Part 216 Akihabara

The bus, filled with the sweet scent of the four catgirls, arrived at Akihabara不久 thereafter.

Koshihiko, the only middle-aged man in the vehicle, flinches every time armed men pass by, their guns pointed at him.

From the Makaoka Hill, here we go!

Screaming like a wail, she skillfully dodges past obstacles.

As expected from someone chosen to drive the armored vehicle of the Tiger's Son, their skill is truly exceptional.

It seemed the people of Akihabara were in the middle of expanding their territory all the way to the Ueno area, and I kept spotting small groups of armed individuals fighting what appeared to be "zombies" scattered throughout the region.

As I drew closer to Akihabara,

"—whoa."

I was stunned by what I saw emerging from between the buildings.

The entire area was surrounded by an enormous wall stretching so high it seemed to touch the sky.

"Whoa. It's like the Attack on Titan world."

The wall was built quite solidly, probably around ninety meters tall.

Even the Great Wall of China only reached about nine meters at its highest point, so this is quite an impressive structure.

Akiba, now enclosed by the wall, looked like a city-state all its own.

"…But wasn't Akiba just recently freed from the previous 'King'? How on earth did they manage to build something like this so quickly?"

"We were shocked when we first saw it too. Apparently, that 'King' job has the power to create walls along the borders of its territory. If you allocate more resources, it's said you can eventually build a steel fortress."

"Wow..."

We circled around the wall and arrived at the gate constructed where Manshio Bridge used to be.

Nightku had already arrived there and was being interrogated.

The interrogating officer held a sword resembling the "iron sword" from an RPG, his hand resting on the hilt as if ready to draw at any moment.

Well, you can't really blame him.

A coat-wearing man wearing a full-face mask in summer? That's just plain crazy.

"Look, here I am. I'm a comrade from Sakagura Hill... You should recognize me, right?"

"No, forget that—just show me your face, please. Show me your face."

"But aren't heroes supposed to hide their identities?"

"What? What are you talking about, kid?"

"My mask is part of my policy. Please, I'll show you my health insurance card if that helps... "

"Something like that won't help now....Wait—could it be you're hiding the bite mark?"

"Hey, come on! Didn't you just use 'Skill Assessment' on me? I told you, I'm not injured at all."

Hearing the conversation between the two up to this point, Rinne shrugs her shoulders with a sigh.

I could go out, but... you'd probably get there faster if you showed your face.

And so, urged by Rinne, I was forced—half against my will—to expose my face.

Guardian swordsman, as soon as you lay eyes on my face,

Oh, it's you!

And waves their hand affectionately.

What's wrong today?

"Um... well, you know, a bunch of things happened. That weird old guy with the strange mask—he's just a quirky eccentric doing it as a hobby, so could you please let him through?"

"Sure, no problem... Just don't bite me, okay?"

"No worries. I double-checked on this side just to be safe."

"Hmm. Understood. Normally, entry inspection would be required, but... I'll trust you."

And with that, he immediately opened the city gate.

Entry inspection, huh.

"Is that person... someone I knew before I lost my memory?"

"Probably. You're a savior here, after all."

"Huh?"

"Also, just so you know—no one outside your family knows about your memory loss."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah. I think it's best to keep this as quiet as possible. Who can you really trust these days?...And high-level players are already targets enough as it is."

"Hmm..."

"If someone tries to strike up a conversation with you, just play along casually and leave quickly. Got it?"

"Hmmmm..."

"What's with that reply?"

"Half agreement, half sigh. I'm not confident, but I'll do my best."

As we speak, the bus crosses Mansei Bridge and passes through the steel gate of a fortress.

There, a place I know well—close yet distant, a certain something, a shrine for otaku.

The buildings lined with banners of cute characters remain largely unchanged.

Yet, the people passing by there showed a striking difference.

It was as if everyone was dressed up like villagers from Dragon Quest—more or less.

They were all dressed in a style reminiscent of medieval Europe.

