The Dragon’s Descent and the Wet Shirt Incident

"O-Of course!!!! Leave it to this humble monk, Young Hero!"

= O-Of course!!!! Leave it to this humble monk, Young Hero! =

Yes. That was the spirit!

That boundless, groundless confidence!

What a splendid mindset. A true gacha gamer needed at least that much grit!

Judang's booming declaration echoed through the Cube, reverberating across the grand assembly hall until every single spectator had surely heard it. Just as I thought the atmosphere had settled, however, an intense prickling ran down my spine.

Feeling that scorching gaze, I quickly released Judang from my embrace. As she pulled back with lingering reluctance written across her face, I glanced around. Every single hero—excluding Judang—was glaring at me with scorching, condemnatory eyes that practically screamed: Why does Judang get that kind of special treatment?

In particular, Lancelot, who had always kept the tightest guard against Judang, had moved ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠far beyond mere indignation. Shaken to her very core, the light had completely drained from her pupils, leaving behind the sunken, hollow stare of a corpse.

...Lancelot...?

That look... That's stepping past ordinary possessiveness and veering straight into full-blown yandere territory, isn't it...? Tell me it's not...

"............"

Trying to patch things up awkwardly right now would only beat the bush and startle the snakes. After wracking my brain for damage control, I concluded that my best move was to press forward with unabashed shamelessness, just like Judang.

Raising the microphone, I began chattering away in terms the angels could easily grasp, doing everything in my power to salvage the situation.

"Now then! An item I've been wishing for has finally appeared! Will Contender Judang be able to pull my coveted prize?! Truly... the suspense is killing me!"

= Now then! An item I've been wishing for has finally appeared! Will Contender Judang be able to pull my coveted prize?! Truly... the suspense is killing me! =

I pointed firmly toward the arcade cabinet at Judang, who was still blinking at me in a daze, urging her to get on with it. Snapping out of her stupor, Judang rested her hand on the lever and glued her eyes to the screen.

Clack—

Just as I thought I could gloss over the tension, an angel raising her hand in the crowd caught my eye.

"Oh?! We have an angel raising their hand! Cube, could you zoom in on them, please?"

= Oh?! We have an angel raising their hand! Cube, could you zoom in on them, please? =

The Cube immediately pivoted, focusing its broadcast feed on the hand-raising angel.

"Esteemed angel! Seeing your raised hand... I take it you have something on your mind! Would you like to say a few words?"

= Esteemed angel! Seeing your raised hand... I take it you have something on your mind! Would you like to say a few words? =

The angel gave a slight nod, and her voice carried through the Cube to the entire hall.

"Could it be...! Might we... angels also be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠granted a chance to try?!"

"......"

Caught completely off guard by a question I never imagined an angel asking, I froze, momentarily struck dumb.

Instantly, a crushing wall of silent pressure radiated from the surrounding heroes, practically screaming at me to shoot her down without hesitation.

Even with their silent demands to reject her instantly bearing down on my shoulders, I still wanted to dangle a little bait for the future. I wanted to introduce these pristine angels to the intoxicating thrill of hope found only in gacha.

............I'll definitely need Remiel's help for this later.

After a moment of careful deliberation, I offered the inquiring angel a polite refusal.

"......Mm~ I'm afraid that might be a little difficult right now."

= ......Mm~ I'm afraid that might be a little difficult right now. =

"Why?! Why can't we angels participate?!"

Her desire was so fierce that she refused to let the matter drop. Yet rather than scolding her, the surrounding angels watched my flustered expression through the Cube with intrigued, expectant eyes.

Hmm... How can I turn her down politely while establishing a justifiable excuse...? Ah. That'll work.

To dredge up genuine sorrow, I recalled a bitter memory from my military service: the time my hard-earned reward leave was canceled at the very last second because a certain dictator up north dropped dead, placing the entire military on maximum emergency alert.

Damn it all... I still get pissed off just thinking about it...

My face—a tragic blend of deep sorrow and suppressed rage—was broadcast in high definition across the Cube.

Looking directly toward the angel, I spoke softly.

"........................ It is because my heart... does not yet recognize you all as comrades. That is why... the path to obtaining Coins will not open for you."

= ........................ It is because my heart... does not yet recognize you all as comrades. That is why... the path to obtaining Coins will not open for you. =

"...........Ah!"

