Ding!
A harsh metallic clang rang out as the man’s sword deflected Inari’s Kogetsu. As he turned to defend himself, Inari recognized his face.
“Hmm? That face... You were at Tokyo Port, if I recall...”
“Y-Yes! I’m Kobayashi Seiichi, of Clan ‘Seiryu’! And you’re... the girl called Kogami from FoxPhone, right? What the hell are you doing!? This is going to be a serious issue!”
“Hm.”
What the man said made sense, logically speaking. Just going by words, Kobayashi sounded perfectly reasonable—and Inari seemed to be in the wrong. After all, suddenly attacking someone was hardly moral or ethical. However...
“No, that won’t fly with me.”
Inari could see it—both outside and inside the dungeon, she could see the evil mist that filled the air. And now, she could clearly see the source. That’s right... it was leaking from the pouch attached to Kobayashi’s waist. Cunningly, it hadn’t been visible at first—only after putting some distance between them did it begin to show. But still...
“I can see the mist gathering around thee. 'Tis plain as day thou art its source.”
“T-This is...!”
“Out there, no one would know. But here, the mist's effects be weakened... making its origin glaringly obvious.”
Yes, outside in the thick fog, no one would notice if Kobayashi was producing it. But inside the dungeon, where the mist was thinner, it was easy to tell. Granted, with everyone else asleep, it likely hadn’t been a problem for him—until now.
“No, wait, it’s a misunderstanding. I’m troubled by this too... Yes, let’s work together to fix this. If we do—”
“...Thou hast been trying to mix some sort of curse into thy voice for a while now, haven’t thee? But alas, it hath no effect on me.”
“!?”
Yes, Kobayashi had been using a skill. A skill granted to him by his job, “■■■■’s Guardian”—a skill called Call of Madness. It poisoned his voice with a mental toxin, corroding the sanity of any who heard him. Simply by speaking, he could shatter someone’s mind.
No one—no matter how strong—was supposed to be able to resist it. Supposed to. But Inari stood there, completely unaffected.
“N-No way... That’s impossible. No one should be able to resist this skill...”
“Oho, and now thou reveal thyself.”
“...!”
Kobayashi fell silent and raised his sword. That sword, with a hilt resembling dragon scales—the source of his alias, “Dragon Blade.”
It was listed as Dragon Scale Blade in appraisals, just like how his job was misidentified as “Magic Swordsman.”
But that, too, was a false front.
Its true name was “■■■■■”—a name that human understanding was forbidden from knowing. It was a weapon bestowed by a god—one that instilled fear in all it struck. A blade that had carried Kobayashi this far.
But now… that blade was chipped. And Kobayashi finally realized it.
“...Huh?”
He didn’t understand. He couldn’t comprehend it. Had the blade chipped from that one clash? Just one blow? Impossible. It was a weapon bestowed by a god. And yet…
While he stood frozen in confusion, Inari’s voice rang out.
“Truth be told, I care not what thou wert trying to do.”
“W-Wait, listen to me—let’s talk—”
“Nor do I intend to preach the justice of mankind. That is not my place.”
“This—this is something entrusted to me by the gods! If you’d just listen—”
“Yet, even now, innocent folk outside are being attacked without cause. That, I cannot overlook.”
“They’re necessary sacrifices! The weak must always be sacrificed for the greater good! That’s how it’s always been, so—!”
“So?”
“So... So that’s why! You must die too!!”
A surge of dark mist burst forth from the black orb Kobayashi drew—it began taking shape. But Inari’s countless foxfires flew from her fingertips, shattering the forming entity, blowing Kobayashi back, and breaking his sword.
“Foolish, art thou not? If sacrifices must be made for the many, surely thou art among the few.”
Perhaps he meant to say that the needs of the many outweigh the few, but Inari didn’t accept such a “greater good.” And so, her conclusion was the same.
Kobayashi was utterly obliterated by her foxfire—no normal human could have survived it.
From the place where he once stood, the black orb rolled to a stop. Inari sent another burst of foxfire to destroy it.
As the mist began to dissipate, Inari felt confident that—for now—the matter had been resolved.
[The One Who Dwells in the Deep Abyss] bears hostility toward you
A distorted window appeared before Inari—clearly not part of the system.
This was the second time she’d seen something like it. The first had been with [Bearer of Endless Agony and Delight]. Now, the entity presenting itself was [The One Who Dwells in the Deep Abyss].
Unlike last time, it made no offer of an apostle contract—but Inari’s answer remained the same.
She drew Kogetsu again and ran a finger along its blade.
The blade glowed with a majestic blue light in response.
“Secret Sword: Onikiri.”
The window—something that should have been untouchable—was cleaved cleanly in two by her strike and vanished.
“I’ve no fondness for thee either. I suppose the feeling is mutual.”
You have temporarily expelled the influence of [The One Who Dwells in the Deep Abyss]!
Achievement unlocked! [Achievement: Interference Expelled]
An extraordinary feat has been achieved!
You have obtained a Gold Reward Box!
“Now then, I wonder what’s become of the outside. If monsters still remain, I ought to lend a hand... Best be quick, hmm?”
Still, what to do about the aftermath?
Of course, the first person to come to Inari’s mind was Yasuno.
…
From this day on, there were no more aquatic monster attacks. The temporary dungeon in Tokyo Bay was cleared without issue. The attack on Fuchu was officially categorized as just another part of the string of aquatic monster incidents.
Thus, while the reputation of the “Tokyo Bay Dungeon Expedition Team” soared… The “Fuchu Incident” was quietly resolved—leaving shock only in the hearts of those who truly understood what had happened.