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 133: Kawarimi

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

The sea of this town, where an inner bay spread out as if cutting into the mountains, had long flourished in fishing, and so buildings increased the closer one got to the sea.

There were many factories and processing plants, and on the black sea, ships of all sizes floated quietly as if waiting for their time to work.

For the people of this town, this was a place necessary for survival.

There were no obvious tourism resources like beautiful sandy beaches or coral reefs, but even so, it was more than enough blessing for the town to live on.

Therefore, despite it being daytime, the sight of no one at the harbor was bizarre.

"It's quiet. Were they all eaten by that?"

With Kamikiri in one hand, Nene gazed at the sea.

The black sea, glittering as it reflected the sunlight, looked less like a water surface and more like the skin of a giant reptile.

"More accurately, about half. Since we arrived, I haven't let this one eat anyone."

Yako, having removed the box and exposed her bare face, held a black parasol and answered while protecting only herself from the sunlight.

Perhaps displeased with the act of visiting the site alone with Nene, she still looked somewhat sulky.

"I see. So when it couldn't eat humans anymore, it went after Aberrant Entities next, is that it?"

"Yeah, yeah. ...Ah, it's here. Perfect timing, so why don't you watch?"

Yako sat down on a fisherman's chair that had been discarded nearby.

Ahead of her gaze, as she decided to spectate, was a single Aberrant Entity.

Beyond the breakwater on the opposite side of the sea from where Nene and the others were now, a grotesque black monster writhed.

"It uses the sound of the waves to raise Enri-wave density to abnormal levels and lure in Aberrant Entities. I measured it, and the mechanism is the same as Deep Mother syntax."

"So what was lured in is an Aberrant Entity created by the tangled faith and fear toward the mountain. It's an individual often seen in summer."

"It's October now, though. That's strange too, isn't it? Various things are no longer governed by the common sense and laws we've had until now."

It was closer to small talk than truly worrying about the future.

As before, the mountain Aberrant Entity ahead of their gaze kept repeating movements that deviated from those of a living creature, but neither Nene nor Yako changed expression.

Before long, small ripples began to rise.

As if opposing the wind, as if a small hand were reaching out, it concentrated and headed toward the mountain Aberrant Entity.

"Ah, it's going to be swallowed."

The meaning of Yako's words was immediately clear.

It was a great black wave that easily surpassed the breakwater.

Or rather, what looked like the mouth of a giant monster swallowed the mountain Aberrant Entity in one gulp.

With a thunderous roar, the black wave struck the breakwater, sending spray violently into the air.

What remained afterward was only the wave-soaked breakwater.

"How was it?"

"I saw it."

At Nene's answer, Yako nodded without showing the slightest admiration.

"Good. It'd be a problem otherwise."

"...Inside that wave, there was something like a core of power. If it's an individual that turned an object into a window, it's not impossible, but... the Tide-Weeping Shrine Maiden doesn't have anything like that."

"On top of that, even if you destroy it, it regenerates. Why not try breaking it?"

"Is it possible?"

"I could do it, so it should be easy for you."

Yako gestured toward the sea as if urging Nene on.

As before, she seemed to have no intention of moving, and she laughed with her parasol in one hand.

"By the way, if you lose, I won't help you."

"I don't mind. I understand how to fight the Tide-Weeping Shrine Maiden. Applying that should be enough."

Saying that, Nene stood at the edge of the quay.

What she had to do was extremely simple.

"Eat that."

The black rod barely touched the water's surface.

In that instant, a gnawing sound began to be heard mixed with the sound of the waves.

Before long, it greedily chewed and swallowed, as if drowning out all sounds around it.

What Nene did was always the same.

She only had to touch the opponent and eat.

"That's as nasty as ever. It's invincible, isn't it?"

"Not exactly. It's less effective against things I can't touch. For example, phenomenon-type things that appear according to laws, I'm not good with those. In the end, I have to eat everything around me."

"Hmm, I see. Not interested."

"I see. Happou listened with interest, though."

"Huh? I don't remember permitting that conversation."

"I bought a smartphone recently. Now I can casually communicate anytime. Science is amazing."

With Kamikiri still touching the sea surface, Nene proudly showed her smartphone.

If Yako's imagination wasn't playing tricks on her, cracks had already formed from Nene's grip strength.