It was as if we were watching a fantasy epic film shot on a tight budget, trying too hard to look grand.

After pondering what exactly felt off, it seemed likely that the issue lay with the fabric used in their clothing.

From what I could tell, everyone appeared to be wearing rough, coarse cloth.

According to Soiri, who seemed almost like a noblewoman amidst this setting,

It seems to be the influence of the "King"'s power, then.

so it is said.

Is this city really dictated down to clothing by some so-called "King"?

The bus will stop on the road in front of Akihabara Station, following the instructions.

When they stepped outside, the people gathered there all murmured in surprise.

It's like a celebrity showing up in public incognito.

"Then, from now on, we'll split by gender. Meet here tomorrow at six o'clock."

"Okay."

"……And please don't cause trouble over the mask thing here. It'll only bother our allies."

"I know. From now on, I'm willing to compromise on everything below the nose. Spider-Man did the same."

"Good grief..."

Watching Yonku-san stride away with a dramatic flair, Rinon sighed.

"Then, I'll take my leave here as well."

"Wait, what? You too, Tsumuri?"

"Yes."

"Why? Let's stay together a little longer."

I felt a sudden pang of loneliness and gently took her hand. Tsumuri's cheeks turned a rosy red.

"A-ah, well, it's not that I'm... um, I just want to, you know, look at clothes. There must be specialty shops here in Akihabara, right?"

"Ah, I see."

Disappointed.

"Then, should we head off too?"

"Yes... but where to?"

"First, let's meet up with the 'King.' If we talk to that guy, he might be able to introduce us to someone useful."

"I see."

I followed the suggestion, stepping into a dimly lit shop whose entrance was blocked by a black curtain, making it hard to see inside.

The first thing that caught my eye was the oversized packaging of 'THE☆Mature Woman! ~While Your Husband Sleeps~,' featuring a provocative pose of a woman with her breasts exposed.

"Wha—ew! What is this...?!"

"There's an entrance to a basement shelter in the back of this store."

Rein, expressionless, walked past the balloon-shaped doll straddling a triangular horse, advancing boldly through the shop where underwear of all kinds were displayed with no attempt to conceal the more intimate areas.

"Here, Mihito-chan. You need to cover your eyes~."

"O-oh! O-oh! O-oh! Wha—?!"

Mata covered Mihito's eyes, and she staggered after her, dazed and unsteady.

Get stronger, me.

If you let yourself be shaken by something this trivial, you won't survive what's ahead.

Deep inside the shop, an older woman covered in piercings flipped through an old comic magazine.

"Hmm. Customer?"

"Uh, yeah. It's me."

"What, it's you, Okita?...Wait, oh? And you're not alone—did you bring the 'Goddess' with you?"

Apparently, the "Goddess" referred to me.

Back then, what was I thinking, letting someone call me that?

"Hey, I'm the Goddess, nice to meet you."

"Oh? So you've finally come to accept yourself, huh? Hehehe."

Piercing Sister gave a clinking, metallic laugh and said,

"So, what's the plan today? Like last time, are we going to squeeze the breasts of that love doll?"

What am I even doing, back then.

"I'm here to see 'King'—to meet Enzan."

"Hmm. Got it."

Piercing Sister nodded casually and pointed toward the back of the shop.

"Just that fool—might be busy right now."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah....As you know, this place is currently the most densely populated in the capital. More people mean more complaints. It's only natural."

"What is he doing now?"

"Spending all this time setting national laws....A bunch of 'experts' gather every day, endless meetings. Pretty interesting stuff, really."

"Huh."

"It's laughable, really. We have to adopt rules like monarchy these days, knowing full well they'll inevitably fail in the long run."

I don't really get it, but it sounds like a complicated topic.

"Well, regardless of what the meeting decides, if the goddess herself is coming to descend... there's no one in Akihabara who wouldn't welcome her. After all, you're our savior."

Hmm...

That's a bit unsettling.