Mob Kousei No Ore Demo Boukensha Ni
Nareba Riajuu Ni Naremasuka: Chapter #154
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Episode 154: Izayoi Shoji
"———— We've been awaiting you."
The moment I teleported into
the shelter, those were the words that greeted me.
I looked toward the source to
see Hathor and Sekhmet standing at the room's entrance, looking at me.
Hathor wore her usual gentle
smile, while Sekhmet glared at me with a look irritation, as if I annoyed her
for some unknown reason.
"Since you’ve come here, may I assume that
you intend to join us?"
"...Yeah."
I gave a firm nod to Hathor’s
question, which she had asked with a quiet, knowing smile.
"I will join the Star Mother
Association."
Hathor beamed happily at my
words, while Sekhmet let out a small click of her tongue.
"Then, shall we go?"
"...Where?"
"You wish to see your family, correct? We have received word from Saintess-sama that the details
of your arrangement can wait until after Kitagawa-sama's business is concluded."
"...I see."
The Star Mother Association's
attentiveness toward me felt unsettling, but honestly, I'm grateful.
I stepped out of the room and
began walking with Hathor and Sekhmet.
" I apologize for doing this while we are
on the move, but allow me to briefly explain Kitagawa-sama's privileges within
the organization."
As we made our way toward
Janus, the god of gates, Hathor began explaining the Star
Mother Association's organizational structure.
According to her, the
organization employed a hierarchical system based on one’s level of
contribution—such as donations or successful recruitment—prior to Angolmois.
Believers received various
services based on their rank, including private rooms and cross-space cards.
Their status was identifiable
at a glance by the number of stars on their rosary, ranging from one to six
stars. Naturally, the Six-Star rank was the highest, reserved for the Saintess,
while One-Star was for general believers.
Hearing this, the first thing
that came to my mind was adventurer ranks.
The Guild also used stars to
denote rank.
Did
they simply copy the Guild's system, or is there something more...?
"...What’s
the difference?"
"Yes,
first of all, there's no difference in the basic services offered at the
Five-Star tier."
Since Six-Star was a rank
exclusive to the Saint, Five-Star was effectively the highest tier.
As such, Five-Star individuals
can freely use all facilities within the organization, including the Transfer
Gate and various entertainment facilities. They would also be given cross-space
cards like Mayoiga for residence.
If desired, cards like Succubus
or Silky can even be provided to serve as attendants.
"If
there's any difference between the two, I suppose it lies in their
responsibilities. While a Star Guide oversees matters within the organization, a
Five Star General’s duty is to handle the organization's enemies. Consequently,
the former holds authority over supplies and personnel within the shelter,
while the latter holds those rights for expeditions. Notably, Five-Star General
is also provided with a dedicated B-rank deck."
Not a B-rank card, but a deck?
She said it so casually, but
that was insane. It just goes to show how much military might they’ve
stockpiled.
But...
"...For a group that preaches the
'liberation' of cards and monsters, you sure hand them out like office
supplies, huh?"
When I remarked with a hint of
sarcasm, Hathor simply gave me a pleasant smile and replied,
"Indeed. That is because the Five-Star individuals
are figures deemed to embody coexistence with cards. Assigning them cards is no
different than assigning them human subordinates."
I see...
"Then, if I were to wish for you as my
personal card, would that be possible?"
At my question, Hathor gave a
look that said, “Oh, so that's your game."
"My apologies. 'We' belong to
Saintess-sama’s direct jurisdiction."
"...Is that so."
Refused, as expected. I had a
feeling that would be the case—these two seemed to be the Saintess's close
aides.
They probably don't even have shackles anymore,
do they? Maybe they're not cards at all, but monsters.
As we spoke, we arrived at the
God of Gates’ place.
"You’ve come. Preparations are complete."
Janus said, looking at us.
"Then we shall take our leave here. We
pray for your safe reunion with your family."
"Yeah."
I gave a short reply to
Hathor, who bowed deeply, and Sekhmet, who hadn't uttered a single word the
entire time. And then I passed through the gate—
"————In the end, Kitagawa’s just another
tame dog, huh?"
Just before the transfer
occured, Sekhmet’s small, somewhat lonely-sounding murmur lingered strangely in
my ears.
"Yuki."
"Yes. ――――Awooooooooo!"
The moment I teleported, I had
Yuki activate [Lord of The Territory].
It was partly to keep the
small fry away and partly to gauge the strength of the enemies around us.
"...How is it?"
At my question, Yuki shook her
head slowly, her expression grim.,
"...It’s bad. My territory range is
severely restricted. There is at least one A-rank nearby, and numerous B-ranks.."
At Yuki's report, the air became
palpably tense.
It meant there was at least
one B-rank dungeon in this area.
"Tsk... Did new ones pop up during
Angolmois?"
I clicked my tongue and
checked my current location on the Card Gear.
...In front of the Sunshine Aquarium. Dad's
workplace is on the opposite side of the station.
Well, at the speed of my cards, it's just a
split second away.
『Master, enemies are gathering!』
『Audrey, deploy Fensalir. Dress, blessing of
Destruction, Slaughter, and Victory.』
『As you wish.』
『Roger that.』
For now, I'll deploy Fensalir and take refuge.
