"Come out, the one hiding inside the statue."
"..."
"If you don't, I'll attack you!"
Though Victor Wang didn't believe the Hungry Ghost would show itself so easily, he had kept his guard up around the fox statue all along. Now that no outsiders were present, it was time to ask directly.
"Heh... To think I'd be exposed because of a dog."
With a faint sigh, the fox statue transformed into a woman wearing a fox mask and a red-and-white shrine maiden's outfit.
Considering Konda Village, foxes, and Kitsune Saiguu's ties, Victor Wang hadn't struck at the statue immediately. Such a transformation was within his expectations.
"Who are you? Why take on this form?"
"Please, allow me to explain. I am a shrine maiden... though not an ordinary one. Have you heard the legend of TheSkyandTheEarth Kitsune?"
"Go on."
"A long, long time ago, there was one who protected Narukami Island—Kitsune Saiguu. Legend says she was a white fox of Hakushin Clan, once revered in places as a divine fox. In her life, she befriended many—Oni, Tengu, Bake-Danuki, humans, even the Electro Archon. Together with the Electro Archon, she safeguarded the people of Inazuma."
The woman—Hanachirusato—clutched her chest, voice heavy with grief. "But long ago, during a calamity, that Kitsune Saiguu sacrificed herself for Inazuma. Her kin on Narukami Island, the Sky and Earth Kitsune, turned into stone statues, waiting for her return. As you see, I am one such Earth Kitsune."
Keep acting. You won't even tell me your name... but with strangers, that's natural, I suppose.
Feigning ignorance, Victor Wang asked, "What are you doing in Konda Village?"
"I've always lived in Kon—"
"The dog."
"No, wait, I meant... I came here to clear my mind."
Victor Wang's expression hardened. "The next question—don't even think of lying."
She sighed softly. "As you see, my power is weak. Of course I dare not deceive you."
"...Do you know Kasano Yuichi and Kasano Koji?"
"Who's that?"
"How long have you been in Konda Village?"
"As you saw, just long enough for that dog to still treat me as a stranger."
"So, you didn't witness the abnormal events in Konda Village?"
"That... should be the case?"
The two fox-masked figures stared at each other in silence until Victor Wang suddenly asked, "Is there any chance you're the mastermind behind this?"
"Hah?" Hanachirusato frantically waved her hands. "I-I don't even know what you're talking about!"
"...I thought not. Go. Konda Village is unsettled lately. Weaklings like you shouldn't linger nearby."
"Thank you, I'll leave at once!"
She took only a few steps before glancing back. "And, since you seem a good person, I'll say this much: On Konda Village's land, nothing abnormal has occurred. If you want answers, seek elsewhere."
The Konda Village trail ended.
But if the enemy could manipulate memories—even Kamisato Ayato hadn't unearthed results—it was only natural that they wouldn't slip up so easily.
Victor Wang pressed on, hurrying overnight to Inazuma City. Because of the Vision Hunt Decree, the Sakoku Decree, and the war with Watatsumi's rebels, Tenryou Commission soldiers still patrolled the streets deep into the night, especially at the city's checkpoints, where round-the-clock inspections targeted outlanders.
Creating a Geo construct and sending it with Anemo into a concealed spot past the gate, then using Light Realm Traversal, he endured the swell of Geo and Anemo within his body and the crushing pressure like the deep sea. He slipped through successfully.
At the Adventurers' Guild, he updated his map with Inazuma's regions, gaining at least the faint identity of an Inazuman Adventurer—something beyond a mere outlander.
The night passed quietly. At dawn, Victor Wang left the Dragon Maple Crossing Inn to seek Seto Eri's residence.
Inazuma City was divided into three sections: Tenshukaku, Tenryou, and Hanamizaka.
At the highest point sat the colossal palace that was the Shogun's estate. Below was the upper district, and lower still, the lower district—the least affluent, though still dozens of times more bustling than thatched-roofed Konda Village.
Both Furuya Makoto and Seto Eri lived in Tenryou. Seto Eri's house was next to a shop called Ninety-Nine Trinkets. Victor Wang had passed it by on his way to the Guild, but it had been closed late last night.
