kscans

Chapter 138 - Chapter Five: Epilogue - Part Two

Chapter Five: Epilogue - Part Two

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"I'm... gonna die..."

Somewhere in Kanagawa Prefecture.

On the top floor of a building that was once leased for offices, but was now owned entirely by the Walkers.

In the guild master's office, Yamashita was slumped completely into his chair.

Normally, he treated this leather chair, which he'd bought for several hundred thousand yen, with more care than he treated himself. But now, he didn't even have the energy for that.

In front of him, a man dressed in black chuckled as if Yamashita's soul were about to escape from his mouth.

"You look quite exhausted, Yamashita-kun. To think the man now being hailed as the 'Mediator between Awakened and non-Awakened' would have such a vacant expression."

"The reason for that is the very thing you just said...?"

Yamashita retorted to 'K,' the vice-chairman of the Alchemy Enthusiasts Club, his face devoid of energy.

"It's true... it's true I decided to walk this path. But I never expected to suddenly be told to protect sixty-eight people you kidnapped from Turohorse... I'm way over capacity, seriously."

"On that point, even I must sympathize."

Officially, the sixty-eight individuals in question had escaped the settlement 'on their own.'

But the truth was different. The trio who had saved Yamashita and his party when they were caught in a Stampede in Chiba, along with one other companion, had picked a fight with Turohorse.

Their reason was that the sister of a friend of this fourth member had been captured by Yaguruma... It was, in a sense, someone else's problem. But for them, it was apparently reason enough to risk their lives.

However, their actions were impulsive rather than planned, so after rescuing the sixty-eight captives, they had nowhere to run.

They had considered turning to the police, but after hearing from the captives about the connections between Turohorse and government officials, including the police, they could no longer trust public institutions.

As a result, the task fell to the one person in their network who seemed capable of sheltering such a large number of people.

"Just when I thought you had come to us for help, you suddenly demand we prepare shelter and food for sixty-eight people... I was quite taken aback at the time."

"I'm truly sorry. But beyond the debt I owe you, I couldn't refuse after hearing the circumstances..."

"Well, had you not acted, Japan would likely be in a terrible state right now."

The vice-chairman's words were no exaggeration.

'The confinement and forced criminal activity of non-Awakened by powerful Awakened Persons.'

It had long been rumored that Turohorse didn't consider non-Awakened to be human, and now that rumor had been brought to light with hard evidence.

Naturally, anti-Awakened organizations abroad would have a field day. In fact, it was an issue that needed to be raised.

It could have spread to those within Japan who held grievances and anxieties about Awakened Persons, potentially sparking a large-scale anti-Awakened movement.

The current situation was that Awakened Persons were protecting the country from dungeons, but if they were also oppressing people, then it was all meaningless. That was the argument of the anti-Awakened groups.

And they were demanding that 'the United Nations take full control over the management of Awakened Persons.' This would involve conscription and mandatory participation in experiments, which was, of course, unacceptable to the Awakened.

Perhaps it was a negotiation tactic, starting with an unreasonable demand...

But there was a high probability that such a jab could hit the detonator of a bomb.

If that had happened, the 'Awakened vs. non-Awakened' conflict would have become much more pronounced.

It was crucial for the 'largest Awakened organization (the Walkers)' to save the non-Awakened and show a stance of opposition to the Awakened who had committed crimes.

"In that sense, I'm grateful to those three... now four, yes."

"If I recall, their offer in return was that they would place themselves under the Walkers, was it not?"

"Yes. But while their methods were extreme, they did the right thing. And on top of that, they reached out to an adult for help. It wouldn't be right to call that a transaction or demand something in return. I respectfully declined their offer."

"And your true feelings?"

"I don't want to take on a runaway freight train like them...!!"

"I understand..."

It was true that they were highly appealing as a fighting force.

But a band of barbarians that would make modern weaponry look tame was, to put it mildly, something he wanted nothing to do with.

"Well, do your best. Don't worry. In a little while, the public's attention will shift from the 'Turohorse Incident' to the 'Maritime Dungeon.' A problem that's still ongoing is more important than one that's been resolved, after all."

With that, the vice-chairman gestured toward the window.

The blinds were down, but the faint sound of a large crowd could be heard.

"The Walkers attacked the Turohorse headquarters! This is private violence!"

"If it weren't for them, Turohorse's tyranny would have continued! We can't rely on our gutless government!"

"This isn't about good or evil! They're criminals who disregarded the law! Arrest them!"

"There's no proof the Walkers were even involved!"

"Criminal! Criminal! Yamashita Hiroshi is a criminal!!"

"Savior! Savior! Yamashita Hiroshi is a savior!!"

