Chapter 160
It seemed the negotiations with Japan had gone well.
In my hand was the result.
The treasured item Japan had cherished: Yata's Mirror.
The mirror was cracked like a spiderweb, split into several fragments.
[Attack-Reflection Mirror]
[Grade: Legendary]
[One-time use]
[Reflects any attack without fail.]
[Mana must be charged.]
“It would be perfect if it weren't single-use....”
Then again, if it weren't single-use and required mana charging, they would never have handed it over.
I could only bring it back because it was a white elephant to Japan.
If they had even one S-rank mage there, it probably wouldn't have come to me.
In many ways, I had been lucky.
“How far would Rainbow Reflection work, I wonder....”
I tried to think of the strongest opponent I'd faced so far.
The first thing that came to mind was my fight with the magic-stripping middle-aged man.
Though I wasn't sure it was even fair to call that a fight.
A few clicks, and I had been captured without being able to do anything.
What if I could reflect that attack too?
“If the Tower says it's absolute, then it's absolute.”
If there was one thing all Hunters and researchers agreed on, it was that the Tower never lied.
That overwhelming attack should be reflectable too.
“Should I try charging it once?”
The reason Japan had left this excellent item sitting in a warehouse.
It was the harsh usage condition: it needed a full-power mana infusion from an S-rank mage.
“Just how much mana does it gulp down?”
Curiosity got the better of me.
Carefully, I fed mana into the mirror.
At first, just a little.
Swoosh!
The mana was sucked in instantly.
But the mirror didn't budge. It was still cracked just as before.
“Should I put in a little more?”
A bit of competitive spirit rose in me.
I fed it mana more aggressively, about 10% of my total pool.
But there was still no change in the mirror.
“Good. Let's see how much it'll take.”
I opened up my mana for real.
I could feel the air around me swirling into a vortex centered on me.
The aftermath alone turned part of the floor into sand.
If what I was holding hadn't been an item, it would've turned to sand and vanished too.
Only then did the mirror react.
Wuuuum!
The item started vibrating.
Light began to shine between the cracks, and the shattered surfaces slowly started knitting back together.
“A little more!”
Excited, I poured mana into it without sparing any.
After all, I still had the mana stored in the whale core, and I hadn't even used my command words yet. Mana exhaustion wasn't going to happen.
It was after I'd been pounding mana into it for a few minutes.
Flash!
The cracked mirror's light grew even stronger, and just as the whole thing seemed to turn into light, the next moment.
I was holding a perfect mirror in my hand.
A look that made it obvious at a glance it was fully charged.
“Huh? Already?”
But to me, it was surprising.
It was several times faster than I'd expected.
I checked how much mana I had left in my body.
I still had over 30% of my mana left.
With the mana stored in the whale core and my command words still unused, I'd effectively used less than half of it.
“So that's what they meant by an S-rank having to go all out?”
Strictly speaking, I was still A-rank.
Once again, the gap between me and everyone else was painfully clear.
A satisfying result in many ways.
“For now, let's drain the mana back out....”
I didn't know how strict this item's trigger conditions were.
If it went off just from bumping into something else or being dropped, that would be a disaster.
Besides, if it could be activated with about half my mana, topping it off in the middle of a fight would be enough.
Crack!
As I carefully withdrew the mana, cracks reappeared in the mirror and it returned to its original form.
“I should have the dwarves make a knockoff too.”
America had told me to carry this around as a deterrent, but you never know.
I might have to use it suddenly in the Tower.
I'd better have a fake one made for bluffing, in case I quietly end up using the real thing.
I carefully slipped the mirror deep into my pocket.
“Come to think of it, is it about time for the broadcast?”
I hadn't been able to watch inside the negotiation room, but I'd heard the Japanese side had gotten pretty worked up.
They'd want to milk it for all it was worth as quickly as possible.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before they prepared an official announcement.
At the scheduled time, I flopped onto the living-room sofa and turned on the TV, and the Japanese prime minister's face appeared on the live news.
A large caption appeared below in the live subtitles.
[Japanese Prime Minister Emergency Press Conference: Declaration of Coastal Normalization]
“Oh.”
The prime minister kept on with a long, boring announcement.
There wasn't much substance to it.
Various place names and plans came up, but to me, who knew nothing about Japanese geography, it was all just unfamiliar talk.
“Maybe I'll just read a summary post in the gallery later?”
That was when it happened.
The screen switched.
Standing there were a man and a woman.
Subtitles scrolled quickly across the bottom.
“Is that Japan's S-rank?”
One was a man in massive armor, carrying a shield and a mace.
Paladin-class Hunter, Japan's only S-rank: 'Giant' Shintaro.
“Then that one must be the Sword Saint.”
Standing beside the muscular man was a short-haired girl in a dark blue coat.
The long Japanese sword she held was her trademark.
Hirose Yuki, an S-rank prospect and a high school girl already being called the 'Sword Saint.'
“Huh?”
I was just about to complain that I was also an S-rank prospect, so why didn't I get a title?
I found myself leaning forward at the sight before me.
Hirose Yuki suddenly started peeling her coat halfway off.
What was underneath wasn't a sailor uniform.
A white leotard swimsuit came into view.
It was the very item I had sold in bulk this time.
Click, click, click!
Flashes erupted from all directions.
It felt like I could hear the reporters' murmuring all the way over here.
I logged into Hunter Gallery without hesitation.
[Huk-kkeok-pya-heok-nong kekeke]
The gallery was full of beasts incapable of human speech.
I also left some random comment below that sounded vaguely like a beast cry.
I had been ignorant of the dwarves' grand design....
