"Now then, with introductions out of the way… I thank thee. Truly, thou hast my gratitude."
"Ah, no, it's fine! I wanted to meet you too, Inari-chan."
Inari bowed her head deeply, catching Hikaru off guard for a moment before she quickly returned a smile. It was true that she'd wanted to meet Inari, and now that she had, she felt it had been worthwhile—but more than that, she was simply shocked by the girl herself.
“No way... My “Eye of Truth” isn’t reacting. She's actually thanking me from the bottom of her heart. Seriously? That honest? This is… hard to deal with.”
"Me, a rival? Hmm, I’ve heard that Lion Telecom and FoxPhone are supposed to be competitors, but I don’t really care about such things."
"Same here... Oh, then maybe we can get along?"
"Aye, verily."
The "Eye of Truth"—Hikaru’s skill that allowed her to instantly see through lies. If someone spoke falsely, she’d know immediately. Yet it hadn't triggered once since they began talking. Meaning everything Inari had said, including "we can get along," was entirely sincere. Honestly, it was a level of honesty that felt impossible. Most people, to some extent, sprinkle their words with harmless lies. That’s just human nature. But this much honesty… Where was she from, a village untouched by modern society?
"I see. Then let’s exchange contact info♪"
"Contact… ah, a phone number, yes. How did that work again…?"
"I’ll register it for you."
Hikaru couldn’t quite grasp why someone would be confused about something so simple on a FoxPhone—especially with such a stripped-down model—but began to seriously wonder if Inari really was from some remote backcountry. She wasn’t far off, which made it all the more unbelievable. Either way, once they finished exchanging contact info, Hikaru beamed.
"Okay, we’re friends from today on!"
"Oho, friends! How delightful! ‘Tis mine first friend, truly."
"Wait, really?"
"'Tis that, right? Friends play hopscotch and menko together, nay?"
"U-uhh... y-yeah…? I guess?"
“You’ve gotta be kidding me. That’s not a lie either. She’s dead serious… Where could someone possibly come from to be this much of a time traveler!?”
While the answer to that question might very well be "a ruined village deep in the mountains," that aside, Inari's understanding of modern society was so outdated it could be blamed on the fact that the only things she'd watched since entering it were baseball and shopping channels. She simply wasn’t interested in other things. To be fair, most news aimed at regular citizens had little relevance to Awakeners, so it wasn’t uncommon for them to be clueless about current trends.
And so, as they chatted, Inari and Hikaru walked together—until they finally arrived in front of the FoxPhone and Lion Telecom headquarters. The two companies faced each other across the road, and the rivalry between them was almost tangible. It was unclear who chose the location first, but the fact they were built opposite each other perfectly reflected their competitive spirit.
"Oh, looks like we've arrived."
"Yep. I hate to say goodbye, but… I’ll see you later! Bye-bye♪"
"Aye, fare thee well, then."
Crossing the crosswalk, Inari made her way to the FoxPhone building with the utmost propriety. Hikaru had already come to understand Inari’s nature very well—that she was genuinely a good person. From what she could gather, Inari truly was just that kind of being.
According to recent info, at least as much as Hikaru or Lion Telecom could dig up, the Awakener named Kogami Inari had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Unknown age. Unknown origin. Unknown background. While it looked like she was backed by FoxPhone, in reality, it was probably the Japan branch of the Awakener Association supporting her. That in itself wasn’t surprising, given her power. What was strange, however, was that there was no sign of anything beyond what was publicly visible. No trace of her past, no eyewitnesses—nothing. It was as if she had simply materialized one day out of thin air.
“Kogami… Inari? A fox-themed name, with a fox shrine maiden look? What kind of joke is that? But even that’s not a lie. What the hell… who even is she!?”
She had no idea. Everything Inari said had been honest. In fact, Hikaru herself was far more full of lies. If someone were judging who looked more suspicious in front of the "Eye of Truth," it’d be Hikaru without question. Not that it was entirely her fault—her character persona was mostly Lion Telecom’s doing. Still, she had achieved her goal for coming all the way to Tokyo. As she stood watching the building Inari had entered, Hikaru muttered softly.
“…So? Satisfied now, Kami-sama? I met the one you wanted me to find.”
She said it plainly—Kami-sama, a god. If she wasn’t referring to any of the widely worshipped deities in this world, then the “Kami-sama” Hikaru mentioned must be one of those godlike beings.
The one that revealed itself to Inari in Tokyo’s First Dungeon—the Bearer of Endless Agony and Delight. It seemed Hikaru, too, was involved with one of these entities, possibly as an “Apostle”...?
And Hikaru now saw it—a garbled message visible only to her.
[The King of All Beasts, Sovereign of Every Creature] nods in satisfaction
"...That so? Well, good for you. Time for me to get back to work."
Saying that, Hikaru entered the Lion Telecom building. Naturally… no one on this earth knew of the connection between Hikaru and the King of All Beasts.
=========================
Hopscotch
Origin: Western countries (but versions exist worldwide)
How it’s played: Players draw a pattern of numbered squares on the ground (usually with chalk), then take turns tossing a small object (like a stone or beanbag) into the squares. They hop through the squares on one foot (sometimes two), skipping the one with the object, then retrieve it on the way back—all without losing balance or stepping on lines.
Goal: Complete the course cleanly for each number.
Menko
Origin: Japan
How it’s played: Menko involves thick paper or cardboard cards, often printed with images (e.g., anime characters, superheroes, etc.). Players take turns slamming their own card onto the ground to try to flip over their opponent’s card using the resulting air blast or shock.
Goal: Flip your opponent’s card to win it.