Rebuild World: Volume 3 Part 2 E-Book

Nahuse

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: Rebuild World
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 589

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Akira has made it out of Yonozuka Station alive, but he’ll have to put his next relic hunt on hold—the ruin’s drastically altered ecosystem is spawning mutant behemoths, rendering the wasteland unsafe. The Hunter Office steps in and offers a large bounty for exterminating them, leading to an enticing proposition for Akira from an unlikely source. Meanwhile, the internal conflict within Druncam escalates. Akira must now face deadlier foes than ever before, and this time Alpha’s support might not be enough!

Leseprobe

Chapter 86: The Mutants

Determined to strike it rich, Akira and Alpha decided to comb the desert for an undiscovered ruin. There, they happened upon the Yonozuka Station Ruins, a vast underground expanse with an abundance of relics and no monsters in sight—a veritable treasure trove. Pleased, Akira made a couple more trips to the ruins to collect the abandoned artifacts—first with Elena and Sara, then with Sheryl and her gang. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. But Akira had greatly underestimated how much hunters valued virgin ruins, and so became embroiled in a far larger struggle than he had bargained for.

One shady group of hunters kidnapped Sheryl in an attempt to learn more about the ruin. After Akira rescued her from their clutches, the existence of the ruin became public knowledge, and a massive conflict broke out between the hunters and behemoths who converged on the site. In its wake, the underground expanse was left utterly transformed.

Yet despite everything that happened, Akira came through it all unscathed.

During the fight, Akira unexpectedly encountered Yumina, and—even more unexpectedly—wound up aiding not only her but Katsuya as well. In the end, the two boys found themselves fighting alongside each other. Their time as allies was brief—but long enough for Akira to see how surprisingly capable Katsuya was in combat.

Now they were headed home. Akira lay in the back of Elena and Sara’s truck, sleeping off all the exhaustion he’d accumulated. The battle within the ruins had been fierce, but thanks to Alpha’s support and his newly upgraded gear, at least his life hadn’t been in danger. If he’d gone in there with his old equipment and abilities, he would have certainly met his demise. His new equipment and improved combat skill had increased his strength exponentially—after all, he’d be fighting tougher battles going forward.

◆

Once Akira returned to Kugamayama City, Elena and Sara dropped him off at his home, where they said their goodbyes. Had he behaved more prudently, he would have first retrieved the relics that he’d sent on ahead to the city and then hammered out who got how much of the loot. Akira was friends with Elena and Sara, but they were all hunters nonetheless. They hadn’t formed an official alliance, nor were they bound by a detailed contract. Neglecting matters like these now left the door open for tension between them down the line.

However, thanks to his trust in them—or perhaps feeling that even if they did decide to betray him, at that point there’d be nothing he could do about it anyway—he decided to shelve the issue for another day. In any event, he felt too tired to do anything about it now.

Moreover, he also wanted to believe that Elena and Sara were the type to act in good faith and refrain from doing anything untoward to a benefactor, let alone a friend. In that case, leaving the division of loot for later would likely pose no issues.

And so it was that, in mutual trust and goodwill, Akira and the women decided to call it a day and, with friendly farewells, went their separate ways.

◆

As Akira was letting his fatigue and remaining awareness melt away in the hot water of the bath, Alpha (who had joined him in the tub like always) lightly admonished him.

Careful, Akira. If you fall asleep here, you’ll drown.

It took a moment for Akira to respond. “I’m good.” He shook his head slightly to retrieve his consciousness from the water and rose up lazily against the edge of the tub. For some reason, the first thing that came to his newly restored mind was what had taken place at Yonozuka Station. “Man... Today was a full day, huh? What do you think’s gonna happen to that ruin from now on?”

Most likely, it will continue to be explored and looted like any other. After all, with so many hunters flocking to the area, it can’t be considered an unknown site anymore. I do expect that this ruin will get quite a bit harder, though.

“Harder? Like how?”

Well, for starters, mutants will probably begin to crop up now that the monsters’ ecosystem has been thrown out of whack.

Carnivorous monsters devoured not only human flesh but also other monsters. Some ecosystems provided more prey for them than others, and as long as a given ecosystem was stable, the types and populations of beasts in that area remained relatively constant. If something unnatural transpired and disturbed the balance, however, a number of creatures that hadn’t been able to thrive in the previous ecosystem could rapidly appear, and mutants clearly deviating from normal growth patterns would arise. Currently, a swarm of beasts that normally wouldn’t have been able to survive in the Yonozuka Station Ruins (or the area surrounding it, for that matter) were pouring from its tunnels. If a monster mutated as it adapted to the unfamiliar environment, then reproduced and spawned more mutants, it wouldn’t be unusual for one—or many—of them to suddenly become very dangerous.

Furthermore, as a result of the battle between them and the hunters, the ruins were now full of sustenance for the former. As long as a monster had food, there was no telling how large and powerful it could become—but in the original ecosystem, some would’ve been devoured before ever having a chance to get stronger. Now those that had managed to escape natural selection, and that were undergoing rapid growth as a result of the food surplus and new environment, were at just as much risk of mutating.

Once the environment restabilizes, things will go back to normal. But it’ll take a while, so we’ll need to be careful in the meantime.

“Wow, that kind of thing can actually happen? Well, it shouldn’t be a concern for us as long as we don’t get too close to those ruins. Let’s just take it easy for now. You know, stock up on ammo and sell the relics. Things should be calm again by the time we’re done with all that.” Then Akira sank into the hot water once more, turning his attention to more immediate and pressing concerns. When he finally did get out of the bath, he headed straight to bed to get rid of his remaining fatigue.

◆

After a day’s rest, with his mind and body fully rejuvenated, Akira made his way to Shizuka’s shop to sort out his equipment. The repairs on his truck were complete at last, so he had her move it over to the shop’s parking lot. As he loaded the truck up with all the ammunition he’d purchased, he chatted idly with her about everything that had taken place in the Yonozuka Station Ruins. When he finished his story, Shizuka gave him a wry smile.

“You fought all those monsters on your own, Akira? That must’ve been tough.”

“Yeah, it sure was! It would’ve been even worse without my upgraded gear, though. That really came through for me.”

