It Became a Time-Stop Slit-Eye

22. Knock-knock, does anyone have a landlord?

The boy, who came out of a house that was too big to live by himself, smiled at the tombstone on one side of the yard.

“I’ll be back.”

It’s unfamiliar because no one is listening, but it’s something I’ve been doing for years and got used to it.

There are so many people I need to greet, such as my grandfather, father, and mother, so I omitted the afterwords.

Kenichi silently smiled for a while, then got on his bicycle and started pedaling.

Kirik, Kirik.

In the morning, the spring cold has gone to some extent and a cool spring breeze blows.

Is it because of the calm wind or because of the body that tilts while stepping on the pedal once in a while?

The crucifix hanging around his neck shook.

The right temperature, the wind that blows, and the load that goes into your body are all somehow to my liking.

Even the swinging necklace gives a sense of rhythm, making me feel excited.

I haven’t ridden it recently, but I liked it enough to want to ride it for a while.

Of course, I don’t know if I’ll change my mind again tomorrow, but that’s what I thought right away.

“Ah, good.”

Since the thoughts in my head have been so dizzy since the morning, I took a short escape.

As expected, it had to be good.

Kenichi remembered what happened last night as he was blankly hit by the wind blowing from the front.

A former close friend or a goddamn number, or a guy who really wants to be the dark side of the world.

As usual, Shiki Ichimaru said yesterday with a smile on his face.

“As I said before, humanity is currently facing an apocalypse crisis. We are running towards the end for each reason, and we, Japan, will reach the end with the opening of the seal on the spirit vein in Tokyo.”

Simply being able to see monsters.

A thing that can summon a unique sword with a necklace.

It was an absurd remark different from producing mysterious results with magic and sorcery, but no one at the meeting could refute it.

It was right after Shiki Ichimaru split the night sky and showed the red moon.

Eris, who didn’t believe in bullsh*t, listened to the story with a bewildered expression.

There was little chance that it was a mere gimmick.

Even Kenichi, who was insensitive to magic, could clearly feel the ominous energy from him, so there was no way the other two, who were particularly sensitive to it, could not notice it.

Originally, he wanted to, but looking at the other two who became quite serious, Kenichi realized anew.

“The three pillars of Tokyo, which are the core of eastern Japan, are the spiritual mountain where the fire shrine is located, the spiritual vein where the miraculous powers of the eastern land gather, and the dragon vein that suppresses all evil. There are three of them.”

He says the story he is hearing is real.

“The spirit mountain, where the gods live, is like a heavenly fortress, and the dragon vein is similar in the sense that unapproachable beings stay there, but the spirit vein, which has been protected by human guardians for a long time, is different. It had to be resealed every tens or hundreds of years, but just last week it was completely shattered.”

Then this story must be real.

“Therefore, everyone must work hard to rebuild the seal of Tokyo. Well, I’m not asking you to help me, but for another classmate here. Isn’t that right, Kenichi? …… No, would it be better to say this?”

Ichimaru Shiki said with a gruff face.

“Are you ready, Hero of Tokyo?”

Last night, I was really embarrassed by the awful title, tone of voice, two people who looked back as if they realized something surprising, and the atmosphere that was difficult to handle.

…… And back to the present.

The impression of the situation he was in did not change much from last night.

Kenichi stepped on the pedals vigorously and murmured while being blown by the wind in front of him.

“Heroes are horns.”

On the day he awakened the magic sword, he ran wild with excitement without knowing the subject, but over the past few days, Kenichi has learned that he is a fountain regardless of his will.

‘hahahaha, this Kenichi might be worth using?’

I realized that there are too many monsters in this world that I dare not dare to dare to dare to face.

But he unfortunately seemed unable to afford to be infringed upon by the prosecution.

Because that same monster gave me a separate word before going home last night.

“Kenichi, just think that Japan and the world are in your hands. If it feels too grandiose, think of someone dear to you dying.”

It’s cheering or threatening, but thanks to that, I’ve been prepared to some extent.

Kirik,

After hard pedaling, Kenichi arrived at school, tied up his bicycle in the storage room behind the teacher, and headed to 1st year A class.

I said I came early, but the diligent guys always arrived earlier than that.

