Please to Kitsune-sama!

Chapter 229 : Kitsune-sama Confronts

G.O.D — Last Five Minutes Destruction God. 

This was Tsukiko’s ultimate skill, one that could be called her trump card, but it came with severe restrictions.

The condition: it could only be activated twenty-five minutes after entering combat. Normally, a battle would be over long before that, unless it was on an extraordinary scale, against overwhelming strength, or under unusual circumstances.

That was why, including this occasion, Tsukiko had only ever used G.O.D twice since becoming an awakener. The first was during the “Tsukiko Assassination Attempt” incident. Ever since, the skill existed in rumor alone, whispered as Professor’s Maximum Firepower.

For a brief time, it turned absurd super-science—something that should exist only in fiction, in tokusatsu or robot anime—into reality.

Specifically, it recreated the sheer destructive might of the “final ultimate weapon” that always appeared at the climax.

It sounded ridiculous on the surface. But bringing into reality the very concept of “always arriving at the end to strike down evil” meant it achieved true sure-kill attacks at a frighteningly high rate.

Indeed, this time G.O.D utterly annihilated everything around them, leaving only the patch of ground where Tsukiko and the others stood completely unharmed.

“A fearsome thing indeed.”

“The mana cost is insane. Just maintaining it drains my reserves, and if I let it actually fire a weapon… it devours everything.”

The effect had already ended, but Tsukiko’s mana was nearly gone. The skill was worth its price, but the drain was not a risk to be taken lightly.

And yet—she had destroyed them all. That fact alone remained.

“…Impressive.”

“!?”

They had all been defeated. Even Robert, who had disguised himself as Ryoichi, had been obliterated.

And yet—that voice.

“Wh-what is that?”

Before them stood a pitch-black shadow, in the shape of Ryoichi. Its mouth moved, speaking.

It was not Ryoichi. It was not Robert.

Then what was it? What was that thing radiating such hopeless, crushing power?

Warning. WARNING. Danger.

That Which Cannot Be Proven nor Known has exploited the mana gap left by the Apostle’s destruction to exert its authority!

― It is not the real thing, but neither is it a fake. ―

“A-ah…”

The terror nearly drove Eru to her knees. She did not fall only because she felt a force surrounding her, shielding her.

It was unmistakably coming from Inari.

“Truly, I am impressed, Professor. Honestly, I hadn’t considered you a threat. The smarter a person is, the easier they are to manipulate. I thought I could do whatever I liked with you. But no… fascinating. To me, play is life itself. And this is fun indeed.”

“What are you!?”

“You ask? Very well, then. I am—”

“Cease thy prattle.”

Inari’s blade slashed toward its mouth—yet the shadow dodged, evading with the slightest motion.

Not surprising, really. Inari’s physical abilities as an awakener were in the lower tier. A being with sufficient physical prowess could avoid her strikes.

So Inari showed no surprise, only narrowed her gaze upon it.

“Kogami Inari. You are troublesome. Why is one such as you here? Doubtless as a countermeasure against beings like me… But you are not the System incarnate, that much is clear.”

“Are the Superhuman League thy pawns?”

“No. I merely lend my power. Whatever they do with it, I respect the outcome. Failing to use a gift properly is their responsibility.”

“Mayhap so.”

“I’m glad you understand—”

“But thou hast made me thine enemy.”

“Oh, don’t tell me it’s because that girl was involved? That is—”

“So. It was thee, after all.”

“…Ah. Whoops.”

The shadow chuckled, clearly not thinking it serious.

That Which Cannot Be Proven nor Known. What it truly was did not matter to Inari.

But the moment it manifested, she had felt its thick, oppressive mana—something of the same quality clinging faintly to Eru.

The car accident where only Eru had survived. The relatives who had sought to discard her.

How far back had That Which Cannot Be Proven nor Known’s hand reached?

Inari could not say. But she felt sure it had some role, in some form, in Eru’s “first tragedy.” Perhaps it had meant to seep into her heart and make her an Apostle.

But none of that mattered.

Adjusting her stance with Kogetsu, Inari slid her fingers along its blade. At her touch, it gleamed with a solemn azure light.

“Let us play again, Kogami Inari. Next time, not with a remnant such as this.”

That Which Cannot Be Proven nor Known claps in delight.

“With a better version of me.”

That Which Cannot Be Proven nor Known agrees that sounds wonderful.

“Begone, vile fiend—Secret Sword: Onikiri!”

Ignoring its words, Inari cleaved through both shadow and system window alike.

In an instant, both vanished like illusions.

The interference of That Which Cannot Be Proven nor Known has been temporarily eliminated!

The That Which Cannot Be Proven nor Known’s [Unknowable Something] has been removed!

An unexpected achievement has been accomplished!

A worthy achievement has been accomplished!

You have obtained a Golden Reward Chest!

Bonus: Kogami Inari has been granted one [Right to Ask]!

Resetting dungeon. All survivors will be ejected.