Is It Wrong to Abusing Cartoon Tropes in Dungeon?

Inside the Western Heavenly Palace, Altair lounged casually in the main seat, his hands resting on the armrests, looking as if he were on a leisurely vacation.

In contrast, Luo Hao sat with perfect posture. Despite having a chair back, she only sat on the edge of the seat, her back straight, and her gaze fixed forward, maintaining a highly disciplined demeanor.

As for Lu Yinghua, he remained his usual self. In the presence of Altair and Luo Hao, he had no right to sit and stood nearby, ready to follow orders at any moment.

The members of the Kusanagi family stood to the side, heads bowed, not daring to make a sound. Across from them stood the members of the History Compilation Committee, also with their heads lowered. Kaoru Sayanomiya was among them, her right hand clutching her chest. The earlier palm strike had left her with internal injuries, though not life-threatening. She was now struggling to stand and wait.

As for why Altair had ordered Lu Yinghua to strike her, she didn't dare ask or speculate. However, she could roughly guess the reason. He had asked about her position in the History Compilation Committee and her relationship with Tooma Amatsu, then suddenly attacked. Was it dissatisfaction with the reception?

Still, at least she survived!

While feeling unlucky, Kaoru Sayanomiya also felt a sense of relief. She had just witnessed the bisected corpse of Mikihiko Kusanagi, the young master of the Kusanagi family and the heir apparent to the next family head. He had been killed without hesitation, not even given the chance to say his name.

No—it was more accurate to say that names meant nothing to a Campione!

Kaoru recalled the moment when she had tried to introduce herself, only to be cut off by Altair. This new King didn't care about her name at all. He only cared whether things were proceeding as he desired. If not, he would act without hesitation.

However, Kaoru was mistaken. The reason she survived was that she still had value. After meeting Yuri Mariya, Altair began recalling the key characters from the original story within the History Compilation Committee. He remembered Tooma Amatsu as the one who had received him—and the one he had chosen.

Then there were Yuri Mariya and her younger sister, Hikari Mariya, both exceptional shrine maidens. In the original story, Yuri had even dared to scold the protagonist, and yet the protagonist always listened to her. How fascinating—the protagonist had truly mastered the art of being a tool.

As for Kaoru Sayanomiya, she pretended to be an ordinary sorcerer on the surface, but in reality, she was also an advanced shrine maiden. However, she knew how to hide her identity because she understood that once exposed, she would become a target for Campiones. Shrine maidens were the best materials for summoning Heretic Gods. In contrast, Yuri Mariya and her sister Hikari didn't know how to hide their identities and even took pride in being shrine maidens, which led to them being constantly used and manipulated.

Altair sat in his seat, appearing relaxed but actually bored. This era lacked smartphones, the internet was still in its infancy, and there were no modern games. While there were some handheld or console games, Altair didn't have any with him. He was genuinely bored.

Bored, Altair decided to stir things up.

"Can someone tell me how the curse's release is progressing?"

Sitting in his seat, Altair tapped the armrest with his left hand and addressed the Kusanagi family.

The group exchanged glances, but no one dared to speak. The last person who had answered this question was now dead, his corpse still lying outside.

"It seems there are no living people here. After all, only the dead cannot speak."

"O King, please wait a moment. We are still..."

Unable to remain silent, one of the higher-ranking members of the Kusanagi family reluctantly spoke up.

But before he could finish, a beam of light pierced through his head.

Altair slowly lowered the gun, his face still wearing a bright smile.

"I'll ask again in a moment. You'd better give me a satisfactory answer. Otherwise..."

The rest didn't need to be said. Everyone knew that failure to answer meant death.

"Lu Yinghua."

"Your disciple is here."

Lu Yinghua immediately stepped forward.

Altair clasped his hands together, resting his chin on them, and smiled as he looked at the Kusanagi family.

"Keep an eye on them. No one is allowed to leave. From now on, this place is exit-only. Of course, I'm not a demon. They are, after all, working for me. Give them phones and let them contact the outside world. They can call anyone—colleagues for help, family to settle their affairs, or even order takeout if they want."

"Do you understand?"

"Understood."

Lu Yinghua nodded with a smile, then walked in front of the Kusanagi family, his face as bright as Altair's.

"Everyone, please follow me."

The Kusanagi family nodded at Lu Yinghua and followed him out.

"Oh, and by the way, let them know that if anyone does something they shouldn't—like trying to escape—or fails to meet my demands, then by tomorrow, the four great families of the Japanese History Compilation Committee will be reduced to two."

Huh? Why two?

The Kusanagi family and Kaoru Sayanomiya looked puzzled.

"Because I'll have the Sayanomiya family, who are collaborating with them, accompany them on their way out."

Altair turned to Kaoru Sayanomiya, who was looking at him in confusion, and flashed a bright, toothy grin.

"No problem, right?"

Kaoru felt a chill run down her spine. He knew her identity! And this was a direct threat! If she didn't keep an eye on them or help them complete the task quickly, the Sayanomiya family would be wiped out!

Damn it!!

Kaoru gritted her teeth and bowed her head to Altair.

"Understood."

"Then get to work. You heard what I said earlier. Hurry up and finish it."

"Understood."

Kaoru nodded again, then led the members of the History Compilation Committee out of the Western Heavenly Palace's main hall. She needed to keep an eye on the Kusanagi family to prevent anyone from escaping, while also contacting the Sayanomiya main family. This time, the Sayanomiya family would have to bleed. Altair's words were clear: if the demands weren't met, only two families would remain by tomorrow. In other words, today was the deadline. This was outright murder!

They had to summon the Heretic God of the Dragon and Snake today, or they would be doomed!

Watching the Kusanagi family and Kaoru Sayanomiya working with "enthusiasm," Luo Hao, who had been observing quietly, nodded again.

Learned it, learned it.

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