chapter05 · 138-ep138

Episode 131: Thorough Preparations

Even though an appointment had been arranged through Honoka beforehand, Karin had panicked when the prime minister appeared at her door. "The prime minister would never come to my house and bow to me! This guy's gotta be a fake, desu no!" After blurting out one disastrous remark after another, she'd called Mafuyu for help, discovered he was genuine, and fainted.

Some time later...

"Sigh..."

At the Metropolitan Police Department for various meetings, Mafuyu let out one of the deepest sighs of her life.

"...So you really have decided to ask Karin to conquer Arakawa Dungeon. Even though she's a minor."

"The prime minister knows what he's taking on," Kasumi Makihara of Public Security replied, her own expression bitter.

"He was agonizing over whether it was right to ask her until the very last moment. I hear he's prepared to take responsibility and resign if she fails—or even if she succeeds, depending on the circumstances."

"By 'take responsibility,' you mean he'll physically cut off his head rather than resign, right?"

"G-give me a break... When you say that, it doesn't sound like a joke."

Kasumi knew Mafuyu wasn't serious, but her face, already worn with exhaustion after the past few days, twitched.

"I understand how worried you are about her, but we don't have a choice. Someone capable of resolving an incident this big HAS to act. I don't need to tell you that artificial dungeon collapses will have a catastrophic impact on the world. That's why the government must ask a minor for help, however much stronger Ojou-sama may be than even other country-toppling explorers."

"..."

Mafuyu fell silent. Kasumi was right: this unprecedented threat, which had shaken the world with terrifying suddenness, promised immense damage and repercussions.

That 'immense damage' didn't refer to the loss of life or property from an abyssal-class collapse in an urban area.

In fact, artificial dungeon collapses THEMSELVES weren't the worst of it.

They were a huge problem, certainly. But the collapses these terrorists caused could be detected hours before they occurred. The fact that neither the American nor the African collapse targeted a major city, coupled with a frequency that didn't significantly depart from the statistics, made it clear they couldn't cause one wherever they wanted. And with every nation's country-toppling explorers likely to take the initiative against a disaster of this magnitude, these attacks might in some ways be more manageable than an unpredictable major earthquake or ordinary dungeon collapse.

What was most terrifying, then... was the fear of terrorism people felt after witnessing artificial collapses. The worst outcome would be a climate in which everyone believed they could only submit to the terrorists' demands, and the swelling panic would trigger cascading damage across economies and every other sector.

Property values in major cities with dungeons, Tokyo above all, were already plummeting. Chaos on a scale beyond a great depression was brewing.

Fear and anxiety directly damaged the economy.

Economic consequences were often overlooked beside human lives... but in reality, a severe economic downturn could sometimes kill more people more efficiently than a dungeon collapse or a war.

Unless they demonstrated that an artificial collapse COULD be stopped before Tokyo, one of the world's great cities, actually suffered damage, there was no telling how many lives and how much national wealth would ultimately be lost. If aversion to dungeons grew as the terrorists intended, even the quality of future explorers—and thus national defense—would suffer.

This was no longer solely Japan's problem. Not deploying the girl who'd publicly called a blind run through the abyss 'old hat' was no longer an option.

And for a particular reason, they'd confirmed on the very day the warning video appeared that the threat against Arakawa Dungeon wasn't a bluff.

"Before Ojou-sama announced she'd go, we used former Black Tiger clan master Kuroi's <Advance Danger Sense> to check the area around Arakawa Dungeon. It showed that within at least a two-kilometer radius, something will happen that endangers even Kuroi, a level-2000-plus explorer despite lacking his equipment. If we do nothing, an abyssal-class dungeon collapse in Tokyo is certain."

Kasumi explained how they'd obtained that information using the Kuroi now in custody, independently of the official warning signs that would only be observable a few hours before a collapse.

Kuroi's unique skill malfunctioned when faced with someone far beyond his strength, so it couldn't accurately predict the impact of Karin's intervention. But without countermeasures, a collapse and extensive damage were now assured. The prime minister had thus resolved to request her assistance as head of the country immediately after her on-stream declaration.

"At first, even I questioned streaming the conquest, rather than just requesting it... But that's essential too. If she stopped the collapse when nobody was watching, people could claim we bargained with the terrorists to call it off... As I said, the biggest danger is the public's fear and confusion. That's why we need it."

