Mika's command.

Fortunately, Shakti was there. She quickly relayed his order.

"What is it, Mika?" she asked.

"There's no need to rush. There are no high-ranking enemies here. This is a trap."

The others froze, surprised by his certainty. They hadn't seen anything to suggest a trap.

Before anyone could question him, Shakti raised her hand to silence them. She trusted Mika implicitly.

"What's our next move?" She didn't need an explanation; she needed a plan.

"My Danger Sense is telling me the threat is all around us. I need to examine the surroundings."

"We'll help," Shakti said. "Everyone, search the area for anything suspicious."

"Yes, Captain!" The adventurers dispersed, carefully examining the area.

"Damn it! The danger is too concentrated. I can't pinpoint its source," Mika muttered, frustrated. His Danger Sense was overwhelming, warning him of danger from every direction.

"Where could it be?"

"Could it be…bombs?" Mellie suggested.

"Bombs?!" Mika and Shakti's eyes widened.

"Yes! We suspected they stole those activation devices to create bombs."

"During their previous attack, we were so focused on the bombs that we suffered heavy casualties from their diversionary tactics," Shakti explained, her frustration growing.

"And during the meeting, Riveria-sensei also speculated that they might be saving the bombs for the decisive battle," Mellie added. "Doesn't this feel like a decisive battle?"

"It does," Mika agreed with a nod.

They focused their attention on the possibility of bombs.

"They've likely planted them in the surrounding buildings or underground. Detonating them would trap us all within this facility," Shakti speculated.

"Search the walls and the ground. Be careful," she ordered.

The adventurers began their search.

"This is getting complicated," Gojouno complained. She preferred fighting to bomb disposal.

Mika watched them, lost in thought.

"Are they really in the walls or underground?"

He had recently learned about the nature of bombs in this world: Fire Stones, special explosive rocks from the deep levels of the dungeon.

While incredibly powerful, their internal structure was stable, making them difficult for ordinary people to use.

Only skilled adventurers could destabilize them and use them as makeshift grenades. They were considered contraband in Orario.

"Why would the dark faction add activation devices to Fire Stones? Clearly, it's to make them easier to use, accessible to ordinary people."

"But would they really plant them in the walls and underground?"

"And if they had to steal the activation devices, do they even have the capability to create remote detonators? Those weren't among the stolen items."

As Mika pondered, his gaze fell upon the captured dark faction members.

"Wait a minute…something's not right."

"There are usually a lot of zealots among the captured dark faction members, causing trouble even after being subdued. But why are these ones so quiet?"

"Do they have something else planned?" Looking at their calm, almost serene expressions, a chill ran down Mika's spine. He suddenly realized a terrifying possibility.

He grabbed one of the captured adventurers, muttering, "I need to question him," and dragged him to a secluded corner. After gagging him, Mika grabbed his arm.

A warm stone materialized in his hand. Despite its warmth, Mika's heart turned cold as he understood the enemy's plan.

"Suicide bombers…"

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He hadn't anticipated this.

But now, everything became clear: the dark faction's motive, their strategy, and the trap they had laid.

While Orario's Familias, under the Guild's leadership, far outnumbered and outmatched the dark faction in terms of adventurers, the bombs, usable by ordinary people, had changed the rules of engagement.

No matter how many adventurers they had, they were still vastly outnumbered by ordinary citizens.

And under the Evil Gods' influence, countless people could be turned into suicide bombers, a devastating tactic against which even the strongest Familias would struggle.

"Shakti, Alise, Gojouno, Airmid, Mellie, come here," Mika called out, his voice calm despite the turmoil within him.

The five, having noticed his unusual behavior, quickly approached.

"What is it, Mika?" Shakti asked.

"Look at this." He handed her the Fire Stone bomb.

"A bomb! You found one? Where?" Shakti's eyes widened, and the others also looked at the familiar device with a mix of excitement and relief.

Discovering the bombs' location would greatly simplify their mission.

But Mika's next words dashed their hopes.

"In his sleeve."

"His sleeve?!" They looked from the bomb to the struggling captive, their hearts turning cold.

They turned their gazes to the other captured dark faction members, noticing their unsettlingly calm expressions, almost as if they were…smiling. A shiver ran down their spines.

They exchanged glances, then approached the captives, quickly discovering more concealed bombs.

"Those bastards! Damn the dark faction!" Shakti cursed.

Hearing the commotion, the other adventurers gathered around, learning the horrifying truth.

"How could they?! This is monstrous!" Adi exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief.

"How dare they!" Ryuu raged.

"They're not human anymore. Or rather…they're too human," Mika said with a chilling laugh. "After all, they're gods. What do they care about humanity?"

He shook his head, regaining his composure.

"Enough! Now's not the time for recriminations. We need to regroup. We can't let the others continue fighting."

While they had been advancing through the facility, they had left several teams behind to secure the corridors and intersections.

Those teams were still unaware of the danger, trapped with the suicide bombers.

Shakti's face paled.

Those were members of her Familia! But she quickly calmed herself, turning to Mika. "I'm leaving this to you. I…I can't think straight right now."

"Understood." Mika accepted command without hesitation. There was no time for formalities.

"Ryuu! Mellie!"

"Yes!" they responded, stepping forward.

"You two are the fastest. Go to the other two bases and warn them."

"Understood!" Recognizing the urgency, they dashed off.

Mika turned to Shakti. "Choose two of your fastest Familia members and send them to alert the Hermes Familia outside. This ambush is likely just the beginning. Once it's triggered, the dark faction within the city will likely launch their attacks as well."

"The other Familias will be caught off guard. We'll suffer heavy casualties."

"Right away!" Shakti immediately selected two runners and dispatched them.

"Let's go!" Mika shouted, leading the others back the way they came.

"It seems the dark faction executives are waiting for us deeper within the facility. They're likely gathered there with the majority of their forces."

"They won't attack until we reach them. We need to regroup now."

"Since we know it's a trap, there's no need to go deeper. We can wait for them to come to us."

"Besides, I have a way to deal with the Fire Stones now."

"Really?" Shakti asked excitedly.

"Indeed. Airmid's skill: Shared Burden."

Shared Burden:

Selects teammates and creates a link between them.

Damage taken by one linked member is distributed among all linked members.

Grants immunity to instant death effects, reducing fatal blows to near-death status.

"With Shared Burden, as long as Airmid links us together, unless their bombs are powerful enough to kill all of us instantly, Airmid's continuous healing will keep us alive."

"That's unlikely. With suicide bombers, the explosions won't be concentrated. The damage distributed through Shared Burden will be minimal."

"And even injured, we're more than capable of handling those lower-level adventurers."

"Therefore, our priority now is to regroup and increase our numbers to further distribute the damage."

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