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 136: Restraint

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

The door to Room 887, thrown open without reserve, let out a creaking sound.

The residents suspiciously observed the two men in black who had just intruded into a room of an otherwise unremarkable apartment as if storming in.

Though they showed no sign of doing anything yet, gazes that would dispose of the intruders at once if an order were given were sent toward the backs of the men in black.

"Excuse me."

Spitting out the formal words, the man in black stepped into the hallway without removing his shoes.

Yako opened her mouth to complain, but seeing the other silent man take off his shoes and bow to her, she reluctantly swallowed her anger.

Each and every action of the man in black was a provocation toward them, and if she opposed him, at that point she might be clearly identified as an enemy.

"You've got good manners. If you're about to die, I might make you a resident of this apartment."

"I'm honored."

With that, Yako and the man followed the man in black who had gone ahead deeper inside.

The living room at the very back was the room where the pseudo-medium indicated by Yako was waiting.

With each step, a pressure as if being crushed underfoot by a giant monster took over her body.

That alone proved the existence of the pseudo-medium.

"Well now, this is my first time seeing the real thing."

With words that seemed to make fun of the situation, the man in black opened the living room door.

In that instant, what brushed his cheek was a gentle summer wind.

The wind flowing in from the open window swayed the white lace curtains, leaving dancing shadows on the floor.

Only the scent of the sea carried on the wind from afar was, unchanged, the true form of this city.

She was at the center of the summer that filled the room.

"――Are you the new visitors Osora-sama spoke of?"

A black-haired girl sitting on a wooden chair, gazing at the blue sky outside the window while taking in the sunlight, the pseudo-medium Oretsu Ei.

"So you're the pseudo-medium."

The man in black entered the room intimidatingly.

Ei still did not even try to look that way, and answered only his question.

"That's right, but I don't really like being called by such a grandiose name. ...Senano-san, it seems they aren't carrying weapons, at least."

"I see."

Only when the voice sounded did the man in black notice Senano, who was by the door.

The small flame bird on her shoulder was a NARROW she commanded.

Even if small, it would be no trouble for it to burn a human to death.

"If we move carelessly, you'll kill us?"

"Of course not. If I had the mind to, I would have already cast you all into the sky."

"...!"

The blue of the sky she looked at told him it was no lie.

The voices of cicadas resounding loudly up to the eighth floor gradually grew stronger, as if condemning the man in black.

There was no need to stay long in this room.

Otherwise, all of himself would be exposed beneath this sky.

"It seems you knew we were arriving, so you understand why we came like this, don't you?"

"Is it to prevent contact with the Tide-Weeping Shrine Maiden? But that isn't the Tide-Weeping Shrine Maiden in the first place, you know?"

"...No, that is the Tide-Weeping Shrine Maiden. The Enri Agency has judged so. Sorayodo no Oohito's pseudo-medium is not permitted to approach. Until the situation is brought under control, you will wait under our observation."

"Are you saying my observation is insufficient?"

The man in black nodded at Senano's words.

"At present, many reports have come in that anomalous readings have been detected from each observation station. It's only natural to suspect her influence, no? This is the Enri Agency's view. Surely someone of S Rank wouldn't defy the Enri Agency?"

"...Handle her with respect. The sky is always watching you all."

"Thanks for the warning. Now then, shall we go, pseudo-medium? We have prepared a special room for you."

Eyes as if looking at a monster rather than a person were directed at Ei.

But no one admonished those gazes.

■

Ten minutes before the men in black arrived, only Senano and Ei were in this room.

"This room has a window. It feels really nice."

Throwing the window open, Ei put her face out and laughed cheerfully.

She understood best what was coming, and yet she acted brighter than anyone.

"I wonder if Master and Shio-san and the others are all right...? I hope they can grasp some clue."

"Master is excellent, so they'll be fine. Besides, the Tide-Weeping Shrine Maiden is there too. Really, why is she here?"

The group, having received word that a unit would be dispatched from the Enri Agency, had already begun to move.

They understood that the Tide-Weeping Shrine Maiden was not the cause of this incident.

That was precisely why they had each begun investigating to uncover the truth.

"The question is whether we can dispose of that Aberrant Entity before the Enri Agency side falsifies this matter to suit them. First, we need to investigate the mechanism that can't be disposed of."

"You can go investigate now too, Senano-san, you know? Yako-san and the others are here, and I'll wait here for the unit to arrive."

"...Are they really going to restrain you?"

"Yes. Because Osora-sama said so."

Ei's voice was as bright as ever.

Even understanding that people who would restrain her were coming, she never let her smile fade.

"That's why I alone can't move. It would only make them more wary. I really wanted to be of help to everyone, though."

"...You're already helping enough."

"Is that so――whoa."

Ei turned around and smiled.

At the same time, her body slowly began to tilt.

Judging that she wouldn't be in time to break her fall, Ei squeezed her eyes shut, but before the hard sensation of the floor, there was the feeling of her hand being pulled and her being drawn into an embrace.

"Are you okay?"

"Ehehe... Sorry, it seems I listened to Osora-sama's words too much, and I'm dizzy."

Supported by Senano, Ei slowly sat down on the chair.