“As the one who sold you that gear, I’m glad to hear you say so. But how many times do I have to tell you to not bite off more than you can chew?” Shizuka chided him gently.

Akira grinned. “I know, I know. I didn’t do it because I wanted to. And yeah, fighting off those monsters was tough, but it wasn’t a desperate struggle or anything.”

“Really? From what you told me, it sure sounded like one.”

“Well, I did make full use of my DVTS minigun so I could win as easily as possible.” His smile turned a bit rueful. “And, well, it may have been an easy victory, but I blew through a bunch of high-capacity magazines that cost me a fortune and used up a ton of ammo. So in that sense, yeah, I guess it was pretty rough.” Akira had just bought even more of the magazines—enough not only to replace the ones he’d exhausted but to round out his surplus stock as well—and the back of his truck was packed full of them. His ammo had cost so much to replace that he’d be in real trouble if he didn’t cash in soon on all those shelves that he, Elena, and Sara had brought back with them from the ruins.

An amused, teasing grin played about Shizuka’s lips as she spoke in a faux businesslike tone. “Thank you very much for purchasing another lifetime supply of ammunition from my humble establishment. Your patronage is always most appreciated, Mr. Akira.”

“It has been a great pleasure as always, Ms. Shizuka,” Akira replied without missing a beat, returning her grin. They laughed together, and then Shizuka adopted her usual smile once more.

“So what’s your plan from here on out, Akira? Going to head straight back to those ruins?”

“I’m gonna wait till I’ve taken care of everything here before I start worrying about what to do next. For example, I still need to make bank on these,” he said, pointing to several backpacks lying on the floor. Inside were the relics he’d collected during his previous trip to Yonozuka Station, and which had been transported back to the city ahead of his own return. When Elena and Sara had arrived back in town, they’d retrieved them from Kurosawa and dropped them off at Shizuka’s shop for Akira to pick up and exchange on his own later. Since they’d acquired the relics as a team, normally Elena would have sold them, and then they would have divided up the payout equally (minus expenses). But in this case Sara had already decided to keep the Old World undergarments for herself, so they had agreed that each of them should choose what to do with the remaining relics in their possession.

Shizuka looked a tad impressed as she eyed the numerous stuffed sacks. “In other words, you had the funds to buy that much ammo even before exchanging these relics? You’ve become quite the wealthy hunter now, haven’t you?” She grinned, then gave him a mild warning. “Climbing the ladder is good and all, but be sure not to let it go to your head. Otherwise, you might find yourself in a world of hurt.”

“Thanks, I’ll be careful.” Akira gave her a warm smile, grateful that he had people who actually cared enough to worry about his safety, however few in number they might be.

◆

After loading up his truck with the rest of the ammo and relics, Akira left Shizuka’s shop, returning home just long enough to unload a portion of his haul before setting out once more. Then he notified Katsuragi that he was on his way and headed out of town, driving across the wasteland until he reached a familiar place.

Yonozuka Station.

Katsuragi’s trailer, his mobile storefront, was already parked just outside the entrance. When Katsuragi noticed Akira approaching, he called out to him cheerfully.

“Hey, Akira, been expecting you! Looks like you brought me a ton of relics this time.”

“Yeah, a few, to be sure. It kind of seems like these relics have basically made a round trip, though, and I’m not sure how I feel about that,” Akira said, surveying the area he knew all too well with a grimace. Katsuragi laughed it off.

“Oh, c’mon. If it would help, you could always head on in there and collect some new ones!”

“Nah, I’ll pass on that. Don’t feel like it right now. Anyway, I’ve brought them all the way back out here for you, so do your thing.” Akira got out of his truck and unloaded the packs, piling them in front of Katsuragi.

The merchant’s grin grew wider when he saw how stuffed to the brim they were. “The bonus payout for relics collected within a newly discovered ruin’s already expired, so I’ve just been getting more and more common junk lately. These, however, are from when the Yonozuka Station Ruins were still a new discovery, so I’m very much looking forward to seeing what you’ve brought me today.”

◆

News of the ruin’s ghost of the Old World had spread, and as a result the general populace had come to know the site as Yonozuka Station, the name she’d used for it. Not even a week had passed since the ruin’s existence had become public knowledge, so a number of experienced hunters were still exploring its depths. Katsuragi, seeing his opportunity to make a killing, had taken advantage of having a traveling store to set up shop right at the entrance. Then he’d reached out to his acquaintances and gotten them to set up more shops, creating a small exchange area that allowed for more efficient handling of relics. It was just as convenient for the hunters as well—if they could sell relics and restock ammo nearby, they wouldn’t have to waste time heading back to town. And because many of their customers were willing to pay the marked-up wasteland prices for the sake of this convenience, the profits Katsuragi and his team raked in were well worth the risk of running a business in the shadow of the ruin.

◆

While waiting for Katsuragi to finish appraising his relics, Akira decided to check on the state of Yonozuka. Zooming in on the ruin entrance with his scanner, he saw many vehicles, presumably belonging to hunters, parked around the area. No one was trying to claim the entrance for themselves now, since there was no longer just one point of entry. The monsters currently outside the ruins had dug their way out from the inside, creating new entrances and collapsed sinkholes through which to enter. That also meant that the monsters could come and go at their leisure, however, which of course made the outer area just as dangerous.

“You’ve got courage to set up shop in a place like this, Katsuragi. It’s way more dangerous than the Kuzusuhara Ruins, you know.”

“I’m aware of the danger. But the profit to be made here is something I just can’t ignore. I have a store I can move wherever I want, and times like this are when it pays off the most.”

Akira reflected. “Well, as long as you’re aware of the danger, I guess.”

Katsuragi’s sales had skyrocketed compared to his usual figures, and he was in high spirits. But Akira’s concern gave him pause, so he decided to probe a bit. “What, you’re wanting to brag that you made it back alive from those ruins or something? It’s not like you to be so conceited.”

“That’s not it at all. I almost didn’t make it back,” Akira said, a tad forcefully.

