Crete Chapter of the Explorers Society. In one of the rooms of the cooperative inn, Gark Werther frowned as he looked at the newspaper.

'Mmm ......, the number of incidents is down 80% from the previous year. ............ What did they do to us?

Every year, cleats turn into a cave this time of year. In the event that you've got a lot of money to spend, you'll be able to use it to pay off your credit card debt.

Naturally, many requests are placed with the Explorers Association, which has many strong hunters, but this year's situation was clearly different.

This year, however, the situation was clearly different. The incidents that seemed to have been caused by these criminal groups were hardly reported.

It is unlikely that the foxes are aware of what they are up to and are standing down.
It's unlikely that information that the Explorers Society's intelligence-gathering abilities could barely get hold of is widely known among criminal organizations.

Looking at the newspapers, I found that instead of the attack on the participants of the Martial Emperor Festival, there were several articles stating that the Order of the Light had destroyed several prominent criminal organizations.

No doubt about it. The Order of 1000 Changes has done something.

The opponents were elite men who had survived for a long time in the underworld, large or small. Aside from their power, they're particularly good at hiding.
The Order of the Light is certainly a party that specializes in well-organized bounty hunting, but the most troublesome part of bounty hunting is locating them. It's unlikely that they grabbed information from so many different organizations and moved on.
In the first place, the Knights of the Lamp belong to the Footprints of the Beginning, so it's more natural to assume that they had some sort of communication.

Krai is fearless, but there's a sense that he's trying not to go too far out of his way.
Did he start to destroy the organization because he thought it would lead to the eradication of the foxes, or because he didn't want to be aided by the foxes when he cornered them?

The other organizations and the fox are not necessarily allies, but they are definitely common enemies. It's possible that they'll form a mob and fight back.

Gark has also been involved in a large-scale operation to destroy the organization, but this operation seems to be on a different scale, according to this newspaper.

He groaned and thought for a moment, but he couldn't see the whole picture of Kry's operation.

The only thing I can figure out is that the Thousand Transformations is incredibly ballsy.
After all, he was engaged in a head-on battle with a fox, yet there was not a trace of nervousness in his expression, nor did he ask for Gark's cooperation.

Oh, that's right. It's true, you've been like that since the beginning.

One Ark, many Krai. Ark stands out but Krai is surprisingly inconspicuous compared to his activities.
Even the members of the One Thousand and One are less conspicuous when gathered together. From the beginning, everything must have been in the palm of the hand of One Thousand Transformations.

There is a reason why the symbol of the Ghost of Sorrows is a laughing blind skeleton, and a reason for its frightening party name.

The skeleton, they say, is mourning and mocking.

--They say the skeletons are lamenting and ridiculing the mere mortals who see no more than they do, who have no eye sockets.

Cry himself said he forgot to put on his eyes, but there's no such thing as an idiot.
Remembering the scene when he had said it aloofly, Gark smiled deeply.
It was a poor mimicry, and that was what made it so incendiary. In addition, they give the impression that they are serious and do not change their opinions even if they are detected, which is really bad.

Then, without knocking, the door opened vigorously.

A tall, thin man with a candle-like form. The [Abyssal Fire], whose appearance has barely changed since Gark was a rookie, stops for a moment in the posture of kicking in the door, and then proudly steps inside.

Rosemary Pyrrhopoulos. She may have already retired from the front lines, but the presence of the Mana Material on her body is still there.
The witch in front of me, though more rounded than in the past, was the kind of witch that anyone looking at her would dismiss as a demon.

The Abyssal Extinction strolled in, sniffed once, and lifted the edge of her lips in a smile.

''Chief, it seems that the Hellgate is having a secret meeting. I'm going to burn it down.''

'...... Where is this information coming from?'

The Hellgate is a well known organization in the countries around here.
Of course, they can't be compared to the foxes, who have their claws spread all over the world, but they are an undeniable A-class organization known for their elite few.
If the secretive foxes were to join forces and have some information, it would be from this class.

