kscans

Chapter 179 - Chapter Seven: Prologue

The Tokyo Incident. That's what they were now calling the great stampede, when the giant, the evil dragon, and the magus went on their rampage.

Today marks the tenth day since that battle, which left three hundred thousand people dead or missing.

The scars of the devastation still remain, but people's daily lives must go on. I'm one of them, and my feet carry me leisurely toward school.

Maybe it's because I left home a little earlier than usual, but the air felt a bit fresher.

Then again, it's August, so it's still hot. At least it's a little more bearable in the morning.

"The search for the missing continues, and their families are watching on, hoping they can at least give them a proper burial—"

As I passed the bus stop, I overheard a voice coming from a salaryman's smartphone.

He seemed to be watching the news. Normally, it would be just another everyday scene I'd walk right past.

"The Invisible Ninjas, and the B-Rank Candidates. If it weren't for their desperate fight, the damage would have been far greater—"

"..."

But I couldn't help but stop in my tracks, my expression hardening.

I instinctively almost peered at the man's phone, but that would be a serious breach of etiquette. I held back, my face twisting into a bitter look as I started walking again.

Perhaps sensing someone had stopped right near him, the salaryman seemed to glance back at me.

He let out some kind of strange noise at the sight of my back, but I pretended not to hear.

The Invisible Ninjas.

I have no connection whatsoever to a group with such a moronic name. I maintain that pretense to protect my own peace of mind. I really wish they'd let me change it.

The closer I got to school, the more people there were. The number of stares directed at me increased, and I started to feel more and more uncomfortable.

So much for the refreshing morning air. Fighting the urge to turn around and go home, I changed into my indoor shoes at the lockers.

I wish people would stop suddenly falling silent and averting their gaze the moment I walk past them while they're cheerfully chatting with their friends. It's not like I'm going to bite their heads off.

Listening to the distant shouts of the sports clubs and the chirping of cicadas, I headed for the classroom.

I put my hand on the door and slowly opened it.

"Morning."

It was still a little early, so I thought no one would be inside. I said hello anyway, just because.

But to my surprise, it seemed someone was already there.

"Morning!"

A bright voice, one that could blow away any gloomy thoughts.

I looked up at the sound of it and saw a beautiful girl standing with the morning sunlight pouring in from the window behind her.

A stunning face, lit by a smile as bright as the sun. Her long, sparkling blonde hair was tied in twin-tails, which swayed gently with her movements.

Her summer uniform couldn't hide a body that was both youthful and distinctly feminine. Her figure, which seemed to embody a man's every desire, created a gap with her innocent expression that felt like poison for the eyes.

And yet, I couldn't tear my gaze away from her emerald eyes.

The girl, who looked like she could be the goddess of summer herself, thrust her hand out toward me and declared,

"Let's do some ninja stuff together again today, Kyo-chan!"

"Could you maybe not, at least in the morning?"

Give me a break, you self-proclaimed ninja.

As Erina-san gave me a thumbs-up, I set my bag down on my desk with my mouth pressed into a thin line.

Whatever she found so amusing, she crossed her arms under her chest with a smug look on her face. I let out a small sigh at my friend and party member. I think I've gotten far too used to this routine.

My day had begun just like any other.

...That aside, I wish she wouldn't emphasize her chest so much. It's seriously bad for my concentration.

I fought the urge to press my palms together and bow my head in reverence.

*

After enduring classes taught by teachers who were either overly considerate or surprisingly devoid of emotion, I chatted with friends during break, and then it was time to go home.

There were no preparations for the cultural festival today, so I headed straight home.

The front door was locked, and a note was left in the living room. It seemed Mom was out at the Walkers' branch office.

This has become more common lately, so I carry my own house key now. Everyone seems to be busy since the Tokyo Incident.

It's to be expected, I suppose. It was a disaster that could have threatened the very existence of Japan.

The ironic thing is, the reason so many people can continue with their daily lives is thanks to the dungeons, the very source of the problem.

Of course, there was also foreign aid, the efforts of the Walkers and the Alchemy Enthusiasts Club, and the hard work of the government.

But more than any of that was the wealth, technology, and sheer potential that the dungeons produced.

Professor Arisugawa's announcement. That Japan was now connected to another world through a dungeon gate.

It was a preposterous story, but things like that hadn't been unusual since the Day of Awakening. ...Though something on this scale was certainly rare.

Untapped resources. Untouched markets. Investors, blinded by the possibilities, are all starting to make their moves.

Of course, there were also those who focused on the dangers. Even if we could clear a dungeon and emerge on the other side of a sealed entrance, would the beings we find there be willing to trade?

What if they possessed technology superior to ours, and a barbarism that exceeded our own? In that case, they might decide to launch an invasion, just like the disastrous Atlantis Empire.

President Fudge Valentine of the United States, in particular, has been strongly pointing out that danger. And yet, his country has the most investors involved in this matter.

The world moves according to various motives. With no way to influence these grand currents, all I can do is enjoy my own peaceful life.

"Alrighty."

I changed in my room and slung my bag over my shoulder. I flipped over my mom's note in the living room and left a message of my own on the back.

"Hello, Erina-san?"

"'Yessir! This is the Invisible Ninjas!'"

"...Can we stop with that introduction?"

"'Nope!'"

"I see..."

When I called out through my earring, I heard Erina-san's overly cheerful voice.

"I'm ready, so could you come pick me up?"

"'Okay-okay! Oh yeah!'"

"You seem even more hyper than usual."

"'Well, of course! Grandma is working hard, our name is getting out there! If I don't get hyped now, when will I, Kyo-chan!'"

"Definitely not the latter. Seriously, not that."

"'Oh, come on, Erina-kun. The only time Kyo-chan-kun gets excited is, of course, when it's something lewd—'"

"Be quiet."

I cut off the disappointing university student's interruption and headed for the entrance.

Just as I was putting on my shoes, I sensed the familiar fluctuation of mana on the other side of the door.

"'It's me, Erina-san! I'm right outside your house!'"

"Got it. Coming out now."

"'Can I teleport behind you?'"

"...Did you put a marker inside my house?"

"'Nope. I haven't, so can you come out walking backward? I'll go back for a second and then teleport again!'"

"Denied."

"'Aww.'"

When I opened the door normally, Erina-san was standing there, dressed in a Taisho-era-style hakama.

"Alright, let's get to it! Invisible Ninjas, move out!!"

"Right, did I lock the door..."

"Invisible Ninjas, move out!!"

"Yep, it's locked. Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's go."

"Invisible Ninjas, move—"

"I'm not saying it."

"Say it!"

"'Hah! This must be one of Kyo-chan-kun's psychological tactics! Erina-kun, this is where you employ the 'playing hard to get is a sign of affection' strategy—'"

"Stop it, you'll disturb the neighbors."

"'Kay.'"

"'Am I not getting treated a little too casually here!?'"

I entrusted my luggage to Erina-san's Item Box and, with a slight feeling of tension, took her hand.

Averting my eyes from her beaming smile, I stepped into the transfer gate that had formed before us. From here on, I need to switch gears. As soon as we meet up with Mia-san, we're heading straight into the dungeon.

With that thought, I squeezed my eyes shut for a few seconds.

Alright, it's time to get to work.