Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

Satou here. Back in my grandfather’s countryside home, we used a smoke-type insecticide to get rid of pests inside the house, but in city rental apartments, using that kind of thing recklessly could be mistaken for a fire, or it might even be outright banned, so it often can’t be used. Though it’s highly effective since it wipes them all out in one go.

◇

“Thank goodness, it looks like Karisuok City was the first.”

I muttered to myself with a sigh of relief.

Starting with the hometowns of the shrine maidens and priests who’d been captured in the Netherworld, I patrolled around using unit placement and spatial magic teleportation, but no country had actually fallen victim to terrorism by the “Vampire Mosquito: Mutant Species.”

Instead, we managed to secure some members of the “Golden Heart”—the group the white-clad old man who abducted the shrine maidens belonged to—as well as several jars they’d hidden and eggs of vampire mosquitoes before activation.

I prepared materials with photos of the jars and the vampire mosquitoes, but I hesitated to distribute them to the heads of state of various countries.

That’s because I realized that not only would the countries that secured the vampire mosquitoes move to eliminate them, but they might also hide the mosquitoes and use them for rear disruption during wars with other nations.

“Ah, the idea of organizations seizing biological or chemical weapons and then using them—that was a classic during the Cold War, wasn’t it?”

“But, Ichiro-nii, if you don’t tell them, wouldn’t the people of those countries end up in serious trouble?”

“Well, that’s true. How about keeping the details on the vampire mosquitoes secret and just labeling the jars themselves as the source of the curse? Like, ‘The Demon King’s cursed artifact!’ Then the priests’ ritual magic would have to purify it, or else everyone in the country would be cursed.”

When I consulted Arisa and Hikaru through the spatial magic “tactical communication,” that’s the kind of answer I got.

We decided to adopt Arisa’s idea. After removing the jars in each country, I’d submit a letter as Hero Nameless of the Shiga Kingdom explaining that the jars were eliminated and warning that there might still be those plotting terror.

“Still, Ichiro-nii’s unique skill really is a cheat, huh?”

Hikaru joked like that, but when we ended the call, I faintly heard her mutter, “If only I had that kind of power back then…”

I’m not sure if it was during her hero days or king days, but Hikaru seems to have gone through a lot too.

Someday, I’ll prepare some good drinks and food and spend an evening listening to old stories.

◇

“Hey, seriously...”

It seemed that “Golden Heart” wasn’t the only one plotting the vampire mosquito terrorism.

After thoroughly examining the first area, I used unit placement and spatial magic to teleport sequentially across all known maps of the continent. Searching maps for vampire mosquitoes and “Golden Heart” members, I foiled the plans for vampire mosquito terrorism.

During that process, secret societies such as “Needle of Truth,” “Mercury Eyes,” and “Mutual Aid Society” were discovered one after another.

None of them appeared to be part of a terrorist network; most seemed completely independent.

However, there was one common point among these organizations.

The person who brought in the vampire mosquitoes had different names—“Comrade Don,” “Nanya member,” “Seya of the Shadow Portal,” “Master Shuryo”—but all were short men with foreign accents, and no one knew their faces.

Whether they were the same individual was unclear, but it was certain there was a mastermind behind the terrorist organizations.

And who could mastermind such large-scale evil?

“Well, it has to be them…”

I pictured the mastermind leader hiding behind the Saga Empire, along with strategist Touya and others.

I know where Touya and his group are, and I have markers on them, so I’m not worried about losing track, but I still haven’t caught the leader’s tail.