With this many B-ranks around, there's bound to
be a cross-space type, so our spatial isolation will eventually be be dispelled—but
I just need to reach the front of Dad's office first.
Once there,, I’ll activate the pseudo-safe zone
immediately.
As I mapped out the steps in
my head and watched Fensalir begin to manifest—
『Hmm!?』
『What’s wrong, Audrey?!』
『... No, my apologies. Part of
Fensalir was repelled and failed to deploy.』
Repelled? ...Is it some sort of Barrier skill?
『This... I believe it is coming
from the vicinity of Dai Danna-sama1's
workplace.』
『I see...』
For a mega-corporation like Izayoi Shoji, it
wouldn't be surprising if their shelter is protected by double or triple-layers
of high-rank Cross-Space or Barrier skills.
No matter how sturdy the barrier, it's
practically nonexistent if bypassed by another’s Cross-Space skill.
Countermeasures against Cross-Space skills are standard practice for shelters
of this scale.
『Let's head there for now.』
Riding Eliza's magic carriage2, we headed toward Dad's company.
When we arrived, I saw a
faint, greenish curtain of light shimmering over the place.
"This is..."
"An Absolute Barrier—[Four Divine Beasts
Quadrilateral Barrier]."
Athena said, answering my
murmur.
That’s right, I definitely
recognized it. The barrier conjured by the Four Divine Beasts summoned by the
Huanglong looked exactly like this.
I see, Izayoi Shoji possess the Four Divine
Beasts cards.
An Absolute Barrier, while not
quite as impenetrable as a pseudo-safe zone, offered a nearly on par defensive
capabilities, and its range is vastly wider. Unlike the subordinate ones, the
Four Divine Beasts cards could maintain the barrier up for half a day, and if
they have enough Skill Usage Recovery skills for the number of cards, they
could keep it up indefinitely. For a major corporation's shelter, it was the
ideal skill.
However…
『Eliza, can you teleport to the
other side of the barrier?』
『I will try.』
Eliza's form vanished for an
instant. The next moment, with a loud *Thud!*, she landed on her butt in front
of the curtain.
『...Forgive me, I was repelled.』
『Figured...』
I thought
so.
I let out a sigh.
An Absolute Barrier supposedly
nullified even emergency escape Transfer magic items.
It seemed that even Eliza’s
[Hameln's Flute]—a skill derived from an Irregular Encounter—was no exception.
Well, I knew that, which was why I took the
risk and fought Huanglong.
Still, this is getting a little bad.
The plan with my dad was to
have Eliza use Instantaneous
Movement to get inside theIzayoi Shoji shelter, secure
him, and then negotiate through subtle pressure.
It would have been a rude,
unauthorized intrusion, but it was a necessary precaution to prevent them from
using my dad as a hostage for any demands.
I didn't necessarily view
Izayoi Shoji as an enemy, but in this day and age, I can't afford to be so
naive and to trust them unconditionally.
The fact that I had reached
their front door amidst a swarm of B-rank monsters proved I possessed
significant combat power.
If Izayoi Shoji let a force
like mine slip away right under their nose, they wouldn't have become a major
corporation with annual sales of five trillion yen.
But since I had no way to
break the Absolute Barrier myself, my only option would be to negotiate my way in...
Will they actually lift their Absolute Barrier in
a zone crawling with B-ranks…?
Feeling a wave of gloom, I
dialed my dad,
"Hello? It's me."
『Utamaro!? What's wrong? Did
something happen?』
He answered instantly, as if
he’d been clutching the phone.
"No. That... I’m actually standing right
in front of the Izayoi Shoji shelter right now..."
『Oh! Huh? Then why aren't you
coming in?』
"The thing is, there's a barrier set up,
so I can't get in. Can you put me in touch with someone in charge over there?"
『Hmm, I see... Got it. Utamaro,
find a safe spot and wait there.』
"Okay."
Once the call ended, I had
Athena deploy a pseudo-safe zone and decided to wait there for a while.
And so I waited. A full hour
passed… Finally, my dad contacted me.
『Sorry to keep you waiting.』
"It’s fine. How is it?"
『About
that, Senior Managing Director Kurohara would like to speak with you
directly.』
"Ah, alright."
『Go ahead, Senior Managing
Director Kurohara.』
After my dad said that, a new voice
came through the Card Gear,
『Hello, I’ve taken over the
call. My name is Kurohara. Pleased to meet you.』
"I'm Utamaro Kitagawa. Thank you for
always looking after my father."
『Oh, no,not at
all! It is we who are indebted to Department Manager Kitagawa.
Even before Angolmois, we relied on him heavily. Hoho~, and I must say, coming all
this way for your father in this chaos— you truly are a filial son! Truly
admirable!』
After trading these hollow
pleasantries, we moved to the main topic,
『...Now, regarding your request
to deactivate the barrier so you can enter the shelter.』
"Yes. ...I am aware it’s a tall order, but
is there any way?"