Seeing his reaction, Katsuragi became a bit concerned, and began to wonder if maybe the ruins really were more dangerous than he’d assumed. But he didn’t let it show, keeping his upbeat attitude and grin as he grilled Akira further. “Really now? Just how dangerous are we talking, then?”

“Enough that after these relics get sold, I’m hightailing it out of here as soon as I can. In fact, if you hadn’t decided to set up shop here, I would’ve stayed as far away from this place as possible. That’s how dangerous.”

“O-Oh, that so?” Katsuragi could tell from Akira’s expression that he wasn’t just being defensive and making things up. He knew how strong Akira was now, and his smile faltered slightly. “W-Well, like I said before, I came here fully aware of the risk. And we’re pretty well equipped for anything here. I engaged several hunters to stand guard and keep us safe too. They were all capable enough to brave those ruins on the first day and make it back alive. So we’ll be fine.”

When Akira heard about the skill of the hunters Katsuragi’s team had hired to protect them, he unconsciously imagined Elena and Sara, or perhaps a group like Charlés and his team, who’d been unfazed by the conflict and had continued to retrieve relics as if nothing was going on. If it was someone like them, he figured, then they probably really would be fine. His relief showed in his expression, and seeing this, Katsuragi also felt reassured.

Then, as if right on cue, his bodyguards entered the market, having returned from their survey of the area surrounding the ruin. Katsuragi pointed them out.

“Hey, speak of the devil, they’re here! It’s these guys, Akira. I spared no expense to hire them, y’know?”

But when Akira saw who the guards were, a shadow of doubt crossed his face. Katsuragi noticed, and his own expression became one of uncertainty and suspicion.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“If it’s nothing, then why do you have that look on your face?”

Just then, the leader of the bodyguards approached and began making his report. “Squad Five intermittently reporting in as requested. We’ve returned from our patrol. All quiet. We’ll be taking a short rest now, so— Huh?!” He broke off as he noticed Akira.

Katsuragi looked grimmer. “Friends of yours, Akira?”

“Let’s just say I know them.”

The team Katsuragi had hired to guard him was none other than Levin and his crew. They were indeed hunters who had survived the tumult on the first day of exploring Yonozuka Station—so Katsuragi’s description, strictly speaking, hadn’t been wrong.

◆

When Katsuragi heard Akira’s account of how he had become acquainted with Levin’s team, he was unable to maintain his trademark merchant’s smile any longer.

Damn those swindling intermediaries! “Experienced hunters,” my ass! They may have survived those ruins, but that’s all they did!

Naturally, Katsuragi would’ve preferred hunters capable enough to survive the ruins on their own. Based on Akira’s story, the intermediaries he’d dealt with earlier hadn’t necessarily been lying, but they clearly hadn’t been telling the whole truth. Even if he went and confronted them about it now, they would be certain to play dumb. And from the way Levin and his group were acting, they were likely also complicit, so he didn’t expect them to fess up either.

Shit, I’ve been had. Dammit! They’ve played me for a fool!

Had Akira not shown up, the merchant would have had no idea he’d been duped into employing novice-level hunters to guard him for an exorbitant price. The more he thought about this, the more his frustration mounted. But he was in the middle of business, so he suppressed his dissatisfaction for the moment and focused on appraising Akira’s relics. If he lost his temper at Akira, he might lose one of his best customers. He glowered in silence, trying to think of a way he could get compensation, even as he continued evaluating each relic thoroughly and carefully.

“Akira, these are the relics you racked up on the first day of exploring those ruins, yeah? Shouldn’t you have more than this?”

“Well, there were some kinds that you said you weren’t interested in, so I left those out.”

“Oh, that so? You know, I mentioned this earlier, but I’m always looking for new exchange routes, right? And as it happens, I found that clothing relics are actually a pretty lucrative market.” Katsuragi spoke carefully, concealing his true aim under the guise of making small talk. “Not that anyone ever really brings me clothes anyway, so it’s not like I want to make them a main trade of mine or anything.”

Now that he’d laid the groundwork, Katsuragi took the next step. “That being said, if it’s for you, Akira, I’d be willing to make an exception and take those relics off your hands. We’re practically best friends at this point, so I’ll do my best to give you a good deal.” Subtly framing it as a favor from a friend, Katsuragi spoke casually, as if his proposition was no big deal. “Of course, exchange routes aren’t built overnight, and it’ll take a lot of time and effort. I’ll have to go through more wholesalers than usual, so I might have to buy them from you at a slight discount, but hey, it’s better than having those relics just take up space in your house, right?” He gave his best merchant’s smile in order to mask his true intent.

“And what’d be in it for you?” Akira replied. “Nah, I’d rather not. I already have two other places I can go to sell clothing, so I’m gonna bring them there instead. Besides, I’d hate to ask any more favors of you on top of the thing with Sheryl.”

“That so? All right, suit yourself.” Depending on the buyer, clothing relics could be sold for incredibly high prices. Katsuragi had been hoping to get Akira in his debt so as to obtain these valuable relics on the cheap. With this in mind, he’d employed a bit of trickery back when he’d been teaching Akira the ins and outs of trading in relics, and he’d figured it had worked. Akira had been unfamiliar with relics to begin with, and Katsuragi had intentionally given him information that would warp his perception in Katsuragi’s favor. All that was left was for Akira to agree to Katsuragi’s deal.

But now that Akira had found a different avenue of exchange on his own, the merchant’s plans had all fallen through. Even as he maintained a nonchalant attitude on the surface, Katsuragi secretly clicked his tongue in irritation.

Based on his expression, I doubt Akira saw through my plan or anything. I’d supposed he’d think it a nuisance to look for other buyers and wouldn’t bother, but I guess that’s what happens when you assume. Damn, it’s a no-go, then. He’d also wanted to recoup some of his losses incurred through hiring Levin’s group, so missing out on this deal was even worse for him than it would have been otherwise. Unconsciously, he sighed more deeply than usual.

“Akira. You’re gonna leave as soon as these relics get sold, right? If that’s the case, why not browse my wares for a bit while you wait? You’ll have a lot of money after this is done, so feel free to grab whatever strikes your fancy. Buy enough stuff, and I’ll give you a bonus.”

