kscans

Chapter 321 - The Battle with Genbu and the Castle's Folding Screen

The day after Hayato learned about Maris and Surya, everyone was at the mansion preparing for battle.

Today, they were set to fight Genbu.

Its location was Ryugu. The system involved taking a boat from the eastern port to a deserted island and teleporting from there. Then, by offering a fish over one meter long at an altar in Ryugu, Genbu would appear.

Like Suzaku, Genbu had various gimmicks, but since they had fought it before, most of them were known.

Hayato was confident they could defeat it without any particular problems this time, but he was worried about something else.

It was about Maris and Surya.

The two of them, who still talked normally without any apparent issues, had belonged to rival organizations in the real world. Hayato didn't know why they had become confrontational despite having the same goal.

He had tried to look it up in the real world, but there was no such information.

There were many things that troubled him, but for now, he decided to prepare for the battle with Genbu and started checking the items he was bringing.

A little later, Maris approached him.

"Hayato-san, you're as thorough as ever with your preparations."

"I'm completely useless in a fight, so I have to at least do this much. Are you all set, Maris?"

"Yes. I took care of it properly yesterday!"

Maris said that with a smug look on her face.

Immediately after, Siegfried, who was on her shoulder, said, "Nya," and lightly tapped Maris's head with his right front paw. He couldn't speak, but it felt like he was saying, "Don't get cocky."

(Looking at her like this, she just gives the impression of a slightly goofy kid. But apparently, she was a brilliant veterinarian in reality, and a researcher too. I wonder what she was researching, probably something about animals?)

It was a strange thing, but while Maris seemed in a way that you couldn't imagine her real-world self if you didn't know, she looked smart once you did know.

Surya was also dressed as a clown, but originally she was a veterinarian and researcher just like Maris. He didn't know what her thought process was for wearing a clown suit, but Hayato thought it might be an influence from her real life.

And then he looked at Maris.

She wore a white tank top with light brown shorts, a brown scarf around her neck, and had on oversized gloves and boots, as well as black knee-high socks and white arm guards that reached her upper arms. It could be said to be a very active look.

Perhaps it was because he had just heard yesterday's story, but Hayato thought she looked like someone you'd see searching for wild animals in old videos.

"Huh? Is something strange? I don't think I have bed hair...?"

"Ah, no, that's not it. Um, is Siegfried staying behind today too?"

"Yes, he says he's going to sunbathe with Max."

Max was a yokai called a Kyubi, Maris's pet, modeled after a nine-tailed fox.

"The veranda is certainly comfortable. The weather is nice too, so I think today is the perfect day for sunbathing."

"Right! I want to join in too, but this afternoon I'm going yokai hunting with Surya."

"I haven't helped with that at all, but is it going well?"

"Yesterday afternoon, Surya and I gathered information from the townspeople, and we've investigated the likely locations for a few of them. We've also decided on a place to go this afternoon. I have a feeling we might be able to tame a Kamaitachi!"

A Kamaitachi is a weasel with scythes. It would likely have various forms depending on the creative work, but there was no doubt it was a weasel. As an animal-type yokai, the chances of taming it were probably high.

"Sorry I can't help with that."

"It's fine. You make food for Siegfried and the others every day, Hayato-san, and that's a huge help. Huh? Yes, yes... Siegfried says he is most grateful too!"

"Um, should I say it's my great honor?"

When Hayato said that, the two of them laughed.

Siegfried also seemed happy, his tail wagging greatly on Maris's shoulder.

After they finished laughing, Maris smiled and patted Siegfried's head.

"Going to various places to look for yokai like this is nice, isn't it? It might suit me."

"It suits you?"

"It's just that I like it. Gathering information like this, going to various places, and researching yokai, or it could be rare monsters instead of yokai, going to their habitats and doing all sorts of research. I like that kind of fieldwork. So I'm quite fond of this event!"

"That's good. I'm counting on you, so keep up the good work."

"Leave it to me! They call me the ace of the Royal Capital's guild for a reason, so you can count on me!"

Maris said that and puffed out her chest. Immediately after, Siegfried smacked her on the head with his tail.

Hayato thought they were a good duo as he proceeded with his final checks.

Upon arriving at Ryugu, Hayato and the others immediately summoned Genbu.

It was Hayato's first time seeing it, but its form was that of a giant turtle with a total length of about twenty meters. However, its tail was a snake.

There are a lot of monsters with snake tails, Hayato thought, as he observed Genbu's attack patterns.

Its movements were slow, but its attack and defense power were high, and it had a lot of HP. Furthermore, they would have to fight in an annoying situation where the ground shook just from it moving. And Maris's opening taming attempt had enraged it.

That said, since they had fought this Genbu before, their strategy was established.

Besides, if the opponent was just one, it could be said that they could fight with a considerable advantage.

"Dragon Curse, here I come! Uhihihihi..."

Ren's Dragon Curse could halve any given status. Against Genbu, which only used physical attacks, lowering its STR would drastically reduce the damage. There was a condition that its effective range was somewhat narrow, but in a one-on-one boss fight, they could fight with a considerable advantage.

