Chapter 144: The Train Heading to Chiba Prefecture
"Exactly."
Asagiri answered, his gaze distant as if he were weighing several outcomes at once.
"For Players, there are two paths from here."
He lifted two fingers.
"First, stay in the city. The city has dense foot traffic and complicated terrain. And since the Anti Demi Human Special Operations Group hasn't issued a public wanted notice, it means they're still weighing public panic. If word gets out that 'a large number of suspicious individuals suspected of being Abyss Men are hiding within the city,' it would cause mass fear and backlash. So their movements are restricted."
His voice remained calm.
"If we hide in the city, we might be able to slip through."
Then his second finger rose.
"But time works against us. Once the Anti Demi Human Special Operations Group confirms that Players have abnormal abilities, they won't rely on small scale measures like handguns anymore. They're an official agency. Riot police, sniper rifles, even helicopters sealing off every entrance and exit of the city are all on the table."
Asagiri's eyes narrowed slightly.
"When that happens, breaking out and reaching Chiba Prefecture, where the research base is located, becomes impossible."
He lowered his hand.
"The second path is to seize the window before they fully lock down the city. We go straight to Chiba Prefecture, wait for the right moment, raid the research base, and obtain the Abyss Man research data."
"And the risks are obvious," he added evenly. "We'll be blocked. We may have to fight agents armed with firearms."
Iwanaga Kotoko folded her arms, thinking.
"So ordinary Players who choose the first path and hide in the city… whether they clear the Dungeon depends entirely on high level Players choosing the second path."
A bitter understanding flickered through her expression.
"No wonder this Dungeon invited us. Unlike the previous Dungeons, this one has no time limit. If no one can get that experimental data, the Dungeon ends in a team wipe."
She immediately cut to the most important point.
"Then how do we get to Chiba?"
"Take the Shinkansen."
"Huh?"
Yuuki Asuna froze, staring at Asagiri.
"Didn't you say earlier taking the train was too risky? Why now…"
"It's different now."
Asagiri didn't need to explain. Kotoko, whose thinking was closest to his, spoke first.
"Before, we avoided the train because we didn't know whether the first stage of the test came from Abyss Men or from the official agencies of this world."
Her eyes sharpened.
"If it were Abyss Men, humans don't see them as their own kind. Most Abyss Men probably wouldn't care about human lives. They could kill the passengers along with the Players just to eliminate the Players on the train."
"But now we know the danger comes from the Anti Demi Human Special Operations Group. And Leader already said they haven't issued a public wanted list, which means they still care about public opinion and civilian emotions."
Kotoko glanced toward Asuna.
"The train is the fastest option and the least draining. With Phantom's ability, we can board without being noticed. It's unlikely they'll find us, and even if they do…"
She paused, then spoke plainly.
"The passengers can become bargaining chips. That can force a way through the Anti Demi Human Special Operations Group's obstacles."
"This…"
Yuuki Asuna's expression shifted, hesitation flickering in her eyes.
"If we do that… wouldn't we be terrorists…"
"Wake up, Violet."
Asagiri's tone stayed controlled, but the weight behind it was unmistakable. Kato and Kotoko both heard the seriousness in his voice.
"This is a Dungeon. This world is not our world. They're acting with the mindset that it doesn't matter if they kill us. So we need the same resolve."
His eyes were cold, unwavering.
"No mercy. No holding back. This isn't a game. It's war."
He reached out and placed a hand on Yuuki Asuna's shoulder, looking directly into her eyes.
"We'll do our best not to harm innocents. But if it's to protect you, to protect the safety of my teammates, I will kill people in this world without hesitation."
His voice didn't rise, but it cut deeper than shouting.
"Even if they're so called innocents. It's the same."
"I…"
"It's okay, Violet."
Kotoko stepped forward and smiled gently, softening her tone without weakening her message.
"Based on your personality and Phantom's, using innocents as bargaining chips will be hard for you. That's fine. Everyone has their specialty."
Her smile turned slightly wry.
"Leader and I have very flexible moral standards. If it comes down to that, we'll do it."
Then Kotoko's gaze turned sharp.
"But when you face the Anti Demi Human Special Operations Group, you must kill without hesitation. No mercy. No thoughts of letting them live."
Her voice dropped, firm and absolute.
"Can you do that?"
Yuuki Asuna nodded, her hesitation burned away into resolve.
"Yes. Those people are enemies."
"That's good."