Seeing Katsuragi’s offhand, rather defeated attitude, Akira finally lowered his guard. He would need to replenish his supply of medicine, after all. “Sure. All I gotta do is buy?”

“If you buy enough. I’m hoping you find plenty you like.” But contrary to his words, the expression on Katsuragi’s face didn’t look very hopeful at all.

◆

Rows and rows of guns, ammunition, and other trinkets indispensable to hunters lined the inside of the trailer that Katsuragi called his mobile shop. While browsing the vast inventory, something curious caught Akira’s eye, and he stopped in his tracks. It was a relic storage bag of the sort that Sara had recommended during their last excursion.

I’m gonna get one of these. Uh, let’s see... Looks like there’s all sorts. This one’s for precision machinery, this one’s waterproof, this one’s bulletproof, this one’s electricity-proof, this one absorbs impact... Alpha, which one of these do you think would be best?

The optimal choice would be to buy them all and use them as the situation requires, but if that’s too much of a hassle, it might be best to purchase a basic one for now.

There’s all kinds of basic ones too, though.

Then you won’t know the subtle differences between them until you try each one out, I guess. They’re not particularly unwieldy, so just choose one at random.

Guess that’s the only option, huh? Akira selected one and placed it in his shopping basket. Prices greatly differed depending on whether the items were consumable or reusable, but thanks to Akira’s warped view of money, they all seemed to cost more or less the same to him. Without even looking at the price tag, he’d decided to buy a bag he really had chosen at random. In a way, perhaps being able to choose without having to worry about money was proof of Akira’s growth as a hunter.

He continued browsing the products on display. Waterproof spray? “Protect your weapon from rust. For a limited time, we’ll throw in an impact-absorbing version at no additional charge!” Hmm...

Some of these don’t work with the materials in certain guns, so let the buyer beware, Alpha warned. If you want these, it would be better to buy them at Shizuka’s along with your gun repair tools so you can ask her if there will be any compatibility issues.

That makes sense. Akira returned the product to its shelf and grabbed another nearby item. “Jamming Smoke. Yuzumo Corp general purpose type A28. To check compatibility with your scanner, cross-reference the ingredients below with the specifications from your scanner’s manufacturer.” You think this’d be useful?

It could lower the accuracy of your scanner to the point where my support wouldn’t be able to compensate, or even have an adverse effect on my scanning ability. Don’t forget that.

I see. Guess I won’t go for it, then. Akira returned the item to the shelf. Just as he was about to check out another aisle, Katsuragi entered the trailer.

“Akira, I’ve finished appraising your relics. Bought enough yet?” When Akira showed Katsuragi his shopping basket, the merchant gave an unsatisfied sigh. “I told you, you’ve got to buy lots to be able to get the bonus, so stop looking at these cheap trinkets and go for the pricey stuff. Look, there’s a whole row of nice guns over there.”

“I don’t need any more guns.”

Katsuragi sighed once more. Then, in a resigned manner as if he’d already known it would be hopeless from the start, he gave a suggestion. “Look, I can give you twelve million aurum for the relics. But if you buy ten million aurum worth of goods from my shop, I’ll add on another million to sweeten the deal. How’s that sound?”

Akira looked at the contents of his basket. “How much is all this worth?”

“No idea. A far cry from ten million, though, I can tell you that much.”

“Then maybe I should buy some additional medicine.”

“You could fill that entire basket full of medicine, and it would still be nowhere near enough.”

“Nah, not the cheap ones on the shelf—those expensive ones I bought last time. The ones that are two million aurum a box. I didn’t see them on the shelf, but I bet you have them, right?”

When Katsuragi heard that, his sulky attitude did a one-eighty. “Wait, you wanna buy another one of those?! You used it up already?!”

“A lot happened in those ruins, you know. I didn’t use them all, but I’d like to have more on hand. If you have them in stock, I’ll take five. That’ll make ten million. If you don’t have them, I’ll have to pass on your bonus offer.”

“W-Wait right there! I’ll go check the stockroom right now! Even if I don’t have any, I’m sure I can get some from a buddy I know. Don’t go anywhere!” Katsuragi ran off, all fired up. Akira, however, couldn’t have cared less and continued browsing the shelves as though nothing had happened.

◆

After managing to procure the requested items, Katsuragi wrapped up his transaction with Akira. The incident with Levin’s team and his failure to rope Akira into his scheme had put him in a bad mood, but now that he’d received many valuable relics and a hefty ten million aurum besides, his attitude had done an about-face.

“Pleasure doing business with you. That’ll even out the hit I took with Levin’s group. Man, that’s a relief!”

Akira looked at him curiously. “Something wrong with them?”

“What do you mean, ‘Something wrong with them?’ You were the one who told me you had to help those guys get out of the ruins alive, weren’t you? So I paid a fortune just to end up with a bunch of rookies as my bodyguards. Of course that’d piss me off! Even you were doubtful when I introduced them earlier, right?”

Akira tried to clarify. “I only doubted the part about making it out of the ruins on their own. It’s not like those guys are weak or anything.”

Katsuragi looked taken aback. “Really?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, if we’re looking at their overall specs, they could use some better gear, but the fact that they were able to escape those ruins in one piece without any powered suits is impressive enough in my book.”

Akira wasn’t especially jumping to Levin’s team’s defense, just giving his honest assessment. Katsuragi realized this, which was precisely why he seemed surprised.

“Wouldn’t have expected those words out of you, Akira. It really was that dangerous in there, huh?”

“Sure was! I don’t think I would’ve been able to survive without a powered suit, at least. It was only thanks to upgraded gear, my stock of medicine, and burning through ammo like crazy that I’m even standing here today.”

At that, Katsuragi became pensive, his thoughts switching into merchant mode. I bet the intermediaries don’t know about the dangers of these ruins yet. Otherwise, they would have used them as a pretext to hike up the fee for hiring those guys even higher. Could I use this to my advantage?

Akira, however, misread Katsuragi’s serious expression. “So even if those guys were expensive to hire, I wouldn’t necessarily call that a loss. And, well, if I’m being honest, you hiring those guys for a high price actually helps me out.”

“Huh? How so?”

