DanKatsu Volume 3, Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Come Forth, Rare Boss! Our First Intermediate-Level Boss Was… a Total Cakewalk.

"Alright, time to blow the flute!"

"I wanna blow it!"

"No."

"Why not!?"

What I pulled out was one of the ultra-rare items: the <Rare Monster Flute (Boss)>.

Blow this baby, and you’ve got a 70% chance to summon a rare boss! A true special item!

I’d only used it once before, back when I had a grand old time with the <Emperor Goblin>. This time, too, I’d wring every last bit of fun out of it!

Of course, Lana had insisted she should be the one to blow it, but I shut that down fast.

"For the record, this isn’t a guild-shared item—it’s my personal property. Just so we’re clear."

"Oh, really? You should’ve just said that from the start."

Once I gave her a reason, Lana backed down quietly. That oddly obedient side of hers was kind of charming. Cute, even.

This <Rare Monster Flute (Boss)> had dropped when I went soloing, so it counted as mine alone. No way was I going to hand it over.

On the other hand, the <Lucky Cat-sama> I’d also gotten was a guild-installation type item, so ownership didn’t matter. Naturally, it went straight to the guild hall—where it was constantly under assault from sticky hands. These days, thanks to the plushie defenses, things were a bit calmer… but every so often, I’d still find it sitting in Lana’s lap. Couldn’t let my guard down.

"So, what boss are we talking about this time? Normally it’s <Takewari Taro>, right?"

"A rare boss, huh. Stronger for sure. I wonder if my magic will be enough?"

"How strong are we talking? As I recall, rare bosses are said to have higher stats across the board. Equivalent to Intermediate-Level dungeon bosses, perhaps?"

Sierra, Hanna, and Ester all raised their hands at once, like schoolgirls asking a question. What was with that synchronized pose? …Adorable, honestly.

Look, even Lana was fumbling for a question so she could join in.

"Too many at once. I’ll answer in order, so hold your horses."

"I thought of mine!"

"You can wait; otherwise, this’ll get confusing."

In the end, Lana copied the same pose too, leaving me the only one not doing it. Felt a little left out, actually.

"Alright, starting with Sierra. This time’s rare boss is <Onmyoji Taro>—a kabuki-faced automaton exorcist riding a Segway, wielding light-element attacks."

Chanting some incantation under his breath, the puppet onmyōji would roll in on his Segway, and I had to admit, the sight packed a punch.

Last time’s <Takewari Taro> was a physical attacker who mixed fire, ice, and lightning. By contrast,<Onmyoji Taro> was a full-blown magic attacker.

"He fights solo, but that Segway makes him fast—a mobile turret spamming spells nonstop. Land a big melee hit, and he’ll immediately backpedal out of range. Makes it tough for tanks or close-combat fighters to pin him down."

Of course, that just meant you needed the right strategy. Chase him without a plan and you’ll never catch him.

"Next, Hanna’s question. With INT at 263, your mid-tier spells will hit hard. You can fight without worry."

"Phew, thank goodness!"

Thanks to all that <Mother Mush> farming, Hanna had reached 【Alchemist Lv47】 with RES boosted to 263. Using <Maholitan-R> to swap RES with INT, she was practically a walking magic cannon.

Her job level was high enough too—solidly 47. No problems there.

She also had a stockpile of poison items she’d brewed up after that <Poison Mushroom Cavern Dungeon> haul. Unfortunately, since this was a puppet-type monster with 『Poison Immunity』, those toys wouldn’t shine today. She’d have to wait a bit longer for her poison showcase.

"Next, Ester. And yes, your understanding is correct. Rare bosses have a higher tier of stats—basically equivalent to an Intermediate Low-tier Dungeon boss. With everyone past Lv40 and your third skill trees unlocked, you’ll handle it fine."

Otherwise, we wouldn’t even be here.

At that, Hanna glanced around nervously, but Ester just nodded.

"Understood. Thank you, Sir Zephyrus. I’ll give it my all."

Once Ester lowered her hand, I turned to Lana, the last one.

"As for Lana’s question… uh, I forgot. What was it again?"

"I haven’t even asked it yet!"

Right. But if she was just making it up on the spot, it couldn’t have been anything important.

"Um, so what’s his Unique Skill? That <Hon’nōji Taro> guy’s?"

"…There’s so much wrong with that, but hey, a surprisingly decent question!"

It’s <Onmyoji Taro>, thank you very much. Get it right.