Undeniable proof that an artificial dungeon collapse could be prevented.

Hope, in the form of a ludicrously strong, ludicrous ojou-sama blowing away the terrorists' vile plans.

Entertainment in which a hero straight out of a story overcame an outrageous injustice.

The only person capable of providing all that was Karin Yamada, the extraordinary dungeon streamer who admired an anime and trained until she became as strong as a fictional character.

The prime minister had summarized these reasons to Karin without shattering her dream, asking her, as a popular streamer like Setsuna-sama, to stop the collapse because she was the right person for the task.

"I understand that much without you explaining it," Mafuyu answered with another sigh.

This was precisely why she'd tried to prevent Karin's abilities from becoming too public. Beyond causing an uproar, they'd inevitably lead people to expect her to solve every crisis and burden her with needless risks.

Admittedly, Mafuyu had never anticipated anything of THIS magnitude. The government would very likely have had to seek Karin's help with a world-shaking emergency like this whether her strength was widely known or not. But more important now was—

"If Karin must go, then she must. My greatest concern is that she may have no choice but to tackle Arakawa Dungeon alone. I'll ask again: is there really no country-toppling explorer we can call on to accompany her?"

"Unfortunately..." Kasumi's face twisted with frustration, a rare expression for her. "First, overseas. Given the situation, every country wants to repay her for the assassin cleanup, but none can send their country-toppling explorers abroad or risk them now. The terrorists could be using Arakawa Dungeon to distract everyone before launching an unannounced collapse somewhere else. And even if their governments agreed, the explorers themselves would have to want to go."

"As for Japan," she continued, "that's impossible too. We can't contact one of them. Perhaps something upset them again and they've gone off to the mountains. Going by past behavior, they won't be back for at least a month. The other was as furious as Karin ojou-sama about the terrorists' video and readily agreed to cooperate... but under present conditions, she can't leave Mochimochi Tamago-sensei, who's precious to her. We also need at least one country-toppling explorer aboveground."

One secondary reason for broadcasting Karin's expedition was to send information about the monsters that might emerge to the forces on the surface, in case she failed to stop the collapse.

But that information would be worthless if the surface lacked anyone capable of fighting them. Japan's strongest clans and elite Self-Defense Forces might maintain a defensive line against deep-layer monsters, but if abyssal monsters emerged in the second wave, no amount of information could let anyone short of a country-toppling explorer handle them. Inhuman terrors would strike Tokyo.

For those and other reasons, the explorer couldn't dive with Karin.

"I see..."

Mafuyu sighed for the third time. She'd known as much, and the government was undoubtedly doing everything it could. There really was no way around it.

Normally, there was someone they could've counted on without any of these complications, but...

"I am truly sorry! I promised I'd come to her aid without fail if anything happened, and yet...!"

The voice bowing in apology through Mafuyu's phone belonged to Sharifa Nefertiti. The Dungeon Queen had returned home temporarily to suppress an abyssal-class collapse and remained in the African Federation.

"No, given the circumstances, it can't be helped. I'm not thinking anything like, 'After doing as you pleased, what use is a woman who lies about her age if she can't come help when it matters most?'"

"I said I'm sorry!"

The Queen apologized repeatedly in the face of Mafuyu's low voice and complete disregard for diplomatic etiquette.

Still, Mafuyu hadn't meant it from the heart.

Countries in the vicinity of the Middle East were currently making deeply ominous moves near the African Federation's borders. They hadn't dared take action even during Sharie's long absences before, for fear of retaliation, yet now they seemed unnaturally serious—as though someone had put them up to it.

Her people were already anxious after the dungeon collapse. Prioritizing another country now would weaken her rule, and in this dungeon-era society, an actual war would shed far more blood than one before dungeons appeared. Karin would never want reinforcements under those conditions. So Mafuyu didn't truly blame Sharie.

If Mafuyu was angry with anyone, it was herself, unable to fight properly and limited to providing rear support. Never had she resented her injury more.

This entire incident stank of a setup.

The third and apparently main collapse targeting a Japanese metropolis rather than a dungeon-advanced country. The blatant provocation video. The moves against the African Federation... Mafuyu couldn't shake the feeling that they were trying to lure Karin into the abyss alone. (Protecting Mochimochi Tamago-sensei was a priority partly because no one could rule out another Karin-related incident.)