“They actually haven’t paid me in full yet for the emergency listing they hired me for. It’s not like I’m gonna needle them about it or anything, but if they don’t pay up, it’s gonna put Elena and Sara in a tight spot.”

Akira, Elena, and Sara had decided to recoup the costs from the Yonozuka Station Ruins with the reward money from Levin’s team, though the women had needed to convince Akira to go along with this. Since Akira had been busy rescuing Yumina and Katsuya, he actually hadn’t participated in guarding Levin’s team at all. So Akira had hesitated to accept the money in the first place, but Elena had asserted that because it was something they had accomplished as a team, they were all entitled to the reward. Akira, not wanting to risk upsetting Elena and Sara over something like accepting reward money, had agreed in the end.

However, Levin and his team didn’t have the capital to cough up fifty million aurum all at once. Even after selling their relics and their intel on the ruin and emptying their collective funds, they still hadn’t been able to cover the total bill and had ended up needing to pay the remaining amount in installments.

Furthermore, Akira’s team had to collect the money themselves. Even though the emergency listing had properly gone through the Hunter Office, the institution was only responsible for making sure the contract was valid. When it came to the actual collection of debt, they were strictly hands-off. Selling the debt to the Office had been another option, but Elena had put her foot down on that as well, saying that the Office would buy it at a heavy discount so they wouldn’t receive as much money, and it would leave a bad taste in her mouth besides.

Hearing this, Katsuragi’s business smile returned, wider than before. “Akira, can you tell me a bit more about this debt?”

“What are you scheming now?”

Seeing Akira’s wary expression, Katsuragi made an exaggerated gesture as if to say Akira’s doubt had wounded him. “Why, nothing at all! I was just thinking that I might know a way to get those guys to cough up the rest of the money they owe you real quick. We’re buddies, right? Think of it as a favor from a friend.” When the suspicion didn’t leave Akira’s face, Katsuragi gave a knowing grin. “Sure, maybe I want you to get richer so you can buy more stuff from my shop. But isn’t it a nuisance to have to go out of your way to collect money from hunters? Being a merchant, I know this all too well.”

Akira hesitated. “Well, I suppose.”

“Look, if all goes well, it’ll even ease the burden on Elena and Sara, won’t it? All I ask in return is for you to buy lots and lots from my shop afterward. That shouldn’t be too much to ask, right?”

Akira thought it over for a bit. The proposition would indeed benefit not only him but Elena and Sara as well. “All right, deal. What have you got in mind?”

“Excellent. Here’s what we’ll do.” His merchant’s smile brimming with anticipation, Katsuragi unfolded his plan to Akira.

◆

Once Akira had concluded his business with Katsuragi, he exited the trailer and headed to his truck, intending to leave the area at once. But then he noticed a commotion near the ruin entrance.

“What’s going on?” Warily, Akira used the zoom function on his scanner to get a closer look. A crowd of hunters was pouring from the entrance as if fleeing for their lives, closely followed by a group of monsters. At first, Akira assumed that the hunters were fleeing from these monsters. But then his expression became tinged with caution once more.

Alpha, correct me if I’m wrong, but it doesn’t seem like those monsters are going after the hunters.

True, the monsters were attacking the hunters in front of them, but only because the people were in the way. Those running on either side, and hence not impeding the monsters’ advance, were passed by and completely ignored.

No, you’re right, Alpha confirmed. The fact that none of the monsters are stopping to devour their prey is proof enough. They seem too preoccupied with fleeing from something else to pay the hunters any notice.

Then what are they fleeing from—? Even as Akira wondered, the answer appeared from the ruins. A gigantic snake—if it was a snake—with a torso over five meters in diameter burst out from the entrance, scooping a sizable crowd of the fleeing monsters into its enormous fanged mouth as it leaped forth. Its scales were a mosaic patched together from a variety of other monsters’ exteriors—from the scales of reptilian monsters to the fur of carnivorous mammals, to the shells of insects, to the armor of machines, every last creature the omnivorous behemoth had devoured was represented in its own skin. All who gazed upon it could see just how many creatures it had consumed—and just how powerful it was.

Akira grimaced. What the hell is that?!

Unperturbed, Alpha responded. Like the gluttonous crocodile, it absorbs what it eats. It would’ve needed quite a lot of prey to get that big, but I imagine there was more than enough within those ruins.

Doesn’t look like a crocodile to me, though.

Such creatures don’t necessarily have to be crocodiles to have that trait. That one was originally a regular snakelike monster, most likely.

Huh, is that so?

Once the giant snake had swallowed the mass of food in its gaping mouth, it immediately went on the hunt for new victims among the hunters and monsters nearby. Because it targeted the largest prey first, the running hunters were ignored for the time being, but once in their vehicles they wouldn’t be so lucky. Tires screeched on the ground as the vehicles peeled out before all the large beasts lagging behind could be devoured.

Akira, we may be a considerable distance away, but we shouldn’t dawdle. We need to get out of here too.

Oh, right. Returning to his senses, Akira’s face tightened, and he leaped into his truck. Before he could drive away, however, Katsuragi flagged him down.

“Hey, Akira! You leaving me in the lurch?!”

Akira glanced at Katsuragi’s trailer. He supposed a vehicle that large would be a prime target for the serpent.

“You need to get out of here too, Katsuragi. Just look at that thing! You think you’ll be able to continue doing business here with a creature like that on the loose?”

“That’s not what I mean! I’m saying, if we’re going to escape, shouldn’t we go together?!”

“Fine, but just remember if you want me to be your bodyguard, it’ll cost you.” Akira gave Katsuragi a stern look. The merchant, who had indeed been planning to rely on Akira’s protection for free under the pretext of escaping together, flinched. But there was no time to negotiate the fee right now, and Katsuragi could envision Akira leaving him behind if he thought the negotiation process too bothersome. So Katsuragi approached the issue from a different angle.

“Then how about this? In lieu of a fee for protecting me, I’ll continue to cooperate with Sheryl. Sound good?”

Akira hedged for a moment. “Fine.”

“All right, it’s a deal. I’ll be counting on you, buddy!”