So you had a plan all along.
I nodded in satisfaction after seeing my item actually worn for the first time.
The commotion died down for a moment, and the S-rank Hunter Shintaro standing beside her took the microphone.
[With this equipment as our starting point, we will recover our lost territory and restore the safety of our people. Beginning with Tokyo Bay, we will drive the monsters out of all Japan's coastal waters.]
[Even if we clean them out, won't they just pour out of the Gates anyway?]
[I can't go into detail because it's classified. But we have a perfect plan together with the Self-Defense Forces. We will make this a country where our people can once again eat sushi to their hearts' content.]
That much was exactly within expectations.
There was nothing especially surprising about it.
But the real bombshell came right after that.
Hirose Yuki, having taken the microphone, stared into the camera with eyes full of resolve.
[And I, Hirose Yuki, will complete the clear of Floor 45 through this operation and bring the item back.]
“Huh? What?”
Had they figured out the item acquisition route?
And the fact that she specifically mentioned Floor 45 meant there really must be something there.
[We have already perfectly identified the conditions for obtaining that item. With the Japanese government's intelligence, my sword, and Aiternus's suit, there is no chance of failure. So....]
Yuki paused for a moment and drew in a breath.
And the next instant, I had to doubt my own ears.
[So shut up and invest everything in me-!!]
Hirose Yuki shouted into the microphone.
Click, click, click!
Once again, camera flashes poured out.
Soon after, I could hear the reporters' shouts.
I just stared blankly at the screen.
“Are they insane?”
That was the first thing I thought.
To shout that line in front of people while wearing a swimsuit in winter.
But at the same time, I was impressed.
That kind of stage presence. I want to learn it.
I wrote down the inspiration that had just come to me on my phone so I wouldn't forget it.
I should try something like that in an interview later.
As my excitement faded a little, the question I should have been asking came to mind.
“How on earth did they figure out the conditions?”
Even I, the original owner, didn't know those conditions.
They found that out? How?
Besides, Floor 45 was a mid-boss floor. Re-entry after clearing it should be impossible.
What was the mission, anyway? Catching a whale? That couldn't be possible just by putting on that suit.
A whole string of questions flashed through my mind.
But one thing was certain: Japan had a real reason for buying the suit from me.
“So coastal defense wasn't all of it.”
The reason they went so far as to sell Legendary items to secure the suit.
Of course they'd use it for coastal defense too, but that wasn't all.
“Those devious bastards....”
I clicked my tongue.
Come to think of it, that was only natural.
Just as we had dug up their information and wrung Legendary items out of them, they were simply hiding information too.
“Interesting. Make sure it succeeds.”
I let the corners of my mouth rise.
When does a person despair the most? When they get lifted high and then fall.
I sincerely wanted them to obtain the item.
That way, I could reveal the original right after.
***
In fact, for Aiternus, this was a huge boon.
After Japan's announcement, order inquiries came flooding in.
The stock price soared without end.
The problem was that the next batch was already fully reserved, and the materials were limited.
There was one place that took offense at that.
China.
For China, which had declared competition with Japan over the new Legendary item, this wasn't something they could just let slide.
Before even a day had passed since the press conference, a call came in from the broker.
[An official protest letter has arrived from China.]
“A protest?”
[Why are you supplying only Japan, are you ignoring us, hand it over to us immediately.... That sort of thing.]
“What a ridiculous bunch.”
Utterly shameless behavior.
They hadn't even placed an order up to now.
Only after Japan made its announcement did they jump in, startled.
“Tell them we can't because we're out of stock.”
[We told them that, but they're being unreasonable. They even contacted the embassy. They're reportedly considering trade retaliation too....]
“Honestly, let them. It's their loss, not mine.”
[That's not all. This was received through unofficial channels....]
The broker suddenly lowered his voice.
[I even received a personal threat. They said they'd blow up the entire company building.... Fortunately, your name wasn't mentioned. Still, please be careful.]
“No, I'm not the one in danger here, am I? I'm more worried about you, sir.”
I let out a dry laugh.
Have these bastards lost their minds?
A country acting like gangsters toward a mere company?
“You told them it was hard because of the contract with the U.S., right?”
[Of course. I explained that all future production had already been absorbed by the United States, so it was physically impossible.]
“And then?”
[They seem to think they're invincible because the U.S. has their back, and they said they'd show us what happens when you make China an enemy.]
“Should I step in after all? Turn the whole lot to sand?”
[... Please restrain yourself.]
“I'm joking. I won't do it yet. Yet.”
[... Why is it 'yet'?]
But how was I really supposed to respond?
Should I stay near the headquarters and keep watch? But the headquarters isn't in Daejeon....
I was mulling it over without hanging up when—
[Hm? The CIA is calling....]
“Please connect me.”
[Hello, good afternoon.]
I quickly altered my voice and answered the call.
“Good timing. I was just about to call and chew you out. Didn't you say you'd handle international issues like this?”
[Calm down. We didn't expect China to come at this so quickly and aggressively, but we already have countermeasures in place.]
“What is it? If it's anything half-baked, I won't stay quiet.”
[We've just sent a strong and unmistakable deterrent to Korea that will shut China up for a while.]
“What, did you send a stealth bomber? Or an aircraft carrier?”
[Something stronger, flashier, and above all louder. Wait an hour. Incheon Airport will be paralyzed.]
I hung up with a puzzled expression.
What on earth were they sending?
And then, exactly one hour later.
I regretted not pressing harder right then.
A post went up in the gallery.
[I hear Demigod is at Incheon Airport right now?]
The world's biggest troublemaker had come to Korea.