For days now, anti-fans and believers had been engaged in a fierce shouting match in front of the Walkers' building.

What started as a few dozen people had gradually grown until it was uncontrollable. Fervor bred more fervor, and they were all drunk on the dopamine rush in their brains.

Fortunately, no violence had broken out, but for some reason, both sides had started chanting their slogans in a rhythmic fashion.

From a distance, it looked like some kind of festival.

"You think they'll disperse that quickly...?"

"The masses are fickle."

"I see. So my days of hoping they'd just mutually annihilate each other are coming to an end..."

"You seem more worn out than I thought."

"Of course I am. I still have to think about the futures of those sixty-eight people."

"...?"

At Yamashita's words, the vice-chairman tilted his head.

"Their futures? That is no longer your responsibility. From here on, you should be able to leave it to the state."

"I hate to say it, but with the government barely able to compensate the victims of Stampedes, entrusting the futures of sixty-eight people to them is impossible. I took them in once. After the interrogations and trials are over, I have to help them with re-entering school or finding jobs..."

With an exhausted look, Yamashita reached for a document on his desk.

Seeing this, the vice-chairman laughed again, looking amused.

"My, my. Are you planning to do other work while talking to me? Work you created for yourself, no less."

"It's fine. We're practically family at this point. I'll be putting you all to work too, you know."

He shot the vice-chairman a resentful glare, who only seemed more delighted, his shoulders shaking with mirth.

"Good heavens, you are... so naive. Are you truly an adult?"

"I know. I'm just a stupid, rude kid."

"Is that so? Well, as long as you're aware. But don't go lighting a fire under this old man, you hear?"

"Huh...?"

Yamashita frowned, a question mark floating above his head, but the vice-chairman simply shook his head slightly.

"Now then. Any further and I might lose myself and be tempted to gently nibble your cat ears while forcing this new beastification potion down your throat. Let us move on to the next topic."

"Yes, let's. And could you maybe take a step back?"

As Yamashita, thoroughly repulsed, partially manifested his [Arcane Gear], the vice-chairman straightened his posture.

"The masses will grow bored. And then they will remember the problem that requires their full attention."

"...The 'Maritime Dungeon'?"

"Precisely. It is disastrous news that could destroy Japan's... no, the world's logistics."

Yamashita's face soured, as if he'd chewed on a hundred bitter bugs.

"This is seriously no joke. They won't start appearing in the sky, will they? If that happens, it's really..."

"Ah, that won't be a problem. The appearance of a maritime dungeon is an extremely rare case, so the possibility of them 'increasing' is low."

"...Huh?"

At the vice-chairman's words, Yamashita blinked his eyes.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because we investigated."

"...Investigated what?"

"The dungeons in various locations. Especially the one Turohorse was hiding. The police, not the Self-Defense Force, were managing it for a while, so with the chairman's help, things went smoothly. We've sent the data to the government as well."

"What have you people been doing? Well, I'll let that slide for now, but are you sure about what you just said?"

"Yes. It's impossible to predict the exact location where a dungeon will appear. However, we've found a common factor."

As the vice-chairman casually reported a major discovery, Yamashita's cheek twitched.

This pervert was brilliant. Disturbingly so.

"Ley lines... some people call them dragon veins. This planet itself has mana, and it flows through it like blood vessels. You follow so far?"

"I've heard of it in games and manga, so I can accept it. Whether I understand it is another matter."

"It is extremely difficult for humans to utilize them at present. We lack both the technology and the materials. However, it seems dungeons tend to appear on top of these ley lines. That maritime dungeon appeared in relatively shallow water, close to the seabed. It was likely at the maximum distance from which it could draw mana from the ley line."

"Th-This is the first I'm hearing of this...?! Wait, dungeons were drawing power from ley lines?!"

"Of course it's the first you're hearing of it. We only reached that conclusion this morning. It's been a while since I pulled an all-nighter."

The vice-chairman sounded somewhat cheerful, leaving Yamashita gaping in astonishment.

"Based on the above, a dungeon will not appear in the sky. As for maritime dungeons, their relationship with Japan's ley lines means they can only appear in very limited locations."

"Well, that's good to hear, but... if you know that much, you still can't predict where they'll appear?"

"Impossible. Japan has too many ley lines. We've dispatched club members and collaborators overseas to investigate, but Japan is the only country with such a dense network of ley lines spread across its entire landmass."

"...So you were researching things other than ero-golems."

"Correct yourself. What we are researching is the 'Homunculus Bride.' And measuring ley lines is part of that research. We needed to find the most suitable land for our production facilities!"

"Ah, right."