But Gark frowned. This time, Gark and his team were an elite few. Including Gark and Rosemary, there were only enough people to count on one hand.
There was a fear that too many people would be wary of them, and if they were going to go to all-out war with the foxes in the first place, even if they gathered all the hunters from the Imperial City branch, it still wouldn't be enough.

Hellgate is a formidable organization. They're reasonably powerful and unlike the foxes, they're not as secretive.
If we attacked them, an engagement would be inevitable. But Rosemary's face showed no sign of weariness.

'I burned the informant. I taught you that a long time ago, Gark. It's what's left in the ...... ashes that's valuable.

It is believed that informants will sell any kind of information for money, except when they are in danger.
But apparently, the informant decided that the Abyssal Annihilation was more terrifying than the Hellgate. Gark sighed deeply as he saw the pale figure of the man who was being chased.

If you burn it, there will be nothing left.

But it's true that it would be a disservice to just sit back and wait.
Rosemary, perhaps feeling the same way, said in a voice that chilled her heart.

'I'll show that kid that I'm still good.

Even in his old age, his hunter's temperament has not diminished at all.
Gark is no different, but when a talented young man comes along, his blood boils.



( )


Apparently, the Abyssal Extinction has become quite docile.
In its heyday, it burned buildings like candles, but this time, it attacked as quietly as a creeping fire.

The secret meeting took place at the edge of the cleat. It seemed to be an old building.

The first floor of the building was burned to the ground, and Rosemary stepped into enemy territory.
It smelled horribly foul. The walls and ceilings of the building must have been hot, but only the inside was burning.

There were a number of armed men lying on the ground, probably guards. They seemed to be alive, but they couldn't move. Rosemary cowered and said.

'You're going to interrogate them, aren't you? I'm sure you know what you're doing.

'...... That's the way it should be. Any branch of the government can't afford the public outcry over a death. Even if it's a criminal.

That's how they do it.

I don't think it's the same people who used to say you can't talk in your sleep if you're ashes. I can't say anything because Gark used to have similar principles, but anyway, the years go by fast.

I'm going to be working with the Abyssal Fire Extinguisher, but its methods have not changed much.
The overwhelming chanting speed, the overwhelming magic power, and the overwhelming destructive power. Rosemary, who is fascinated by fire magic and has reached its depths, can hardly use any magic other than fire magic. For a mage whose strength lies in her versatility, this is heretical.

But in other words, she has reached level 8 with only one of them.

Rosemary Pyrrhopos is not a mage.
She's a weapon. She burns people, she burns demons, she burns visions, she burns treasure houses. There are many who are considered one-hit wonders, but none more worthy of the name than she.

There was no time to prepare. But neither would her opponent.


The number of guards packed in the lobby was also small. They knew that the Abyssal Fire was coming, so they wouldn't have set up a formation of this size.

Rosemary looked unhappy, as if she was unhappy that she had defeated him without even receiving a counterattack.
It looks like Gark won't get a chance to act up.

He carefully walked up the stairs. If I had to pick one weakness of Deep Fire Extinguisher , it would be its spacing.
Basically, mages aren't suited for walking in the front. No matter how fast their chanting is, they are no match for a strong warrior at close range. But apparently Rosemarie doesn't intend to let Gark go first.

Rosemary frowns.

'............ It's quiet. There are too few of us.'

'...... Are you having a secret meeting with a very big man?'

The number of guards at a secret meeting indicates the power structure of the organization.
As a result of a detailed investigation, the building seems to be owned by Hellgate, but the fact that there are so few guards suggests that the person they're meeting with might be of higher rank than them.
There are only a few organizations that are higher than Class A organizations. Gark's voice trailed off.

'Did we hit the jackpot?

'............'

Silence in the building. The perfect setting for a clandestine meeting with a secretive fox.
I should have brought my armor. Now Gark has a halberd, but he doesn't wear armor because it makes him stand out. If he was an ordinary hunter, but if he was dealing with a member of the foxes...

