Chapter 436: Dragged into Hell
Just as Iwanaga Kotoko finished speaking, a dark shadow appeared in the sky.
A moment later, Asagiri descended swiftly onto the rooftop where everyone was gathered and asked with a smile,
"Did you find anything?"
"You're back already?"
Hearing Yuuki Asuna's slightly surprised question, Asagiri merely shrugged.
"The Nyx Incarnation I marked was about as strong as the one we dealt with in the previous Dungeon. This time, there were no powerful Forbidden level monsters around it, so it couldn't even be called a battle."
"I see..."
Yuuki Asuna nodded calmly, unsurprised by the result.
After clearing the previous Dungeon, the five people present, along with the four members of Kaguya Shinomiya's team, had all experienced an enormous leap in strength.
It was not only their equipment and abilities. Even their fundamental attributes, such as physical fitness and mental strength, had risen to a terrifying level.
Let alone Asagiri, even Iwanaga Kotoko, who was not particularly suited for solo combat, would achieve only one result against that Nyx Incarnation.
A one sided instant kill.
However...
"This isn't necessarily good news, is it?"
Kato Megumi tucked a strand of short black hair behind her ear and spoke softly.
"The marked Incarnation was no stronger than the one from the previous Dungeon."
"Either Nyx is concentrating all its resources on strengthening one particular Incarnation, or it has developed a method of dealing with us that it considers more reliable than simply improving their strength."
"The power of Devils is too unusual. The more humanity fears a Devil, the stronger it becomes."
"A purely conceptual transcendent power like that is nearly impossible to calculate accurately."
"Indeed. This doesn't feel like a victory."
Asagiri took a phone from his pocket.
It was not his own, but one he had obtained from a passerby in this world.
"A Devil attack in Saitama, with hundreds confirmed dead. The Public Safety Devil Countermeasure Special Operations Unit has begun emergency operations...?"
After reading the online report, Asagiri merely smiled faintly.
"Persona, Kind Mita."
The moment Asagiri crushed the illusory Tarot card, Kind Mita appeared.
She accepted the tablet handed to her by Yamauchi Sakura, then immediately began sliding her fingers across the screen.
As long as an electronic device was connected to the internet, Kind Mita could use her magical hacking abilities to infiltrate the classified networks of any world.
The internal network of this world's Public Safety Devil Countermeasure Special Operations Unit was no exception.
"The Special Operations Units in Chiba, Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Nagano, and Gunma have already begun dispatching Demon Hunter teams to support Saitama."
"Tokyo is the only exception."
Kind Mita browsed through the organization's internal information, her brows gradually furrowing.
"Not only has Tokyo refused to provide support, but it has also recalled a portion of the Demon Hunter teams stationed in various cities."
"As for the reason, it's listed as confidential."
"So the key to Nyx's plan is located somewhere in this world's Tokyo..."
Hearing Kato Megumi's murmur, Iwanaga Kotoko frowned, a thoughtful look appearing in her violet eyes.
"No. Something feels wrong."
Her thoughts raced as she recalled every piece of information gathered since entering the Dungeon.
Then she slowly spoke.
"Nyx isn't a Player. It entered this world before any of us."
"If that's the case, it had more than enough time to strengthen Tokyo's defenses. Why wait until after we entered the Dungeon to begin?"
"We've already witnessed the combat strength of the Demon Hunter teams from the Special Operations Unit."
"Even if there were a thousand or ten thousand of them, they wouldn't obstruct us in the slightest."
"Nyx knows how powerful we are. This action serves no purpose except to expose its intentions."
"Could it be another trap?"
Yamauchi Sakura offered her opinion.
"We entered this Dungeon to kill Shido Masayoshi, but then the system's power was unexpectedly suppressed the moment we arrived."
"On top of that, we also intend to eliminate every Nyx Incarnation, including Shido Masayoshi."
"I just feel that Nyx knows exactly what we want to do. It's almost as though it's deliberately revealing a weakness to lure us into Tokyo."
Yuuki Asuna spoke thoughtfully.
"But aren't we already in Tokyo? What is it still waiting for?"
"Is its preparation incomplete?"
"No."
Asagiri, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"Not everyone has arrived yet."
"Just as we intend to eliminate every Nyx Incarnation here and turn our next confrontation into the true final battle, Nyx wants to eliminate everyone capable of obstructing it."
"That doesn't only mean the five of us."
"It also means the other four who opposed it last time and transcended death."
