Can Someone from a Tradition-Ridden Village Pull Off a Narou-Style Story in a Modern Dungeon? ～The Higher Being Behind Me Is Way Too Much of a Final Boss～ - Chapter 127: Ally

-Thank you DCRangeRange, Dean Dexter and Cannedbread
Follow me on Patreon via Linktree https://linktr.ee/Mnotia-

It's existence is strictly managed by the Enri Agency.

Even among S-rank individuals, few know its name; if an ordinary Enri Bearer learned it, that person's memories would immediately be purged.

The third managed calamity-lord-class Aberrant Entity after Sorayodo no Oohito and the others—Tide-Weeping Shrine Maiden.

The fact that Senano and the others remember that name is nothing but a series of coincidences.

Unlike Sorayodo no Oohito, whose existence became known through the Ensaishu Manifestation Case, Tide-Weeping Shrine Maiden is still a concealed supernatural existence.

"Ah? I thought humans would be happy to reunite at a time like this... Was I wrong?"

"Tide-Weeping Shrine Maiden...!?"

"Minako. At least for now."

Minako points at her own face and laughs cheerfully.

To the two who know what has entered inside her, even that smile seems mechanical.

Even the wind swaying her hair seems prepared.

"Don't be so wary. We're the ones who blew away Unlit Shrine together, right? Ei-chan, I'm glad you look as energetic as ever."

There is no falsehood in those words; like an old friend, Minako extends her hand to Senano.

Unexpectedly, it is Ei who steps between them as if to refuse it.

"...What are you planning?"

"Whoa, I'm kind of disliked, huh."

"That's obvious. Even now, the tide-weeping is filling the area. ...You are indiscriminately killing people, aren't you!"

Because she has the sky as her viewpoint, Ei alone knew exactly.

How many horrific incidents are still occurring in this city.

Even when those words are hurled at her accusingly, reproachfully, Minako keeps smiling.

As if she is fond of that expression.

"It is certainly happening. Not just people who could become windows for Aberrant Entities, but ordinary people are being sunk all together. And it's sloppy. That would kill them. They die from the tide pressure."

Minako thrEW her body down onto the leisure sheet, taking an onigiri from her backpack, and gazed toward the distant sea.

Then, bathed in the pleasant sea breeze, she bit into the onigiri.

"It's a good wind. The smell of the shore is clean, and the sound of the waves is lively. Surely many people in that city have lived alongside the sea."

"Then why?"

"I'm not doing anything."

"There's no way that's true. This is undoubtedly the power of Tide-Weeping Shrine Maiden, isn't it!"

"Ei, calm down. ...She doesn't look like she's lying."

We can't allow a battle between Sorayodo no Oohito and Tide-Weeping Shrine Maiden to start here.

Therefore Senano soothed Ei calmly.

But that wasn't the only reason.

From their past experience of working together, Senano trusted the existence called Minako.

"When we dealt with Unlit Shrine before, you were acting for people's sake. Is it the same this time?"

"Of course! Because I love humans. Like a mother loves her child. Or like one admires a flower."

Minako gestured to the space beside her and urged them to sit.

Seeing that, Senano and Ei nodded at each other and sat down a short distance away.

"Well, first, have an onigiri."

"I'm sorry, but I make it a rule to eat breakfast at a set time. And I've already finished breakfast."

"As expected of an elite! Then Ei-chan, here."

"...Mm."

Ei, offered an onigiri, looked back and forth between Minako and the onigiri, then took it.

She observed it suspiciously, then lifted it once as if offering it to the blue sky.

The sky was unchanged; as always, only a quiet, deep blue was there.

"...It seems fine. Thank you for the food."

"Enjoy."

"Nom... It's delicious!? Senano-san, this is good! The nori's deep, fine flavor and the fluffy rice! And the salmon with perfect saltiness is packed tightly in the center—"

"What happened to your wariness from just now?"

"Ah, right! ...Minako-san, please explain the current situation. Why is the tide-weeping occurring?"

Receiving tea, Ei glared sharply.

But that intensity had almost entirely vanished.

"Hmm? I told you. I'm not doing anything. The details... I'd think the Enri Agency knows better than I do."