Relieved, Katsuragi immediately began preparing to flee. After he explained the situation to his fellow merchants, they all formed a convoy of vehicles and began to move out. Akira and his truck took position at the tail end of the convoy. The monsters fleeing from the giant snake may have not been interested in attacking humans, but they wouldn’t go out of their way to avoid something in their paths either. Akira was tasked with dealing with them from atop the truck.

With his truck set to “automatic drive” (which was actually just Alpha taking the wheel), he loaded a large magazine into his DVTS minigun and began picking off the monsters approaching the convoy from behind. Showered with countless bullets, the wounded animals either collapsed to the ground or fell back. Akira and the others just wanted to escape, so there was no need to kill the beasts—just fire every now and then to keep them at bay.

One wounded monster, angered at being shot, charged forward. With a burst of concentrated fire, Akira pulverized it. The unrelenting spray chipped away at its tough skin and bulging muscles—each individual hit only wounded it slightly, but the hail of bullets from the minigun made short work of the monster, shredding its body down until it fell still.

At that moment, the minigun ran out of ammo—the large magazine had been depleted. A bit surprised, Akira quickly began reloading.

Already empty? That magazine was huge, but I guess since it was a standard variety, I went through it just as quickly.

That’s a minigun for you, said Alpha. If you don’t use extended magazines with those, you’ll be out of ammo before you know it.

Even a small extended magazine contains much more ammo than a large standard, huh? No wonder they’re so much more expensive.

They may be pricier, but I want you to use extended magazines from here on out whenever possible. There’s a limit to how much you can carry, after all.

Right. Then let’s go ahead and use up the cheaper magazines in the meantime. Akira let loose his minigun at the approaching monsters without holding back, intent on burning through all the standard ammo stocked in his truck bed.

Nearly every single monster that drew near the convoy fell.

Once he’d secured some room for a breather, Akira turned his gaze toward the ruins. He saw the gigantic serpentine figure in the distance. By now they were far enough away that, to the naked eye, it already appeared much smaller than before.

But Akira frowned in suspicion. He zoomed in on the snake once again, and the crease in his brow deepened.

Alpha, did that snake somehow, um, get even bigger?

The diameter of its torso is twice as large as before, to be precise, she replied. Since it’s outside the ruins, it’s no longer limited to narrow pathways and seems to have adapted its body to its new surroundings.

That’s all it takes for a monster to grow? As the convoy continued toward Kugamayama City, Akira stared in astonishment at the behemoth serpent rampaging in the distance—an incomprehensible existence that breached the limits of his common sense.

◆

When they finally reached the city, Akira was about to head home, having fulfilled his bodyguard duties. As he turned to leave, however, Katsuragi called out to him.

“Thanks a bunch, Akira! You really saved my bacon back there. You really are strong, you know.”

“Then show your gratitude by paying me what I’m worth.”

“All right, all right, fine! And as a bonus, like I said, I’ll cooperate with Sheryl to the best of my ability. After all, we’re buddies, right? Relax, I’ve got your back!”

Katsuragi was acting awfully chummy toward him. While Akira found this a bit strange, he figured it was just the amiability the businessman showed all his customers, and didn’t give it too much thought.

“I’ll hold you to that, then. See ya!”

As Akira walked away, Katsuragi watched him depart, his merchant’s smile still plastered on his face. Then he turned that smile onto Levin and his team nearby. “Good work to you guys as well! Man, that was quite the commotion, huh? Thanks to your skills, though, we made it back in one piece. Honestly, I’d like to throw in an additional bonus as a token of my gratitude, but since the contract was made through intermediaries, that would get complicated. Sorry about that.”

Levin was a bit taken aback, stunned that Katsuragi would hold his team in such high esteem. “R-Really? If you could let the intermediaries know how we did and put in a good word for us, that’d be a big help. If we receive a high evaluation from one of our clients, that’ll give us more leverage to negotiate our hiring fee through the middlemen.”

When he heard that, Katsuragi gave Levin a knowing grin. “Oh yes, I’ll be sure to tell them. I’ll tell them that you did your best—for a team that had to put up an emergency listing and hire someone else to get you out of the Yonozuka Station Ruins alive.”

Levin spluttered, which told the tale in more ways than one, but he still attempted to save face. “We only do the jobs the intermediaries refer to us. Whatever deal you made with them, we’re not responsible for it.” This wasn’t technically a lie, but Levin and his team were fully aware that they’d been party to an attempt to whitewash the truth, and their faces stiffened.

Seeing that, Katsuragi deliberately gave them a warm smile. “Look, I get it, guys. Don’t worry, I’m not upset or anything. Whatever the circumstances, the fact remains that you really did give it your all trying to protect us alongside Akira.”

“R-Really?”

Katsuragi maintained a significant silence. The hunters began to feel restless. Then Katsuragi’s gentle expression grew pitying.

“I suppose you guys must have it rough too, huh? In debt to Akira, of all people. He told me all about it, you know? Says you haven’t fully paid him what you owe for the emergency listing yet. You best take care not to get yourselves killed.”

“K-Killed?!”

“Me and Akira are like best buds, so I know him well. He comes from the slums, so naturally, he’s used to taking lives. In fact, just the other day three hunters tried to lay their hands on his woman, and he ended up slaughtering ’em all.”

Levin and the others blanched.

“Oh, and those guys weren’t failed ex-hunters or anything either. They all wore powered suits like it was no big deal, and I heard there was even one whose gear deflected minigun bullets. But Akira snuffed them all without batting an eye.”

Whatever color had remained in the hunters’ faces now drained completely.

“So you better watch out, got it? People from the slums tend to have rough childhoods and all that, so they hate to be underestimated. If he gets the idea that you’re not paying because you think he’s not worth it, he’s liable to come after you all, consequences or remaining debt be damned.”

“N-No, wait a sec! We’re in debt to a hunter named Elena, not him!” Levin managed to reply, trying his best to mask his anxiousness.

But Katsuragi merely shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. The reward money for the emergency listing will go to Akira as well, since they acted as a team. And it doesn’t change the fact that the reward has yet to be paid.” Here, Katsuragi made a show of looking slightly troubled. “And what’s more, even Elena and her companion aren’t exactly lenient when it comes to that sort of thing. You’d do well to not underestimate those two either. In fact, they accepted an emergency listing of mine once in the past, and whew, that was a rough one! If things hadn’t gone in my favor, I would’ve ended up bankrupt!”

