Chapter 300: Crown of the Mundane and Divine: Mundane Troubles 『 Part Four 』
〜Hunter x Hunter World〜
The Gungi piece hovered at his fingertips, yet Komugi keenly perceived a momentary stagnation in the King's movements. She tilted her head slightly, her sightless eyes gazing in the direction of the Ant King.
"Your Majesty…?"
The Ant King did not respond. He was recalling the demonic silhouette that had appeared in the sky for but a few dozen seconds—Ifrit, arms spread wide, his endless flames echoing with a frenzied paean to Nanook, the Star God of 『 Destruction 』.
"Interesting,"
The King said suddenly, the corners of his mouth curving upward into a faint arc.
"Despite never receiving the gaze of a god, he still enshrines destruction as his faith and walks His path. Such purity… is actually worthy of commendation."
Pouf knelt at the entrance to the royal palace, his butterfly wings trembling uneasily.
"But, Your Majesty, such an irrational declaration of war—"
A sharp, explosive crack suddenly burst through the air!
The King's tail lashed out like a steel whip, striking Pouf across the face and flipping him entirely onto the ground.
"Do you think I require you to lecture me on what constitutes rationality? Do you truly believe I cannot distinguish it for myself?"
The King's voice was like an ice pick soaked in venom, piercing deep into Pouf's heart.
"…I—It was my presumption! My King."
Pouf scrambled up, trembling, as intense pain accompanied by a tsunami of self-reproach washed over him.
What… what a majestic King! Yet I dared to question the King's judgment; it was the height of foolishness!
"Am I… truly worthy of remaining by the King's side?"
Pouf sank into a deep pit of doubt.
The Ant King finally returned his gaze to the Gungi board, and the piece he held between his fingers descended at last.
"Remember, what I require is a sharp blade that can fully execute my will, not a mediocrity who spends all day agonizing over right and wrong. Do you understand?"
Pouf collapsed softly to the floor, gazing obsessively at the King's back as he refocused on the game.
"As you command… Your Majesty."
( Translator-kun: Did the Phantylia fight not heal Komugi's blindness? )
—
「 Ratio invited Stelle to join him in the investigation, while Asta and the others remained behind to control public opinion.
They found Arlan, obtaining from him a list of missing researchers along with their detailed profiles. Without even glancing at it, Ratio handed the list to Stelle: "Take this. Memorize these names, then find a well-connected friend and tell them you want to know the connections between these people."
Stelle looked at him in confusion. "Any leads?"
Ratio shrugged. "I don't know. That depends on your friend."
Stelle had no choice but to hand the list over to Pamela, the Space Station's resident gossip, before continuing to discuss the next steps with Arlan. When Ratio mentioned wanting to meet this Mr. Adler, Arlan revealed that he, too, had vanished several system hours ago.
The last time he was seen was in the Master Control Zone, with Wen Shiling.
"Lead the way. You mentioned that this Adler seemed to have a clue but didn't have time to voice it. If his disappearance is also linked to the attacks—I fear he may have truly realized something."
Stelle recalled that what had originally inspired Adler was energy lifeforms. Duke Inferno is also a type of elemental lifeform; perhaps there is a commonality between the two.
She contacted Dan Heng, asking him to investigate detailed information regarding Duke Inferno; she needed more intelligence. 」
「 ..... 」
〜Type-Moon World, Carnival Phantasm Worldline〜
The dining table at the Emiya household was laden with steaming hot dishes. Saber was focused on spooning curry rice into her mouth, her expression one of pure enjoyment and satisfaction. Tohsaka Rin, meanwhile, rested her chin on her hand, staring at the sharp profile of Professor Ratio on the Light Screen.
"What a strange person,"
She mused thoughtfully.
"Even though his words are so aggressive, he actively volunteered to investigate such a dangerous disappearance with Stelle. He's the complete opposite of that, Ms. Ruan Mei."
"A sharp tongue with a warm heart?"
Emiya Shirou smiled.
"Sounds like someone who loves to lecture people."
As he spoke, he cast a pointed glance at Red A, who was sitting beside Rin.
Red A scoffed coldly.
"Don't lump me in with scholars."
"But, speaking of which… Saber, would you want to go see the universe?"
Tohsaka Rin suddenly put down her chopsticks, her face full of enthusiasm.
"To travel to the worlds in the sky? Fighting mythical heroes from other civilizations and such—it would be fun, wouldn't it?"
A flicker of anticipation sparked in Saber's emerald eyes.
"I would indeed like to experience that firsthand, but without a Master over there, would it be…"
"Saber, it's just a hypothetical! Just a what-if! I was only asking casually."
Tohsaka Rin glanced at Archer beside her.
"And you? Do you want to go? Archer?"
"I refuse,"
Red A interrupted flatly.
"Even if such an opportunity existed, I wouldn't go—besides, there isn't one. I consider my own safety far more important than satisfying Rin curiosity."
"Tch—"
Tohsaka Rin huffed, the sheer tsundere energy practically drifting out the windows of the Emiya house.
"I wasn't looking forward to your battles anyway."
—
「 The two found Wen Shiling, who was weeping bitterly over Chandler's disappearance. She stated that he had recently been obsessed with researching spontaneous human combustion and paranormal phenomena, becoming quite neurotic.
"What did he say?" Ratio asked suddenly.
Wen Shiling suddenly recalled something, blinking her eyes. "S-Something about a scent!"
"A scent…" Ratio repeated thoughtfully.
Wen Shiling handed the pair a small booklet, indicating it was the last thing he had been reading before he vanished.
Just then, Pamela sent a message to Stelle, stating that she had obtained a subtle result regarding the connections between the missing personnel. While these people indeed had no interpersonal overlap, they had all posted extremist remarks against the management on the dark web and had many supporters.
"Judging by your expression, it's not good news."
After relaying Pamela's findings to Ratio, he let out a meaningful "Oh." "The missing researchers were opinion leaders denouncing the management. Now that is intriguing."
"While you were replying to messages, I finished flipping through this booklet. It records the lives of several Genius Society members—there is no shortage of interesting information."
He decided it was time to return and speak with Asta and Mr. Screwllum.
On the way back, Dan Heng also sent Stelle the intelligence he had gathered, indicating that Duke Inferno is far from simple. His flame characteristics are unique even among the fire demons of Fetora. Based on witness investigations, Dan Heng speculated that the Dukes' flames inherited an ability related to his origin, something beyond mere combustion.
His flames are difficult to capture due to their constant shifting through phases.
"Phase shifting…" Stelle felt the term was somewhat familiar, yet she couldn't recall where she had heard it for a moment. 」
「 ..... 」
( Translator-kun: Looking forward for the 3.5 collab ꉂ(≧▽≦) )