"His Unique Skill is 『Taro Style: Quad-Element Axe Bamboo Splitter』. Basically, eight giant axe-shaped spells, each imbued with one of four elements—fire through light—swing down in a fan shape. A close-range AoE strike."

Picture it: eight massive axes raining down from above. Up till now, most magic attacks had been projectiles. But this 『Quad-Element Bamboo Axe Splitter』 attacked from overhead. First time we’d seen that. Honestly, I was kind of excited.

"Since each axe carries an elemental attribute, the damage is nothing to sneeze at. Stay sharp."

"Got it. Oh, that reminds me—one more thing."

"What is it? Ask away."

"When the flute fails, what happens to the boss? Does it despawn and respawn later?"

"Hey! Don’t bring up failure right before I blow it!"

That’s a death flag, you know!?

For the record, nobody actually knows. The boss rooms are sealed behind walls and a closed gate, so there’s no way to observe inside.

Seriously, though, Lana, what even makes you wonder about that stuff?

After a quick strategy meeting, I blew the flute and we stepped into the boss room.

"Bii-bii-bii-biii!"

"See!? You jinxed it! Professor Ester, smash it, please."

"Ah—r-right. Understood."

Waiting for us inside was the usual boss, <Takewari Taro>. …Yeah, I figured as much.

Dammit, Lanaaa!

"Bii… biiii…"

One minute later, after Ester wrecked its Segway, the party piled on with focused attacks. Once it slipped and fell, Ester activated her Unique Skill, 『Princess Knight’s Awakening』, and the poor thing got utterly demolished.

As <Takewari Taro> sank into the sea of flashy effects, I could’ve sworn I heard it mutter, Already over? No way… But that must’ve been my imagination.

For the record, Ester had been confused by my instructions at first, but after we downed <Thunder Old Man Mode>, she wore a deeply satisfied expression.

"Alright, let’s move on!"

This time for sure, I’ll draw the rare boss!

"Jigagagaga!"

"Jackpot! It’s the rare boss!"

On our second run, after using the <Rare Monster Flute (Boss)> again, we finally pulled it.

White hair trailing to the ground, a kabuki mask face, and dressed in a traditional onmyoji costume—the puppet doll sat perched on a Segway, holding folding fans in both hands.

The rare boss of the <Tsukumo Bamboo Grove Dungeon>: <Onmyoji Taro>.

Well, it’s a 70% chance. Honestly, I expected this.

For some reason, I hallucinated <Takewari Taro> bowing and gesturing after you, after you, toward the rare boss, but I shook it off as nonsense.

"Same plan as before! His magic hits hard, so watch out for stray shots! Especially you, Hanna—dodge, even if you have to roll!"

"I knooow!"

Because of the stat-swap with <Maholitan-R>, Hanna’s RES was back at base value. One solid hit would be enough to bring her HP down to dangerous levels. I’d stacked as much defensive gear on her as possible, but honestly, it was still cutting it close. This was an Intermediate-Level boss, after all.

"Jijijiii!"

"『Aura Point』!"

As <Onmyoji Taro> began to move, Sierra immediately drew his hate.

『Aura Point』 was an upgraded version of 『Guard Stance』, pulling the attention of every enemy in battle.

The rare boss swiveled toward Sierra, snapped open his fans, and swung.

"Ji—jijiga!"

Three glowing orbs shot out from his fans—『Triple Light Ball』, a light-element spell.

"I’ll take it."

Back during the strategy meeting, Sierra had insisted she wanted to experience firsthand how much damage she’d take from an Intermediate-Level boss’s attack—without using any defensive skills.

She’d even refused Lana’s 『Blessing of the Magic Resistance』. Truly thorough.

Well, only for the first hit, I’d allowed it.

The 『Triple Light Ball』 slammed into Sierra’s kite shield in rapid succession.

"…I see. Heavy, yes. But manageable."

She probably thought she muttered that, but we all heard it loud and clear.

The impact shoved her back a step or two, so the attack definitely had weight. But her HP bar barely budged. As expected, Sierra was absurdly tanky.

"Sierra, are you good now?"

"Yes, thank you for waiting, Princess Lana."

"Then here I go! 『Blessing of the Lion』! 『Blessing of the Magic Resistance』!"

"Perfect. Time to corner him. Ester, Hanna—cover us!"

"Yes! At your side!"

"Leave it to me!"

"Shigaaa!"

Ester and I sprinted forward, splitting to the left and right.

The plan was simple: corner him against the wall.

