[Arc 5] Chapter 1-5: When the Rat’s Out…

A little while ago, Dino's PoV:

Okay. The infiltration is a success.

Thanks to our disguises, my nameless subordinate and I passed as members of the Karasuna clan and entered the mysterious building. 

It has quite a strange design to it, being mostly composed of metal and what I think is the material called "concrete". Many of the buildings in Damavand-Core are made of the same material. Rather, this building here is quite similar to those floors.

The many pipelines that are built into the building are making me think of the rumors of a facility in the Demonic Sea, which is said to be connected to our glorious Dungeon. Demonic Seawater is constantly pouring out of them and creating a river that leads to the Treasure Tower. Stopping these pipes will be our main objective here. 

"Good work out there," said one of the clan members as they started a conversation with us. "Something strange to report?"

"Nothing too bad," said my subordinate, who had taken the role as the irresponsible of the two clan members we had caught earlier.

We deducted that having him as the role of questioning people, considering the man he is disguised as seemed like the irresponsible type that would forget about important information, is all part of our plan. 

"But I'd love if we could return already." - Subordinate

"Big chance for that not happening. The boss' damn determined with catching whoever's owning this place. We better be ready for a long stay." - Clan member 

Catching? So the Karasuna clan is not responsible for this building. That much I can obtain from this new info.

We broke off from the clan member and continued traveling through the building, trying to figure out what was going on. Luckily, most of the clan members are asleep, so there are not many who would interfere with us.

We first tried to find the source that the pipes were connected to, but...

"Hey, you can't go past here," said one of the higher-ranked clan members who was standing guard in a deeper section of the building.

"Sorry about that. This guy was too curious about this place for me to stop him," I said while showing my subordinate, who was acting embarrassed just like we had planned in case we encountered a situation like this current one.

"...no problems there. We all want that so we can leave this spine-shivering place." - High-ranked clan member

"Eh? We got nothing on this place yet?" - Subordinate

"It's not been that long, but I get what you're saying. Staying here's too much for normal people." - High-ranked clan member

The guard must be talking about the "presence" of the Demonic Seawater. Lady Zaria told me how terrifying it was for her to travel through the real seas, and after I witnessed the water itself from a safe distance, I cannot disagree with her.

"Anyway, you rank-and-files aren't allowed past this point! Get back to...bed...*gasp*-!!" - High-ranked clan member

What is he doing? He suddenly stopped talking midway and looked at...something behind...us...

Both my subordinate and I turned around in a hurry and witnessed...that. It has a viscous-like body that reminds you of a Slime, it was colored black like tar, and multiple pieces that looked like monster skulls floated in its body. No, it's part of its body.

All three of us got to our senses and prepared our weapons almost at the same time when-

"Hey, stop that. It's an ally." 

A rough voice rang out to make us stand down. The black, slime-like creature also noticed the voice and crawled toward its source. It was an old man standing there, yet that was all I could percept. He must be using some illusion-based skills to hide his true form, and probably, even the fact that we could notice him is because he allows us to. 

This man is dangerous. So screams my instincts. The black thing is far from as dangerous compared to this old one.

"B-boss! Please keep your pet in check." - High-ranked clan member

"Pet!?" - Subordinate

Don't shout like that, you idiot! What if this creature is common knowledge among the Karasuna clan members!

"Huhuhu. I guess you two could consider moving up in the grades now that you've seen this thing." - "Boss"

Just as we were wondering what he was talking about, a blur appeared, no, disappeared around the elderly figure. What appeared after the blur went away was an elderly rat-man. His whole body was covered in long, desert-yellow fur with grey streaks due to his age. He was wearing a sunflower-yellow and black kimono with a luxurious embroidery of a Loong on it made from silver-colored treads.

The old rat-man was leaning on a cane made from old-looking black wood, but it did not hide the aura of a killer that he emitted. Maybe he does not even notice it himself. Not that I would bet that it is because he has turned senile from old age.

"Yashinezu-sama! Please be at ease!" said the guard in a desperate attempt...

Don't tell me, this man, he only shows his real face to those he is prepared to kill...! And "Yashinezu", is this man the ill-famous Yashinezu Karasuna!? The head of the Karasuna clan!?

