It was only a little later that Rintaro and his group arrived at the Maebashi branch of the Hundred Beasts Legion. The sun had already set, and the shadow of the abandoned factory in the dark night looked like a decaying tombstone.
But this is undeniably an outpost of evil, teeming with fearsome mysterious beings.
Among them, notorious martial mysterious beings bare their fangs and sharpen their claws, waiting for the poor lambs….
……or was supposed to.
「What the hell is going on!? Why is nobody here!?」
When Rintaro and the others entered the pitch-dark abandoned factory, there was no sign of the mysterious beings. Samechi called out in a loud voice, but nothing came back from the darkness.
Following Samecchi, Rintarō held up a wooden sword, followed by Kirika, who also held a wooden sword. Relying on the light from the flashlights, they formed a line and carefully explored the interior of the abandoned factory.
「What do you think, senpai?」
「One way or another…… After coming this far, it feels like occult stuff.」
Are there any reason why everyone is out of the base? Even if that were the case, there was no way that they would have sent Rintaro a request for help without having any way to communicate with him.
It will not be for a surprise like last time in MucchiLand. Even though the mysterious beings have a way of thinking that doesn’t fit into common sense, they still have that level of discretion.
It was obvious to everyone that something unusual was happening.
The abandoned factory, illuminated by the flashlight, showed signs of a recent battle, such as scorch marks and sword scratches, in places. When Samecchi waved the flashlight, the round light illuminated the multicolored cloths scattered on the floor.
「Aniki! Only the clothes are left again!」
The floor was strewn with clothes that appeared to belong to members of the Hundred Beast Army, which had been taken off here and there.
「All the buttons are also pinned on. It’s exactly the same M.O. as the previous attacks.」
「Come on, since when did Hero Headquarters start doing magician entertainment?」
「Rather than a magic trick, it feels more like being spirited away. It’s a big one too on top of that.」
Yes, this is the base of the Hundred Beasts Legion, and it is different from the bar with only one waiter. Nearly 30 mysterious beings, including General Bearion, disappeared at once, leaving only their clothes behind.
Given the situation, there are not many possibilities. The worst-case scenario that was on Rintaro’s mind was becoming more and more realistic.
「Uu, where has everybody disappeared to, ssuka…… nssu？」
Picking up a shirt that had been carelessly thrown away, Samecchi looked up as if she had noticed something and rushed to Rintaro’s side.
「Aniki, aniki!」
「Samecchi, did you find any clues?」
「These clothes are still warm, ssu!」
Rintaro and Kirika look at each other’s tense faces when Samecchi reported. That means the enemy was still in the vicinity.
It was then. Suddenly, the abandoned factory was illuminated by a dazzling light.
The intense light from the construction site lights illuminated the pile of rusted steel frames like a spotlight. The theme song of a period drama, which is deeply embedded in one’s bones, was playing out of nowhere.
『Den, dedededen, dedededen♪』
『Haa～ The moon in Edo～～～, At the man’s back～～～♪』
Three shadows appeared before the stunned Rintaro and his group.
She is the very picture of a high-flying, flamboyant woman with a high-pitched laugh. She is flanked on both sides by red and green heroes with muscular, unJapanese-looking bodies.
The Chief of Staff, Komorodo Utako, and her subordinates, Will and Lamar, who were dressed in hero suits.
「Nfufufufu…… Nfuufufufufufu！ As I calculated, they show up, shitawane.」
「Restrain yourself! Do you know who this person is!」
「The National Public Safety Commissions Committee, Local Human Disasters, Special Cases, Special Measures Office Chief of Staff, General Utako Komorodo IS HERE!」
「Come on, evil mysterious beings, get down on your knees and beg for your lives!」
All the mysterious beings frowned at the theatrical speech that seemed to make a ‘Doon’ sound. If Rintaro and Kirika were still part of the Hero Headquarters, they would surely have had a headache.
「……Could it be, the Beast Corps was defeated by such people……？」
「Haaa, so cool, ssuu.」
「Samecchi, that’s no good. You shouldn’t get involved with a drunken justice prick and an uncle you don’t know.」
As Rintaro says, it’s more like a three-story play than a hero’s speech. They seem to think that they are the main characters of a two-hour drama.