Yamashita looked into the distance as the vice-chairman clenched his fist passionately.

The Alchemy Enthusiasts Club. An organization of immense skill and drive, but its motivations were rooted entirely below the belt.

"But this is still a dangerous situation. The possibility of dungeons appearing at sea, however small, is a major problem that further diminishes the value of Japan, a nation that relies on trade."

"Yeah. The office staff were complaining that the yen has gotten weaker again."

"Plus, it's caused a setback for the 'Mega-Float Project.'"

"What's that?"

"It's a plan that was secretly underway, based on the idea of 'If dungeons appear on land, why not live on the sea?' The well-to-do were planning to move there through a lottery—which was really an auction. Oh, you should have seen the looks on the faces of the politicians and corporations who were raising funds for it."

"I didn't want to know that."

"That's just how the world is. ...Japan has a serious problem with its 'land.' The day it can no longer meet the conditions of being a country is not unthinkable. It's enough to give you a stomachache. I've already decided which country to flee to with my family, but I'd rather avoid living abroad at my age if I can help it."

"Yeah..."

Both men let out a heavy sigh.

A ringing sound echoed through the silent room. It was coming from the phone on Yamashita's desk.

"Yes, this is Yamashita. Yes... ah, it's alright. Let them through."

He nodded in response to the call from his secretary.

A few minutes later, the door to the guild master's office opened, and a man in black entered, pushing two large carts with the help of a golem.

"Hello, sorry to keep you both waiting."

"Chairman, good to see you."

"It's been a while. What's going on? I imagine the police are quite busy right now."

"Oh, it's nothing. I just heard that our ally, Yamashita-kun, was living a life full of stress. I thought I'd bring him a little something to soothe his soul."

"You should be grateful, Yamashita-kun. These are masterpieces we each crafted with our own hands."

"...Ah, I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this."

"Ready..."

"Set!"

The old man and the geezer spoke in perfect, unnecessarily energetic unison from under their hoods.

Then, the cloths were whipped off the carts.

"What do you think, Yamashita-kun! You're still a beginner, so I thought a full-on bly was too advanced. I made this girl-type model with the same height and weight as a prince! Her abs are a six-pack, of course. You too can slowly climb the ladder and become an advanced practitioner like me, capable of getting ere*t at the mere sight of bedrock!"

"Ridiculous! While it is the club's rule not to deny another's fetish, I must dare to say it: this beast-girl I have created is far superior! What do you think, Yamashita-kun? A cat-type, just for you! And considering you're still a rookie, I kept the beastliness at a '2' for you!"

" "

On the carts sat two golems. One was a sporty, short-haired beauty with chiseled abs; the other was a girl who looked like a mix of cat and human, covered in fur.

Both had glassy eyes staring straight ahead, their mouths forming a faint smile. In the interest of fairness, both were dressed in sports bras and spandex shorts.

"Now! They may not be the ideal Homunculus Bride yet, but they're more than enough to release some pent-up... energy!"

"Our investigation has revealed that you are a virgin! There's no need to hold back. Enjoy yourself to the fullest. And then, give us your review!"

"Sssuuu... ffuuu..."

Yamashita fully deployed his [Arcane Gear] and raised his weapon.

"You absolute morons!!"

"Oh dear! It seems we teased him a bit too much!"

"Someone! Call for a man!"

"Prepare to die, you perverts!!"

*

Somewhere in Tokyo. A certain bar.

It was located a short distance from the station, far from the city's hustle and bustle. With a quiet, unassuming佇まい, it had the air of a secret, renowned establishment. Inside, several couples were enjoying their time.

At a corner of the counter, a man in a suit sat down next to a Caucasian man who was swirling a drink in his glass.

"Hello. It's been a while, Yuusuke."

"Indeed. It's good to see you well, Jack."

Director Akasaka and the man called Jack exchanged smiles. Jack glanced at the master, and a glass of liquor was immediately placed before him.

"To celebrate this long-overdue reunion with a friend, allow me to treat you."

"Thank you very much. In that case, I won't hesitate."

Akasaka smiled pleasantly and took a sip of his drink. He set the glass down with a clink of ice and returned his gaze to Jack.

"Now then. I trust that sip was enough to show you that I trust you."

"Honestly... you still have no sense of decorum, do you? A gentleman should enjoy the back-and-forth, you know."

"I only adopt this attitude with those who prefer it."

"Is that so? It seems I've been courted by you, then."

Akasaka kept his smile as the man gave a slight shrug and a laugh.

But he was not letting his guard down for a second. After all, this bar was the other man's territory.