For example, a diligent and sincere childhood friend.

“Kenichi!”

Today too, my childhood friend, Hotaru Ichinose, who came to class first, greeted me with a smile that was completely different from that of the damn squinted guy.

Kenichi Kitagawa stopped at the threshold of her classroom at her moment and looked at her.

When her friend didn’t come in and stared blankly at herself, Hotaru tilted her head.

“Huh? Don’t come in what are you doing Are you feeling unwell?”

There are so many things I don’t understand about the end, the fate of the hero, or the inheritance of the lineage, but one thing is certain.

I want to protect this guy who knows nothing.

Yes, I want to protect the last remaining relationship in my life somehow.

Kenichi entered the classroom with a strange thought as usual.

“No, nothing.”

Kenichi smiled and sat down next to his childhood friend. He hoped that he would be able to sit next to me like this without any big deal in the future, hoping anew.

Since then, how much time has passed while preparing for inquiry time.

Around the time Kenichi realized the change, he came to see if it was the same for other people.

“No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t understand it, so I came… ….”

Eris Betelgeuse, whose eyes had slightly lowered her eyes, came up to me and was confused, as if she had been worrying a lot the night before.

Rather than visiting Kenichi, whose fate was revealed last night, he came to see Ichimaru Shiki, who was insidious in the back seat.

Eris muttered with her brow furrowed.

“Why the hell is this guy not here?”

However, there was no party involved.

The person who made the bombshell statement yesterday had disappeared like any other scammer.

Kenichi turned around and looked at the vacant seat behind him, feeling uncomfortable.

…… Maybe it’s all lies

Kenichi desperately wished.

I won’t curse at you even if it’s a lie, so please don’t let anything happen.

The big difference was that he really wanted to be a swindler, unlike the average economics master.

‘So why didn’t this guy come?’

Anyway, Kenichi didn’t know why Shiki didn’t come to school, so he looked at the seat next to him just in case.

Ichimaru Shiki’s partner, Sawamura Sento.

As the eyes gradually gathered one by one, she, who is also the class president of Class A, responded calmly.

“I’m sick.”

“…… What?”

“I came early today and left early because I was sick.”

“… ….”

By the time Kitagawa Kenichi was slowly chewing on the incomprehensible sound, Eris Betelgeuse, whose face was distorted like a doll, was brainwashed.

“I’m talking bullsh*t and I’m falling asleep.”

He didn’t agree, maybe he was listening somewhere, but Kenichi nodded vigorously.

I couldn’t imagine the sight of that madman getting sore and trembling.

Not at all, never.

***

At the same time, the mountains of Shizuoka Prefecture.

“Whoa, it’s been a while since I climbed a mountain, so I’m tired.”

I muttered as I wiped my clean forehead.

If you move a little away from Tokyo, you will see a small town called Shizuoka on your left.

There were no specialties that were particularly well known, and it was not a very commercially developed city, but it was a place that had a great influence on Tokyo.

In Shizuoka Prefecture, there was a part of Mt. Fuji, one of Japan’s most famous mountains.

It was also the realm where the owner of the Dragon Vein was located.

It was clear that if I moved in my school uniform from early in the morning, I would jump, so I climbed the mountain, wearing a mountaineering suit like any other hiker, waving my stick.

It was a very early stage in terms of the progress of the episode, but there was nothing wrong with meeting early.

“Oops, my hand slipped!”

Okay, touching the tombstone of the barrier and digging into it was just a coincidence.

I stepped on the correct step and touched the tombstone.

Since I acted realistically, I walked into the cave thinking that the other person would believe it as well.

The cave inside the barrier, which looked normal when you first entered it, gradually took on an emerald color the further you stepped inside.

It was a phenomenon in which the original topography was altered due to the high level of magical power of the owner of the realm.

“Koktok, is there a landlord?”

I asked like a tourist who happened to come in, and the owner of the cave suddenly stood up.

Koo Goo Goo Palace…… !

It was as if an earthquake had come to the cave just by standing up, because of how big it was.

Instantly, emerald-colored scales occupied the entire field of view, and the vertical pupils of a similarly gigantic reptile stared intently at me.

─Are you acting foolish because you want to die, kid?

The owner of the dragon vein, the dragon, greeted me.