With Ren's curse in effect, everyone started attacking Genbu's neck and legs.

This was because after taking a certain amount of damage, it would take an action to pull its neck and legs into its shell. And in its retracted state, physical attacks would not work at all. In that state, its HP would gradually recover, but they wouldn't let it get away with that.

No matter how high its defense was, Lunaria's Arondight could attack while ignoring defense power.

Furthermore, the Excalibur Replica and Arondight Replica also had lower attack power than the originals but could attack while ignoring defense power, so Ney and Cecil were also playing an active role.

"Turtles get flipped over."

"Yes! I will cooperate with Lunaria!"

"Alright, I'm in! Noat, give me some support!"

"I'll support you with all my might, so finish it quickly."

The main attackers' good spirits, or rather, their tension, was as high as ever. The trio of Lunaria, Ney, and Cecil launched a flashy attack.

Noat was also unusually motivated. She had taken a liking to the open-air bath she had wanted to try, and had been complaining since morning that she wanted to soak in it all day. It had gotten to the point where she started asking Hayato to build one at their base.

And of course, attribute attacks were effective, so the rear guard unleashed the highest firepower magic they possessed.

After taking a certain amount of damage in its shell state, for some reason, Genbu would flip over, revealing its weak spot, its belly. Everyone swarmed it.

After a while, Genbu would jump up and return to its original state, but what they had to be careful of was the shockwave that occurred when it landed on the ground after jumping up.

This had enough power to defeat even someone in heavy armor in one hit, so the moment it jumped, everyone scattered like spiders.

This returned them to the beginning, but after that, it was a repeat. It wasn't a particularly difficult enemy to defeat if you watched its preparatory movements carefully.

Genbu's HP was slowly chipped away, and the finishing blow was Esha's Destroy. It took time, but they defeated Genbu without any particular danger.

As everyone rejoiced, only Diite looked a little disappointed.

"Is something wrong?"

"I was just thinking it might be a little too weak. I was considering whether I should raise the difficulty a little more."

"Huh? It certainly seemed easy, but I think that's just because everyone is strong. I don't think normal players could fight like this, you know?"

"But normal players will gather more people. Considering that, it's a bit...

Hayato understood. Hayato's group was about thirty people. There were many members who were each a one-man army, but if normal players were to fight, they would probably gather fifty or more. Their tactics would be different, but there was a possibility that their combat power would be comparable.

Hayato's group was, by any measure, a composition specialized for boss fights. With Dragon Curse, Destroy, and even Lunaria's Black Swan, they were strong enough that one person could do the work of a dozen. He felt like they weren't much of a reference.

"Hmm, I wonder what the best thing to do is..."

When Hayato showed signs of distress, Diite laughed.

"It's not something for Hayato-kun to worry about. Just like yesterday's matter, this kind of thing is for me to think about. I'd like your opinion from time to time, but first, I want you to enjoy this world. Look, there are drop items, so let's all have a report session."

"You're right. If something comes up, I'll give you my opinion, so feel free to ask anytime."

"I'm counting on you... Oh, it seems like they're getting excited over there, don't you think?"

"It wasn't like this with Suzaku, but I wonder if something good dropped this time."

As Hayato said that, he and Diite joined the excited group.

Hayato, Benitsuru, and Simon walked toward the castle in a town illuminated by the moonlight.

It was a reasonably late hour, just before eleven in the afternoon, but it was to see the folding screen said to be in the castle. Hayato's real-life schedule had made it this late.

However, neither Benitsuru nor Simon showed any displeasure as they guided Hayato.

They both originally lived in the castle, so it was their way home, but they were also acting as his escort.

It was a strange story for the country's princess and her attendant to be acting as an escort, but it was a precaution since there was talk of Hayato being targeted. There was no problem on the way back since he had a Ring of Teleportation.

Hayato thought as he walked.

Diite had said that if Hayato saw the folding screen, he would know what to do, but he didn't quite get it.

To begin with, she hadn't told him what was depicted on the folding screen. Of course, spoilers were not good, so he hadn't asked for details, but he was a little worried if he would really understand just by looking at it.

"Benny-chan, is there only one folding screen?"

"There are several, but the ones that are famous or have been passed down to be treasured are three pairs. A pair of two-panel screens and a single four-panel screen. That's what we've prepared. We usually keep them stored away without using them, but I did my best for Hayacchi!"

(Three pairs means three, right? A pair of two-panel screens means two folding screens with two panels each, as a set? And a single four-panel screen is one folding screen with four panels... I think that's how it was. Oops, I have to thank her first.)

"Thank you. That's a big help."

"Ahaha, for Hayacchi, this is nothing. Right, Simon?"

"Yes. Considering what Hayato has done for us, this is not nearly enough. So do not worry about it and take your time looking."

"Um, thank you again. By the way, what's depicted on the folding screen?"

"The four-panel one has Byakko. One of the Four Divine Beasts. I don't know where that one and Seiryu are. Do you know, Hayacchi?"

"No, I don't. But I might figure something out if I see it."

"Then I'd really like you to see it! If you figure it out, I'll give you a reward!"

"By the way, what about the other one? It's a pair of screens, right?"