Watching the angel let out a deflated gasp, I leaked a tiny grain of information.

"One of the requirements to step onto this stage... is earning my trust and securing a path to earn Coins. Only then may you climb up here... So for now, you can't~"

= One of the requirements to step onto this stage... is earning my trust and securing a path to earn Coins. Only then may you climb up here... So for now, you can't~ =

I ended with a playful, nasal lilt, saying "you can't~" with a soft wink at the daring angel as a soothing little bonus.

Clunk—

Meanwhile, having fed four hundred Coins into the machine, Judang seemed ecstatic at my mention of "trust." Wiggling her hips with boundless swagger, she yanked the lever with an expression brimming with confidence.

"This... is the will of the Buddha!"

= This... is the will of the Buddha! =

Judang's swaggering posture and booming voice blasted from the Cube. Judang, who had never once displayed anything other than cursed hands... Could she actually pull it off...?

.....

.....

".....?"

".....?"

— ....? —

And, utterly unsurprisingly, nothing happened to the machine.

Calculating that Judang had exactly nine pulls left, I spoke in a voice heavy with disappointment.

"Could this be... a dud...? Ah... In the end... are there only nine chances remaining...?"

= Could this be... a dud...? Ah... In the end... are there only nine chances remaining...? =

"N-No! That cannot be!"

= N-No! That cannot be! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠=

My dispirited commentary echoed from the Cube. Equally rattled by the blank result, Judang hurriedly shoved her remaining ninety Coins into the slot and began yanking the lever like a madwoman, chanting under her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠breath.

"Please... Please... Please... Please... Please...!"

Clunk—

Clunk—

..

..

..

Finally down to her ninth and final single pull, Judang's hands trembled like an alcoholic denied a drink as she slowly drew the lever back.

And then...

Clunk—

BOOOOOOOOOOM—!

Along with the final clatter of the lever, a pure white pillar of radiance erupted from the machine's display! From within that brilliant pillar, musical notes—the kind printed in grade-school music theory textbooks—began spiraling into the sky like a hurricane along the beam of light!

"OOOOOOOOOH! Could it be... Could it be... COULD IT BE?! Has Contender Judang finally pulled it offffff?!"

= OOOOOOOOOH! Could it be... Could it be... COULD IT BE?! Has Contender Judang finally pulled it offffff?! =

Anyone could tell those musical notes were related to singing... Which meant my wish list item—a coin karaoke booth—had arrived without a shadow of a doubt!

It's here!

A coin karaoke room!

I didn't expect a single thing from her...

And yet she actually pulled it off!

Judang!

Since I had already chosen to be bold—or rather, completely shameless—I dropped all pretense of hiding my joy. Dripping with personal bias, I spoke into the microphone as if interviewing a champion athlete.

"Ahhhhh~! Contender Judang! She hit the jackpot at the very last second! A massive strike! And if it feels like I'm cheering even louder because she pulled what I personally wanted, that's not an illusion—it's pure fact!"

= Ahhhhh~! Contender Judang! She hit the jackpot at the very last second! A massive strike! And if it feels like I'm cheering even louder because she pulled what I personally wanted, that's not an illusion—it's pure fact! =

"Now, Contender Judang! You pulled the very item I was yearning for! Do you... have anything to say?!"

= Now, Contender Judang! You pulled the very item I was yearning for! Do you... have anything to say?! =

Her shattered self-esteem restored in an instant, Judang pressed her palms together in prayer and answered with bursting pride.

"Hah! This... is the Buddha answering this humble monk's earnest prayers!"

= Hah! This... is the Buddha answering this humble monk's earnest prayers! =

"Oho... So this is the Buddha's answer, is it...?!"

= Oho... So this is the Buddha's answer, is it...?! =

"Precisely!"

= Precisely! =

"I see... Today, I too feel the Buddha's divine presence and achieve enlightenment! Everyone, a round of applause, please! Magnificent work, Contender Judang!"

= I see... Today, I too feel the Buddha's divine presence and achieve enlightenment! Everyone, a round of applause, please! Magnificent work, Contender Judang! =

Though the angels had no idea what a coin karaoke machine was, the sheer spectacle of Judang raising a pillar of light made them figure she must have pulled something incredible—or perhaps they were simply swept along by my commentary. The moment my words ended, the assembly hall erupted into deafening cheers and applause for Judang.