Katsuragi spoke candidly about the past, and seeing that he’d stirred up more anxiety and restlessness among the hunters, he chuckled to himself.

“Well, anyway, just watch your backs, guys. Frankly speaking, your gear could use an upgrade, but you can all hold your own in a fight, at least. I’d hate to see talent like yours go to waste just because you got killed for a stupid reason like failing to pay a debt. Anyway, see ya round!”

Just as Katsuragi was about to turn away, Levin interjected in a panic. “Wait, don’t go just yet! You really think just ‘watching our backs’ will be enough?! That’s only gonna make us more anxious, and there’s no way that’s gonna solve our problem!”

“Maybe so,” replied the merchant, “but what do you expect me to do about it? I’m sorry, but if you’re expecting me to add enough to your reward money to resolve your debt, forget it.”

“I-I’m not asking that much. B-But there’s gotta be something we can do, right? You said you were best friends with that guy, so can’t you pull some strings or something?”

Without letting his true thoughts or feelings show, Katsuragi put on a grim expression. “If I’m being perfectly honest, I’d rather not get on his bad side myself. You guys already know how strong he is. I understand you’re in a tight spot, but don’t ask me for the impossible.”

“Can’t you give us a hand, please?! Y-You said you wanted to give us an additional bonus earlier, didn’t you? And that we can hold our own in a fight? Having promising hunters like us in your debt can only work out in your favor, right? We’ll exclusively buy from your shop from now on, so we’d like you to help us out—somehow—if you can. Please?!”

“Hmm, I dunno...” After pretending to mull it over for a bit, Katsuragi spoke the words he’d already prepared in his head beforehand. “In that case, how about converting the debt over to someone else? In other words, you guys would only have to pay the reward fee for the emergency listing, and without having to fear for your lives. Your debt to Akira’s team would disappear, and so would your worries.”

“Converting the debt?”

“Sure, I’ll do you a favor and handle refinancing your debt. But only under several conditions. After all, I’ll be loaning to hunters, and hunters aren’t guaranteed a tomorrow in their line of work. As a result, the conditions are a bit steep, so be prepared.”

The hunters all looked grave and distraught. Then Katsuragi delivered the coup de grâce.

“And I do owe you that bonus I mentioned for today’s job, so I’ll refer you to a financier and negotiate with them for you. It’s merely an option, so don’t feel like you have to take it, but do keep in mind that’s all the help I can offer. Now, what’s it gonna be?”

Levin and his team were out of options and had no choice but to accept. Katsuragi was well aware of this as he pressed them for a decision. And just as he’d counted on, the hunters agreed to his terms with equal resignation and hope in their hearts.

“Fine. It’s a deal!”

“Excellent. Then I’ll get things ready right away. One moment, please.” As he turned his back to them, Katsuragi pulled out his data terminal and began to contact his merchant acquaintances, chuckling to himself all the while over how everything had gone according to his plan.

Chapter 87: Invitation to a Bounty Hunt

Akira decided to visit Sheryl, as he had pressing business with her. Kitted out as if heading to the wasteland, he left home and a short time later was parking his fully equipped truck in front of Sheryl’s base. Sheryl came out to greet him, and they entered the building together and headed directly to her room.

She offered him a seat on the sofa, and he obliged. Just as before, she subjected him to her cuddling. Akira gave a small sigh.

“Sheryl, let’s take care of business first. This can wait until afterward.”

“Okay, fine.” Sheryl gave him a pout, but her face quickly brightened with anticipation for later on. “Afterward, right? That’s a promise!” She moved in front of Akira, facing him. “I assume this is about the relics we retrieved together?”

The spoils from the trip they’d taken together to the Yonozuka Station Ruins were still stored in Akira’s garage. Much had happened since then, but Akira had decided it was about time to finalize how they were going to divide up the loot.

“Right. I’ll cut to the chase: How much of it would you like? You ended up really going through the wringer because of me, so name an amount and I’ll consider it. As long as you don’t ask for everything.”

Had they managed to retrieve the relics without a hitch, he never would’ve made such an offer. But since Sheryl had been attacked by Guba, who’d been trying to obtain information on the ruins, and several of Sheryl’s gang members had even perished in the process, involving Sheryl with the newly discovered ruin had done her far more harm than good. If the events hadn’t had any connection to Akira (like fallout from a mere squabble in the slums), then the boy would’ve just said, “Sorry about your luck,” and left it at that; but none of this would’ve happened if Akira hadn’t invited Sheryl and her gang on the expedition in the first place. Even someone like Akira could more or less tell that by roping her into it, he’d caused her to suffer. So he wanted to make things right by showing that he was open to compromise.

But Sheryl just shook her head. “No, I’ve got nothing. I leave it up to your discretion. Even if you take it all for yourself, I don’t mind.”

Of course, Akira thought that would be too unfair in his favor, and he found himself doubting Sheryl’s words. He responded, a bit puzzled, “Huh? Isn’t that a little too irresponsible? What if I really said, ‘Okay, then I’ll be taking it all. None for you!’? What would you do then?”

Sheryl gave him the most sincere smile she could. “Well, in that case, I guess I’d be happy that I could pay back even a little of what my gang and I owe you for everything you’ve done. It wouldn’t be anywhere near enough to repay that debt, though.”

The way Sheryl saw it, Akira had collected the lion’s share of the relics himself. Rather than obsessing over the minor part she and her gang were entitled to and, in the worst case, risk getting into an argument with Akira, she felt it would be more efficient to use this opportunity to pay back some of the debt she owed him by letting him have it all. Even if she did negotiate with him and manage to secure all of the goods for her and her gang, it would all be for nothing if that meant breaking ties with Akira. It was obvious which she would choose.

But since Akira had no way of knowing any of that, her words merely stirred something within his heart, and his expression unconsciously softened.

Sheryl saw this and turned a mischievous grin on him. “That said, if you feel charitable enough to send some my way, I won’t refuse. I need money to keep this place going, after all.”