Because of her tone and smile, it took a while to notice, but her breathing was shallow and sweat had appeared on her forehead.

"Ei."

"I'm fine, Senano-san."

Ei placed a hand on Senano's cheek, who had called her name, and told her.

"As long as Osora-sama is here, I won't die. I just have to endure for a little while. Besides, it's become even more necessary for me to wait here. With this body, I would only trouble everyone."

"...Just don't push yourself."

"I'm only doing what I can do. But, well... can I be a little selfish?"

Ei slowly lowered the hand on her cheek and intertwined her own hand from Senano's fingertips.

It was a careful gesture, as if conveying her own existence, or as if telling herself that Senano was here.

"Will you hold my hand until the unit arrives?"

Such a pure and simple wish.

That alone was what Ei asked for.

■

Time returned to the present, and Ei and Senano had been brought by the man in black to a temporary tent in front of the apartment.

The frontline observation station had already finished deploying, and every member of the unit greeted Ei and Senano holding rifles with special sealing treatment.

They knew such things were meaningless under the blue sky, but precisely because of that, it seemed they couldn't stay sane without holding visible weapons.

"Thank you for your service."

No one here let down their guard upon seeing Ei's gentle smile.

Because they understood just how great a threat Ei was to this world.

"Hmph, unable to even give a proper reply. It seems you've received quite the education."

Senano snorted unpleasantly and said that.

The man in black said something offhand like "Everyone is just nervous," and led the two to the front of the largest temporary tent.

"You will wait here for a little while."

"Understood."

Inside the opened tent, only the light of a small incandescent bulb was lit.

The tent, made of a highly light-blocking material, had over several thousand blocking syntaxes applied to each surface, apparently trying to make the connection between Ei and Sorayodo no Oohito as faint as possible.

In addition, more than ten types of syntaxes were sewn in, just from what Senano could visually confirm.

(How many syntaxes do they use for just one girl? Treating her like a monster...!)

Ei obediently entered it.

Then, two unit members waiting inside stepped forward and opened the indigo attache cases they each held.

Senano, sensing intuitively that it was something bad, questioned the man in black who was watching the scene.

"What is that? Are you still going to do something?"

"Huh? No, that is... hmm."

The man in black momentarily acted as if he didn't know, but after looking up at the sky once as if recalling, he began to speak in the same tone as before.

"That is a prototype of a pseudo-medium restraint device that the Enri Agency succeeded in developing. Since it's a good opportunity, we thought we'd test it."

"Huh? What are you doing on your own――"

"We have obtained approval from Enri Agency upper management. Do you think a mere Observer has the right to interfere with that?"

Even during this exchange, preparations proceeded steadily.

Ei was made to stand before the folding chair in the center, and her arms were pulled behind her and cuffed with indigo handcuffs.

Then belts were tied to bind her thighs and ankles, and indigo belts were wrapped around her slender waist and chest.

"Ngh, Ei!"

"...I'm fine, Senano-san."

Ei made a smile.

But the next moment, her face was covered with an indigo cloth over her eyes, and a metal mask was placed over her mouth.

Fully restrained, she was made to sit on the chair, and then tied to the chair as well.

Senano could no longer hold back.

"Damn it, don't screw around, you bastards!"

"Whoa, surely you're not going to step down as Observer?"

"...You bastard."

"Please rest assured. It has already been proven through experiments that it causes no harm to the body. You will feel a little cramped, but once the Aberrant Entity in question is disposed of, you will be released without issue. If you cooperate willingly, your evaluation as Observer will rise as well."

Ignoring the man in black who spouted insincere nonsense, Senano stared intently at Ei.

The girl who until moments ago had been comfortably basking in the sea breeze was now restrained in darkness, shoved in for trivial reasons.

(Is the Enri Agency... really an ally of humanity...!?)

Along with doubt, dark emotions welled up.

The Enri Agency's actions up to now were enough to give rise to a certain thought in Senano.

(Enri Academy was decent. Then, as long as that side remains――)

But those pitch-black emotions were forcibly switched the moment the tent was closed.

The man in black had tapped her shoulder.

"The restraint is complete. Now let's resolve this incident together with us. If we do, the pseudo-medium can be released sooner."

She quickly understood that they intended to monitor her actions as well.

That was precisely why she had sent Nene out first and had not let them know of Shio and Minako's existence in the first place.

"I wanted the Enri Bearer Touen to accompany us as well, but it seems she isn't here. Is it possible to contact her?"

"That person has never once answered a call. She likes acting alone."

"...How troublesome. Shall we dispatch a unit to search for her as well? Then, Senano-san, why don't you go out to investigate with the unit?"

To prevent her from finding evidence inconvenient to them, and to bring about a convenient ending.

The man in black politely bound Senano with logic.

Without knowing that another will was already intervening there.

"Then I leave her observation to you――Kaburaya."

"Yes. Then, Enri Bearer Mikama , shall we go?"

The skinny man called Kaburaya urged Senano to depart.

Senano, who had briefly looked into his eyes, silently followed.

"Please, don't get any strange ideas."

The man in black said that to her as she left.

But Senano pretended not to hear.

『Your slender body line is showing and it looks great! Ei, look over here!』

『Since my vision's restricted, I don't know which way to look.』

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