Yuuki Asuna immediately realized who Asagiri meant.
Kaguya Shinomiya, Fujiwara Chika, Hayasaka Ai, and Sakurakawa Rikka.
"I see... What a cunning creature."
Iwanaga Kotoko leaned against the rooftop railing.
Because of her short stature, her shoulders nearly rested against the cold metal bar.
"We possess overwhelming influence in the real world, so naturally, we would mobilize every available source of assistance."
"Just as we've done now, bringing all the elite Player teams allied with us into this Dungeon."
"If Nyx can completely eliminate us here while turning Shido Masayoshi into its Incarnation, then in our world..."
"No, throughout the entire Game, no one will remain capable of stopping it."
"So what should we do now?"
Yuuki Asuna frowned, hesitation appearing on her face.
"Even if we've seen through its scheme, if Nyx continues hiding somewhere in Tokyo and waits for Kaguya Shinomiya and the others to arrive before activating its plan, we have no way to counter it."
"No. There is a way."
A meaningful smile appeared on Asagiri's face.
His tone remained relaxed.
"Whatever its plan is, we only need to destroy Tokyo."
"Destroy Tokyo? What about the people inside?"
"Kill them all as well."
Hearing Asagiri's words, the expressions of Yamauchi Sakura, Kato Megumi, and Yuuki Asuna became complicated.
Iwanaga Kotoko, however, nodded in agreement.
"Within this world's structure, humans are essentially a resource."
"Whether someone becomes a Demon Hunter, seeks greater power, or forms a contract requiring a Sacrifice, the power of every Devil is closely tied to humanity."
"Nyx may have chosen Tokyo as the site of its trap precisely because it is the most densely populated city in Sakura Province."
"The humans inside this city are likely a necessary condition for activating its plan."
"If we want to force Nyx to act before it is fully prepared, then destroying the city directly is indeed the most efficient method."
For Asagiri and Iwanaga Kotoko, there was no moral barrier to overcome.
Moreover, the situation had clearly developed to this point.
The tens of millions of humans in Tokyo were most likely intended to become Sacrifices for Nyx's plan.
Even if that assumption was wrong, the moment Nyx chose the city as its battlefield, the ordinary people living there had already lost any realistic chance of escaping disaster.
Iwanaga Kotoko maintained her usual absolute rationality.
However, she then changed the subject and offered a different perspective.
"But if we force Nyx to activate its plan prematurely, then only the five of us will face its attack."
"Should we disrupt its preparations and force it to move now?"
"Or should we pretend that we haven't seen through the plan, wait until Kaguya and the other Player teams arrive, then gather all our strength and launch a combined assault?"
Iwanaga Kotoko looked toward Asagiri and smiled.
"The decision is yours, Captain."
Faced with the two options she presented, Asagiri pondered for a moment before slowly answering,
"We launch the attack."
"We'll keep the initiative in our own hands."
"If Nyx has prepared a secondary plan, Kaguya and Ashikaga-sensei will lead the other Players in dealing with it."
...
Half an hour later, inside the underground facility belonging to the Public Safety Devil Countermeasure Special Operations Unit.
"Have they seen through it...?"
Shido Masayoshi watched the screen with an increasingly grim expression.
Ruiner Nergigante was rampaging throughout the city, roaring wildly and destroying everything in its path, while Asagiri and the others followed behind it with calm, composed expressions.
"If this continues, all the ordinary people will flee Tokyo."
"If there aren't enough Sacrifices, the plan cannot be activated..."
Shido Masayoshi took a deep breath before speaking in a low voice.
"Forget it. The other three Incarnations and I will deal with the remaining Players."
"Is that acceptable?"
Nyx's answer echoed directly within his mind.
"Make the elimination of Shadow your highest priority."
"Understood."
Shido Masayoshi slowly closed his eyes.
It was not hesitation.
Even though what he was about to do was unimaginably bloody and cruel, he saw all other people as nothing more than tools.
His only desire was to trample over everyone standing in his path and reach the summit of power.
Whether the number of Sacrifices was thousands, tens of thousands, millions, or tens of millions, he would not hesitate in the slightest.
"It is your honor to be sacrificed by me."
Madness gleamed within Shido Masayoshi's eyes as he stared at the mysterious symbol covering the wall.
The pattern had already turned a brilliant crimson.
He spoke in an almost fanatical tone.
"I offer everyone in Tokyo as a Sacrifice to you."
"Drag those five into Hell!"
.....
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