Akira grinned back. “Yeah, I’d imagine.”

“So yeah, I’m leaving it up to you. I’d like it if you went easy on me, though.”

Up to this point, Akira had been seriously agonizing over how they were going to split the loot, but now that he’d heard Sheryl’s stance on the matter, he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Relieved, he suddenly had an idea. “If that’s how you feel, I just thought of another favor you could help me with. How about you be the one to sell the relics?”

“You want me to?”

“Yeah. Not just your share—mine too, and all the others. I’d really appreciate it.” The relics that he hadn’t been able to sell to Katsuragi were currently gathering dust in his home. He’d have to do something with them eventually. Of course, he’d like to exchange them for money if he could, but since Katsuragi had refused to buy them, he doubted the Hunter Office exchange would give him a fair price. If he piled the Office’s exchange tray high with various Old World accessories and only got a hundred aurum out of it in the end, it wouldn’t even be worth the effort to bring them there.

But finding a proper place to sell those relics would be a pain in itself, so he’d been wishing for some convenient, easy way to exchange them.

“Look, you’ve sold sandwiches before, and there was that work you did back in the ruins, so I feel like you’re plenty capable. If you could do me a favor and use those skills to make bank on the relics, that’d be a huge help.” He paused, then added, “But well, it’s just a favor, so if you can’t do it, don’t worry about it.”

Since it was a request from Akira, Sheryl couldn’t possibly refuse. However, in this case, she couldn’t immediately accept either. “Since it’s you, I’d really like to say yes, but didn’t you plan on selling those relics to Katsuragi? Isn’t that going to pose a problem?”

“Actually, I’d like you to handle that as well. Like, say, if you could do the negotiating with Katsuragi instead, that’d help me out a lot. He just told me he’d continue to make every effort to cooperate with you as a reward for me keeping him and his friends safe, so it should go well.”

Sheryl gave a firm nod. “Well, if Katsuragi himself said so, then fine. I’ll do my best.”

“Thanks. I’m counting on you.”

Akira felt in a good mood. He’d been worried that unsold relics would continue to accumulate in his home until they buried him, but now he could rest easy. Meanwhile, Sheryl was inwardly doing a jig, thrilled that an opportunity to become useful to Akira and strengthen their relationship had finally presented itself.

Both of them felt that they’d had a satisfying, productive conversation. In truth, however, there had been a small misunderstanding between them. When Akira had asked Sheryl to sell the relics, he’d simply meant she would cash them in. But Sheryl thought he’d asked her to launch a new business venture. If at this point they’d taken the time to discuss the finer details of the request, the misunderstanding could’ve been resolved instantly.

Sheryl, however, decided to leave the particulars for later. “It’ll take a while to get everything all planned on my end, so how about leaving the rest for another day?”

“Sure.”

Hearing that, Sheryl’s grin widened as if to say, “You promised!”Aloud, she asked, “Then we can call today’s business concluded, correct?”

Realizing his mistake too late, Akira gave a wry grin. “Go ahead. Do what you like.”

“Thank you!” Elated, Sheryl stood up, sidled up next to Akira on the sofa, and began cuddling him once more. While he did find this relationship of theirs rather peculiar, he nonetheless let Sheryl do as she pleased until she was satisfied.

◆

With that matter taken care of, Akira headed out to the wasteland, eager to resume his hunting duties once more. This time, he was on the lookout for more undiscovered ruins. It was now evident from the discovery of the Yonozuka Station Ruins that he could use the information from the Lion’s Tail data terminal to reliably find more abandoned, unexplored areas. The events at the Yonozuka Station Ruins might have been a mess, but they’d also netted him a tidy profit. Akira was keen to discover more and determined to make things go much smoother this time.

Just as, with renewed resolve, he was about to put his foot on the gas and peel out of his garage, Alpha called to him from the back seat.

Akira, you’ve got a notice from the Hunter Office.

When Akira checked the notice on his data terminal, he looked puzzled.

“Announcement: New monsters have been added to the bounty list.” Wait, what?

The Hunter Office kept a special listing of monsters designated as bounties. These were completely different from the ones for normal monster hunts—far more difficult, but also far more rewarding. Whenever an abnormally powerful beast was roaming the desert wastes, making it impossible for transports to pass between cities, the shipping companies would cooperate with each other, offering a hefty reward to anyone who would eliminate the threat. So every monster on that list was incredibly strong.

The announcement had been issued to alert all hunters to the presence of these threats. For the weak and inexperienced, it served as a warning to not carelessly approach any designated bounty areas if they valued their lives; and for the strong, it was simply a signpost to their next pursuit.

Bounty hunts were also a prime opportunity for hunters to display their skills and get their name out there. When a monster was defeated, the bounty list was updated with the name of the hunter who had defeated it, and the kill was also recorded on that hunter’s profile page on the Hunter Office website. Hunters who felled a bounty monster thus received a respectable sum of money, a boost to their hunter rank, and greater prestige and notoriety among their peers. Each time a new bounty was listed, many experienced hunters joined the hunt, hoping to gain these prizes for themselves.

Akira was looking over the data on the new bounty monsters the Hunter Office had posted: “Hypersynthetic Snake, five hundred million aurum. Tankrantula, one hundred million aurum. Multigun Snail, one hundred million aurum. Big Walker, four hundred million aurum.” The areas in which they were generally sighted and even their pictures were also included.

He recognized the snake in particular.

Alpha, this “hypersynthetic snake,” could that be—

Yes. It’s the snake we encountered at the Yonozuka Station Ruins.

That thing’s prowling through the wasteland as we speak? Akira grimaced, and after mulling it over for a bit, silently got out of the truck.

Akira, you’re not going today after all?

Nah. If I go out now, I might get unlucky and end up running into that thing. On one hand, he figured he’d be fine if he limited his search to areas far away from where the snake was thought to be—but on the other, he didn’t particularly feel like testing his luck, considering his track record.

Sensing this, Alpha flashed him a knowing smile. Good idea. Your bad luck practically knows no bounds, after all. Let’s call it a day.

Akira sulked a bit at that comment, but Alpha had a point. Retreating back into the house, he spent the rest of the day training and studying in his room.

◆