Japan, a country said to be a paradise for spies. It was home to countless bases for foreign agents. This bar was one of them, belonging to Great Britain.

"Allow me to be direct. Turohorse has been destroyed. And your scheme has failed."

"Whatever do you mean? I heard a dangerous armed group was neutralized, but what does that have to do with us?"

"If that's the pretense you wish to maintain, then I'll do all the talking."

Akasaka continued, his voice low and hushed, blending with the classical music playing in the bar.

"Britain's goal was for Turohorse to run rampant. This would broadcast the danger of Awakened Persons to the international community. Then, once they had gone berserk and dealt a fatal blow to the Japanese government, you would lead the UN in a partitioned rule of Japan. Multiple countries would 'own and investigate the dungeons.' And Britain, of course, would be among them."

"What a dreadful fantasy. You're not cut out to be a writer, you know."

"For you, it didn't matter whether Turohorse won or lost, as long as they caused chaos. If they won, you would send in a multinational force—if not the first-ever UN army—to a country controlled by terrorists. If they lost, you'd let the dangerous ideologues escape to a rival nation to cause more trouble there. And the controllable ones you would take into your own country, leaving Japan under UN control all the same."

Jack stroked his chin with a puzzled look as Akasaka rattled off his theory.

"Hmm... in this fantasy of yours, it seems we're taking a rather circuitous route. There must be simpler, more elegant ways, surely. Besides, the UN has been the exclusive playground of another country lately."

"You always have another country take the heat, don't you? 'Low risk, medium return.' This was just one of many plans."

After saying that much, Akasaka took another sip of his drink.

He wet his lips and continued.

"But that plan, which you thought was a safe bet, has failed. Turohorse was crushed far earlier than you anticipated, and because the Walkers took action, the prejudice against Awakened Persons hasn't grown as much as you'd hoped."

"...I'll play along with your fantasy. You said it was one of many plans. So, did you come here just to gloat over a single failure? If so, that's a pity. It seems the stress of your job has made you quite rusty."

"No, Jack. I came here to join forces with you."

With those words, Director Akasaka scanned the room.

At some point, all the other patrons had taken their hands off their glasses and were now looking at the two of them. One of each of their arms was out of Akasaka's sight. Only the master and Jack had both hands visible.

If they wished it, Akasaka Yuusuke could be made to disappear tonight. The police would never investigate, and he would be recorded as having died in a drunken accident on his way home from work.

He had arranged for insurance in case that happened... but Akasaka knew that Jack and his people would not be so reckless.

"I have an interesting proposition. You can decide whether to join us after you've heard it."

"Is this fantasy of yours still going? I do hope it's actually interesting."

Akasaka smiled at the wry-faced Jack and leaned in closer.

"Information regarding dungeon emergences is something you want as well, I presume. As well as what lies 'beyond' them."

"..."

"If things continue as they are, America will win it all. After all—it was that country that pushed the first button."

"...!"

At last, a serious glint appeared in Jack's eyes.

Without changing his expression, Akasaka picked up his glass.

"Thank you for the delicious drink, Jack. Let's have a good talk tonight."

"...Indeed, Yuusuke. Tonight, I shall indulge your fantasy to the fullest. But you must forgive me if I get drunk and start spouting fantasies of my own, yes?"

The two men gave a small toast and tilted their glasses in unison.

*

Leaving the bar in one piece, Akasaka headed home in a car with a trusted driver he had arranged through old contacts.

How many days had it been since he was last home? Deciding it was foolish to even count, Akasaka took out his smartphone and called his beloved daughter.

She answered on the first ring, her bright voice echoing through the phone.

"Dad! What's up? Are you done with work for the day?"

"Yes. I'm on my way home now. I've already eaten, but I thought I'd pick up a cake on the way."

"Really?! That's great! I'll tell Mom!"

"Haha. Now then, my dear, beloved daughter."

"What is it, my dear, beloved Dad?"

"I have a few questions for you about the 'mischief' you and your friends have been up to."

"Gasp."

Director Akasaka's voice was smiling, but on the other end of the line, his daughter let out a choked breath.

"Wh-What could you possibly mean? Was it about the time we had a pretend gunfight with fireworks? You're right, that was probably too childish for high schoolers! I'm very sorry!"

"Listen to me."

"Yes."

"I have no intention of going easy on you, even if you are my daughter. I'm a terrible father who would choose his country over his family. ...Let's talk while we eat some delicious cake, shall we?"

"Yes."

Ending the call, Director Akasaka slipped his phone into his pocket.

He spoke quietly to the driver.

"Sorry, but could you stop at a cake shop and... a drugstore on the way?"

His stomach was already churning, anticipating the need for more antacids.