Episode 164: Hostility

According to Sasaegi-san on the path of hardship and ease,

"Preparation is handled here. I'd like the finishing touches to be done by the two of you."

That's what she said.

I'm just supposed to follow along as instructed by the guide (En-san).

Hmm, simple enough.

More accurately, it's not a matter of choice—it's unavoidable. Once you return to our side, the 'King' will no longer move from his throne, leaving no way to separate the guard player from the others. Ideally, when you two reach the throne, the rest of the troops should be far away....But

There's nothing we can do about that, I'm afraid.

That's why we'll spread as much false information as possible to scatter the soldiers. You'll slip through the gaps and reach the throne.

The complex work goes to the likes of Kurokawa-san.

What we should be thinking about is this—

Just defeat the enemy in front of you... that's all.

I open the door to the room while muttering to myself.

...

Ah, hello there!

The creature that greeted us had a familiar shape.

A white dove without a head or legs—

"Ah, it's a 'Feather Slime'!"

"Uhh. It's me."

That voice, speaking as if stuffed full of beans— it's definitely Enn Chūdō.

"What's going on? I thought you were supposed to be here in person."

"Actually, it looks like my dad hasn't found out about me yet, so I've arranged for a representative... no, a substitute slime to stand in for me."

"Where are you right now?"

"First, I'll pretend to look for everyone while heading to the designated point..."

"Doing... what?"

"The location should be known by the 'Gambler' guy. He should've received a message from Shunna by now."

Shunna's message?

Huh? There was something like that? When?

"Okay. That's the place then."

"Ugh."

Don't leave me behind, okay?

"By the way, what's the target like?"

"He's not exactly calm. He knows perfectly well he's not popular, so he has no idea who might be betraying him."

That's the tough part about being disliked.

"……That's why right now, the 'King' seems rather distracted. Well, it probably doesn't help that the person commanding the troops is me and Kurokami, a combination that's practically a guaranteed loss."

So that means a winning strategy is in play.

That's a good development.

"……Is the 'King' aware of our location?"

"No. The range I can interfere with and the range the 'King' can interfere with are set separately. This place is still outside the 'King's' reach."

"I see."

"Moreover, even if you've already heard from Haruna, if there's surveillance by the 'King,' you two should be able to sense it intuitively. When you're being watched, it's like a chill running through your body, as if insects were crawling all over you."

"I see..."

"Of course, you wouldn't feel anything unusual if you were just being eavesdropped on through a bug. But we've already checked for that. Please rest assured."

Even as we talked, we steadily moved forward. Mr. Enzan—thanks to the "Feather Slime" leading the way, we had no trouble finding our path.

"Is this underground?"

I asked, glancing at the windowless, bleak corridor.

"Yes. There was nowhere else to hide the place where the two of you would 'return' to."

"Remarkable how this place was never discovered..."

"That was actually the hardest part. There was a real risk that both of you could end up completely exposed and beaten senseless."

Indeed, that was a bit much to ask for.

Even Son Goku from Dragon Ball manages to keep his important parts covered no matter what kind of attack he takes, but fighting completely naked... well, that's a bit much for a girl to handle.

"Specifically, it was a combination of countless decoys and false information."

"Wow. Impressive."

"...All of this is thanks to Mr. Kurokami. It seems he's been simulating all sorts of lies in preparation for this very day."

There's definitely something different about a woman wearing glasses (with a bit of self-praise included).

"And besides, being here in Akihabara has been quite helpful. There's no shortage of dummy sets available."

Is that what you mean by "dummy"?

The thing with the Super Famicom and the TV.

By the way, who's on our side here?

"The main members are Ryuga, Ryuja, Shunna, Kururagi Sasae, and me... plus a few others, I suppose."

"What about the 'King' faction?"

"More like those we haven't approached yet—whether they support the 'King' or not is unclear, but about five of them."

We're outnumbered in terms of players, that's for sure.

Of course, when it comes to actual human numbers, we're overwhelmingly at a disadvantage.

