After descending a long—very long—staircase to the hotel’s first-floor lobby, they were greeted by the lingering scent of thick blood mixed with the smell of the sea. It seemed the one who created this mist was highly hostile toward humans. But the real issue was that the enemy they’d encountered earlier might not be the only one.
Right now, the only ones who could fight properly were Inari and Hikaru. Which meant the two of them had to handle this situation on their own.
“Inari, I’ve got a plan.”
“Quite the coincidence, so do I.”
“I’ll take care of those fish freaks all around town.”
“Then I shall strike at the source.”
That was the safest course of action. Hikaru was currently protected from the mist’s effects thanks to her armor, but that might not hold if she got too close to the source. The mist might be denser there—or carry an even stronger power of sleep. That being the case, Inari, who was unaffected from the start and had the power to manipulate the mist, had the best chance of success. The two of them nodded to each other and exchanged a light fist bump.
“Leave it to me.”
“Consider it done.”
Hikaru took off running, quickly disappearing even from Inari’s sight. Now that she’d been entrusted with this role, Inari had to find whoever was behind this incident. But… how should she search? Wandering around blindly would be foolish. Which meant she needed to uncover the enemy’s objective.
First, why attack Fuchu? One reason might be the same as with Akabane: it was a place accessible via the river.
Next, why did it have to be Fuchu? There was a chance other places were being attacked simultaneously, but rather than spreading her thoughts that wide, Inari focused on why it had to be Fuchu instead of Akabane or Tokyo Port.
“...Surely, not the dungeon?”
What came to Inari’s mind was Tokyo Dungeon No. 1—Bearer of Endless Agony and Delight.
She remembered the system had referred to that incident as involving Those Who Distort the Dungeon. In other words, the “godlike beings” with malicious intent could influence dungeons—or perhaps they were trying to achieve some goal through influencing them.
With that in mind, the probability that Tokyo Dungeon No. 8—located in Fuchu—was the target suddenly spiked.
If that were the case… then Tokyo Dungeon No. 8 had already been attacked, and the mist’s origin likely stemmed from there. That made things simple.
“Alright, my destination’s decided. Now then…”
A Deep One lunged at her from within the mist, and Inari cut it down in a single stroke. The mist did interfere, and Deep Ones were tougher than Mermen—but such differences meant little before Kogetsu. Inari’s physical strength might be modest, but Kogetsu’s sharpness more than made up for it. Which was why Inari declared.
“I need but cut down all that block my path. Now then, time to move out, hm?”
She remembered the location. She’d confirmed it with Hikaru on their way here. Even if the mist made it hard to see, she still remembered the route. So Inari charged forward without hesitation. She slashed down the Deep Ones that appeared in her way, unleashed foxfire to blow them apart, evaded incoming attacks, and pressed onward.
Eventually, she saw it—the wall surrounding Tokyo Dungeon No. 8. Entering through its wide-open gates, she found the dungeon gate waiting beyond.
The source of the mist… seemed to lie inside. Most likely, the caster had already entered the dungeon. If that were true, then there was no choice but to pursue them inside.
Without hesitation, Inari leapt through the dungeon gate.
What awaited her was a scene like that of a grand old Western castle. If this had been an actual castle, it would have been monstrously huge—but since it was a dungeon, such absurdity was to be expected.
Mist filled the interior, much like outside, but it was considerably thinner here. There were even patches where it had broken up. This might mean the mist wasn’t as effective inside the dungeon.
“So the base layout is a Western-style castle... Now then, I know not where the ringleader hides, but caution shall be my guide.”
As if guarding the castle, rows of full suits of armor stood lined up—and at that very moment, with a dull creak, they turned to face Inari.
“Hyah?! N-No way!”
The standard monsters of Tokyo Dungeon No. 8—Living Mail. True to their name, these animated suits of armor readied their weapons and began moving the moment they spotted Inari.
“My aim is not thee, but... it matters not, I suppose.”
Indeed, it was futile to try talking to them. To the Living Mail, anyone entering here was an invader, an enemy to be struck down indiscriminately. Even those who forced their way through with tricks were shown no mercy. Despite looking like knights, Living Mail functioned more like soldiers.
Thus, they charged at Inari—and the one at the front was instantly shattered by her foxfire, its armor clattering to the floor of the great hall.