At that moment, footsteps echoed from the top of the stairs.
They were not footsteps. They were running, and I could tell from the sound that they were in a hurry. The building's construction material is soundproof, but it's still audible, so that's pretty impressive.
Rosemary pauses. She readies her halberd and takes up a stance so that she can jump out at any moment.

At about the same time, the door to the floor above her opens with a bang.

'Haa, haa, haa--'

What came out of the door as if in a bubble were several men in black.
A small scream was heard from the open door. The men came tumbling down the stairs, and when they saw Rosemarie, they stepped off the stairs and came tumbling down.

Rosemary stepped back and Gark stepped forward instead. He kicks the sliding man up onto the landing at the top.

He's strong. I can feel the thick mana material on his body - he's definitely a Hellgate man. But the men were clearly running away.
Men with powers equal to or greater than those of skilled hunters. The men were stuck on the landing of the stairs, sandwiched between Gark and his men from below and someone else from above.

At that moment, a familiar voice came from above. It was the voice of a rather high-pitched man.


'Hmm? Is the game of tag over? Run further, run like you're dying. It's boring.

'!

What fell from above was a man wearing a fox mask and light clothing like a kimono. On his waist was a huge scabbard. In his hand was a wooden sword.
Despite the distance between us, and the absence of anger in his voice, I felt a strong pressure. He easily jumped from the door and landed with his knees folded near the men.

At that moment, Gark's kinetic vision barely caught the sword strike.
It was like a gentle breeze, like a mountain stream, natural and soft. A few seconds later, as he stood up, the men fell to the ground without a sound.

He became one with nature and slashed like the flow of the wind. Unprecedented in my style of swordsmanship. Fu-ryu-ken.
The fox mask looked at Gark and Rosemary without letting out a breath. The mask only covered the front of his face, so the red hair he had tied up was clearly visible.

After a moment of silence, the fox mask said.

'...... Oh, you're lucky! I've been wanting to try it out for a while now!

'Wait, Luke! It's me!'

Luke pounced on him without hesitation as he shouted in panic.

'Gark? I don't know that guy! I'm here because I was told I could kill everyone!

Kicking against the wall and the railing of the stairs, Luke attacked with his unpredictable movements.
I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but I think it's a good idea. I'm sure that the extremely fast flashes of the sword are a countermeasure against Liz.

No, this distance is too close for the Thousand Swords. You'll lose with the halberd.

But it did buy us some time. Flames surge through space like a wave from behind Gark. I hear Rosemary's voice, grumpy.

'Hmm ......, let's give him a little moxa!

'Grandma, I'll tell you something good. A good swordsman doesn't burn! They can cut fire!

In response, Luke plunged straight into the flames. If it's just flames, that's still very brave against a level 8 attack magic.
As expected, the eyes of the Abyssal Fire Extinguisher rolled back.

'This guy, ......, without hesitation!

'Oh, my wooden sword!

It's an ideal relationship where one party enhances the other.
Luke himself didn't burn up, but his wooden sword turned from charcoal to ash in an instant.

Then Luke collapsed in the flames.

'Oh, shit, oh, shit, oh, shit! The sword of the strongest swordsman cannot be broken! I'm still too inexperienced to ruin a sword again! Cry, give me strength!

'............. Looks like you beat me to it. I had my eye on you, but you really are a shrewd man--'

In the midst of Luke's wailing, the Abyssal Fire destroyed his tongue with an abhorrent expression.












'Huh? Again? So, the boss who I thought was definitely the real one is a fake wearing a real mask, and even though I thought he was a fake, he seems to be friends with the real boss, and on top of that, they're both determined to make Inari Sushi Bento for the organization and go nationwide! Don't know what I'm talking about? Don't ask me about that, ask the boss!

He used the sympathetic stone that was given to him to contact the head temple of the Fox God's maiden. The head temple seemed to be confused, but so was Sora.

While all this is going on, the boss and the fake boss are frying tofu shoulder to shoulder. It was a blessing in disguise that his life had been saved, but he no longer knew what was going on.

'But when did you become the boss?

'............ not tasty'.