Since <Onmyoji Taro> rode a Segway, his speed was ridiculous. Close in, and he’d automatically back away, a built-in evasion pattern.

But that very pattern could be reversed—force him to retreat toward the spot we wanted, then trap him against the wall.

With two or more people working together, it wasn’t that difficult. Definitely a recommended tactic.

The problem was, until we had him pinned, we’d be taking constant fire. It was a matter of endurance.

"Jigaaa!"

"Dodge! Don’t push forward recklessly! Sierra!"

"On it! 『Cover Shield』!"

<Onmyoji Taro> unleashed a wide-area attack spell—『Thirty-Two Light Ball Barrage』, which unleashes balls of light over a wide area.

We focused on dodging, while Sierra intercepted the stray shots headed for the rear line. Lana could shrug them off thanks to her absurd RES, but Hanna needed the extra protection.

『Cover Shield』 was a quick-intercept defense skill. Sierra leapt right into the line of fire and blocked it.

Dodging as we pressed forward, Ester and I closed the gap, forcing <Onmyoji Taro>—still riding that Segway—to retreat.

"Jijijijigagagagaaaa!!"

The puppet swung his fans again. This time, he was casting the all-range spell—『Shine Wave』!

No gaps. No way to dodge. An unavoidable AoE—our only option was to endure it.

"Ester! Defensive stance! Don’t let yourself get knocked down! 『Defense』!"

"Yes!"

"Sierra! Cover the back line!"

"『Induction Cover』!"

『Induction Cover』 was an area-redirect defense, the upgraded version of 『Cover Shield』. A taunt-type skill that drew in wide-range attacks and took them head-on to protect allies. It increased damage taken, but as a defense skill, it still shaved down a lot of that power.

The incoming 『Shine Wave』 was rapidly pulled toward Sierra and didn’t touch the rear line. As expected of her—perfect skill choice!

Since Ester and I had pushed ahead to corner the boss, we were outside 『Induction Cover』’s radius and had to take some of the attack ourselves. But our defenses were decent enough, and the damage wasn’t too serious.

"I’ll handle recovery! 『Wish for Healing』! 『Celestial Rain』!"

"I’ll support! 『Flare Lance』!"

Lana’s 『Celestial Rain』 was a mid-tier AoE heal-over-time spell. Within seconds, the wounds we’d taken would be gone.

Meanwhile, Hanna’s 『Flare Lance』 forced <Onmyoji Taro> to dodge, halting his spellcasting for a moment.

"Ester, can you still move?"

"Yes. No problem."

"Good!"

She’d taken heavy damage earlier, but crucially, hadn’t been knocked down. If she had, aggro would’ve shifted—and at this distance, there’d be no way to cover for it. Worse, we’d lose all the progress we’d made in cornering it.

With Lana’s heals landing, we resumed the cornering tactic.

Several spells later, we finally succeeded in backing <Onmyoji Taro> against the wall.

"Jijiga!?"

Smashing into the wall backwards, the boss slipped and crashed down. Now was the time to strike!

"Now! Magic team, unload! 『Lightning Burst』!"

"『Shining Blade of Holy Light』! 『Blade of Light』! 『Sacred Tree of Holy Light』! 『Pillar of Light』!"

"『Fireball』! 『Flare Lance』! 『Ice Lance』! 『Fireball』!"

"Jijigaga!?"

A rain of spells slammed into Onmyoji Taro, tearing huge chunks out of his HP.

"Ester! Sierra!"

"Yes!"

"You’re not escaping! 『Cover Shield』!"

Ester and I blocked its flanks, while Sierra dashed in from the front—using her quick-intercept skill as a movement technique—to shut down the escape path. She’d been sprinting the moment it slipped, so she caught up instantly. With the rear guard pushing forward too, we had the boss fully encircled.

Once surrounded, it was all over.

"Jiji!?"

"『Induction Cover』!"

As expected, the boss tried one last desperate 『Shine Wave』. But even back in the game days, this was its hard-coded pattern—surrounded = 『Shine Wave』. That’s why I told Sierra to trigger 『Induction Cover』 the moment we boxed it in. Sure enough, the entire AoE bent toward her, leaving <Onmyoji Taro> wide open.

"Now! 『Brave Heart』! 『Brave Slash』!"

"『Triple Shoot』! 『Flash Thrust』!"

"Jigaaa!?"

The 【Hero】’s second Unique Skill—『Brave Heart』. Usable only once per battle, it granted an overwhelming buff. No better timing than now, with the boss trapped.