"That one has Fujin and Raijin. There's a rumor that they're somewhere too, but I've never met them."

(Fujin and Raijin, huh. If they're here, I'd like to subjugate them with everyone, but I guess the main thing is the hint about Byakko. Diite-chan said I'd know if I saw it, but is there some kind of text written on it?)

As Hayato was thinking about various things, Benitsuru clapped her hands together.

"Oh, right, after you see it, do you want to come to my room? I can at least offer you some tea-- Whoa! Hey, Simon! Why are you trying to cut me! Even for insubordination, you should consider the time and place!"

Simon had drawn her katana and swung it down at Benitsuru. If Benitsuru hadn't dodged, it would have hit her.

She didn't feel any anger, but she did have an exasperated look on her face.

"It is not insubordination. It is unladylike for the princess of the country to invite a man to her room, so I merely tried to cut you down. Even if the man is Hayato, you should maintain propriety."

"I didn't think I'd get cut down just for being unladylike... Oh, then should we go to Simon's room? If it's not my room-- Hey! Y-You really cut me!"

In front of Hayato, Simon slashed Benitsuru with her katana. There was no hesitation.

"Rest assured, I used the back of the blade."

"My HP is going down! You clearly cut me with the blade! And what's with a slash that I can't even dodge?!"

"It is because you are speaking nonsense. Inviting a man to your room at this hour is an unbecoming act for a woman. You should not say such things, even as a joke. Reflect on your actions."

"Simon, you're so old-fashioned, even though you were walking around with just a sarashi on your upper body until recently... Yes, I'm sorry. I won't say such things anymore. So please sheathe your katana. I think rebellion and insubordination are bad things."

Simon looked at Benitsuru with a deadpan expression, but slowly sheathed her katana and turned to Hayato, bowing her head.

"My apologies. The princess seems to be excited that you all have come. She does not normally say such things."

"No, no, don't apologize. I understand that you get excited when you meet your friends after a long time. Besides, it was my selfish request to see it at this hour, so please don't be too hard on her."

"Hayato, you are too soft. Well, that is just like you. Well then, we have arrived at the castle, so let us head to the room where the folding screen has been prepared. Come, Princess. Hayato is a guest, so you should treat him with respect."

"That's true, but I'm a princess, so I'd like to be treated with a little more respect, you know-- Yes, I'll do my best. So please don't put your hand on your katana. If I get cut again, I'll resurrect in my room."

"Want a Potion?"

"Hayacchi, you're so kind. Yeah, I'll have one."

Having such a lighthearted conversation, Hayato moved to the room with the folding screen.

The folding screens were placed in the great hall on the second floor where they were guided.

Both were about two meters high. The Fujin and Raijin screens were a little over a meter wide each, and the Byakko screen was a little over two meters long.

Hayato had never seen a folding screen in real life, but he knew about them. He had heard that the pair of folding screens depicting Fujin and Raijin also existed in reality and were currently stored in Colony "Museum".

It was probably a replica of that, but it had a considerable impact that seemed to overwhelm the viewer.

And the other was a painting of Byakko.

The figure of a white tiger facing them as if glaring, with a bamboo forest in the background. Its whiteness was reminiscent of snow, making him wonder if it was an ice-attribute monster, as Hayato looked at the folding screen from corner to corner.

However, there was nothing depicted that could be a hint.

(That's strange, Diite-chan said I would know if I saw this, but I don't understand anything. Could it be the Fujin and Raijin one...?)

"Hayacchi, how is it? Did you figure anything out?"

"No, not at all. It's just a painting of Byakko on a folding screen, right? It's powerful, as if it's alive, but--"

Having said that much, Hayato realized something.

"Ah, so that's it."

"Huh? What, what? Did you figure something out?!"

She wasn't speaking, but Simon also seemed interested, and she was looking at Hayato with curious eyes along with Benitsuru.

"Probably, but this is the real Byakko. There's a famous witty story, you know. The content is that a tiger on a folding screen wanders around at night, and they want someone to catch it."

"...Hayacchi, this is hard to say, but this is a painting, you know..."

"Don't look at me so disappointedly. That's why it's a witty story. The fun part is being told such an impossible task and retorting, 'Then please get it out of the folding screen so I can catch it'."

"Ah, I see. But in that case, won't this Byakko not come out of the folding screen?"

"Huh? You're right. Benny-chan, can't you get it out of the folding screen?"

"If I could do that, I would have told you from the start."

"That's true too..."

Just when Hayato thought this idea might be wrong, Simon opened her mouth in a slight panic.

"In that witty story, did it say that the tiger wanders around at night? We prepared this today, but we usually keep it folded up and stored in the warehouse..."

"Huh? I certainly said that, but--ah."

Immediately after, a roar was heard from the folding screen depicting Byakko.

When the three of them looked at the folding screen, the Byakko, which should have been just a painting, started to move. And in the next moment, the Byakko came out of the folding screen.

"Princess! Hayato! As expected, we cannot win with just those in the castle! We will retreat for now!"

That night, it was said that there was quite a commotion with Byakko running around inside the castle and people running around trying to escape.