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 132: Abnormality
-Thank you DCRangeRange, Dean Dexter and Cannedbread
Follow me on Patreon via Linktree https://linktr.ee/Mnotia-
The Tide-Weeping Shrine Maiden, an Enri Entity, was never made public.
That being, an Enri Entity management-type Enri Entity such as Sorayodo no Oohito and Kaibyaku Ran, was an existence concealed by Enri Agency upper management.
However, there was a point in which it differed from the other two Enri Entities.
That was the presence or absence of a special phenomenon called Tide-Weeping.
"...The Tide-Weeping Shrine Maiden has a phenomenon called Tide-Weeping. I think Nene-san knows, but that always comes once every five years."
Happou Fusagari, who sat facing Ei and the others, began to speak at length despite her dark expression.
Apparently, she was not actually all that dark-natured after all.
"Ah. Last time, I was the observer, after all."
"U-um, Nene-san was so cool back then... Until Senkai began, you protected the Windows from other Enri Entities... It was amazing...!"
"You gave perfect support too."
"Fweh, d-did I really? Um, I'm glad if someone like me could be useful... Yay, I was praised..."
In front of Happou Fusagari, who fidgeted and looked down, an energy drink whose pull tab had just been opened was offered.
Even though her face was covered by a box, Yako's displeasure oozed out.
"Hacchan, you're getting off topic. You need to explain why it isn't the Tide-Weeping Shrine Maiden."
"That's right. ...Yako and I were transported here on a request to calm the Tide-Weeping."
"They went out of their way to bring us all the way to this Hakkai. We made quite a show of it. We pretended the residents had already evacuated and stripped away all the Tide-Weeping's ingredients beforehand!"
"Tide-Weeping is a system for disposing of humans who become Windows. So if people disappear from the surroundings, it naturally calms down. I was chosen partly because I was off duty, but I think it was also because I could be expected to produce reliable results."
"But!"
Yako struck the table and stood up.
Then she glared toward the direction of the sea and continued.
"That thing won't stop the Tide-Weeping! Not only that, it's attracting other Enri Entities and has started Senkai! We've processed all the Enri Entities that have organs, but inorganic-types and phenomenon-types are impossible!"
"Since it's called a Shrine Maiden, I thought it might be definable as a living thing, so I had its organs twisted several times, but even then it's still hard to process it completely."
Even so, Happou Fusagari had already dealt with that phenomenon three times.
In the several hours between contact reaching Nene and her arrival on site.
In only that time, she skillfully manipulated the highest-grade curse she possessed and tried to fulfill her duty.
But the result did not change.
"Personally, I think having Nene-san eat it would be the quickest and safest. If it's Nene-san, even if Enri Entities that underwent Senkai appear, you could eat them all together, right?"
"Ah, leave it to me. I was just thinking I hadn't eaten enough."
"So reliable...!"
"Tch."
"Yako, why are you staring at me?"
"I'm glaring at you."
Yako answered as if spitting out the words without hiding her displeasure and plopped down on a chair.
Seeing Nene simply tilt her head and ignore even that, the fuse of Yako's anger was lit again.
Perhaps sensing that atmosphere, or perhaps not caring in the first place.
Ei casually raised her hand and asked Happou Fusagari.
"Um, what is Senkai?"
"...Ah, Senkai is the Collection mechanism for Enri Entities that the Tide-Weeping Shrine Maiden possesses."
"I see, it's like Osora-sama's Ten'i!"
"Osora-sama...?"
Seeing Happou Fusagari tilt her head, Ei opened her mouth to explain enthusiastically.
But Senano, sensing that, covered her mouth with a hand.
"Mmph mmph..."
"Happou Fusagari-san, could you please calm down and listen to our introductions?"
"? Well, that's true, we haven't done that yet. Hehe... Sorry, I got carried away because I got to meet Nene-san."
"Shaa!"
"Yako, why are you staring at me?"
"I told you, I'm glaring at you."
Leaving Yako and Nene alone, Senano put a hand to her chest and introduced herself.
"I'm Mikama Senano. An Enri Bearer who reached S Rank a few months ago. I'm Touen Nene's disciple."
"Ah, so you're the excellent disciple Nene-san mentioned! I see, I see. Must be nice. I can't go outside, so I can't train with you. ...Which means, maybe the other three are also S Rank?"