"Hohoho! Relax. There's nothing big if people know my face. It's just a hobby." - Yashinezu

"A hobby!? Sir!?" - High-ranked clan member

"What? It's nothing that strange. It's even thanks to this that I still have the groove with me. My analyzing abilities are proof of that. Or rather, the lack of them. If I only continued studying instead of wasting my time in the red-light districts..." - Yashinezu

...for some reason, I think this yakuza head would have a good time with lady Ciara. 

But this is great. We're given crucial info about one of the most dangerous person's abilities here served on a silver plate. ...it is true, right? I cannot stop myself from thinking this could be a ruse... 

"...oh, that's right. I almost forgot. This is Wiggly. Be nice to it." - Yashinezu

"Yashinezu-sama! Please retire if you're going senile!" - High-ranked clan member

Eh? Senile?

"Who are you calling senile, you rude little twerp?" - Yashinezu

"You even revealed your abilities without thinking that about the possibility of spies!" - High-ranked clan member

*Gulp*!

".........ah, you're right. Forget about that. And I am not senile. I am well-aged." - Yashinezu

"No, that's pretty much the definition of "senile", Yashinezu-sama." - Subordinate

".........this one here is Wiggly-" - Yashinezu

"Don't try to change the subject!!" - High-ranked clan member, subordinate, & Dino

"...*Cough*, this one here is Wiggly," the old rat continued, determined to stop the senile-related talk.

"Wiggly is something called a "Draug". You could think of it as a "failed chimera" or a "living undead". But do not worry. He is under my command." - Yashinezu

"...excuse me, I don't understand." - Subordinate

"Yes, me neither." - Dino

Ah, oh no. I answered him without thinking. Luckily, it seems that the old rat and the guard did not mind. The former is simply laughing while the other is nodding along with our replies.

"Well, it is one of the reasons why we are here. Or more precisely, the organization behind its "birth". Now that we're on the topic, have you found any clues yet?" - Yashinezu

"No, sir! Nothing about the inversed yin-yang mark group has been detected from this facility, sir!" - High-ranked clan member

"Damn, it was a miss..." - Yashinezu

...there is too much unknown information here that I can comprehend. This feels like a good time to sneak away and tell lady Zaria-

"The only thing we have learned is that the black liquid is not the same as from the underground cavern located underneath the shrine in the back, sir!" - High-ranked clan member

And now we were given even more! Wait, this shrine and "underground cavern", are they talking about the same type of building that lady Zaria and master Garami fell through when they first arrived in the Demonic Sea? Lady Zaria has been talking (complaining) about that event many enough times to make me remember it in my sleep.

"Idiot, that's too obvious to be called a-" - Yashinezu

*KA-BOOM!*

"Yashinezu-sama! We're under attack!" - Grunt

Lady Zaria! Why can you never stay..., wait. The grunt appeared from further in the mountain, not the entrance we used. 

"Who is responsible for this?!" - Yashinezu

"We...we are not sure how to describe it, but they came out from the shrine behind the building-!" - Grunt

Before the grunt could finish his report, a big piece of the wall was blasted away by an incredible force. It was the attackers, and they had come to us. My apologies, lady Zaria...

Just as the grunt tried to explain, this creature is quite the novelty for someone living in Luxuria. The thing had a big body made out of shiny black metal, with heavy-looking wheels for its four legs feet, and several tentacle-like appendages that ended in sharp spikes.

It could be mistaken for a "car" as one sometimes can find in Damavand-Core, but this curiosity had a mechanical dragon head on its front, so it is far from any regular old car. What is strange is that there are multiple pieces of clothes wrapped around it, along with something you could only say is trash.

"CRAP!? The sand-rat!?" 

The talking was not the mechanical dragon vehicle. It was the "person" riding it. He had an incredibly thin and lithe body, almost as if he was made out of sticks. And like the monstrosity he is riding, this "person" is yet another piece of machinery. Maybe an Automata, but it's not safe to say. The question is how to find out who this mechanical person is-

"Hey, who're you, and what are you doing here?" - Yashinezu

"You're just asking him?!" - Subordinate

"Ah, hello. I'm Scarecrow, and I gotta deliver this Virtue-Factor I got from scraping up the remains of whoever-wood down-, and why should I say anything to you!?" - Scarecrow(?)