"Whoa! Sierra, I’ll heal you! 『Blessing of Greater Healing』!"

Sierra had taken on every last wave of the AoE, dropping her HP nearly by half. Lana panicked a little, then slammed her with an Advanced-tier heal to restore her instantly. That crisis averted, and we pressed the advantage.

From there, the fight became one-sided. Unable to use his Segway’s mobility at close range, <Onmyoji Taro> was forced into a grueling defensive struggle. We held our ground, ready to eat a few hits if necessary, but never let the boss slip past our encirclement.

He had no melee strikes, no knockbacks, no rush-type moves—meaning there was simply no way for it to break through. That’s why this strategy worked so well.

Eventually, 『Brave Heart』 wore off, and with the boss’s HP dipping into the danger zone, I saw it—the all-too-familiar red glow bursting from both his fans.

"—! Unique Skill incoming! Look out—it’s coming from above!"

Flashes of memory from the game: 『Taro Style: Quad-Element Axe Bamboo Splitter』. A devastating strike from the heavens. I’d seen the animation countless times before. But here, in this dungeon, the sky above was a nightmare to track.

"Everyone! Move as planned!!"

"Jigaaaaa!!"

This was <Onmyoji Taro>’s trump card, his last-resort Unique Skill. Triggered when his HP hit the red, and boosted further by rage mode, it was strong enough that even one downed ally could unravel the entire frontline—and possibly wipe the whole party.

Eight colossal axes materialized overhead, crashing down in a fan-shaped arc centered on the boss.

But this attack had a weakness.

"『Sonic Sword』!"

"『Lancer’s Charge』!"

"『Material Shield』!"

Ester and I used quick-movement skills to pull off an emergency dodge.

『Taro Style: Quad-Element Axe Bamboo Splitter』 unleashed his fan-shaped strike only forward, which meant its range was surprisingly narrow. In other words, if you slipped around behind, you could completely avoid it.

A tactic only possible because we already knew his attack pattern.

<Onmyoji Taro> stepped forward slightly to swing.

We immediately circled around back, slipping past the arcs of 『Quad-Element Axe Bamboo Splitter』. Ester had made it too. Sierra, meanwhile, endured it with 『Material Shield』—a defensive skill with incredible resistance to magic.

"Here it is! 『Falcon Strike』!"

"Jigagagaga!?"

After a Unique Skill, enemies suffered a moment of stiffness where crits landed more easily.

My two-hit 『Falcon Strike』 landed perfectly, smashing a critical. <Onmyoji Taro> staggered into a critical down. A perfect opening!

"Finish it! Everyone, full assault!"

At my shout, the whole team unleashed their most powerful skills and magic.

"Ji… ga… ga… gaa…"

Finally, with a flood of effects bursting off his body, <Onmyoji Taro>’s HP hit zero, and he collapsed into nothingness.

As expected of an Intermediate-Level boss—it was tough.

"Good work!!"

"Great job! Wow, that was so much fun!"

"Yeah, totally agree. Nothing beats the thrill of a strong enemy!"

After the fight, we regrouped, and Lana and I immediately launched into trading impressions, almost skipping the greetings.

We’d beaten <Onmyoji Taro>.

For a first attempt, it had gone unbelievably smoothly—our plan fitting together perfectly for a flawless victory. Honestly, the only reason it worked that well was because of this party.

"Sierra’s defense was flawless, too. Thanks to that, we could go all in without worrying about the rear guard, corner it, and lock it down. That was a textbook-perfect battle."

"I know, right? It really felt like—yes, we nailed it!"

It was a foe that forced us to layer countermeasure on countermeasure, but the moment everything clicked, it was the best feeling.

What looked like a safe, effortless victory was only possible because everyone stuck to the plan.

Normally, <Onmyoji Taro> was a mobile artillery unit, weaving in and out. A seriously dangerous enemy. The tension of never knowing when it might break through the encirclement, the solid challenge that Beginner-Level bosses could never give, the sweet release after that kind of pressure—that’s why fighting strong bosses was so damn fun.

"This one was especially nasty—throwing out that many spells made <Onmyoji Taro> a real headache. No way to completely shut it down, and you had to be ready to take hits. That’s what made it thrilling. That’s what lights the fire."

As expected of a rare boss. Rare bosses never disappoint!

In <DanKatsu>, bosses roughly split into two categories: the serious type and the gag type.