『Hmm, truthfully, I have to say
it's extremely difficult. You're an adventurer capable of traveling outside in
these conditions, Kitagawa-san, so I'm sure you understand, but lifting the
barrier now is...』
...far too risky.
But I couldn't back down. My
reunion with my dad depended on this. I couldn't just say, "Oh,
okay," and walk away.
" Please. If you could just drop it for a
single moment—even one second—that would be enough."
『...I see. However, my answer
must remain no. In that single second, a monster could still slip inside.』
Ugh, no good, huh... Well, to be fair, there’s
absolutely zero benefit for Izayoi Shoji here.
Deactivating the barrier even
for a split second risked a catastrophic breach by the B-rank monsters lurking
nearby. In exchange, they gained nothing.
In fact, if I took my dad
away, they’d lose access to the Mayoiga and other cards I’d entrusted to him.
It was truly ‘All pain, no gain3’. If I were in their shoes, I’d
refuse too. I should be grateful they even agreed to negotiate.
"By the way, is there a transfer gate
inside the shelter that connects to somewhere?"
『Hmm? ...No, there isn't.』
I glanced at Suzuka. She shook
her head.
No good...
If there had been a gate, I
might have been able to bypass the barrier using Janus's Authority.
What to do… Unless I eliminate the risk or
present a benefit that completely outweighs it, they’ll never agree…
Tugging at their heartstrings would be a losing
move. That'd make me no better than a troublesome complainer. Worst case, they
might refuse to negotiate with me ever again.
Athena's pseudo-safe zone... is ineffective here
since it didn't have the range to cover the entire Izayoi Shoji shelter. And
Yuki’s [Lord of The Territory] would only attract more high-rank monsters in
this situation
A benefit, then? Should I offer something like
a B-rank card? Or how about Renge's Rejuvenation skill?
...No. Offering the wrong price could lead to
them holding Dad hostage to squeeze me for more.
Tch, I'm stuck. Should I back off for now?
Fortunately, the Absolute Barrier
guaranteed my dad's safety for now. Its defense was superior to a Guild
shelter. Unless an Irregular Encounter attacked, he should be fine.
Rather than sticking around
and leaving a bad impression, it was better to quietly pull back for today and
think things through calmly.
"I understand... I’ll give up for today."
『I am sorry. If only there were
no monsters outside, we would welcome you with open arms...』
If only there were no monsters, huh? ...Wait,
hold on? Hmm, eliminate the risk and present a benefit...
"Kurohara-san, how much do you know about
the situation outside?"
『Outside, you say? Well, let’s
see. Countless high-rank monsters are roaming outside the shelter, and the city
is in a state of total collapse. With no rescue from the Self-Defense Forces or
the Ikebukuro Guild, and all communication lines down, the Guild itself may
have already fallen. Though detailed information remains unclear, what appears
to be A-rank monster presence has been confirmed. The Angolmois likely
progressed beyond Phase 3 and is now presumably in Phase 4... That's the gist
of it.』
...The Ikebukuro Guild has fallen? Well, that
didn't matter right now. It seems they
don't know about the spatial isolation. That's understandable if they've been
holed up this whole time. Dad probably didn't report it to the company's
higher-ups either.
So,
I proceeded to explain what's happening now—about the
spatial isolation.
『...I see. So that's what's
happening. So Ikebukuro is completely isolated. No wonder the Self-Defense
Forces never came to help...』
"Yes. Thanks to that, some areas that
didn't have deep dungeons to begin with have managed to regain peace by Calming
the existing dungeons and clearing out the surface monsters, but..."
『Conversely, there are places
like ours, trapped with powerful monsters,』
Kurohara-san concluded.
Once I was sure Kurohara-san grasped
the situation, I made my move,
"Therefore, I have a proposal."
『... And what would that be?』
I replied to Kurohara-san,
whose voice carried a hint of wariness,
"————If I were to say I could Calm the
dungeons around Ikebukuro and eliminate every monster on the surface... what
would you say?"
【Tips】Absolute Barrier
A barrier that completely
separates the inside from the outside.
Once activated, it becomes an
absolute protection, but also an absolute cage that even the caster cannot
enter or leave.
Because it allows air, sound,
and light to pass through normally, the Absolute Barrier does not cause oxygen
deprivation or darkness (it does, however, block poison gas and any light or
sound intense enough to be classified as an 'attack').
It's extremely rare for a
single B-rank to possess this skill; it usually requires multiple B-ranks to
activate, such as the Four Divine Beasts.
The difference from a
pseudo-safe zone is that the Absolute Barrier has a wider range and blocks the
entry of both Masters and their cards (whereas the pseudo-safe zone only blocks
monsters).
Before Angolmois, when
monsters were the only threat, its tendency to block allies from entering and
exiting was considered a drawback, but now...
***
Notes:
1 Audrey’s way of addressing Maro’s dad. 大 (dai) means 'big' or 'grand', and 旦那様 (danna-sama) is a very polite way to say 'master of the house'. ↩
2 Selen’s carriage. Reminder, it can soar through the sky ↩
3 An idiom. The raw is 百害あって一利なし. If translated literally, it should be ‘A hundred harms, zero benefit’. ↩
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