If so, their enemies not only possessed the impossible technology to cause artificial collapses but had prepared infuriatingly well. They might even have planted a trap in Arakawa Dungeon.

That was why Mafuyu had hoped Karin could form a party with another country-toppling explorer. But as her expression tightened—

"I truly am sorry I cannot help when it matters most. This isn't merely an excuse to comfort you, though... Excessive worry is unnecessary. Karin is unquestionably stronger than I am."

The young Queen who'd united a continent through her own strength spoke with absolute conviction.

"Kisaragi Dungeon convinced me. I spent nearly ten years uniting the continent after I resolved to do so. She could accomplish it in three. Without even possessing magic skills suited to fighting armies or logistical skills like <Munch-Munch Nom-Nom>. Whatever tricks await her, Karin will conquer Arakawa Dungeon without fail."

"Besides," Sharie continued, "she has that thing she made from a rare abyssal boss, and I have given her a great many trump cards myself. ...Though most are essentially the products of her absurd abilities... At any rate, she has several safeguards. A party would have been ideal, but she should manage solo."

"...Yes. You're right."

After a moment, Mafuyu nodded at the words of one of the world's strongest.

In a situation like this, she couldn't stop worrying.

But Mafuyu knew Karin's extraordinary strength as well as she knew her personality: the strength she'd forged through training that bordered on madness, all because she admired Setsuna-sama. She hardly needed Sharie to tell her.

She would, of course, fight for Karin's sake until the very end. But what she needed to do now was surely to trust her.

"They have no idea how strong Karin really is, and she's still growing. If they think luring her to the back of the abyss will be enough to defeat her, they're sorely mistaken."

A resolve almost like murderous intent gleamed in her eyes.

"We'll leave Arakawa Dungeon to Karin and put everything we have into what WE can do. Investigate the people behind this, of course, and after Karin resolves it safely, ease the excessive expectations and burdens that will fall on her so she can go back to being just a streamer. Even if it means demolishing the world's common sense completely. Since you can't enter Arakawa Dungeon, you'll help me with everything you've got too, Your Majesty Sharifa."

"Of course I will!"

"H-hey, wait!? You've both been talking like this is obvious, but how much DO you know about that ojou-sama's strength!? Poison Spider, you've kept far too much about Karin ojou-sama secret! How strong IS she now!? And what do you mean by demolishing common sense? What else are you planning!? Hey!? I mean, if we're forced to rely on a minor, I'm prepared to work myself to the bone afterward in return, but still!"

While Kasumi panicked at Mafuyu and Sharie's resolution, preparations for preventing the collapse proceeded steadily. The day of the threatened attack arrived in the blink of an eye.

"Well then, Karin—are you ready?"

"Indeed! To smash the terrorists' scheme one hundred percent to bits, I have brought more than the showpiece equipment I wore on my deep-layer stream! Naturally I have that thing Sharie-sama gave me and the rather nice equipment I made from that rare abyssal boss, but I have also prepared my serious equipment just in case—even though it is a little un-Elegant, so I had wanted to keep it off-stream for now!"

Karin answered Mafuyu with all the energy she'd shown before her Okutama conquest.

Several decades had passed since dungeons appeared and changed the world's common sense forever.

Now began the stream that would be said to rewrite even THAT common sense.

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For pacing reasons I skipped the prime minister's visit, but apparently it was quite the nightmarish scene: Prime Minister Kongouji came because he couldn't bring himself to summon someone under such grave circumstances, then wondered if his position made that a bad idea; Karin ojou-sama learned from Mafuyu and her detection skills that he was real, toppled over and nearly puked; and his security detail suddenly found themselves in a 'Don't Laugh, Bodyguards: Twenty-Four Hours' challenge, desu wa.

I should also add that Mafuyu-sama would frankly prioritize Karin's safety far above worldwide chaos. But she also knows that if Karin later learned how far beyond reality her strength was, she'd bitterly regret not acting when she could have. That's another reason Mafuyu can't stop her, desu wa.

(As for the Kuroi sensor, they apparently transported the docile Kuroi-sama in a prison van loaded with dresses, stopped at various points around Arakawa Dungeon, and told him, 'You'll wait here until [the day of the collapse],' then checked whether he sensed danger. Even such a rough method works with that skill. How convenient! And how long this afterword is, desu wa!)