The gag types included things like <Bear Anteater>, <Debubu>, <Sabottendar>, <Takewari Taro>,<Mother Mush>… Either their looks were a joke or their attacks were. Sure, they could put up some resistance, but at the end of the day, they were gag-tier. Nothing that really set your blood pumping.

In contrast, the serious ones were strong and exhilarating.

Most rare bosses fell into this serious category, so they always set the stage for thrilling battles. They even used Unique Skills.

With stats a whole tier higher, sometimes they’d push you to the brink, and that’s exactly what pulled you in deeper. I loved rare bosses—whether for the fights or the loot, they were nothing but good.

"Oh yeah—the drops. What’d we get?"

I finally remembered the actual reason I’d come and looked around. By then, Hanna and two others were already standing in front of the treasure chest.

"Zephyrus-kun, come on, let’s open it already!"

"You’re as fast as ever, Hanna!? Lana, hurry or she’s gonna open it without us!"

"What!? No way! I won’t allow that!"

"We're not opening it, so just get over here already."

""Yeees.""

We’d been buzzing with excitement, but one word from Sierra cooled us down. Fun as hell.

Though… wasn’t Sierra in a pretty good mood? Maybe that last fight really hit the sweet spot for her. Her tone even sounded gentler than usual.

I decided I’d ask everyone later what they thought of the fight.

"This time it’s two <Silver Chests>, huh. Looks like <Lucky Cat-sama> didn’t smile on us. Too bad."

Rare bosses never dropped <Wooden Chests>, so two < Silver Chests> were the guaranteed minimum.

Sure, <Silver Chests> were plenty rare, but the allure of a <Gold Chest> was just too strong. I wanted one badly.

Then again, thinking back on my drop history, I really couldn’t complain.

So far, I’d fought three rare bosses:

• Emperor Goblin — two <Gold Chests>.

• Battle Wolf (Second Form) — the <Beauti-Four Phenomenon>.

• Emperor Goblin — two more <Gold Chests>.

Yeah, even <Lucky Cat-sama> probably needed a break.

If I kept landing <Gold Chests> at this rate, I’d start wondering if I was breaking the laws of probability. Best to store up a little luck for now—though I’d probably spend it right away.

As for the contents of the <Silver Chests> this time: <Light Talisman> and <Taro’s Onmyo Robe>.

The <Light Talisman> was a jackpot! Same series as Hanna’s <Charm of Fire>, it granted 『Light Attribute Power Up Lv4』. As an accessory, it’d be perfect for Lana—instant power boost. I handed it over immediately.

As for <Taro’s Onmyo Robe>… well, straight to storage.

"Somehow, getting new gear feels amazing!"

Lana said that while gazing at the <Light Talisman> like it were shining.

She was right. New equipment was always amazing.

When I first equipped the <Knuckle Guard> myself… Huh? Wait. Where’s my <Knuckle Guard>!? I wasn’t wearing it! Thinking carefully, I realized—I’d left it with Marie-senpai for a <Design Paint Change> and completely forgotten. I’d have to pick it up later!

But there was something more important right now.

"All right! Rare boss farming time! Next drop’s gotta be a good one!"

""Oooh!""

At my shout, Lana and Hanna raised their fists in unison and cheered. Thanks, you two.

"But the flute can only be used one more time, right? I hope it works…"

Sierra voiced her concern. The flute had a 70% activation rate. A shaky number for the final try.

But no problem. I smoothly pulled out a second flute and declared:

"No need to worry. I’ve got another one."

"…Why."

Sierra gave me a rare flat-eyed jab, and I couldn’t help feeling smug. Totally worth keeping it secret until now. Fuhaha.

"Why? Simple—I got a duplicate. Also, this one’s from my solo runs, so it’s my personal stash."

"…Fair enough. But really, how do you even beat rare bosses solo?"

She glanced toward the wall where <Onmyoji Taro> had just vanished.

Rare bosses were monstrously powerful. Even with a full party, a wipe wasn’t unusual. Beating one solo was basically unthinkable—unless the level gap was absurd. And I was nowhere near that.

"Well, I am the 【Hero】, after all."

"That answer… it feels nostalgic somehow."

Sierra smiled softly at my reply.

Damn. When normally cool Sierra smiles like that, it’s dangerously cute.

After that, I blew the flute again and we re-entered the boss room.

Waiting for us inside was… <Takewari Taro>. …A dud!

Professor Ester, I’m counting on you!

"BibiBII!?"

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