A thick mist. The moment they stepped in, the space was filled with a mist so dense it clung to the skin. With mist this heavy, one would expect the fire alarm to go off, and yet, there was no sign of that. No—more importantly, this mist itself was suspicious. It wasn’t a physical mist but rather a mist of mana—that much was clear.
“Hey, Inari. Can’t you do something about this mist? Forget the effects, it’s damn annoying not being able to see anything.”
Though the mist tried to encroach on Inari and Hikaru, it was repelled the moment it touched them. Even so, pushing forward through it felt deeply unsettling... though they could endure that. What was far more dangerous was the literal lack of visibility—barely an inch ahead could be seen.
Considering what had happened to their room earlier, it was only natural that Hikaru assumed it had been Inari’s doing and asked. But even for Inari, there was a good reason she couldn’t act so carelessly.
“Hmm... It might be possible, mayhaps.”
“Oh? Then go ahead—”
“However, if I do so, even I might not be able to move afterward, thou know. This mist, it seems to envelop the entire area. To dispel it by force... wouldst be quite the ordeal.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Aye, that bad. I cannot believe this to be the work of a common foe. I wouldst rather not engage in a contest of power against one whose strength remains unfathomable.”
“Then that’s a no-go.”
“Indeed.”
They nodded to each other as they continued walking through the mist. Hikaru was slightly surprised Inari hadn’t outright said she couldn’t do it—still, it didn’t matter right now. First, they needed to escape the hotel and strike at the cause of all this affecting the town...
“Wait.”
“Hm?”
“This is... the elevator hall. I think I saw the floor indicator.”
The mist was so thick that even Hikaru couldn’t be certain, but for a moment, she thought she’d caught a glimpse of a number display. Something like that would only be found in an elevator hall or a stairwell...
“But, still... taking the elevator in this situation sounds like a really bad idea.”
“’Twould be akin to walking straight into the enemy’s snare.”
“...Wait. I hear something.”
It was the sound of machinery. Was someone using the elevator in this thick mist? If so, were they an awakener who could resist the mist? If that were the case, it seemed awfully careless... Remaining on guard, the two turned toward the elevator. Not that they could see anything through the mist—but ding, the elevator chimed and they heard the doors open. A silhouette emerged beyond the mist... and then vanished into it.
“Wha—!?”
“GII!”
Something appeared behind Inari and swung an arm covered in scales. With a sound of slicing air, the arm missed Inari by a hair as she dodged, and in the same motion she retaliated with Kogetsu... but just before it could hit, the attacker vanished into the mist once more.
“Dodged? No... something felt off about that swing.”
It was as if her sword had suddenly become heavier—at least, that was the strange sensation Inari experienced.
“You okay!?”
“Aye. However, that fish-man just now was...”
“Fish-man? A merman?! Then—gotcha!”
“Ggeh!”
Hikaru threw a punch at the shadow she saw—but was startled when she saw what she’d hit. It wasn’t the kind of merman Hikaru knew. It was more human-like than a merman, but clearly not human. Something in between.
A Deep One. That was what Kobayashi had called it—an evolved form of merman, enhanced by the power of a godlike being. It made sense that Hikaru, unlike Inari, wouldn’t know of such a creature. It was, without a doubt, a new species of monster in this world. And even after taking Hikaru’s punch head-on, it was still grinning. Hikaru hadn’t held back. That meant the mist itself had protected it.
“G-Gugegeh!”
“Don’t screw with me!”
Hikaru quickly retracted her fist and began channeling magical power into her hand. She had noticed the odd sensation earlier as well—and that it was due to the mist. But that didn’t matter. If a normal punch didn’t work, then she’d just have to use one that wasn’t normal. Hikaru’s job, Lion King, was made for things like this.
“Get blown the hell away! Lion Barrage!!”
Her glowing fist blurred, and in a flash, countless punches were unleashed. Not one of them missed. Every strike connected, pummeling the Deep One and sending its body flying apart. She had no doubt—it was a killing blow.
“Whew... yeah, this mist is a pain.”
“’Twas clearly aiding the enemy... aye, perhaps we should do something about it after all.”
“Nah, it’s fine.”
As Inari pondered, Hikaru cut her off. It was a hassle, sure—but not unmanageable. Losing Inari’s firepower just to clear the mist would’ve hurt far more. In that case, it was better to leave the mist as-is.
“We’ll move forward with the mist as it is. You and me—we’ll smash whatever’s causing it.”
“Aye, no objections here. Then...”
“Let’s find the stairs. I don’t wanna be stuck in a falling elevator thanks to this mist.”
“Quite so.”
Emergency stairs were at either end of each floor. If they kept going, they’d get there eventually. With a nod to each other, Inari and Hikaru continued on toward the staircase.