「Fufufufu, it seems that our majesty makes you speechless, desuwane.」
「Yes, the sense of euphoria is bizarre. Isn’t better if you just applaud and throw a few ohineri[i]?」
「Oh, you’re so impudent. Mr. Will, Mr. Lamar, punish them.」
「「Aye aye, Ma’am!!」」
Under Utako’s command, the two macho heroes happily executed justice.
They do not use swords, as in the period dramas of the past. What they are Chicago typewriters, which use a large number of lead bullets to overwhelm evil.
「Get baptized, American-style!」
「HAHAHA! I’m gonna make a beehive out of you!」
A total of four machine guns, held by each of the two men in their respective hands, opened fire in unison.
Rintaro jumped into the shade of an abandoned forklift with Samecchi and Kirika in his arms.
「Are you a prohibition-era American Mafia! Same-cchi, are you injured?」
「Samecchi is fine, ssu! But Kirika is not here, ssu!」
「What did you say?」
Rintaro looked around in a panic and saw a figure standing on a beam of the ceiling far above his head, blending into the darkness.
The shadow jumped down soundlessly and landed among the heroes who continued to fire their machine guns like mad.
「Wazza!? Where did you come from!?」
Will and Lamar’s response to the girl who suddenly appeared at close range was delayed for a moment. For her, even that momentary delay was more than enough.
「Mugetsu Ittoryu “Suminagashi”……」
As Kirika swung the wooden sword in her hand in a fluid motion, the four machine guns exploded one after another, their barrels blossoming.
「Whaaaaaat!?」
「Small fry who can only push their luck should get out of the way.」
The wooden sword slammed into Will and Lamar’s side at an almost invisible speed. Will and Lamar were blown to the edge of the abandoned factory, and the wooden sword shattered into pieces.
「Uun, as expected, it’s not strong enough unless it’s Kuroageha.」
「Y- Yo- You- You are…… Mayu- Mayu- Mayu- Mayuzumi Kirika!?」
Utako, who had easily lost her guards, seemed overtly flustered.
It is no wonder, then, as the one standing before her was the former most powerful hero of all time. The woman who blew up Mt. Takao is one to watch out for, even as a mysterious being.
「Then, let’s begin the torture.」
Kirika grabbed Utako’s head, who was sitting on her knees. As she lifted her up, Utako’s legs floated in the air.
「Higyaaaah!! Plea- Please stop, kudasaimashi!」
「Where did you send all of the Hundred Beasts Legion? Answer quickly or your depressing face will look like a loofah!」
「Adadadadada! My head will break! It’s going to break!」
Utako grabbed Kirika’s arm that was holding her head tightly. However, no matter how she flailed her legs, Kirika’s slender arms didn’t even wiggle like heavy machinery.
「Let me tell you, I am not a very patient person today. I have to quickly end this farce and get ready for my betrothal with Senpai.」
Kirika was about to put pressure on her fingertips in frustration. But then she noticed that Utako’s mouth, peeking out from between the palms of her hands, was smiling.
「Nfu…… Fuhi.」
「You, What are you laughing about……?」
「Oh, no! Get away from her right now, Mayuzumi!」
The moment Rintaro shouted, a cloud of pure white vapor formed around the arm grabbed by Utako. Before Kirika could determine that it was an attack by Utako, her entire body was enveloped in steam.
「Mayuzumiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!」
「Hawa- Hawawawa…… Wh- Wh- Wh- What was that, ssuka!?」
Rintaro and Samechi could not believe what was happening before their eyes. When the steam cleared, Kirika, who was supposed to have grabbed Utako up, had disappeared without a trace, leaving only her clothes behind.
A black jacket that had lost its master fell to the floor with a thud like a puppet with its strings cut.
On the other side of the room, Utako Komorado smiled wickedly and spread her hands.
