“I’m telling you! How many times do I have to say it?! Are you even listening to me?”
Kanzaki, sitting at the long desk, roared with a fed-up expression. Seated across from him was Kousaka Hideki, the chief inspector of the Dungeon Association.
“I am listening. However, I cannot trust your story.”
The rimless glasses Kousaka wore glinted. Kanzaki glared at him, looking irritated, and said, “Huh?”
They were currently in the headquarters building of the Dungeon Association (JDA) in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. An interrogation of Kanzaki was taking place there.
This was the second time he had been summoned since the Black Dungeon disappeared.
“Yuma isn’t some dangerous monster! He just ingested a strange Demon Ore in the Black Dungeon!”
“Why didn’t you report that!?”
“Well, you know. I thought you guys would make a big fuss and detain Yuma. I kept quiet for the safety of my employee.”
Kousaka sighed heavily and took off his glasses. After wiping the lenses with a cloth he took from his pocket, he put them back on.
“Kanzaki-san, you are aware, aren’t you? The laws regarding Dungeons are meticulously established. In addition to that, the rules set by the Dungeon Association must be followed by all Seekers in the country. You have been breaking those rules left and right.”
“I couldn’t say anything because you guys overreact. Besides, Yuma has always helped people and never hurt anyone! Is it really such a big deal?”
Faced with the indignant Kanzaki, Kousaka was disgusted. This man didn’t understand the importance of the matter at all.
Now, the Black Armor had become the biggest issue for the government. If he continued to hide its existence, Kanzaki would certainly be arrested.
Kousaka glanced sideways, ignoring Kanzaki, who was crossing his arms and looking irritated.
In the next room, his subordinate, Kurumishita, was interrogating another person. The other person who had cleared the Black Dungeon.
Aisha Kisaragi’s interrogation.
◇◇◇
“Ugh…”
The one groaning in the interrogation room was Kurumishita, an employee of the Dungeon Association. She was infuriated by the scholar in front of her, who had an attitude that seemed to make a fool of people.
“How long is this interrogation going to last? If you want to hear from me, I’d like you to call someone more intelligent. I can’t talk to you.”
Aisha Kisaragi spoke calmly, as if it were obvious. Kurumishita, who felt like she was about to explode, endured and swallowed her anger.
“You are suspected of violating the JDA’s reporting obligations, as well as harboring a criminal and destroying evidence. If you don’t answer here, we’ll have no choice but to hand you over to the police!”
Aisha laughed through her nose.
“Are you trying to threaten me? If so, I think I’d have a better chance of getting through to the police. I’d appreciate it if you could hand me over quickly.”
Kurumishita glared at Aisha with eyes full of anger as she twirled her extended hair around her finger.
–I heard she was a crazy mad scientist, but her attitude of making fun of people is infuriating! But I can’t let her disrupt my pace.
Kurumishita straightened her posture, cleared her throat, and continued the interrogation.
“You know, don’t you? Among researchers, your reputation is extremely bad. Some scholars even suspect that you created the Black Armor. For your sake and Mitaka Yuma-san’s sake, please tell us everything honestly!”
Kurumishita tried to speak calmly, but Aisha covered her mouth with her hand, yawned widely, and blinked her eyes.
“I’ve been honest from the beginning. Yuma-kun swallowed a special Demon Ore in the Black Dungeon, that’s all. I’m a specialist, so I can testify. There’s definitely no danger, he’s just a normal human.”
“What kind of Demon Ore did he swallow!?”
Kurumishita snapped at Aisha, who answered nonchalantly.
“Well, it was a monster that suddenly appeared from the darkness, so I couldn’t see it clearly. I think it’s probably a new species, maybe.”
She’s definitely lying! Kurumishita thought so, but she was played by Aisha and couldn’t pursue it any further.
◇◇◇
When he opened his eyelids, he could vaguely see light.
After a while of being dazed, Yuma remembered the situation he was in.
–Ah, that’s right… I… was defeated by Rui and Tennoji-san…
An oxygen mask was on his mouth, and bandages were wrapped around his arms and legs. When he tried to move his body, pain ran through his entire body.
It seemed he had been beaten pretty badly.
Yuma lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling. What would happen from now on? Would he be arrested by the police or something?
While thinking about such things, he stayed still on the bed.
There was no sign of anyone. Yuma moved only his head and looked around. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all white. Next to the bed was a machine displaying an electrocardiogram, pulsing at a steady rhythm.
The room was probably about twenty tatami mats in size. A bed was placed alone in the middle, and there were surveillance cameras in the four corners of the ceiling.
Are they observing me with that?
Yuma slowly raised his upper body, saying “Ouch, ouch,”. He peeled off the thin blanket, removed the oxygen mask, and sat with his feet on the floor.
A cool sensation was transmitted from his feet.
When he stood up as he was, he felt a momentary dizziness and his legs faltered. He placed his hand on the electrocardiograph and looked straight ahead to see a white door.
There seemed to be no other exits.
Yuma peeled off the electrocardiogram cords attached to his body and staggered to the door.
There was something like a sensor next to the door.
Do I open it with this? He wondered, and held his hand over it, but nothing in particular happened. Yuma banged on the door.
“Excuse me! Is anyone there?”
There was no response. If he used Metallization, he might be able to destroy a door of this level. But if he did that, things would probably get even more complicated.
Yuma knocked on the door again and called out.
“Um, I’m hungry…”
In the silent room, only the rumbling of his stomach echoed.
◇◇◇
“Hey, Aisha!”
In the parking lot of the building where the Dungeon Association was located, Kanzaki called out to Aisha, who was about to get into her car.
Aisha’s eyebrows twitched slightly when she saw Kanzaki rushing over.
“You didn’t say anything unnecessary during the interrogation, did you?”
Kanzaki was suddenly asked by Aisha, and he replied, “I didn’t say anything!”
“But, is it okay? I told them that Yuma changed in the Black Dungeon, just like you said. Shouldn’t we tell the truth this time…?”
Kanzaki looked anxious, but Aisha shook her head.
“We don’t know what will happen to Yuma-kun in the future. The most important thing is to make them think that Yuma-kun is not dangerous. But if you tell them that the power he gained is not a Lord but a King, it will cause even more of an uproar!”
“That… might be true.”
“Probably after this, there will be a discussion about whether to dispose of Yuma-kun or not.”
“Dispose of!? You mean kill him? There’s no way that would happen!”
“You’re so naive.”
Aisha took out her smartphone from her white coat pocket and held up a searched screen in front of Kanzaki.
“This is the latest public opinion poll. More than 80% of the population wants the Black Armor to be killed. Because of the slow response, the approval rating of the Iwaki administration, which had been rising temporarily, has also plummeted. For politicians, whether or not to kill Yuma-kun has become the most important issue!”
“That’s…”
Kanzaki glared at the smartphone with a grim face.