The following morning.
Inside the mayor’s office at Itou City Hall, a modest gathering had ford. Present were the mayor, Inari, Yasuno, several city hall staff, and a crew from a local television station.
Not a single major network was present—only that one small local station. Yasuno tilted her head at the sight.
“Strange. With the publicity announcent, shouldn’t more have gathered? Inari’s popularity is rising right now. It shouldn’t be this empty…”
“Sothing’s wrong. Normally, if the Japan Headquarters of the Awakener Association were involved, even as a precaution, major broadcasters would have sent crews…”
Yasuno raised her hand slightly to catch the eye of a nearby staff mber, then beckoned them out into the hall. The employee followed, looking puzzled.
“Was there sothing you needed?”
“It’s about the dia. Only the local station showed up, correct?”
“Ah, yes. The other scheduled crews apparently couldn’t make it due to trouble on the road.”
“…What?”
“Well then, if you’ll excuse .”
The employee returned to the office, leaving Yasuno staring blankly. A chill ran down her spine. Quickly, she pulled out her Awakener Phone and called headquarters.
“This is Yasuno! What’s this about road trouble between Tokyo and Itou?”
“Road trouble? No such report has reached us.”
“…It hasn’t?”
Her thoughts raced. If the dia hadn’t arrived, then the staff’s explanation was correct. For a eting between Inari and the head of a local governnt, no one would charter helicopters. The route from Tokyo to Itou, though—if there was trouble, it was likely monster-related. And yet, headquarters had no report? That was impossible. Sothing was off.
“Please confirm Scenario Case Two. A city hall employee told there was ‘road trouble.’ You’re saying Shizuoka Branch hasn’t reported anything?”
Scenario Case Two: the assumption of branch betrayal.
The Awakener Association liked to present itself as unified, but in reality, anything could happen. Headquarters had protocols for such contingencies. Often, they turned out to be false alarms—but the system was there to be certain.
The reply ca back.
“No unusual movents at Shizuoka Branch. Likely a misunderstanding. Perhaps the staffer used that excuse casually.”
“…I see. Very well. I’ll remain on alert here just in case.”
“Please do. We’ll run a check from our end as well.”
The call ended. Yasuno exhaled. There should be no problem. That was what the information said. Yet unease gnawed at her. She turned to head back quickly—when soone gripped her shoulder.
“!?”
She turned to see… an awakener dispatched from the Shizuoka Branch. He should have been posted outside as security. Why here? No… could it be?
“…What are you doing here?”
“A troubleso matter. You seem to be under strong protection. But every defense has its loopholes. For example, if not a curse, but a blessing…”
“Miss Kog—”
“[El Catara].”
Yasuno’s body lost all strength. She collapsed to the floor, sleeping peacefully.
“A spell of restful slumber. When you awaken, you’ll feel refreshed and free of fatigue. Fufu… As expected, this magic poses no problem at all.”
The face of the awakener shimred—becoming Isurugi. He looked down at the unconscious Yasuno. To possess a human belonging to Association Headquarters would be ideal… but doing so here would imdiately alert Inari inside. Better to leave her asleep for now.
Yesterday’s failure had taught him: even the most carefully woven barrier could be noticed. Pride shattered could only be nded with victory over the sa foe.
“Kogami Inari… you will be offered to my king. Prepare yourself.”
Inside the office, none of this was heard. Inari, noticing Yasuno had not returned, felt slight concern, but the eting ti was approaching. She asked a nearby staffer to check and turned back to review the schedule. Everything was in order.
“Then, since the footage will be edited later, please converse freely for now.”
At that casual remark from the station worker, Inari gave a wry smile, then faced the mayor.
“Miss Kogami, thank you so much for coming to Ito today.”
“Nay, I should be the one to thank thee. For calling upon a novice such as I.”
“Hahaha. By the way, may I ask how much you know of our city?”
“Mm. I have heard it is a fine hot spring resort. I entered one myself yesterday, and it was most pleasant indeed.”
“Exactly. Itou’s hot spring history is long, and we pride ourselves on being second to none. But in fact, we are soon to unveil a new specialty.”
“Oh? A specialty?”
“Yes. That is…”
The mayor’s face twisted into a wicked grin. Around Inari, every person raised a staff and chanted in unison.
“…That Ito shall beco a nation ruled by the Great King.”
“[El Catara].”
The sa spell that had felled Yasuno surged forth again, but this ti multiplied—an overwhelming tide of magic rushing down upon Inari.
Reviews
All reviews (0)