「Nfu…… Nfufufufu…… One down, desuwa.」
[i] Wrapped offering (of money)
It was only a little later that Rintaro and his group arrived at the Maebashi branch of the Hundred Beasts Legion. The sun had already set, and the shadow of the abandoned factory in the dark night looked like a decaying tombstone.
But this is undeniably an outpost of evil, teeming with fearsome mysterious beings.
Among them, notorious martial mysterious beings bare their fangs and sharpen their claws, waiting for the poor lambs….
……or was supposed to.
「What the hell is going on!? Why is nobody here!?」
When Rintaro and the others entered the pitch-dark abandoned factory, there was no sign of the mysterious beings. Samechi called out in a loud voice, but nothing came back from the darkness.
Following Samecchi, Rintarō held up a wooden sword, followed by Kirika, who also held a wooden sword. Relying on the light from the flashlights, they formed a line and carefully explored the interior of the abandoned factory.
「What do you think, senpai?」
「One way or another…… After coming this far, it feels like occult stuff.」
Are there any reason why everyone is out of the base? Even if that were the case, there was no way that they would have sent Rintaro a request for help without having any way to communicate with him.
It will not be for a surprise like last time in MucchiLand. Even though the mysterious beings have a way of thinking that doesn’t fit into common sense, they still have that level of discretion.
It was obvious to everyone that something unusual was happening.
The abandoned factory, illuminated by the flashlight, showed signs of a recent battle, such as scorch marks and sword scratches, in places. When Samecchi waved the flashlight, the round light illuminated the multicolored cloths scattered on the floor.
「Aniki! Only the clothes are left again!」
The floor was strewn with clothes that appeared to belong to members of the Hundred Beast Army, which had been taken off here and there.
「All the buttons are also pinned on. It’s exactly the same M.O. as the previous attacks.」
「Come on, since when did Hero Headquarters start doing magician entertainment?」
「Rather than a magic trick, it feels more like being spirited away. It’s a big one too on top of that.」
Yes, this is the base of the Hundred Beasts Legion, and it is different from the bar with only one waiter. Nearly 30 mysterious beings, including General Bearion, disappeared at once, leaving only their clothes behind.
Given the situation, there are not many possibilities. The worst-case scenario that was on Rintaro’s mind was becoming more and more realistic.
「Uu, where has everybody disappeared to, ssuka…… nssu？」
Picking up a shirt that had been carelessly thrown away, Samecchi looked up as if she had noticed something and rushed to Rintaro’s side.
「Aniki, aniki!」
「Samecchi, did you find any clues?」
「These clothes are still warm, ssu!」
Rintaro and Kirika look at each other’s tense faces when Samecchi reported. That means the enemy was still in the vicinity.
It was then. Suddenly, the abandoned factory was illuminated by a dazzling light.
The intense light from the construction site lights illuminated the pile of rusted steel frames like a spotlight. The theme song of a period drama, which is deeply embedded in one’s bones, was playing out of nowhere.
『Den, dedededen, dedededen♪』
『Haa～ The moon in Edo～～～, At the man’s back～～～♪』
Three shadows appeared before the stunned Rintaro and his group.
She is the very picture of a high-flying, flamboyant woman with a high-pitched laugh. She is flanked on both sides by red and green heroes with muscular, unJapanese-looking bodies.
The Chief of Staff, Komorodo Utako, and her subordinates, Will and Lamar, who were dressed in hero suits.
「Nfufufufu…… Nfuufufufufufu！ As I calculated, they show up, shitawane.」
「Restrain yourself! Do you know who this person is!」
「The National Public Safety Commissions Committee, Local Human Disasters, Special Cases, Special Measures Office Chief of Staff, General Utako Komorodo IS HERE!」
「Come on, evil mysterious beings, get down on your knees and beg for your lives!」
All the mysterious beings frowned at the theatrical speech that seemed to make a ‘Doon’ sound. If Rintaro and Kirika were still part of the Hero Headquarters, they would surely have had a headache.
「……Could it be, the Beast Corps was defeated by such people……？」
「Haaa, so cool, ssuu.」
「Samecchi, that’s no good. You shouldn’t get involved with a drunken justice prick and an uncle you don’t know.」
As Rintaro says, it’s more like a three-story play than a hero’s speech. They seem to think that they are the main characters of a two-hour drama.
