Please to Kitsune-sama!

Chapter 180 : Those Gathered, Briefed on the Situation

Two days after Shion’s disappearance, Kogami Inari was summoned to the Awakener Association headquarters.

Shown into a conference room, Inari was presented with photographs of the surrounding sea area and briefed on the course of events.

This time, however, she was not alone. Three other awakener had been called.

Second place, “Professor,” Mano Tsukiko. Fifth place, “Black Witch,” Sendou Sarina. And though currently pushed out of the top five… sixth place, “Paladin,” Shidou Kouya.

He looked to be in his early twenties; his keen features brimmed with youth. His short, ragged red hair—apparently changed by his awakening—and his eyes, glowing like flame, were both the same deep red. His lean, muscular frame was encased in pure-white armor, and the simple sword and shield propped against the wall marked him as, in all likelihood, a physical-type tank.

Representing the Association was Aoyama. As one would expect given the gravity of the matter, his expression was nothing but serious.

“Those are the circumstances. Any questions up to this point?”

At Aoyama’s prompt, Kouya raised a hand lightly.

“Then one for confirmation. Is this everyone?”

“Yes. The ‘Hero’ is currently deep in India clearing a dungeon. The ‘Fortress’ is… as usual.”

“So he’s the same as ever. I’d like Aozora to prioritize Japan a bit more, though…”

“Expecting anything from him is a waste of emotional energy, don’t you think? Our dear Hero is being yanked around the globe,” Tsukiko said, letting out a short, mocking laugh.

In truth, the Hero had spent more time overseas than in Japan this year, so one could hardly blame her for saying so. And still he remained the immovable number one… well, he was simply that strong.

“Forget the ones who aren’t here. So? I understand the timeline. If this isn’t a team of water-adapted specialists, why gather us?”

“Yes. This is why.”

In response to Sarina’s question, Aoyama projected a photo onto the screen: the last image Shion had taken—of the mysterious underwater ruins.

“This is the final photograph shot by ‘Submarine.’ As you can see, something that looks like ruins is visible… yet nothing matching it has been found to date.”

“Hm. It looks very ‘ruin-ish,’” Tsukiko murmured with interest.

Indeed, it looked exactly like ruins: something like steps, perhaps an altar, or the remains of a building—an artificial structure of some kind, as if to prove that some civilization had once built such things on the sea floor.

“If you’re showing it at this timing, then it isn’t ruins at all but either an urban-legend-type monster, or some effect produced by a monster’s skill. That’s what you’re getting at, right?”

“Yes. The Association believes it is likely a reprise of the Toshima incident… or at least a similar situation.”

“Got it. Toshima’s honoree… if she did it once, she can do it again—so that’s the idea.”

Tsukiko glanced toward Inari, who had been quietly sipping tea.

Inari answered, “Whether it be exactly the same, I ken not.”

“If that’s the case, calling me was a mistake, no? Occult-type monsters are generally classified as magic-type. I’m a hard-core physical build, same as Suzuno. Calling Sendou was a mistake too—your ‘Dark Magic’ doesn’t do much to occult types, right?”

“Ugh… yeah. Since it’s the same attribute, the power drops off sharply,” Sarina admitted.

“Then it’s me, I guess,” Kouya said.

“I’ve heard Ms. Kogami there has the ‘Fox Shrine Maiden’ job and is strong against occult monsters, but if so, couldn’t you have gathered others with similar jobs?”

Shrine maiden, priest, exorcist… of course there were jobs with advantages against occult monsters. That was, in short, what Kouya meant—but Aoyama slowly shook his head.

“Regrettably, as soon as we mentioned a connection to Saitama Dungeon No. 4, every promising awakener declined. To a person they said, ‘The killing intent there is far too high.’ They do not wish to face anything akin to what came out of that place.”

“Honestly, I get it. I don’t want to tangle with those monsters either,” Kouya said.

“You’re a Paladin, aren’t you?” Sarina teased.

“Yeah. And even so, their killing intent really is too much. They’re exactly the kind of horde that should never make it outside.”

“More importantly,” Kouya turned his gaze to Aoyama, “I’ve got a question. I follow the situation. But why did two days pass after the incident? You could have sent these materials to us individually. Don’t tell me you gave up on Ms. Suzuno’s survival.”

“No. But with a top-ranker gone missing, there was a fierce debate at the top about recalling the ‘Hero’ immediately.”

“Couldn’t manage it, so you gathered substitutes. That stings.”

“My apologies.”

As Aoyama bowed his head, Inari tapped the table with a soft kon.

“Such internal matters are of no import. The question is by what means we might reach the place to which ‘Submarine’ was carried off. Last time, if memory serves, there was a way to find it, was there not?”

“…Yes. And that is the chief problem.”

The detector Tsukiko had crafted before—to sense the mana of the otherworld—had, this time, detected nothing. That, Aoyama said, was the main reason they had taken so long to grasp the situation. He looked somewhat pained to admit it… but he stated it plainly nonetheless.