"Buying an unnecessarily high-spec one."

"I have money. Just the other day I gave Miraku a gift, too... and it looks like it's already finished eating."

Pulling up Kamikiri, Nene said it boredly.

But the sea before them remained black as ever.

"Did you really eat all of it? The sea is still black, though?"

"Yeah. The phenomenon still remains. Hmm, it really is different from Tide-Weeping. But the scale and mechanism are extremely similar. ...What should I do?"

"No matter how many times you do it, it won't change. By the way, that makes four times you've dealt with it."

"I see. ...Then let's contact them once. With this smartphone."

"You just want to show it off."

Operating it slowly with her index finger, Nene connected a call to Senano.

After a short delay, a puzzled voice came from the other side of the smartphone.

『Master...? Why this instead of the dedicated communicator...?』

"I wanted to try using it."

『...I see. So, how are things over there?』

"It's just as Happou and the others said. We won't be able to deal with it unless we strike the root. I'm coming back once. Has anything been figured out over there?"

『No. If I had to say, Shio's condition has worsened markedly. The black sea may have a special power that interferes with vision. She's a dispatched staff member, so the symptoms may have appeared quickly. Unlike Enri Bearers, she probably hasn't undergone the mental correction program either.』

"I see, understood. Then let's discuss it with that in mind."

After ending the call, Nene carefully tucked the smartphone inside her coat.

Then she shouldered Kamikiri and began retracing the path she came by.

"I thought I'd hand it over quickly and go home, though."

With Yako's extremely disappointed voice as the last thing, the two left that place.

Before long, the sea began to raise small ripples again.

As usual, another Aberrant Entity had probably been lured in.

■

Having finished the call, Senano looked up to tell them that Nene and the others were coming back.

There, Ei and the others were gathered around Shio, who lay on the sofa, nursing her.

"If it's come to this, we'll just have to offer Shio-san to Mikama-sama and have her healed..."

"Yes, she's my partner, so don't take her!"

"U, noisy... ugh, somehow, my whole body hurts..."

Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, but her face was pale, and her body trembled slightly.

Even if someone said she was on the verge of death, no one would doubt it.

"Awawawawa...!"

Unlike the panicking Ei and Minako, who for some reason had begun rummaging through her backpack, only Happou stared fixedly at Shio.

It was closer to observation than nursing.

(For one of our curses, there was no process of resistance or adaptation. I supposed it really was a Tide-Weeping mimic, but... even so, it wouldn't cause symptoms like this. It was close to a curse that gradually weakened you, but...)

In Happou's mind, countless candidate curses existed at that moment.

She scrutinized the symptoms from there and continued narrowing them down one by one.

However, she still hadn't pinpointed it.

Therefore, just as she tried to ask a question to obtain more information, that was when it happened.

"Shio, eat a rice ball."

A large back cut in front of Happou as if to hide Shio.

It was Minako.

"I-I don't need... I'll definitely throw up..."

"It's okay, you won't throw up. This is super delicious."

"So I said I don't need... 'Sorry, I'm just going to feed you.' ...Mmph!?"

Minako forcefully pushed the rice ball into the mouth of pale-faced Shio.

And once she urged her to chew, tearful Shio had no choice but to obey without understanding why.

"Munch, munch..."

"Skipping a proper breakfast and monitoring under the blazing sun. I think the cause is just that you pushed yourself too hard."

Minako said that while still pressing the rice ball against her mouth.

Senano and Happou opened their mouths to deny that idea.

But seeing Shio sit up, they had no choice but to change their minds.

"...Huh, I think I might be feeling better."

"Haah, thank goodness...! Here, tea. This is also my special tea made from wild herbs, so it's good for your health."

"Yeah, thank you... puhah! Somehow, I feel like I've gotten a lot more energetic! Thank you, Minako! Everyone, I'm sorry for causing trouble."

"It's fine. We're partners, after all."

Smiling, Minako held out another rice ball.

Shio accepted it with thanks.

Her face as she stuffed her cheeks had changed so much from before that it was hard to believe, with good color.

"So that means Shio is okay."

"...I-I see. Good. I thought it was a curse."

Though confused, the relieved seemed convinced.

However, Senano, who knew Minako's true nature, would not be convinced so easily.

"...Minako, those rice balls of yours..."

"They're delicious. Do you want some too, Senano-chan?"