"...What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly that. I am, at most, a managed Aberrant Entity. In other words, a tool. Do you think a tool understands its own actions more deeply than its owner? I'd like to ask that myself. ...Why would they do such a stupid thing?"

"You know something, don't you?"

"I don't. I'm not good at stealing information like Sorayodo no Oohito or Kaibyakuran. I'm different from the sky and the earth."

Minako finished the onigiri, licked her fingertips reluctantly, and stood.

Then, as if led, she walked to the railing, leaned against it, and looked at Senano and the others.

The rusted, discolored railing creaked under Minako's weight, but she didn't seem to mind.

More than that, right now, telling them these words was more important to her.

"Let's solve the incident together, Senano-chan, Ei-chan."

"...For now, let's not fight. Is that all right with you too, Ei?"

"Yes. And thank you for the food."

"I'm happy to see you eat so well. Let's get along, Ei-chan."

"Of course. There are no bad calamity-lord-class beings who can make onigiri that delicious. Please take care of us, Minako-san."

Minako closed the distance in her usual friendly manner.

Perhaps because of the delicious onigiri, Ei also lowered their guard and accepted it honestly.

Watching that scene alone made Senano feel foolish for having kept up her own tension, and she sighed despite herself.

"What's wrong? Did you get anxious? It's okay. Here and now, the sea and the sky are both with us. We absolutely won't lose."

"That's right, Senano-san. Let's all work together and resolve it!"

The sight of her clenching her fist and nodding vigorously was as adorable as ever.

But there Senano realized once more.

Right now, before her eyes, there were two calamity-lord-class beings.

And they were in a state where the Enri Agency had almost no control over them.

Both were merely, by chance, acting in ways convenient to humanity according to their own individual standards of judgment.

"...Please, just listen to what my master and I say."

"Yes!"

"Of course. ...Oh, Shio-chan is with us this time too, so please be kind to her. She's my friend."

"That girl from earlier. She seemed like she has it rough."

"Yes. She has it very hard, that girl. ...Oh, here she comes."

Before Minako's words even finished, something came rushing up at high speed from beyond the railing.

It landed directly in the center of the rooftop.

There was no need to investigate its identity now. There was only one person who could climb the outer wall to reach the rooftop.

"Mm, so you were here after all. As Shio, the dispatched staff member, said, it seems we missed each other somewhere."

"I-I told you to turn back... ugh, bleh."

"Ahaha, are you okay?"

"Minako... sorry. I'll lie down for a while."

"Shio!"

Surrounded by two calamity-lord-class beings and two S-rank individuals, the most powerless girl present was easily downed by the human-powered roller coaster.

Minako laid Shio down on the leisure sheet and smiled awkwardly.

"Um... well, one person is down, but once more... I am this observation point's representative and an Enri Bearer, Unabara Minako."

Nene stared at the offered hand.

Then, without shaking it, she looked at Minako's face.

"Your rank?"

"C-rank."

"That's a lie."

"...Huh?"

"If I look, I can understand your strength to some extent. You're considerably strong, aren't you? Who are you?"

"...Oh, come on, don't say that at our first meeting. I'm just a low-ranking Enri Bearer."

Minako reached out and forcibly took Nene's hand.

All the while, Nene kept observing Minako from her feet to the top of her head, moving her gaze with interest.

But, judging that probing further would yield nothing, Nene gave up and shook her hand back.

Then Minako smiled even more happily.

"Yes, yes, I'm glad you trust me!"

"That's not what this is. Even if you deceive and betray me, I can still win. I simply decided there is something I should prioritize over that."

There was no time for infighting in a place like this.

Nene was dispatched here to deal with the phenomenon caused by the large-scale Aberrant Entity occurring in this city.

And to devour the curse filling this land.

"Even if it was to suppress the tide-weeping, Happou Fusagari was quite flashy. This will need a lot of work before handover."

Nene's somewhat happy gaze was directed at the apartment building.

-Thank you DCRangeRange, Dean Dexter and Cannedbread
Follow me on Patreon via Linktree https://linktr.ee/Mnotia-