Kotoko replied, then turned to Kato Megumi.
"What about you, Phantom?"
"I don't want to kill people, but…"
Kato's voice was soft, her expression calm and indifferent as always.
"I'd rather not die in the Dungeon. So I won't hesitate either."
…
Twenty minutes later, inside the train heading from Tokyo to Chiba Prefecture.
"Phew…"
Kato Megumi sat by the window, watching the scenery blur past in streaks of color. Only now did she let out a quiet breath.
"Are you okay?" Asagiri asked beside her.
Kato turned and offered a small smile.
"Yes, I'm fine."
Asagiri studied her face for a moment.
"You're forcing it."
Kato blinked, surprised.
"Huh? How can you tell?"
Asagiri shook his head, a faint smile touching his lips.
"Because you rarely smile like that. Smiling at a time like this is just you trying to make me feel at ease, isn't it?"
"As expected of Leader." Kato tucked her short hair behind her ear. "You saw right through me."
Her gaze flicked toward Yuuki Asuna and Iwanaga Kotoko, seated at the far end of the carriage, both staying alert. When she was sure they weren't paying attention, she looked back at Asagiri, expression turning serious.
"There's something I want to ask you."
"What is it?"
"You've entered a romantic relationship with both of them, haven't you?"
Asagiri didn't dodge.
"Yes."
"As I thought."
Kato's response was quiet, unreadable. Then she spoke again.
"Can I ask you a favor?"
"Go ahead."
"After we clear this Dungeon, can you tell them that I already know everything?"
Seeing Asagiri's steady gaze, she continued in a calm, careful voice.
"I understand why they feel awkward saying it to me directly. And because we once agreed teammates should trust each other completely, they're conflicted. They don't know whether telling me is the right thing or the selfish thing."
Kato's eyes stayed level.
"If I tell them myself, the atmosphere might turn awkward. But if you tell them, it won't."
She paused, then added softly.
"It's not for any other reason. I just want them to know that I know, so they can let go of that pressure."
"It'll be better for the team too, won't it?"
Asagiri chuckled.
"Then why don't you just join us?"
"Please don't joke like that."
Kato's reply was flat, but her ears reddened faintly.
"If you joke like that, it'll trouble me."
Asagiri's smile deepened.
"So if I were serious, you wouldn't be troubled?"
That rare blush bloomed properly across Kato Megumi's cheeks. She turned toward the window, pretending to be absorbed in the passing scenery, and didn't answer.
…
An hour later, inside the carriage.
"We're close to Chiba's border…"
Yuuki Asuna stared out the window, fingers tightening around the Exorcist Longsword. Then she looked at Asagiri sitting opposite, his expression thoughtful.
"What's wrong? Are you thinking about what we do next?"
"Of course I'm thinking about the plan," Asagiri said. "But there's still one issue."
He looked at Yuuki Asuna, Iwanaga Kotoko, and Kato Megumi.
"Based on past Dungeons, even though the Dungeon world includes supernatural phenomena and supernatural powers, the dangers are always logical."
He spoke like someone assembling pieces on a board.
"In the zombie Dungeon we experienced together, the Special Infected existed because the Black Watch army created them for experiments. In the Meta Dungeon, the dating sim world became lethal because Prototype Mita and Crazy Mita both existed."
Asagiri's gaze sharpened.
"So this time, how did the Anti Demi Human Special Operations Group get our appearance information?"
His voice dipped.
"Did the system tell them? No. That doesn't fit the pattern of this death game."
"It has to be someone in this world feeding information to the Anti Demi Human Special Operations Group."
He leaned forward slightly.
"And if that's true, what is that person trying to accomplish?"
Yuuki Asuna and the others didn't have time to answer.
From the connecting passage between carriages, more than a dozen men in black suits advanced at a brisk pace, moving straight toward them.
"Over there!"
The leading Suit Man spotted them and immediately drew a handgun, raising it with practiced speed.
No hesitation.
He fired.
A tall, dark figure appeared in the bullet's path.
Bang.
The casing clinked and dropped onto the carpet with a muffled sound.
The bullet didn't pierce the figure. It didn't even dig in properly. Only a shallow, spiral shaped indentation appeared where it struck.
"So they still came…"
Asagiri rose to his feet.
A dark gray mask formed over his face. The black hunter's windbreaker settled on his shoulders as if it had always been there. His pupils shifted into a bright, golden yellow.
His voice was calm, almost cold.
"Kill them, Human Asura."