"Ninety-Nine Trinkets—we've got it all. Looking to buy something, honored guest? Or... looking to learn something? My instincts say, dressed as you are, you're no ordinary man."
"I'm looking for someone. Do you know Seto Eri?"
"Hmm... I can only answer that I don't. Sounds like an Inazuman name, though. Perhaps you'll give me a chance to ask around—"
"No need. Do you know who lives in the house next door?"
"Of course I do... wait, huh?" The young shopkeeper, Aoi, scratched her head. "In my memory, no one's ever lived there. But that can't be right—how could a house in such a prime location sit empty?"
So even with memories rewritten, too much inconsistency makes people suspicious...
"My gut says that house has some secret... hey, don't go, guest! This was just an accident! Ninety-Nine Trinkets has it all! Guest—!"
Pulling up his hooded cloak once more, Victor Wang dimmed his presence until he seemed invisible among passersby. When the moment was right, he slipped in through the window again.
At first glance, he thought the intel was wrong. The living room was a mess—books, newspapers, sketches scattered all over, paint spilled across the table, boxes of nearly expired sweets piled up. Hardly what he imagined a young woman's home to be.
But the bedroom floor, littered with stockings and underwear, confirmed the owner's gender. Closing that door quickly, he opened the next room.
It was a studio. Aside from walls plastered with meaningless line sketches, the space was unexpectedly neat—supplies and tools carefully arranged on shelves and desk.
"Stamp... Inazuma ID... yes, it's Seto Eri. Yae Publishing House contract... light novel illustrator... a diary of missed deadlines? Give me something useful..."
"December 10th: Ate too many sweets, got sleepy, missed the deadline."
"December 19th: Tripped on flat ground, hand hurts, missed the deadline."
Flipping past the trivial entries, the style suddenly shifted on January 10th—text turning into coded script of the North Wing, though still readable to Victor Wang.
"January 10th: Something seems to have happened within the organization."
"January 14th: Strange... I offered to help illustrate, but they said no such request was ever made."
"January 21st: Seems the request board can't be trusted anymore. Heard someone disappeared..."
"January 30th: The missing were actually forgotten? Why do this? To be forgotten... is to have your very existence denied. No—I must record my daily schedule. I don't want to be forgotten!"
The later pages had been torn out.
"Tch!"
After a careful search yielded nothing else, Victor Wang vaulted back out and headed for his next lead.
"Welcome to Yae Publishing House. Looking for a book?"
"I'm looking for someone. Do you know Seto Eri?"
"She's one of our illustrators, of course I know her. Wait a second—" The clerk, Kuroda, who doubled as editor, suddenly squinted. "Are you her cousin, sent by her parents to rush her into marriage? Or are you the blind date she's hiding from? Another excuse for missing a deadline? Yesterday was the cutoff!"
"I'm not one of her hired actors."
"Funny, that's what the last ones said too."
"...Since you remember her, tell me then—where did she go before she disappeared?"
"Hoh?"
Kuroda pushed his glasses up dramatically, voice dripping with chuuni flair.
"So, this time, Eri's actor is quite skilled. Could it be she's aiming to snag Lady Yae Miko's award for Most Beloved Delinquent Employee of the quarter? Then let's put on a good show.
"Listen well! Six days ago, to draw new illustrations for 'Invincible, Then Reincarnated as a Shut-in Loser', she went to Seirai Island for reference. She even told us all beforehand! Now I see—it was preparation for this act."
"Seirai Island...?"
"Indeed. Go find her. Let's see what role this turns into!"
"Something feels... off."
"Wow! Flawless confusion! Staying in character from beginning to end! Where on earth did Eri hire such a professional actor? I'll have to report this to Lady Yae Miko. I look forward to your performance!"
Kuroda's open praise drew the attention of his colleagues, but before they could crowd around, Victor Wang had already slipped away, carrying a nagging sense of wrongness.
"There—that back! Such overflowing emotion, nearly spilling over! Have you ever seen an actor this good?"
The other editors shook their heads. One sighed, "She's raised procrastination to new heights... even hiring actors to cover her deadlines? Authors and illustrators everywhere will have their wages cut at this rate. Still, Lady Miko will no doubt enjoy the spectacle..."