"And he's responding?!!" - Subordinate & Dino

Not good. I reacted without thinking.

"I see. I don't understand, but I see. Then die." - Yashinezu

Without waiting for his words to sink, the old clan head drew his sword concealed in his cane and slashed at the robotic duo. A sudden gust of sand covered the corridor. Did that sword summon this sudden sandstorm or something? No, that is probably exactly what just happened. It must be one of Yashinezu's skills. or perhaps a special ability of the sword.

When the dust settled, the corridor was covered in sand, with the walls, floor, and roof covered in slash-marks, as if a horde of kamaitachis had been running havoc here. But the machines were nowhere to be seen. Only a new hole in the wall told us what happened to them.

"Tch, they ran away. You, gather some of the boys and have them meet me at the entrance." - Yashinezu

"S-sir!?" - High-ranked clan member

"That thing's left the building already. But we're not letting them get away until we get to hear who they are working for, got it?" - Yashinezu

"As you wish, Yashinezu-sama!" - High-ranked clan member

And with that, the old rat and the guard left the corridor, leaving me alone with my subordinate.

"...what was that thing?" - Subordinate

"I have no clue..., but we are lucky not to be taken along on the hunt." - Dino

The guard must have been too agitated to remember that the two of us are still here, but we should be moving before he remembers.

Taking a different path than the guard and Yashinezu, we reached a room while staying clear of any of the other clan members. It had a window that gave us a good view of the front side of the building. And we were in time to see another sandstorm erupt from the entrance. It's no doubt who the perpetrator is. 

Escaping from the sandstorm is the mechanical duo again. There are some scratch marks on the vehicle-looking one, but the strawman named Scarecrow seems to be unharmed for some reason, despite having been in the same attack as its partner just now. 

Chasing the Automatas(?) were a group of strong-looking clan members, spearheaded by Yashinezu himself. From appearance alone..., they seem stronger than our party. I'd say several of them are capable of facing C-rank monsters alone. What a threat. They ran after the mechanical duo in pursuit, having left the area before we could even blink. 

"Should we return to lady Zaria and have her cancel the attack on this building?" asked my subordinate. He must have had the same impression of the clan members who just left.

"That would be the wisest course of action, yes. Even lady Zaria would not want to dare-" - Dino

*CRASH!!*

But alas, the remaining clan members who were trying to look for Yashinezu's party who had just left, got struck by a powerful gust of wind. Not soon after, lady Zaria the perpetrator rushed in and threw a rope on the knocked-out clan members, which proceeded to bind and gag them before they could wake up.

"...you were saying?" - Subordinate

...I wonder if master Garami ever experiences the same feeling as I have right now.

---

Kigal-Note/Demons: Dark Elves

Description:

Dark Elves is one of the seven elven races (at rank E), and one of the two races that is not considered "humanoids". In the Dark Elf's case, it is because they are more related to demons than the other humanoid races and because the demons, no matter what kind, is considered neither monster nor non-monster.

Dark Elves normally live in areas that are populated with demons. They are incredibly crafty and can easily become great hunters. If they find a master they respect, they will stay loyal to that person's cause until the day the Dark Elf dies, or the master falls from grace.

Appearance:

Like the other elven races, Dark Elves look no different from regular humans, sans their pointy ears. Unlike the other races, Dark Elves have deeply tanned skins and hair colors that range from white to gray. 

Dark elves share the incredible beauty of the other elven races, but they also invoke fear with their appearance. A probable result from their demonic linage. 

Abilities:

Dark Elves has a more Scout-based battle strategy compared to the normal Elves who rely on their intellect and abilities with magic. Traps, ambushes, and guerilla tactics are the Dark Elves' bread and butter. They are great for infiltration teams or to take the scout position in adventurer parties. 

Rald's comment: Can they help a poor gob with peeking into the woman's bath, ssu~?