Please to Kitsune-sama!

Chapter 154 : Kitsune-sama Challenges the Saitama Dungeon No.4 (2)

As Inari and Shion advanced, cutting down every monster that appeared, they faced one major problem: they had no idea what the boss would be—or where it would appear.

In urban-type dungeons, sometimes the boss was in an obvious place. But sometimes not. The Saitama Dungeon No. 4, it seemed, was the latter kind.

“Hmm…”

Thus, Inari and Shion now stood before a large board reading “Kisaragi Town Guide Map”, pondering their next move. The map listed streets and shop names. Whether it was reliable was anyone’s guess, but they had no other leads.

“Setting aside the ordinary houses… methinks the school looks suspicious.”

“The station or the hospital could be, too.”

“The shopping district looks suspicious as well.”

“I think the park’s suspicious.”

Any of those could hold something. But whether that something was the boss—they couldn’t know. Past cases suggested that bosses had even appeared in underground malls. Truly, it was random. And if luck was bad, they would have to check every location.

As for Inari, the system itself had guaranteed her lack of luck, so she put little faith in chance.

“Hmm… Atsuage, what sayest thou?”

When Inari asked, the block golem—who had rolled the highest dice in the battle at Itou—poked its head from her clothing and pointed somewhere with its arm.

“…The station?”

“…The hospital?”

Looking in the same direction, Inari and Shion each named a different place. Sighing, Inari pulled Atsuage fully out, carrying it over to the map.

“Now then, which dost thou mean?”

“The school.”

The spot Atsuage slapped repeatedly was “Kisaragi Elementary School.” Certainly, something could be there. Nodding, Inari hugged Atsuage to her chest and turned toward Shion.

“What sayest thou? Methinks it worth consideration.”

Atsuage raised its arm as if to say, “Leave it to me.”

Shion nodded.

“I think so, too. Let’s go to the school.”

“Then it is decided.”

They fought their way toward the school, where a large gate beside a sign marked “Kisaragi Elementary” stood wide open. Yet the schoolyard was deathly silent, the buildings dark. Compared to the warm light spilling from the windows of nearby houses, it was unsettlingly ominous.

“Now then… where should we enter?”

There were several entrances, but the grandest, closest one was surely the main gate. Inari strode toward it without hesitation, Shion following in silence.

The door was shut, but not locked. When pushed, it creaked open with a dull groan.

Inside was a counter labeled “Reception.” No one was there, of course. A few desks and chairs were visible.

“…Well, naturally, no one is here.”

“If someone were, it’d be creepy.”

“A monster without a doubt.”

Moving briskly inside, they saw light spilling from a room marked “Janitor’s Office.” Whether it was the boss, they could not know. But when they opened the door, what they found was a television playing static.

Bzzzzt… bzzzt…

Inari felt a pang of nostalgia at the noise, but Shion tilted her head, unfamiliar—hers was not the generation that had known analog TV. Still, in such a place, a running television could only be called suspicious.

Finding nothing else strange, Inari closed the door. But when she turned, Shion stood staring blankly.

“Hmm? Hmhm… thou art being bewitched, art thou? Let me.”

Paan! 

With the clap of her hands, Inari’s voice rang out. Shion started as if waking from a dream, blinking wide-eyed.

“Eh? Huh? Just now, I feel like… I was seeing the great secrets of the world.”

“Bewitched, indeed. A trap that renders its victims defenseless while they watch.”

“…So I was caught…”

“Hahaha! Utterly taken in.”

“Sorry.”

“Think nothing of it. But I, too, shall be more cautious henceforth.”

Beside the janitor’s office was a changing room. Next to that, the staff room. Beyond that, the broadcasting room, and then the principal’s office.

The changing room was perhaps harmless, but the staff room, broadcasting room, and principal’s office all reeked of suspicion.

Between the changing room and staff room hung a large mirror. The word “donation” was still legible on its surface, though the rest had faded away.

“Let us try the staff room first.”

“Huh?”

“What is it?”

“Just now… the mirror looked strange for a second.”

“Hmm…”

At her words, Inari leaned in to peer. Nothing reflected but themselves. To test, she poked it with Kogetsu—the blade left only scratches. It seemed the mirror itself was nothing special. Still, that sense of something off could not be ignored.

“Best to keep wary of mirrors.”

“Yeah.”

With that, Inari opened the staff room door. Darkness. Some desks neatly cleared, others strewn with papers. But compared to the janitor’s office, there was startlingly little of note.

“Hmm…”

“Looks like nothing.”

“Aye, it seems so.”

Nothing—whether fortunate or unfortunate. It meant no boss, at least.

Just as she closed the door—

Ding-dong, ding-dong♪

The school chime rang out from the speakers.