Surviving in a World Teeming with Monsters with the Useless Skill 【Everyday Items Master】! I Was Just Hunting Wild Animals with a Crowbar, So Why Is Everyone Screaming It's an S-Rank Monster? - 93

Chapter 93: Ashura Under Fire

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A few days had passed since Angel Zakomiya’s emergency livestream. It was night time. Shuuya Koufukuji was staring blankly at the DM list of Angel Zakomiya, which had been hacked by the Ministry of Defense’s data processing unit.

“…Still fifty thousand…”

Of course, he wasn’t looking at the DMs directly. The hacked messages were fed into an AI, which automatically compiled a list. Then, using geolocation data, the AI generated the most efficient visitation route and tallied the number of locations visited at the end of each day.

And still, fifty thousand remained. All the tedious data handling was automated. He was visiting the sites as efficiently as possible. And yet—fifty thousand remained.

Ideally, he’d have wanted to narrow things down using drones or satellite data, but that was impossible in the quarantine zone. Drones were destroyed, and dungeon particles interfered with satellite information.

Adding more people to the exploration team wouldn’t help either. It would only increase the number of people needing rescue. Shuuya furrowed his brow and clicked his tongue, staring at the list.

It’s impossible.

He thought to himself. 

Even after processing the data, fifty thousand still remained. Actually visiting all locations? Absolutely impossible. It was like trying to cover every inch of the quarantine zone on foot. And yet—

“They’re doing it, aren’t they…”

Botan Keshouin. One of the top current SS-rank adventurers. When it came to combat, sure, there were other contenders—but in terms of sheer physical ability, no one surpassed her.

She kept showing up at his destinations, having gotten there on foot—and always vanished again in a blink. Those people were using this very method to hunt down the real location of the “Everyday Items Master.” And most likely, they’d find him before Team Ashura did.

Shuuya ran a hand through his hair, the headache growing. With a sigh, he put his terminal away. It was a new device, recently issued to replace the broken one. Then, he turned to the twin sisters who were glued to their own new terminals.

“Hey, I’m going to bed. What about you two?”

“Aaaargh, I’m so pissed! So pissed so pissed so pissed!! What do you mean it’s against the law?! The quarantine zone is a special administrative area—laws don’t even apply there! They don’t know anything about what we’re going through!”

“Uuugh… It’s not like that… This mesh dye? I only did it because Sango-chan said we should try it together… It’s not like I thought I was cute or anything…”

“…You two…”

Shuuya’s little sisters. The twins Sango and Shizuku were both in full-on meltdown mode from the online backlash. Unlike Shuuya, who barely used social media, the twins were regular users. After Angel Zakomiya’s broadcast, they couldn’t stop watching how they were being turned into a joke online.

Shuuya was genuinely glad he wasn’t into SNS. After missions, the twins were always like this—completely uncommunicative.

Angel Zakomiya. She really played her hand well. In hindsight, she should’ve been the first one they took out during the last skirmish. That one broadcast alone had effectively sapped both Shuuya’s and the twins’ resources.

No matter how often he told them, the twins wouldn’t quit social media. Shuuya gave up and headed for his bedroll. His sleeping area consisted of a simple cushion and a sleeping bag. Nearby, a smaller woman than even the twins sat on the windowsill of the ruined building, gazing up at the moon.

“Nee-san. You’re still awake? How unusual of you.”

When Shuuya spoke, his big sister—Saya Koufukuji—turned toward him.

“I slept too much during the day~”

“…Heh. That’s just like you. Could you share a bit of that carefree attitude with those two who are losing their minds over a little scandal?”

Saya Koufukuji. Shuuya’s older sister by adoption. She was extremely petite. If you weren’t careful, you might mistake her for an elementary schooler, given her height and youthful looks.

Her eyes always looked drowsy and half-lidded. Her black hair, tinged with blue, was partially braided into tiny plaits.

Every time Shuuya looked at her, he couldn’t believe what lay beside her—a massive sniper rifle. Like Shuuya, she was a double skill holder. She had a high-level tier 4 『Appraisal』skill and a tier 3 『Elite Sniper』skill, making her a formidable sniper and a key member of Team Ashura.

“I thought the twins were just having fun squealing and shouting, but I guess not~?”