"Just as you know, everyone here is just some guy who's 'subordinate' to the 'King.' Be prepared to be attacked by anyone you meet face-to-face."

Well, there's nothing we can do about that, really.

"Any dangerous players?"

"Probably those two elementary schoolers nicknamed 'Pochi' and 'Tama.' They're the only player over level 50."

"Hmm."

On the flip side, everyone else is level 50 or below.

"There's one woman called the 'Forger.' Her job, 'Merchant,' is pretty rare. She doesn't serve the 'King' or anything, yet she's always coming and going around here—kind of a strange one."

"……? If that's the case, couldn't we work together?"

"He apparently tried reaching out to Haruna, but the negotiations didn't go through. 'That guy's totally unreadable—just be careful around him,' he said."

Hmm.

"So she's someone we can't tell if she's friend or foe?"

"Yeah. Technically, Yakkos shouldn't have any reason to oppose us... but still, I'd rather you just avoid meeting her if possible."

"Is that so."

I really don't want to fight someone who's completely unrelated to this mess.

The fewer people who get hurt, the better, right.

▼

『Turn right at the dead end. Climb the emergency stairs to the ground floor, then exit through the back door and head toward the building where the "King" is located.』

As expected from such a meticulously planned route, we didn’t encounter any players along the way.

We passed by a large electronics store—(ah, I really wanted this game, I thought to myself)—and pushed open a worn iron door that looked like it was meant for employees, stepping into a back alley.

Outside, it was—so hot that the heat practically pressed against our skin, and the sound of cicadas filled the air.

"Right, it's already the end of July, huh?"

I instinctively rolled up the sleeves of my tracksuit.

I guess choosing that Water Magic Spell Level 5 was definitely the right call after all.

People are probably suffering from heatstroke in this kind of heat.

Lost in such vague thoughts, I suddenly sense a presence coming from the main road.

『Since ordinary civilians under the "King's" control are wandering around here, please be careful not to get spotted.』

"Got it."

I feel like I'm playing a stealth action game.

Cardboard boxes are suddenly so precious.

Glancing briefly toward the road, I see—indeed, there are many people wandering about there.

Perhaps four or five hundred people.

"…………Hmm. This is…"

Something about this scene feels familiar, and I mutter to myself.

I wasn’t seeking an answer, but the "Gambler" seems to feel the same way.

"That’s right—these people resemble the residents from the 'Ground Level'."

The sight of so many people wandering about without saying a single word to each other felt incredibly strange.

"Hey, En. Could it be that the people from 'Master Dungeon'...?"

"Yes. Real humans."

"Really...?"

We both grimaced in unison.

We'd assumed they were just mannequins, since they gave no sign of life at all...

"It's understandable you'd think that. They're currently not exhibiting any biological activity."

"Does that mean they're dead?"

"No, not dead. They're just not alive."

"Like zombies, you mean?"

"I don't know exactly how your father set it up, but... yeah, it's pretty much the same idea."

"They'll come back to normal... right?"

"Of course. That's exactly what I wish for—to help everyone in Akihabara overcome this 'end of the world' together..."

Then, feeling that a few girls in maid uniforms were looking our way, we hid in the shadows.

Their gaze felt... devoid of any human will.

"May I ask one thing?"

"What?"

"Could it be that... 'King'? Is your father someone who generally dislikes otaku or things like that?"

"Huslime" fell silent for a moment.

Eventually,

"Yeah... that's right. I don't really understand it myself, but ever since I was young, he's always said he 'can't stand it on a visceral level.'...Why is that?"

"No. It's just... hard to explain."

In truth, those words had merely emerged from a vague, uneasy feeling.

But—though I can't quite put it into words—

I think humans are, at their core, creatures who inherently dislike loneliness.

And yet... this place feels incredibly empty and desolate.

If people were to strip others of their ability to communicate,

If one were to wish not to live among "living beings," but instead alongside "mannequins"...

...I wonder what kind of mindset would lead to such a desire.

In this space governed by the "King," there swirled a single, pure emotion.

"——Hostility..."

Saying it aloud, I felt as if icy water had been poured down my spine.