Basking in satisfaction at the angels' shifting attitudes, I tried to recall who the next gacha contender in line was to keep the show rolling.

"Now then, our next contender is..."

To check the next contender and review the sudden quest's progress, I called up the quest in my mind.

Ding—!

With a familiar chime, the Sudden Quest window materialized before my eyes.

Hmm...

Arthur, Lancelot, Merlin, me, then Remiel... was that the order?

"Now! Our next contender is... Arthur! Contender Arthur! Well then, Contender Arthur... please step forward to the... WHOAAAAAAAAGH?!"

= Now! Our next contender is... Arthur! Contender Arthur! Well then, Contender Arthur... please step forward to the... WHOAAAAAAAAGH?! =

The moment I called Arthur's turn according to the quest log, I couldn't help but let out a startled shriek at the sight of her.

Why?

Because the instant her name was called, Arthur burst with radiant light. She channeled the power of the Azure Dragon into her body, and the Cube broadcast her figure coiled by an ethereal juvenile Azure Dragon to the entire audience.

Whew... How on earth am I supposed to explain this to the angels...?

After a brief hesitation, I called out to Arthur.

"Could this be... a fusion with your Divine Beast, Contender Arthur?!"

= Could this be... a fusion with your Divine Beast, Contender Arthur?! =

"...."

Nod—

Exuding noble dignity, Arthur gave a single calm nod to confirm.

"Incredible...! Do you remember the White Tiger from Contender Hwaryeon earlier, esteemed angels?!"

= Incredible...! Do you remember the White Tiger from Contender Hwaryeon earlier, esteemed angels?! =

My voice boomed across the assembly hall via the Cube, and the angels nodded and replied in unison.

"Yes—!"

"Then can you see the baby Azure Dragon coiling around Contender Arthur as well?!"

= Then can you see the baby Azure Dragon coiling around Contender Arthur as well?! =

"Yes—!"

"It proves that the next stage of what Contender Hwaryeon demonstrated earlier...! Is none other than the Divine Beast Fusion Contender Arthur is showing us right now! Ah~ I can't wait to see Contender Hwaryeon's Divine Beast Fusion next time!"

= It proves that the next stage of what Contender Hwaryeon demonstrated earlier...! Is none other than the Divine Beast Fusion Contender Arthur is showing us right now! Ah~ I can't wait to see Contender Hwaryeon's Divine Beast Fusion next time! =

"WOOOOOOOAH!"

Arthur closed her eyes to relish the roaring cheers for a moment, then opened them and stepped before the seven hundred Coins I had summoned onto the machine.

"Azure Dragon... shall we pull off something magnificent?"

Kryaaoo!

Answering in agreement, the Azure Dragon conversed with Arthur as they prepared to commence the gacha.

Kryaaoo!

"Should we insert them all at once??"

Kryao!

"...Ah... Insert one hundred at a time and pull?"

Kryao!

".....Understood."

Conferring with the Azure Dragon, Arthur began following its advice, feeding in one hundred Coins at a time before pulling the lever.

Clunk—

..

Clunk—

..

By the time she had burned through roughly five hundred Coins—fifty attempts—an unexpected issue arose.

The intense chill the Azure Dragon had been emitting since Arthur summoned it went beyond keeping the platform refreshingly cool. Slowly, my white T-shirt began to feel damp and soaked through with condensation.

"...."

Feeling the wet white shirt clinging tightly to my chest and torso, I considered stopping Arthur... but seeing her intensely focused on the screen alongside the Azure Dragon, pulling with everything she had, I couldn't bring myself to interrupt.

In the sacred flow of gacha... I knew all too well that interference could taint a pull with bad luck.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, uncomfortable with the wet fabric sticking to my skin, I tugged the collar of my shirt forward.

As I pulled it, the water-soaked fabric hitched upward, and the sheer, clinging wet shirt naturally accentuated the tight lines of my abdominal muscles...

And right at that exact moment, the Cube swung around and focused directly on me.

The sight of my toned body and sculpted abs, clearly visible beneath the clinging, translucent wet T-shirt, was broadcast in crystal clarity through the Cube.

Instantly, angels clutched their noses as crimson fountains erupted left and right.

Squirrrrrt—!

...........

Holy shit...

Growing bigger was great and all...

But if this keeps up...

My chastity is in serious danger...