"N-no... ue"
"Yes yes! I'm Unabara Minako! My Rank is... what was it again? Anyway, unlike Senano-chan, I'm small fry! Ah, but I won't lose when it comes to fish dishes and fishing! And this is my partner Shio! Right now they're puking, but they're a reliable dispatched employee! Shio, peace sign!"
"Who'd do that, uegh..."
In contrast to Shio, who still wasn't feeling well, Happou Fusagari watched the energetic Minako with a fond smile.
In those eyes was also a certain admiration for Minako.
"You're a good Enri Bearer who treasures dispatched employees. I think we'll get along."
"Nice to meet you, Happou Fusagari-chan!"
Happou Fusagari gladly grasped the hand offered as Minako leaned forward abruptly.
Ei, who had been watching that scene the whole time, was fidgeting as if they couldn't hold back.
Ei wanted to introduce their self too.
Ei appealed to Senano with their eyes that they wanted to become friends, but Senano was not one to be defeated by those teary eyes.
Only after everyone's greetings had properly finished and Happou Fusagari and Yako had the leeway to listen did she finally release Ei's chatty mouth.
"Then I'm last! I'm Oretsu Ei! I'm still E Rank, but I'm Osora-sama's pseudo-medium, so I can be useful!"
"Pseudo-medium... a vessel for an Enri Entity... in other words, a Window, I suppose."
"Is that so?"
"Why are you asking me? Also, the local name probably won't ring a bell, so call them by their formal name."
"Understood. Once again, I'm Sorayodo no Oohito's pseudo-medium. Please treat me well."
A silence fell over the room.
Shio, the only one there with neither the opportunity nor authority to know the name Sorayodo no Oohito, was fighting their own vomiting.
"...Huh? Sorayodo no Oohito?"
"Hacchan, it's that! The A-E1 from the request document! Huh, she's such a harmless-looking girl!? I thought someone more grotesque, like a monster, would come!"
"W-why didn't you tell me, Yako!? I'm glad we got into Hakkai so smoothly, but... we were crossing a dangerous bridge without knowing it!"
"But she was wheezing and dripping sweat the whole time, and it looked like I could one-punch her..."
At those words, Happou Fusagari looked at Ei again.
Seeing the exchange between Yako and Happou Fusagari, Ei looked somewhat dejected and their shoulders dropped.
"Um... I suppose someone like me isn't welcome after all..."
"That's not true! Yako, get cake and juice from my fridge!"
"Got it. Ei-chan, is orange juice okay!?"
"Is that okay!? Thank you very much!"
Seeing Ei's expression immediately blossom brightly, Happou Fusagari felt relieved inside.
Because she had read a report that the mind and thoughts of a calamity-lord-class pseudo-medium could cause great disasters and phenomena.
That was precisely why she chose to quickly placate Ei.
(Even so, dispatching even Sorayodo no Oohito's pseudo-medium means the Enri Agency must really want to resolve this incident quickly. ...This smells suspicious. The Enri Agency at times like this.)
An unstinting deployment of their greatest fighting force was impossible for anyone who knew the usual Enri Agency.
Therefore, only the fact that something was happening was clear.
Or perhaps, they were causing it.
"For now, I want Nene-san to see the sea in person once. Yako will be there too, so I think it'll be okay even if it comes to a fight."
"Eh, I'm going with her!?"
The one who reacted more than anyone to Happou Fusagari's suggestion was Yako.
Holding the cake and orange juice, she placed them in front of Ei while showing reluctance, saying "I don't want to."
Happou Fusagari drew near such Yako and whispered.
She knew well how to move Yako at times like this.
"Please, Yako. Later, I'll secretly prepare a baby without telling anyone."
"...Fine, just this once!"
"So, please, Nene-san."
"Ah, leave it to me."
"Thank you for the cake!"
"Uu, I feel sick... It's like I've been rocking on waves the whole time, uegh."
In contrast to Ei, who munched on cake, Shio was still slumped over.
"Shio, are you okay?"
"I-I'm okay. Probably, if I rest a little, I'll get better..."
"I see. Don't push yourself, okay?"
Minako said that and patted Shio's head.
Her expression looked less like worry and more like she was expecting something.
"Because you're my partner."
No one noticed her expression.
『They're trying to turn humans into toys and produce content. How cruel.』
『...Are you waiting for a retort, Osora-sama?』
Yes, except for their own kind.
-Thank you DCRangeRange, Dean Dexter and Cannedbread
Follow me on Patreon via Linktree https://linktr.ee/Mnotia-