Several days after Inari and Shion cleared the Saitama Dungeon No. 4, Inari found herself in Ikebukuro.
Close to Shinjuku but a very different city in character, Ikebukuro had once been among Tokyo’s most developed districts—a place where cutting-edge trends and subcultures blended seamlessly. Unlike Akihabara, however, Ikebukuro had been particularly known for its strong presence of women-oriented subculture.
Of course, Ikebukuro had not escaped the devastation of past monster disasters. But now, it had been reborn as a city where diverse cultures converged.
With Akihabara having lost its subculture identity to become a city of awakeners, Ikebukuro’s evolution into a cultural hub may have been a natural counterpart.
At any rate, Inari had come to Ikebukuro for a reason.
“Hmm… with all this clutter, it’s hard to tell.”
On her Awakener Phone, a map to the library was displayed—Ikebukuro Grand Library.
Despite its lofty name, it was a facility worthy of the title, a new symbol of modern Ikebukuro. From subculture magazines to encyclopedias and scholarly works, it held a broad range of collections.
It wasn’t an archive of every book under the sun—rotations and replacements occurred—but it was still a useful starting point for research. That was why Inari had come here.
Yet the jumble of towering buildings, the tangle of main streets and back alleys, made Ikebukuro dizzyingly complex. Just as it had in the past, it exuded an atmosphere at once chaotic and oddly familiar.
The key difference was that Ikebukuro today was still a “normal city,” with many ordinary people walking its streets. And in such a place… Inari stood out. Incredibly so.
Fox ears. A fox tail. Miko robes. Worn by a beautiful girl, such a sight would make anyone look once. When the quality was so real, and the girl herself breathtakingly pretty—people would look twice. Some would glance three times. Some would be unable to look away at all.
That was Inari. And at present, no one else in the world combined all these qualities. She was the one and only—Kogami Inari.
Lately she had become a very famous awakener. In Ikebukuro, people who noticed her reacted in different ways: some doubted she was the real thing, some snapped photos, others whispered among themselves.
A celebrity awakener was treated much like an idol. And when ordinary people encountered such a figure, many hesitated to approach. But not all.
Two high school girls, for instance, had just mustered the courage to step forward.
“E-excuse me!”
“Mhm?”
“Y-you’re Kogami Inari, aren’t you!?”
“Oh, aye. That I am. What is it? Has something happened?”
For a moment, Inari wondered if a dungeon gate had spawned nearby. But the girl blurted out, her voice taut with nerves.
“Y-you looked like you were in trouble!”
“Yes! We thought you might be lost! So, um, if we could help—”
“Ohhh, so that was it! Mhm, mhm. Such kind children you are!”
They were simply being helpful. Realizing this, Inari’s face bloomed into a radiant smile.
It must have taken courage to speak to a stranger—yet they had stepped forward out of kindness. That spirit filled Inari with joy.
But again, Inari was a strikingly beautiful girl. For her to smile so warmly, brimming with affection—it was practically a weapon.
The high schoolers turned bright red, their hard-earned courage nearly scattering to pieces.
“The truth is—”
“Eek!”
“Art thou well? Are you unwell?”
“I-I’m fine!”
“Hmm, is that so.”
Inari gave them a worried look, though the two gradually steadied themselves. Meanwhile, random passersby were still recovering after being hit by the “collateral damage” of her cuteness.
“Well then. I was trying to reach Ikebukuro Grand Library.”
“Ah! In that case, go one more intersection ahead, turn right, and you’ll see it straight ahead!”
“Oh? Truly?”
“Yes! It’s a pretty big building, so it’s easy to spot.”
That would make things much simpler. Inari rechecked her map, nodded, and gave the girls another smile.
“My thanks. You’ve been of great help.”
“N-no, we’re glad we could help!”
“Me too!”
“Mhm, mhm. And I am glad to have met such fine children as you. Perhaps it is needless, but I shall offer a prayer for your fortune.”
Waving as she parted from them, Inari soon reached the library.
…Later that day, the two girls bought some trading can badges at a shop. One of them pulled her favorite character on the very first try.
Whether that was thanks to Inari’s blessing—remained unknown.