As the fake fox frowns, the white fox licks his plate of fried tofu.
Aside from the fact that they were not on the same page, they didn't seem to be in an adversarial relationship. I think I'm going crazy.

On the other side of the sympathetic stone, the teacher who had once taught Sora what it was to be a priest told him to calm down.

Sora, calm down. The White Fox must be on his way to you now.

'That's why he came just now! He just came and asked me to fry him...'

'No matter how much the White Fox-sama's will is beyond human comprehension, he would never say such a foolish thing. The White Fox's goal is destruction, the destruction and rebirth of the world! The purpose of the organization hasn't changed since its inception!

That's what Sora thinks. That's what I thought. But it's not. It's not.
She turns around and asks the white fox-sama who is staring at the frying pan with a serious expression.



'............ Mr. White Fox, which is more important to you, fried tofu or the rebirth of the world?



The answer was short and to the point. He looked at me and said in a cold voice.



'............?




'Hiccup ......, see! I'm telling you that the fried tofu is more important! The white fox is not in a good mood because of you!

Calm down, Sora. Take a deep breath. White Fox-sama wouldn't act like that!

'No. This is an oracle. He wants us to unite the world with Inarizushi bento! This is serious!

Calm down, Sora. The real boss should be here any minute! Take over with the white fox. Talk to him on the sympathetic stone and he'll understand!

'Oh no, ......'

I can't ask that dreadful white fox-sama to take my place. What is it about the fake fox-sama that makes him talk to the real one without a care in the world?

What is the relationship between this fake and the real? What will happen to the organization now? What's the plan? Yes, it was supposed to be a mission to do something with a powerful item.

As he stared, the fake fox noticed Sora's gaze.
Apparently, the fake one was more friendly than the real one. After all, Sora has no choice but to serve him. The real one is too heavy for Sora.

'What's the matter?'

'............ My boss wants to talk to the boss.'

'Ah, the sympathetic stone. You've got a nice item--I've got a better phone, though!

The fake fox took the syllabary stone in an extremely friendly manner and tugged on the ear of the white fox who was seriously looking into the frying pan.
It was so outrageous that Sora's heart almost stopped. The white fox glared at the fake fox.

'............?

Instantly, a chill runs down her spine at the murderous intent radiating from her body, but the fake fox-sama remains smiling.
Doesn't he feel the pressure of this? He's obviously inferior in strength, but he's too big for the real thing.

'Your men contacted me.'

'............'

'Here, I'll watch the frying pan for you.'

The white fox took the sympathetic stone with a clearly disgusted expression. The teacher's voice came from the stone.


'Mr. White Fox. It's been a long time. My unworthy apprentice has been rude. He was saying something strange-- something about saving the world with fried tofu.


Straightforward question.
The white fox sat down in the kitchen and crossed his legs. The white tail that was thrown out shone faintly.



Then he made a small noise in his throat and began to speak.



'Long time no see, old man. That's right. We've decided to destroy and rebuild the world with fried tofu. This is the will of the Fox God.

'?

The voice that came out of his mouth was completely different from the languid one he had just used.

It was the voice of a young man, quiet, powerful, and possessed of an unfathomable charm.

The fake fox-sama rolls his eyes, too. He's not looking at the frying pan at all.

"! Mr. White Fox! But it's ...... the guiding principle of the organization for a long time and too--'

There's no two ways about it. For the time being, we're switching the organization to a form suitable for making fried tofu. Those who rebel will be purged.'

'But that's not what the other white foxes-- no. So, what should we do then?


The white fox-sama suddenly sees a frying pan and jumps down from the kitchen in a panic.


'Fry the fried tofu.

'?

Only the last voice remained unspoken.


But whether the teacher, who was clearly in a panic even when listening from the other end, noticed it or not, I don't know.

Throwing the sympathetic stone to Sora, the white fox-sama picked up the over-fried fried food from the frying pan with chopsticks with a sad face.


It's no good. The organization's over. I'm sure you understand now that this is an order from the real Mr. White Fox.
The only thing left for Sora to do was to make fried tofu.