"No. Unnecessary meals disrupt the body's balance."

"I want to eat some."

"You ate cake just now, didn't you? No."

Senano warned Ei, who had immediately tried to take some without any sense of danger, and looked at Shio.

There was no falsehood; her condition really seemed to have recovered.

(I had to not let my guard down.)

Minako and Shio laughed together.

But even seeing that scene, no relief came to Senano's heart.

■

The path after graduating from Enri Academy was not limited to Enri Bearers.

It was also possible to use that knowledge and experience to become a researcher or a staff member working on the surface side.

However, the path I chose was none of those.

Sealed-Worship Dispatched Staff.

It was a role originally given to criminals who had already had their status processed or people for whom thought cleansing had become impossible. Present-day Japan had no luxury of letting criminals or people with mental disorders sit idle. Even they were precious human resources.

"Matoi Shio-san. Are there any changes in the target?"

"Ah, yes... um, nothing in particular."

The Enri Bearer woman who had likely been dispatched to the site listened to my answer and seemed to write something down.

From her attitude of not trying to involve herself with me more than necessary, I could sense contempt and arrogance toward us Sealed-Worship Dispatched Staff.

That said, it was much better that she couldn't take direct action.

"If I recall, the S Rank handled that sea, correct?"

"Yes. At one point, the sea seemed to calm, but it soon returned to normal. The measuring instruments are unchanged as well. To think that even with two S Ranks together, it still can't be dealt with. ...I see."

An A-rank Aberrant Entity and S Rank.

This was a job that ordinary Enri Bearers or dispatched staff would likely run from, but I volunteered for it myself.

The pay was excellent.

Since I would die from an Aberrant Entity someday anyway, I should choose high risk, high return.

If I didn't do that, I couldn't support my younger sister, who was left all alone.

"Then continue monitoring. Do not take your eyes off the sea except during times I approve."

"Yes."

I nodded obediently and looked through the binoculars.

The black sea made me feel gloomy, but the pleasantness of the blowing wind made it just a little better.

I was observing from the corner room on the third floor of an inn that had been temporarily closed due to this incident, but honestly, I wanted to come here for a reason other than the mission.

"Well then, work, wor... huh?"

Suddenly, my field of vision twisted and warped.

By the time I understood it was extreme dizziness, I was already sprawled out on the tatami.

"Is something wrong?"

"Ah, yes, uepp..."

Nausea rose up, along with headache and dizziness.

The chills ran through my body and wouldn't stop, attacking me as if to reproach me.

"Shio-san?"

"I-It hurts..."

"...Hmm, I see."

Even seeing me suffer, the Enri Bearer woman did not panic; rather, she looked down at me and began observing.

"The order has gone awry. Did something happen at another observation post?"

"Ah, um, help..."

"Be quiet. You're interfering with my thoughts."

She probably didn't consider our lives equal.

Only the sound of the Enri Bearer woman's pen moving echoed strangely in my head.

My body trembled violently, and indescribable pain swallowed my entire body without exception.

I knew without even thinking what lay beyond that.

It was probably death.

"...S-Sorry..."

The apology was directed at my younger sister, and it was also something I spat out to let go of the pain.

Had I been careless?

Since I had been fine until now, I thought.

"Ah."

Beyond the pain, I could see the sea.

It was a black, calm sea.

It did not reflect the sun, nor mirror the blue of the sky.

It was just a wide sea dyed in a deep, dull, heavy black.

At its center was a familiar figure.

【Big Sister】

Though no voice was heard, the words got through.

She had long gray hair, limbs thin from a long battle with illness, and a familiar pale green hospital gown.

Ah, yes.

She was my one and only younger sister. I didn't have a younger sister.

I found myself thinking inauspicious things, like whether she came to pick me up.

Because if that were true, it would mean that child had died too.

【Big Sister】

I wanted to wave to that child, who kept calling out as before, but my body could no longer move properly.

On the verge of death, my consciousness fell into the black sea and melted away.

That was all I could understand, and it was the last thing I felt.

I didn't know how long that child would be able to live on the modest insurance money left behind.

But if I could wish, let that child live even a little longer.

And please, even if it was just one person, I wanted someone to remember.

That I, Matoi Shio, truly lived. The human named Matoi Shio was already gone.

Now I could only wish for that.

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