“Yeah. They’re taking the whole backlash thing pretty hard. The enemy won this round.”

“Yeah, they got us good~”

After a yawn, Saya continued.

“The Minister of Defense himself called to say, ‘It’ll be difficult to continue operations from here on out,’ right~?”

“The provocation skill likely influenced someone high up in the ministry. No one in the Defense Ministry has a crowd-control skill better than Angel Zakomiya’s. It can’t be undone.”

In short, they’d been outplayed. If Team Ashura was compromised, that would be the end of the operation. No reinforcements, no supplies. Immediate withdrawal. In her usual lazy tone, Saya spoke again.

“Maybe that Defense Ministry bombing had an effect~?”

“No, if anything, it worked in our favor. For a brief moment, there was a ‘Don’t give in to terrorism’ sentiment. But against Angel Zakomiya’s provocation skill, that was just a drop in the bucket.”

“Ahh, so that wasn’t the real problem then~”

She reacted like someone getting a spoiler for a movie she didn’t care about. After a pause, she added, in that same stretched-out, indifferent tone:

“So we’ve run out of options~ That’s a problem~”

Lying down on his bed, Shuuya replied casually.

“We just have to do what we can. Sure, the backup units are gone. But that’s it. We were always the top force in the quarantine zone. And it’s not like we’ve taken a fatal blow ourselves.”

“Father is with us, after all~”

“Yeah. Father has been protecting us all along.”

Their father—though not related by blood—had lovingly raised Shuuya and the other three orphans. Thanks to him, they had this life. Their work, their honor, their purpose.

…Well, the honor had just been lost recently though.Still, a mission was a mission. Once given an order, Shuuya had a duty to see it through. To someone with his abilities, it felt almost like a moral obligation.

“Oh, right~ The stuff from the data processing team came in~”

“I didn’t notice. Thanks, Nee-san.”

Prompted, Shuuya pulled out his terminal and checked. He opened the email and examined the attached files. It was the personal data of the Everyday Items Master—Taku Monobe. A record of what kind of life he had led, what kind of personality he had. Where his weaknesses might lie. Everything was compiled there.

Lying down, Shuuya began to read through it.

“How is it~? Anything stand out~?”

Saya asked, and Shuuya answered.

“He hurt a lot of people as a kid. In martial arts and sports, he sent over ten people to the hospital.”

“A real troublemaker, huh?~ But it looks like the adults still liked him~ The records are there, but nobody made a fuss. Even the interviews with his childhood friends aren’t that negative~”

“Also… The company he quit four years ago had a mysterious accident just before he resigned. A lot of people died.”

“That part caught my eye too~ They couldn’t get a single interview with the survivors. Every one of them refused~”

It was strange. The discrepancy between the probable conclusions drawn from the records and the reactions of those around him was too great. To Shuuya, the file gave off an eerie vibe.

“But, all his violent behavior as a kid stopped abruptly at some point. Up until that company accident, there were no injuries to anyone around him.”

“His parents made him quit all his extracurricular activities, right~?”

Reading on, Shuuya sighed in exasperation.

“What foolish parents. They couldn’t even properly nurture their child’s talent. With that kind of ability, if it had been developed correctly, Japan could’ve become a major powerhouse in SSS-class monster subjugation by now.”

“No waaay, that’s impossible. Master Skill-kun’s parents are just normal folks, y’know? Totally different caliber from our father.”

“Yeah, you might be right. No matter how long I live, I’m not sure I’ll ever become someone as great as Father.”

He was a remarkable father. Though not related by blood, he had raised Shuuya and the others to perfection—a model parent in every sense. He had taken in Shuuya and the others when they were orphans and raised them. When he discovered the powerful skill lying dormant in Shuuya, he devoted himself to developing that talent and helping it flourish.

Though their father had already passed from this world, he was still protecting his children even now.

Ashura Koto. A shamisen that continued to automatically play a powerful resurrection skill called 『Song of Resurrection』,once performed by their father. In the final moments of his long life, right before passing away from old age, their father poured the entirety of his skill into his beloved shamisen.