「Fufufufu, it seems that our majesty makes you speechless, desuwane.」
「Yes, the sense of euphoria is bizarre. Isn’t better if you just applaud and throw a few ohineri[i]?」
「Oh, you’re so impudent. Mr. Will, Mr. Lamar, punish them.」
「「Aye aye, Ma’am!!」」
Under Utako’s command, the two macho heroes happily executed justice.
They do not use swords, as in the period dramas of the past. What they are Chicago typewriters, which use a large number of lead bullets to overwhelm evil.
「Get baptized, American-style!」
「HAHAHA! I’m gonna make a beehive out of you!」
A total of four machine guns, held by each of the two men in their respective hands, opened fire in unison.
Rintaro jumped into the shade of an abandoned forklift with Samecchi and Kirika in his arms.
「Are you a prohibition-era American Mafia! Same-cchi, are you injured?」
「Samecchi is fine, ssu! But Kirika is not here, ssu!」
「What did you say?」
Rintaro looked around in a panic and saw a figure standing on a beam of the ceiling far above his head, blending into the darkness.
The shadow jumped down soundlessly and landed among the heroes who continued to fire their machine guns like mad.
「Wazza!? Where did you come from!?」
Will and Lamar’s response to the girl who suddenly appeared at close range was delayed for a moment. For her, even that momentary delay was more than enough.
「Mugetsu Ittoryu “Suminagashi”……」
As Kirika swung the wooden sword in her hand in a fluid motion, the four machine guns exploded one after another, their barrels blossoming.
「Whaaaaaat!?」
「Small fry who can only push their luck should get out of the way.」
The wooden sword slammed into Will and Lamar’s side at an almost invisible speed. Will and Lamar were blown to the edge of the abandoned factory, and the wooden sword shattered into pieces.
「Uun, as expected, it’s not strong enough unless it’s Kuroageha.」
「Y- Yo- You- You are…… Mayu- Mayu- Mayu- Mayuzumi Kirika!?」
Utako, who had easily lost her guards, seemed overtly flustered.
It is no wonder, then, as the one standing before her was the former most powerful hero of all time. The woman who blew up Mt. Takao is one to watch out for, even as a mysterious being.
「Then, let’s begin the torture.」
Kirika grabbed Utako’s head, who was sitting on her knees. As she lifted her up, Utako’s legs floated in the air.
「Higyaaaah!! Plea- Please stop, kudasaimashi!」
「Where did you send all of the Hundred Beasts Legion? Answer quickly or your depressing face will look like a loofah!」
「Adadadadada! My head will break! It’s going to break!」
Utako grabbed Kirika’s arm that was holding her head tightly. However, no matter how she flailed her legs, Kirika’s slender arms didn’t even wiggle like heavy machinery.
「Let me tell you, I am not a very patient person today. I have to quickly end this farce and get ready for my betrothal with Senpai.」
Kirika was about to put pressure on her fingertips in frustration. But then she noticed that Utako’s mouth, peeking out from between the palms of her hands, was smiling.
「Nfu…… Fuhi.」
「You, What are you laughing about……?」
「Oh, no! Get away from her right now, Mayuzumi!」
The moment Rintaro shouted, a cloud of pure white vapor formed around the arm grabbed by Utako. Before Kirika could determine that it was an attack by Utako, her entire body was enveloped in steam.
「Mayuzumiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!」
「Hawa- Hawawawa…… Wh- Wh- Wh- What was that, ssuka!?」
Rintaro and Samechi could not believe what was happening before their eyes. When the steam cleared, Kirika, who was supposed to have grabbed Utako up, had disappeared without a trace, leaving only her clothes behind.
A black jacket that had lost its master fell to the floor with a thud like a puppet with its strings cut.
On the other side of the room, Utako Komorado smiled wickedly and spread her hands.
「Nfu…… Nfufufufu…… One down, desuwa.」
[i] Wrapped offering (of money)