As a result, the shamisen became an instrument that endlessly, automatically played the 『Song of Resurrection』. Its target was all of the children left behind in the Koufukuji family. The shamisen now continuously played the resurrection song entirely on its own, guaranteeing a state of immortality for every member of the Koufukuji family—specifically, all current members of Team Ashura—ensuring that not even the slightest injury would be allowed.

That Ashura Koto was now enshrined in a secret location within the Ministry of Defense, unknown to anyone. As long as the Ashura Koto remained intact, Team Ashura would remain immortal. What began as a mere auxiliary tool for skill usage—a shamisen—became known as “Ashura Koto,” named after the team and its automatic playing nature.

…After finishing the report and powering down his device, Shuuya murmured:

“Environment is a cruel thing. I always think about how lucky we are.”

In that sense, Everyday Items Master was a pitiful one. Even greater talent than Shuuya’s had been crushed by parents, parents who were nothing but mediocre in every sense of the world. 

Then, half-jokingly, Saya chimed in.

“He’s trending, though~”

“Are you worried about it too, Nee-san?”

“I’ve never even touched social media~”

“Figured as much.”

Chuckling softly, the siblings smiled together. Shuuya liked talking with his big sister, Saya. Their drowsy, relaxed conversations brought peace to his mind. Especially before bed, it made him feel sleepy.

“Ready to sleep soon?”

“Yeah. Good night―”

It was at that moment. A notification tone rang out—an email had arrived. When he checked, it was from His Excellency. In other words, a top-priority directive. Just as he was about to go to sleep, Shuuya opened the message with a conflicted expression.

『To: Special Mobile Unit A-4 for the Quarantine Zone

This is the Minister of Defense.

We have received additional information and are forwarding it concisely.

This is a report shared from Special Mobile Unit Yo-5, Team “Prophet.” Currently, due to the fact that information regarding the “Mad God” causes mental damage of Class B or higher, no clear information is available. However, it seems that information gathering on the “Offspring” has been comparatively easier.

Therefore, we are issuing this notice focused solely on the recovered item, “Offspring of the Mad God.”

The Offspring is one of the many children of the Mad God. Most of them have either not yet been discovered for some reason, or have already been killed. In most cases, it is assumed that they were killed by their own mother, the Mad God.

The Offspring targeted for recovery in this operation is believed to be the one who, by chance, was expected to grow until awakening. It is safe to categorize it as a demon.

Next, regarding the abilities of the Offspring—two types have been successfully observed. One is the ability to create matter. If it’s something simple, it can produce it on the spot by consuming its own magic energy.

The second is the ability to contaminate the real world. This is reportedly difficult to define, but to put it simply, it is akin to overwriting reality with its own worldview.

The Offspring instinctively uses this contamination ability to transform the real world into its own domain. It was reported that as the area under its control expands, it continues to grow in power. Analysis is ongoing regarding the recent bombing terrorist incident at the Ministry of Defense, but it is suspected to have been caused by the unconscious use of this ability.

Furthermore, once the Offspring grows beyond a certain point and the contamination spreads sufficiently, it is said to begin summoning the Mad God. As for the Mad God, details remain unknown. However, even the most conservative estimate puts it at SSS-class monster level.

Accordingly, a renewed order is issued:

You are to carry out the following directives regarding the recovery of the item without fail. If possible, retrieve it and bring it back to the classified facility within the quarantined region for special research and containment. If that is not possible, destroy the target completely until resurrection becomes impossible.

That is all for now. We appreciate your continued efforts.』

Having finished reading, Shuuya let out a sigh.

“Shuuya, done reading?”

“Yeah, I’m done. At least this time we got to learn about the enemy’s abilities before the fight.”

“But in exchange, a Master Skill holder has become our enemy, so… plus-minus… minus?”

“It’s always like this.”

Saya yawned. Shuuya caught the yawn and followed suit.

“All we can do is carry out our mission. Even if they regroup with the target first, it’s not a problem. We’ll strike by surprise, seize the target, and bring it back to complete the mission…”

Shuuya closed his eyes.

“We’re fine being nameless soldiers. We use our abilities for the good of the country. I’ll repay the debt I owe to my father…That’s all I have…”

And with that, Shuuya began to breathe quietly in sleep.

“…Even after growing up, you’re still my clumsy and adorable little brother, huh?”

Looking down at Shuuya, Saya softly murmured.

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